Microsoft Demonstrates UC Javascript API (aka jLync, UCJA, Name TBD) That Brings All Lync Client Modalities “In Browser”

In the keynote at Lync Conference 2014 Gurdeep Singh Pall demonstrated a custom Lync web application making use of voice and video modality in browser using what has the working title of “J-Lync”: a JavaScript wrapper that will let you embed all modalities into your website.

In a later technical session, Albert Kooiman noted that what is provisionally being called “jLync” he calls the “Unified Communication Javascript API”, but he was quick to point out that it is really an object model that sits on top of UCWA at this time. We were given some more details about the new object model that would sit on top of UCWA and make adding voice/video to your web applications “just several lines of code”.

First demonstrated was the ability of the current UCWA to change the Activity presence text using UCWA in a small test app shown below:

Below was a demo/sample Lync client app embedded in the web browser doing a media call. (it failed with a plugin error, but you get the idea) Kooiman noted that using new Jlync + UCWA means Audio, Video, Screenshare in browser can be achieved with a few lines of code. (Whiteboard not at this time)

Then showed what appeared to be a complete Lync client with media capabilities running inside Chrome. (there was no hint that Lync v.next would get browser based Lync client, just a demo/sample application)

And then lastly a demo of a video call from inside Chrome using the Chrome media stack. Kooiman was careful to remind us that this could only be a peer-to-peer call.

Will It Require a Plug-In?

Yes. (graphically verified in demo :)

What Will It Be Called?

No name has been decided at this time, all current names are provisional. To be decided.

How to get jLync/UCJA/{whatever-it-will-be-called}?

Join TAP.

When does "Jlync" go public/live?

Gurdeep said "by end of year", but Albert Kooiman hedged that “it will be here when it is here”. "JLync" will arrive with a Lync Server Cumulative Update so it will not need to wait till Lync Server v.Next.

You can get the current version of UCWA (that does not support media) here: click here

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!

Microsoft Lync Getting Web RTC: Plugin-Less Voice & Video in Browser “API Code Is Done”

Microsoft has been steadily marching towards the goal of bringing Voice/Video media into the browser without a plugin. In Feb 2013 they noted a roadmap of bringing voice/video/app sharing media to the Microsoft Lync UCWA API. The first part of UCWA arrived in March 2013 and focused on presence and IM. At Enterprise Connect 2013 Derek Burney, Corporate VP Microsoft Lync, noted that “…the Microsoft Lync Web App uses a plugin today. Microsoft will support webRTC as soon as the standard is ratified. This is a super exciting initiative.”

And now it appears that the code is done (but not yet released) for a Lync API that will bring plugin-less Voice/Video into the browser via HTML5. Tom Kisner, a UC Architect attending Microsoft TechEd 2013, noted the UCWA Overview presentation (June 4) demonstrated voice & video in the browser. The presenter noted “we are done [with API code] and currently scrubbing”. Kisner noted further that the API is using only HTML5 no plugin to bring voice/video into the browser.

The TechEd UCWA Deep Dive session (June 5, in progress as of this writing) is revealing more about the real time component of UCWA. Below is a diagram of media flows (submitted by Mattias Kressmark) and we will post more as information becomes available as this session (OUC-B405) is in progress as of this writing.

It should be noted that UCWA with real time media already is what powers the VOIP/video capabilities in the new Lync Mobile 2013 client. (According to Girija Bhagavatula during OUC-B405 TechEd2013 session, 3 out of the 5 Lync clients are already powered with UCWA)

One could presume that UCWA could be used to remove the need for a plugin for LWA (Lync Web App/ web-based meeting join experience). Lync currently does not have a stand-alone end user web client, but with this API developers or Microsoft could certainly create such a client.

Microsoft has not noted when the voice/video portion of the UCWA API will be released.

If you would like to learn more about Lync UCWA please take a look at the official
https://ucwa.lync.com/


Other Sources:
https://twitter.com/twkisner/status/342009358730792961
http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/2012/07/ucwa-api-in-lync-server-2013-opens.html
Derek Burney announcement: http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/2013/03/corporate-vp-microsoft-lync-derek.html

OUC-B405 TechEd2013
http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/TechEd/NorthAmerica/2013/OUC-B405#fbid=nK7UeP1mZN-

Corporate VP Microsoft Lync Derek Burney: “Microsoft Will Support WebRTC As Soon As The Standard Is Ratified”

We have known for some time that Microsoft is doing work around webRTC (or a standard like it CU-RTC-WEB). Yesterday in a Q&A after his keynote at Enterprise Connect 2013 Derek Burney, Corporate VP Microsoft Lync and Microsoft Office Data, noted that Microsoft is excited about the prospects plugin-less media coming to Microsoft Lync. His comment:

“…the Microsoft Lync Web App uses a plugin today. Microsoft will support webRTC as soon as the standard is ratified. This is a super exciting initiative.”

This is of course not the first time Microsoft has mentioned Lync and webRTC. On Jan 17, 2013, Adalberto Foresti, Principal Program Manager Microsoft Open Technologies, on the interoperability@microsoft blog noted that Microsoft has a CU-RTC-Web prototype and that CU-RTC-WEB or even RTC-Web could be used with Microsoft Lyn'c’s new UCWA API:

“UCWA can be layered on the existing draft WebRTC API, however it would interoperate more easily with webRTC implementations if the standard adopted would follow a cleaner CU-RTC-Web proposal.”

Burney and Foresti both seem to have Microsoft Lync foremost in their minds as they think about webRTC (or Microsoft’s own initiative CU-RTC-Web). The two areas they have explicitly mentioned:

• Lync Web App (What is LWA? click here)
• Lync UCWA API (What is UCWA? click here)

Aswath Rao, communication strategist at EnThinnai and webRTC watcher, notes that “Microsoft Lync already conforms to webRTC framework so it merely needs to align with webRTC once it is ratified.” The Microsoft Lync Web App is already doing the kind of functionality webRTC promises and achieves voice & video via a plugin today.

Observers have noted that webRTC is not likely to show up on all browsers for some time. But panelists at Enterprise Connect 2013 have noted that the benefits of webRTC could be realized sooner via webRTC plug-ins for browsers that do not initially support webRTC natively. This intermediate step could provide the benefit of replacing many plugins for one plugin until the browsers support it natively.

<the end>

EC13 WebRtc Comment:
http://www.nojitter.com/post/240151301/microsoft-lync-takes-center-stage/
http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/2013/03/lync-news-out-of-enterprise-connect.html

UCWA and WebRTC:
http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/2013/03/lync-news-out-of-enterprise-connect.html