Skype for Business Server

Skype for Business Server
Developer(s) Microsoft
Stable release
2013 (15.0.4420.1017) / 2 October 2012 (2012-10-02)
Preview release
2015 / 30 April 2015 (2015-04-30)
Operating system Microsoft Windows
Platform x86-64
Type Instant messaging, collaborative software
Website products.office.com/skype-for-business/

Skype for Business Server[1] (formerly Microsoft Office Communications Server and Microsoft Lync Server) is real-time communications server software that provides the infrastructure for enterprise instant messaging, presence, VoIP, ad hoc and structured conferences (audio, video and web conferencing) and PSTN connectivity through a third-party gateway or SIP trunk.[2] These features are available within an organization, between organizations and with external users on the public internet or standard phones (on the PSTN as well as SIP trunking).

Features

One basic use of Lync Server is instant messaging (IM) and presence within a single organization. This includes support for rich presence information, file transfer and voice and video communication. Lync uses Interactive Connectivity Establishment for NAT traversal and TLS encryption to enable secure voice and video both inside and outside the corporate network.

Lync Server also supports remote users, both corporate users on the Internet (e.g. mobile or home workers) as well as users in partner companies. Lync supports identity federation, enabling interoperability with other corporate IM networks. Federation can be configured either manually (where each partner manually configures the relevant edge servers in the other organization) or automatically (using the appropriate SRV records in the DNS).[3]

Microsoft Lync Server uses Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for signaling along with the SIMPLE extensions to SIP for IM and presence. Media is transferred using RTP and SRTP. The live meeting client uses Persistent Shared Object Model (PSOM) to download meeting content. The communicator client also uses HTTPS to connect with the web components server to download address books and expand distribution lists. By default, supported combinations include encrypted communications using SIP over TLS and SRTP as well as unencrypted SIP over TCP and RTP. Microsoft has published details of supported configuration for qualified vendors through Unified Communications Open Interoperability Program (UCOIP).[4]

IM is only one portion of the Lync suite. The other major components are VoIP telephony and video conferencing through the desktop communicator client. Remote access is possible using the desktop, mobile and web clients.

Several third parties have incorporated Lync functionality on existing platforms. HP has implemented OCS on its Halo video conferencing platform.[5][6]

History

When Microsoft Office Live Communications Server was originally launched on 29 December 2003, it replaced the Exchange Instant Messenger Service that had been included in Exchange 2000, but which was removed from the Exchange 2003 feature set. Holders of Exchange 2000 licenses which included Software Assurance were entitled to receive Live Communications Server as an upgrade, along with Exchange 2003; however, Live Communications Server Client Access Licenses were purchased as normal for new users.

OCS R2 was announced at VoiceCon in Amsterdam in October 2008,[7] a year after releasing Office Communications Server 2007.

Microsoft released Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 in February 2009.[8] The R2 release added the following features:[9]

Microsoft Lync Server 2010 reached general availability in November 2010. Microsoft Lync 2013 was released to manufacturing in October 2012 with SP1 being released in March 2014. In the first half of 2015, the next version of Lync will become Skype for Business with a new client experience, new server release and updates to the service in Office 365.[10]

Versions

Client software and devices

Microsoft Lync is the primary client application released with Lync Server. This client is used for IM, presence, voice and video calls, desktop sharing, file transfer and ad hoc conferences. With Lync 2013 there will be a release of Lync Light Client with fewer features. Microsoft also ships the Microsoft Attendant Console. This is a version of the Lync more oriented towards receptionists or delegates / secretaries or others who get a large volume of inbound calls.

Persistent Group Chat functionality (introduced with Lync Server 2010 [11] [12]) is only supported on the Windows OS client at this time.[13] This requires an additional server or multiple servers for processing group chat transactions. [12]

Other client software and devices include:

The documentation of Lync 2013 contains references to Lync Room Edition Devices - these are anticipated to provide close to immersive experience.

Linux support:

Fisil makes the only available supported Linux client for Lync.[20] The unifiedme.co.uk reference lists a Pidgin-based workaround, but according to the information at CERN,[23] it has important limitations. The Damaka reference leads to the Google+ main page and has no information on a Linux client that I could find. The Fisil reference goes to a project management company that can write custom software.

Compliance

Lync Server also has the capability to log and archive all instant message traffic passing through the server and to create Call Detail Records for conferences and voice. These features can help provide compliance with legal requirements for many organizations. The Archiving server is not an overall end-to-end compliance solution, as archiving requires you to install the Archiving Server and to configure front end servers accordingly.

Public IM Connectivity (PIC)

Lync Server also enables organizations to interoperate with four external IM services: AOL Instant Messenger, Microsoft Messenger service, Yahoo! Messenger, and Google Talk.[24] PIC was first introduced with Service Pack 1 for Live Communications Server 2005, PIC is licensed separately for Yahoo, but is free for AOL and Messenger service for customers with Software Assurance.[24][25] Microsoft announced that effective 30 June 2014, they will no longer support PIC connectivity to AOL/AIM[26]

Third-party software support

SIPE plugin

As of 2012 The third-party SIPE plugin enables third-party clients such as Pidgin, Adium and Miranda IM as well as clients using the Telepathy framework to support MS Lync Servers with some limitation (Audio but no SRTP, No Video) via the extended version of SIP/SIMPLE.

XMPP

Lync Server has an XMPP gateway server to federate with external XMPP servers.[27] With Lync Server 2013, XMPP is natively part of the product.

The ejabberd XMPP server has a bridge that enables federation with OCS servers, without gateways (transports).[28]

Competition

Competitors to Lync Server include:

In instant messaging, the free public instant messaging networks (Google, Live Messenger, Yahoo and AOL) are widely used and represent a degree of competition. There have been attempts by other vendors at providing solutions such as Yahoo!'s Enterprise Instant Messenger; however these attempts have been largely unsuccessful. An ICQ corporate client and server option once existed, but it is no longer supported or developed.

Products such as Cisco Unified Presence Server (Version 6.0.2+) support federation with Microsoft Office Communication Server 2007 to provide presence of Cisco IP phones and remote call control of the IP phone from the Microsoft Office Communicator client.

The Siemens OpenScape solution offers a federation with the Office communicator, and also an integration into the office communicator, allowing to use the standard functionalities of the office communication suite together with the SIP based voice functionalities of the Siemens platform.

The Asterisk telephone platform supports SIP, IAX, and ISDN connections. Most telephones that support these protocols may be used with Asterisk, including software phone clients.

See also

Related products
Similar products
Lists

References

  1. ↑ "Skype for Business Server". Evaluation Center. Microsoft.
  2. ↑ "Previous version". Microsoft.com. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  3. ↑ "Office Communicator Sign-in and Discovery". TechNet Library. Microsoft. 2 April 2009. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "Infrastructure qualified for Microsoft Lync". Microsoft TechNet. Microsoft. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  5. ↑ "Microsoft, HP putting $180 million into UC deal". Networkworld.com. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  6. ↑ "HP Blogs - Realize the World of UC&C - HP Tech@Work - The HP Blog Hub". H30507.www3.hp.com. 29 April 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  7. ↑ "Microsoft Unveils Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2". Microsoft.com. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  8. ↑ "Video: Microsoft Business Division President Elop on the Debut of Office Communications Server 2007 R2". Microsoft.com. 14 October 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  9. ↑ "OCS 2007 R2 new features (OCS 2007)". Ocspedia.com. 14 October 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  10. ↑ "Introducing Skype for Business". Office Blogs. Microsoft. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  11. ↑ "Deploying a group chat server for Lync 2010". Microsoft TechNet.
  12. 1 2 "Deploying Lync 2010 Group Chat". Microsoft TechNet.
  13. ↑ "Client comparison tables for Lync Server 2013". Microsoft TechNet.
  14. ↑ "Unified Communications Solution - Microsoft Lync". Microsoft.com. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  15. ↑ "Microsoft RoundTable demo". YouTube. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  16. ↑ "Polycom® CX5000 HD - video collaboration device - Products". Polycom. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  17. ↑ "Configure the client experience with Skype for Business". TechNet. Microsoft. 24 April 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  18. ↑ "Content Relocated". Technet.microsoft.com. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  19. ↑ "IP Desk Phones". Technet.microsoft.com. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  20. 1 2 "Fisil products". Fisil LLC. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  21. ↑ "Google Play". Google. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  22. ↑ "iTunes Preview". Apple Inc. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  23. ↑ "Linux @ CERN: /linux/docs/lyncmsg.shtml". Linux.web.cern.ch. 11 April 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  24. 1 2 "Public Instant Messaging Connectivity". Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  25. ↑ "Bing". communicationsserverteam. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
  26. ↑ "Microsoft Support for Public Instant Messaging Connectivity". Microsoft TechNet Video. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  27. ↑ "Microsoft Support Lifecycle". Support.microsoft.com. 28 September 2009. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  28. ↑ Mickaël Rémond (27 July 2009). "Seamless federation between XMPP and Microsoft OCS". Process-one.net. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
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