Purpose of the integration

Lync Server and Customer Interaction Center, when used together, provide a new range of capabilities to users of both systems:

• Users who previously used only Lync now have access to all the powerful contact center and IP/PBX capabilities of CIC.

• The integration provides CIC users with the instant messaging, voice, and video capabilities of Lync, and the functionality available in the Lync Server platform.

• Call center agents using CIC can now view the availability of non-CIC users without leaving the CIC client.

In addition to benefiting from the features of each system, users of the integrated systems can realize some more specific functionality. This functionality is described in the following sections.

Sharing and synchronization of presence information

CIC and Lync Server share and synchronize presence information between systems, as it is appropriate. Lync Server uses presence information to indicate the availability of a user to participate in instant message conversations. CIC uses presence information to determine whether a user is available to receive calls, participate in chats, and so on. Presence synchronization requires the installation and configuration of the Lync Presence Integration service. For more information about presence synchronization and the service, see Configuring presence synchronization.

More call functionality

Lync users can now place calls from the Lync client to a Lync-enabled CIC user or to the PSTN. And CIC users can place calls to Lync users.

In addition, calls from the PSTN can be directed to Lync users.

CIC client with embedded Lync client

Lync-only users can use the Lync interface, while Lync-enabled CIC users can use the Lync functionality embedded in the CIC client.

With the embedded version, users can click a name in the directory and start an instant message conversation, voice call, or video call with that person. CIC handles voice communications, while Lync Server handles video communications.

Instant messaging

With the combined company directory in the CIC client, users can view directory entries that include Lync Server users and CIC users. When starting a chat with a person in the directory, one of the following occurs:

• If a user starts an instant message from the Lync-enabled company directory in the CIC client, then the CIC client instructs Lync to open the Lync instant messaging interface.

• If the person has a CIC user configuration, but does not have a Lync Server user configuration, the chat interaction appears in the CIC chat interface as it did previously.

Merged company directory

When enabled, the merged, Lync-enabled company directory displays both CIC users and Lync users in one combined directory.

The directory lists user contact information and indicates user status information as follows:

• A user with a configuration in both CIC and Lync appears in the merged directory with a CIC status and Lync presence information.

• A user with only a Lync account appears as any other entry in the directory, but has Lync presence information and no CIC status.

In the merged company directory, users can collaborate with other users using various forms of communication (phone, instant message, video chat, share desktop, and more), depending on the user type.

Users can add the merged directory to the CIC client as a new view, and can configure the columns that appear. For more information about the merged company directory, see CIC client Help.

The I3_Feature_Lync license is required.