Download Lync Server 2010 Release Candidate (RC)

Microsoft is nearing the final phase of development for its next generation Office Communications Server (OCS) product.

The start of this week is synonymous with the availability of the Release Candidate (RC) development milestone of Microsoft Codename Communications Server '14,' the successor of Office Communications Server 2007.

And it appears that the Redmond company considered the release of the RC bits an excellent opportunity to unveil the official new brand of the next major iteration of OCS.

In this regard, Microsoft Communications Server ’14,’ has been relabeled as Lync Server 2010.

The first links for Lync Server 2010 made their way to the Microsoft Download Center at the end of the past week, but the software giant only now provided the actual bits for download.

“Microsoft Lync Server 2010 communications software delivers streamlined communications including software-powered VoIP, presence, enterprise IM, web conferencing, and A/V conferencing,” the Redmond company noted.

“You can implement these capabilities alongside your existing telephony infrastructure, while retaining rich operational control.”

Companies running older versions of OCS should consider testing Lync Server 2010, especially now that the RC bits are available for download.

As is the case with all Microsoft software, the RC marks an important stage in the product’s development process, indicating that the offering is near finalization and that the RTM is coming up next.

Early adopters can grab Lync-RC-7457.0.iso weighing in at almost 1.6 GB from the Download Center and start testing it immediately.

According to the software giant, the Lync Server 2010 RC brings to the table the two SKUs of the server, namely Enterprise Edition and Standard Edition. Included in the ISO package is also the Microsoft Lync 2010 client.

“Microsoft Lync Server 2010 provides complete presence, instant messaging, conferencing and enterprise voice capabilities through a single, easy-to-use interface that is consistent across PC, browser, and mobile device,” the company said.

“You can Architect your deployment for high availability using data center resiliency and survivable branch appliances."

“Administrators benefit from a single, consistent management infrastructure, new capabilities to increase availability, and interoperability with existing systems."

“Administrators also use a new PowerShell-based foundation for administration consistent with Exchange Server, Active Directory, and other Microsoft server products.”

Microsoft underlined that the RC Build is intended for testing only, and that the release is time bombed and set to expire on February 20, 2011.

According to the software giant, “the following resources are available for use with the RC:

◦Wave 14 Tech Center
◦Getting Started
◦System Requirements
◦What’s New
◦Planning Primer
◦More Planning chapters
◦Lab Deployment
◦Microsoft Lync Server 2010, Planning Tool.”

Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Release Candidate (RC) is available for download here.