Microsoft launches Lync 2010, finally gives enterprise communications suite a memorable name

Microsoft on Monday announced the release candidate of Lync 2010 and Lync Server 2010, the products formerly known as Office Communications Server (and even further back, Office Live Communications Server) and group chat client Communicator.

Lync is Microsoft's new brand for the communications and conferencing software suite that unites enterprise voice calling, IM, group chat, audio and video conferencing, and screen sharing under a single interface, and allows for simple integration into enterprise deployments of Office, SharePoint, and Exchange.

Trial versions of these software are now available for download for XP, Vista, and Windows 7, with general availability expected later this year.

"Over the past five years we have been on a journey to transform communications with the power of software. Lync delivers on this vision by unifying enterprise voice, instant messaging and web-, audio- and videoconferencing into a new, connected communications experience," Gurdeep Singh Pall, corporate vice president of Unified Communications at Microsoft said in a statement today.