Do Phone Calls Through Gmail Threaten OCS?
Filed under: OCS 2007 R2, OCS 2010, Unified Communications, Voice over IP
In case you haven't seen this yet: Google has now rolled out a “Call Phones from Gmail” service. It's an extension of their Gmail Voice and Video Chat - except now you can call someone's phone from within Gmail, instead of both of you being at the computer. Free.
Here's the official Google Blog announcement. If you already have a Gmail account, you can see the call service here: Gmail.com/call.
This being from Google (and being free for US and Canada calls) means one thing - somebody else is now under threat. Who?
Is OCS In Danger?
Since this IS the OCS Insider, naturally I'm tackling the question of OCS 2007/2010 coming under threat from this new Gmail service. Will free calls from within Gmail shrink adoption of Office Communications Server?
It seems possible. But I don't think so.
Why not?
Different Purposes.
OCS is a business communication platform. It isn't restricted to one app (or Web app). And its purpose is to provide multiple avenues for workers to communicate, not just phone calls.
This “Gmail Call” service could work very well for small businesses already using Google Apps. But…
No Google Apps Support - Yet.
The announcement indicates that Google Apps users won't see this service yet. Free phone service will be coming, but they don't say when.
It's not Internal.
Many organizations like (or need) to keep track of calls. This is easy with OCS' Conversation History. Not so easy with a third party service like Gmail.
OCS isn't Skype.
Skype is the world's #1 VoIP service. They're the top dog in the field at present. You're always the main target when you're at the top of the mountain.
And finally, No Mobile Support.
There aren't any plans for this from Google, according to a CNET review. You might be able to make Gmail phone calls work on a mobile, with a little tweaking. But as I've pointed out in the past, the Office Communicator client and Communicator Web Access (CWA) work on several mobiles already.
So no, I'm not worried about OCS. In fact, I think Gmail Phone Calls will make for a great consumer alternative! An easy, free introduction to VoIP tech. That only reflects well on future business use.
Planning to try phone calls out in Gmail? What's your impression?
How to Use OCS 2007 on Your Mobile
Filed under: Instant Messaging (IM), OCS 2007, OCS 2007 R2, Unified Communications
I'm still amazed at how many people use their phones for–well, everything! We've reached the point where almost anything you can do on a computer, you can do on a mobile phone.
So it's no surprise that we've received requests for using OCS on mobiles. Some companies want their employees to still have access to OCS functions while out & about. Sure, why not? We have the tech to do that. In fact, it's now possible to put an OCS client on all major phones out there.
Let me list the clients I know about. (If I miss one and you know it, leave a comment and share it with us!)
If You Have…
a. An iPhone
Use the “iDialog” iPhone OCS client. Ironically, this app is not made by Microsoft or Apple. It was released in 2009 by Modality Systems, a UC consulting firm.
Find iDialog in the App Store. Documentation and links are available on Modality's website here.
b. A Droid (Google Android Phone)
Right now the best way to use OCS on Droids is Communicator Web Access (CWA). Like Outlook Web Access, this framework allows web-based use of a Microsoft app - in this case, Office Communicator.
The Communicator Team blog has an overview on CWA here.
(I mentioned the Web Scheduler component in February, too.)
c. A Windows Mobile Phone (Palm Pre, Nokia)
Those of you on Windows Mobile phones luck out here. There's a mobile OCS client available straight from Microsoft: Communicator Mobile 2007 R2.
d. A Blackberry
There is no native Blackberry OCS client to my knowledge. You can use the Communicator Web Client though, like you would on a Droid phone. However, if your company limits Web access on Blackberries, you're stuck. (Maybe this can help you successfully argue in favor of Web access…?)
I should note that in terms of capabilities, OCS mobile clients and CWA are practically identical to Office Communicator. Aside from screen size and a couple formatting differences, you won't lose out on anything by using OCS 2007 on your mobile.
Do you use OCS 2007 on the go? What mobile phone do you use? How's it been working for you? Let us know in the comments.
