Get Your Lync UCWA Programming Lab Up in 5 Minutes & 3 Easy Steps #UCWA #WebRTC

 

The Steps

• Get your www.ucwa.lync.com OAuth token
• Install a web server
• Copy UCWA Sample code

 

1-Get OAuth Tokens from UCWA.lync.com

Goto http://ucwa.lync.com

Sign In with you Microsoft Account.

Agree with EULA

Copy one of the tokens (anyone of them)

A token will look something like:

2-Setup a HTTP server at http://localhost

Install IIS or the even simpler USBWebServer will work.

Download and unzip in a folder

http://www.usbwebserver.net/en/download.php

Double click usbwebserver.exe to run web server

Change port to 80 and click save (this is the port that will work with GotUC.net domain)

3-Copy UCWA Sample and Login

Dowload and unzip “UCWA Helper Libraries” from https://ucwa.lync.com/code and copy the extracted files/folders into usbwebserver Root folder.

Now browse to http://localhost on your machine and you should see the UCWA Code sample web page (below)

Click on sign in on “The developer sandbox”

Now fill in the sign in info:

• Domain = gotuc.net
• Token = {the token you copied above}

It will chug a bit and  then show a blank screen when you are logged in

Now Click on any task and play!  “Me Dashboard” > Get Presence

That’s all! Start Coding!

New #Lync Community Report: Peer-to-Peer Session Details Report Gets Direct URL Enhancement

A new report has been added to the Lync Community Report Repository.

This report enhances the built-in Lync Monitoring “Peer-to-Peer Session Detail Report” by giving you the ability to send an URL to a colleaque that jump directly to the details of a Peer-to-Peer session.

You can right click on the new Hyper-link and get a direct URL to these specific session and media details.

URL will look something like:

http://sqlserver01/ReportServer/Pages/ReportViewer.aspx?/LyncServerReports/Reports_Content/Peer-to-Peer%20Session%20Detail%20Report&SessionIdTime=2013-09-26T20:56:30.030&SessionIdSeq=1

More About the Lync Community Report Repository: Click Here.
Get the Report: Click Here

New Lync Qualified IP Deskphone Vendor: Audiocodes 4xxHD Series Joins Compatible with Lync Program

It looks like the Audiocodes 420HD IP phone has joined the “Compatible with Lync 2010” program. This is the first Lync Qualified device from Audiocodes.

Audiocodes Director of Strategic Marketing, Alan Percy, notes that the Audiocodes 420HD is certified today and Lync firmware for the Audiocodes 430HD and 440HD is expected in the coming months.

You can see my First Impression review blog and video of the Audiocdoes 420HD in a Lync environment by clicking here. The Audiocodes 440HD (uncertified at the moment, shown below) is the high end Audiocodes phone in the 4xxHD lineup and is a unique IP phone that brings 12 button, DESI-less phone to Lync ecosystem. (more on this interesting phone: Click Here)

Quick summary of some of the unique things the new Lync Certified Audiocodes 420HD brings to Lync ecosystem:

• 10/100/1000 GB Switch in an entry level Lync IP deskphone
• Desk and wall mount included in the box
• Phone user interface works very much like tradition phone

Lync Certified Technet Page: Click Here
Lync Catalog: Click Here

Skype for Business (Lync) Community Report Repository: Free Monitoring & Archiving Reports

Have you created a Skype for Business (Lync) Monitoring /Archiving Server report that you would be glad to share with others? The Skype for Business (Lync) Community Report Repository is meant to give you an easy way to share your standard SQL Reporting Services reports and benefit by the work of others.

Current Reports in the Repository

Report	Author	2013	2010		Short Description	Download
Lync User IP Endpoints	Matt Landis	X		N	Type in a SIP URI and get all the IP endpoints registered to that user.	gallery pkg
IM Archive Report	Hany George		X			click here
Peer-to-Peer Details	Japheth Nolt	X		E	Get direct URL to link to specific details.	gallery pkg
PChat Archive Report	Richard Schwendiman	X			persistent chat archive	click here
NEW!Archiving Report & Dashboard	Dodeitee	X	X		Dashboard overview, detailed P2P IM conversations and conferences , more	click here

[1] –note

Other Report Related Downloads

Tool	Author	2013	2010		Short Description	Download
Lync Monitoring Reports Decoder	Andrew Morpeth	X	X		Type in a SIP URI and get all the IP endpoints registered to that user.	click here
NEW! Call Accounting	Andrew Morpeth	X	X		Call Accounting/Billing system	click here
NEW! HP User Registrations Viewer	HP	X	?		Configured Lync Users and Registered Lync Users	click here

 

How To Use a Report?

Just download the report and upload it to your SQL Reporting Services.

The typical URL for your SQL Reporting Services Home is http://{Your_SQL_Reporting_Server_Name}/Reports

Next Open Your Lync Monitoring Server Reports folder (Lync ServerReports) then open the “Reports_Content” folder.

From here you Upload the report file you downloaded from the repository by clicking “Upload File”.

Now you should be able to click the report you just uploaded and get a fresh new look at your Lync data!

NOTE: Make sure if you are uploading a report that overwrites an original report that you have a copy of the original report.

How to Submit a Report?

You can submit a report by emailing your report to mattmlandis at gmail with a subject of “Lync Report”. A short description of the report and if it is compatible with Lync 2010 and/or Lync 2013. Also include your name and URL for attribution.

I suggest having the report Data Source be either CDRDB or QMSDB.

How to Promote the Lync Community Report Repository?

Link to this blog article using: http://bit.ly/lyncreports
(I suggest linking to this blog)

The Skype for Business (Lync) Community Report Repository

To download the Lync Server report repository: Click Here

Kevin Turner: Microsoft Shipping More UC Ent. Voice Lines Than Any Tech Company; #Lync is $1B Product

The Sept 19, 2013 Financial Analyst transcript is available and there are several notable Lync and Skype mentions to not overlook.

“...Lync is a billion-dollar product...”  –Kevin Turner, Microsoft Sept 19, 2013 Financial Analyst Meeting

And then another

“And the ability to take Lync and Skype, now Microsoft is shipping more enterprise voice lines on unified communications than any other technology company in the world...” –Kevin Turner, Microsoft Sept 19, 2013 Financial Analyst Meeting

This comment is slightly ambiguous but I suspect we will hear some more details from the Skype/Lync team shortly on such a big statement.

How is Lync and Skype being positioned? The below graphic sums it up.

 

Below is the Report:
http://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=http://www.microsoft.com/investor/downloads/events/Turner_FAM_2013.docx

http://www.microsoft.com/investor/Events/FAM/2013/default.aspx

#Blackberry Enterprise IM v3.1 Brings #Lync & #Skype Federation

 

It looks like Blackberry Enterprise IM version 3.1 now has Lync and Skype federation. Blackberry notes:

“Want to securely IM with your customers and partners? You can chat easily cross platform with colleagues, customers and partners as BlackBerry IM now enables federation and public IM connectivity – whether a federated partner like Microsoft Lync or a public IM providers like Skype – all from within the same client.

Appears to bring these features:

• Presence
• peer to peer IM
• multi-party IM
• Photo?

While photos show a “Call” button, it appears that IM is only supported to Lync/SameTime.

Skype contact (below)

Also supports:

• Microsoft Lync
• Microsoft OCS
• IBM Sametime

Does require Blackberry 10.1 or higher handheld OS.

See more details here:
http://bizblog.blackberry.com/2013/09/blackberry-enterprise-im-v31-update/

Is Microsoft Lync the Most Connected Enterprise UC Solution? Click Here

Microsoft #Lync 2013 September 2013 Update: List of New Features & Fixes

 

Lync updates are now being delivered with Office 2013 updates.

Where is the September Update?

NOTE 9/14/2013: The Office September update was released and then due to some bugs was pulled back again. If you have Office 365 click2run this update is still available. Otherwise the update should be re-released in a few weeks. (a 3rd option is if you have it on a WSUS server . See Flinchbot for more notes on Sept update/pullback: Click Here)

LATEST UPDATE 9/21/2013: The September 2013 Update Download is now available here: Click Here

The September 2013 update will update Lync PC client to version 15.0.4535.1002.

New Features:

• Spell Checker
  • and yes, three is an option to turn it on or off!
• Ability to Paste Unformatted (courtesy Tom Arbuthnot Click Here)
• Web User Picture (Lyncdup: Click Here  )

spell check as you type (below)

Ability to turn off Check spelling is VERY welcome:

I notice that if “Check Spelling as I type” is turned off, spell check functionality is not even in the right click menu. (below)

Fixes:

• Tray icon shows your presence state (as it did in previous versions) click here
• Bug: sometimes ctrl+tab to switch conversations didn't work
• Assume that you zoom the text in the instant message input area in Lync 2013 to a value greater than or less than 100 percent. When you type some text in the instant message area, the zoom setting is not applied to the typed text.
• When you share content in Lync 2013, there is a persistent white bar at the bottom of the screen. For example, this issue can occur when you share a PowerPoint presentation and start a Q&A session.

Things This Update Breaks

• Lync presence not updating based on Free/Busy (Courtesy Doug Deitterick Click Here)

 

The September 2013 Update Download is now available here: Click Here

Microsoft #Lync Finally Gets #1 Requested Feature: Spell Checker

Now Lync can drive you crazy changing your IM spelling from what you wanted it to be to the “correct way” just like you cell phone!

The official Microsoft Lync twitter account @msftLync tweeted:

“Finally Native Spell check for Lync. Update available now.” Click Here

Here is the a link to the Office 2013 Update KB: Click Here (the actual update temporarily pulled due to bugs, excellent explanation by flinchbot: Click Here)

Below is a quick screen shot of the Lync 2013 spell check in action:

Native Lync spell checker has been the top requested Lync feature at www.lync.ideascale.com for some time:

To see all Lync updates in Sept. 2013 update: Click Here

Updates:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/lync/dn146015.aspx
TechCenter: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/lync/ff960995.aspx
Lync Updates RSS: http://www.microsoft.com/feeds/technet/en-us/lync/LyncUpdatesResources.xml

Lync Qualified/Comptabile and Optimized IP Phone Features Compared: Which Devices are More “Advanced”?

I am getting more and more questions on which class of Lync devices is more “advanced”. As Lync Qualified (aka Lync Compatible/ 3PIP) devices get more and more features this question is getting less and less clear. Will Lync Qualified devices become more “Optimized” than LPE devices? This is a real possibility.

At one time I would have said Optimized devices are the information worker device while Qualified/Compatible are for those that want a more PBX-like experience. Qualified/Compatible/3PIP devices certainly remain the devices that provide the most PBX-like experience, but with the addition of Better Together over Ethernet, USB/Bluetooth headset support and video right from the devices (Polycom VVX 500/600), this line has become blurred. I still think that (at this moment) the information worker is best served by LPE devices, but this is becoming more subjective and will likely to change in the future.

Some things that still weigh in favor of LPE in my mind:

• Less initial setup /provisioning “fiddling”
• Better Lync Monitoring server Media Quality reporting (basically there is non on Qualifed/Compatible devices)
• LPE firmware is more “settled”,hardened & bug free.

NOTE: This article is in progress. Also, if you see any errors/omissions, please comment. Please verify and do your own testing.

	snom UC Edition	Polycom UCS 5.0.0	Audiocodes 4xxHD	LPE “Aries”
	Qualified	Qualified	Qualified(8)	Optimized
Boss/Admin	X	X
BToE (Ethernet Better Together)	Beta	X
USB Better Together				X
Call Park	X	X		X
1 Button Call Park	X	X
Parked Call Timer		X
Lync Server FW Updates	X	X		X
Lync Address Book Search	X	X		X
Lync Address Book	X			X
See Contact’s Lync Note	X			X
ABS Other Contacts Methods	X
Lync Contact Photos	(10)			X
Monitoring Server Media Details				X
Lync Server Setting Provision	X(5)
Device MOH	X			X
Change Device MOH	X(6)
Transfer Directly to VM	X
1 Touch Contact Buttons	X	X
Safe Transfer via 1 Touch Button	X
Visual Voicemail				X
Video from phone		X(1)
Supports Video Call Escalation				X
Safe Transfer	X
2 Button transfer	X	X
Expansion Module	X	X(2)
DESI Less BLF Buttons	some(7)	X
Define buttons from handset	X		X
Phone “In a Call” on handset lift	X	X	X
Dedicated “My Presence” Light				X
Support for USB/BT Headset	X(3)	X(3)
PC Port deliver non-default VLAN	X	X
Intercom – Auto pickup, 2 way	X(4)
Skype Federation audio calls	X
Disable 2nd Call  audio alert	X
Adaptable RTAudio codec Narrow	X			X
RTAudio Wideband	X			X
View Outlook Calendar	(10)	X		X
1 Click Meeting Join	(10)			X
Lync Meeting Roster Display	(10)			X
Initiate Lync Meeting from phone	(10)			X
DR Pool Failover without Reboot	X			X
SBC + WAN Loss Scenario	(9)			X

1) VVX 500/600 with optional camera, to Lync 2010 client only.
2) Announced, but not here.
3) Some models
4) Works, but not certified feature. Click Here
5) Snom marketing: Click Here; Technical Details Click Here
6) Possible, but not manageable from Lync Click Here
7) snom 760 and 821 have 4 DESI-Less Buttons
8) Only Audiocodes 420HD Lync Qualified as of this article: Click Here
9) as of 3/14 snom has addressed scenario, but FW to be released.
10) as of 3/14  snom UC Edition has demo’d but not yet released this feature: Click Here

More on Lync Phone Edition:
http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/2012/07/feedback-from-field-challenges.html

Another Device Comparison:
http://masteringlync.com/2012/10/25/lync-device-showdown/

Contributions/Credits/Assistance:
https://twitter.com/JonathanSteeman

First Picture of #Polycom CX5500 “Roundtable”IP #Lync Video & #SIP Audio Conference Station With It’s “CPU”

 

We have written about the CX5100 (USB)/CX5500 (IP) “Roundtable” devices before, but Graham Walsh posts the first picture of the Polycom CX5500 (SIP and Lync) IP video conference device with what appears to be the CPU beside it.

The CX5500 Unified  Conference Station, unlike the original “Roundtable” and it’s little sibling, the CX5100, is a standalone IP device that does not require a PC.

It appears that the CX5500 “CPU” has matching look: black with chrome, silver and red trim. (In a sense the CX5500 appears to be a CX5100 with touchscreen control and a “small PC” added)

Some of the known Polycom CX5500 Unified Conference Station’s features:

• 1080p 30fps HD 360 degree Video
• (5100 USB Only or 5500 as complete conference phone)
• SIP HD Audio conference explained Click Here
• New CX5500 Will Have a Touch Screen Interface (Click here)
• Can optionally be Integrated with Lync Room System
• Custom built for Lync 2013
• Device physical design revamp from original “Roundtable”
• “An all-new user interface”
• New The CX5500 can be a “fully featured SIP conference phone”
  • So if you are not using Lync you can still use the CX5500 for audio conference (Click here)

Source:
https://twitter.com/Graham_Walsh/status/378104371692990464

Acano Brings #WebRTC Meetings & Popular Video Endpoints to #Lync and #Cisco

I was glad to have a call with Acano CTO Mark Blake to get a briefing on their new Acano product. Blake noted that Acano the company has a strong Cisco/Tandberg DNA and their focus is on large enterprises (10k-100k).

Short term goals of Acano is to bridge popular video devices (by transcoding Cisco/Lync/std. SIP) and longer term is to bring a richer collaboration experience with WebRTC and HD voice. (Matt’s Note: Microsoft has noted they will support webRTC “…as soon as the standard is ratified…”)

I was provided with a hosted demo account (note: Acano is not planning to sell Acano directly as a hosted solution but will depend on partners to provide this service) which is what I will use for my comments/review below.

How does Acano fit into the UC mix?

It seems to be webex/goto meeting with a focus on video and being vendor agnostic. It bridges most coming video/audio equipment: Lync, Cisco Telepresence, Cisco Call Manaager, Cisco VCS, webRTC (Chrome), Windows and iPad/iPhone.

How does it supplement Microsoft Lync?

• any webRTC device can join audio/video/content – no app
• focus on multiple mobile devices (move calls between, audio on one, video another, content on another)
• CoSpace is a kind of persistent meeting (IM remains)
• Many Popular Video Endpoints can join a  meeting
  • Cisco Video
  • webRTC (Chrome at this time)
  • Lync (Lync client or any Lync video device)
  • Standard SIP video endpoints (VVX 500/600 w/videocam)

 

CoSpace, CoSpace, CoSpace…What is it?

From what I can tell it is a marketing name for a persistent meeting that saves Instant Message. (at the moment video and content sharing does not seem to be saved.)

Lync and Acano CoSpaces

Lync users can natively join coSpaces by just calling the unique CoSpace URI. Below you can see 2 other non-Lync Acano CoSpace (Meeting) participants being delivered to the Lync 2013 client.

What Technology is it using behind the scenes?

For signaling it appears to be using Jingle. It supports quite a few video and audio codec standards natively including RTVideo (Lync 2010), H263, H264, H265.

How is it sold?

As a server you install on premises or in an Amazon virtual machine with a per user per month charge. Acano server appears to have Core servers and Edge servers. (reminiscent of Lync) The core supports approximately 2,500 users per 2U server. Acano will depend on partners to provide hosted versions of Acano to smaller organizations.

What Clients Are Available?

• windows
• iphone
• ipad
• anything that can do WebRTC (chrome).

What is coming in the future according to Acano?

• Recording
• Social media integration
• Lync presence
• Android App

 

My First Impression Using Acano

~17MB AcanoClient download

Initial Windows client logon

Acano Windows client initial screen

CoSpace video Meeting

Different conference layouts

Instant Message panel: In CoSpaces IM is persistent.

Audio settings

Joining a CoSpace as a guest from Chrome via WebRTC

changing Webcam/Mic from Chrome

In a session

In a session with Shared Desktop/App

I noticed anonymous webRTC user appears not to have:

• no IM

Joining CoSpace from Android w/Chrome basically similar to desktop: video

with side panel expanded…

with app sharing

Summary

Acano CoSpaces really could be a meeting solution replacement for Webex/GotoMeeting that does audio/video/desktop streaming that supports popular video endpoints and UC vendors. Acano does PSTN breakout as well.

Because of my focus I have considerable interest in how Acano fits into a Lync Server or Office 365 environment. One way I could see Acano being used is have a handful of Acano accounts for meetings that need to support a wider amount of endpoints and UC vendors. Another way would be as a more behind the scenes gateway to accommodate existing internal high video room systems in an otherwise largely Lync environment. You could think of Acano as a (video/audio transcoding) bridge between Lync, Cisco, SIP Video endpoints & WebRTC.

Acano graphically demonstrates the power of WebRTC in a UC meeting scenario: The meeting join experience on a PC with Chrome installed is very smooth and I was even able to join a meeting from Chrome on an Android phone. Ease of use: With Acano login credentials I was pretty much able to hit the ground running-if your familiar with any of the web meeting tools out there this will be familiar.