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Foster City, March 20, 2012 – NextUC is gaining ground as a go to solution for business looking to break the traditional mold associated with the telephone and carrier world. The cracks in the mold include: no contracts, free 60 day evaluation period, instant turn up; telephone calls, video conferencing, web conferencing, audio conferencing, chat, presence, and mobile solutions all working in minutes rather than months (or never).

NextUC has changed the perspective that traditional carriers have forced on the business community for decades. NextUC believes that a customer’s loyalty must be earned every day and allows customers to leave without penalty at any point. NextUC believes the playing field should be set so that business customers can lower their costs, consolidate vendors, ease user adoption of powerful tools and… also have the ability to leave if the relationship is not working for any reason.

The approach is attracting customers at record pace. NextUC has set record customer additions month over month since its commercial launch. Customer satisfaction is driving word of mouth referrals which in turn create more momentum for NextUC. Customers can expect to experience a team communications and collaboration experience that provides more value at less cost than they are typically spending on web conferencing alone.

“The reception we are receiving from our customers is very encouraging,” says Bob Barnes VP of Product Sales and Marketing “customers are providing us with a clear message that expectations are changing for the telecom world. They are happy about the new way of doing business.”

NextUC offers a 60 free trial period for all services including video conferencing, web conferencing, audio conferencing, telephone service, mobility and more.

About NextUC
NextUC exists because professional networking connects business professionals. Collaboration transforms networked professionals into high performance teams. NextUC brings professional collaboration to life with a single product – voice, video, conferencing, messaging and more. Communicate the way you want and solve hard problems. It’s as powerful as that. With NextUC clients can replace their phone and conferencing providers and simply use Lync for all of their communication needs. NextUC works on all operating systems including Windows, iOS, Android, and Windows Phone and has a mobile client available for all major mobile platforms. For more information please visit www.nextuc.com

Written by Bob Barnes

Microsoft Lync enables rapid access to employees, peers, experts, and decision makers through the most effective and appropriate methods. You can improve or expand your unified communications throughout the business to increase productivity and streamline efficiency. Users can employ familiar Microsoft environments, like Office, SharePoint, and Exchange to reduce the cost and complexity of communication systems throughout the company.

What You Get

A hosted Microsoft Lync solution provides a number of features for better communications. These tools allow users to make the most of their time, whether they are on-site or mobile. Your Lync solution includes:

Presence Information: User status details that let you know who is available and even what they are doing. This is the key to knowing if someone can be reached and, more importantly, the best method to do so.

Instant Messaging: Communicating in real time with text messages is a common practice, but Lync makes it easy to escalate to a phone call or group chat if the need arises.

Web and Video Conferencing: Launch a conference with a click. Share your desktop content in real time and reduce the amount of necessary travel.

Telephony or PBX: Integrate voice communications with email, calendaring, voicemail and more. VoIP will lower the cost of a telephone system and provide most functional communication needs of your business.

What It Does

The features you get with a hosted Lync solution can change the way you do business. For example, with rich presence information you and the right setup you can auto publish detailed information that goes beyond “busy” or “not here.” You can use this tool to show “on a call” or “be free in X hours” so other will know exactly when to try again.

You will also be able to lower your costs by eliminating the old PBX telephony as well as any teleconferencing costs and third-party Web conferencing fees you might have had. And, of course, a hosted solution will be able to reduce the IT workload as well as minimize the number of help desk calls.

How It Works

A hosted solution means you don’t have to invest in the necessary infrastructure to install and manage Microsoft Lync on site. In the same way that most companies don’t host their own websites, you don’t have to host your own unified communication system. It is more common, and far more convenient, to have them hosted somewhere else.

When your communications solutions are hosted off site, you won’t have to worry about dealing with updates or installing new hardware. You won’t need to hire an IT specialist to keep your systems running, and you can increase your efficiency without having to fill your company with new equipment.

Written by Bob Barnes

Why is Cloud-based Lync THE perfect tool for team collaboration?

Cloud-based Microsoft Lync provides the easiest and most comprehensive collaboration software in the market. The platform includes all of the communication channels that a typical user needs for every-day communication and is accessible right when you log in to your computer in the morning. You don’t need to launch any programs or remember extra logins, Lync simply works in parallel with whatever else you are working on.

Lync delivers powerful collaboration tools:

• Presence information and Instant Messaging  (in a call, in a meeting, online, offline, away) so that you can reach people real-time.
• Audio, video and web conferencing. Lync makes it easy for users to create, moderate, and join ad hoc collaboration sessions and online meetings with internal and external users.
• Group chat. Participate in ongoing discussions on topics of shared interest with Group Chat. Collaborate more effectively and get things done faster.
• Enterprise voice. Click-to-call all of your team members, customers and partners with directly from your Lync client.
• Simultaneous ringing. Use Lync simultaneous ringing to direct incoming calls to automatically ring on your mobile, home, or other telephone number so that you never miss a call.
• And more….plus the server is cloud-based so that you don’t have to purchase any technology. Simply subscribe for a month-to-month, no commitment plan and see how Lync works for your business.
• Learn more by signing up for a  60-day Free Trial.

Written by Bob Barnes

Foster City, CA – January 10th, 2012: Today, NextUC announced a special customer promotion for its cloud-based Microsoft Enterprise Lync server. Every NextUC customer who signs up for the 60-day free NextUC trial will receive a free Jabra UC VOICE 550 Headset for every 10th user.

With hosted NextUC server and Jabra UC VOICE 550 Headset, mobile workers can now access the power of NextUC’s cloud based online meeting platform from anywhere – the desktop, laptop or the road without the need to make any capital investments. The offer is free for 60-days and will be based on a monthly subscription basis after the trial period.

NextUC is a hosted Microsoft Lync product that helps teams make decisions faster. Clients using the NextUC service can communicate real-time and improve their team collaboration and productivity. Additionally, they can use NextUC to make outbound PSTN calls and calls to other PCs and replace their traditional phones and conferencing providers. NextUC comes with unlimited calling and conferencing minutes.

Jabra UC VOICE 550 headset is designed specifically for the use with Microsoft Lync. Its advanced unified communications features include intuitive call control, plug-and-play USB connectivity and adjustable speaker chambers. The headset is perfect for desk-centric professionals who occasionally work from different locations and need to take the headset with them.

NextUC believes that communication is the heart of high performance teams and brings professional collaboration to life by delivering one unified communications product for complete collaboration: presence, chat, voice, video, conferencing, web sharing and more for free for a limited time. Customers are welcome to sign up for the 60-day Free Trial through an easy self-provisioning portal and be up and running within a few minutes.

About NextUC

NextUC is a cloud-based Microsoft Lync communication product delivering enterprise-class voice, messaging, conferencing, presence, chat, collaboration and mobility capabilities.  NextUC streamlines business communication into one unified interface enabling easier and faster collaboration and increased productivity. With NextUC clients can replace their phone and conferencing providers and simply use Lync for all of their communication needs. NextUC works on all operating systems including Windows, iOS, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry and has a mobile client available for all major mobile platforms. For more information please visit

www.nextuc.com

Written by Bob Barnes

The NextUC line of products uses Microsoft Lync Server to provide a set of integrated communication tools and assist businesses in streamlining their collaboration processes. This is done by connecting offsite locations with instant messaging, video, online meetings, and document sharing. These improvements help make employees and teams more efficient and productive.

NextUC Lync provides these solutions to companies in a wide variety of industries. Here are some examples of how companies across various fields take advantage of the many different ways to use Microsoft Lync:

Healthcare

Healthcare workers find Microsoft Lync incredibly easy to use and useful in diagnosing diseases and discussing various treatment options. With this technology in place, doctors around the country and across the globe are not limited by time or travel constraints when it comes to collaborating about difficult decisions.

This immediate integration greatly benefits patients, as top physicians and experts can be consulted and information shared with a few clicks of a computer mouse. NextUC makes this communication process simple for healthcare workers and keeps patient information secure.

Consulting

The NextUC’s communication solutions are a natural fit for consulting firms. These companies help their clients become more productive at their jobs, and Microsoft Lync can help consulting firms become more productive in their communication efforts. The technology is designed to be easy to use, thus saving time and resources that would otherwise be spent in coming up with ad hoc solutions. Employees can use Lync as a complete solution without needing to change between programs.

Consumer Products

Microsoft Lync provides the tools that enable manufacturers and marketers of consumer products to reach fast decisions. With Lync, these communication tools are integrated, which means that employees do not have to switch between applications to begin a call or start a meeting. This assists especially in holding impromptu meetings and eliminates much wait time and travel expenses.

All of these improvements translate to lower costs, which means more money can be invested in critical areas like product research and development, and can eventually lead to a less expensive, better designed product for consumers.

Financial Services

For financial services institutions, Microsoft Lync and NextUC provide instantaneous communication and collaboration with clients. Lync can change the way employees share information and can speed services offered to clients.

No matter what the industry, NextUC’s unique solutions can aid in communications simple. To see the difference this technology can make for your business, take advantage of the 90 day NextUC free trial.

Written by Bob Barnes

NextUC is a set of tools for better collaboration, improving productivity, and streamlining efficiency. These products make it possible to work from anywhere and stay connected to everyone involved in a project with a just standard Internet connection. The NextUC set of products were designed to eliminate the need for on-site hardware and software and provide the voice, video, web conferencing and messaging tools on an enterprise scale but a small to medium business budget.

The NextUC Product Guide can provide more details, but, in general, the set of products includes:

Telephony – Using Microsoft Lync, users receive a multi-tenant IP PBX solution to manage their voice communications. Now you can be reachable with a single number and voice mail, and you can use click-to-call to immediately get in touch with someone on your contacts list.

Conferencing – With so many companies employing people off-site, it’s more important than ever to have reliable conferencing options. NextUC uses Microsoft Lync to allow collaboration, desktop sharing, and white boarding, and you can have unlimited minutes for audio or Web conferencing.

Rich Presence – Do you know who is available for a specific task? Do you know if they have the skills to perform the necessary work? By using these rich presence features you can find the people you need, use the most effective means of communication, and get the right people on the right jobs.

Unified Messaging – There is always more than one way to communicate with someone, and having these options available in one place will make it much easier to contact different people. There are also options to get voicemails as emails, and to create voice-to-text transcripts of your messages.

Online Meetings - With NextUC you can easily join web meetings, share desktops and white-board so that collaboration becomes easier and decisions are made faster. Join online meetings with one click of a mouse directly from your Lync client. No need to have other web conferencing providers.

Mobile Integration – Staying connected wherever you go is easy when you use these products on your mobile devices. iOS, Windows, Blackberry, and Android smartphones can all be integrated with the system so you never have to miss another important message.

A hosted Microsoft Lync solution offers a wide range of solutions for the modern business, and it is possible to get enterprise-class communications as a small or medium business.

The Plans

These products are available on a subscription-based, month-to-month service, which means that companies can tailor their solution to meet their needs. The NEXUC Messenger subscription, for example, is the most affordable and includes instant messaging, presence awareness, PC-to-PC voice and video chat, and Outlook integration.

If you are looking for something a little more robust, you can move up to the Connect or Collaboration plans, which include all of the above but also unlimited calling, voicemail, and video conferencing. The complete package, NextUC Enterprise, will provide all of the features, including unified messaging and mobile integration. Take a look at the product documentation to learn more about these communications tools. Right now we are offering a limited time Free Trial and customers can sign up here.

Written by Bob Barnes

NextUC will soon start supporting Mobile client for it’s Cloud version of Microsoft Lync. What is all the hype about?

The mobile client for Lync 2010 takes the power of unified communications mobile – including rich presence, instant messaging, audio, video and web conferencing and calling features from a single, user-friendly interface. Check out how it will look:

What this nice interface means is that you will be able to do the following on the GO:

• Join conference calls with a single touch – without access code or pin number required.
• Stay connected from wherever you are – see who’s available at a glance and connect via chat, phone or conference call.
• Make calls with a consistent identity – make outbound calls using your business phone number keeping your identity consistent.

Do you want more info? Sign up for a free demo!

Written by Bob Barnes

NextUC announces impending support for Microsoft’s Mobile Lync client for our cloud Microsoft Lync product.  The evolution continues to quicken as we add support for mobile users on Microsoft native products for iOS, Windows Phone, Symbian and Android.  NextUC is built on Microsoft’s Lync Enterprise server and NextUC will need to go through a product update to support the newly released clients.  The support for the mobile client will be 100% self provisionable as is every facet of our current product.  This is just another example of how an IT department can look like stars by leveraging NextUC to be up and running on a full telephony enabled Cloud Lync product in minutes… including functioning telephone numbers and unified messaging.  The exact release date for the Microsoft Mobile Lync client for NextUC has not been announced, but we will get the word out as soon as it is.

Written by Bob Barnes

NextUC is currently working on releasing an Automated Attendant service as part of its cloud-based Microsoft Lync Free Beta Trial Offering.  The auto-attendat will offer a menu system ("for sales, press 1, for service, press 2, etc.) and it will allow callers to be automatically transferred to an extension without the intervention of an operator.  The auto attendant will also allow a caller to reach a live operator by dialing a number, such as "0". 

Adding an Auto-Attendant to the NextUC suite of unified communications features represents a significant advancement to the NextUC product, allowing companies to run their entire operations through Lync. Users can now make free phone calls, chat and use Presence information, conduct audio, video and web conference calls, share desktops and white-board all for free with unlimited minutes. 

Next UC will be one of the first companies to offer Auto-Attendant in a hosted Lync environment. Currently, only on premise versions of Microsoft Lync allow companies to set up auto-attendants. Taking Auto-attendant to the cloud is the next big step for hosted UC and it provides SMBs access to typically enterprise-only features without the cost and headaches of managing it internally through a PBX.

NextUC will soon be offering other product advancements, such as a higher integration with Office365, federation with other chat platforms, such as Google chat, Yahoo messenger, MSN messenger and others. Stay tuned for more news.

Written by Bob Barnes

The growing trend of ‘working-at-home’ creates immense benefits for the employer and the employees. Employers save on real estate cost, infrastructure and telecommunications and on top of that achieve higher employee satisfaction and lower attrition rates. Employees save time and money on commute, work clothes and lunches and ultimately everybody is happier. However, every company needs a solid and flexible communications system to allow virtual workers to work efficiently from home, the road or a coffee shop.

It is no longer enough to have just a laptop and a cell phone, you need the ability to take business phone calls from wherever you are on a single number. You need to be able to get on conference calls right from your laptop or tablet. You also want to see who on your team is available so you can get answers faster and speed up your decision making process. Microsoft Lync provides an interface that delivers all of these benefits – Presence, chat, telephony, conferencing and collaboration tools accessible from anywhere.

If you are a small business and don’t want to purchase and manage the server yourself, the best option is to sign up with a hosted provider and have Lync delivered from the Cloud. That way, you can focus on projects, not on maintaining the technology. NextUC delivers hosted Lync and  will allow you to not only leverage the rich communications features but also make phone calls directly from the Lync client.  It is powered by CallTower, Microsoft Gold Certified client with over a decade of experience managing hosted Microsoft communications.  See how it works here. Right now we are running a limited time free Beta trial so you can check out the benefits of Lync for yourself. It is free so you have nothing to lose.

Written by Bob Barnes