TMS Exchange Extension 3.0 booking OCS\Lync Users

[William Richardson]

Hi all,

I have a question regarding the TMS Exchange extension 3.0 and booking OCS\Lync users.  Currently we are using the TMS web interface for conference scheduling and there is often a need to book conferences that include OCS users.  Rather than using the method of "Add external participants>Dial out participant" and entering the users' OCS address in the advanced setting of the TMS scheduler we have created a TMS phonebook for OCS users.  Therefore when a conference is booked with an OCS user the creator navigates to the OCS phonebook and adds the participant.  In TMSXE 3.0 how can one add OCS\Lync users to a conference? Can OCS users simply be added in the "To" field of the meeting request? If so, how is a differentiation made between that paricipant using OCS or attending in person? Could exchange access the already created TMS phonebook of OCS users?  Must the Cisco form and its "add external participants" function be used?

[Kjetil Ree]

Hi,

The Cisco TMS Booking API (TMSBA), which the Cisco TMS Extension for Microsoft Exhange (TMSXE) relies upon, only supports adding TMS managed systems as participants. You cannot add TMS Agent provisioned systems or phonebooks entries as participants when booking thorugh the TMSBA. So no, you cannot add Lync user to the "to:" field in Outlook. Your only viable option when booking using TMSXE is using the Cisco form and adding Lync users as external dial-outs (but remeber that you'll need to add at least one TMS managed system to the booking).

Regards,

Kjetil

[William Richardson]

Thanks for the response.  Would it be possible if Find Me is configured on the VCS?  Also, if Movi were used instread of Lync would it be possible to add participants via TMSXE?

[Kjetil Ree]

That won't be possible, as neither FindMe URIs or Movi users are systems managed by TMS. These must also be added as external dial outs using the Cisco form.

[Georg Kehrer]

Hi All

I have a little bit similar situation and have to them another question.

If I added a MOVI as external participant, thats fine, but the problem is TMS is not sending to all MOVI the "Conference Confirmation" Email which comes from TMS, when I do this directly on the TMS Booking, than is it Possible to add more Email adresses to send this Conference Information.

So in this way via Exchnage booking only the inviter receive the Conference Information.

I think this must be a must to have a filed in the Cisco form, in which can add more Email adresses, this filed will be transfered to TMS and than when TMS send the Confirmation all this participants will receive the Conference Confirmation, is that possible in the Future or in a next Release?

Best Regards

Georg

[Kjetil Ree]

If I added a MOVI as external participant, thats fine, but the problem is TMS is not sending to all MOVI the "Conference Confirmation" Email which comes from TMS

That's because TMS won't know the email addresses of external participants.

So in this way via Exchnage booking only the inviter receive the Conference Information.

That is by design.

I think this must be a must to have a filed in the Cisco form, in which can add more Email adresses, this filed will be transfered to TMS and than when TMS send the Confirmation all this participants will receive the Conference Confirmation, is that possible in the Future or in a next Release?

You can always call your account team and tell them to raise a feature request, but such a change won't be trivial, as the TMS booking API doesn't support specifying additional email recipients. We'll thus need to make changes both in TMS and TMSXE.

[Georg Kehrer]

Hi Kjetil

Thank you for the Feedback.

Ok Now I see that is not so trivial, regarding the API doesnt' support this.

Exist any chance for the future, or exits any chance to use this with the option FindMe?

I think Cisco must be to speculate about this, because MOVI will be more and more important in the future.

Best Regards

Georg