As we
can see. Microsoft is now the leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant. Cisco has the
latest two years been the leader.
From the report we can read this.
Microsoft Lync
Microsoft Lync offers a full
suite of UC functionality that Microsoft continues to improve with each
release. It integrates with Office applications, Active Directory and Skype.
Microsoft has a broad set of additional business applications that will
increasingly be leveraged, including Office Graph (which uses machine learning
to define the context and connect users with relevant documents, conversations
and people) and Cortana (a digital assistant).
The Lync partner ecosystem
expanded at a rapid pace; however, more importantly, the partners’ skill level
and experience in complex deployments that include voice and video also
improved significantly year over year. Lync’s improved federation capabilities
have proven an effective way for groups to collaborate across organizational
boundaries. For cloud delivery, Microsoft offers Lync Online as part of the
Office 365 suite, as well as in private cloud configurations; in both cases,
partners can be leveraged for telephony. However, enterprises should be aware
that Lync Online offers only a subset of the on-premises Lync solution, most
notably with limited PSTN connectivity.
Enterprises that have a
significant number of employees that can benefit from Lync’s collaboration
model should consider the Lync solution and understand how it might change
their business processes and worker productivity. Enterprises considering
deploying Lync telephony or video should understand the topology and
infrastructure requirements, how they will support branch offices, and (if
relevant) how they will deploy and obtain global third-party support.
Enterprises with advanced telephony feature requirements should also ensure
that the needed functions are supported.
Strengths
- Microsoft Lync continues
to make significant gains in the market and is attractive to a broad range
of enterprises. In many cases, it is initially deployed for its IM,
presence and Web conferencing functionalities, with gradual incremental
deployments of telephony and video added as follow-on phased deployments
for specifically targeted groups or regions.
- The vendor has
significantly improved its go-to-market strategy for Lync during the last
year, positioning itself to more adequately address the real-time
communications requirements of enterprises over the next several years.
- Microsoft has added
video capabilities, including support for Lync room-based video systems
and interoperability of standards-based video endpoints.
- Customers report that
Lync functions can be readily integrated into business processes and
applications, providing new, different and effective ways to perform
tasks. Often, these new functions are achieved by deploying Lync enhancements
from a growing list of ecosystem partners.
Cautions
- Few IT managers report
that they have completely eliminated their PBXs in Lync implementations.
Typically, Lync IM/presence and Web conferencing are deployed across the
broader employee base, while telephony is deployed only for a subset of
employees. Microsoft’s stated telephony strategy is to leverage partners
for functions like endpoints, gateways and contact center; therefore,
enterprises interested in PBX-level capabilities should be prepared to also
invest in a number of partner solutions to achieve advanced functionality.
- Gartner clients report
users with non-Microsoft endpoints, such as Mac workstations, are not
satisfied with the functionality and quality of the Lync UX.
- Gartner clients deploying
Lync with in-house staff often report that multiple partners are required
to obtain a complete deployment, and that this poses challenges (for
example, different partners for telephones, gateways, servers, remote
support and network monitoring); additionally, it can lead to
release-level incompatibilities. This can also result in difficulty
obtaining an accurate total cost for Lync service and support.
- Some enterprises express
concern that Microsoft’s bundling, combined with proprietary protocols,
will leave them locked in a closed circle of choices. Bundling includes
Exchange, Lync, SharePoint, Office, Skype and Yammer. While the video
interoperability is a good sign, it also serves to emphasize the lack of
standards-based capabilities in the other areas, such as standard SIP
endpoints and WebRTC.
The future choice
As we know
that more and more companies goes for a complete Lync solutions. Here in Norway
more and more are changing from classic PBX and replace it with Microsoft Lync
and direct SIP solutions. With all the addons from wendors like Competella who
delivers attendants and contactcenter solutions Lync is make your contactcenter
to the most modern plattform for your future telephony.
The Complete report will you find here:
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