Does the new Microsoft Lync 2010 Client API work in non-IE browsers?

Question

I'm writing a Silverlight app that uses the Lync 2010 Client API to communicate with the Lync 2010 Client. Works fine in Internet Explorer, but in Chrome/Firefox i get this:

Microsoft.Lync.Model.UnsupportedBrowserException: Browser doesn't support ActiveX at Microsoft.Lync.Model.LyncClient.HandleJavascriptException(String error) at Microsoft.Lync.Model.LyncClient.EnsureOfficeIntegration() at Microsoft.Lync.Model.LyncClient.GetClient() at LyncSilverlightApplication2.Page.button1_Click(Object sender, RoutedEventArgs a)

The documentation hints that the API might only work in IE: "Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8 currently support Lync Controls." This statement doesn't really exclude other browsers and the API could be independent from the controls. But still.

So; Does the new Microsoft Lync 2010 Client API work in non-IE browsers?

Answer 1

Unfortunately, no - the Lync API will only work in ActiveX enabled browsers - the Silverlight controls use ActiveX under the hood to talk to Lync.

The recommended way to achieve cross-broswer functionality is to create a back-end service using UCMA 3.0, and expose this to your web pages over e.g. WCF.

See mine and George Durzi's answers to this question for a bit more info.

Answer 2

You get an error about ActiveX so apparently the Lync API uses ActiveX. That technology is only available in Internet Explorer I'm afraid.

Some browsers offers plugins to enable ActiveX but I'm not sure it will solve your problem.

Answer 3

According to Wikipedia, most of the plugin options for FireFox are out of date. In general, ActiveX implies IE only.