Direct SIP to Cisco Unified Communications Manager 7.0(1) Simultaneous Ring Feature

Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007
Enterprise Edition using Direct SIP to Cisco Unified
Communications Manager 7.0(1) Simultaneous Ring
Feature.

Here is the guideline how to: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/collateral/ns340/ns414/ns728/ns784/716742.pdf

I don't think that Dual forking (Simultaneous ring) is a good solution, because you don't get "in a call" status in Communicator when using the phone, only when using the Communicator as endpoint you change status to "in a call".

If you use Dual forking and Remote Call Control you will have "in a call" status even when you are using the phone. it's only Nortel that supports Dual forking and Remote Call Control right now.

If you need to understand all the different way to connect to your phone system, please look at Jochen Kunert's blog: http://blogs.technet.com/jkunert/archive/2008/07/30/voice-scenarios-with-ocs-2007.aspx

Here is the Supported IP-PBXs for Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 link :http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/bb735838.aspx#ippbx2

Devices for your OCS deployment

• 
  I think that one of the most important factors on getting success in rolling out OCS as your primary voice plat form in the business is to choice the right device for your users.
• 
  First of all it must be plug and play, I don’t only mean that it should be drivers less but also it must be trimmed with the right microphone and speaker volume pr. default, by that 80-95% of your users don’t have to configure their new audio device, it’s really just plug and play.
  
• And then there is the choice of type device, wired or not wired.
  
• Everybody wants wireless and the “hip VIPs” people what’s just a little era plug inn.
  USB wired headset will work every time you plug it in the laptop, you can travel with it, and if you choice stereo headset it can be used music and webcast as well.
  
• Stereo headset is perfect for long live meetings, the chance for interrupting sounds and noise are minimum, (yes you look like a “nerd” with that type of headset on J)
  
• Wireless headsets are perfect for the user only working from their desktop, and have an everyday desk. (But remember to plug the headset in to the dock or it will run out of battery just when you need it) and the dock solution isn’t that useful when traveling.
  
• The device must have a pickup button especially for heavy phone users, and if your get an incoming phone call and aren’t login. Don’t go the Skype way, your buy a low price headset and say “that’s good enough for my users” because I need to keep my investment founding low, this will never be a success and your TCO will be bad by running down that road, because your support cost will grow due to that decision.
  
• Are you implementing Nortel Convergence Office with Dual forking and Remote Call Control (In Convergence Office solution it’s up to user what device that they will use, Normal phone or Communicator) A good device could be the GN 9350 this device is a “dual” device that can be used for Communicator and the “old” phone at the same time, this lower the cost and could be a way to moving your users from using the old phone “like they always do” to using Communicator as their primary “phone”. And if they should use Web conferencing with Audio, they need a good headset.
  
• For users that are VERY glad for the PHONE, you know a handset you can “smack” on when you have ended a very bad phone call J you could choice the Catalina (from Nortel=IP8501 and from Polycom=CX200) this is a phone just without the number pad, and in the back it is possibly to plug some of the old headset with the RJ4 plug, my experience is that the sound in the old headset plugged in, wasn’t the best.
  
• Someone was comparing Catalina and Tanjay with a B&O design,……….. hmmmm I come from B&O’s home country…….. And it’s NOT B&O design, maybe a “wannerbe” but not for real.
  
• My conclusions don’t keep the investment down by choosing low end devices for your OCS deployment, and this could be the biggest investment in the OCS budget, but that’s the case in any IPT solution you choice.
  
• Test a lot of devices and find 2-3 that are perfect and not to advanced and they must be “real plug and play” if you find devices that aren’t that support costly the broader range of device you can give you users to choice from without it will influence on your TCO.
  
• Find devices optimized for Microsoft Office communicator here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/ocs/bb970310.aspx
  
• In my daily work I "OCSrun" on Nortel CS100 Rel 5.5 with GN 2000 as my traveling device and GN 9330 at my office, (yes I have two devices that because I am a OCS Nord J actually I have more but I primary use those ) btw: I love my GN 2000 it works every time and it never run out of battery .
  
• I have tested a lot of the Microsoft OC ready devices Tanjay, Catalina; CX100, Roundtable unfortunately not any Plantronics devices because they didn’t exists at the OCS 2007 TAP time zone, over all devices optimized for Microsoft Office communicator are working very well when used in the right way/place.

OCS R2 and SIP Trunking is one way to do it.

I found this slideshow from by Russell Bennett.
I think that SIP Trunking from Service Providers could be very interesting, especially for small companies but also for Enterprises when OCS gets more and more PBX functionality (maybe OCS R2)

OCS 2007 and Windows 2008 Domain controller

Out in the real world, I was again reminded that OCS 2007 BPA can help you when you run in to problems.
I was deactivating a Mediation server but that wasn’t the biggest success I had doing that. I jumped to installing the new Mediation server, but after first step I couldn’t activate the Mediation server.
Now it was time for OCS 2007 BPA to help me, and in the report there was a hint “Windows 2008 server” but unfortunately the link to solve the problem wasn’t that helpful, so I found this solution on goog....... no I mean live.com… I hope my Microsoft contact doesn’t read this:
*****
The Office Communications Server 2007 can be deployed in a domain having Windows Server 2008 as a Domain Controller and its a normal deployment.

But if you already have an Office Communications Server 2007 setup running in a Windows Server 2003 forest, then you need to prepare your forest once again if you add any Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller (First time). Otherwise Office Communications Server 2007 will not work correctly; some UI elements will disappear, and you will be unable to add more Office Communication Server servers or pools. To resolve this issue, you need to prepare your forest once again for Office Communications Server 2007. You can either use Office Communications Server 2007 deployment wizard or simply reissue one command after the installation of Windows Server 2008, as follows:
LcsCmd.exe /forest /action:ForestPrep

Source for the solution: http://www.ocspedia.com/Misc/Win2k8OCS2k7.htm
**********
Conclusion: use the OCS 2007 BPA if you run in to problems it might help, and yes it’s a great tool, but still room for improvement.

BTW: after the ForestPrep I could also deactivate the old Mediation server.

Remember to select the right audio device for OCS

I have over time been an advocate of buying the correct audio device for Communicator. My feeling has always been that it is very important to choose the right device, in addition to support cost if it is not plug and play.The audio experience is important, therefore, I have tried some audio devices. my farvorit audio device is GN 2000 USB, for several reasons, first of all it does not run out of power at the most inconvenient times. Then there are the sounds in both ears, and it perfectly with my laptop.

The sound device I use at the office is a GN 9330 and the sound is quite good, but those at the other end to the conversation say there is much echo. I can make it disappear by turning down the volume, but then failing to, I can't hear what is being said

So this is not an advertisement for the GN, in fact, data from our internal OCS QoE server actually said that GN 2000 USB is the winner ;)

do you have a winner ?

Microsoft Certified Master: Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007

Microsoft Certified Master: Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007

to becom Microsoft Certified Master: Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007You take the following exams:

Exam 70-638: TS: Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, Configuring
and
•
Exam 088-924: Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 – Unified Communication Voice Specialization (available fall 2008)
and
•
Exam 70-294: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure
or
Exam 70-640: MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuration
and
•
Exam 70-297: Designing a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure
or
Exam 70-642: MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring

See Microsofts website for more information: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/master/OCS/default.mspx

Prepare for OCS R2: QFE required for interop with OC 2007 R2

Get ready for OCS R2 install the October 2008 Update for Communicator for all your existing OCS 2007 users.

see the blog-post by Tom Laciano - Sr. Program Manager
http://communicationsserverteam.com/archive/2008/11/04/320.aspx

Btw: Communicator client update should be possibly from OCS R2 server, thats a very nice feature.

Contact with non US characters are Invisible in Communicator

If you have Outlook contacts with mail address with non US characters, then they can not be found when you do a search in Communicator.

characters like æ-ø-å Æ-Ø-Å søren@test.com

This must be a bug

OCS R2 V.next platform (Paris) video from PDC2008

Here is a demo video on all the new stuff' in the OC API 2.0 ->
http://channel9.msdn.com/pdc2008/BB09/

http://channel9.msdn.com/pdc2008/BB45/

4 good user training videos (Demo) for Communicator

if the user is completely new in the use of Communicator is here 4 videos that explain the basic features in Communicator

http://www.microsoft.com/video/en/us/details/00f6b40c-b2ed-4031-8059-0a73661ad824

OCS R2 dial-in conference is the bussines case

I have calculated some of the savings that a company in Denmark could save by introducing OCS R2 dial-in conference.
A company with 500 employees where all hold at least 2 phone meeting each month, approximately. 30 min per meeting.
In Denmark a cheap phone meeting service is around. 1.85kr per. minutes

Per year, this company use 360,000 minutes on conference calls = 660.000kr ~100,000 euro ~ 100.000$ . If the company uses OCS R2 dial-in instead and although they all call through mobile telephone as in Denmark costs about 1kr per minute then the saving is 300,000kr ~ 50,000 euro ~50.000$.

I know this is "round" numbers, but I am quite sure that OCS R2 Dial-in can pay a big part the implementation costs of OCS R2 in many companies.

New OCS R2 videos

This video is showing the mobile client:
http://mschnlnine.vo.llnwd.net/d1/edge/3/0/0/2/ocsavi_edge.wmv

Note that the prensence stat dosen't change to "in a call" ....... let's hope that this is a Bug ;) .....but I think that might be a limitation because of technical dependencies on the mobile network.
On some Mobile networks you aren't able to be online and talk on the phone at the same time, thereby it's not possibly to set the prensence stat to "in a call".

This video is about the managment console.
http://mschnlnine.vo.llnwd.net/d1/edge/4/0/0/2/ocsanand_edge.wmv


John Weston just love OCS :) see the video "A day in the life of UC, my laptop is my phone"

John Weston demos for the Dallas Chapter of AITP(Association for IT Professionals). This time he shows them how his laptop is his phone. How UC brings together both the computer and phone networks.
http://mschnlnine.vo.llnwd.net/d1/edge/8/1/9/1/AITPUC_edge.wmv