How I use Microsoft Lync
I have been using Microsoft Lync and its predecessors OCS and OCS R2 for several years now. Initially a collegue of mine stepped into my office and asked if he could install the Instant Message(IM) and Presence client on my system. I said “thanks, but I don’t really need that.” He went on to enlighten me of the various benefits of IM and Presence but I was still a bit skeptical and told him that I am just fine with using my email for that. He then proposed that I let him install it and then he will come back in a week and remove it if I still didn’t want it. So begrudgingly I agreed.
He came back a week later and told me he was here to remove the IM and Presence client. My response was a quick and firm “No way, beat it!” I was hooked! I found the tool incredibly valuable for the way that I work. As an IT sales person I rely heavily on my engineers for their deep technical knowledge. I often find myself engaged with clients or prospects that quickly move into the technical side of our solutions. If they have a question that I am unsure of or would like to provide alternative options my engineering resources are invaluable. Instead of having to delay the discussion Lync allows me to view the status of my various resources and see who is currently available. Instantly I am able to shoot them a quick question and usually receive a response in just seconds. This is an incredibly valuable tool as it allows me to respond very rapidly to my clients and allows our conversations to continue and fosters productivity for both of us.
From this you can see who is busy (red), who is currently away or inactive (yellow) and who is available (green). Once I identify the resource who is green and available I have several options available to contact them. I can choose to initiate an IM, phone call or email.
Because I need instant gratification and a timely answer I can choose to send Jacob a quick IM with my question. Lucky for me that Jacob is an incredible source of information and normally responds with an answer almost instantly. There is also a mobile application for Lync which allows you this functionality from your mobile device, whether it is a smart phone, tablet, slate or other device. This access is incredibly valuable!! I will describe the mobile client in a bit more detail in my next post.
Jon Eyberg, PEI
