office communications server 2007

[browolf]

anyone use it?, what's it good for?
I was going to try it out on a spare server, cos I wanted to see what office communicator did. but according to the docs, u cant install the server in a mixed mode domain.

[apearce]

i really like OCS - its your msn basically.

With the communicator client you can do you instant communications, voip, webcam, open a onenote document together.

There is also a web version known as Communicator Web Access (CWA) which makes the chat available.

You can make the communicator client available over the internet so you can still have your video/chat while out of the office.

It can also intergrate with your exchange server and your internal phone system (depending on your system).

Theres a OCS 2007 R2 coming out soon as well

The new live messenger beta is built on OCS

[Gatt]

We use it here too - works really well too
Well, when the staff bother to use it!!

Also trialling Groove server too but this hasn't really got off the ground yet...

[browolf]

how much does it cost?

[zag]

I think its part of the top Microsoft Office package browolf so free if you have that.

I've wondered about this for a while. Are there any advantages over using normal MSN messenger?

[CyberNerd]

as an alternative, moodle has an IM messaging system that is integrated with email. It is designed specifically for education, so has good logging/filtering options. It enables teachers to easily message their entire class.

[browolf]

I think its part of the top Microsoft Office package browolf so free if you have that.

I've wondered about this for a while. Are there any advantages over using normal MSN messenger?

we seem to have office professional plus 2007. there's only a disk with the communicator client on

[Divaldo]

We use OCS at our place too and with the web access you don't need to worry about installing Communicator.

It's great for students who are out of school for whatever reason to be able to contact their teachers. We publish it using a page viewer web part in our portal so everything is in one place.

[Gatt]

Just been looking at OCS R2 - its x64 only - so thats scuppers it for staff.. though they can use Communicator R2

Just installed R2 on the pupil end but not given the pupils access to it just yet till we have a look at locking it down using GP and the Resource Kit so that they only have a set number of contacts that cant be changed

[Nick_Parker]

I've been trying to setup OCS 2007 R2, holy hell it's complicated! And all I really want from it is a basic IM server

[Gatt]

It used to be dead easy when it was integrated into Exchange (2000?)

[Nick_Parker]

No ways, you have to jump through 15 hoops before it'll even start installing...
which failed anyway :P

[UKDarkstar]

There is a free clinic entitled "Clinic 10052: Introduction to Enhancements in Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2" available at the MS e-learning site :

https://www.microsoftelearning.com/e...2&tab=overview

Might be worth a read

[Domino]

It'd be far easier for most schools to run openfire and spark as IM

OCS R2 is billed as a full VOIP infrastructure as well as IM, it's what we're rolling out here AWS, but I it's overkill for most people.

Bear in mind, we're running it on 4 servers in Boston and 4 in London.

I think you get a CAL with the office pro licence - but you'll still need a server licence and a enterprise CAL (which is a top up so both are needed) if you want to use voice or desktop sharing.

[torledo]

It'd be far easier for most schools to run openfire and spark as IM

OCS R2 is billed as a full VOIP infrastructure as well as IM, it's what we're rolling out here AWS, but I it's overkill for most people.

Bear in mind, we're running it on 4 servers in Boston and 4 in London.

I think you get a CAL with the office pro licence - but you'll still need a server licence and a enterprise CAL (which is a top up so both are needed) if you want to use voice or desktop sharing.

AWS ???