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Polycom Solutions in Microsoft UC Environments
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. We use Microsoft Lync 2010 for presence and IM. We are planning to roll out desktop voice and video for our
employees. Does Polycom offer solutions that work with Microsoft Lync?
A. Yes, Polycom has the broadest range of voice and video solutions that work with Lync. Polycom offer purpose-
built solutions for Lync, which are the Polycom CX lines of voice and video solutions optimised for Lync. Polycom
also has a wide range of standards-based solutions directly interoperable with Lync, for voice and video endpoints
as well as universal video collaboration platform. They provide solutions that fit in different environments, such as
on-the-go, home office, work office, conference room, and immersive theatre, so our mutual customers can de-
ploy true end-to-end unified communications in Lync environments.
Q. Can you explain more about optimized solutions as well as interoperable solutions?
A. The optimised solutions are designed to work with Microsoft UC platform (Office Communications Server & Lync).
There are USB based devices for plug-and-play simplicity, as well as IP phones and video collaboration systems
designed from the ground up to provide an optimised user experience for Lync. They provide ease of use and a
familiar user interface for Lync users.
The interoperable solutions work with multiple UC platforms and Lync is one of the platforms supported. That
said, Polycom has made great efforts and strides in emulating the Lync user experience and supporting native
Lync features. Also, interoperable solutions extend Lync into vertical environments (such as healthcare,
manufacturing, education, and retail) and they offer additional Polycom features that enhance the collaboration
capability as well.
Overall, optimised and interoperable solutions present customers with great choice and flexibility, and Polycom
can offer best solutions depending on our customers specific needs
Q. We use Microsoft applications. Microsoft Exchange, Office, SharePoint. Does Polycom offer integration with these
applications?
A. Yes, Polycom solutions directly integrate with Microsoft core applications such as Exchange and SharePoint, as
well as leverage Active Directory and Edge Server. This simplifies management for IT administrators, as well as
lowers total cost of ownership. From the users perspective, direct integration allows more native features to be
available and a simpler user experience. Compared to a gateway approach, direct integration scales more and is
more cost-effective, and from an operational standpoint, it is more robust as gateways create single points of
failure.
Q. Can you list a couple examples of features only available from direct integration?
A. The Polycom HDX series and Polycom RealPresence Group series of video collaboration solutions, for instance,
support HD video calls with Lync 2010 client without requiring any media gateway product. Also, the HDX and
Group series can participate in Lync conferencing, which is hosted on Lync MCU. They can also join scheduled
Lync conferences (Lync Online Meeting) by having direct integration with Exchange.
The Polycom CX7000, which is a Lync-optimized room HD video collaboration system, supports Lync native
features of IM, voice, video, and data collaboration and gives users a natural Lync experience in a conference
room setting.
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Polycom Solutions in Microsoft UC Environments
Q. We still have IP video conferencing systems from Polycom and other vendors. We even have ISDN video
systems in some locations. Is there any way to leverage legacy equipment on our network?
A. Yes, the Polycom RealPresence Platform with Virtualization Manager and Collaboration Server can connect
disparate networks and endpoints and offer a unified video collaboration experience. The RealPresence Platform
supports H.323, SIP, Cisco CUCM/TIP, and ISDN video, and it supports multiple voice and video protocols (such
as H.264, H.263, Microsoft RTV) so that existing investments can be leveraged as much as possible and our
customers can plan migration plans rather than rip and replace. The RealPresence Platform is the interoperability
engine that allows Lync to connect to other networks and endpoints.
Q. We are still on Office Communications Server 2007R2. What solutions are available for us?
A. Polycom has USB-based CX products (CX100, CX300, CX5000 HD) and a CX700 IP desktop phone available in
OCS 2007R2 environments. Also, Polycom HDX and RealPresence Collaboration Server (RMX) work in
OCS2007R2 as well.
Q. What is Polycoms plan to support Lync 2013?
A. Polycom is working with Microsoft to ensure that current and future customers have investment protection with
forward and backward compatibility, as well as no disruption of service when there is a major release such as
Lync 2013. If you plan on deploying Lync 2013, please contact Westcon for more information.
Q. We are interested in video streaming solutions as well as video content management. Does Polycom have
solutions that leverage Microsoft applications such as Lync and SharePoint?
A. Yes. Polycom RealPresence video content management solutions provide tight integration with Lync as well as
SharePoint. You can take advantage of the Lync recording capability to capture video locally and through the
integration with the Polycom RealPresence Media Manager. Users upload the recording easily for approval,
publish, and distribute. Other types of video files can be uploaded and shared easily through the Media Manager
for live as well as on demand streaming. Also, the Media Manager provides native integration with SharePoint
2010 that allows users to search, browse, and play back both live and on-demand videos.