Lync 14.0.11 on 10.10.x not getting GAL

[perrycj]

Similar to when Mavericks was released, initially Lync would not pull the GAL down until Microsoft updated it in March 2014 with a fix.

Deploying Lync 14.0.11 now with a 10.10.3 or to 10.10.x users in general (mostly 10.10.3), Lync installs properly, brand new users can sign in no problem. The only problem is it is not pulling the GAL down from the server (like the Mavericks issue) so no one can search for contacts. If they are a new employee, they are basically out of luck.

Has anyone else seen this? 14.0.11 does, however, pull the GAL on 10.9.x with no problem. This is just on Yosemite clients.

[jhbush]

@perrycj Lync for Mac may not see much more development. It looks like the Skype for Business Mac client may show up sometime in June. I've been fighting with them for awhile to get RCC for our Cisco phones working as well.

[scottb]

FWIW, I just imaged two Macs - both started with 10.10.2 and one I updated to 10.10.3.
Both were able to pull GAL completely after the imaging. Neither one had any data xfers.
Lync 14.0.11

[mm2270]

Yeah, not really sure myself on what's going on with Lync. The update URL for Lync that the MS Auto Update application uses has more or less been broken for months now. The last update it refers to is 14.0.10, and the download DMG it references is non-existent. I reached out to our MS rep regarding this, he passed it on to someone else in the org responsible for Lync and I've gotten nothing but crickets.
Even if Skype for Business is right around the corner, surely Microsoft must know businesses aren't going to make such a switch overnight. We'll be lucky if its not a year before we move to it. Given this, I'm baffled at both the lack of updates and the broken update URL their product is still pointed to. Just not sure what's going on with it and the silence from them has been deafening.

As far as I'm concerned Lync kind of sucks anyway, and the only reason you'd use it is because of an MS communication server in your organization. There are so many better chat/video/collaboration tools out there.

[perrycj]

@jhbush1973 Sounds like Microsoft, for sure.

@boettchs Interesting. I'll have to test more tomorrow. A couple new 10.10.3 Macs weren't pulling the GAL at all. Pulls everything else but not the GAL.

@mm2270 Yup I agree, it does suck. But the majority of my organization is PC (2/3 PC to 1/3 Mac) and they use OCS/Lync, and therefore want the Mac side to use it as well..which I guess is reasonable.

I'm gonna try communicator tomorrow as well to see if that works in terms of the GAL on 10.10.x.

[mm2270]

@perrycj Yeah, I get it. Its the same reason we use it here. Its the "universal" communications client (even though the Mac and PC clients operate a bit differently), so its what we went with. Ironically, we just went through a transition to Lync from Communicator that is only now nearing completion. No sooner are we doing that than Lync is being ditched for Skype for Business by Microsoft. Lol! Feels like all the work we did on this move was for naught. Which is why I say I truly hope Microsoft will be issuing some updates for Lync for a while longer. Things move glacially here.

[Kaltsas]

@mm2270 We are all in Unified Messaging here. I bit the bullet and really ate the dog food, my phone is a sennheiser headset and Lync. On the mac....... I haven't heard any reports of the GAL issue and I am pushing out 14.0.11 but I will keep my ear to the ground. We did previously get bit by the GAL Mavericks issue and every once and a while I'll get a call from tech ops, but usually it someone who managed to still be using like 14.0.7.

My bigger issue with the Lync client is for me it stops receiving incoming calls approximately every two days. Text chat still works but all incoming calls will go directly to voice mail. Restarting the client resolves it but it's damn weird because Lync will be bloop you have voice mail. Ok, but you don't list a missed call. I have worked with our exchange team but we can't ascertain that anything is configured such that it would cause this issue and I believe I am the only one in the entire org, on a Mac, that opted for Lync+headset vs. a physical phone.

[sgoetz]

@perrycj I dont know if it will help you but I had the same issue when upgrading Lync to 14.0.11 and I was able to fix it by deleting the folder "Microsoft Lync Data" at the following location.

/Users/username/Documents/Microsoft User Data/

Than restart the Lync App and searching should start working again. Hope it helps!

Shawn