The VAR Guy’s head is still spinning after yesterday’s Microsoft Lync launch extravaganza, where Senior VP Chris Capossela showed off Microsoft’s next-generation unified communications system. Lync demonstrations were certainly impressive. But will partners help Microsoft to promote Lync as both an on-premises solution and a SaaS offering? Here’s The VAR Guy’s view on the situation.

Capossela and Corporate VP of the Office Communications Group Gurdeep Singh Pall put Lync (formerly Office Communications Server) through its paces in front of the audience of Microsoft customers, partners and media. The presentation focused on device integration, click-to-call functionality, and streamlined interface.

In no particular order, some highlights of that presentation:

  • Singh Pall really hammered home the power of Lync’s enterprise internet telephony, saying “the era of the PBX is over.” But he also made it clear that Microsoft is serious about Lync’s ability to integrate with existing PBX deployments.
  • Lync’s IM and chat capabilities can be extended to Microsoft Windows Live Messenger users — and even to the Microsoft XBox’s new controller-less Kinect platform, with that functionality coming soon.
  • And speaking of “coming soon,” Capossela officially confirmed that a Microsoft Lync application would be coming to Windows Phone 7 and Apple iPhone next year.
  • An important function of the Lync interface, says Singh Pall, is the fact that it automatically updates your availability depending on if your calendar says you’re in a meeting, if you’re on a phone call, or just busy.
  • Lync is a platform, says Capossela, and its success is going to hinge on Microsoft’s ISV community and the tools they develop on top of it.

True Believers

After that presentation, The VAR Guy caught up with Microsoft partners BT and Verizon. As expected, both partners expressed a boatload of enthusiasm for Lync’s bold new steps into true VoIP integration. No one’s expecting Microsoft to crush the PBX market the instant Lync Server 2010 becomes available on December 1, 2010. But those who attended the Lync launch event said VARs will profit from value assessments and deployment management services.

To that end, in fact, Verizon announced two major initiatives: a Microsoft Online Services-powered UC and collaboration solution for SMBs and Verizon Professional Services for large enterprise Lync deployments. Expect more details on that front soon from The VAR Guy.

SaaS and Cloud Perspectives

There’s a lot of enthusiasm around Microsoft Lync – but I suspect that there’s still some doubt, too, especially in the SMB community. Like most of Microsoft’s applications, Lync will be available on premise or as a SaaS solution — delivered as part of Microsoft BPOS (Business Productivity Online Suite). When Office 365 succeeds BPOS sometime in 2011, it’s going to bring affordable unified communications to the masses thanks to the cloud-hosted Lync Online.

But some partners continue to fear Microsoft’s cloud strategy, especially because Microsoft is handling the end-customer billing process. Still, The VAR Guy is getting a bit ahead of himself. Most of the Lync launch event was notably light on hosted and managed Lync deployment-talk.

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4 Comments on “Microsoft Lync: Will Unified Communications Partners Sign On?”

  1. matt landis Says:
    November 18th, 2010 at 8:22 pm

    Hello,

    As a Microsoft Gold partner & blogger that focuses on Windows-based telephone/communication systems for the SMB I would say to the players in this space: Lookout!

    We are in the process of testing the viability of Lync 2010 as on-premise equipment to supplement or replace PBX’s in the SMB and we were amazed at the ease of installation and low requirements for this very powerful and extremely easy to use solution. (especially from end-user perspective)

    Lync 2010 has DRAMATICALLY reduced the infrastructure required for an implementation. Many of Microsoft’s sizing documents are giving server requirements for 1000′s of Lync users. In our testing lab we installed Lync Server 2010 Standard on HP’s new Proliant Microserver. This server has only 1GB of ram and Athalon II cpu! In realworld 25-50 Lync user senarios we are hearing 4-8GB of ram on a Proliant 3xx.. If no outside connectivity is required this is the only server. Otherwise you need an additional edge server. (no lync license) Can be virtualized. Basically my point is that a small Lync implementation is drastically simpler than previously.

    There are now very affordable stand alone handsets from polycom (>$200) and snom (>$150) that make a complete and affordable solution.

    Windows software PBX vendors such as 3CX (yeastar/etc) are especially vulnerable to this serious contender. Lync offers hosted & on-premise, it’s mature, has incredibly refined user experience, deep integration to CRM/Sharepoint/ERP and has a client for about everyone including web. Very compelling.

    I think it is a matter of time till companies implement Lync like the now get Exchange as a matter of course.

    Matt Landis
    http://windowspbx.blogspot.com

  2. matt landis Says:
    November 19th, 2010 at 8:01 am

    Hello,

    As a Microsoft Gold partner & blogger that focuses on Windows-based telephone/communication systems for the SMB I would say to the players in this space: Lookout!

    We are in the process of testing the viability of Lync 2010 as on-premise equipment to supplement or replace PBX’s in the SMB and we were amazed at the ease of installation and low requirements for this very powerful and extremely easy to use solution. (especially from end-user perspective)

    Lync 2010 has DRAMATICALLY reduced the infrastructure required for an implementation. Many of Microsoft’s sizing documents are giving server requirements for 1000′s of Lync users. In our testing lab we installed Lync Server 2010 Standard on HP’s new Proliant Microserver. This server has only 1GB of ram and Athalon II cpu! In realworld 25-50 Lync user senarios we are hearing 4-8GB of ram on a Proliant 3xx.. If no outside connectivity is required this is the only server. Otherwise you need an additional edge server. (no lync license) Can be virtualized. Basically my point is that a small Lync implementation is drastically simpler than previously.

    There are now very affordable stand alone handsets from polycom (>$200) and snom (>$150) that make a complete and affordable solution.

    While all pbx’s are in the cross-hairs, Windows-only software PBX vendors are especially vulnerable to this serious contender. Lync offers hosted & on-premise, it’s mature, has incredibly refined user experience, deep integration to CRM/Sharepoint/ERP, full API and has a client for about everyone including web. Very compelling.

    Matt Landis

  3. The VAR Guy Says:
    November 19th, 2010 at 8:06 am

    Matt: The VAR Guy thanks you for sharing some first-hand experiences. Sounds like you see plenty of Lync upside. Do you have concerns about Microsoft introducing Lync as part of a SaaS service (Office 365, etc.) or do you think there will still be room for partners to profit?
    -TVG

  4. matt landis Says:
    November 22nd, 2010 at 5:53 pm

    Hello,

    Lync as a service is actually part of its appeal. If people cannot justify the cost of actual infrastructure, just rent it.

    I have concerns about the MS saas program setup–but this is not a concern about saas in general.;-)

    Matt Landis

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