Observations from the 2010 Cloud Connect Expo
Filed under: Conferencing, OCS 2007, OCS 2007 R2, Reference
I attended the Cloud Connect Expo in Santa Clara yesterday. (It's still going today; check www.cloudconnectevent.com if you haven't attended yet!) I like heading to events like that - I can get an idea of industry direction, see new technologies coming out, make some new connections and so on. Cloud Connect was no different.
Before I go add my connections on LinkedIn, here's a few observations of the Cloud Connect events.
Most of the attendees were from tech companies. Like me! I spoke with a few of the wandering fellow techies about why they'd come. Their reasons were either to check out the cloud computing industry's status (like me). Or they were looking for cloud-based services they could add to their own products & resell.
A few vendors seemed surprised when I told them about our Hosted OCS. What? Running OCS in a cloud-computing type of setup? Why, that's a novel idea! (Yes, we thought so too.)
Marketing tactics were a bit behind the times. Oh, they had a Twitter event hashtag (#ccevent) and a dedicated social network up. That's great. But some of the booths had vague promotional language, and/or their reps used hard-sell tactics. Nobody's fault, but it was a little too pushy for such new services. Hopefully this will smooth out by the time the cloud reaches more common understanding. And speaking of that…
People are already talking about cloud standards. I think this is a big help for cloud computing overall. Defining standards early on, especially for such an open-purpose technology model as cloud computing, should help us all avoid confusion over things like “What's this cloud stuff going to DO for us?” in the future.
Dave at IBM had a presentation on current efforts to produce open standards for the cloud. I'll repost a couple links they gave:
www.cloudusecases.org - A Google Group for defining use cases of cloud computing. There's a group-composed white paper on such use cases too (available on Scribd here: http://bit.ly/1FXRAH).
www.Cloud-standards.org - The Cloud Standards Wiki. Many more links to standards organizations and contributing groups are here.
www.Opencloudconsortium.org - One of the current contributing groups to cloud standards.
No Microsoft reps. Nobody showed up for the Microsoft booth yesterday! What's up with that? Even the IBM guys next door boggled. Hopefully someone's there today.
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6 Things to Check Before an OCS Conference
Filed under: Conferencing, OCS 2007, OCS 2007 R2, Unified Communications, Voice over IP
You”re about to have your first full-on Live Meeting conference with a client! OCS is all set up; you”ve got the cameras ready in case they want to jump to video. VoIP is set up, Mediation server is a go, Edge server in place. Let’’s call them up, right?
Not so fast. Check a few things first. You wouldn”t want your first OCS conference to crash would you? Might cause problems with the client, if they think your conferencing setup isn”t up to snuff.
These are 6 things to check in your OCS setup before any conference is held. I”m assuming basic OCS functionality is already taken care of; these are things you might not think to check right away. But they can "tangle the lines" if they”re not addressed.
1. Test the VoIP connection by calling someone outside your internal network.
If they can”t hear you/you can”t hear them, there’’s a problem on the Mediation server or VoIP gateway. (Run video on this test too, if you plan to use video in the conference.)
2. Check the Edge server for invalid certificates.
A run-through of the Edge server’’s event log will tell you if there’’s any certificate issues creeping around. If so, these should be resolved. They could potentially mess up your client’’s external connection to your OCS setup if not.
3. Double-check your SIP domains.
If you used sip.domain.com (as most Edge servers do), make sure it’’s an FQDN (fully-qualified domain name) and it’’s not blocked by any firewall rules. This can scuttle any external connections if not checked.
4. Is public IM federation turned on & running?
Just in case you want to send over a link during the conference. If your SIP domains are okay, this shouldn”t have any configuration problems.
5. Run the OCS Remote Connectivity Analyzer.
This Analyzer is a Microsoft tool (beta) that tests remote connectivity to an OCS server. It will even auto-discover the needed port and Access Edge.
Ask your client to run the Analyzer on their end before the conference. It’’s free and web-based, so it should be quick & easy: https://www.testocsconnectivity.com/
(The Communications Server Team blog has a write-up on it here: Office Communications Server Remote Connectivity Analyzer - Communications Server Team Blog)
6. And as a last check, make sure that your Internet connection is solid.
If that goes down, well…there’’s not much else you can do, is there?
If everything checks out here - you”re ready to have your chat.
P.S. - Jeff Schertz of PointBridge Blogs has a detailed review of connectivity needs too. With a few handy diagrams.
Did I miss anything? Is there something you like to check in OCS before any big conference session? Let us know in the Comments. Be as detailed as you like; it helps everybody!
Technorati Tags: Microsoft business technology OCS 2007 
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Which Voice Gateway Should You Use for OCS?
Filed under: OCS 2007, OCS 2007 R2, OCS 2010, Unified Communications, Voice over IP
Here’’s a list (Microsoft Technet) of Direct SIP Gateway and IP-PBXs approved for use with Office Communications Server.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/ocs/bb735838.aspx#direct
Obviously, we haven”t tested them all. I can only give you what we”ve learned on our own install (and subsequent client installs).
Aculab - The ApplianX Gateway
The ApplianX Gateway for OCS 2007 was the first voice gateway we tested.
This gateway was designed to interface between OCS-based VoIP and the regular PSTN. One of the first to do so in the world, in fact.
The ApplianX Gateway is capable of handling 240 VoIP calls at once. In terms of voice quality, it’’s great, but I did notice one thing: the longer you were on a call, the more packets got lost. Words would start falling out of the conversation. I”m not sure this was a problem with the gateway however, or with our bandwidth allocations.
I do know that it went away before we switched to Dialogic.
Dialogic - The DMG2000 Media Gateway
When we upgraded our OCS to R2, we switched to a Dialogic Media Gateway. I don”t see any reason to change again.
None of the fabled VoIP problems happen - no “I can hear myself in echo,” “They can”t hear my voice,” or “The calls break up on us all the time.” Client installs have gone smoothly.
Another handy thing about Dialogic is the guides they post on their site. You can downoad white papers, datasheets and configuration guides for all their media gateways, free.
Dialogic.com Downloads
Other Choices
- Quintum’’s Tenor Gateway is highly-rated in the industry.
- Cisco has a gateway available, but some interoperability issues do exist. See the Cisco Interoperability Portal for more on that.
- As a general rule, avoid a gateway that isn”t rated for R2. You”re almost guaranteed problems when OCS 2010 is released.
Which is the Best Choice for a Voice Gateway?
The best gateway choice is the one that will allow everyone in your office to make voice calls, handle the load, and still be open for expansion down the line. So it pays to consider these factors in your research.
Size of business. If you”re a smaller business or startup, try Aculab or Dialogic. Over 40 employees? Dialogic is my first recommendation, but the Quintum may work well for you.
Expected call volume. If you”re enterprise-level and have a call volume in the hundreds (or thousands), consider the devices rated for “Direct Sip via IP-PBX.” Otherwise, look at Cisco or Dialogic’’s Enterprise Media Gateway.
OCS version. The Aculab ApplianX Gateway isn”t certified for use with R2. I”m hoping for an upgraded version by the time OCS 2010 rolls out. Go with any of the others rated for R2.
JBuddy Messenger: An Office Communicator Alternative
Filed under: Conferencing, Instant Messaging (IM), OCS 2007
The client app that ships with OCS 2007 is called Office Communicator. When you ask the average user what OCS is, they”ll point to their Communicator window (which looks like this) and call that OCS.
Office Communicator Window
Communicator does its job very well. (I actually prefer it over most IM apps out there.) For a while I assumed it was the only OCS client app. You wouldn”t find a third-party alternative for a big Microsoft server, would you?
Well, it seems you would.
Here’’s JBuddy Messenger. A third-party OCS-capable IM app that runs in Java. I came across it in the TechNet OCS forums.
JBuddy Messenger Window
For Business IM
JBuddy starts out like Trillian or Adium - as a free multi-protocol IM client. But with licensing it becomes a business-level communications tool. In other words, you need a license to connect to OCS 2007 with it.
Because JBuddy is written in Java, it works on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.
As far as I can tell there is no support for voice or video. JBuddy is focused on Instant Messaging.
Why and When You”d Want to Use JBuddy
If you”re running OCS without VoIP
Say you aren”t planning on a VoIP install yet. Perhaps your office uses all cellphones. But you still need IM capability, and group chat would be nice.
Your Employees Use Different Instant Messaging Systems
While it’’s possible to set up third-party IM accounts in Office Communicator, JBuddy allows use of AIM, ICQ and Yahoo Messenger right away. With licensing it will operate with Jabber server, Lotus Sametime, and of course OCS 2007.
If you just want a fast, simple IM client for the office
JBuddy does the job.
In the end, it’’s nice to have choices. JBuddy is the first third-party messenger app to support OCS I”ve come across.
Because it doesn”t do conferencing and you need an enterprise license first, I”d only recommend JBuddy for small companies who use multiple IM systems and need a way to consolidate those. Otherwise, stick with Office Communicator.
Downloading JBuddy Messenger is free, but you”ll need to purchase an enterprise license to use all its business features (including OCS connectivity). http://www.zionsoftware.com/products/messenger/
If you”d like to try it out, request a 30-Day Evaluation License (free trial) here:
http://www.zionsoftware.com/products/messenger/request-eval.shtml
The Top 3 Questions People Ask Us Re: OCS 2007
Filed under: Conferencing, Instant Messaging (IM), OCS 2007, Reference, Unified Communications, Voice over IP
When you”re experts in something, people ask you questions. The same questions. Over & over again.
I”ve blogged about many of the things our customer ask us in the past. Still, a recap now and then doesn”t hurt. And since we”ve had several sales meetings that were almost cookie-cutter when it came to the questions they asked, I figured now’’s the time.
This is a trio of very common questions we get asked about Office Communications Server. (There’’s actually about 6 or 7, but I”ll save the rest for a later post.) If you”ve had a burning questions about OCS but thought it was too basic to ask? It’’s your lucky day.
1. What can we use it (OCS) for?
Use it to communicate with co-workers, clients and partners. Via text, voice or video. It runs all of that through the Office Communicator client on your desktop or mobile.
2. Does it work like a regular phone?
Yes, but not 100% the same. There are handsets you can use with OCS; that’’s pretty much a regular desktop phone for you. Otherwise, you can use the mic & speakers in your computer to have a voice conversation. Kind of like Skype, except OCS is more secure and incorporates tool for sharing business information while you chat.
Note: When people ask us about this, they”re also curious if OCS lets you talk with regular desk and cell phones too. The answer to that is yes, if you have an IP-PBX gateway installed. (We use gateways from Cisco, Aculab and Dialogic.)
3. Will it work with our phones?
Unless your phones are SIP-capable , no. Regular phones use standard telephone lines. OCS 2007′’s voice capabilities run through VoIP, which uses Internet connections. The tech’’s too new for the older phones to use. You”ll have to make some changes.
Any other OCS questions you”d like an answer to? Leave a comment, or email me. Next week I”ll post the Top 3 Questions we get about the new Exchange Server 2010.
Technorati Tags:MicrosoftbusinesstechnologyOCS 2007SIP
Thanksgiving Thank You
I”m writing a short holiday greeting for today. And a thank you for your attention. Checking our stats, I see the OCS Insider’’s traffic is up to over 2,000 visits per month now!
Thanks very much, to all of you. Please enjoy your Thanksgiving. Stay safe on Black Friday!
And don”t forget to check back next week.
Three SIP Resources You”ll Need for VoIP
Filed under: OCS 2007, Unified Communications, Voice over IP
Considering a switch to a VoIP-based phone system? You”ll need to know about SIP Trunking.
SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) allows voice traffic to travel over data networks. It connects legacy phones and the Internet. In order to do this right, you”ll need to know how SIP functions. On its own, and integrated into OCS 2007.
These resources popped up in my alerts and/or RSS recently. Two are downloads; one’’s an online guide.
1. Podcast: “Reality Check: Five Things You Should Know About SIP”
Start here if you”re unsure what SIP does/can do. Download the 8-minute podcast or listen to it on the page.
The five things are (in brief):
- SIP is more than just telephony;
- Trunking enables end-to-end IP (lots of applications);
- SIP is about Presence (remember what we”ve said about Presence?);
- The SIP Forum is available for reference;
- Mobile SIP is out there too.
2. White Paper: “The Benefits of Using a Demarcation Device When Integrating Legacy Voice, SIP Trunks and Microsoft OCS R2″
Published by NET, this white paper makes a thorough case for switching to SIP/OCS over PBX phones. Some of its examples include better voice quality, cost savings, & more efficient use of bandwidth.
The white paper’’s about using a demarcation device (their own product) to help integrate SIP. But don”t let that sway you; the reference material is great. It even shows a lot of the inherent complexities of an OCS-based phone system. (I think they went a bit overhead with that topic; our OCS implementations don”t usually get near that complex!).
Download the white paper at the UC Strategies Blog.
3. OCSPedia’’s “Step-by-Step Mediation Server Guide” Online Resource.
One of Mediation Server’’s primary functions is to translate SIP-over-TCP to SIP-over-TLS. In other words, if you want to call out with OCS? You need a Mediation Server in place to handle SIP.
OCSPedia.com has kindly written out a series of detailed instructions on installing/configuring Mediation Server. And several posts on what it does/how to make use of it.
OCSPedia.com Step-by-Step Mediation Server Guide
These days, SIP Trunking is an essential component of any serious VoIP system. Even major telco providers have SIP Trunking available now (for approved hardware of course; we keep a list). So read up!
Anything more to add on SIP? Post it in the comments, or email me.
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Avoid “The Choking Line” — Don”t Use Consumer-Grade Broadband Lines for VoIP
Filed under: OCS 2007, OCS 2007 R2, Voice over IP
The main difference between Voice over IP and POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service; your typical desk phones) is the fact that Voice over IP runs all of its connections through Internet lines. NOT phone lines.
Sometimes people forget this. So we remind them during initial meetings. You”ll need a high-speed line for good-quality VoIP conversations.
When we say this, their thoughts often switch to the most immediate Internet line solution: consumer broadband connections. Like through Comcast or AT&T.
“That”ll work for VoIP phones, right?”
Sigh.
Why Consumer-Grade Broadband Chokes VoIP
Most consumer broadband packages are measured in up/down speeds. Say 3MBps down/512Kbps up, for example. That stands for 3 megabits-per-second download, half a megabit-per-second upload. This is part of the problem. Phone conversations are two-way. People talking, people listening. If both upload and download speeds aren”t at least close? The conversation breaks up all over the place.
The major reason this occurs comes from VoIP’’s underlying technology. Voice over IP works by packet-switched telephony - digitizing your voice and sending it in separate packets through the Internet. Each packet takes its own route to the destination, where they”re reassembled back into voice.
Some people consider this a detriment to VoIP use. It isn”t really; the voice speed is comparable, and you gain other advantages from VoIP. Still, the speed needed for proper packet switching in a business environment can”t be found in DSL or basic cable. If you tried it, conversations will resemble traffic at rush hour with all its stops and starts.
Leave consumer-level broadband to Skype. If you run a business, you need a business-grade Internet line to handle VoIP.
What Kind of Internet Line is Needed for Business VoIP
For your standard office of 20 people or so, you”ll want a dedicated T1 line. Go higher - a couple T1s, a T3 or OC3 - if you”re dealing with multiple office locations and lots of employees.
P.S. - Don”t forget about SIP. SIP trunking connects your VoIP phones to the main POTS telephone network. Bridging the gap between packet switching and regular phone circuits. A good explanation of SIP trunking can be found at Siptrunk.org.
Which ISPs do you use/recommend for VoIP? Drop us a comment and let us know.
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Why Posts Have Been Slow: Using OCS During a Website Rework!
Filed under: Instant Messaging (IM), OCS 2007, OCS 2007 R2, Voice over IP
Yes, it’’s true - posting has been slow on the OCS Insider. I have a reason why though! In fact, that reason is the subject for today’’s post.
My company has been going full-speed-ahead on a new website version for the past few weeks. We”ve been planning it since March, and the timetable has now rolled right on top of us.
We”ve been using Telerik’’s Sitefinity CMS platform to build our new website. It’’s fantastic and a huge timesaver (Telerik’’s our partner; we recommend it to all new website clients). But porting over 200+ pages into a whole new layout with new content, new SEO and new Web services takes a while.
Of course we”ve been using our OCS setup to communicate through this. Without it, we wouldn”t be nearly this close to done.
OCS Has Come in Handy
HELPFUL INCIDENT #1 — Just yesterday, I emailed one of our programmers with a Telerik question. He called me (through OCS VoIP) right afterward to discuss my questions. Said, “It would be quicker for me to explain it this way.” And it was. He told me where to find the right code snippet in no time at all.
HELPFUL INCIDENT #2 — Last week our network connections went sideways for about half an hour. (Murphy’’s Law. Had to be.) We couldn”t see each other’’s Presence status, get email, log in, nothing.
Except we could still make VoIP calls.
I found this out by getting a call out of the blue. I blinked at it a couple times before clicking. But lo and behold, it actually worked! I”m not quite sure how - apparently the VoIP connection wasn”t as affected as the network. The issue was fixed and we went about our business.
HELPFUL INCIDENT #3 — We had a meeting 3 weeks ago to gear up for the final stages. Our boss shared her desktop to show us where the new tools would be displayed in the new layout. Anyone who’’s ever used VNC knows how fun it is to watch your screen highlight things on its own.
Add to these all the IM conversations, Presence reminders (”Working on Portfolio, don”t bug me”) etc., and OCS has played a huge role in getting us through this rework.
So Why Blog About It?
Merely as a real-world reminder of how handy OCS 2007 can be. Last year, before we began using it, I wouldn”t have even considered using IM in a business setting. I”d heard all the myths: “It’’s not secure!” “People will waste all day chatting!” And since I use IM at home, I figured that’’s where it belonged.
Nowadays, doing work without OCS” tools would take too long for my scrambling work schedule.
Pretty soon we”ll have a brand-new website up at www.planetmagpie.com for everyone to enjoy (and make use of). OCS helped!
A Little Clarification on the Term “OCS”
This blog is about Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007. I abbreviate that to “OCS” a lot of the time. As do many IT administrators, technicians, people in the industry, etc.
However, there’’s another meaning for “OCS” out there. And it’’s one I”ve received a few confused emails over.
“OCS” also stands for Officer Candidate School. It’’s the US military’’s officers” training facility in Quantico, VA. In fact, if you do a Google search for only “OCS” that’’s what comes up first. (Add “2007″ to that if you want to find Microsoft’’s OCS 2007 homepage.)
So there’’s some clarification, in case anyone else was confused. This blog is about the Microsoft communications software platform, not the military school. And next week we”ll be back with more!
