TFS Interactive Build Bot using Lync

Question

I'm partway through development of a build wallboard that displays the last 20 automated builds undertaken by the build server, all looks well and good, and when a build has tests, i'm automatically recording the test results (to be used interactively later)

I love building instant messaging bots and since my new workplace uses Lync (2010) I have started building a bot interface, that works over that.

I have managed to get it to start a conversation with the people that requested the build, that's about as far as i've got so far - i'm hoping to allow the users to ask 'why?' and be responded to with build errors or which tests failed etc etc. Thanks for reading through the backstory!

The Question

Should I continue writing a bot on lync? It seems like a pretty cool platform and protocol, but it seems very proprietory, and locked in. Are there more open platforms I should aim for that may end up being supported by Microsoft's unified messaging doodah with lync2013.

Thank you for your time, I hope this question is specific enough.

Answer 1

If your organization has already invested in Lync and its infrastructure, it's hard to imagine them giving up on it unless it has major issues.

Of course there are other options, but it's not like Lync is going away anytime soon, and Lync 2013 recently came out so it is still being invested in by Microsoft. And there is a wealth of information/documentation/communitry (i.e. TechNet) around the Lync SDKs, so that is also a bonus.

Also, Lync is built on top of SIP and well-known media codecs, which are not proprietary. (their SDK is proprietary, of course)