Microsoft’s next unified communications server offering is now ready as a free release candidate download. But in a twist, it’s not called Microsoft Office Communications Server. Instead, Microsoft has rebranded OCS as Microsoft Lync and Lync Server 2010. Here’s the scoop.

The goal of Lync, according to Microsoft’s press release, is to provide a more unified approach to voice, IM, audio and video communications with a single identity, integrating with Microsoft’s near-ubiquitous Office, SharePoint, and Exchange products. Microsoft says the legacy application integration is aimed at making it easier for end-users to adopt the platform.

Lync essentially is Office Communication Server 14, which many VARs and managed services providers have been beta testing recent months. Interestingly, that same press release teases a later release for a hosted Lync Online, which is potentially good news for Microsoft cloud service providers.

If you have a deployment environment ready to go, you can give the Lync Server release candidate a 180-day trial download ahead of its “later this year” general availability.

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