Microsoft Rebrands Lync as Skype for Business

	Mitel drops ShoreTel bid | 10 enterprise Internet of Things deployments with actual results
	Network World Convergence and VoIP
	Microsoft Rebrands Lync as Skype for Business In a blog post last week, Microsoft’s corporate VP for Skype Gurdeep Pall revealed changes for Microsoft Lync with a new name, a new user interface, and new features. In his blog, Pall said, "In the first half of 2015, the next version of Lync will become Skype for Business with a new client experience, new server release and updates to the service in Office 365."Microsoft intends to feature the best of Skype and Lync with the integration and updates. For example, the platform will adopt familiar Skype icons for calling, adding video and ending a call. Skype for Business keeps existing Lync capabilities such as content sharing, standard telephony features, instant messaging and audio calling with Skype users.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More WHITE PAPER: Brother International Corp. How Secure are your Web Meetings? OmniJoin offers a full suite of security features to give you the peace of mind that your web meetings are as secure as you need them to be. Learn More>> In this Issue Mitel drops ShoreTel bid 10 enterprise Internet of Things deployments with actual results Sony adds autofocus tracking to smartphone image sensor 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: The other NSA also knows what you want Cool Yule Tools: Best techie gifts for 2014 WHITE PAPER: NetBrain Technologies Applying Automation to Maintain Accurate Network Diagrams Accurate network diagrams are the Holy Grail in enterprise network management – most network teams know they should be documenting their networks but haven't found a universally good way of doing it. Learn More Mitel drops ShoreTel bid Customers of ShoreTel phones and unified communications gear can stop worrying that their lives might get complicated by a merger between the company and its rival Mitel. Mitel has taken a $575 million offer for ShoreTel off the table stating the refusal of ShoreTel’s board to talk about the offer. + More on Network World: 5 top-paying IT jobs for every stage of tech careers + “The decision to terminate the proposal early was made in light of the repeated refusal of ShoreTel's Board of Directors to engage in discussions of any kind regarding a potential transaction,” Mitel says in a press release. The offer represented more than 24% more than what ShoreTel’s stock was worth.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More WEBCAST: CenturyLink Effective collaboration = exceptional customer engagement Now on Demand! IT leaders are constantly required to do more with less, but even as new digital technologies now play the most vital role in engaging customers, many IT groups spend 75% of their resources on legacy application maintenance. Join us to learn how IT organizations can pivot from maintenance to creation and innovation. View now 10 enterprise Internet of Things deployments with actual results Much of the media focus on IoT has been on connected devices like smart appliances, wearable devices, and other novelties. However, at Cisco’s Internet of Things World Forum in Chicago last month, a number of complex deployments that have transformed cities or businesses were highlighted. Here are 10 of the more interesting deployments.BC Hydro, British Columbia, Canada Smart Meter and Clean Energy ProgramCompanies Involved: Cisco, Itron, Cap Gemini, AccentureBC Hydro invested $900 million for smart meters and smart grid across the service area to improve meter efficiency and grid stability. The deployment replaced about 1.8 million meters across seven Canadian provinces.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More WHITE PAPER: Code 42 Why Endpoint Backup is More Critical Than Ever Get the latest backup trends (and what to do about them) in this study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Code42 in March 2014. Learn More Sony adds autofocus tracking to smartphone image sensor Sony has developed an imaging sensor for smartphones that’s designed to capture rapidly moving subjects such as kids and animals.The Exmor RS IMX320 is a stacked CMOS sensor that’s the first of its kind with accurate, high-speed AF (autofocus) tracking for subjects that are constantly on the move, according to Sony.The latest Exmor’s HDR (high dynamic range) function, a common exposure-boosting feature for smartphone cameras, also supports 4K (4096 x 2160) videos.The sensor has 21 effective megapixels, a frame rate ranging from 24 to 120 and a newly developed signal processing function.Image plane phase detection AF, as the AF-tracking feature is known, uses dedicated pixels incorporated in the screen of the image sensor and provides information to the camera about the distance to the subject. The sensor has 192 AF points.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: The other NSA also knows what you want Troy Galluzzi Our motto: “He Sees You When You’re Sleeping, He Knows When You’re Awake…” After months of investigations, cups of coffee and several arm-twisting interrogation tactics, the Cool Yule Tools staff of writers and editors has discovered a shocking truth. The government group that has allegedly been spying on us, known as the “NSA”, is actually a cover group for a little-known organization with headquarters near the North Pole. Yes, we are speaking of the National Santa Agency.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More Cool Yule Tools: Best techie gifts for 2014 Our motto: “He Sees You When You’re Sleeping, He Knows When You’re Awake…”Image by Troy GalluzziAfter months of investigations, cups of coffee and several arm-twisting interrogation tactics, the Cool Yule Tools staff of writers and editors has discovered a shocking truth. The government group that has allegedly been spying on us, known as the “NSA”, is actually a cover group for a little-known organization with headquarters near the North Pole. Yes, we are speaking of the National Santa Agency. (See full writeups on these products.)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here Read More
	SLIDESHOWS Pi, translated: The evolution of Raspberry Pi It's only been two years, but the Raspberry Pi has already come a long way. JOIN THE NETWORK WORLD COMMUNITIES As network pros you understand that the value of connections increase as the number of connections increase, the so called network effect, and no where is this more evident than in professional relationships. Join Network World's LinkedIn and Facebook communities to share ideas, post questions, see what your peers are working on and scout out job applicants (or maybe find your next opportunity). Network World on Facebook Network World on LinkedIn Join the IDG Contributor Network The IDG Contributor Network is a collection of blogs written by leading IT practitioners about the technology, business opportunities and challenges you face everyday. We invite you to participate by applying to be a contributor today. MOST-READ STORIES of 2014 1. 20-plus eye-popping Black Friday 2014 tech deals 2. Mobile Pwn2Own: Windows Phone does well, iPhone 5S, Galaxy S5, Nexus 5, Fire Phone fall 3. Peeping into 73,000 unsecured security cameras thanks to default passwords 4. Black Friday iPhone 6, iPad Air deals spill forth from Walmart 5. 8 free online courses to grow your tech skills 6. 20 cool things you can do with a Raspberry Pi 7. Ten operating systems for the Raspberry Pi 8. Intel turns to light beams to speed up supercomputers 9. Cisco winning SDN battle: Chambers 10. 8 tech buzzwords that you need to know
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