Client APIs

On the client side, the Lync Server API enables you to add Lync client functionality and features to your own line-of-business applications. Imagine being able to view and display presence in your custom inventory control software. What if, while running your custom inventory application, you could open an IM chat window and chat with the supply room clerk to verify that you have enough inventories or start a chat with your counterpart at another store to ask a question about a product? And pass your current context to the remote party so that they will know exactly what you want to chat about?

The Communicator API enables you to do all these things. You can use it to automate the Lync client or build custom Lync clients (imagine what a round version of the Lync client would look like). You get to define what the UI of your application looks like. The API does this by reusing the Lync client connection, which means that you need the Lync client running on your client PC. Sometimes, as in the case of a lobby kiosk, you might not want the user to know that the Lync client is running. You can hide it so that your application is all the user sees.