Microsoft Lync is Microsoft’s next-generation communication technology.  It is a feature-rich application, allowing you to check your colleagues’ availability; send Instant Messages (IMs); start or join a webinar—all through a consistent, familiar interface which visually resembles Yahoo or AOL Instant Messenger.  Best of all, it is fully integrated with Microsoft Office, allowing you to share a document or initiate a webinar with just a few clicks. 

Microsoft Lync provides many useful and exciting features and some of them are highlighted below:

• Instant Messaging & Presence – provides real-time presence information and enhanced instant messaging to help you connect more efficiently and effectively
• Sharing and Collaboration via desktop screen sharing – virtually transport your colleagues to your desktop with just a few clicks, regardless of whether they are one office away, at another campus, or in Rome for a conference
• Webinars – turn a meeting into a webinar with one click and host your meeting from anywhere.  As usual, you will need to use an audio conference bridge for the audio portion of the meeting.
• Document Transfer – drag and drop transfer of your documents to other staff/faculty members by simply dropping the document on the instant message window
• Office Integration – seamlessly integrates with Office and the College directory so that all of your contacts’ titles are displayed and you can instant message and share from within your Microsoft Office Applications (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Lync, etc).

Lync is available to all faculty and staff members who have Mercy College issued desktop/laptops.

IT Services is also available to provide individual or group based training sessions. If you would like to schedule training for yourself or your team members, please contact the helpdesk at helpdesk@mercy.edu

Lync is very easy to use and user friendly. For your convenience, quick reference guides are included below: