Communications

Lync comes to Windows Phone

16 December 2011

Just over a year since it was first launched, the Microsoft unified communications platform Lync 2010 is now available on Windows Phone. The new mobile client, which can be downloaded via Windows Marketplace, enables users to stay connected, communicate and conference on the go with instant messaging, audio conferencing, and calling features from a single, easy-to-use interface.

Although Microsoft has not yet issued an official press release on the announcement, more information can be found on the company’s ‘Unified Communications Group Team Blog.’ Here’s what they said:

We first showed an early beta of our Lync 2010 mobile clients at Enterprise Connect earlier this year, sharing our vision for how these clients would extend the capabilities of Lync beyond the desktop. I’m thrilled to announce that Lync 2010 for Windows Phone is now available for download via Windows Marketplace and that Lync 2010 clients for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Nokia Symbian have been submitted for approval to their respective app stores.

The Lync 2010 mobile clients combine instant messaging, conferencing, and calling features in a single application that’s both familiar to Lync users and optimised for mobile productivity.

For the past several months, I’ve been using Lync 2010 for Windows Phone. I use Lync instant messaging multiple times each day and our single click conference join feature nearly as often – gone are the days of trying to remember and type 800 numbers and passcodes as I walk or drive! I travel a great deal and the ability to search our corporate directory and easily start a call or chat right from the search results on my phone is invaluable. I think the Lync mobile clients are a lot like Lync in general: now that I’ve got it, I can’t imagine how I’d get my job done without it.

If your company is already using Lync 2010, you’ll need to enable the functionality before users can take advantage: this NextHop blog has details for on premises customers, and this Office 365 community article provides information for Lync Online. Once the mobile clients have been enabled, users can download and begin using Lync 2010 for Windows Phone today, with other platforms coming soon. Visit here  for the latest update regarding availability.

Today is an important step for Lync on the road to fulfilling its promise as a ubiquitous communications tool and I’m proud to be a part of the team delivering these clients to our customers.

For more information, you can visit the Lync mobile site. You can also download the Lync 2010 Windows Phone client on your phone directly from the Windows Marketplace.

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