Hosted Pilot for Microsoft Unified Communications – Setup

Hi,

As promised here is more info about the new hosted pilot for UC from Microsoft.

On clicking the register link, some basic info is required, but all relatively simple stuff, like number of PCs, company name and phone number.

Having filled the form your account is created and then you are prompted to add other users. At this point I created one for my wife too!

Next you are redirected to the resources page – http://www.microsoft.com/uc/en/us/try-it.aspx

The relevant section is towards the bottom of the page and gives a link to a Silverlight based app which shows various mini videos outlining key features and functionality.

This information is actually pretty good! It is a reasonably clear and easy guide to the key elements of Unified Communications according to Microsoft!

So having got this far, the next step is to get the Microsoft Office Communicator client installed on a few machines, for this purpose the confirmation/information mail points you to the evaluation version of MOC here – http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=535637af-d92f-41b1-bf0c-54a526a88247&displaylang=en

Once MOC is installed update it with the latest MOC patch as shown in my blog post here:

http://nathanwinters.co.uk/2010/04/20/updating-microsoft-office-communicator-april-2010-patch/

Once MOC is fully installed and patched fire it up from the Start menu and login using the credentials provided:

One thing to note is that when I first opened MOC it was set to the default log in name and wouldn’t let me change it! So to do so I clicked the drop down menu in the top left of the sign in window next to the MOC icon and selected Connect / Change Sign-in Address

I then entered the correct address as shown:

At this point, clicking OK takes you back to the sign in window:

Now that the sign-in address is correct click Sign In

Enter the details as instructed using the sip/email address for the username and then click Sign In again.

At this point you will be signed in and can start using OCS!

Have fun!!

In a while I will post again detailing some of the features which are, and more importantly are not available in the online pilot.

Updating Microsoft Office Communicator – April 2010 patch

Recently there have been a bunch of new updates for Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and it’s accompanying client Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2.

I will post later with screenshots of the server updates but for now here is the location and process to update MOC.

First download the patch from the link below:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=515d6dba-4c6a-48bb-a06a-d99c5742676d

You will notice that much more information is available from the following location – http://support.microsoft.com/kb/978564

For example from the above KB article we can see that there are many bug fixes included.

To install the update once simply double click the .msp file that you have downloaded and follow the steps below:

Click Next

Accept the license terms and click Next

If prompted accept (Click Yes) to the UAC request

Click Finish

All in all it’s really that simple!