Lync: My Christmas Present To Ponderous OnesLync: My Christmas Present To Ponderous Ones

It wouldn't be sporting of me not to mention that one of the common concerns of many is still NAT traversal.

It wouldn't be sporting of me not to mention that one of the common concerns of many is still NAT traversal.

Eyeball Networks offers AnyFirewall Engine a NAT traversal Software Development Kit (SDK) for guaranteed traversal of IP communications through NATs, firewalls and web-proxies--suitable for applications such as: IP phones, online communications, video conferencing and content sharing. AnyFirewall Engine (AFE) incorporates implementation of the IETF standards STUN, TURN and ICE.

Highlights:

* 100% Firewall and NAT traversal for signalling and media
* More than 95% of sessions use P2P data transport in UDP-enabled networks
* Traverse simple NATs, nested NATs, UPnP gateways, firewalls, and web-proxies
* Applications: VoIP, IM, video conferencing, file-sharing, online collaboration
* Simple API for rapid application development and integration with 3rd party libraries such as SIP/JINGLE stack or RTP library
* Available in multiple platforms including Microsoft Windows, Linux, Android, iPhone/ios, Neutrino, J2ME, and Windows 7
* Since 2003, with more than 200 licensees and 20 million end-points

Microsoft designed Lync to replace the PBX in a corporate environment and you just need to read their enticing advertising that positions Lync anywhere and everywhere. But the reality is that most enterprises are not just going to throw out their embedded communications infrastructure and applications to use Microsoft technology. It will be an evolution over time, and will still require the use of third party equipment and applications. Rather than spend development dollars by designing in Microsoft's proprietary MS-ICE2 protocol, companies can choose to license this NAT traversal technology from Eyeball Networks and dramatically reduce precious time-to-market.

When I spoke with Mike Myshrall, VP Business Development over at Eyeball Networks, he asked me if I was using Lync (I am not). When he told me about AFE and 100% traversal it didn’t take me long to recall past issues and some present ones too that could cause a lot of unnecessary wasted resources especially with telecommuters, remote sites and various legions of equipment in the field. Still, I think the Eyeball solution is pretty slick and it may end up being important glue for those that want to adopt Lync now rather than later.

On a personal note, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all you folks, yes of course to you IT rascals too! Be sure to also check out the cool freebie by Eyeball--Eyeball CHAT.