Microsoft Live Communications Server delivers instant messaging (IM) and presence as part of a scalable, enterprise-grade solution offering enhanced security, seamless integration with other Microsoft products, an extensible, industry-standard development platform, and compliance with regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, SOX, and GLB. Your organization can realize cost savings and improved business efficiencies, increased individual productivity, and enhanced intellectual property protection with this easy-to-manage, highly available solution. Successful implementations of LCS require careful planning and consideration before deployment. Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can provide the expertise necessary to deliver all the benefits of LCS throughout your entire organization.

The IM Business Solution for Enterprises
Instant Messaging is growing at a torrid pace and is expected in the near future to be as popular as email. IM is not a phenomenon that large organizations can simply ignore. By utilizing Live Communications Server, enterprises can track and manage presence information and IM for hundreds of thousands of users within an encrypted, authenticated environment. Enterprises also can utilize the Live Communications Server “federation” option to extend IM and presence information to remote users and to trusted customers, suppliers, and partners, including those using a public IM network service.

LCS fits well into organizations that:

• Have a large number of users
• Have geographically disbursed users
• Need an IM solution for working with partners, vendors, support personnel
• Need Real Presence Awareness
• Need to comply with Regulatory requirements (HIPAA, SOX, GLB, etc.)
• Have a business-specific reason they cannot use a public IM infrastructure, such as Hotmail, AOL, Yahoo!

Features and Benefits of Microsoft Live Communications Server
LCS offers rich, real-time communication that provides speedy answers when your organization need them most. Features and advantages of Microsoft Live Communications Server include:

• Real Presence, so you know when a Subject Matter Expert (SME) is available and when you can utilize immediate expertise service
• Integration with IP telephones, offering the ability to initiate calls from the interface
• E-Mail Integration when someone is not available
• Sharing of files and information, plus video conferencing
• Automatic recording of LCS communications, allowing users to review conversations anytime, anywhere
• Recording of exact conversation in the event of a misunderstanding or need to review change-order or other authorizations
• Archiving of conversations, allowing users and organizations to review previous conversations as far back as necessary

Microsoft LCS Overcomes Objections Large Organizations Have to Public IM
Microsoft Live Communications Server addresses the common objections of organizations that either cannot, or choose not too, have public IM capabilities.

"We don't want our employees chatting with friends and family at work."
One of the great strengths of LCS is that you can control access via your organization's business requirements. You can configure LCS to be limited to the Organization, allow external communication to limited outside resources, and even control the level of permissions on the user level.

"We don't allow or cannot have unsecured communications over the public network."
LCS is based on a PKI infrastructure and is completely secure and encrypted. It's virtually impossible for anyone to capture your communications.

"We have stringent regulatory compliance requirements regarding electronic communication."
LCS provides automatic recording and archiving of all communications that take place between parties, providing a complete electronic trail of all transactions. Microsoft LCS can support your company's compliance with regulatory standards and new legislation such as Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, HSPD-12, or Gramm-Leach-Bliley.

How Progent Can Help You Deploy Microsoft LCS
Live Communications Server runs on Microsoft Windows Server and leverages Windows tools and technologies, including:

• Active Directory directory service for authentication and group policy
• Microsoft SQL Server for maintaining user data, logging, and archiving
• MOM (Microsoft Operations Manager) and MMC (Microsoft Management Console) for management tools

To find out how more about how Progent's IM consultants can help your company benefit from Microsoft Live Communications Server, call 800-993-9400 or email exchange-help@progent.com.