On the Lync Conference in San Diego in February this year, Microsoft introduced the long-awaited feature “Group Call Pickup”, which is now supplied, free of charge, with CU1 (Cumulative Update 1) for Lync 2013.
The function “Call Pickup” is a classic PBX feature that has become indispensable as a telephone function for many users over the years (or better a habit). System integrators regularly have difficulty explaining when customers compare apples and pears, respectively Lync and telephone systems. The major Microsoft competitors such as Avaya and Cisco naturally point out the supposedly missing feature to potential customers to distinguish themselves.
Group Call Pickup is now available, free of charge, for Lync 2013, and this raises the question:
Why do we still need colima Cerebro Call Pickup?
The built-in Lync “Group Call Pickup” has four basic advantages:
- no extra costs – is included in the Lync licenses,
- you do not have to install any 3rd party software on your own Lync servers
- the picked call is immediately heard
- like Cerebro it is a purely server-side installed component.
Microsoft’s Lync Group Call Pickup provides a feasible “basic functionality” and so on the user side an immediate need for further configuration options or hedging with permissions are formed.
Function comparison
| Feature | colima Cerebro Call Pickup | Lync Group Call Pickup |
| free of charge | no | yes |
| no 3rd party software needed | no | yes |
| picked call is heard immediately | no | yes |
| the caller is displayed before answering | yes | no |
| Lync 2013 | yes | yes |
| Lync 2010 | yes | no |
| Lync 2010 & 2013 Hybrid | yes | ?? |
| SBA-support | yes | ?? |
| control via AD groups (Pickup-Groups) | yes | no |
| control via delegated grouping possible | yes | no |
| Pickup-permissions regulated through groups | yes | no |
| user can be in several groups | yes | no |
| uniform Pickup-Code (e.g. *5) | yes | no |
| Direct Pickup (e.g. *51234) | yes | no |
| second calls can be picked by user | yes | ?? |
| Pickup redirected calls | yes | no |
| easy Installation und configuration | yes | no |
| Signaling when and where it is ringing | ?? | no |
| Pickup call types(Call-Types: Delegation, Response Group Calls, Team Calls, Sim-Ring-Calls) | yes | no |
In addition to an installation scenario that, according to Lync specialists, could pose a wild water ride with some shoals for the inexperienced Lync Admin, Lync Group Call Pickup offers no way to set permissions for the function – therefore anyone who knows a Park Code can pick a call. Or plastic: the caretaker could pick up a call from the CEO. This is reliably prevented by the assignment to Pickup Groups or assignment as a delegate at Cerebro.
Users are accustomed to hearing the caller imediately after entering the Call Pickup Code, without having to perform any additional actions. However, this also has the disadvantage that to the user the caller does not appear on the display as with a normal call. With Cerebro the caller is displayed prior to accepting the picked call, so the user can decide to accept the call or not.
The significant difference between Cerebro and CU1 Group Call Pickup is the single Pickup Code in Cerebro, ie all employees only have to notice for example “*5″ as the Pickup Code instead of single or multiple Call Park Ranges (eg “#570″ for area A and “#577″ for area B)
Currently, with Cerebro as with CU1 Call Pickup a call can only be picked up if the user knows that a phone is ringing somewhere. The function “Where it is ringing” is not possible because we deliberately did not want a client installation but we are working on a practical and simple solution.
Is colima now Microsoft’s competitor?
No. At colima we are pleased that Microsoft has integrated the “Group Call Pickup” in Lync. On the one hand it promotes the growth of the Lync market share significantly, colima naturally profits as a whole. On the other hand we at colima are not those who require money for a simple function which the customer expects to obtain as a simple basic function in the default features.
Conclusion
With CU1 Pickup, Microsoft succeeded a big step forward for the further successful establishment of Enterprise Voice. Which is great!
colima Cerebro positioned itself not as competition, but as a useful add on product. Cerebro offers many useful functions through the interaction with other modules such as BusyOnBusy and so exploits its full strength. Both solutions can be operated and utilized simultaneously on the same system so each user can use the benefits of each solution for themselves.
Related
Detailed (technical) analysis: https://greiginsydney.com/lync-call-pickup/
http://windowspbx.blogspot.de/2013/02/call-pickup-groups-coming-to-lync.html
http://windowspbx.blogspot.de/2012/04/lync-call-pickup-feature-provided-by.html
colima Cerebro – neues Release für Lync 2010/2013
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36820
