One of the advantages of Microsoft Lync Server 2010 over other VoIP systems is the use of the RTAudio codec to provide a superior audio quality experience. RTAudio is an adaptive codec that dynamically adjusts itself based on existing network conditions.  RTAudio will dynamically adjust itself to cope with challenging network conditions by changing the bit rate, reducing bandwidth consumption on saturated links, and introducing forward error correction and redundancy in lossy networks, to compensate for jitter.

But how does this work over high latency satellite link with a round trip time exceeding 500ms?  The answer is extremely well.

Jasco Consulting has recently completed a pilot implementation of Lync Server 2010 for a mining company.  This company’s head office is located in Perth and the mine site is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  The company operate a 1Mb synchronous satellite connection between Perth and the DRC that has an average round trip ping time of over 550ms.  A Lync Server 2010 pilot was deployed to test the suitability of Lync as a replacement for the current VoIP system.  The pilot was a complete success with Lync Server 2010 providing consistent voice quality at an equivalent or superior level to the current system.

The introduction of Call Admission Control with Lync 2010 provides key features to control the bandwidth consumed per call and total bandwidth per modality over network links.  Lync Server 2010 implements Call Admission Control independently of the network.  Lync 2010 also provides the functionality to tag Lync Server 2010 packets for QoS tags to allow QoS to be implemented at the network level (independent of networking vendor).

One of the key benefits of Lync Server 2010 over other VoIP systems is that Lync is not a single mode communications product.  Lync provides users with the options of multiple communications modalities – Instant Messaging, Voice, Video and Conferencing which are controlled from a single platform.  The customer is now investigating the possible use of the conferencing features of Lync as a replacement for their current room based video conferencing equipment.

Lync Server 2010 provides options to allow connectivity from corporate Lync accounts to Public IM Connectivity (PIC) providers such as Windows Live, Yahoo, AOL.  With this option, network administrators can control who is allowed to access PIC providers and removes the need for staff to use third party IM applications on corporate computers.  This option would be very useful for remote fly in / out staff.

Jasco can help your organisation deliver improved communications.  With more than a decade of experience, Jasco and its partners not only help plan, deploy, and optimise business solutions but also help your organisation move forward with new initiatives that deliver more business value.  Contact Jasco today to find out how we can help your business communicate.

Copyright 2011 Jasco Consulting Pty. Ltd. ACN 084861 450- All rights reserved. Jasco is a registered trademark of Jasco Consulting Pty. Ltd. in Australia and/ or other countries. All other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

St Pauls Grammar School, a pre-Kindergarten to Year 12 school located in Penrith, NSW, have announced a new initiative to help parents and students deliver increased security throughout the school day. Working together with JASCO Consulting, one of Australia’s leading consulting firms, St Pauls will deploy JASCO messageLinx which will provide St Paul’s with the capability to read the daily electronic roll data and then automatically place calls to parents/guardians of students who are absent. This automation will help save staff valuable time each day and therefore help increase staff productivity throughout the school.

Developed for Microsoft Lync, JASCO messageLinx will be used to play a message to the parent/guardian when the call is answered indicating that the child is absent from school.  messageLinx will also provide prompts for the parent/guardian to be connected to a coordinator if they would like to speak to a school representative directly.  In this way, JASCO messageLinx will help school administrators identify potential truancies as well as ensure all children are accounted for during the school day. 

In addition to the development of JASCO messageLinx, St Pauls Grammar are also working with JASCO to replace their old PBX and move to a voice enabled IP network. Microsoft Lync 2010 was chosen as the platform to both replace the old PBX and also improve business process and innovation by leveraging the school’s further investment in Exchange 2010 and Microsoft Office.

To help provide further cost savings, the solution deployed at St Pauls Grammar will include a GSM gateway that provides free calls between mobiles, so that diversions and calls to staff mobiles are free.

Microsoft Lync 2010 has been successfully delivered to all staff and is currently live and fully operational within the school.  St Pauls are innovating in parent/guardian communication and engagement by leveraging technology to help enable and improve existing business processes while also increasing the security and safety of their students. 

For more information about JASCO messageLinx or to learn more about how JASCO can deliver practical business solutions, please contact Jason McClintock. To learn more about St Paul’s and the JASCO solution they have implemented please contact Justin Warner. Both Jason and Justin are also available via Microsoft Communicator.