Tag: Microsoft

Microsoft Lync – The Pros And Cons For Business Explained

Deploying a solid BYOD strategy is turning into an ever increasing pressing challenge for businesses.

Employees currently expect to be ready to use their own device for work, no matter whether or not it has been sanctioned by their IT department or not. In fact, a third of Smartphone owners utilise their device at work right behind their IT department’s back.

Part of the explanation behind staff preferring to use their own devices at work is that they feel more productive sourcing their own apps. As an example, the favoured VoIP app, Skype, is the 5thmost downloaded free app globally on Google Play. however may investing in enterprise-wide universal communications (UC) apps enable staff even larger productivity gains whereas keeping information safer and more secure?

Enter Microsoft Lync

Microsoft retired their office Communications Server (OCS) software system with the launch of Lync in December 2010. This software system amalgamates individual tools like video conferencing and instant messaging into one server-side platform, creating a simple to install and manage BYOD solution as well as being cheaper in many circumstances.

Benefits of Microsoft Lync

Lync provides some key advantages over OCS, specifically:

– Seamless integration of software -Switching between the use of instant messaging or document sharing and VoIP has never been this smooth

and seamless.

– Better bandwidth management -With OCS an infinite quantity of users can be active on your network at an equivalent time, using up bandwidth and deteriorating quality. Lync permits network managers to allot bandwidth, limit users and even split audio and video streams across each WAN and internet at the same time, limiting the impact on bandwidth.

– Cheaper than different solutions -Although the complete Lync package prices are $245 per user, this can still be still cheaper than its major rivals.

– Enables workplace communication on the move -In terms of BYOD, Lync provides the perfect answer for businesses who would love a lot of management over their app portfolio whereas still permitting staff to work flexibly on their own devices.

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Drawbacks of Microsoft Lync

Despite the key advantages of Lync, it still suffers from some drawbacks:

Higher bandwidth use overall -You might have higher management of bandwidth allocation, however thanks to the upper technical needs of Lync it will eat up a lot of bandwidth overall.

Encouraging adoption -By now several of your staff are going to be accustomed to operating with applications like Skype to fulfil their communication desires. Encouraging them to ditch what they have already installed on their device in favour of MS Lync can be tough, though with enough preparation and consultation it ought to be simple enough.

Guaranteeing productivity gains -Lync is supposed to increase productivity by providing staff with a universal communications platform, even once they are on the move. However this level of communication can be distracting instead of helpful, particularly once staff feel they have to see all communications on the move.

Microsoft Lync is, of course, just one answer to universal communication needs, and one part of a gigantic BYOD puzzle. If you are curious about enabling BYOD for your business, several companies firms exist within the market to assist you on your way.

Online Business App Solutions: Microsoft Office 365 Vs Google Docs

2011 was a good year for web-based “software as a service” suites. Although these aren’t new technologies, now more than ever people seem interested in using and taking advantage of the cloud and of the cloud computing document-sharing services. If in January 2011, Google has announced that it will offers its users free data storage of files up to 1GB for Google Docs, on June the same year, Microsoft released to the public its “commercial software plus services” called Microsoft Office 3665.

Both services include a suite of desktop apps which can be accessed and delivered over the Internet, and provide users with mobility and immediate access to their documents no matter where they, as long as they have a compatible device and an Internet connection.

Such tools address mainly businesses, but also users who work in a team and for whom collaboration tools are an essential part of their work. In order to have an optimal communication between users, such a communication tool needs to be compatible with all the hardware and software components of all members. So it’s essential to know what devices (PC, smartphones, tablets, etc.) your colleagues use and what software products. The best approach would be that the entire team uses the same web-based software service and avoid working across multiple hardware and software platforms.

In terms of familiarity and wider compatibility, Microsoft Office 365 is the best solution, but if your team prefers online ease of use, Google Docs offers a cheaper alternative. Regarding the user’s experience, Microsoft solution relies on locally installed copies of Office (instead of web apps), while Google moves the entire action into browsers. So let’s see what these web-based office suites have to offer:

• Microsoft Office 365 comes with: email, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneNote, Lync and calendars. On the other hand Google Docs provides users with: email, Word processor, Drawing app, Presentations, Online spreadsheet

• In terms of price, Google Docs is free (including Gmail, Google Talk, and other Google products), however for $5 per user, per month ($50 per year) you can get Google Apps which comes with Google Docs + support + extra storage + SLA (service level agreement). Microsoft comes with a more intricate license plan which includes various options, such as Plan E4: for $27 a month you get full Microsoft Office license + enterprise voice capability, etc.

• Docs suite is quite easy to install, and all the information you need is on the Google site. We cannot say the same thing about Office 365, as you need to install a browser plug-in, as well as Microsoft Lync.

• Docs is compatible with most important browser, while Office 365 doesn’t support Google Chrome.

• Both tools have an easy to use UI, however Office 365 offers a familiar touch: you’ll be working with documents (as usual), but these will be saved to Office 365 and not on your local machine.

• When it comes to spreadsheets, Google let’s you right-click in the app and resize hide/unhide rows. Also, Google spreadsheets provide more advanced features, such as: charting, image embedding, pivot tables, etc.

• On the other hand, when it comes to presentations/PowerPoint, Office 365 has a clear advantage: the web app offers the same experience and results as the desktop application

Google Docs has the advantage that’s easy to install, is inexpensive, and is compatible with almost any device with a browser. So no matter if you work from your home PC which has installed Linux, or away, from your Android smartphone, the experience will be the same. However, Docs has a series of limitations as well, such as: flawed integration with local apps, scarce compatibility with PowerPoint files, etc.

Microsoft Office 365, although is more expensive, provides a complete set of advanced features, as well as full compatibility with offline Office apps.

So, I can’t really say that one tool is better than the other, but that both have a series of advantages as well as limitations, and that before making your choice you should first take into account the needs and requirements of your team.

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