Microsoft Rebrands OCS AGAIN! Introducing Lync Server 2010

The Microsoft marketing team has struck again!  Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS) has been rebranded AGAIN to Lync.  Huh?  Really?  3 releases and 3 names?

Ok let me see if I have this straight:

1. 2005 Release – Microsoft Live Communications Server (aka – LCS)
2. 2007 Release – Microsoft Office Communications Server (aka – OCS)
3. 2010 Release – Microsoft Lync (aka – Launching Your Next Communicator?)
4. BINGO! I mean Turkey! I mean…?

Looks like the Marketing team over at Microsoft has once again found a reason for their existence.  They must really be getting desperate these days! Just pick a name and STICK to it.  I don’t know…  how about UCS? Unified Communication Services.  DONE.  It’s not year specific, it’s broad yet relevant for what Microsoft is trying to create with their Voice / Chat / Collaboration framework all build into UCS!

Anyway, from the Microsoft blog, here’s the basic details if you want more info and “marketing”.

Along with the rebrand, Microsoft also released the released candidates for the Microsoft Lync Server 2010 along with several other Lync Tools.  Here’s a few links if your corp. wants to try them out.

• Microsoft Lync Server 2010 RC
• Microsoft Lync 2010 Attendee RC
• Microsoft Lync 2010 Attendee Admin Install RC
• Microsoft Lync 2010 RC Getting Started

And quite a few more other installs that hit Microsoft Download that I don’t have time to link to.