the UC Guys

What’s your favorite Lync Survivable Branch Appliance (SBA)?

Hey Lync UC Professionals!  Wondering what your favorite Lync SBA is and why?  Hoping to start a good discussion about your personal experiences with SBA’s you have used and why you prefer them.  Whether its simplicity of use, technical support, or overall cost please feel free to share your experiences here.

Polycom CX100 USB Speakerphone for Microsoft Office Communicator

I just picked up this device a few days ago and have been using it as my portable conferencing phone as I travel from site to site. This device which is about the size of my hand comes in a hand case and the USB cable tucks neatly into the back of the unit for ultra portability. Don't let the size fool you either. The sound quality of the CX100 is very good for a device that retails for about $100. Adhering to the 'Optimized for Office Communicator" moniker it boasts, you simply plug the device in, allow windows to automatically install the driver and it is ready to use with Office Communicator.

The device has two microphones for high fidelity audio and users on the other end of a call had no complaints of the hearing people sitting around the CX100.

So if you are looking for something better to host meetings with when mobile (rather than your laptop mic) I would highly recommend the Polycom CX100.

Office Communicator Devices

The following is a link to a list of the currently supported devices for Microsoft Office Communicator 2007.  Using 'certified' devices is important to achieve the best Quality of Experience when making and receiving audio calls with Office Communicator (OC)  As well, they provide a true plug and play experience without having to mess around with drivers and sound control panel settings.

Also listed here are the Office Communicator Phone Edition Devices that are a 'networkable' phone requiting only a network connection to utilize Office Communications Server 2007.

Have a look at some of these devices here.  I plan to review some of these devices in upcoming blogs.

Dino.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/moss/bb970310.aspx