Lync 2013 to Enhance Conferencing and Video

Conferencing and video will get notable improvements in the 2013 versions of the Lync product line. Lync, Lync Server, and the Lync Online Microsoft-hosted service offer unified communications, including presence, instant messaging, conferencing, and telephony. The conferencing improvements will extend the reach of Lync to more client devices, while video enhancements will offer higher resolution, more simultaneous video feeds, and (potentially) a wider choice of hardware. However, some improvements will require deployments of new types of supporting servers in Lync installations, and current 2013 preview versions do not deliver some planned conferencing and video improvements for mobile devices.

Conferencing and Video Focus in 2013 Products

End users will probably notice the conferencing improvements most among the changes coming in Lync 2013 products, particularly in conferences that include video.

Lync conferences are multiparty computer communication sessions, similar to those offered by competitive services such as Cisco WebEx and Citrix GoToMeeting. Lync conferences commonly include synchronized PowerPoint presentations and audio that is either streamed over the network or provided by a separate, coordinated telephone conference call. However, Lync conferences can also include video, application sharing, and other modes of communication among participants. The Lync Server software on-premises can host conferences for participants both inside and outside a company, and Microsoft also offers Lync Online conference hosting as part of its Office 365 subscription services. For many capabilities (such as starting a conference ad hoc), users require the Lync client software, available for Windows and Mac computers. However, users invited to a Lync conference can attend with the Lync Web App browser-based interface or (in the current version) with the free Lync Attendee client application for Windows.