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A rebuttal from Microsoft and my readings/comments on public IM connectivity in Sametime 7.5....


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An accurate response came from Microsoft to my post yesterday.  LCS 2005 does offer connectivity to outside public IM systems through PIC (Public IM Connectivity).  Sametime will have the VOIP options built in also.  I agree that the integration needs to be made further in the phone systems.  DUCS is still under-utilized and full VOIP integration needs to be completed.  Awareness in both products is everywhere.

We can now move on to IBM/Lotus's statement that this feature or function will be free.  From the LCS website here, there is more costs involved:

Public IM Connectivity licenses are available on a per-user, per-month subscription and are additional to the Live Communications Server Client Access License (CAL). Public IM Connectivity has two licensing components associated with its use, a Services Subscription License (SSL) and a User Subscription License (USL).

Public IM Connectivity service licenses are available for Microsoft Volume License customers only and are not available for retail open customers following other Microsoft subscription licensing programs.


You then jump to this site to fill out forms to get public connectivity.  Unfortunately the Public IM Connectivity Partner site has nothing there yet either and states so.  This is how you merge your ID into the public systems.

Let's see how fast organizations move into federated connectivity with a free system versus licensing, I am curious.