Introduction

The authors of this book have been working with Communications Server since the Live Communications Server 2003 days. I remember when it launched on December 29, 2003. Back then, Windows Messenger 5.0 was the main client used and the terminology was completely different. However, even then, TLS communication was supported, although most IT departments went with the more familiar TCP option instead. Needless to say, a lot has changed through the years. Most people I work with don’t realize that Lync Server is a fifth-generation product! It is even older if you count the Exchange Instant Messenger Service that was included in Exchange Server 2000, which was pulled out to build the first version of Live Communications Server.

In the beginning, Live Communications Server 2003 was only an IM server. With Lync Server, it has evolved into many more things, including

• Web and audio conferencing server

• Unified Communications (UC) integration across many other platforms, such as Office, SharePoint, and Exchange

• Soft phone

• Video conferencing system

• PBX replacement

Back in 2003, IM was perceived as a novelty. No one used it to conduct business or even imagined it as a gateway to multimodal communications. Starting with Office Communications Server 2007 R2 and continuing with Lync Server, Microsoft introduced the concept of Communications Enabled Business Processes (CEBP).