Hybrid and On-Premise Deployment Integration

Lync Server 2013 is the first release to offer integration with Office 365 in a hybrid mode. The only option available previously was to use a separate SIP domain for Office 365 cloud users and the on-premise users, but the hybrid model allows for the same namespace to be used in both sides.

Not only does a hybrid connection allow for IM and presence integration, but organizations can now connect their Office 365 hosted users with an on-premise telephony or video conferencing solution. This enables administrators to migrate some user accounts to the cloud, but maintain an on-premise phone number, as shown in Figure 2.3.

Figure 2.3. Hybrid voice topology.

A strict requirement for Lync Hybrid scenarios is that an organization first deploy Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) for single sign-on with Office 365. The Office 365 federated identity cannot be used.