Lync Online Configuration and Migration Options

Organizations deploying Lync Online have a number of options available when considering adoption of the service, including deployment of Lync Online exclusively, hybrid deployment that supports coexistence with Lync on-premises, and a hosted dedicated configuration. The hybrid configuration enables organizations to maintain control of users on-premises or perform a wholesale migration to Lync Online in a more controlled manner. However, each configuration option involves trade-offs in functionality and control, which may not be acceptable for some organizations.

Lync Online Exclusively

A Lync Online exclusive deployment is where an existing Lync Server on-premises or third-party hosted environment migrates completely to Lync Online, or an organization that currently has no Lync capabilities deploys all users to Lync Online. Typically, organizations that deploy all users to Lync Online are also deploying Exchange Online and possibly SharePoint Online, all under Office 365 plans.

In general, it’s best to deploy Lync, either on-premises or Online, to match the location of Exchange and SharePoint deployments. This approach helps with synchronization, data sharing, and overall management of the services. A mix-and-match approach of some Online and some on-premises services generally results in loss of functionality from one or more of the services and a more complex management process compared to deploying them in the same environment.