Get the benefits of instant messaging, fully integrated with Microsoft Office.  Microsoft Lync is an easy, fast way for co-workers to connect, whether they’re in the same building or in different cities.  A Lync contact list contains only co-workers who are part of your Microsoft user list.  It makes business conversations easy without encouraging personal ones.

TNB client Supporting Strategies uses Lync to tie its workforce together.  Steve Schultz, COO, praises its ease of use and integration with Microsoft Office.  He also likes Lync’s simple “presence” feature.  Presence means “when clients call, I can take a quick look and see who’s working,” Schultz explains, “rather than sending a caller into voicemail.”  Presence is especially useful for employees working from outside the office.

The core of Lync is instant messaging (IM), in which on-screen messages offer more immediacy than e-mail, without the interruption of a phone call.  But Lync offers significant value added beyond its IM core, such as the powerful screen sharing feature.  “I can share my screen in Lync,” Schultz says, “so I don’t need GoToMeeting.  That saves me money.  It’s also very simple: I hit a button and I’m sharing my screen, not necessarily just one-on-one but with a group.”

Lync also makes it easy to create online meetings, whether they be group IM sessions, audio calls or videoconferences.  Lync users can set up meeting times via Microsoft Outlook as they would with any other meeting.  Participants can join the online meeting by clicking a simple link in Outlook.

Lync works with all major mobile devices for seamless business connectivity.  Microsoft offers mobile apps for the iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, iPad and more.  Move from your mobile device to your office workstation, and keep your conversation going without interruption.

At your desktop or on the road, Microsoft Lync’s powerful collaboration features have yet to be discovered for many organizations.  To learn more about Lync or about Office 365, call Tech Networks at 617.269.0299 today.

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