Looks like Microsoft updated the Lync IP Desk Phones page. Very interesting format and some of the devices that were added in the recent month.
Take a peak:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/lync/gg278172
Also, don’t miss the updated IP phone comparison PDF: click here
Just noticed this whiteboard product that works with Microsoft Lync from Smart. Sounds like Microsoft Technology Centers are using them. You might want to take a look http://smarttech.com/us
Source: http://twitter.com/#!/NatalieHarris77/status/130973566601662464
Some people love it, some hate it, but a fairly common request is for new IM’s to be automatically popped open. By default in Lync they just stay at the bottom of the screen.
Modality Systems has released an elegant tool that solves the popup issue while at the same time maintaining Lync’s MPOP (multiple points of presence) feature. You can get this free addon by email supertoast@modalitysystems.com.
Read all about the addon by going to:
http://www.codelync.com/2011/10/missed-ims-supertoast-to-the-rescue/
Another solution: Technet user, Jumper4000, has created a small Lync enhancement that merely pops open Lync messages. A challenge with this method is it breaks MPOP and takes the focus away from what you are doing on your PC. But it’s an option.
Warning: This is a very new app. So be aware you are testing a beta.
Some users have been noting Norton/Symantec detects this as a virus.
Click here to read:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/ocspresenceim/thread/0f6b05ca-6e02-48b5-a88a-ed44e3ebed1e/#9f1a043f-b732-4272-b4cb-d9d851375a0e
Click here to get:
http://www.teklinksystems.com/Downloads/LyncMessagePopper.exe
Below are higher resolution pictures of the snom 720 and 760. These are expected to arrive in distribution sometime Nov-Dec 2011 time frame.
The snom 7xx series is a widely interoperable SIP desk phone. I think they are interesting because of the density of definable buttons (18 on 720 and 12 on 760)
This button density is also interesting in light of eventually being interoperable with Lync via Lync Qualified firmware. I know Lync purist’s may sneer at “buttons” but I don’t think it would be bad to have such a phone for scenarios where the “key system” mentality persists in some corner of the company.
It should be noted that the snom 7xx series definable buttons have 2 color LED’s for each button.
The snom 760 pictured below appears to have a very nice looking UC contact list on the screen. (click to enlarge).
It is not known if this phone will have Lync Qualified firmware available when delivered or if that will come later.
You would like to do a Lync meeting but you know there are some mobile users that want to attend the audio and visual portion of your meeting. The audio part is no problem with Lync as the users can dial in. If your presentation is PowerPoint you can use a neat feature in PowerPoint called “broadcast” to include these users.
This is a workaround, but then you accommodate almost any mobile device including:
The basic steps to doing this
So your meeting is ready to begin and you want to start your broadcast for mobile devices: Open your PowerPoint 2010 presentation and click on Slide Show | Broadcast Slide Show | Start Broadcast.
Now you can either email this broadcast URL to the mobile devices in question or send an IM with the URL (this would work for mobile attendees that have Mobile Communicator 2007
Note: If this is an adhoc meeting you can use the Microsoft Lync integration built-in to PowerPoint 2010 broadcast by clicking on “Send IM”. This will pop up a Lync attendee selector
Now all the mobile user needs to do is call into the Lync Meeting for audio and click on the URL and they should have the powerpoint portion.
Note: I’m not sure what mobile devices support PowerPoint Broadcast so you are welcome to advise me in the comments.
Caveats:
Limit of 50 viewers
Requirements for presenter:
PowerPoint 2010
LiveID
Requirements for attendee:
nothing but one of these browsers and data connection
To see more of the “Lync 30 Second Tip of the Day” Series:
http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/search/label/LyncUserTip
To get the Tips as they arrive follow:
http://twitter.com/#!/matthewlandis
It appears that the first Voip over GSM/Wifi has made its way onto Windows Phone. I haven’t tested the product and it IS only available to use with select service providers. Also it is specifically notated as BETA. But what is interesting is that a SIP softphone app is now on Windows Phone, so we know its possible. 
MobileVoip offers free 3G or WiFi calls for Windows Phone 7, Android, Symbian and iPhone users!
If I am incorrect that this is the first VoIP over 3G/Wifi, please let me know via a comment or @matthewlandis on twitter.
Sources:
http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/apps/4b71bdeb-8df6-444f-a611-33b58e205efd
http://www.mobilevoip.com/help/
Quality Level: Hobbyist.
So you got settled in at your hotel or comfy café and your ready to make an important voice call using Microsoft Lync. Your just a little skeptical of the internet speed and you want to make sure the call quality is good—what do you do?
Of course, you click on the “Phone” tab and do a 1-click “Check”. So simple. So smart.
But Lync gurus, don’t be offended at this simple tip! Andres Gorzelany, reminded me of a Lync expert use for this same service: Test if federation is working, you know, at 2am when no one else is available. 
To see more of the “Lync 30 Second Tip of the Day” Series:
http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/search/label/LyncUserTip
To get the Tips as they arrive follow:
http://twitter.com/#!/matthewlandis
Acknowledgements: Andres Gorzelany. Follow him here http://twitter.com/#!/andygorze
Below is my quick video review of the snom UC600 USB phone.
My comment about small manual: google polycom cx300 for the larger version.
I think it would be accurate to say my eye is on Windows Phone / Lync / SIP / now Skype developments like a hawk. (if pressing refresh on this link everyday qualifies) I just noticed that Winrumors has an article dated yesterday stating that:
Microsoft is now expected to deliver its Windows Phone 7.5 Skype application in the coming weeks.
Isn’t something déjà vu about that comment “expected in the coming weeks”? Sure is. On September 22, 2011, Kirk Gregersen, senior director for Lync in Microsoft's Office division, talked with InformationWeek and they reported:
“Microsoft in the coming weeks will release a version of its Lync collaboration suite for a number of mobile platforms, a company executive said…”
There likely is no connection except that both Lync and Skype for Windows Phone appear to be poised to come…soon. 
This Skype development should not be a surprise because at MIX11 Joe Belifore noted “We’re excited to see Skype come to the platform this fall when all these additional enhancements are available,”
In this blog article I transcribed what was discussed by a Microsoft presenter on some future details of Skype and Lync clients. Since this video was removed I expect we will not see this in first release of Skype.
In any event, WindowsPhone will become an incredibly compelling communication endpoint…SOON.
Winrumors article:
http://www.winrumors.com/skype-for-windows-updated-to-remove-google-product-bundling/
Lync ever get lost in the jungle of windows on your desktop? Well, WindowsKey+Q is the magic key to summon Lync to your beck and call.
And below is a long list of Microsoft Lync shortcuts. Perhaps not a definitive list of Microsoft Lync shortcuts, but if not, I’m not sure I want to see one!
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/communicator-help/keyboard-shortcuts-for-lync-2010-HA101832602.aspx
see more of the “Lync 30 Second Tip of the Day” Series:
http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/search/label/LyncUserTip
To get the Tips as they arrive follow:
http://twitter.com/#!/matthewlandis
Source: I was reminded of this during a conversation with @withinrafael
I’ve been following the ongoing discussion here and thought some others might like my “link notes” as well. And, for fairness, I include both sides.
Gartner UC 2011
http://www.gartner.com/technology/streamReprints.do?id=1-1728DMD&ct=110823&st=sb
http://imaucblog.com/archive/2011/08/26/gartners-2011-uc-magic-quadrant-released/
Miercom Lync Test Report
http://www.miercom.com/pdf/reports/20101117.pdf
http://www.simonleyland.com/2011/01/miercom-test-lync-capability/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/092011-lync-enterprise-251059.html#disqus_thread
So, you heard that 1800-FLOWERS on the radio ( or 1800-BUSINESS, or 1800 whatever! ) and you go home, walk up to your phone and hunt and peck that number in, thinking all the time it would be easier just to type the number? (yeah, me too)
Well trivia time: did you what I just described is called a “Phoneword”? Do not be intimidated, I did not either…until I checked in with Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoneword
What if you could just smoothly type “1800flowers” (you know, that PhoneWord) and your phone would just dial the number? Well, it is that easy with Lync! Just type the Phoneword in and press ENTER and, Presto!
Okay, now…go buy your wife some flowers!
see more of the “Lync 30 Second Tip of the Day” Series:
http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/search/label/LyncUserTip
To get the Tips as they arrive follow:
http://twitter.com/#!/matthewlandis
Source: Our great Lync consultant Japheth Nolt
Yeah, this thing is diminutive. But not on features.
Below is a video of the 1st generation version of this unit:
I have a blog nearly written on detailed steps to integrate it to Lync.
Source:
http://wiki.snomone.com/index.php?title=The_snom_ONE_SoHo
UPDATE: The September 2013 Office update brought Native Lync 2013 spell checker:
http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/2013/09/microsoft-lync-finally-gets-1-requested.html
So you are using Lync and sending IM’s at light-speed but you still want perfect spelling? With built-in Lync functionality on Windows XP/7 there is no spell checker. But using PhraseExpress (free for personal use) you can get not only spell checking but also phrase replacement.
You can get the download here:
http://www.phraseexpress.com/
It just takes a minute to download and install. You can do the Next, Next, Next routine to install. After PhraseExpress is running (as a Tray app) you are ready to roll. How to test? Type in a misspelling like “theri” and as soon as you hit space after the misspelling it will correct it. Yeah, maybe not as cool as built in spell checking—but it should hold us over till Windows8.
PhraseExpress has another handy feature: It can replace abbreviations with the full word. Type in “aka” and watch is suggestion “also known as”.
Another option for the desperate (and I am not promoting this as it is not Microsoft certified or supported, just presenting as an option for the desperate.) I say for the desperate because this involves adding another client and this may not be supported/sanctioned by your administrator. But there is an opensource IM client (IM only, no voice/video/etc) called Pidgin that does OCS/Lync IM and has built in spell checking as shown below.
Its beyond the scope of this article for a how to install but here are some links to get you started: Pidgin IM client and Lync/OCS Plugin:
http://pidgin.im/
http://sipe.sourceforge.net/screens/
http://developer.pidgin.im/wiki/ThirdPartyPlugins
And just a final note to wet your appetite for Windows 8: It looks like Lync 2010 running on Windows 8 (beta) DOES have spell checking built in! 
UPDATE 10/22/2011: I’m happy to report that Lync for Mac 2011 does have a spell checker built in. Appears spell check is in the future.
To see more of the “Lync 30 Second Tip of the Day” Series:
http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/search/label/LyncUserTip
To get the Tips as they arrive follow:
http://twitter.com/#!/matthewlandis
Acknowledgements: http://twitter.com/#!/tomarbuthnot Tipped me off to this cool tool. Please follow him on twitter.
snom has toyed with displaying video on the snom 800 series phones but it appears they are ready to enter the market with a product: The snom ICU doorkeeper. This is a h.264 based door phone unit. What is interesting is that snom notes you can view the door phone video from the “Talk and Pop” software OR the snom 8xx series color screen. See quote below:
When the Talk & Pop soft client is used to receive the calls, the video is displayed on the receiving party’s PC, where Accept and Reject buttons allow the receiving party to either “buzz” in the visitor or deny access to the visitor. The snom 800 IP phone series can also be used by the receiving party to view the video; however, this is heavily dependent on the IPBX.
If this unit is anything like the snom PA 1, we can expect to find snom firmware powering this innards of this unit. That fact that the quote above notes doorkeeper is dependent on “the pbx” means that perhaps some video goodness made its way into snom ONE IP PBX?
One thing that has me very interested, is the video integrated into the snom firmware? (I have not seen the firmware yet) If so, the possibility that snom now has video expertise to add into their desk phones and pbx lineup is even more interesting to me than this unit itself.
Brochure of ICU DoorKeeper:
http://downloads.snom.net/snomONE/docs/ICU_Datasheet.pdf
Source:
http://wiki.snomone.com/index.php?title=The_snom_ICU_doorkeeper
UPDATE: reading more it appears the camera and SIP part of this unit are separate? Not using video via SIP? Hmm, messy.
