Microsoft and their true intentions are to kill the PBX and desktop phone. Large enterprises that want to run "voice is just another application" on their servers using Microsoft may benefit. But I need to quote a guy, a former national account team member of AT&T when he said to my former boss why we had to buy his solution: "My kid needs new socks!"
My kid doesn't need new socks and I'm still not in any rush to pitch Microsoft or cave in to the idea that the PBX is dead. Changed and still changing--yes, and I expect further changes. But Lync isn’t all the hype and hope that it's cut out to be, at least not yet. Forrester analyst Henry Dewing argues that, "Microsoft Lync is not yet the panacea to all enterprise collaboration needs." Henry goes on to write in, Lync Launches A New Era For Microsoft, that Microsoft has not met project management, interoperability, videoconferencing and mobility challenges.
I remember the '90s and the half-baked solutions that we had to deal with when it came to VoIP and IP-PBX solutions. Vividly those days still remind me of what not to sell and why. I can't help but wonder about Microsoft; and while they have a huge following, is that following willing to give up or give in to the idea that Lync requires no desktop phone? Henry also wrote that, "Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has finally relinquished his desk phone and relies entirely on his Microsoft Lync client for all his UC&C needs in the office."
So the two key things about Microsoft are: one, they want the PBX business but don't want to sell PBXs or desktop phones; and secondly, they want you to think that using your desktop computer for everything is acceptable. Maybe I'm adding some conjecture, but my kid doesn't need socks.
A key question remains in my mind and that is why can't IP-PBXs run UC? Does having UC mean that the IP-PBX isn’t powerful enough or designed to handle UC too? The headlines on NoJitter also have me thinking about security. While Miercom didn’t detect any vulnerabilities with Lync, how about with integrated solutions? Then, is enterprise really willing to give up desktop phones? I admit that desktop phones continue to be costly, but what about eliminating the desktop because your kid needs new socks?
