Xavy Updated to 6.30.011713.1: Mobile Lync VoIP Client for #Lync Becoming Stable? (#Android #iPhone)

Xavy has continued to release new versions of their Android/Ios VoIP Lync in what has become a litany of “upgrade & test if it works yet” for those hoping for a full-featured mobile VoIP client for Lync.

In this last version of Xavy, I went through my quick battery of tests (make a EV call, call a Lync contact, video call) and…surprise…the basic feature test actually succeeded on my low end Android device. This means Damaka is making progress and means we can get on to test real-life scenarios like

• How will Xavy consume power?
• Will Xavy continue to run in the background gracefully?
• How will Xavy handle moving from different data networks? (wifi to 3G/4G for example)
• How will audio devices work with Xavy? (built in phone mic/speaker, blue tooth devices, etc)

Some might ask: Why does Xavy even matter if Lync 2013 Mobile client with VoIP support will soon be out? Below are some reason Xavy is still relevant:

• Lync 2010 and OCS are still without a VoIP client, since Lync 2013 depends on Lync Server 2013 components.
• The nearest thing to having a full Lync client on a mobile device at this point

Now that basic functions work we can start looking at usability, what did we notice in this last version of Xavy (for Android in my tests) 

Issues That I still See:

• I believe I’m seeing some work on UI: transitions
• Contact Photos sometimes wrong in contact list but correct in contact card
• contact list seems very slow on updating presence at times
• Doesn’t seem to be a way to setup to use phone ear piece so you will need a bluetooth headset to use this client
• Listening to Voicemail gets stuck on “Fetching…”
• If you change from WIFI to Mobile Data Xavy goes (sometime goes into a hung state with UI garbled. (a restart of Xavy will fix it) and sometimes just logs out. Not graceful.

Below is a quick video of this latest version:

In summary: Not quite a rock solid client yet, but….It’s getting there.

[NEWS] So, #Oracle Wants a Piece of the Hot UC Market? Buys Acme Packet via @evankirstel @philippbohn

Just noticed this morning that Oracle is buying Acme Packet in a move that alerted me (and I suspect  others?) to the fact that Oracle even has a UC offering: Oracle Communications.

From my quick reading it appears that Oracle Communication currently consists of

• Messaging
• Calendaring
• IM/P

http://www.oracle.com/us/products/applications/communications/unified-communications/overview/index.html

http://www.acmepacket.com/company/press-releases/pr/oracle-to-buy-acme-packet

Commentary:
http://www.nojitter.com/post/240147755/very-big-deal-oracle-buys-acme-packet-for-17-billion
http://www.thevarguy.com/2013/02/04/oracle-acme-packet-microsoft-lync/

Plantronics Blackwire 720 Stereo USB and Bluetooth UC Headset Review

 

Below is my video review of the Lync Optimized BlackWire 720:

uConnect p2p Communication Server

NOTE: this has nothing to do with Lync and is just myself keeping my brain cells stimulated. An evening, extra curricular detour…

After reading & thinking about webRTC, my take away is that the most transformative aspect is new “federation” models that webRTC has the possibility of enabling. One of these pointed out by Phil Edholm is a federation method that could be called “point at URL federation”. To envision how this would work I have started to write an extremely simple point at URL communication server (lab/proof of concept/experimental) to test the ideas.

The basic idea is that this type of “federation” (or inter organization connectivity) depends on nothing other than one user “pointing at another user URL” to connect to someone in the other organization. But what challenges will pop up with this? After scribbling on various napkins, I decided to just do a quick mockup app to test the ideas.

Pillars of this experimental Server/Client

• interconnectivity with as little connection “friction” is a foundational goal
• absolutely as little “start a conversation” friction as possible
• IM/P & note is foundational as well
• Note could serve as foundation for decentralized twitter-like social
• with media made possible by webRTC (or something like it)

Some of my initial goals:

• build an extremely simple server
• starting with IM/P and non-realtime modalities
• p2p server and client combined in web interface
• voluntary participating in directory connects many different p2p servers
• see how much can be achieved with GET model

(This is all a hobby/evening project so might take considerable time.)

Below: screen home user sees when logged in:

Below: screen guest user sees

GuestName –or- usernamepassword

Next the “external user” will see a screen similar to above, with themselves and other user (the url they typed in) in the conversation.

Lync Phone Edition “Bridge” Series Concept Design: Does The World Need Such a Device?

NOTE: This is totally my own brainstorm and creative (or not so creative) work and Microsoft has NEVER hinted they would produce such a device. This is just a mock up representation of a device I think would fill a need in some market sectors.

A while back I’ve “photo-shopped” this “wish list” device. Since I reference it in various discussions I thought I would post it for your consideration (and if you hate it, humor).

The codename/series name “Bridge” was selected because this device assists “the powerful few” in an org who are very set on having a “PBX desk phone experience” in “Bridging” to UC experience. ;-)

A couple things about this design:

• dedicated hold and transfer, pickup and hangup buttons
• The screen on the right is populated by Lync Contact Photo and details
• The contact buttons would mirror Lync presence colors
• Buttons could be contacts, Phone numbers, Overhead paging Units etc.
• The buttons could be assigned by end user on the phone or by putting a contact in a Lync Group called “Phone Buttons”
• Support for USB/Bluetooth devices directly (similar to polycom VVX/snom 7xx support)

Currently the closest thing to this concept is the Lync Qualified snom 720 and 760. For more information click here.

What do you think, would you have use for such a device? Please vote on the poll to the right to give your feedback.

Okay so much for creative (or not so creative, depending on your view) Have a great day!

ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS JUST BRAINSTORMING FUN. ENJOY.