RM406 Unified Communications User Engagement

Leeds Beckett University is based in Leeds with campus sites in Leeds City Centre and Headingley. We have approximately 2,900 staff and over 28,000 students. The University wishes to deliver a Unified Communication solution to support the requirements of the University IT Strategy.

Key features of this solution would allow

• Staff and students to be able to communicate via Instant messaging, voice, email, or video
• Conferencing, presentation and collaboration will be possible between two or more users
• Integration with Microsoft Outlook client and Exchange (e.g. synchronisation of contacts and calendar) and all other Microsoft Office applications
• A user’s presence will be shown, which should integrate with and automatically update against their MS Office applications
• Staff and students to communicate on any device (PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet, MS phone or tablet etc.) and allow for multiple devices per user to allow single contact presentation.
• Integrate with the public telephone network (PSTN) and the existing Mitel hardware (PBX).
• A single telephone directory shared across our HR system (Trent), Active Directory and Mitel to be used by the UC application.

Following a period of consultancy in 2014 on Unified Communications and University requirements, Microsoft Lync was recommended as the most appropriate solution to support the University IT Strategy. In April 2015 we employed a technical consultancy to assist with the initial design and implementation of Microsoft Lync infrastructure and basic configuration.

Deployment of the functionality across the University staff and students will follow the technical implementation. The University requires support in generating enthusiasm throughout the University staff and students, building and maintaining a high level of positive user engagement, capturing detailed business requirements and carrying out an efficient and effective deployment of the solution to the end users.