active communications solutions brief -...

Active Communications Solutions Brief

Westcon is a value added distributor of category-leading unified communications, infrastructure, data

centre and security solutions with a global network of specialty resellers. Our teams create unique

programmes and provide exceptional support to accelerate the business of our partners. Strong

relationships at every level of the Westcon organisation enable our partners to receive support tailored

to their needs. From global logistics and flexible customised financing solutions to pre-sales, technical

and engineering assistance, we work with our partners to respond with agility and speed to changing

market conditions so they can achieve the fastest time to revenue.

Westcon Convergence offers the widest portfolio of Microsoft Lync eco-system vendors currently

available through value-added distribution. Through our collaboration with Microsoft, as their only

Pan-European distribution partner for the Lync In-a-Box catalogue in EMEA, Westcon is able to offer

exclusive bundles and special offers. Incremental per-product and multi-unit purchase discounts

and bundles are also available to Microsoft Gold & Silver Communications Partners through the Lync

Hardware Catalogue.

In addition to the broadest portfolio of Lync eco-system vendors, Westcon provides an integrated

supply chain value proposition encompassing product, sales & pre-sales support, marketing, services

and training. By reducing cost and complexity in the channel supply chain for Lync products & services,

we hope that you will take the opportunity to work with Westcon to accelerate success and improve

efficiency of solution fulfilment in your Lync-related business.

This Solution Brief is designed to help you understand Microsoft Lync and Active Communications

solutions and the benefits they bring to your customer.

Our goal is to make Lync business easier and more profitable for our customers. To learn more about

Westcon’s Lync offers please visit our website, contact your Westcon Account Manager or get involved

through discoverUC.com

discoverUCC.com is brought to you by Westcon and features

wealth of resources dedicated to Lync. Discover how Westcon is

the Lync Hardware Distribution Partner making Lync simpler and

more profitable with discoverUC.com

Visit it now

http://discoverucc.com

CON

TEN

TS

4 Introducing Unified Communications

4 What is Unified Communications?

5 Is my business “UC ready”?

5 Is the Enterprise Network UC ready?

6 Microsoft Lync 2013

7 IM and Presence7 Enterprise Voice8 Unified Conferencing9 Video9 Application and Document Sharing10 Unprecedented Reliability11 Lync Licence Types12 Telephony Features Matrix13 Mobility with Lync 2013

14 Active Communications Solution

14 Product Overview15 Active Communications Express - The Office 365 Voice Gateway16 What is the Active Communications Server solution?17 The Active Communications Advantage

19 Office 365 and the Cloud

19 Why consider Active Communications for Office 365? 20 Hosted Microsoft Lync, Office 365 – Lync Online

21 Deployment of On Premise Solutions

21 Adding functionality to existing telephony infrastructures22 Enhance existing telephony platform22 Replacement of end of life legacy PBX or new ‘green field’ deployments

23 Relative Positioning of Voice Solutions

23 Lync vs. Traditional VoIP infrastructures

24 How it Compares…

25 Active Communications Server Summary

26 Lync Enabling Vendor Eco-system

26 E-SBCs (Enterprise Session Border Controllers)26 Media Gateways26 Video Conferencing27 UC Audio Devices: IP Endpoints 27 UC Audio Devices: Headsets27 Contact Centre Solutions

28 Next Steps

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS BRIEF 3

Introducing Unified CommunicationsUnified Communications (UC) is improving and enhancing the way that enterprises and individuals not

only communicate but also in the way business is transacted. By incorporating multi-media applications

(voice, video, IM, presence) into a single, feature rich user experience, significant productivity and efficiency

gains can be achieved.

WHAT IS UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS?There are many definitions of “unified communications” but broadly speaking it combines multiple real-time and offline communication modes (such as telephony, video, email, fax, and instant messaging) plus a range of additional capabilities (including presence detection and click-to-call) into a single, integrated solution. With UC solutions, users can access and manage all of their communications tools from a single environment, regardless of their location.

Data and desktop sharing A feature that allows users to share files, use whiteboard, and display their desktop to a meeting or to conversation participants.

Presence A collection of attributes

that provides an indication of status, activity, location,

ability to communicate, and contact information.

Unified Messaging An application that consolidates a user’s voice mail, fax, and email into one mailbox, so that the user only needs to check a single location for messages, regardless of type.

Instant messaging (IM) A form of real-time text-based communication.

Conferencing Two-way video and audio transmissions between users in multiple locations

Private branch exchange (PBX) replacement

UC integration with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

systems can replace traditional phone exchange systems.

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS BRIEF I N TRODUCI NG U N I F I ED COMMU N ICAT I ONS 4

Is my business “UC ready”?

Gartner has identified that “a best-of-breed approach” and the need for “vendor products to be

interoperable “as important criterion in the planning of a UC solution deployment. As we have seen,

there are many distinct elements that comprise a UC solution and we will explore each in more detail

throughout this guide. Forrester state that: “While all firms are demanding measurable business benefits

to support UC business cases and deployment plans, the voyage to UC will be unique at each firm”.

It is reasonable to expect therefore that every UC deployment will be unique, both in terms of the users’ expectations and the complexities associated with design and implementation.

The success of a UC deployment is clearly both network and security centric. A careful assessment of your company’s readiness for UC will be necessary in order that you can select the right solution and enhance the efficiency of deployment planning and implementation. This will include a careful definition of how you will use the solution and whether your IT infrastructure will need a refresh to support its deployment. Before embarking on finding an appropriate UC solution, it is important to identify and determine your business needs and the expected benefits of an investment in a UC solution. Some organisations will want to focus on enhancing the productivity of individuals by implementing new capabilities such as instant messaging, presence detection, or click-to-call. Other organisations need ways to eliminate bottlenecks, such as business workflows. In many cases, organisations benefit from first concentrating on individual productivity and then identifying opportunities for business process optimisation. Successful deployment of a UC solution depends on careful evaluation of your technical preparedness. The underlying network and communications infrastructure must be capable of delivering sufficient throughput and meeting the low latency requirements of UC voice and video applications to prevent, jitter, and packet-loss.

IS THE ENTERPRISE NETWORK UC READY?Dimension Data’s annual Network Barometer report indicates that nearly half of all enterprise networks will be obsolete within five years because they predate current megatrends like BYOD, mobility, pervasive video and virtualization. On average, 40% of all devices have been past end-of-sale status for the past four years, according to the report, which includes findings from nearly 300 technology lifecycle management assessments at organizations worldwide.

Wainhouse Research, agrees saying,

“ Many enterprises who want to create UC experiences are already sweating their network assets. Enterprise network engineers try to compensate for that by advising corporate IT not to deploy UC in full because their networks can’t handle it. Other times, companies deploy desktop video en mass and then see a spike in traffic that almost immediately trickles down to a subset of people who asked for that capability. These kinds of drop offs in usage, can often be attributed to poor quality video experiences because the enterprise network just can’t handle the load. ”

The Information Week “State of Unified Communications” report cited 25% of respondents as saying an aging network infrastructure is the most pressing concern in terms of the network’s ability to provide the appropriate quality of service to UC applications.

The network infrastructure plays a critical role in any UC deployment and should be viewed as the foundations of the solution. Ensuring that the enterprise LAN is UC ready means undertaking an Ethernet switching & routing estate audit. Do the enterprise switches and routers have QoS tagging functionality? And if they do, what policies are in place to ensure a high quality end-to-end UC experience for the users? Some network policy implementations may be so conservative that the level of video is brought down to an unacceptable quality without even looking at the available network resources. While getting the network right is the foundation of any type of UC deployment, that’s not as easy as it sounds. Every organisation has its own unique network and its own set of UC and other applications running over the network. Getting visibility into what applications are having what impacts on the network can be challenging.

Each UC deployment will be unique, in both users’ expectations and implementation

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS BRIEF I S MY BUS I NESS “UC RE A DY”? 5

Microsoft Lync 2013

Workplaces are changing. Teams are more distributed. People need productivity tools that enable them

to work from virtually anywhere. Yet, despite organisations’ technology investments, users struggle to stay

connected with colleagues and the business. Slow innovation in traditional technologies, like telephony,

forces users to choose other modes for collaboration and communication, making it challenging for IT

professionals to deliver new capabilities in an integrated, cost-effective, and secure manner.

Microsoft Lync 2013 is an enterprise-ready unified communications platform that connects people everywhere, on Windows 8 and other devices, as part of their everyday productivity experience. Lync provides a consistent, single client experience for presence, instant messaging, voice, video and meetings. Lync 2013 supports multiparty HD video conferencing, modern “touch first” capabilities for fast and natural communications, and work anywhere scenarios that do not require a VPN for encryption. Lync 2013 users can connect to anyone on Skype, enabling rich communication with hundreds of millions of people around the world. The unified nature of the system helps reduce costs and facilitates rapid user adoption. And, because Lync is broadly interoperable, it fits into existing IT infrastructure for easier deployment and migration.

Access product information, case studies and more on the Microsoft Lync resource centre

CONNECTED END USER EXPERIENCE

Microsoft Lync Server 2013 ushers in a new connected user experience transforming every communication into an interaction that is more collaborative, engaging, and accessible from anywhere. Users seek communications tools that make their work easier and are available anywhere, anytime - including within the context of other applications. Microsoft Lync 2013 is the rich client application that provides presence, IM, voice, and ad hoc collaboration and online meeting capabilities through a single interface. Lync 2013 is easy to use, works closely with familiar tools such as SharePoint and Office applications, and drives user adoption with powerful features and a streamlined communications experience. The client dashboard surfaces common functions such as dial pad, visual voicemail, contact list, and active conversations. Users get an experience that is consistent and familiar across PC, phone, and browser.

BUSINESS NEED SEE

Find and communicate with the right person Rich Presence, Skill Search

Create a more interactive work environment by building social connections Activity Feed

Communicate naturally, the way users work Office Integration, Enterprise Voice

Make every interaction a near face-to-face meeting Unified Conferencing

Communicate with context from Microsoft Office applications Office Integration

Stay connected from virtually anywhere Enterprise Voice

Work from Anywhere

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS BRIEF MICROSOF T LY NC 2013 6

lync.microsoft.com

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJCCZxa97Og


http://youtu.be/yuVPJHLNHuY


SINGLE, UNIFIED PLATFORM

For IT, the benefits are equally powerful, with a highly secure and reliable system that works with existing tools and systems for easier management, lower cost of ownership, smoother deployment and migration, and greater choice and flexibility. Lync Server 2013 is built from the ground up to be a single platform that works with, and can even replace traditional and IP PBX systems, third-party voicemail systems, and legacy audio, video and Web conferencing solutions.

BUSINESS NEED SEE

Augment or replace traditional PBX Enterprise Voice, Unified Platform

Suit various user device needs Choice of Endpoints

Reduce IT management challenges and cost Simplified Deployment

Create custom business solutions Extensibility

Leverage time and cost savings of moving to the cloud Support for On-premises, Cloud, and Hybrid Deployments

IM AND PRESENCERich presence and instant messaging capabilities in Lync Server 2013 helps workers find and communicate with one another efficiently and effectively. Integration with familiar Microsoft Office productivity tools and Microsoft SharePoint makes IM and presence a natural part of everyday workflow, enhancing collaboration while making knowledge and expertise inside the organisation readily accessible to all users. Using features such as persistent chat, tabbed conversations, along with the capability to search message history provides for a rich quality of experience.

PRESENCE

Lync Server 2013 provides an immediate, visual representation of a user’s availability, or presence. By simply looking at the contact list, users can find everything they need at a glance. For example, a green icon means a contact is available, red means a contact is busy, and yellow indicates that a contact is Away from the computer. Picture and location is available with the presence “jellybean,” making a richer interface and allowing for better communications decision. Presence can be enhanced with physical locations relative to corporate network access points. Or, users can manually set their location information to let others know precise whereabouts when working from home, a coffee shop, or elsewhere.

ENTERPRISE VOICELync provides enterprise voice capabilities that can enhance or replace traditional PBX systems. These capabilities include common calling features such as answer, forward, transfer, hold, divert, release, and park, along with Enhanced 9-1-1 calling for North America, support for analogue devices and a broad range of both IP and USB user devices from partners. Users can access these features over the Internet without using a VPN connection.

Lync 2013 enterprise voice supports a wide range of telephony features including: Visual Voicemail, Team Calling, Response Groups, Simultaneous Ringing...and more… With the capability to escalate voice calls within the Lync 2013 client to a full HD video conference provides for a very powerful communications tool for organisations.


LYNC 2013 MOBILE CLIENT

With the Lync 2013 mobile client, Lync Server 2013 supports a range of Microsoft and third-party platforms, extending a rich communications experience to customers on their mobile devices of choice. Mobile clients compatible with Lync Server 2013 are made available by Microsoft.

UNIFIED CONFERENCINGConferencing capabilities are historically evaluated and acquired by workload – voice, application sharing, web conferencing, and video conferencing – and limited to users within a department or division within the enterprise. Lync Server 2013 aspires to remove those boundaries, delivering efficiency and cost savings by delivering a unified solution with feature parity to multiple single-workload solutions. New features, a unified client, and simplified operation drive adoption to help users improve productivity without extensive training.

SCHEDULING, MANAGING, AND JOINING ONLINE MEETINGS

Online meeting tools integrated into Outlook 2013 enable organisers to schedule a meeting or start an impromptu conference with a single click and make it just as easy for attendees to join. Attendees can be placed in a “lobby,” helping the meeting organiser to control access. The meeting roster clearly displays titles and names of attendees. A Web client extends rich conference features to participants who do not have the desktop Lync 2013 client.

AUDIO CONFERENCING

Audio conferencing is a fundamental need for many businesses and presents a great opportunity for cost savings when deployed on-premises. Lync Server 2013 provides a user experience that is familiar to users of traditional audio bridge services including PSTN dial-in services with touch-tone call control commands. At the same time, it incorporates powerful scheduling, joining, and management features available only with an integrated Unified Communications platform.


VIDEOVideo conferencing is becoming increasingly important as organisations get more distributed and mobile because it provides a more personal experience that supports effective team-building. Complex interfaces, high cost, and limited features have reduced adoption of video conferencing across the broader workforce. Lync Server 2013 simplifies the user experience by incorporating video into the unified client so that adding scheduling an online meeting with video or escalating to video spontaneously is seamless and easy. In order to provide the most immersive communications experience possible, Lync Server 2013 supports a variety of video conferencing options. High-definition video (resolution 1270 x 720; aspect ratio 16:9) and VGA video (resolution 640 x 480; aspect ratio 4:3) are supported for peer-to-peer calls and among Lync Meeting participants.

With the new Gallery View feature, you automatically see everyone in the Lync Meeting via a continuous view of multiple HD video streams or photos. The video gallery scales to provide the best experience for a diverse set of scenarios including a peer-to-peer video call, showing the most relevant people in the meeting at all times by bringing the 5 dominant speakers’ videos “into focus”.

APPLICATION AND DOCUMENT SHARINGBy integrating traditional application and document sharing into the streamlined Lync 2013 client, Lync Server 2013 delivers a highly accessible and reliable tool that virtually everyone can use. Combined with audio or video conferencing, the result is a highly immersive and collaborative session that is simple to facilitate.

Microsoft Lync delivers a wide range of user benefits that enable enterprises to improve productivity and efficiency and their employees to work smarter. A consistent unified platform and approach delivers feature rich extensibility to both desk based and mobile workers.

Communications-enabled business processes automate, speed up, or otherwise improve business processes by adding unified communications capabilities including telephony, conferencing, enterprise messaging, and presence.

Access product information, case studies and more on the Microsoft Lync resource centre


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVQApxN3Tu4

http://lync.microsoft.com/en-us/Pages/unified-communications.aspx

UNPRECEDENTED RELIABILITYFive-nines reliability – it’s the standard often quoted for traditional telephony services, a goal for new competitors, and a selling point for equipment vendors. But what does it really mean?

WHAT THE LABS SAY...

Microsoft Lync has been subjected to rigorous performance and security testing. The Miercom Group subjected a Microsoft Lync infrastructure to a number of ‘stress’ tests with the following results..

CALL HANDLING AND THROUGHPUT

• 4m calls in 13 days, 100% success

• Over 13,000 calls per hour

• 100% call completion

SECURITY

• TLS/SSL protocol mutation

– Over 16,000 protocol mutations of SSLv3 and TLSv1 messages

– No residual vulnerability

• TCP attack

– Over 3,000 protocol mutations from 91 variants

– No vulnerabilities

RESILIENCY

• Remote branch survivability with PSTN failover

– Remote clients still connected in the event of WAN failure

• Branch client survivability

– In the event of Lync server unavailability Lync clients still maintained connectivity to branch appliance and were able to establish basic calls through the SBA locally and via the PSTN.

The complete report can be accessed here

99.999% RELIABILITY

4,000,000 CALLS 100% SUCCESS

19,000 ATTACKS NO VULNERABILITIES

REMOTE CLIENTS STILL CONNECTED IN EVENT OF WAN FAILURE


http://uk.convergence.westcon.com/documents?documentId=43935

• Lync Server 2013 Standard CAL: The Lync Server 2013 Standard CAL offers instant messaging and rich presence (IM/P) features. It provides users with real-time presence and enhanced IM along with PC-to-PC audio and video communications, as well as authenticated attendee experience for internally hosted conferences.

• Lync Server 2013 Enterprise CAL: The Lync Server 2013 Enterprise CAL offers Audio, Video, and Web conferencing features. It provides users the ability to create, moderate, and join conferences for collaboration with both internal and external users.

• Lync Server 2013 Plus CAL: The Lync Server 2013 Plus CAL offers enterprise voice telephony features. It provides high-quality voice and other related features to users anywhere with an Internet connection across IP phones, PCs, and desktop applications.

STANDARD CAL:

IM & PRESENCE

PLUS CAL:

ENTERPRISE VOICE

ENTERPRISE CAL:

CONFERENCINGWeb ConferencingConference

Attendee

Call Routing & User Call Management

Conference Organiser

Branch Office Survivability

Video Conferencing

Office Backstage Integration

Response Groups

Meeting Lobby

Enhanced 911 Capability

Call Park and PBX features

Audio ConferencingWindows Live Messenger AV

Federation

Team Call and Delegation

Conference Recording

Call Admission Control

Desktop Sharing

SharePoint Based Skill Search

Click to Call on PBX Phone (RCC)

Join From Experience

Visual Access to V-Mail

Ad hoc Audio Conferencing

Suites: ECAL

Suites: ECAL

Suites: None

LYNC LICENCE TYPES


ENTERPRISE VOICE FEATURES

• Dial/Hold/Transfer/DND/Mute/Transfer

• DDI/CLI/Call coverage/Divert • Click to call/Call by name • User presence displayed to the handset

• CTI integration • Hunt groups • Automatic Call Distributor • Caller Name Display • Call Attendant/Voicemail • Single number reach • Inbound Private line • Softphone • Speed Dial • Call forward • Call logging – CDR • Multi-tenant • Multiple codecs – RTA, G.711, G.722 and G.723.1

• Security - SRTP/TLS • Call Park and retrieve • Malicious call trace • FMC with mobile devices • Presence based call routing • Conference Call voice and video – internal/external/drag and drop

• PSTN dial-in/out • Call Admission Control – bandwidth management

• Call authorisation • Skill search call routing • E911 (US location service for emergency calling)

• Corporate Directory search • Federated Voice/IM/Video calls

• Remote worker (no VPN) • Bridged calls

PLUS CAL:

ENTERPRISE VOICECall Routing & User Call Management

Branch Office Survivability

Response Groups

Enhanced 911 Capability

Call Park and PBX features

Team Call and Delegation

Call Admission Control

Click to Call on PBX Phone (RCC)

Visual Access to V-Mail

Ad hoc Audio Conferencing

Suites: None

UNIFIED CONFERENCING (ENTERPRISE CAL)

• Audio, Video and Web • Single click scheduling • Ad-hoc / Scheduled • Mute / Unmute / Dial in/ Dial out

• Mobile users (Lync) – single click access

• Open / Closed /Anonymous access

• Dial-in access – PIN code access

• HD or VGA support • Lobby / Roster /

Announcements • Conference attendant for multi-language prompt support

• Single click to add video to voice conference

• Active speaker support • Document / application /desktop sharing

• Whiteboarding • Support for 250 user conference (can be more)

• Conference recording

VOICEMAIL & MESSAGING FEATURES

• Auto Attendant • Mailbox login • Play messages – oldest /newest • TTS / STT – 26 languages • Multiple Exchange servers supported • Speech Recognition • Find me follow me • Mailbox search • 2nd dialplan per user

• Message Waiting Indicator (MWI) • Voicemail ó Email • Call announcements and greetings • Missed call and voicemail notification via SMS

• Send a voice message to a person. • Change their PIN, spoken name, or greetings.

• Visual voicemail

• Calendar scheduling: – Listen to new and saved e-mail and

voice mail messages.

– Forward, reply to, save, and delete e-mail and voice mail messages.

– Interact with their calendar.

– Locate a person in the global address list or their personal Contacts.

ENTERPRISE CAL:

CONFERENCINGWeb Conferencing

Conference Organiser

Video Conferencing

Meeting Lobby

Audio Conferencing

Conference Recording

Desktop Sharing

Join From Experience

Suites: ECAL

TELEPHONY FEATURES MATRIXMicrosoft Lync supports an extensive range of enterprise telephony features. All features are determined by the licence that has been applied to the laptop/desktop device. The following matrices provide a ‘snapshot’ of the overall feature set.


MOBILITY WITH LYNC 2013

New with the Lync 2013 mobile client comes a wide range of enterprise features across multiple platform types enabling both feature and device / hardware platform flexibility.

PRESENCE AND IMWINDOWS 8 AND

WINDOWS RTWINDOWS

PHONEANDROID IPHONE IPAD

Lync and Lync online connectivity ü ü ü ü ü

New UI, photo, status, presence ü ü ü ü ü

View Lync contact list ü ü ü ü ü

View contact card ü ü ü ü ü

IM multiparty conversations ü ü ü ü ü

Distribution list expansion ü ü ü ü ü

LYNC MEETINGSWINDOWS 8 AND

WINDOWS RTWINDOWS


Join Lync Meetings with a single touch ü ü ü ü ü

Voice and Video over IP (3G / 4G & WiFi) ü ü ü ü ü

Simultaneous Multi-Party Video ü

View shared Lync Meeting content ü ü

ENTERPRISE VOICEWINDOWS 8 AND

WINDOWS RTWINDOWS


Single reach number ü ü ü ü ü

Voice and Video over IP (3G / 4G & WiFi) ü ü ü ü ü

Call-via-work ü ü ü


Active Communications Solution

PRODUCT OVERVIEWThe Active Communications Server (ACS) solution is 110% Microsoft Lync 2013 and has been developed with three solutions: Express, Appliance and Enterprise solutions, all using Microsoft’s advanced virtualisation and security techniques. The ACS Express product supports up to a maximum of 200 users whilst a single ACS appliance has a maximum capacity of 2,500 users, accommodating multiple simultaneous voice and HD video sessions. This can be expanded easily by adding additional appliances and server roles such as Front End, Mediation and/or Edge Servers in the enterprise network infrastructure. The ACS solution is designed to facilitate straightforward Microsoft Lync 2013 deployments with limited impact to the existing IT environment. Additional functionality can be added quickly and cost effectively.

The ACS solution has a specially designed Active Directory Connector and its own Management Console for daily administrative tasks. The Management Console does not replace the Microsoft Lync management interfaces, but serves as an additional management application for an administrator. For advanced settings such as Response Groups, IVR, etc. the network administrator can (or in collaboration with Active Communications) manage these through the Lync Control Panel and Powershell.

THERE ARE THREE SOLUTIONS AVAILABLE FROM ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS.

An Introduction

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS EXPRESS

The Active Communications Express solution consists of a hardware appliance that is pre-installed with Microsoft Lync 2013 but also offers a range of telephony functionality. This enables organisations to deploy a single appliance solution for their Lync 2013 solution. This offers a very cost effective way to enable organisations running Office 365 with full Enterprise Voice.

• Out-of-the-box voice gateway running with ACS Lync 2013

• 1x E1/T1 and 4x FXS (SIP Trunking also available)

• 4x BRI and 4x FXS (SIP Trunking also available)

• Unique AD Connector scalable for connecting to two Active Directories)

• Up to 200 users

• 60x SIP trunks

• Rapid deployment of Microsoft Lync 2013

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS APPLIANCE

Supporting up to 2,500 users, the Active Communications Appliance delivers Microsoft Lync Server 2013 on a single rack server with all Lync server roles already pre-installed for a highly scalable unified communications Solution.

• Out-of-the-box running Microsoft Lync 2013 deployment

• Full deployment on one rack server

• Unique AD Connector

• Up to 2500 users

• Virtualised on Hyper-V

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS ENTERPRISE

The Active Communications Enterprise offering is a software only solution. This allows organisations to select the hardware platform of their choice and deploy a highly scalable solution.

• Runs on virtual environment of customer

• Unique installer incl. unique AD Connector

• Full deployment of all roles

• Less than 3 hours

• Number of users as needed

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS BRIEF ACT I V E COMMU N ICAT I ONS SOLU T I ON 14

http://www.slideshare.net/WestconConvergence/an-introduction-to-active-communications-server

USE

RS

25-2

0020

0-25

001K

-80K

UP TO 200 USERS

OFFICE 365

Small-Medium Business Remote Office

MID-RANGE

Medium-Large Enterprise Branch Office

HIGH-CAPACITY

Large Enterprise Central Office

200-2500 USERS 1K - 80K USERS

ACS SERVER SOFTWARE V5

LYNC SERVER 2013 FRONT END SERVER

LYNC A/V CONFERENCING SERVER

EMBEDDED VOICE GATEWAYCombining the ACS management suite with Microsoft Lync 2013 on a voice gateway truely delivers a turn-key Enterprise Voice and UC Solution on a single appliance

• Two configured options:

Four BRI (Basic Rate ISDN) Four FXS (Analogue Stations) Up to 60 SIP trunks

One PRI (Primary Rate ISDN) Four FXS (Analogue Stations) Up to 60 SIP trunks

LYNC SERVER 2013 EDGE SERVER

WINDOWS SERVER 2012

LYNC SERVER 2013 MEDIATION SERVER

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS EXPRESS - THE OFFICE 365 VOICE GATEWAYFor the small or mid-market business, ACS Express is the perfect solution for adding Lync 2013 Enterprise Voice to an existing Office 365 deployment in a single appliance footprint. With an easy to manage GUI interface for voice, adding Enterprise Voice to Office 365 has never been easier. Use existing Office 365 ‘E4’ licences to deploy enterprise voice cost effectively. Leverage Exchange within the appropriate Office 365 subscription plan to manage unified messaging for Lync 2013.

• Enterprise Voice enable Office 365 customers with rich voice features

• Minimise cost and leverage your licences from your Office 365 subscription

• Easy to deploy, all in one single appliance with embedded voice connectivity


WHAT IS THE ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SERVER SOLUTION?Multiple server applications and roles are required in order to deploy a Microsoft Lync UC solution. The ACS solution can comprise of a single hardware server platform (Express or Appliance solution) or as a software solution (Enterprise) that is pre-built as a Microsoft Lync Solution with all relevant server applications and roles pre-installed. This significantly reduces the deployment time for a Microsoft Lync solution.

ACS SERVER SOFTWARE V5

The ACS server software is a powerful management tool that simplifies user administration and management. Through the ACS Active Directory Connector, users are added to the ACS Lync environment without schema extensions to the enterprise Active Directory. A “two-way trust” is established between ACS and the Active Directory for a completely transparent environment.

LYNC SERVER 2013 MEDIATION SERVER

Mediation server is implemented in order to support voice connectivity and conferencing as well as managing VoIP Codecs. Typically SIP trunks will be terminated by the SBC (Session Border Controller) and this will in turn be connected to the mediation server.

LYNC SERVER 2013 FRONT END SERVER

The Lync Front End (FE) server is the main server that supports user registration, features and signalling between telephony devices such as SIP handsets, Lync Clients and Mobile Lync Clients. The FE Server can be compared to the call processor in an IP PBX.

• Front End server functions include:

• Client registration and authentication

• Presence availability, DL expansion and address book services

• IM services including IM conferences (chat rooms)

• Web conferencing and app sharing

DELL POWEREDGE RACKSERVER

The Active Communications Server is preloaded with the Windows Server 2012 operating system and the full suite of Lync applications and server roles.

WINDOWS SERVER 2012

The underlying operating system for the Lync solution is Windows server 2012. This forms the basis of the user and domain management.

LYNC SERVER 2013 EDGE SERVER

The role of the Edge Server (ES) is essential to provide connectivity between internal and external parties that may be outside of the corporate firewall. For example if one organisation wishes to federate services or IM to another external organisation, it is the role of the ES to support this.

LYNC A/V CONFERENCING SERVER

The A/V Conferencing server provides both audio and video conferencing facilities to internal and external parties.

MONITORING AND ARCHIVING SERVER

Monitoring and Archiving server roles are required for deployment

of a Microsoft Lync deployment, enabling: CDR reports, call reliability

reporting and numerous call quality metrics as well as archiving Instant Messages and Web Conferencing content.


THE ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS ADVANTAGEDeployment of a Microsoft Lync solution requires specialist skills and understanding of the underlying IT infrastructure. The very nature and complexity of enterprise client/server networks means that user moves, adds and changes can be very time consuming even without including deployment of new applications.

A Microsoft Lync architecture is complex and relies upon multiple server roles as well as physical elements of server hardware.

BEFORE DEPLOYMENT OF ACS

Active Directory

QOE MonitoringArchivingCDR

Fire

wal

l

PBX

Fire

wal

l

Exchange Server

Voicemail

UC Endpoints

PRI

(SIP-PSTN-GW)

MediationServer

Data, Audio/Video, SIP

Edge Server

DMZ

Front-End Server(IM, Presence)

BackendSQL Server

• Inbound Routing

• Outboung Routing

• Voicemail Routing

Public IMClouds

SIP Trunks

RemoteUsers

FederatedBusinesses

PSTN


However, the ACS solution significantly decreases the time to deploy a Microsoft Lync solution with minimal impact to the underlying network infrastructure. By virtualising multiple applications and co-locating server roles the Active Communications server enables rapid deployment of a Microsoft Lync solution.

• Reduced complexity

• Simplified management via the ACS management dashboard

• No impact to customer Active Directory configuration

• Preloaded hardware with Microsoft Lync and associated servers and roles

AFTER DEPLOYMENT OF THE ACS APPLIANCE OR ENTERPRISE SOLUTION

Active Directory

Firewall

PBX

Public IMClouds

SIP TrunksExchange Server

Voicemail

UC Endpoints

ACS Server

PRI

(SIP-PSTN-GW)

RemoteUsers

FederatedBusinesses

PSTN

HOW ARE USERS ENABLED WITH LYNC FEATURES USING THE ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SERVER?

Lync functionality is delivered to users by way of licencing. Each user requires a client access licence (CAL) in order for features to be enabled. Licences are installed on the desktop/laptop. There are three types of licence:

• Standard

• Enterprise

• Plus

Any combination of these licences can be deployed per user but the Standard CAL is mandatory and is required as a ‘base’ licence. This approach allows for full feature flexibility and the ability to activate specific feature groups on a per user basis.

ACS SERVER LICENCE

In addition to each client licence, a per user licence must be enabled on the Active Communications Server running Microsoft Lync 2013. This allows users to be registered to the Lync server to enable internal and external IM, Voice and Audio and Video Conferencing communications.


Office 365 and the CloudOffice 365 provides virtually anywhere access to familiar Office tools, plus enterprise-grade email, conferencing, and more IT services.

With all of the Microsoft Office applications made available through the cloud, organisations that have adopted and are adopting an Office 365 strategy are enjoying the benefits of using Microsoft Lync. Organisations now want to embrace the full Microsoft Lync experience by adding Microsoft Enterprise Voice to their solution. With Active Communications, enterprise voice enabling Office 365 can be achieved simply and cost effectively.

WHY CONSIDER ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS FOR OFFICE 365?

• Enterprise Voice enable Office 365 customers with rich voice features

• Deliver true Enterprise Voice features and functionality integrated with Office 365 components such as Exchange and Outlook. ACS Express offers a cost effective single appliance solution for Microsoft Lync 2013 and Enterprise voice connectivity…

• Minimise cost and leverage your licences from your Office 365 subscription

• Utilise the Plus CALs in your Office 365 subscription to deliver a Lync Enterprise Voice solution

• Deploy more Enterprise Voice solutions quickly and without disruption

• The ACS Express and Appliance products offer turnkey solutions for Microsoft Lync 2013 and with the unique connector technology enables Lync to be deployed with Office 365 smoothly and effectively

• Easy to deploy, all in one single appliance with embedded voice connectivity

• With embedded voice connectivity (BRI, PRI and SIP), the ACS Express appliance brings flexibility to Office 365 customers for up to 200 users. The Appliance and Enterprise solution with complimentary gateways enable Office 365 enterprise voice for customers with over 200 users.

• Reduce cost of ownership with ACS intelligent GUI interface

• Using the ACS Management GUI, Lync can be easily managed and maintained on a daily basis with the capability to centralise a number of frequent tasks reducing complexity – ideal for Office 365 environments…

• Migrate, Integrate and replace legacy telephony networks with Microsoft Lync and Office 365

• Choose from any of the ACS solutions and where required, combine with additional gateways and session border controllers to offer the customer a smooth and gradual migration from their existing telephone system to Microsoft Lync and leverage Office 365 components such as Exchange for voice messaging.

EASY TO SET UP AND USE

• Install and deploy quickly.

• Set up new user accounts in seconds.

• Get updates automatically. The Office tools you rely on are always up to date.

WORK FROM ANYWHERE

• Get virtually anywhere access on select mobile devices.

• Work on your Office files online or offline.

• All your files are automatically backed up.

WORRY-FREE IT

• Stay safe with built-in anti-malware and anti-spam protection.

• Count on a financially-backed 99.9% uptime guarantee.

• Focus your IT resources on other projects.

On-Premise

Microsoft Lync Server 2013(Active Communications)

UC Endpoints

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS BRIEF OFF ICE 365 A N D THE CLOUD 19

HOSTED MICROSOFT LYNC, OFFICE 365 – LYNC ONLINEWith the emergence of the cloud and associated XaaS services, organisations are reviewing their IT deployment and operating expense models and in a growing number of cases, are opting for a cloud based service for applications delivery. For office productivity applications, Microsoft Office 365 has proved to be a popular deployment choice to deliver applications such as Microsoft Office, Exchange, SharePoint and Lync.

In a hosted Microsoft Lync deployment via Office 365, there are distinct limitations in functionality as opposed to on premises deployment of Lync. Whilst Lync features such as instant messaging, presence and video conferencing within Office 365 work very well, current voice functionality is limited with features such as response groups unavailable in ‘the cloud’.

Deployment of an on-premise Active Communications Server enables organisations to deploy and/or maintain Office 365 productivity solutions and enable enterprise voice features and functions not currently available in the cloud. Active Communications Server integrates with all cloud based active directory services ensuring that Office 365 users are fully enabled for voice.

FULL CLOUD DEPLOYMENT – NO VOICE INTEGRATION

In an environment where Microsoft Office 365 cloud applications (including Lync), have been deployed, the existing telephony solution has no enterprise voice integration with Lync and becomes a communications island with limited integration capability with the cloud-based applications and collaborative tools.

UC Endpoints

Physical Site

E-SBC

IP PBX

Office 365 AppsSIP Trunk

Provider / PSTN

Fire

wal

l

CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE (WITHOUT ACS)

• All applications hosted

• No Enterprise Voice functionality

• Only basic Lync features available: – IM – Presence – Basic Voice – Video Conferencing

• Disparate autonomous telephony infrastructure

VOICE ENABLING CLOUD USERS WITHIN OFFICE 365

Deployment of the Active Communications Server enables full enterprise voice integration with the cloud-based elements of Office 365 applications. The organisation can now benefit from a fully integrated Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C) solution. This includes enterprise voice functionality in addition to audio and video multipoint conferencing, and more. The legacy telephony solution (TDM or IP PBX) can now be retired – with significant reductions in associated operating and maintenance costs – and replaced by Microsoft Lync in its entirety. The diagram below depicts the changed network topology in this scenario.

UC Endpoints

Physical Site

E-SBC

Office 365 AppsActive Directory Server

SIP TrunkProvider / PSTN

Fire

wal

l

Active Directory Federation Server

ACS Lync 2013Server

ACS - AD connector

AD ServerDirSync Server

AD Federation Server

CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE (WITH ACS)

• All applications hosted

• Full Enterprise Voice enablement

• Full UC enablement – Enterprise Voice – Unified Messaging – IM & Presence – Voice/Video

Conferencing

• Integrated Microsoft telephony infrastructure

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS BRIEF OFF ICE 365 A N D THE CLOUD 20

Deployment of On Premise SolutionsSCENARIOS FOR MICROSOFT LYNC SOLUTIONS:

• Integrate with legacy telephony infrastructures

• Enhance functionality of existing telephony platform

• Replace end of life PBX

• Deployment of a new Unified Communications and Collaboration telephony solution

• Stand alone configuration

• High Availability configuration

• Hosted cloud based Microsoft Lync and support for Microsoft Office 365

INTEGRATING MICROSOFT LYNC 2013 WITH LEGACY TELEPHONY INFRASTRUCTURES:

Integrating Microsoft Lync solutions with disparate telephony infrastructures introduces a number of design challenges and questions:

• How is the PBX integrating with the Microsoft server infrastructure?

• How is the voice access being delivered – SIP?

• What endpoints are being used – handsets, softphones and headsets?

• How is the unified communications infrastructure being secured?

• Is this a single or multi-site configuration?

Solutions from the Westcon Lync vendor eco-system are able to address all of these deployment scenarios delivering a fully integrated Microsoft Lync solution:

ADDING FUNCTIONALITY TO EXISTING TELEPHONY INFRASTRUCTURESFor organisations wanting to add and integrate functionality such as audio and video conferencing to their existing PBX without a forklift upgrade, Microsoft Lync delivers a cost effective upgrade path.

Lync deployed in parallel with existing PBX

– Add Audio and Video Conferencing to an existing telephony platform

– Audio, Video and Web Conferencing

– “Join From” calls from the existing handset, retains PBX investment and reduces complexity

– Enables future path for full UC adoption

Westcon product solutions available:

Integration with existing telephony infrastructure, SIP Trunks - AudioCodes, Oracle, Sonus Lync Server appliance (iPBX) - Active Communications Video and Voice Endpoints - Polycom, AudioCodes, HP, SMART, snom Audio Devices - Jabra, Plantronics, Sennheiser

Enterprise Network Service Provider Network

Existing TelephonyEnvironment

Lync ServerEnvironment

PSTNSIP TrunkIP-PBX

Lync Endpoints FEServers

MediationServer

E-SBC E-SBC GW

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS BRIEF DEPLOYMEN T OF ON PREM ISE SOLU T I ONS 21

REPLACEMENT OF END OF LIFE LEGACY PBX OR NEW ‘GREEN FIELD’ DEPLOYMENTSFor organisations looking to replace a fully depreciated or end of life PBX, Lync provides a credible solution.

Lync deployed as the PBX replacement solution from day 1

– SIP Trunking

– Audio, Video and Web conferencing

– Presence and IM

– Messaging platform with Exchange

– Mobile voice

– Full UC security

– Enterprise Federation



ENHANCE EXISTING TELEPHONY PLATFORMFor organisations wanting to deploy additional Unified Communications features with an existing PBX and enhance it with new functionality such as mobile integration, click to call functionality or SIP trunks this can be achieved using Lync.

Lync deployed in parallel with existing PBX

– Lync deployed to give soft client functionality for IM and Presence

– Click to call support

– Instant Messaging and Presence

– Messaging platform with Exchange

– SIP Trunks



Service Provider NetworkEnterprise Network

PSTNSIP Trunk

Lync Endpoints FEServers

MediationServer

E-SBC E-SBC GW

STANDALONE CONFIGURATION

In a standalone configuration, a single ACS appliance is deployed. Redundancy in this configuration is delivered by a server platform supporting N+1 power supplies and RAID 5 mirrored hard drives. When Microsoft Lync is deployed in this format, the capacity is 2,500 users running on Microsoft Lync Server 2013.

HIGH AVAILABILITY CONFIGURATION

Enterprises wishing to exceed 2,500 users or deliver a highly resilient solution can deploy additional ACS appliances. In this scenario, the ACS appliances are operating as a Microsoft Lync Server Pool.

< 2,500

< 100,000

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS BRIEF DEPLOYMEN T OF ON PREM ISE SOLU T I ONS 22

Relative Positioning of Voice SolutionsLYNC VS. TRADITIONAL VOIP INFRASTRUCTURESIn an ACS Microsoft Lync environment, a range of additional products are deployed in order to support a complete Microsoft Lync unified communications solution.

In a typical IP PBX or legacy TDM PBX environment, (excluding the main call processor or switching fabric for call signalling and handling), PSTN line cards or modules would be required in order to support voice connectivity to the outside world. This might, for example, involve the use of an ISDN 30 (PRI) module for 30 concurrent telephone calls. A Microsoft Lync solution has the same needs but instead of using internal line-side or trunk-side cards or modules, external appliances are deployed.

The following matrix maps existing IP PBX solutions to an ACS Microsoft Lync deployment and identifies the appliances that are used in order to support specific functionality.

PBX VENDOR ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS AVAYA IP OFFICE MITEL SHORETEL

PBX ModelACS Solution running Microsoft Lync 2013

IP Office 500 v23300 MXe III

ExpandedVoice Switch 220 E1

Capacity (Users)ACS Express 200 users

ACS Appliance 2,500 UsersACS Enterprise 80,000 Users

384 / 1,000 1,500Scales with ‘Switch’

models deployed

Media Cards / Gateways for PSTN/SIP Trunk Access

AudioCodes:MediaPack Gateway: 1xx range

Mediant Gateway: 800B / 1000B / 2600 / 4000

Sonus: Tenor Gateway, SBC 1000 / SBC 2000

Oracle: Acme Packet 3820, Acme Packet 4500, Oracle Enterprise

Session Border Controller

Integral Modules:240 Trunks MaxPRI 30 ModulePRI 60 Module4x Analogue

Module4x BRI Module8x BRI Module

Integral Modules: 240 Trunks (can be

expanded)2x E1 Module4x BRI Module

4x Analogue Module6x Analogue Module

External Units:1x E12x BRI8x BRI

8x Analogue4x Analogue2x Analogue

Media Cards for Analogue devices such as Telephones/FAX

AudioCodes:MediaPack Gateway 1xx range

Mediant Gateway: 800B / 1000B

Sonus: Tenor Gateway, SBC 1000 / SBC 2000

2 port, 8 port, 16 port, 30 port external modules

24 port external unit12 port external unit

24 port external unit

VoicemailEmbedded and routed into Microsoft

ExchangeFurther Edition - External Server

Embedded Embedded

Unified Messaging and Conferencing

Embedded and routed into Microsoft Exchange

A/V – 2x64 partiesVideo softphone

and Lifesize integration

Embedded Embedded

HandsetsPolycom: CX series, VVX SeriesSnom: 3xx, 6xx and 8xx series

AudioCodes: 4xx HD series

IP 16xxIP 96xx

53xx55xx

6xx, 5xx2xx, 1xx

Softphone Microsoft Lync 2013 ClientIP Office Video

Softphone

Unified Communicator Express / Advanced Softphone (UCE/A)

Shoretel Communicator

Attendant Console

Microsoft Lync 2010 AttendantIP Office

Receptionist5550 IP Console BB24 Console

Headsets Plantronics, Jabra, SennheiserPlantronics, Jabra,

SennheiserPlantronics, Jabra,

SennheiserPlantronics, Jabra,

Sennheiser

Presence / IM / Chat / Voice

ACS Light Presence / IMACS Enterprise fully featured Voice /

IM / Presence

oneX portal server – External server

Via UCA applicationShoretel

Communicator

Integration with Microsoft Lync

ACS is running 100% Lync TBALive Business Gateway

(or external appliance available from Westcon)

Via open APIs

Fixed Mobile Convergence

Lync 2013 Client Windows Phone / iOS / Android

Mobile client – Android / iOS

Mitel Unified Communicator Mobile

RoamAnywhere client

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS BRIEF REL AT I V E P OS I T I ON I NG OF VO ICE SOLU T I ONS 23

ACS ENTERPRISE COMPETITORS

Microsoft Lync 2013 ü ü

Deployed on industry leading, Microsoft certified hardware ü1 û

Voice Interfaces E1/T1/SIP/Analogue2 û

Session Border Controller ü1 ü

Centralised management of voice features such as Call Forwarding ü û

Number of users supported 6,660 per server1,000 - 2,500 per

appliance

Active Directory Connector for rapid deployment of Lync ü û

Centralised user management ü û

Single sign on – one password needed for network and Lync login ü û

Microsoft licences already enabled3 ü û

Integration with multiple Active Directories simplifying deployment ü û

High Availability (Enterprise deployment for resilient Lync solutions) ü ü

Extensive opportunity for partner professional services ü û

Software or hardware Hardware/Software Hardware

How it Compares…

See below a matrix highlighting the features of ACS versus other competitors in the same space.

? Depending on competitive product, feature may or may not be available

1. Based on use with an external Microsoft Certified Voice Gateway or SBC

2. Based on use with an external Microsoft Certified Voice Gateway or SBC. Typical user densities would require a higher density and level of flexibility of voice connectivity

3. Additional Microsoft Server 2012 user CALs are required for a deployment

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS BRIEF HOW I T COMPARES… 24

Active Communications Server Summary • Office 365 Integration: Deliver true Enterprise Voice features and functionality integrated with Office 365 components such as Exchange and Outlook. Choose from any of the ACS solutions and where required, combine with additional gateways and session border controllers to offer the customer a smooth and gradual migration from their existing telephone system to Microsoft Lync and leverage Office 365 components.

• Streamlined Communications: The Lync 2013 client is available for Windows, Mac OS, iOS, WP8 and Android, unifying the user experience across these devices and increasing employee productivity

• User Controlled Communications: Users immediately find the right person and communicate with them using the preferred medium: voice, video, IM. Truly integrated communication enhances effectiveness.

• Reduced Cost of Ownership: With one system management interface, user moves, adds and changes (MACs) can be made quickly without affecting the corporate network topology. User and system MACs can be made either locally on-site or remotely, enabling a quick response to changing environments. Enhanced functionality can be added and integrated with an existing telephony solution without the need for costly forklift upgrades to the existing telephony network.

• Flexibility: Suitable for soft-phones, headsets or desk phones. Employees can work from home as if they are in the office and collaborate from different locations.

• Reduced Implementation Time: The ACS appliance simplifies management and reduces deployment cost, without consuming IT support time. Deploying ACS doesn’t require complex changes to the existing solution, enabling deployment during business hours without necessitating downtime to the corporate network.

• Scalability: The ACS appliance has a ‘day 1’ capacity of a maximum of 2,500 users and can accommodate up to 250 simultaneous voice / video sessions. This can be expanded further through the addition of additional server hardware and roles. Standalone and high availability options available for improved resiliency.

• Unified Communications Enablement: The ACS appliance can be deployed within the existing environment to deliver added UC features and functionality not available from the existing telephony platform. Equally the ACS solution can replace the entire telephony infrastructure delivering a cost effective approach to delivering a feature rich telephony UC solution.

• Advanced Security: The ACS uses Advanced Security and Virtualisation technology and is based on a single redundant server with dual power supply and RAID 5. The unique Active Directory connector removes the need for schema extensions in the enterprise active directory, without compromising functionality. The ACS management suite allows for regular maintenance, online reporting and proactive monitoring of the Lync 2013 environment through the online user interface either on-site or remotely.

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS BRIEF ACT I V E COMMU N ICAT I ONS SERV ER SUMMARY 25

Lync Enabling Vendor Eco-systemTo successfully deploy a Lync solution, a number of complementary products are necessary in order to exploit the full range of Lync features, functionality and integration.

E-SBCS (ENTERPRISE SESSION BORDER CONTROLLERS)E-SBCs have multiple roles in a Lync environment. They are predominantly used for deploying SIP trunks to a Lync solution or integrating Lync with an existing IP PBX and/or IP telephony applications. Security of the voice infrastructure, codec management and voice quality are also key roles of the E-SBC.

ENTERPRISE SESSION BORDER CONTROLLER VENDORS:

ORACLE

• Oracle Enterprise Session Border Controller

• Acme Packet 3820

• Acme Packet 4500

AUDIOCODES

• Mediant 800B

• Mediant 1000B

• Mediant 2600

• Mediant 3000

• Mediant 4000

SONUS

• SBC 1000

• SBC 2000

• SBC 5100

• SBC 5200

• SBC SWe

MEDIA GATEWAYSMedia Gateways are used for integrating legacy TDM PBXs and IP PBXs with Lync in a phased approach. This facilitates connectivity and integration of the existing telephony infrastructure with a Lync solution eliminating the need for a ‘rip and replace’ approach to deployment. They also deliver both SIP trunks and traditional PSTN voice trunks such as ISDN 2 (BRI), ISDN 30 (PRI) and analogue ports. Additionally, media gateways bring analogue connectivity (where required) to a Lync solution. A typical example of this would be connecting existing FAX machines to the voice network or adding devices such as credit card swipe terminals.

MEDIA GATEWAY VENDORS

AUDIOCODES

• MediaPack product range

• Mediant product range

SONUS

• Tenor product range

• SBC 1000

• SBC 2000

VIDEO CONFERENCINGVideo conferencing is becoming increasingly important as organisations become more distributed and mobile and provides a more personal experience that supports effective team building, collaboration and user interaction. Complex interfaces, high cost and limited features can prevent wide-spread adoption of video conferencing across the broader workforce. Lync Server 2013 simplifies the user experience by incorporating video into the unified client so adding or scheduling an online meeting with video or spontaneously escalating IM or telephone sessions to video is seamless and easy.

VIDEO CONFERENCING VENDORS

POLYCOM

• HDX Video Conferencing Platforms

• RPX, OTX and ATX Telepresence appliances

• DMA Distributed Media Application Server

• RMX Real time Media Conference Platform

SMART

• SMART Room System for Microsoft Lync (SRS)

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS BRIEF LY NC EN A BL I NG V EN DOR ECO -SYSTEM 26

UC AUDIO DEVICES: IP ENDPOINTS High quality ‘Lync optimised’ audio devices should be deployed for voice connectivity to Microsoft Lync in order to maximise the quality of the user experience. Microsoft Lync optimised handsets from the vendors listed below not only deliver exceptional wideband audio and HD voice quality but also support specialist features such as presence, replicating a user’s call status and contact card dialling capabilities.

• Polycom: CX series, VVX Series

• AudioCodes: 4xx HD series

• Snom: 3xx, 6xx and 8xx series

UC AUDIO DEVICES: HEADSETSOrganisations often utilise different methods for voice connectivity to the telephony infrastructure, whether through a desk based handset, DECT wireless, WLAN wireless, softphones or smart mobile devices. As a result, different types of UC audio devices – headsets – are required in order to ensure the best possible audio experience.

A recent study showed that headsets can increase productivity in the office alone by up to 43%. Tasks such as note taking or checking documents during telephone calls are achieved more comfortably and faster through the ‘hands-free’ experience when using a headset. Microsoft Lync optimised headsets from the following vendors enable a consistent and high-quality audio experience;

• Plantronics: Voyager, Calisto, Savi and Blackwire series

• Jabra: PRO, GO, BIZ, GN and Speak series

• Sennheiser: Presence UC, SC 200, SC 600 and SC30 / 60 and the DW Series.

CONTACT CENTRE SOLUTIONSFor organisations that are deploying ACD (automatic call distribution) and contact centre solutions it is important to understand information relating to the performance of the contact centre as well as the agents that are supporting it. Providing real-time queuing information such as: number of incoming calls, calls in queue, busy agents, available agents, longest queuing call and average queue time are all key indicators to the performance of a contact centre.

Powerful call routing features within Microsoft Lync can be reported back to agents and supervisors alike ensuring that contact centre performance is optimised and delivering improved customer service and business outcomes.

• Advatel: Espera - Real Time

• Altigen: MaxACD Server

• Enghouse Interactive: Enghouse Interactive Communications Centre

ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS SOLUTIONS BRIEF LY NC EN A BL I NG V EN DOR ECO -SYSTEM 27

Next Steps

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exploring specific areas of the Lync Solution. See the series of

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