Microsoft's Lync Room Systems To Become More Like Skype -- Redmondmag.com

Microsoft's Lync Room Systems To Become More Like Skype

By Kurt Mackie
11/09/2015

Lync Room Systems will become Skype Room Systems tomorrow via a software update issued by Microsoft.

Lync Room Systems are videoconferencing appliances with built-in audio, video and white-boarding capabilities that are made by Microsoft's hardware partners. An update coming from Microsoft on Nov. 10 will change the branding of these systems to Skype (Microsoft had rebranded its Lync products to "Skype" back in March).

The update also will affect the screen's appearance, adding a "darker theme." Additionally, some of the Lync Room System controls will get altered, Microsoft announced late last week.

While end users could get confused by a new software design, Microsoft's announcement promised minimal user interface (UI) changes. For instance, PowerPoint's UI won't be changing. Also, meeting room use scenarios won't change, such as those involving starting meetings, sharing content and making changes to the display.

That said, the UI will have "the Skype for Business look and feel" after the update gets applied, Microsoft's announcement explained.

Microsoft added one new feature with this update. A new "Private" option will hide the subject line of a meeting from scrolling on Skype Room Systems, if wanted.

The Skype Room System changes will arrive via a cumulative update. Lync Room Systems built by Crestron, Polycom and Smart will automatically update to become Skype Room Systems, depending on local update settings. Alternatively, these systems can be manually updated.

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

Featured

Multi-Tenant Organization Hooks Released for Microsoft 365

Microsoft Entra ID's new multi-tenant organization capabilities have reached general availability (GA).
Real-World Ransomware Recovery

Here's how I was (mostly) successful in recovering a family PC infected with malware.
Microsoft Launches Small AI Models Family Phi-3

Recognizing that bigger isn't always better, Microsoft has released its smallest open AI models to date, Phi-3.
Microsoft and OpenAI Continue Global AI Expansions

Microsoft and OpenAI each continued their global expansion this month, with the announcements of new infrastructure investments and service rollouts in new regions, like Asia and the Middle East.
Cisco Warns of Brute Force Attacks Targeting VPNs and Firewalls

Cisco has revealed that a global increase in brute force attacks targeting Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and other devices is currently taking place.