Future of my telco job? Microsoft Lync...

[NYMIKE82]

Please advise if you changed over to MS Lync or have any advice(such as the right forum place to post this).

When I started with this company 4 years ago I managed 30 Nortel/Avaya PBXs and was responsible for all the telco infrastructure.
Then we migrated to VoIP a year ago. Deploying Asterisk(not my choice) I had to learn Linux, Python, and Asterisk itself. I've managed to do that but it was rough learning all that while admining the system but I managed and am pretty damn good with the system now.
After less then two years, boss wants to change over to Microsoft Lync so we can integrate sharepoint. This time I got to take classes first at least. Is Lync going to be the death of my current employment? Is my programming going to be taken over by a developer or the exchange guy? Am I just going to be relegated to just installing end points and running cable?

I know adapt or die but I need a brake from adapting.

 

[mrdenny]

I feel your pain, changing frequently sucks. Telecom folks have for the most part been pretty insulated from the annoyance of changing everything every couple of years. Sadly for the rest of IT this is actually pretty standard. New releases come out every few years and it's time to learn everything all over again.

As a Lync admin will you still be needed? Yes, someone needs to understand how to build phone trees and how call routing works to properly design the Lync system. Some of your work will shift from the dev and exchange folks. But because of the innovations of products like Lync a lot of the stuff you've had to do before is handled by the system and a lot of it will simply be phone installs and programming. There is still the interface between the teleco and you that needs to be managed by someone who knows what they are doing.

The other options being learn to manage some of the Exchange stuff as it now directly relates to the telecom now, or switch to a company that is still using older more traditional style phone switches.

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[kmcferrin]

Does Lync actually replace the phone switch/call manager now? I thought that it just integrated with your current call manager system.

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[hairlessupportmonkey]

be warned; - these articles about Lync have been flying around recently:

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/092011-lync-enterprise-251059.html

Lync can replace your traditional switch - but you also have to make sure your ITSP is able to offer TCP SIP rather then UDP!

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