How to set up a low cost IP phone with Microsoft Communications Server "14".
And here's the new PBX features for Microsoft Communications Server "14".
VoIP technology can take up a lot of bandwidth, especially if you are using videoconferencing aspects. However the Call Admission Control (CAC) in Communications Server "14" can help to negate this problem. Deploying Microsoft Communications Server “14” can save costs on the expensive alternative of upgrading your IP networks. With Microsoft Communications Server “14” CAC you can still have to same high quality calls despite working with a limited bandwidth. This is because Communications Server “14” has adaptable video and audio codecs so that whatever your network capacity they can adjust. Call admission control basically cuts out any calls that would be of a less than full quality. You can also avoid call spiking and generally direct your calls with all the flexibility needed.
Before the network link can become overloaded, CAC can re-route new calls through the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or transfer the media end of the call over the Internet. The signalling path takes place through a WAN Link. This means more calls can be handled without connection failures.
Geomant has released Contact Expert, a multi-media contact centre solution. Contact Expert delivers full unified communications features and cost savings to organisations such as contact centres and customer service teams. Whether you are using it for a large or a small company it can greatly increase your ROI.
The Contact Expert is integrated for the OCS desktop with presence capabilities, voice, email and SMS services in order to improve productivity. There is also instant messaging and the ability to route calls wherever you want to improve call resolution. There is also the self service IVR option as well as real-time for all of your call recording needs.
The Contact Expert solution is designed for Microsoft Server and will support Microsoft Communications Server "14" when it is released.
The Director of Product Management for Microsoft Communications Server, Yancey Smith, said "Organisations are looking for business solutions to maximise OCS enterprise telephony capabilities.
"Geomant's Contact Expert is such a solution and its extends Microsoft Unified Communications to the contact centre.
She added: "We're delighted that Geomant is developing applications today for OCS and is continuing that support for Communications Server 14."
A useful audio guide to Microsoft Communications Server "14" which covers deployment, central management and software and hardware requirements.
Communications Server 14 is nearly here, the new presence and office collaboration tool from Microsoft. Doubtless some people will get in at tangle trying to work out how to deploy it so here are some handy tips from the senior IT consultant for PointBridge, Jeff Schertz.
Central Management Store
The server configuration data for Communications Server 14 is now in a Central Management Store. This simplifies Edge Server deployment so that configuration data is pushed to workgroup Edge servers.
Operating systems
The main Operating Systems for Communications server 14 are the Server 2008 R2 64-bit and the Server 2008 SP2 64-bit
Collocation
For A/V conferencing on Communications Server 14 you can either use a single consolidated server for SMEs or a
consolidated Front-End servers for large companies. The front end server can also be used for archiving.
If you are using Direct SIP or SIP Trunking, SIP traffic will instead work on DNS load balancing.
Director
The Communications Server 14 Director uses SQL Express instead of a Pool server. No SQL back end database, is required.
PowerShell
PowerShell is a new management tool for the Communication Server Management Shell. The Communication Server Management Shell has replaced the The MMC-based management shell (LCSCMD).
Maintenance
If you are taking the Communications Server 14 server offline it can be drained and moved to another node in the pool.
If you need more information check out the full blog.
Communications Server “14” is almost here and we are gradually finding out more and more about the product, save for what name Microsoft might eventually name it – maybe Communications Server 2010?
Whatever name they come up with, hundreds of hours of research have gone into making Communications Server “14” a fully collaborative product which connects employees, partners and customers at any time and in any place.
So here’s a look at the top 5 features of Communications Server “14”, as were outlined at the recent TechEd 2010 conference.
1) The Activity Feed - social networking is very much the future of the internet experience and many people have seized on the Facebook like nature of Communications Server “14”. The activity feed tells you what your colleagues are up to and whether they are available to work.
2) Integrating Communications Server “14” with Microsoft Office and Microsoft Sharepoint uses presence information to search for people and resources in the company.
3) The converged communications experience gives a single client experience for video and voice capabilities, data sharing and instant messaging.
4) Special search features. Not only can you search for colleagues using pictures and titles as part of your queries but you can also search for certain skills that you need, for instance to help complete a project.
5) Expect absolutely crystal clear video and voice throughout the office thank to the 720p HD webcam video over Communicator.
Not long to go now before Communications Server “14” will start shipping, are you as excited as I am?
Microsoft has revealed the features we can expect in Communications Server "14"
during the recent TechEd 2010 conference in New Orleans, USA.
These include Office document and application sharing, expert search, and one-click meeting access from SharePoint, Outlook and smartphones. Microsoft says that the main benefits of Communications Server 14 are instant messaging, complete presence, enterprise and conference voice capabilities through an easy-to-use interface.
Microsoft expects to deliver Communications Server 14 by the end of the year.
Microsoft Server and Tools President, Bob Muglia, said: "We give customers the tools to take advantage of cloud computing on their own terms.
"Although some competitors would have you believe that you must move everything into the cloud now, don't be misled. All the investments you have already made can help to enable the full promise of cloud computing."
He added: “We are providing the most comprehensive set of choices available to customers."
Microsoft has also updated its Windows Azure software development kit which will support NET Framework 4, IntelliTrace and the final version of Visual Studio 2010.
Microsoft is giving a Unified Communications seminar where the company explains the benefits of the soon-to-be-released Communications Server 14 product.
Communications Server 14 can either enhance or replace your existing PBX, adding to the many capabilities it offers. These include video-web-audio conferencing, low-cost/high quality VoIP calls and instant messaging.
One of the main advantages of using Communications Server 14 is that it incorporates location awareness so that you always know where your colleagues are and what they are working on, enabling easy collaboration.
The interactive session will take place on Monday, July 12, between 4-5pm at the Business Productivity track at the Walter E Washington Convention Center in Washington DC.
There will also be breakout sessions which give more information about the Exchange online and Exchange Server 2010 products.
The main speakers will be the Senior Vice President of the Information Worker Product Management Group, Chris Capossela, and the President of the Microsoft Business Division, Stephen Elop.
Computer company HP will use Microsoft Communications Server 14 to unify communications.
The company is banking on the release of Microsoft’s new product in order to increase office productivity and cut down costs at the same time. HP and Microsoft originally agreed a collaboration agreement in May 2010 and so HP has now created a number of offerings.
Alaa AlShimy, General Manager of HP ProCurve for the Middle East said: “Organisations are facing the growing challenges of having a mobile workforce, which makes doing business more complicated and increases pressure.
“But with these new offerings, we are enhancing interaction, so that people can conduct business more efficiently, especially remote employees.”
HP has already created products which will be used with Microsoft Communications Server 14. They include the HP Survivable Branch Communication zl Module. It combines Microsoft Communications Server 14 and HP ProCurve software within HP ProCurve Switch 8200zl and 5400zl series products. HP has also optimised PCS so that they will provide perfect voice and video quality when used with Microsoft Communications Server 14.
This has all been done with an eye to reducing operating costs when Microsoft Communications Server 14 is released.
Corporate VP of the Office Communications Group Microsoft Corp, Gurdeep Singh Pall, said: “Today’s increasingly mobile workforce means that end-users have to become self sufficient.
“By combining HP’s Survivable Branch Communication zl Module and the other offerings with Communications Server 14, they will get a high quality experience.”
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