Jabber vs Lync

[alialjamri2008]

I am new to Jabber, can you help me identify the differences and the advantages over the Lync.

Thanks,
Ali

[peter.huboi]

In Sharepoint, you can indeed search on "people" with a keyword for expertise and come up with the right people if they've filled in their "mysite" profiles.

A more typical search is for "a document". In this case the search for expert workflow is Sharepoint -> Lync - IM/Call . So for example if I'm on my Sharepoint I search in sharepoint for a document and find a page with numerous documents listed ... lets say I open one of the documents and have an additional question. In sharepoint, I can see who uploaded the document and their presence status in MS Lync, the R-click on them to chat or call them about my question. So rather than seeing numerous people from a "directory search" on a keyword, I'm seeing the author of a specific document who is an expert on that document's content.

You are right about "Do most companies have 2 accounting, CRM, HR systems? " Most don't. However, many companies have  more than one vendors' PBX (for various reasons) and many have legacy TDM PBX they've not yet upgraded to an IP PBX. So, while in your case you're happy with Communications Manager, when you upgrade the PBX you're happy with replacing the old PBX with Communicaitons Manager. So in your case, "adding a Polycom phone" makes no sense. Another customer with an older PBX may find their experience with Lync initiated calls suitable and like that workflow already (i.e. often making calls from Micrsoft Lync instead of their old PBX phone), an looking forward, find that only 25 % of their employees actually need a deskphone. Or they may wish to additionally deploy video solutions without having to go through the complexity of a Cisco/Lync integrations. Other customers are starting to "skip the PBX to IP PBX upgrade" and going directly to UC. In these circumstances, Polycom adds additional options to choose from, like adding Polycom IP phones and Polycom video solutions with Microsoft being the centralized communications hub with presence if the customer chooses Microsoft.  It's just another option. For those who would prefer Lync over Jabber (like Muransky Compaines Nov 4 thread in this discussion), Polycom's multi-vendor interoperability makes their choice easier to support while still protecting your existing investements in Cisco and Microsoft. All can meet in a Virtual Meeting Room conference powered by the Polycom RealPresence Platform supporting video, voice, and Lync UC clients all in the same call.

[bjames]

As far as the Integration into Microsoft products, the Jabber clients do a very close job of the Lync ones so most of that is a wash. There are a lot of strange things in Lync that put me off as not intuitive such as search for a contact before you can add them.

The big issues are RT video as mentioned, if you have large deployment and need/want video plan on re-doing your QoS due to non-standard Lync video. As well depending on your size and requirements I have seen many server sprawl environments with Lync and it can get silly if you want it to. As far as federation, you may have to redesign your perimeter to support Microsoft's requirements for Public IP's on your Edge Servers and multiple DMZ's. Also plan to buy hardware load balancers to support the larger deployments.

I think the only real head to head bake off with Lync and Jabber that makes sense is in the Cloud; Webex Connect/Jabber versus 365 Lync (only if you don't need voice)

On the negative Jabber side I have heard a lot of complaints with CUCI Lync and trying to work Lync with Call Manager.

And the fact the if the client's partners don't enable the XMPP gateway in Lync you can't IM them from Jabber.

On another note Lifesize can now also support HD Video Lync from the desktop to conference room with UVC Engine for Lync.

Bob James

[muranskycotech]

I'm not sure what product you were testing, but I feel exactly the opposite as you.

I find Jabber and previous Personal Communicator releases to be infuriating. They're slower than Lync. Their integration to Outlook (and other parts of Windows and Office) is frustrating at best ... assuming they even work at all. Cisco is also painfully slow to develop and release bug fixes.

When Lync is released, it is guaranteed to be a solid release that works regardless of Windows or Office version, or else you can expect an updated release in time for an OS launch. Microsoft is, of course, also quick to release versions that are specific to their new OS releases (for example Lync RT for Windows 8/RT).

I use Jabber and Communicator only because I got sucked into the hype when I rolled out Communications Manager a couple years ago, and now moving to Lync would be an expensive investment. If I had known then what I know now, I would have implemented Lync instead of Presence and integrated it with Communications Manager. In fact, next year, Lync is on my list of projects unless Jabber is significantly improved by spring.

My advice to anyone considering the two options is that you ask yourself one question... above and beyond features/functionality... what are you end-user experiences going to be? Mostly Office-centric with Outlook and SharePoint... or mostly non-Microsoft? IF you're mostly Microsoft or need it to "just work", go with Lync instead of Presence/Jabber.