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The OCS Insider will be back next week. I'm heading out for a business trip in just a few minutes. I'll be back in time for next week's post.
Speaking of, which of these topics would you like to hear more about?
- OCS 2007 R2 Support
- OCS 2010
- Voice over IP
- Using OCS for Conferencing (audio or video)
- OCS-Related Hardware
- Usability Tips
Leave a comment, or email me and let me know! Catch you all later.
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Hi OCS fans! We have to skip this week’’s post. Just too busy at the moment to put one together. Check back next week for a post on OCS 2010.
A Special Note For Our Veterans
Everyone at PlanetMagpie honors the service of the men & women in our Armed Forces. We are proud to support American veterans and American business.
Why it’’s a Good Idea to Let Someone Else Run Your Exchange 2010 (or OCS) Server
Exchange 2010 released worldwide on November 9th. The Microsoft Exchange Team Blog has the announcement.
There’’s a lot of blogging out there about Exchange’’s capabilities (the Exchange Team Blog announcement, especially). We beta-tested it, so I could give my opinion too (a positive one) if I wanted. But there’’s plenty of good writing about that already.
What I will write about stems from this article at the ZDNet “Microsoft Report” blog:
“Why I”m Letting Someone Else Run My Exchange 2010 Server”
The author, Ed Bott (who’’s great to read if you like keeping up on MS software), lays out a series of reasons why going the hosted option makes sense for Exchange 2010. It’’s the sort of conversation you might overhear at the coffeemaker between a VP and his IT manager.
I wanted to weigh in on this because Exchange 2010 helps out OCS 2007 (and the new 2010 when it’’s released). Because our hosted 2010 services are getting a lot of attention already. And because I think Ed’’s points deserve restating for the OCS crowd.
“Big Reasons” Why Companies Opt for Hosted Exchange (and how it helps OCS)
No need to manage it yourself
Ed said it himself. “The biggest objection to a complex but powerful server product like Exchange is the hassle of managing it locally.” By far this is the biggest reason people use our Hosted Exchange. It’’s also a big reason people like Hosted OCS too.
No migration scrambling
How much time could a small business lose if they did the Exchange 2010 migration themselves? Figure at least a couple days” worth. As in the total day. And then you”re dealing with management (see above).
Security handled for you
“Is it safe to outsource our email?” = Most common worry we see. Sure it is. No more dangerous than running email in-house.
Probably even safer than that, since hosted providers have to maintain stringent security for ALL their servers. We refer to our security setup as “The Labyrinth” sometimes. Hackers get lost before they get anywhere.
Affordable by Small Business
Buying one Exchange Server 2010 Standard license costs $699. As opposed to hosted plans, where both Exchange and OCS become more economical. Then you”re looking at a monthly rate that usually starts around $20. The only factor is how many user accounts you need.
Sync with non-Microsoft equipment
A hosted environment has to incorporate different hardware & software. Which makes it easier for them to include the option of connecting other software to your Exchange account.
Ed mentions connecting a hosted Exchange 2007 account to his Snow Leopard mail client and an iPhone. We connected two office iPhones to our Exchange 2010 server, so we know this particular value has carried over. (They don”t like working with OCS though - we mentioned it in a newsletter article comparing smartphones recently.)
The comments on Ed’’s article went back and forth over Exchange. Debating its stability, concerned about security on outsourced servers…many of the issues I mentioned above, in fact. If they had questions, our readers would too. If you”re looking to migrate to Exchange 2010 in the future, read Ed’’s article (and the comments) and consider the hosted option.
Ed Bott’’s Microsoft Report Blog: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/
Technorati Tags:
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Microsoft
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Exchange 2010
Hosted Exchange
What Changes Will I Have to Make When Switching to OCS?
The Unified Communications Strategies Blog makes a great point in its “OCS: The Tech is the Easy Part” post from last week:
“OCS is not simply a phone system replacement, it’’s more accurately a phone system alternative made possible by many emerging technologies.”
“Alternative” is right. Normally you have two lines “going out” - Internet connections and phone lines. One powers the computers, one the phones sitting beside them. If you switch to OCS-based VoIP, you”ll be running both services, IT and telecom, through Internet connections alone.
Incorporating telecom capability into the computer like this changes things. I don”t just mean the network, either. People’’s ingrained behaviors about using phones will have to adjust.
I”ve written out some of the adjustments we”ve seen with new OCS 2007 clients below. Some are positive (they help you get things done), some are negative (adjustment will take a few tries).
There’’s no longer a phone on every desk
(Negative)
VoIP capability now comes through every computer available. Desktop, laptop, smartphone. So long as there’’s a mic and a speaker, you can talk. There are VoIP phones of course! But you won”t need them at every desk.
Out with the phone, in with the headset
(Positive)
If you”re making calls through your computer, you”ll naturally use a headset. For those of us with Bluetooth-enabled cellphones, this barely qualifies as an adjustment. (I included it for Larry in Accounting who hates any new technology and wants things like they were in 1990.)
All offices are closer
(Positive)
OCS runs its member list off Active Directory. So transferring calls to “the other office” means clicking a name instead of typing out memorized codes. A bit easier.
The interruption comes from the monitor
(Negative)
If the phone rings while you”re buried in work, you can let it go to voicemail. The ringing stops; no more reminder of the outside world. With OCS VoIP though, a new call pops up right there on your screen. Bzzzt, new call!
That will irritate you the first few times. You”ll realize you forgot to switch your Presence status to Busy or Do Not Disturb. You fix it and go back to work. (Or answer the call if it’’s your boss!)
—–
The easiest way to head the negative adjustments off at the pass? Ask everyone for feedback before you start implementing OCS. “Get buy-in,” as the gurus say. If you know ahead of time you need to make such-and-such adjustments, you”re prepared to do it.
Technorati Tags:businessMicrosofttechnology
OCS 2007 R2
Office communications server
VoIP
Is Moving to VoIP a Smart Thing to Do in a Recession?
Sifting through LinkedIn Answers the other day (our company profile is here, if you”d like to look), I came across several Questions about IT in the economic downturn. No surprise; everyone’’s thinking about it.
A lot of people are thinking about VoIP too, it turns out. I found questions about not only its technical aspects, but its business value too. Two examples:
What Does A Business VoIP Solution Mean To You?
What are the business drivers behind VoIP buying decisions today?
(Must be a LinkedIn member to view.)
It makes sense. Everyone wants to (or must) get 105% from every dollar spent.
We”ve actually received more inquiries for new OCS 2007 installs (with VoIP) in the past 6 months than we had the whole year prior. So I”m wondering. Companies are switching to VoIP more. Why? Do they perceive it as a cost-saver? Is it a good move to make?
After reviewing more Answers and talking with our engineers, I think I can give some reasons why moving to VoIP is a smart thing right now. Not a perfect solution for everyone, but it could work depending on your business needs.
The Reasons People are Looking to VoIP
First, the positives. If these appeal to your business, then VoIP will make a good investment.
- Cost over PBX — Yes, a VoIP system can save a lot of money over PBX. That saving is NOT guaranteed, however. Large-scale, multi-office setups can cost almost as much as installing a PBX. In smaller networks, VoIP will usually save you more (see “What About Hidden Costs?” below for more).
- Integration with Software — OCS 2007 integrates with Outlook, SharePoint, & Office. Integration means fewer steps to talk with someone, so there’’s a time savings here.
- Unification of Communication Systems — This is the top benefit a complete VoIP system can provide. Unified Communications, as I”ve blogged about before, builds more communication options around regular old voice. Instant Messaging, working with smartphones, Presence indicators…you know the drill by now.
- Mobility (People, Offices) — Let’’s face it, you can”t pick up a PBX with your hands. But you can move a VoIP phone from one office to another with them. And it”ll work there too.
- Consolidation of Services — In the past you”d need a third-party solution for things like conferencing (e.g. WebEx), IM, even long distance. Switching to a VoIP system with Unified Communications nowadays, you get those built-in.
VoIP Concerns Everyone Has
Even aside from cost (by far the #1 worry these days!), VoIP has stirred up its own concerns. I don”t think these are enough to discourage a VoIP switch, but just in case:
- Will the Phone Ring? — Switching to VoIP means you”re using Internet lines instead of standard phone lines. A disruption of service means the phones go down too. It’’s a small risk; uptime is close to 98% by standard. But people like to magnify this into an arms-flailing horror story too often.
- Does Voice Mail Work? — In OCS, voicemail is not turned on by default. It must be enabled, and set to funnel voicemails to Outlook. I”m mentioning it here because people just forget to do this much of the time!
- Can You Hear Me (Now)? — Call quality can fluctuate, depending on network conditions. Sometimes people complain of an echo on the line, or brief silences (caused by packet drops) lasting a second or two.
- What About Hidden Costs? — Generally speaking, VoIP cost comes from 3 places: High-speed connection to manage the VoIP in/out (monthly); Setup cost for hardware/software (one-time); and Account fees to run the VoIP system, internally or through a hosted provider (monthly). That’’s it.
Any VoIP system must do one of two things: It must provide a direct business benefit, or it must reduce operations costs. If you find that VoIP brings you one (or both!) of these, then it’’s a good investment. If not, hold off for now. Write it in for a revisit when the economy gets some steam behind it again.
Are there other VoIP factors you think make a difference in today’’s economic climate? Leave them in the Comments!
Technorati Tags:businessMicrosofttechnology
TechnologynewsOCS 2007 R2Office communications serverVoIP
Look for Another OCS Insider Post Next Week
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