Cisco VCS and Lync2013 integration

[megafonmsk]

Hello!

Could you please tell me, when CISCO starts officially support Lync2013 - release a new software for VCS-C and documentation on integration?

The primary interest is in the possibility of transferring video between CISCO endpoints/MCUs and Lync on the H.264 protocol, that is native to Lync2013.

At this time, I have VCS-C X7.2 and Lync2013 RTM. On the video call without AMGW, call establishes like audio-only.

When using with Lync2010, this worked on H.263 protocol and CIF resolution.

[awinter2 · Accepted solution]

Hi Evgeniy,

we are currently looking into the possible ways of achieving interop between Lync 2013, VCS and standards-based video devices on the VCS side, this is a work in progress and at this point it is to early to provide any factual information on if and when interop will be available.

Unlike Lync 2010, Lync 2013 does not support H.263 for video and this therefore breaks the current OCS/Lync integration. I do however think that you should be able to achieve two-way video between Lync 2013 and VCS-registered endpoints if you use an AMGW, have you tried that yet?

Thanks,

Andreas

[megafonmsk]

Hello, Andreas!

Thanks for your answer.

Yes, it's ok when using amgw - video works two-way(RTVC1 with Lync and H.264 with telepresence), but maybe there is some problem with signalisation: video-call establishes correctly only when calling from telepresence device - endpoint/mcu to Lync. When trying in other direction, Lync cannot start its video. This problem does not exist with Lync2010.

I will be looking forward to updates in Lync2013 interop.

Best regards, Evgeny.

[awinter2]

Evgeny,

in spite of the current interop issues, you should be able to initiate the call from the Lync 2013 client towards a video device on the VCS side when using AMGW, that scenario at least works in my lab (I'm calling a C20 via a FindMe).

- Andreas

[megafonmsk]

In my environment this does not works from the moment when I installed Lync2013 client (even in Lync2010 pool). I've tried to call from Lync to H.323/SIP registered endpoints and H.323/SIP registered confs through global scope static route in Lync to B2BUA service. Video from Lync comes to MCU, but Lync does not shows remote video

[Paul Woelfel]

I thought, that integration with Lync 2013 would be easier, because it supports H.264?

http://lync.microsoft.com/en-us/Pages/Lync-2013-Preview.aspx

[Jens Didriksen]

They're going with H.264 SVC - don't think there's a call and signalling standard for that as yet (if it ever will be)? And if it isn't, and if I understand it correctly; doesn't that mean one vendors H.264 SVC flavour will not necessarily work with another H.264 SVC flavour? Lync 2013 should work with Polycom though...and oh, Skype..

/jens

[Martin Koch]

Paul: Microsoft is always good on taking some standard and interpret it quite strong in their way.

Also using standards does not mean that its interoperable, take a look at Facetime from Apple,

they use SIP, XMPP, STUN, h264, various standard audio codecs but it does not really help.

Lets see what will happen with svc, h.265, webrtc/vp8, ...

[Paul Woelfel]

I just replied to the first post of Andreas, that the video standard is the issue, not the signaling. So H.264 SVC is an extension to the H.264, which is not supported by Cisco?

Lync, at least 2010, is able to use SIP, so signaling should work fine...

[Jens Didriksen]

Problem is SIP ain't SIP when it comes to SVC and signaling

This post by Sean Lessman says it all:

http://www.vtctalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=91877&postcount=56

/jens

[HansAvendano2010]

Hello,

Cisco has released TC 6.2 to support H.264 SVC in its endpoints.

Please visit for more information: http://blogs.cisco.com/tag/h-264/ a great article about  this from Finn Helge Lunde | June 21, 2013:

... "Also, as part of Cisco’s strong architectural approach on interoperability we are adding support for H.264 SVC to our TC based endpoints. This means we can do native interoperability with other vendor’s solutions like Microsoft Lync 2013 and Polycom endpoints using the H.264 SVC standard."...

Hans A.

[Martin Koch]

and the 3rd time feedback to your 3times cross posted entry, maybe you should have opened a new thread

for it, I would also recomend that if you want to give a feedback on this:

No, thats the point ! Neither VCS X8 nor TC6.2 are released yet.

This is why I prefer (besides signed NDAs :-) to talk about whats going

on in the future, especially as things tend to change in the process till it is

released.

What I always recommend, what I also did in this thread is to reach out to

your Cisco Partner or Cisco directly what coming up!

[Mike Baensch]

Any idea on the release date for X8?

TC6.2 seems to be available now...

[Chris Swinney]

Hi Mike,

To get a "official" answer you may need to talk with your Cisco rep. However, when we spoke with ours a couple of months ago the answer was "Septemeber". However, I have then seen roumer on this board that October and November seem to be more likely, with the last post suggested that there is no offical line as yet.

Chris

[Mike Baensch]

The word fom my Cisco rep is mid November.

Will wait and see.