How to Enable Push Notifications for Lync Mobile – (iPhone & Windows Phone 7)

Push notifications, in the form of badges, icons, or alerts, can be sent to a mobile device even when the mobile application is inactive. Push notifications notify a user of events such as a new or missed IM invitation, missed calls, and voice mail. The Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Mobility Service sends the notifications to the cloud-based Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Push Notification Service, which then sends the notifications to the Apple Push Notification Service (APNS) or the Microsoft Push Notification Service (MPNS).

Push Notification requires a Lync or OCS EDGE Server and Federation with Lync Online because Push Notification works via Lync Online Federation.

1. First step is to create new hosting provider federation with Lync Online.

New-CsHostingProvider –Identity “LyncOnline” –Enabled $True –ProxyFqdn “sipfed.online.lync.com” –VerificationLevel UseSourceVerification

2. Add push.lync.com to the allowed domains list

New-CsAllowedDomain –Identity “push.lync.com”

3. Enable Push Notifications (iPhone & WP7)

Set-CsPushNotificationConfiguration –EnableApplePushNotificationService $True –EnableMicrosoftPushNotificationService $True

4. Enable Federation if you haven’t already done that in your environment

Set-CsAccessEdgeConfiguration -AllowFederatedUsers $True

5. Test Lync Online Federation

Test-CsFederatedPartner –TargetFqdn internaledge.contoso.com –Domain push.lync.com –ProxyFqdn sipfed.online.lync.com

6. Test Push Notifications

Test-CsMcxPushNotification –AccessEdgeFqdn internaledge.contoso.com