Lync Nearly Ready
Microsoft loves to change product names and even has its own beta software nomenclature. There used to be alpha software (early test code), beta (later test code) and gold (where the code is locked down). Now we have community technology previews, release candidates, release-to-manufacturing and on and on. All of these have their own acronyms that I won't bore you with. It's harder to track this stuff than it is to parse a Dennis Miller standup bit (anyone got a thesaurus and Encyclopedia Britannica?).
This why you may be confused when I say Lync is now RTM.
First things first, Lync is the new name for Office Communications Server. The name is so new that Word 2007 flags Lync as a typo and suggests I use lynx or lynch instead (at least Word didn't suggest Linux!).
The RTM refers to the fact that Lync, formerly Office Communications Server, is code-complete and ready to be shipped.
Now it gets weirder -- Microsoft announced this week that Lync (formerly Office Communications Server) is done. So why is the product launch set for Nov. 17 in the Big Apple? Because Microsoft is big enough that it can launch a product that is already essentially launched.
I've seen demos of Lync, er Office Communications Server, and it all looks pretty neat. From one screen you can do telephony, Web conferencing, track where your co-workers are, etc. Creepy and fun all at the same time. It also strikes me as a bear to configure if you really want to exploit all it can do.
Have you used Office Communications Server, I mean Lync? How hard was it to set up, and how did your end-users respond? Fire up the communications device of your choosing and share your thoughts at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 10/29/2010 at 1:18 PM