New Lync Translator App

Lync-Guistic, also known as Microsoft Lync 2010 Conversation Translator, allows you to send and receive instant messages with Microsoft Lync using the Microsoft Bing translation service.

Some of you may have seen the old version of this application demoed by Microsoft or have it installed.The new version is a much nicer interface. Its available for any one to download and use if you have the Lync client installed and your local policy allows installing applications.

http://lyncguistic.cloudapp.net/

VoIPNorm

New Pacific Northwest User Group Page on VoIPNorm

As we continue to grow our UC community here in the Pacific Northwest I am working to include the latest links and updates here on VoIPNorm. I have just changed over the old SMUCUG page to be more regionally focused with information on Seattle, Portland and Boise User Group community. I will update the page as more user groups bring websites online. We have a great UC community in the Northwest with support from partners, vendors and UC users so don’t be left out. Come to the next meeting in your area and network with your peers.

Feel free to reach out to me out mailto:voipnorm@live.com with questions about any of the user groups you see on the static page.

VoIPNorm

Seattle Microsoft UC User Group New Home

We now have a more home for the user group website. For those interested in networking and meeting peers in the Seattle UC industry this is the place. SMUCUG has been a growing group over the last few years and we thought it was time it got its own web presence. I will still continue to post updates here on VoIPNorm but will have meeting specific posts over on the new site. I will also be removing the static page on VoIPNorm but will have a link on the side bar.

http://smucug.com/

Thanks to Josh for getting the new site up and running.

VoIPNorm

Students Buy a PC Get a Free Xbox 360

Classic Ad for a PC student promo.

VoIPNorm

Boise Microsoft UC User Group Next Meeting

Join us for the 2nd Boise Microsoft Unified Communications Users Group!

See agenda and registration link below:

Our second meeting will be on June 1st from 10:30am - 2:00pm. The presentation starts around 11:00am at the Boise Microsoft Office.

10:30am - 11:00am

        Welcome

11:00am – 12:00pm

  • Lync
    Migration Considerations

12:00pm – 12:45pm

  • Exchange
    2010 Migration Considerations
   

12:45pm- 2:00pm

  • Lunch and Networking

Register and location details:

https://www.clicktoattend.com/invitation.aspx?code=155677

VoIPNorm

Portland Microsoft UC User Group Next Meeting

Join us for the 2nd Portland Microsoft Unified Communications Users Group!

See agenda and registration link below:

Our second meeting will be on May 31st from 10am - 1:00pm.  The presentation starts around 10:00am at the Portland Microsoft Office. 

 

9:30am - 10:00am

        Welcome

10:00am – 11:00pm

  • Lync
    Migration Considerations

11:00am – 11:45am

  • Exchange
    2010 Migration Considerations
   

11:45am- 12:00pm

Providence
FOPE migration – real world migration from Peter from Providence

12 noon - 1pm

  • Lunch and Networking

Register and location details:

https://www.clicktoattend.com/invitation.aspx?code=155680

VoIPNorm

Seattle Microsoft UC User Group Meeting Wrap Up 5/19

Thanks to everyone that came to the User Group Meeting last night. It was a great turn out with 24 people in attendance. Thanks also to the speakers for coming out and presenting great information. I got awesome feedback.

I have embedded the PPT deck (this is something new I am trying out) that was presented by Heidi Gloudemans from NexusIS on Lync End User Adoption below which can also be viewed here.

Again, thanks for the great turn out and look for more great networking opportunities at our next SMUCUG meeting some time in August.

Comments welcomed.

VoIPNorm

WebEx and Linksys Rumors Flying Thick and Fast

Citing several sources below, rumors are abound of Cisco possibly putting Webex and Linksys up for sale as part of a big restructuring program to get back on track. As you recall a few months back Cisco exited the cloud email market when they shut down Cisco Mail and since then also killed their Flip Video business. While I am sure investors are placing a lot of pressure on Cisco to perform better I just don’t see an upside to getting rid of WebEx for Cisco. At least if they are sold the people working in those business units wont suffer the same fate as those with Flip. Having worked in companies that have gone through mass lay offs it is a hard time to get through, even for those that remain in their positions.

Sources:

http://cisco-news.tmcnet.com/cisco/articles/176564-cisco-looking-sell-linksys-webex.htm

http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/73984

http://www.fiercevoip.com/story/rumor-cisco-looking-sell-webex-linksys-businesses/2011-05-19

http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2011/05/18/cisco-seen-near-sales-of-linksys-webex.html

http://www.i4u.com/46646/cisco-rumored-get-rid-linksys-and-webex

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/05/18/businessinsider-rumor-cisco-is-putting-linksys-and-webex-on-the-block-2011-5.DTL

VoIPNorm

Important Settings to Know When Integrating Lync Server 2010 with Cisco ISR’s

Over the last 6 months or so I have been working with a number of companies that are using Cisco ISR’s as the PSTN gateway for Lync. I have come across a number of important settings that are a must know for this interoperability scenario. One thing to keep in mind is that while Cisco ISR’s are a supported gateway they do only provide basic functionalities. Behaviors for basic gateways can differ from that of an enhanced gateway. Support for SIP Refer is a good example.

Some of the information below has been taken from other posts on topics concerning this interoperability situation.

How do I set comfort noise on the ISR for interoperability with Lync?

There are two ways to configure comfort noise on the gateway. First off you can disable Voice Activity Detection all together on the outbound dial peer. The second option is to change the payload type for comfort noise to the compatible format. It’s pretty common for people to turn VAD off by default so some people may not have realized this issues existed. Previous Cisco documentation for OCS R2 has VAD enabled which it is by default so people migrating to Lync hoping to take advantage of media bypass might be caught out.

Option 1

dial-peer voice 1999 voip
tone ringback alert-no-PI
description TO Lync
destination-pattern 55555
session protocol sipv2
session target ipv4:192.168.1.250:5068
session transport tcp
dtmf-relay rtp-nte
codec g711ulaw
fax protocol none
no vad

Option 2

dial-peer voice 1999 voip
tone ringback alert-no-PI
description TO Lync
destination-pattern 55555
session protocol sipv2
session target ipv4:192.168.1.250:5068
session transport tcp
dtmf-relay rtp-nte
codec g711ulaw
fax protocol none
rtp payload-type comfort-noise 13

How do I disable SIP refer on a Cisco Router and in Lync for Media Bypass?

Cisco Router configuration to disable SIP refer -

Router(config)#voice service voip
Router(conf-voi-serv)#no supplementary-service sip refer

There are two options to disable SIP refer in Lync the first is through the Lync Control Panel and the second is in PowerShell. In this case disabling Refer in PowerShell is probably the easiest since you will need to do a few other things while you are there.

Disable Refer in Lync Control Panel:

image

Disable Refer in PowerShell:

Set-CsTrunkConfiguration –Idenity <Xds Identity> -EnableReferSupport $false

To find your trunk identity:

Get-CsTrunkConfiguration

Below is a screen shot of the full command parameters.

image

How do I disable RTCP and session timers in Lync?

Disabling RTCP and its timers are required for similar reasons as they were in OCS R2. I wrote a blog article outlining the reasons for disabling RTCP and session timers for OCS R2 a while ago and while the product has changed into Lync the reasons for disabling both of these are still the same.

http://voipnorm.blogspot.com/2010/07/kb-article-981218-rtcp-timer-confusion.html

Disabling both of these will remove 30 minute call drops due to RTCP incompatibilities between the two platforms. I am not going to go into a whole RFC thing of who’s right and wrong so just know this is something you have to do otherwise you will run into call drop issues.

Below is a screen shot of what the trunk will look like when you run the Get-CsTrunkConfiguration command before you change the required settings. By default both session timers and RTCP are enabled.

image

Below shows disabling the required settings:

image 

The full command is:

Set-CsTrunkConfiguration –Identity <see example> -EnableSessionTimer $false –RTCPActiveCalls $false –RTCPCallsOnHold $false

Hopefully this will save someone from having to call support to set up this configuration.

VoIPNorm

Exchange 2010 SP1 Unified Messaging Supported Virtualized

I am sure I can hear the “it’s about time” calls before they are even said. Putting that aside the support is available for Exchange 2010 SP1 and beyond.

From the Exchange Team:

Due to improvements we made in Exchange Server 2010 SP1, along with more comprehensive testing of Exchange 2010 in a virtualized environment, we are happy to provide this additional deployment flexibility to our customers. The updated support guidance applies to any hardware virtualization vendor participating in the Windows Server Virtualization Validation Program (SVVP).

See the link below for more details.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/exchange/archive/2011/05/16/announcing-enhanced-hardware-virtualization-support-for-exchange-2010.aspx

VoIPNorm

Microsoft and Skype: Webcast

I think this is the most exciting acquisitions this year. Microsoft and Skype Webcast. A must see if you interested in the acquisition.

http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/presskits/corpnews/liveevent.aspx

VoIPNorm

Whitepaper: Integrating Microsoft Lync Server 2010 and Avaya Communications Manager S8300

If you want to integrate an Avaya S8300 Communications Manager with Microsoft Lync Server 2010, you need to establish a Direct SIP connection between the two. This document provides a step-by-step guide for configuring Avaya Communications Manager S8300 with Lync Server 2010.

Get the whitepaper here.

VoIPNorm

User Group News: SMUCUG Next Meeting

What:

Lync Deployment User Case Study and Adoption Best Practices

Where:

Microsoft
West Building
320 Westlake Ave. North
Seattle, WA 98109

When:

May 19th, 2011, 4:30pm

After the insights into Exchange implementations at the last meeting, we are pleased to announce that we will have Mike Dory from Boeing give a case study on the Boeing Lync deployment. To compliment his insights, Heidi Gloudemans of NexusIS will provide some insights on Lync adoption Best Practices. Come join us for camaraderie amongst UC engineers, free food, and some learning.

We're looking forward to seeing you there!!

SMUCUG

Register here:

http://www.pingg.com/rsvp/5g4dg6746nhqjgqxb