Lync Online and On-Premises

Lync Online services deliver presence, instant messaging (IM), and Web conferencing capabilities of Lync Server 2010. Shown here are the capabilities of the Lync Online multitenant service in Office 365, the Lync Online dedicated service (in which Microsoft hosts Lync Server on hardware dedicated to an individual customer), and the Lync Server 2010 software installed on-premises. (Many Microsoft documents refer to the Lync Online multitenant service as “Lync Online.”)

Compared to the Lync Online multitenant service, the dedicated service is missing some capabilities, such as integration with audio conferencing partners for dial-in conferencing. These functions are available in the separate Live Meeting Web conferencing service, which many customers license with Lync Online dedicated.

The Lync Online dedicated service also offers some options that are missing from the multitenant service. For example, in some countries Lync Online dedicated customers who also have Exchange Online dedicated can set up a voice service that offers Exchange voice mail and connectivity to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). (The service requires a separate contract with a Microsoft carrier partner such as Global Crossing.) The Lync Online dedicated service also supports Apple Macintosh computers and integration with IBM Lotus Sametime systems.