The function “Call Pickup” is a classic PBX feature that has become indispensable as a telephone function for many users over the years (or better a habit). System integrators regularly have difficulty explaining when customers compare apples and pears, respectively Lync and telephone systems. The major Microsoft competitors such as Avaya and Cisco naturally point out the supposedly missing feature to potential customers to distinguish themselves.

Group Call Pickup is now available, free of charge, for Lync 2013, and this raises the question:

Why do we still need colima Cerebro Call Pickup?

The built-in Lync “Group Call Pickup” has four basic advantages:

• no extra costs – is included in the Lync licenses,
• you do not have to install any 3rd party software on your own Lync servers
• the picked call is immediately heard
• like Cerebro it is a purely server-side installed component.

Microsoft’s Lync Group Call Pickup provides a feasible “basic functionality” and so on the user side an immediate need for further configuration options or hedging with permissions are formed.

Function comparison

In addition to an installation scenario that, according to Lync specialists, could pose a wild water ride with some shoals for the inexperienced Lync Admin, Lync Group Call Pickup offers no way to set permissions for the function – therefore anyone who knows a Park Code can pick a call. Or plastic: the caretaker could pick up a call from the CEO. This is reliably prevented by the assignment to Pickup Groups or assignment as a delegate at Cerebro.

Users are accustomed to hearing the caller imediately after entering the Call Pickup Code, without having to perform any additional actions. However, this also has the disadvantage that to the user the caller does not appear on the display as with a normal call. With Cerebro the caller is displayed prior to accepting the picked call, so the user can decide to accept the call or not.

The significant difference between Cerebro and CU1 Group Call Pickup is the single Pickup Code in Cerebro, ie all employees only have to notice for example “*5″ as the Pickup Code instead of single or multiple Call Park Ranges (eg “#570″ for area A and “#577″ for area B)

Currently, with Cerebro as with CU1 Call Pickup a call can only be picked up if the user knows that a phone is ringing somewhere. The function “Where it is ringing” is not possible because we deliberately did not want a client installation but we are working on a practical and simple solution.

Is colima now Microsoft’s competitor?

No. At colima we are pleased that Microsoft has integrated the “Group Call Pickup” in Lync. On the one hand it promotes the growth of the Lync market share significantly, colima naturally profits as a whole. On the other hand we at colima are not those who require money for a simple function which the customer expects to obtain as a simple basic function in the default features.

Conclusion

With CU1 Pickup, Microsoft succeeded a big step forward for the further successful establishment of Enterprise Voice. Which is great!

colima Cerebro positioned itself not as competition, but as a useful add on product. Cerebro offers many useful functions through the interaction with other modules such as BusyOnBusy and so exploits its full strength. Both solutions can be operated and utilized simultaneously on the same system so each user can use the benefits of each solution for themselves.

Related

Detailed (technical) analysis: https://greiginsydney.com/lync-call-pickup/

http://windowspbx.blogspot.de/2013/02/call-pickup-groups-coming-to-lync.html

http://windowspbx.blogspot.de/2012/04/lync-call-pickup-feature-provided-by.html

colima Cerebro – neues Release für Lync 2010/2013

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36820

Let´s have a look at the Cerebro video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

What´s new?

With the latest version, colima Cerebro now supports also the new version of “2013″ for Microsoft Lync.

The Cerebro release has more new benefits:
1. With the new Cerebro release, BusyOnBusy now works with call forward chaining.
2. For both modules “Universal Call Pickup” and “BusyOnBusy” e-mail notifications are now also possible.
3. With this Cerebro version, there is only one installation file: Both new installations and updates are done with the same setup package regardless of the Lync Server version. Thus, only one setup file is needed for both platforms Lync 2010 and 2013. This makes it simple and clear for the Lync Admin to install and maintain Cerebro.
4. The same functions are now avalaible in Lync 2010 and 2013 – also in mixed environments.

The brandnew Cerebro release can now be downloaded from the colima Cerebro product page and tested free of charge for a 30 day period.

SimpleRoute more easy…

Although SimpleRoute already saves a lot of work, time and stress for the admin, it is clear after a short time to many who use SimpleRoute, that it could  STILL be a little easier if the remaining steps between creating an MSPL script and its activation in Lync server could also take place automatically.

This request, gathered from the feedback of many SimpleRoute users from around the world, we will fullfill in the next version for you. You do not have to know PowerShell commands anymore to retrieve the necessary information such as the “Pool name” from your Lync topology or to find out which MSPL scripts are already installed. Additionally, it automatically eliminates the transfer of the composite PowerShell commands via “copy and paste” into the PowerShell command window.

All these tasks are performed automatically and you do not have to worry about anything – you just need to specify the priority with which you want to register the script!

For more information about SimpleRoute, click here

If you are interested in further colima products, you now have the opportunity to register for the latest and coming information on the Cerebro beta program.

Using Lync for daily communication has many advantages and some disadvantages. For example, you do not know whether someone is on the phone, or watching a training video. Can I disturb someone who has a headset on or rather not? Or when a ringing sound is heard, who is the call for?

Formerly a glance  at the phone was enough to see where it was ringing. The Lync Client itself does not show where it is ringing.

In addition, we also have the following situation, due to our IT infrastructure: For the past few months we have been using Pano Zero Clients, which have replaced our old PCs. For our developers, who work exclusively on the VMs, this was the next logical step. Apart from the low maintenance costs for the hardware, a Zero Client consumes little power and is completely silent.

It does have a built-in speaker, but this is very soft, so that a “Lync ring” will only be noticed if you are actually sitting at your desk and the call is signaled on the screen. We have had the opportunity to test Busylight Lync over the past few weeks. First anxious question: Does it run on Pano?

The positive surprise

Yes, it works. Unfortunately, the double click option did not function when we installed the driver on our Windows 7 64bit VMs. The installation went through without complaint, but Busylight did not function.

Only a semi-automatic installation using ‘msiexec’ from a command prompt with elevated permissions led to success. The Busylight came to life, showing the status of the Lync user. In addition to the status colors that match the colors of Lync status, there are the signaling of incoming calls via a flashing blue light and a timid ring. The ringing is still softer than a laptop or Lync Desk Phone, but still louder than Pano itself – all in all quite useful. You can also set different ring tones, so that one can hear “his Busylight”. For those who do not like the acoustic signal, it can also be deactivate completely.

The real purpose, to show that someone is busy, is of course fulfilled.

Two minor things we noticed during testing that could be improved.

On the one hand, the implementation of Lync colors may not be the optimal solution, because the difference between “busy” and “do not disturb” is only visible in a direct comparison. On the other hand, the proposed attachment to the monitor via the adhesive pad, is a decision for life. At least for the monitor. You are most probably better off  with adhesive power strips or something similar.

This colima Cerebro video shows the Busylight in action: 

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here is the website for all those interested in kuando Busylight UC for Microsoft Lync: http://www.busylight.com/

Contact colima

Picture source: Plenom a/s

Did you find this article useful? Then please send / tweet it to your community:

The following video provides a brief preview of the colima Cerebro module “Call Pickup”:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Application areas for Call Pickup

In most cases, call pickup is used in small teams, where employees have access to the phones and workplaces of their colleagues and simply pick up a call should the colleague not be at work. Even with managers and secretaries the pick-up function is quite frequently found, for example, if the secretary is not at her workplace and her superior still wants to take a call that is ringing in the hall.

However, the Call Pickup function is completely useless in areas that require a high customer service and a quick answer, such as call centers or in direct inbound telephone sales. In this field pick up solutions have been tried to be adapted usefully for many years, but ultimately only a proper ACD can redirect calls to targeted available employees and also through clever response management provide the desired customer service.

Group Call Pickup and Direct Pickup

“Group Call Pickup” is directed, as its name implies, to a group of employees in the “old world phone” and often to a group of telephone terminals. Employees can pick up calls from other employees that are configured in the same group neither knowing nor dialing their extension number.

Direct Pickup on the other hand allows, specific, direct picking up of a call by a specific employee or apparatus. This requires either the extension number to be transferred in the process, a pre-assigned key or klicking on the corresponding icon on the Desktop Client.

Call Pickup with Microsoft Lync 2010

The Call Pickup feature is completely missing from Lync Client which is otherwise equipped with all the required telephony functions, but also the Lync phone is not provided with this function. Apparently, Microsoft has not valued this function highly and therefore did not implement it, or intentionally left a door open for a third-party.

In the meantime there are a handful of vendors worldwide that offer Call Pickup for Microsoft Lync or will soon introduce it to the market. The high demand and excellent flow of information is the driving point for vendors in this market. Often major projects are on the verge of deciding for or against Lync 2010 due to this supposedly minor feature.

Selecting the right solution

Important in the selection are the following criteria *:

• Does Call Pickup only function between Lync Client to Lync Client or can a call to hardware phones also be picked up?
• Are Lync compatible phones supported regardless of make and model? Is the purchase of certain models required and do I therefore enter a dependency, and eventually have to decide for a non-prefered model?
• Must Lync Client always be running on the Desktop to initiate the Call Pick by phone? Must there be a connection between phone and PC?
• Where are Pickup groups administered? On each PC (especially interesting for installations with thousands of devices!) or centrally, for example, directly in Active Directory (AD)?
• Who administers the pick-up groups? If every employee is responsible for the supervision of “his” Pickup Groups himself then the need for organizational effort increases and the chances of an incorrect configuration rises dramatically.
• Who may be in which and how many groups? How many Pick-up Groups, and is this number sufficient for the company?
• Is an installation of client software on the PC or the upgrade of the software on the phone necessary? Also here the effort for deployment and administration for large installations are not to be underestimated.
• Does the employee originally called receive a notification that he has missed a call and which colleague it was successfully picked up by? This is important for customer communication.
• Can the person before picking up the call see who the call was for originally? This information is important, for example, if the employee does not speak the requisite language and so has to redirect the call to another colleague.
• Can the person before picking up the call see who the call was for originally? This information is important, for example, if the employee does not speak the requisite language and so another colleague can pick up the call.
• Does the selected solution cover other important functions or do I have to apply other third-party components?

Call Pickup with colima Cerebro

If you are interested in colima Cerebro Call Pickup, please either contact our sales team or download a 30day trial version free of charge here: http://www.colima.de/de/produkte/cerebro.html

* colima Cerebro fulfills all of the above mentioned points as the first and only solution. Worldwide.

What are the differences between Skype and Lync?

Here we are already at the most important difference between Skype and Lync. Skype and Lync do  have many similarities such as status, short messaging, audio/video communications and telephony. While Skype is more suitable for private users Lync on the other hand, is already integrated automatically in Microsoft systems such as Outlook and Office and so more suitable for the business sector. Thus I always have my contacts at hand or can document my Lync conversations in Outlook. With the purchase of Skype by Microsoft, I can imagine that both systems will become more compatible and that in the future you will be able to communicate from Skype to Lync and vice versa.

Total freedom – unified communications live

I’m astonished that I “still” meet so few users of Lync in Germany, whereas many American companies are increasingly using Lync. For me, working with Lync has enormous advantages, since the abstract concept of “unified communications” becomes real to me with Lync. Working with Lync gives me the option of (almost) working anywhere in the world and I’m able to coordinate with my colleagues. All I need is an internet connection. On Tuesday I was sitting in a hotel and briefly logged into the Wireless Lan and had a short call via Lync with our CEO at colima head office in Leipzig. Today I worked from my home office and was still available to my colima colleagues in the office. Lync gives me total freedom, to work from wherever I want, and in which way I want. Not only can I quickly clarify something by phone, but also coordinate things directly via chat (In the “case” that I just do not want to speak). I can also transfer files and documents simply by file transfer in Lync. Or even invite someone spontaneously to a conference call and continue my chat or phone call in the group. All very easy.

Lync and SimpleRoute

I recommend Lync as a practical and decent working tool with good conscience to others. Even I as a “non-IT” cope well with Lync. Some features that are not included by default can be very easily set up with our colima SimpleRoute, e.g. “BusyonBusy” function. When someone calls and I’m engaged in a call a busy signal will inform the caller. For those who want to know more of how it functions should best read the article by Matthias Friedrichs, our CEO, who already wrote about SimpleRoute and BusyonBusy on our blog. Everything is explained there. If you’re curious, you can chat to me via the Lync widget at www.colima.de/en/contact. Please, first check if I’m “green” or “red” , green is available, red is busy, then I’m working … so until then!

It is clear to the caller that the callee is busy and he will try again later. There is a slight effort by the caller but no extra effort by the callee.

The function call waiting is so to speak the opposite of ‘BusyOnBusy’: the caller gets a ringing tone or a (music) call tone signaling that it is ringing at the callee, the callee receives a signal that there is a call waiting and eventually the caller’s details. Has the callee identified the caller, he can still reject the caller by pressing a key and the caller will receive a busy signal.

Alternatives to busy signal and dial tone

Alternatives to busy signal and dial tone are the redirect function on a busy signal, automatic callback, or the use of a voice mailbox:
The redirect function is only useful if the redirect target is also likely to be available – a redirect to your own cell phone does not make sense in the case that you are already engaged in a call. Also the redirect of calls among colleagues often lead to confusion. It should be kept in mind, that the processing of redirected calls by colleagues take up valuable work time.

Automatic callback is a simple and fast activated function – the caller does not have to prepare a message for the voice mailbox and is not connected to another (perhaps from his point of view “useless”) contact person. Pressing a button executes the callback request and is filed with the called party. This feature is the least time intensive for the caller and the called party.

The use of a voice mailbox is quite feasible, we all know how it functions – to be considered is the amount of time that is lost by listening to the message and the recall, this should be in balance to the information content of the message. This function should not be abused by colleagues informing you that they are going to lunch.

However, there are some varieties of call waiting and BusyOnBusy functions, for example:

• depending on the caller: you can activate the function that you are not available for internal calls but that further customer calls are still signaled while being engaged in a call,
• depending on call destination: you can block calls to your group extension, but are still available for a second call under your direct extension,
• depending on the device: You have enabled multiple devices under a call destination, you can decide if a busy signal should be generated when you make calls to one of these devices under the target number, or if the other devices should signal the call anyway. That is yet another group function,
• depending on your status: If you are participating in a conference call, it is extremely impractical to handle other callers at the same time but during a single phone call it is often desirable and useful
• depending on the number of callers: In the traditional telephony, it was usually only possible to use a maximum of two simultaneous calls. With the capabilities of modern IP systems, this number is only a theoretical value. Nevertheless, it obviously makes sense, not to handle 6 or 10 calls simultaneously, but for example, to limit handling to one plus another call.

Especially in Lync Server 2010

The Lync Server 2010 currently does not offer the ‘BusyOnBusy’ function as default which means that the call waiting function is permanently activated. colima SimpleRoute and Cerebro both offer the above mentioned extensive functions. Even with SimpleRoute, it is very easy to activate ‘BusyOnBusy’ for all or selected users, and specified phone numbers. The possibilities of Cerebro go far beyond that.

Important: Call history is an important feature of ‘BusyOnBusy’ where rejected calls are logged and listed (Exchange / Outlook) and clearly presented to the callee. The callee does not only have a clear overview of rejected calls but can also immediately execute the callback function.