Share via

IM an Expert Lync bot available for download and other Lync customization examples

  • Article

What is a Lync query response bot?

A Lync query response bot is custom developed automation component accessible via IM where end users can query via IM for information against various databases, Internet like Bing, or even connect you with other live experts. I put in a few Lync bots and other Lync customizations below developed using the Lync Server 2010 SDK.

IM an Expert bot

One of our useful Lync bot tools we use inside of Microsoft is called the Lync “IM an Expert” bot. This bot can be used by Microsoft employees where you can IM the bot a question about many different topics and it will ‘find’ the expert related to the question being asked based on who has signed up as a particular expert. The IM an Expert has connections to search the vast expert knowledge of Microsoft employees around product related expertise, development, HR, Xbox Kinect, home repair, automobiles, and many many other areas of expertise.

image

Here is a sample of the workflow of how IM an Expert bot works:

image

You can now have our IM an Expert bot for free:

Grab the Lync IM an Expert Setup documentation here.

Grab the Lync IM an Expert bot here.

Other Lync bot examples:

We have another Microsoft bot we can use to translate, get stock quotes, get product information, do a who is, do a bug lookup, etc.

image

image

You could think of education scenarios here such as a student IMing a bot for a course schedule, loan status, or maybe finding a financial aid expert on campus.

IM language translator add-in:

Here is a cool Lync IM translator add-on for Lync which leverages the Bing Translator web service:

image

If you want to install this translator add-on to use with Lync use this registry entry:

Create the registry key by opening a new Text file and copying the following:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Communicator\ContextPackages\{54C2C31A-A291-4DFA-825A-18994EBE9877}]

“Name”=”Conversation Translator”

“ExtensibilityApplicationType”=dword:00000000

“ExtensibilityWindowSize”=dword:00000001

“DefaultContextPackage”=dword:00000000

“InternalURL”=”https://input.microsoft.com/translator/OCTranslatorTestPage.html”

“ExternalURL”=”https://input.microsoft.com/translator/OCTranslatorTestPage.html”

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ZoneMap\Domains\microsoft.com\input]

“http”=dword:00000002

Save the Text file and change the extension to .reg file. Close Lync and run the Reg file.

Notification bot:

We have another Microsoft bot for scheduling reminders where it will call you back on your Lync or mobile endpoint and provide text to speech over VOIP based on what you put in quotes:

image

This might be a nice education add-on for teachers and students to get mobile phone reminders about tests, labs, etc.

A few other examples of the extensibility of Lync:

Timecard Lync integration:

Timecard add-on for Lync from Modality Systems. This is nice since it will IM you as reminder to enter your time and then you can enter it right from the Lync client.

image

Add in timecard approval workflows, etc:

image

Lync Call tracking app from Geomant called UC Client Accounting:

image

Building Map extension for Lync:

We developed an internal mapping program that will map a Lync user’s building/cube to a map:

image

image

Lync Voice to VHF two-way radio via twistedpair solutions useful for campus security or other scenarios:

image

GPS capable two way radios will show a Bing map location of the person with the radio inside of Lync:

image

Lync IM to SMS text via Geomant solution called SMSforLync:

image

ContactSync for education by The Via Group:

Pulls the class roster out of a student information system and can prepopulate fellow classmates as contacts, show your courses and schedule, etc. Students really liked this feature as they could IM fellow students and connect and share desktops on projects, etc. They could also IM professors and teacher assistants on the bottom, etc.

image

Blackboard Lync/OCS integration with Enabling Technologies Corp:

image 

 

Speech recognition, Tellme, and IM text to speech integration with Lync with Gold Systems Vonetix 7:

This is cool demo on how Gold Systems combined several interesting technologies with Lync into a product called Vonetix 7 for contact centers, etc.:

Vonetix 7 from Gold Systems

The are many many more ISVs developing examples like above with Lync using our CEBP and SDK. I hope this gives you a good taste of what some ISVs are working on and even some of the Bot scenarios that can really leverage the power of Lync.

For more on Lync Bot samples including the Lync IM Bing translator bot see here and here.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Arturas, You can develop a bot to monitor a windows service or you could develop some code to send an IM to administrators with a service status change.  You can run the IM an Expert web portion on multiple web servers with load balancing.

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    And another question is, is it ok to run website on two servers and use load balancing?

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Hello, how run Bot an Monitor as windows service?

  • Anonymous
    March 24, 2011
    I thought you might be interested in another add-in for Lync.  This one is especially useful for customers migrating from IBM Lotus Sametime to Microsoft Lync.  It is Epilio image transfer, which allows you to share a snapshot of part of your screen with someone else www.epilio.com/.../ImageTransferOCS.htm

  • Anonymous
    March 29, 2011
    Hi, where should i install this bot? Can i install it on front-end server, or maybe i should install it on new clean server?