An App Store for OCS? Great Idea!

Recently The VAR Guy blog announced that an OCS app store was in the works. Not by Microsoft though - by Evangelyze Communications, an OCS channel partner (like us!).

(There's a nice write-up on No Jitter too. Eric asked some good questions.)

I find this idea very interesting. Honestly, I hadn't figured OCS as the type of platform for an app store. But as I think about what these posts have covered, it makes more sense. Let me explain what I'm thinking here.

As Companies Grow, Communication Needs Change

The larger a company grows, the more complex its communications needs become. Communications Server is quite flexible enough to handle more complexity (especially with OCS 2010 coming). But there's no shame in getting help. By building onto OCS, you can customize its setup toward more specific customer needs.

We've done that ourselves with the Dialogic VoIP gateway. No reason someone can't do it with apps in an app store.

Say one company needs video conferencing between interstate offices. Another doesn't care about conferencing, but wants VoIP on all their phones. Two different priorities. Two different OCS setups. Perfect opportunity for custom developers.

Advantages of an OCS App Store to Developers

A Showcase
Enterprise-level apps aren't always easy to market. (Not to mention custom development services!) You're mostly marketing direct to companies, without always knowing where they are in their buying cycle. Your marketing could arrive too early - or too late.

Contrast that with a profile in an app store. Then the customers come find you when it's time to buy. All you have to do then is make sure you have a solid product, and you deliver content that addresses their communications needs.

IP Security
Safety of your intellectual property, that is. Since this would be run by a Microsoft partner and not Microsoft itself, Evangelyze has a vested interest in keeping such a store buttoned down and protected. (I'm sure Microsoft will help at some point too.)

Project Focus
You can focus on one endpoint (Polycom desk phones, smartphones, laptops/netbooks) instead of trying to develop a big huge solution for everyone. The customers who want apps for that endpoint will come find you. We already see this kind of specialization in the Apple store.

Some OCS App Ideas

I'm throwing out some ideas for apps here, off the top of my head. If you want to use one (or you're already working on the same idea), email me.

1. Social media inter-communication. Plug in Facebook Chat and Twitter.
   • A LinkedIn chat module? Maybe create an app that bridges two (or more) LI profiles via OCS IM, letting them chat in real-time after connecting? You could even leapfrog LinkedIn development here.
2. Office Communicator versions for all smartphones. Maybe a wrapper for the Communicator client, or a duplicate (better?) app for each interface - Droid, Blackberry, iPhone/iPod, etc.
3. Video Conferencing add-ons.
4. Remote server access. Maybe turn OCS into a command prompt for Telnet or SSH?
5. Translation. Auto-translate Instant Messages into a different language, and back again.
6. Software Gateway. Hey, might as well aim high. I'm sure this is possible. Someone's already working on it, I'll bet.

Call me crazy, but I like the idea of a channel partner building an OCS app store. They have a different perspective from the team who made OCS. And it's also different from developers who'll be working on custom apps for OCS. That sort of “midway” perspective should translate to a platform everybody can take advantage of for better communications technology.

What do you think? What kind of apps would you like to see in an OCS app store? Shoot me a comment; let's talk about it.

OCS 2007 R2 Now VS. OCS 2010 Later: What's the Plan?

(Sorry about the delay on this post. WordPress didn't want to cooperate last week, and I didn't have the time to fight with it.)

A few days ago we were asked a question. This question, I felt, deserved its own post. Because it brings up a very important OCS version point.

“Should we upgrade now, or wait for OCS 2010?”

In this case “upgrade” referred to the fact that this client had no present OCS system. The choice was between putting in a brand new OCS 2007 R2 system, or waiting a few months for the upcoming release of OCS 2010.

What Do You Need from OCS Now? Later?

This question comes down to two concerns: present need and future planning. What communications tools do you need? And how far in the future do you want to (or typically) plan?

These questions can help determine which is best. Upgrading to OCS 2007 R2 now, or waiting until the end of this year when OCS 2010 arrives. I'll address both while comparing the advantages of each approach below.

A couple things to keep in mind while we consider:

• Voice is a big upgrade issue.

• So is cost.
• Planning time is always dependent on how big an organization is.

Advantages in Upgrading Now

1. You'll get a jump on preparation. It takes time to survey and prepare.
   • You'll need an inventory of the user pool, and what they want.

   • You'll need to decide which services you want to use (VoIP or no, which servers are needed).
   • You'll need to decide what architecture to use (all local, all hosted, virtual?).
   • And you'll need to add necessary server hardware. (Or go with a hosted option, of course.)

   Deciding to start an OCS 2007 R2 implementation plan now gives you an option. Do we spread it out over a couple months? Or take a week and get it all done? The choice is yours.

2. “OCS 2007 now, OCS 2010 later” is NOT mandatory. You don't have to upgrade again (at least not right away) if your new OCS 2007 R2 system works for you.
3. An OCS 2007 R2 system removes the need for (and cost of) third-party conferencing solutions.

Advantages in Waiting for OCS 2010

1. It's intended to replace the PBX. OCS 2007 R2 can replace a PBX, but it requires some add-ons (ex., media gateway). OCS 2010 however is intended as a full PBX replacement.

2. Fewer servers needed. As I pointed out the other day, OCS 2010 will run on fewer physical servers than 2007 R2.
3. Even more prep time. If you have a larger organization, it will (obviously) take longer to prepare for a major communications change than it would a small business. Especially since you'll be moving people over to OCS, not just technology. Fortunately, you still have plenty of time to ease in.

Based on all this and the two questions I mentioned earlier, this is what I recommend:

If you intend to move to VoIP, plan for transitioning to OCS 2010.

If you're already using VoIP or don't want to use it, implement OCS 2007 R2 now.

What's your plan? Which OCS version are you moving toward?

A Basic Plan for Unified Communications User Adoption

Last week I said I'd go into more detail about UC user adoption. In keeping with that, I thought I'd write out an adoption plan from some of our OCS/Exchange deployments.

As you probably know by now, user adoption is the other half of a successful server installation. It’’s one thing to get new systems up & running. And another thing entirely to convince/persuade/poke people into using them.

One way to push user adoption is, as I mentioned last time, to take away the users' existing option. I discuss this in Step 6 below. But if you do that, you have to give them something else. (It's kind of required.) That's what the rest of this plan is for.

Note: Technical specifications on implementing UC components (Exchange 2010, OCS 2007) will not be included here due to their length. Full implementation processes can be found in the following Microsoft resources.
Deploying Exchange Exchange Server 2010: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd351084.aspx
Deploying Office Communications Server 2007 R2: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd425168(office.13).aspx

Step 1 - Sketch out implementation plan.

Essentially, “plan out Steps 2-6 ahead of time.” Also, consider file transfer times. Factor out any offline time needed to build the new UC servers. Check on the Web for any possible hardware issues before and during implementation.

Step 2 - Determine a Switchover Point. Announce it.

Send 2 emails and make an internal communications post (forum, intranet, whatever you use). Announce a point at which the company will switch to Unified Communications. Make this unavoidable. (Someone WILL claim they didn't hear about it when it's too late.) Provide a brief how-to and benefits statement, so they know they're getting something good out of it.

Step 3 - Implement UC technology at server-level.

Self-explanatory. Refer to the above URLs for documentation.

Step 4 - Invite a group of users to test it.

Deploy all UC tools to a select group of people who are technically savvy. Preferably people from multiple departments and/or branch offices. Having them test for system errors accomplishes two things.
One, it tests the UC technology in real-time from different physical locations.
Two, testing creates a small group of advocates within the organization. (Make sure to tell the group ahead of time that people may ask them for assistance during adoption. And get their OK.)

Step 5 - Furnish all users with a training kit.

Instruct them to familiarize themselves with the new UC interface. Here's an OCS 2007 R2 Adoption and Training Kit from Microsoft. You'll probably want to add information about your organization's specific setup to this too.

Step 6 - Evaluate alternatives.

I refer to two things here when I say “alternatives.” One is your existing communication options. Which of these options should you phase out? When should you do it?

The following can usually be phased out following Unified Communications implementation:

• Non-OCS desktop phones
• Third-party IM clients
• Fax machines
• Voicemail systems
• Third-party conferencing solutions

Two is Communicator Web Access (CWA). Will you need to implement CWA? I would say yes, as it makes a good backup when someone can't access their own system or is having trouble connecting with Office Communicator. CWA should be in place at switchover.

Step 7 - Remind users of Switchover Point.

Email all users again. Make it a short interval - 7 days, for example. Mention your advocates as people to ask if someone has a quick question. (This way people don't all hound one person–namely you.)

Step 8 - Switch Over to UC!

On the appointed day…
–Deploy the Unified Communications technology for all users.
–Deactivate the communication options being phased out. See previous post.

And prepare for the inevitable grumbling that comes with change.

Have you used a user adoption plan like this? Planning to use this one in future UC upgrades? Please let a comment and let us know. Same if there's something you think should be added here. I have an Edit button and everything.

Is Lack of User Adoption Hampering Your UC Plans?

How familiar is this little IM scenario to you?

Bob's IM: Hey Frank, do you have the project specs ready yet?
Frank's IM: yeah, busy right now can I send it later?
Bob's IM: Sorry Frank, your Presence didn't say you were busy. Later's fine.
Frank's IM: ok
(Frank's Presence status doesn't change at all for the next week. Bob gets his specs the next day.)

What's the problem here? User adoption. Or lack thereof. In this case, lack of adoption of OCS' Presence tool.

One of the biggest hurdles in Unified Communications is getting users to start using it. People “don't have time” or “aren't used to it” (how are you supposed to get used to something if you never use it?).

Why We're Nervous About Switching to Unified Communications

There's a simple reason why people don't want to switch to new technology like UC - we're afraid.

Oh, not of UC itself. It doesn't bite. It's just another manifestation of the human fear of change.

Nothing wrong with that. (Fear of change evolved for very good reasons at the time!) But it does get in the way of adopting newer technologies like Office Communicator or Exchange 2010.

Unified Communications contains new ways for users to communicate among themselves (and with customers). Disrupting the long-standing order of Phone and Email? People are bound to hesitate.

Someone will have to push the office to switch.

If you're the sysadmin or IT manager…that's you. (Sorry.)

Two Ways to Spur Adoption

Make it Dead Simple
Offer a training course. Mandatory.

Provide reference material. (The Unified Communications Strategies blog has solid UC material.)

Indicate what aspects of Unified Communications should be used for which activities. For example, all internal phone calls will be done through Office Communicator. Any non-critical project discussions should use IMs. And so on. Write up the complete list and post it someplace everyone will see it.

Remove Alternatives
Schedule the “old system” for deactivation at some point in the future (say 30-60 days from UC implementation). Now this may not always work - in some cases, the “old system” is the phone!

If adoption is the goal however, you may not have a choice. You'll have to make it difficult for people to use anything except the UC channels.

Remove any old phones. Make a big announcement that everyone will use Unified Communications channels from now on. Change company cellphone plans if necessary.

People will grumble and complain about it for a few days, maybe weeks. But they'll adapt.

I think I'll go into more detail on these next week. In the meantime, how have you spurred user adoption of a new product or technology? Share your story in the comments.

How Will OCS 2010 Fit into the Cloud

I spent yesterday at the Web 2.0 Expo. (It's still going on, go see!) While there I talked with reps from Microsoft, IBM, Cisco, O”Reilly Media, a new TLD (.CO), and several different cloud-based software companies.

It gave me a lot of information on where the IT industry is going in the next few years.

As far as anybody knows, the coming business trends will look like this:

1. More competition in the social media space.
2. Social apps becoming social business platforms.
3. Cloud computing becoming an integral part of business operations and offered products.
4. Software-as-a-Service growing into Platform-as-a-Service at all levels of business.
5. Mobile already on its way to becoming a central piece in marketing strategy.
6. Touch interfaces becoming commonplace.

And I thought, where does OCS fit into all this?

I brainstormed on this a bit on the BART ride back. Somewhere in the tunnel I thought of using the new OCS 2010 for an Exhibit A.

Competition? What Competition?

Now, the big thing with OCS 2010 is that it's intended to act as a completely Voice-over-IP replacement to PBX phone systems. Given that every business uses phones , there's clearly a need. But how many companies are responding to it?

Here's the really interesting part. At the Web 2.0 Expo, I only found TWO companies offering a voice over IP solution: MangoSpring and babyTEL. babyTEL's solution is for Web applications like Facebook. So it's complementary to OCS, not a competitor. (And I'm not sure about MangoSpring.)

Is OCS 2010 the Voice Option for Platform-as-a-Service?

OCS 2010 is coming into Web 2.0/3.0/whatever-version-it-is-now as the vanguard of a potentially-huge trend: VoIP in the cloud. (Yes, it can run as a managed service just as easily as local.)

So let's look at those trends again. More competition means more communication. Social business platforms will need voice. Cloud-based VoIP? Check.

And for the last point: the new Windows Phone works with OCS via Office Communicator Mobile. So mobiles are covered too.

It looks like OCS 2010 fits in pretty well with the IT industry of tomorrow. In fact, I think it'll be the centerpiece for business communication in the coming years.

What are your thoughts on the Web 2.0 Expo? On OCS 2010? Leave a comment, let us know.

OCS 2010 Gaining Industry and Media Attention

There's been a spate of news lately surrounding the recent VoiceCon unveiling of “Communications Server 14.” That's the development name for Office Communications Server 2010, the next version of Microsoft's OCS. I've collected some links below to illustrate what's being talked about.

Microsoft OCS Update Promises to Replace PBX - NetworkWorld. Discusses Communications Server 14's announcement at VoiceCon 2010 in Orlando. Mentions 14's most anticipated feature: the ability to replace the PBX as a primary voice communications system. It makes an important point about Microsoft's OCS strategy: they aren't manufacturing hardware for use with OCS (phones, VoIP gateways, etc.). They've just put forth required standards for manufacturers to meet.

Screen Shots: What's New in Microsoft OCS 14? - ZDNet. ZDNet's gone one further on this, providing a series of screenshots of the new OCS 14. Some of them depict tools currently available in OCS 2007 (like the Dial Pad and Presence status) but others are new. Notifications of voice mails waiting for you showing up in Communicator, for one. Choose which audio device you want to talk with (Bluetooth headset anyone?), for two. ZDNet's Mary-Jo Foley also posted a reaction to the OCS 2010 announcement.

Microsoft Office Communications Server: Reaching Critical Mass? - MSPMentor. This article points to a very important issue in unified communications - the question of hosted vs. on-site communication services. Which will win out in the market? What will the MSPs favor? (We like both here.)
Both Microsoft and Cisco are feuding over this space right now, so it's hard to say. But this is good information for those connected with Unified Communications in some form or another.

Time to Toss the PBX: Microsoft Unveils Office Communications Server '14' at VoiceCon - TMCNet. This last blog post goes into more detail on Microsoft CVP of Unified Communications Gurdeep Singh Pall's statements about moving “past” the PBX to OCS 2010. The notion is a bit ahead of the game; we're still very much in transition phase. But at least he's enthusiastic!
The author, Patrick Bernard, did mention something really interesting too - a software app that links up IP phones to OCS. AudioCodes is releasing SIP Phones Support (SPS) for Microsoft Unified Communications in July. Definitely a helpful step to moving more companies toward OCS.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft business technology OCS 2007 OCS 2010 Communications Server 14

Top 3 Questions People Ask Us Re: Voice Over IP

For my third & final post regarding Top 3 Questions (related to OCS naturally), I”m putting up the questions we get on VoIP.

I should point out that we field a lot of questions on all these topics. OCS is a popular technology, and growing. We”re expecting 2010 to show an even bigger jump - mostly due to the cost savings clients get over PBX phone systems. Voice over IP makes for an appealing low-cost alternative.

However, the questions we get on VoIP itself usually veer toward the negative. I think it’’s because of old perceptions about the technology (from when it was first introduced) that still linger. Doesn”t worry us; every new technology had its initial troubles. If you”ve called us in the past year, then we”ve spoken via VoIP. Couldn”t tell the difference, could you?

Anyway, here are the Top 3 questions we get, and the answers we give.

1. If your network goes down, doesn”t VoIP go down too?
This one’’s repeated to us all the time. Verbatim. I think it’’s a leftover catchphrase from a telecom guy trying to stifle competition. For the most part it’’s true - if your VoIP runs through the same Internet lines as your network, it can go down if you lose your Internet. However, by using a dedicated line (as many of our OCS clients do), you avoid this problem.

2. I”ve heard this (VoIP) breaks up on you all the time. Is that true?
Not “all the time,” no. Every phone call runs the risk of breaking up when certain conditions are met - you”re driving, you”re in a tunnel, the weather changes, a hiccup on the phone network (it happens all the time)…
This arises because of the packet-transfer method VoIP employs to send voices. If packets get lost along the way, the person you”re talking to could lose a word here and there. However, VoIP these days builds in packet redundancy to avoid this exact issue.

3. Is it true you can”t make emergency calls?
Yes and no. 911′’s still a viable number. I think the concern here isn”t making the call, it’’s getting the full use of it. I”ll explain.
Because it’’s not on the phone network, emergency personnel may have difficulty tracing your location via VoIP like they do with regular phone calls. A very legitimate concern. That’’s being dealt with by hardware developers; soon it won”t be an issue. In the meantime, we recommend keeping a cellphone available in case of emergency.

Any more OCS/VoIP/related questions you”d like us to tackle? Leave a comment or email me.

Next week we”ll have a quick cautionary article about Presence, and then a holiday break. Hope your shopping’’s all done!

Technorati Tags:MicrosoftbusinesstechnologyOCS 2007VoIPVoice over IP

More Companies Joining the VoIP/Unified Communications Market: Is This Good for OCS Users?

I received two interesting articles in this morning’’s Google Alerts for “Unified Communications.” (Got to stay informed!) What was interesting was that both articles discussed UC services others than Microsoft’’s. Both represent different ways to introduce the Unified Communications idea to businesses.

Both could also pose a problem to the whole Unified Communications/VoIP market.

The first article is: Skype Taps ShoreTel for Skype-to-SIP UC

Skype for SIP allows businesses to receive incoming calls from Skype users via SIP-enabled UC systems. ShoreTel customers can also make outgoing calls from their ShoreTel UC systems to other phones at Skype rates (very cheap).

The second is: Avaya Positioned in “Leader Quadrant” for Unified Communications by Gartner Inc.

Avaya’’s Aura is a UC package that interoperates with legacy communication systems like PBX. Much like OCS, it offers presence, IM, and SIP-based calling. It even works with Microsoft Office Communicator if you like.

What’’s Good About These Offerings

First off, it’’s competition in the Unified Communications market. Competition (even indirect competition) helps spur product improvement. Business users get better pricing, and more options.

Second, Skype for SIP makes for an interesting bridge between corporate Unified Communications and Skype. Skype, while mostly a consumer-level service, is popular for cheap international calls. This new offering could provide businesses a cheap-and-easy way to make those calls from now on.

What Problems These Offerings Could Cause

The UC market will get more confusing. With more and more UC services (some picking & choosing what they”ll offer) customers are left unsure of what they”ll get. That uncertainty will carry over onto other products, like OCS. When you don”t know if you”ll get what you need, you tend not to try.

Issues of security and scale crop up too. I”m sure Skype will take every precaution they can to protect business communications through their network. But the fact that Skype originated in the consumer arena (and most of its users are still consumers) will call their security effectiveness into question.

The consumer base raises questions about the very future of Skype, in fact. Will Skype make a further push into the business arena than this? Or is it just an add-on to nab business users? The latter may be true, according to comments on the topic. SkypeJournal.com actually decried the new Skype-to-SIP offering as “abandoning Skype’’s central tenets”!

So, IS This Good for OCS?

Actually, I think so. There’’s some competition (mostly from Avaya), but that can improve things for everyone. OCS 2007 also presents a very unified Unified Communications solution (if you”ll pardon my repetition there).

The best products aren”t necessarily the ones who are there first. They”re the products who are there to last. And with OCS 2010 on the horizon, this one’’s sticking around.

Technorati Tags:businessMicrosofttechnologyTechnologynewsOCS 2007 R2Office communications serverUnified CommunicationsSIPVoIP

How Do You Determine the ROI of an OCS Setup?

Using Office Communications Server 2007 in a business does have a lot of advantages, some of which I”ve covered in this blog so far. But what if you”re dealing with a numbers guy, someone who constantly repeats phrases like, “Bottom line,” “maximize profits” and “ROI?”

How do you please a hardcore-numbers manager/CFO when it comes to OCS? They”ll want to know lots of specifics. And you can be sure the question of ROI will come up. “What’’s the return on investment here?” they”ll probably bellow, pounding a fist into the desk hard enough to rattle their pen cup. “How do we know we”re getting a good value from this software?”

It’’s a fair question. So let’’s see about answering it!

What Kind of ROI Should We Expect from OCS?
I”ve talked about replacing PBX with a VoIP setup in OCS before. In terms of direct expense, that’’s the biggest ROI for OCS 2007 in terms of cash–you don”t need a PBX if you use OCS VoIP. Other related services (voicemail extras, additional phone/data lines, third-party conferencing software) also add up to monthly cost savings.

Sometimes companies buy OCS for the VoIP capability, or the conferencing capability. The fact that they get all the other services - instant messaging, presence, email plug-ins - is icing on the cake to them. However, I”d say this is another form of ROI too. Several clients found that as they began using these additional communications methods, the more valuable they became. (So did we, in fact.)

ROI of Time Savings
But a better way to look at ROI for OCS 2007 is in productivity. This is harder, maybe impossible to give numbers for. But you can illustrate it by showing what its benefits will lead to. For example.

1. Conferencing Anyone Can Start. Leads to: Live records of who said what, fewer project mistakes due to clearer directions.
2. Mobile information Sharing. Leads to: Fewer bottlenecks/delayed deadlines.
3. Quicker, Easier Inter-office Conversations. Leads to: Faster turnaround on projects.

So, What DO We Tell the Numbers Guy?
Tell him you”ll save an estimated X each month on not paying for a PBX, conferencing systems and extra lines. Tell him employees will be able to complete projects more easily, resulting in pleased customers & more repeat sales. Tell him OCS 2007 even has hosted & virtual options, if he wants to stick to flat rates.

It’’s not a strict-dollars-and-sense type of ROI measurement. But it’’s a great way to demonstrate that the office would get value from OCS 2007.

Technorati Tags:businessMicrosofttechnologyocsOCS 2007 R2Office communications server

Australian Credit Union (with 155K Members) Deploys a Unified Communications Call Center

I find the reasons for this credit union’’s UC deployment really interesting:

Teachers Credit Union Mitigates Risk with New UC Call Centre Deployment - CIO Magazine AU

Notice that Colin Thomas, the IT manager, talks a lot about mitigating risk/disaster recovery. Secondary servers in place, failover branch gateways, Web authentication…they”re using Unified Communications to not only to communicate with their membership. But to plan against problems too.

It’’s not hard to see why. They have a membership of 155,000 people! I”d want backups in place too, just in case anything went wrong.

I bring this up here because I like the seriousness with which this credit union approached Unified Communications. OCS 2007 had some early stability issues, which have been since corrected. However, first impressions carry…and the ”unreliable” keyword got stuck onto the application.

This is one example that shows OCS, and the Unified Communications platform it exemplifies, can be relied upon. Yes, they”ve added in backups. Any prudent IT manager should for their important systems. This obviously qualifies.

Mr. Thomas was even thorough enough in his quotes to give some basic examples of backup procedures to use. If you”re curious about ways to build failovers into an OCS-based communications system, there’’s some tips in the article.

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