Microsoft Lync, which is similar to Windows Live Messenger but targeted at business executives as BBM, is set to make its debut on Windows Phone, Android, iOS and Symbian-powered devices in the last quarter of the year. It was revealed during the TechED event in New Zealand.
Nokia has already announced that its yet to be launched Nokia 600, 700 and 701 will come pre-installed with the app. Lync along with Skype will be available on all Windows Phone 7 devices when the App is launched.
The TechEd New Zealand conference of Microsoft provides developers and IT professionals the most comprehensive technical education across Microsoft’s current and soon-to-be-released suite of products, solutions and services.
Lync mobile will offer both audio and video conferencing options in addition to the plain text chat. Both Skype (now owned by Microsoft) and Lync will also take advantage of front-facing cameras on Windows Phone.
The level of integration with People Hub (a tab in Windows phone 7 which takes care of phone calls, social networking etc) is not yet known. However, it is likely that it will be integrated well as Microsoft is trying to challenge high level of Google services (like Talk, Map, Picasa, YouTube etc) integration with Android that acts as a competitive advantage for the Windows Phone 7 rival.
However, how Microsoft differentiates with Skype and Lync will also determine its success. Meanwhile, Microsoft has removed a video of the announcement about lync from its website.