In today’s fast-paced business environment, effective communication is paramount. Organizations require robust tools to connect employees, facilitate collaboration, and streamline workflows. One such crucial technology is the Office Communication Server, a cornerstone of modern business communication. But what exactly is an office communication server, and how does it empower businesses?
Historically, the concept of an office communication server has evolved significantly. Over the past decade and a half, it has been known by various names, starting as part of Microsoft Exchange and transitioning through iterations like Live Communications Server and Office Communications Server, before becoming Lync, and ultimately, Skype for Business. It’s important to distinguish Skype for Business from the consumer-grade Skype – they are different products serving distinct purposes.
At its core, an office communication server, particularly in its Skype for Business form, is a comprehensive platform designed to unify various communication methods within an organization. It extends beyond simple instant messaging (IM) to encompass presence, conferencing, and Voice over IP (VoIP) capabilities, often integrating with traditional phone networks (PSTN). Businesses typically leverage office communication servers in two primary ways:
1. IM, Presence, and Conferencing:
This foundational use case centers around enhancing real-time collaboration and communication. Employees can utilize clients to engage in instant messaging with colleagues, fostering quick questions and updates. The “presence” feature allows users to see the availability status of their contacts, indicating whether they are online, busy, or away, streamlining communication attempts. Furthermore, the server enables various types of conferencing:
- IM Conferencing: Simple text-based group chats for collaborative discussions.
- A/V Conferencing: Expands IM conferencing with live audio and video feeds, enabling richer, face-to-face interactions.
- Web or Data Conferencing: Builds upon A/V conferencing by adding screen sharing, presentation capabilities (like PowerPoint slide support), and collaborative document viewing, ideal for virtual meetings and presentations.
- Telephone Conferencing: Integrates traditional phone lines into conferences, allowing participants to join via phone calls, sometimes replacing more expensive dedicated telephone conferencing systems.
2. Enterprise Voice:
This more advanced application transforms the office communication server into a complete phone system replacement. The client effectively becomes a software-based phone, handling both internal and external calls through the organization’s network infrastructure. This can be implemented as a standalone system or integrated with existing Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems, where the PBX manages traditional phone functionalities while leveraging the communication server for unified communication features.
Many organizations strategically adopt a phased approach, initially implementing IM, presence, and conferencing features for immediate collaboration benefits and cost-effectiveness. Companies with existing PBX infrastructure under lease agreements might initially opt for these features and later incorporate Enterprise Voice when economically and contractually feasible.
Understanding the Costs:
Deploying an office communication server involves several cost considerations. While precise pricing requires specific quotes, understanding the components is crucial for budgeting. For a basic IM/Conferencing and Presence setup for approximately 500 internal users, a simplified infrastructure might include:
- Single Standard Edition Server: A single server running the Office Communication Server software (ideally on Windows Server). This server necessitates licenses for the server operating system and the communication server software itself. It also demands sufficient hardware resources, including RAM (at least 32GB) and processing power (8 cores minimum), alongside fast storage. Virtualization can be utilized to host this server on robust hardware.
- External Access Infrastructure (Optional): To extend services to users outside the internal network (e.g., internet-based users), additional servers are needed. Typically, this involves a dedicated Edge server and a Reverse Proxy server. These also require server licenses but can potentially be virtualized onto fewer physical servers.
- Scalability Considerations (Enterprise Edition): For larger organizations, higher usage scenarios, or advanced features, the Enterprise Edition of the communication server is recommended. This necessitates a more robust server infrastructure, including multiple servers for the communication server software and dedicated SQL servers for database management. For high availability and redundancy, clustered and virtualized server environments are often employed, especially for edge services. Scaling costs are variable, dependent on user behavior and growth.
- Enterprise Voice Infrastructure (Optional): Implementing Enterprise Voice requires at least one additional server and potentially a hardware gateway to interface with traditional phone networks or existing PBX systems. Integration with existing IP PBXs might be possible, reducing hardware investments.
- Client Access Licenses (CALs) and Client Software: Each user or device accessing the server requires a Client Access License (CAL). There are typically different CAL levels (e.g., Standard and Enterprise), depending on the features accessed. The client software (e.g., Skype for Business client) is generally not freeware and is often part of office suite subscriptions.
- Bandwidth Implications: Office communication servers, especially with video conferencing, consume network bandwidth. Organizations must assess their internal network and internet bandwidth capacity. Upgrades to network infrastructure, particularly the backbone, might be necessary to ensure smooth performance, especially with widespread video usage.
- Return on Investment: Counterbalancing these costs are substantial benefits, including reduced travel expenses, faster decision-making processes, enhanced team collaboration, and improved overall communication efficiency.
While specific pricing requires detailed analysis and vendor consultation, understanding these core components and cost factors allows businesses to begin evaluating the investment in an office communication server and its potential to transform organizational communication.
