On this new section I will show you real scenarios where I implement or use Lync to leverage productivity and people to communicate.
On my company, the board members decide to have weekly meetings with the commercial and operational staff (on different days) and quartely with all the employees. On the company headquarters theres an auditorium for about 100 persons. But there’s more persons on other locations, on travel and even teleworkers that are required to participate. The solution was… Microsoft Lync !
There’s was any significant investment to apply this solution. We just need to be resourcefull enough to find some workaround’s: an IP PTZ camera (it can move and zoom if the speaker move to show other things, like a flipchart), a PC, some custom windows video drivers and a combination of wired/wireless media technology.
So the usual activity for this meetings are plain and simple:
…• Meetings are scheduled using Outlook, with the invitations providing the url for remote participants;
…• On the conference room the speaker(s) will talk with a wireless microphone, and data is projected on the main wall. The presentation is provided by a computer running Lync client;
…• Remote participants will follow the presentation and the speakers video and sound on their Lync client whenever they are. If someone needs to make a questions, he will be heard on the conference room speakers.
The final result is an high quality meetings and a real productive bussiness process:
…• presenters take no more than 5 minutes to setup the meeting and conduct using the keyboard/mouse;
…• remote participants can assist like they were at the room, without the need to travel.
…• this meetings usually take no more than an hour, so everyone will resume they work activity on the next 5 minutes.
…• the presenters can also be remote and on this case, the conference room participants are the ‘remote’ ones but they still can interact;
…• important training sessions can be recorded and are posted on the company intranet for offline training and review.
Comments always welcomed.
IT based Communications 
We have been looking to do something like this. I was wondering what camera you used?
It’s a common IP camera. My company is also on the Security surveillace business, so I just used one on the spare stock with the best resolution (800×600 30fps).
But it works with several others IP cameras and i’m pretty sure the majority is compatible with the same way.
Could you elaborate on your choice of IP PTZ camera ?
As I reply to a participant before, the choice was based on our spare stock availability 🙂
The resolution was a factor, but the ptz was the advantage because you can pan and zoom while the meeting is running to follow the presenter and other participants
But what vendor you chose (or would have chosen) ?
Axis or Brickcom. Just because are the one I had the chance to fully manage/try.
But any PTZ with 720p nowadays with RTSP support is good enough.
Excuse my perplexity & interest, but how do you “capture” the RTSP to resend it with Lync ?
The hard way: build a windows driver 😉
The easy way (doesn’t not allways work): get a software streaming engine.
What microphone did you use, and how does it interface with the PC running Lync?
We have two options for presenters:
– A common bluetooth headset (use on ear), which connects to a dongle;
– A wireless microphone for rooms (for use on shirt), with the receiver connected to the audio PC mic port.
With the new Lync 2013 Conference room features (like Livesize LRS1000), is there a way for a small company (we don’t know how to build a windows driver) build a 2 projector version just like you built, and use a gyro mouse to simulate the touch features? The LifeSize LRS1000 will only work with their screens (not with projectors).
It’s not there anymore, but we had two projetors. Inside the ‘media room’ there’s a audio/video splitter that allow us to also use two monitors one other rooms at the same time.
We tested a gyro mouse sucessfully, but the people prefered the traditional mouse/keyboard.
Hi, can i ask you for your email, i do have this specific case much simmilar with the above senario.
Regards
Pls what kind of ipcamera did u use on lync. Is it a usb camera?
It’s an Axis IP camera
How did you handle booking the Room Resource? Normally the presenter sends an invite with the Lync URL to participants. Does the presenter then logon to their own account on the auditorium PC, or do you have a separate Auditorium Lync account? If the latter, how does the presenter get the URL to start the meeting – Outlook Web Access? Or do you invite the Auditorium account when booking the room so that the meeting appears right in Lync client?
Or more simply put – Do you have the presenter use their own Lync account, or a special auditorium Lync account? This is where we get tripped up with ease of use from user’s perspective.
The user’s are free to use their account, since it’s a regular PC with Lync and Outlook clients.
But for the best experience, the Auditorium PC has an account that is a room resource account in Exchange.
This is basically the same principle of the Lync Room Systems that came one year later.