ML
    • Recent
    • Categories
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Groups
    • Register
    • Login

    Consolidating Communications Channels

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved IT Discussion
    skypeemailyammerlync
    28 Posts 5 Posters 8.0k Views
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • scottalanmillerS
      scottalanmiller
      last edited by

      Using Sharepoint for feedback might be best, given the available options and not wanting to add a new system while knowing that Sharepoint is definitely not going away in our environment. Email and Sharepoint are the two "most stable" systems for us.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • Minion QueenM
        Minion Queen
        last edited by

        It really is a major issue. As SAM says having too many drives everyone nuts and I think rather than try to post anywhere at all they just don't bother.

        We now have a full time project manager which can bring things to one single point of contact on projects but still what's the best way to pass this information around so everyone can see it and comment. We really love to have the team involved on every project so that those without the experience can learn and those with can share what they know so that the client gets the best options available.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • scottalanmillerS
          scottalanmiller
          last edited by

          Traditionally I thought that the Sharepoint system works pretty well. It's like a forum, posting each project as an individual thread worked moderately well. And keeps people in Sharepoint. You can subscribe to threads or add people to threads so that they see updates via email and don't need to watch it too closely.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • scottalanmillerS
            scottalanmiller
            last edited by

            Unless we come up with something new, my gut feel is that Exchange + Skype + Sharepoint might be enough for all internal communications. Each piece isn't the most efficient, but it is only three pieces and covers the main bases without overwhelming us with different tools for different things. Only one of each, as a starting point.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • Minion QueenM
              Minion Queen
              last edited by

              I think we need to streamline how we use SharePoint for this.

              scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • scottalanmillerS
                scottalanmiller @Minion Queen
                last edited by

                @Minion-Queen said:

                I think we need to streamline how we use SharePoint for this.

                In the "client" site there is a discussion group that can be used. It's for nothing but discussion of client projects, needs, issues, etc.

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • thanksajdotcomT
                  thanksajdotcom
                  last edited by

                  We use Lync for our PBX here but I know for a fact we're using a Lync server and not Office365. However, I remember when I was at NTG and Alex was too, he was talking about having Office365 Lync being used as a PBX. That could consolidate two systems to one. I guess I need to understand what you mean by communication channels. Communication internally? Communication between employees and clients?

                  Sharepoint would be a great place to have an internal page for announcements, etc. Then it becomes everyone's responsibility to monitor that intranet site (even though it's on Office365). Yammer should always be purely social. Basically, instead of trying this and that and everything, find what works and just stick with it.

                  scottalanmillerS 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • scottalanmillerS
                    scottalanmiller @thanksajdotcom
                    last edited by

                    @thanksaj said:

                    We use Lync for our PBX here but I know for a fact we're using a Lync server and not Office365. However, I remember when I was at NTG and Alex was too, he was talking about having Office365 Lync being used as a PBX. That could consolidate two systems to one.

                    Problem there is that Lync is unstable and the reason that Skype is being used it because Lync is unreliable. It would be a great idea to consolidate the PBX and Lync but we need the reliability of Asterisk and Lync just can't pull that off. The Lync software is just so buggy. It freezes, crashes and goes offline constantly. Can't even use it reliably for IM let alone voice, video and if we hooked it to a SIP trunk we can just imagine the disaster.

                    thanksajdotcomT 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • scottalanmillerS
                      scottalanmiller @thanksajdotcom
                      last edited by

                      @thanksaj said:

                      Sharepoint would be a great place to have an internal page for announcements, etc. Then it becomes everyone's responsibility to monitor that intranet site (even though it's on Office365).

                      You can subscribe to things too, which makes it far easier to use. You don't have to watch it all day, every day, to know when things are happening.

                      thanksajdotcomT 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • thanksajdotcomT
                        thanksajdotcom @scottalanmiller
                        last edited by

                        @scottalanmiller said:

                        @thanksaj said:

                        We use Lync for our PBX here but I know for a fact we're using a Lync server and not Office365. However, I remember when I was at NTG and Alex was too, he was talking about having Office365 Lync being used as a PBX. That could consolidate two systems to one.

                        Problem there is that Lync is unstable and the reason that Skype is being used it because Lync is unreliable. It would be a great idea to consolidate the PBX and Lync but we need the reliability of Asterisk and Lync just can't pull that off. The Lync software is just so buggy. It freezes, crashes and goes offline constantly. Can't even use it reliably for IM let alone voice, video and if we hooked it to a SIP trunk we can just imagine the disaster.

                        Lync on Office365 is not stable. Lync in a non-hosted solution is EXTREMELY stable! We use it here with ZERO problems.

                        thanksajdotcomT scottalanmillerS 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • thanksajdotcomT
                          thanksajdotcom @thanksajdotcom
                          last edited by

                          @thanksaj said:

                          @scottalanmiller said:

                          @thanksaj said:

                          We use Lync for our PBX here but I know for a fact we're using a Lync server and not Office365. However, I remember when I was at NTG and Alex was too, he was talking about having Office365 Lync being used as a PBX. That could consolidate two systems to one.

                          Problem there is that Lync is unstable and the reason that Skype is being used it because Lync is unreliable. It would be a great idea to consolidate the PBX and Lync but we need the reliability of Asterisk and Lync just can't pull that off. The Lync software is just so buggy. It freezes, crashes and goes offline constantly. Can't even use it reliably for IM let alone voice, video and if we hooked it to a SIP trunk we can just imagine the disaster.

                          Lync on Office365 is not stable. Lync in a non-hosted solution is EXTREMELY stable! We use it here with ZERO problems.

                          And we're spread out just as much as NTG and also have quite a few more people.

                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • thanksajdotcomT
                            thanksajdotcom @scottalanmiller
                            last edited by

                            @scottalanmiller said:

                            @thanksaj said:

                            Sharepoint would be a great place to have an internal page for announcements, etc. Then it becomes everyone's responsibility to monitor that intranet site (even though it's on Office365).

                            You can subscribe to things too, which makes it far easier to use. You don't have to watch it all day, every day, to know when things are happening.

                            Yup. I think Sharepoint is going to be your best solution.

                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • scottalanmillerS
                              scottalanmiller @thanksajdotcom
                              last edited by

                              @thanksaj said:

                              Lync on Office365 is not stable. Lync in a non-hosted solution is EXTREMELY stable! We use it here with ZERO problems.

                              I've used it at a few massive companies and it wasn't stable there either. Always major issues. Office 365 behaves exactly as I've seen it in the enterprise space.

                              thanksajdotcomT coliverC 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • thanksajdotcomT
                                thanksajdotcom @scottalanmiller
                                last edited by

                                @scottalanmiller said:

                                @thanksaj said:

                                Lync on Office365 is not stable. Lync in a non-hosted solution is EXTREMELY stable! We use it here with ZERO problems.

                                I've used it at a few massive companies and it wasn't stable there either. Always major issues. Office 365 behaves exactly as I've seen it in the enterprise space.

                                The standard solution we roll out to our clients for phone systems is Lync, which then doubles as their internal IMing system, etc. It's stable with zero issues for tons of clients and us internally. McAfee had issues with their Lync but their whole network was buggy as hell, so it wasn't really Lync as much as their network.

                                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • coliverC
                                  coliver @scottalanmiller
                                  last edited by coliver

                                  @scottalanmiller said:

                                  @thanksaj said:

                                  Lync on Office365 is not stable. Lync in a non-hosted solution is EXTREMELY stable! We use it here with ZERO problems.

                                  I've used it at a few massive companies and it wasn't stable there either. Always major issues. Office 365 behaves exactly as I've seen it in the enterprise space.

                                  I've been talking with two different companies who use Lync on-site. One is a large international company and their exec staff swears by it, makes it easy to get a hold of people without having to call them and is perceived as more professional then SMS, the IT person I've been talking to hasn't mentioned any stability issues (although that's understandable). The second is a significantly smaller company who uses it for ad-hoc one off communications... they apparently have had nothing but problems with it.

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • Minion QueenM
                                    Minion Queen
                                    last edited by

                                    I had a meeting a few weeks ago with Microsoft people and they don't use Lync themselves because of stability issues. They use Skype as well.

                                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                    • coliverC
                                      coliver
                                      last edited by

                                      @Minion-Queen said:

                                      I had a meeting a few weeks ago with Microsoft people and they don't use Lync themselves because of stability issues. They use Skype as well.

                                      I thought Skype was going to be branded as the new Lync? http://www.theverge.com/2014/11/11/7192929/skype-for-business-lync-replacement Not sure if this is relevant or not.

                                      thanksajdotcomT 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • thanksajdotcomT
                                        thanksajdotcom @coliver
                                        last edited by

                                        @coliver said:

                                        @Minion-Queen said:

                                        I had a meeting a few weeks ago with Microsoft people and they don't use Lync themselves because of stability issues. They use Skype as well.

                                        I thought Skype was going to be branded as the new Lync? http://www.theverge.com/2014/11/11/7192929/skype-for-business-lync-replacement Not sure if this is relevant or not.

                                        That's what I was told.

                                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • Minion QueenM
                                          Minion Queen
                                          last edited by

                                          Yes it is from what I am hearing in all my partner meetings. Skype business is slated to be on the market this next year. They are moving away from the Lync Platform and to the Skype one.

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • coliverC
                                            coliver
                                            last edited by coliver

                                            I think you guys have Elastix as your PBX would a jabber/xmpp client work for that type of communication? Or would that be just another method of communication that people would be confused over?

                                            scottalanmillerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                            • 1
                                            • 2
                                            • 1 / 2
                                            • First post
                                              Last post