External Nonemployee Users Accessing Lync Server

Employees within an organization will likely want to use a Lync Server system to collaborate with external nonemployee users. As with Communications Server 2007 R2, in most cases external users can participate in instant messaging (IM), web conferences, voice calls, or other modes of communication that involve the organization’s Lync Server without triggering the need for any additional Lync Server client or server licenses.

For example, no special Lync Server licenses are required to allow external users to make voice calls to or receive voice calls from a Lync Server-powered voice system. And any external user can participate in a web conference hosted by the organization—even in the capacity of presenter—without any special Lync Server licensing as long as they don’t have a Lync Server “account”; in other words, an entry in the organization’s Active Directory. These users’ identities are verified through the meeting or conference key, or by a federated partner’s directory system, rather than by the organization’s own Active Directory.