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Monday, August 30, 2010 3:55 PM
Running late to a meeting? Need to attend an important meeting when working from home? Joining a meeting while travelling? Need collaboration and coordination across distributed teams?
Welcome to Online Meetings – the next generation web conferencing from Microsoft! Online meetings enable remote participants to join a meeting from anywhere using a computer or a phone. It provides audio/video capabilities with a rich set of collaboration tools for a content rich and efficient meeting experience.
For those familiar with Live Meetings, Communicator “14” adds data collaboration capabilities to Communicator conferences. So now a single unified client provides all you need to conduct efficient and content rich online meetings.
In this blog we will cover setting up (scheduling) online meetings, various online meeting options and basic online meeting join.
Setting up an online meeting
Setting up online meetings requires Outlook and the new Communicator “14”.
Scheduling Online Meeting takes a single click. Go to Outlook and either select Online Meeting in the New Items menu or click the New Online Meeting button from the Calendar. You can also turn an existing Outlook appointment/meeting into an online meeting.
From New Items:
From Calendar:
Add online meeting to an existing Outlook meeting:
Online meetings have a simple join link and phone dial-in information.
Online meeting invitation
Default Meeting Options
By default, all your online meetings use the same dial-in formation. Everyone from your company can join the meeting directly and start collaborating right away. You can easily change these defaults by customizing your meeting options.
Customizing Online Meeting Options
Click on the Meeting Options button in the ribbon of the meeting invitation. (Note that this button is only available for meetings that you organize.)
This opens up the Online Meeting Options dialog showing the default meeting options.
To change meeting options, check “Customize access and presenters for this meeting”. (Note that customizing access and presenters will change the meeting link and conference ID to use a new value than the default value)
The main settings which could be customized are:
Access:
You can control who gets directly into the meeting and who needs to wait in a “lobby” until a presenter admits them. You can also turn off “lobby” for phone users by selecting “People dialing in by phone bypass the lobby”.
Presenters:
Presenters can present content, use collaboration tools and control the online meeting. Presenter privileges include ability to mute/unmute others, turn on/off announcements, promote a participant to presenter, manage the “lobby” and control access to the meeting.
Choose specific presenters using the Manage presenters link.
Local phone numbers:
You can select the location from where most people will join so that the meeting invitation shows local dial-in numbers. (Note that you can always find the full list of local dial-in numbers with the Find a local number link in the meeting invite.)
Entry/Exit announcements:
The participant entry/exit announcements can be turned on/off. These announcements call out the name of participants joining/leaving the meeting.
(Note that changing the announcements value will change the meeting link and conference ID to use a new value than the default values)
Invitation language:
When online meeting invitation language is non-English (for example when Outlook is non-English or Communicator is non-English), meeting options provide a way to convert the invitation language to English.
Remember your preferences:
To apply your settings to all future online meetings, simply check the “Remember settings” box.
Joining Online Meetings
Join from outlook reminder
The simplest way to join an online meeting is to click the “Join Online” button from the Outlook 2010 meeting reminder.
Here is a preview of Join experience on Communicator “14”:
Other ways to join the online meeting are:
· Click the join link in the meeting invitation
· Click the Join Online Meeting button in meeting invitation ribbon
· Dial into the conference from any phone
· Copy and paste the join link URL into a web browser
· Click join from a UC phone
Stay tuned for upcoming blog entries exploring cool new features in Communicator 14!
We are listening so please provide us your valuable feedback.
Happy Online Meetings!
Vishal Singh
Program Manager, OCDG
Monday, August 23, 2010 4:21 PM
With the announcement of Communicator “14” at TechEd in June, we can finally share with you all the great work we’ve been doing over the past two years! This release is shaping up to be the best release for Office Communicator yet. With a complete overhaul of the main user experience, the addition of personal pictures, an enhanced phone experience and completely new collaboration tools, it is now easier to communicate, share, and collaborate with the people you need.
The development team is excited to show you what we’ve been working on, so we are planning a series of blog articles over the next few months describing all the new features for Communicator “14”. Stay tuned for weekly updates on the new features directly from the engineers that built them!
Thursday, August 05, 2010 12:59 PM
After installing the CoMo for Nokia client, the first thing you need to do to successfully sign-in is to get the configuration settings fields correct in the settings dialog. We've received a number of questions on what value should be used for the “Server URL” configuration field. Many people do not know what to enter for this field or make the mistake of using the FQDN (fully qualified domain name) or IP address of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 (OCS) Access Edge Server. For example, https://sipalt.access.contoso.com:443 where 443 is the port used for remote user access.
Before we hand you the answer, let us briefly walk you through the topology that will be used for the CoMo for Nokia client to connect to the OCS environment. CoMo for Nokia is not a direct Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) endpoint like other supported OCS end points such as Microsoft Office Communicator, Microsoft Office Communicator Phone Edition and Microsoft Office Communicator for Windows Mobile. CoMo for Nokia uses the Communicator Web Access (CWA) server component which plays the role of Mobile Communicator Express (MCX) to connect the CoMo for Nokia client to the OCS environment and acts as a gateway to the various OCS functions.
The CWA/MCX gateway between CoMo for Nokia translates HTTP requests to OCS actions (and vice-versa) and also has an implementation for mobile optimization. So in order for the CoMo for Nokia unified communications client to have access to your OCS enterprise deployment, CWA is a pre-requisite. For more information on planning for Communicator Mobile access refer to http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd425354(office.13).aspx
By now you must have figured out the answer but let me go ahead and spell it out, so for the “Server URL” configuration field in CoMo for Nokia client user should fill the OCS’s CWA server URL address, for example https://cwa.contoso.com, this is provided by your enterprise system administrator. This server URL address is same as the one that you might use in web browser to access the OCS presence, IM, and conferencing features of OCS from web browser without installing a client or connecting through a VPN.
This article is applicable for the Communicator Mobile for Java and Communicator Mobile for Nokia 1.0 unified messaging client product of Office Communications Server 2007 R2.
Do you have a comment to share or question? Send e-mail to sukumart@microsoft.com or leave a comment below.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 3:20 PM
While most of the time we focus on Office Communicator from a Software perspective, it’s easy to forget that really good phone experiences come from pairing Office Communicator with great devices!
For this post we’re going to take a look at a device that the Office Communicator team worked hard on to get just right, the Polycom CX300.
This device is my preferred device at work, as it has some really great acoustics from both the headset and the speakerphone. It provides me with that much needed hardware interaction that I’ve grown up with that I just can’t seem to get with a headset.
While I use this device day to day, I’m finding some neat tips & tricks that I wanted to share with you. For those of you who have this devices already, these tips will improve your experience. For those of you who don’t, these tips will provide an overview of the great user experience.
Quick Calling
This device behaves just like a regular phone, so pick up the handset and dial a number. It just works!
Also if you wish to verify your number before placing your call, just dial the phone number you want to call, review it in the display, and pick up the handset (or press the speaker button). Your call will start.
Interaction with Office Communicator
As this device was designed to work with Office Communicator, it has some really nice features to keep you connected. The first and most prominent of which is the big presence light on the front of the device. This light is your presence so you can at a glance know what your presence is.
Even further as this device is your primary device for Office Communicator, when you click the toast on your desktop the call is picked up on the speaker phone of the device. You could pick-up the handset to answer the call if you wanted too as well.
Voicemail
One thing that I find really convenient about this device is the interaction with voicemail. The device has a voicemail indicator right on the 1 key that lights up when you have voicemail:
Then when you want to call your voicemail you can just press and hold the 1 key to call!
Rejecting a Call
Everyone gets those calls that you just can’t answer right now, whether you’re in a meeting or trying to concentrate on finishing up a last minute presentation. When you need to reject a call fast, just hit the backspace key.
Multiple Calls
You’re on a call with someone and someone else calls you. What do you do? You can accept the call from your desktop by clicking on the “toast”, or just press the Hold key on the device to switch to the new call! This button will put your current call on hold, and automatically accept the incoming call for you.
Advanced Device Settings
One of the features that not many people know about is that the device has settings that you can modify. Although most people will never have to change a setting, you may want to configure your own personal preferences.
To get to the settings, unplug your device from your desktop and plug it back in again. When the device lights up, press the 5 key to enter the settings. From there follow the onscreen directions.
Settings you can change:
- Rate at which volume is increased or decreased using the volume buttons on the device
- Whether you wish to remember the previous volume level of your last call, or to reset to the default volume level.
- Size of the text on the display
Jason Tuck
Program Manager, OCDG
Alex Darrow
User Experience Designer, OCDG
Wednesday, February 24, 2010 5:24 PM
In October 1872 in Baltimore Maryland, the architect of Montreal’s Windsor Station and his wife Josephine gave birth to their only daughter, Emily. She was educated at the finest schools and raised in privilege. Years later, in 1922, she published her book, “Etiquette”. Soon after, the phrase, “according to Emily Post” became the final word on social conduct.
The introduction to this seminal work on manners in society begins with Richard Duffy discussing the history of the word “Etiquette” - its origin in the commonplace familiar warning—"Keep off the grass." It happened in the reign of Louis XIV, when the gardens of Versailles were being laid out, that the master gardener, an old Scotsman, was sorely tried because his newly seeded lawns were being continually trampled upon. To keep trespassers off, he put up warning signs or tickets—etiquettes—on which was indicated the path along which to pass. But the courtiers paid no attention to these directions and so the determined Scot complained to the King in such convincing manner that His Majesty issued an edict commanding everyone at Court to "keep within the etiquettes."
As we enter this second decade of this new millennial, the technological support for our ability to communicate is unprecedented in human history. As these advances continue, what IS digital equivalent of a “Keep Off the Grass” sign? Is it HTTP_403? Here’s a demo to help you judge. Our digital security is better than that of Louis XIV - and it’s much easier to be anonymous today – but the problem persists. There are basic human mores and values that we aspire to – and communication is the primary vehicle through which society advances – but we might feel like we’re unprepared for the pace and the scope of change as technology improves Whether these are ‘etiquettes’ placed in the grass – or if they are server log files, social norms, training classes, 403 messages, or discussions in our courts of law – we want, as a society - to put up guardrails to help us self-monitor our own behavior and communicate to others our views of the behaviors we expect and those we value. As society progresses with the assistance of digital communications technology, people are re-visiting these laws, mores, and values. As examples - Do I really want to be on a web chat with my boss at 7AM when I haven’t done my hair or makeup? Should I fire off a quick reprimand to 100 people when it’s late and I’m tired? Will it hurt my career if I dial in to a weekly meeting instead of being there in person? If it’s convenient for me to send an IM, should I be offended if I don’t get an immediate reply? These are real social issues exposed by advances in our technology – and are impacted by the quality of our tools.
In chapter XXVII of her book, Emily Post describes the importance of the quality of the communication:
The letter you write, whether you realize it or not, is always a mirror which reflects your appearance, taste and character.
With all this in mind, we wanted to introduce some of our challenges we have in the Office Communicator Test Team. As Communicator continues to expand in popularity, people’s reliance on our software to deliver their message grows. The quality of our software plays an important role in the ability of people to deliver (and receive) a high quality message.
WikiHow defines communication as “the process of transferring signals/messages between a sender and a receiver through various methods (written words, nonverbal cues, spoken words). It is also the mechanism we use to establish and modify relationships.”
As technologies converge in the unified communications space, people can easily flow between voice, video, and text communications. The authenticity and integrity of the message – and the success rate of its delivery – is based on the ability of the software tools to connect sender and receiver.
Our team focuses on the quality of the experience – whether that’s voice, the delivery of the IM, or the ability to join a conference. Communication is important. From infancy, we literally cried to get help, and that kick-started our learning of the power of effective communication. As a society, we are moving into a new era -- the digital augmentation of our ability to communicate as humans. We don’t have to grunt to our fellow cave dweller – we don’t have to send smoke signals to connect with our neighboring clan – we have a new reality – think Steve Austin, the Bionic man – (note: check out the new Fast Company article on bionics) and with these powerful new communication tools and capabilities, we are greater, stronger, faster – but as a provider, we think that it’s important for these tools are transparent and “just work” to enable sender and receiver to focus on the message.
 The game of Chinese Whispers, or Telephone/Stille Post/Whisper-Down-the-Lane, teaches us about the danger of low quality communications. Real time communication across the globe is the reality now, and while we are excited about the potential impact to society, we recognize our role in ensuring the integrity and quality of the experience. We also have to consider things like security, privacy, and the power of the medium. How can we build our tools to offer safeguards to the sender to self-monitor and self-assess as the size of their audience increases? We are exploring alternative techniques and focusing on building trust in our organization in hopes that it teaches us how to build trustworthy products that support trustworthy communications.
Often, the sender has the biggest influence on – and goals for – the quality of the message – and can we help them help themselves. How can we learn defect prevention techniques from things like the Outlook Forgotten Attachment Detector?
Philip B. Corbett posts a regular blog on the New York Times site called “After Deadlines” that it calls “a weekly newsroom critique of grammar, usage and style in The Times”
With that in mind, our goal in this blog communication is to learn from you about the areas where we can focus our quality improvement efforts to make your experience with Office Communicator the best it can be. We feel privileged to have an opportunity to influence the future of digital communication, and would enjoy working with you to improve our quality and your experience with our product.
We’d love to hear your views and get your guidance on areas where we can focus and improve.
Thank you for reading!
Ross Smith
Director of Test, Office Communicator and Design Group
Tuesday, February 02, 2010 12:11 AM
In addition to training on Office Communicator, Microsoft also offers free instructor-led sessions on Office Live Meeting. Visit a class and explore key Live Meeting usage scenarios through live demonstrations and hands-on activities. Classes are held in a virtual classroom and allow hands-on experience to build knowledge, skills, and confidence to use Office Live Meeting more effectively. Students are able to ask questions of the instructor in these highly interactive trainings. On demand courses are also available.
Courses include:
Introducing Office Live Meeting: This course introduces the features and functionality available within Live Meeting through live demonstrations and hands-on activities.
Office Live Meeting Quick Start: A first step for all Office Live Meeting users, this 30-minute introduction covers the fundamentals of scheduling and presenting.
Come learn more about how you can get more out of your Live Meeting experience! Visit for a complete course catalog: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/livemeeting/HA102429721033.aspx
Angela Corman
Program Manager, UC Online Adoption Services
Friday, January 22, 2010 5:17 PM
New Instructor-Led Training: Introduction to Office Communicator
New
Instructor-Led Training: Introduction to Office Communicator
Microsoft
now offers a free instructor-led session that introduces key Office
Communicator usage scenarios through live demonstrations and hands-on
activities.
This
live course is held in a virtual classroom via Office Live Meeting. It will
allow you hands-on experience to build knowledge, skills, and confidence to
use Office Communicator more effectively.
In
this high-level overview, we will explore the following features:
- Instant Messaging:
Need a fast answer to a question? Use Office Communicator to easily find a
contact and start an Instant Messaging (IM) conversation.
- Presence:
Use presence status to determine if and when a contact is available for an
IM conversation or audio call. Set your own presence status to indicate
how and when contacts can reach you.
- Contact Management:
Build your Communicator contact list for the way you work. You can add
distribution groups or organize contacts into your own custom groups.
- Audio and Video:
Make or receive audio calls using your computer. If you have a webcam, you
can add real-time video to your conversation.
- Desktop Sharing:
Share your desktop during an instant messaging session to collaborate or
edit documents with a single colleague or an entire team.
- Office Application Integration: View a contact’s presence status and start
communicating from within your Office applications, including Microsoft
Office Outlook and SharePoint.
- Add a Live Meeting:
Use the Meet Now option to quickly start a new conference and invite
people who are either inside or outside of your organization.
- Communicator Web Access: Stay connected with Communicator while at home or
traveling – all you need is an Internet connection.
Click here to register: https://events.livemeeting.com/967/15027/reg.aspx?pc=04
We hope to see you at an upcoming session!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009 5:00 AM
One of the little known features of Office Communicator is the ability to make consultative transfers. Very often we’ve been asked to include this feature, however it’s already included!
As background, a consultative transfer is a common scenario where before transferring a call to someone you want to contact the person you’re transferring to first to ensure they are able to take the call. Let’s walk through this scenario to show how this is accomplished using Office Communicator.
Marc Boyer, a client of mine, has called me and is inquiring about the project we are working on.
As I don’t have the experience in this specific project, I start a new phone call with Steve Chang from the Contact List, the project manager for this specific project. When I start the new call to Steve, Marc’s call is automatically put on hold.
 
Steve has indicated that he is free to take the call, so I return to Marc’s conversation window and click on the Transfer Button. The transfer menu automatically includes people I’m currently talking to, so I’m able to select Steve Chang from here.
While the call is transferred I can see the status from both Marc’s and Steve’s conversation window. After the transfer has completed both windows are closed :)
 
The beautiful part about Office Communicator is that you are not just limited to consulting using a phone call. Next time you want to consult someone before transferring, try using an IM.
As you can see from this simple scenario, the ability to consult with someone before sending a phone call to them can be quite useful in ensuring that the person is available, and has the background required to help the caller.
- Jason Tuck
Program Manager
Monday, August 17, 2009 8:51 AM
With Microsoft® Office Communicator 2007 R2, do the following to receive phone calls:
Answer a phone call
In the phone call invitation alert, click the left pane. The alert appears in the bottom right of your computer screen.
Redirect a call
Click the Redirect button, and then select an option from the menu. If you choose to redirect a call to an instant message, a call rejection message is sent to the caller and the Conversation window opens so that you can send the caller an instant message.
Do you have a tip or a trick to share? Send e-mail to trainuc@microsoft.com or leave a comment below.
Neeti Gupta
Product Manager, UC Technical Audience Marketing
Monday, August 03, 2009 9:00 AM
Following the release of Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile 2007 R2 in January, the Communicator team continued to work on additional features and improved upon some of the existing ones. Everything is now in an update that's ready to use.
One of our goals with this update was to make it easier to join conferences while on the go. Instead of using conference dial-ins and entry codes, you can now join conferences with the single click of a button. This capability is available for all meetings scheduled using the new UC Conferencing capability in Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2. As you can see in the screenshot below, the process is quick and simple. When you open a UC conference invitation in Outlook Mobile, you will see a “Join Conference” option. Clicking on this option will automatically connect conference participants to the call as authenticated users.
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Still subject to roaming charges? We have added an option to help you avoid them. When you are outside of your provider’s network, Communicator will not log in to a roaming network. As soon as you are back in your provider’s network, Communicator will log in automatically for you. All you have to do is select the option and Communicator will take care of the rest.
We’ve also done some work to get Communicator Mobile ready for the Windows Mobile 6.5 release this fall. A new plug-in will integrate nicely with the Home screen. In addition to looking good, it will show your presence status and the number of ongoing conversations.
Another benefit of Windows Mobile 6.5 is that it gives you the capability to make a call via work (the ability to place outbound calls using your work identity) directly from your phone dialer. With this enhancement users can dial extension numbers to call their colleagues. 
The team also improved the overall experience of making calls via work. In the previous release, you made your call via work and then answered the incoming call to complete the connection. Now Communicator Mobile completes the connection for you by automatically accepting the incoming call.
How to get it
The Office Communicator Mobile 2007 R2 update is accessible via your mobile phone at www.GetCoMo.com or on the Microsoft Download Web site.
Marc Boyer
Monday, July 27, 2009 6:39 PM
You can use Microsoft® Office Communicator 2007 R2 to make one-click phone calls to contacts in your Contact List. You can also call optional numbers by clicking the options arrow to the right of the Call button.
Make a one-click phone call
In the Contact List, click the contact’s Call button.
Call an alternate phone number
In the Contact List, click the arrow to the right of the Call button, and then click the number you want to call.
Enter a phone number to call
Type the number in the Search box, and then click the Call button next to the number as it appears in the Search Results box. You can enter an internal phone extension, an external number, an alphanumeric number such as 425-555-TAXI, or a contact’s name.
Invite someone to a call
In the Conversation window, click the Invite button, and then select a contact, enter a name, or enter a number to call.
Do you have a tip or a trick to share? Send e-mail to trainuc@microsoft.com or leave a comment below.
Neeti Gupta
Product Manager, UC Technical Audience Marketing
Friday, July 24, 2009 7:50 AM
For audio (phone) conferencing, you need a headset, or speaker and microphone, or USB audio device connected to your computer For audio/video conferencing, you need a webcam connected to your computer.
Adjust phone and video
Microsoft® Office Communicator 2007 R2 automatically detects and selects the preferred phone and video devices for you. However, before you start placing and receiving calls, you may want to adjust your phone and video devices. Click the Menu button in the Office Communicator Title bar, click Tools, and then click Set Up Audio and Video.
Where to find more information
For more detailed information, visit the Office Communicator online Help. (Click the Menu button, click Help, and then click Microsoft Office Communicator Help.)
Do you have a tip or a trick to share? Send e-mail to trainuc@microsoft.com or leave a comment below.
Neeti Gupta
Product Manager, UC Technical Audience Marketing
Thursday, July 23, 2009 7:39 AM
In Microsoft® Office Communicator for Java, to send an instant message to someone who is in your Contact List do one of the following:
• From Online Contacts select Options, select Send IM.
• From Online Contacts, select the person, select Details, and then select Send Instant message and select Send IM.
To select between conversations
- From the Conversation window, select Options.
- Choose Contact List. This option is only available if you are in multiple conversations. Choosing this will take you to the All Contacts tab of the Contact Manager window where you can select between conversations.
To switch to a call
- From the Conversation window, select Options.
- Choose Switch to Call.
When you switch to a call the default calling option is a Work call. You cannot participate in an IM conversation until the call ends. If there is no Work call choice provided under options, you can open that person’s Contact Card and choose a number to make a direct cellular call.
To add someone from your Contact List to a conversation
- From Options, select Invite Someone. The Online Contacts window open.
- Choose the person you wish to contact
To add someone not in your Contact
List to a conversation
- From Options, select Search and Add.
- From the Search Corporate Directory window, enter the alias in the Enter name to search by text box, select E-mail address, Display name, First name, or Last name in the Find by list, and then select Search.
Do you have a tip or a trick to share? Send e-mail to trainuc@microsoft.com or leave a comment below.
Neeti Gupta
Product Manager, UC Technical Audience Marketing
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 5:20 PM
In Microsoft® Office Communicator for Java, once you sign, the updates to show retrieving contacts saved on phone. Offline contacts from the phone are fetched and displayed first. Presence updates come from the server. Once updates are complete, you have access to all of your contacts through tabs in the Contact Manger screen. This includes Contacts, Online Contacts, Conversations, Groups, and Phone Contacts.
To view detailed information for a contact
To view a person’s Contact Card, select a person’s name from any screen in the Contact Manager window. From any of these screens you have the option to click on a contact and view that contact’s Contact Card.
From the Contact Card you can:
- Select a phone number and then either call using your cellular network or make a Work Call.
- Send an instant message to the contact by highlighting the person’s IM address and then selecting IM.
To find someone
From any of the windows within the Contact Manager, do one of the following:
• Type the person’s alias into the Search box, select Options, and then select Search Directory.
From the Search Corporate Directory window, enter the person’s alias in the Enter name to search by text box, select E-mail address, Display name, First name, or Last name in the Find by list box, and then select Search
To set My Status
- From the Contacts window, select Options, and then select Set My Status.
- Select a status option.
Do you have a tip or a trick to share? Send e-mail to trainuc@microsoft.com or leave a comment below.
Neeti Gupta
Product Manager, UC Technical Audience Marketing
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 2:12 PM
In Microsoft® Office Communicator for Java, the settings page has three tabs: General, Calling via work, and PIN lock. On the General tab you can set options for: New IM Alerts, Turn on Logging, Show call warnings. On the Calling via Work tab you set your call back number. On the PIN lock tab you can reset your PIN, which will then require you to log you off and log back on.
To set your notification alerts
- Select Options, select Settings, and then select the General tab.
- Scroll to check box for New IM Alert.
- Choose Select to select or clear the check box.
To set your call back number
- Select Options, select Settings, and select the Calling via Work tab.
- Enter your phone number in the text box.
Do you have a tip or a trick to share? Send e-mail to trainuc@microsoft.com or leave a comment below.
Neeti Gupta
Product Manager, UC Technical Audience Marketing
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