IM an Expert! As in the instant messaging question and answer service you can add to your Lync installation...

Microsoft Downloads - IM an Expert for Microsoft Lync Server 2010

"IM an Expert is an instant messaging question and answer service that you can set up within your organization. With the IM an Expert service, you can use Microsoft Lync or the IM an Expert Welcome page to submit a question to the service. The IM an Expert service will locate an expert for you within your company and initiate an IM session between you and the expert who can answer your question.

Version: 7577.4076
Date Published: 3/8/2012

Language: English

KB Articles: KB2677043

IManExpert.msi, 608 KB

This download was originally released on March 22, 2011. For a complete list of fixes and changes in this latest version, please see KB article 2677043.

This download contains IManExpert.msi, the installer package for IM an Expert. IM an Expert is an instant messaging question and answer service that you can set up within your organization. IM an Expert enables real-time sharing of expertise within your organization. Users can ask the IM an Expert service a question and the service will locate an expert and connect the asker with the expert. Answers are compiled from dialog between the asker and the expert and posted to the organization’s internal IM an Expert website, where they can be searched. IM an Expert provides a great way for people within an organization to save time by sharing their knowledge and expertise. Perhaps equally important, the retained IM an Expert questions and answers can provide a valuable knowledge base that highlights common questions and resolutions to issues within your organization. Users can become experts by entering their Profile information (keywords and URLs related to their area of expertise) on the IM an Expert Website. The IM an Expert administrator may also elect to use other sources of expertise information to help identify experts. The components for the IM an Expert service are described in System Requirements below.

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Microsoft Downloads - IM an Expert for Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Documentation Version 1.5

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This download provides documentation for IM an Expert for Microsoft Lync Server 2010, including the IM an Expert for Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Setup and Maintenance Guide for administrators, and the IM an Expert for Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Getting Started Guide for end-users. IM an Expert is an instant messaging question and answer service that you can set up within your organization. IM an Expert enables real-time sharing of expertise within your organization. Users can ask the IM an Expert service a question and the service will locate an expert and connect the asker with the expert. Answers are compiled from dialog between the asker and the expert and posted to the organization’s internal IM an Expert website, where they can be searched. IM an Expert provides a great way for people within an organization to save time by sharing their knowledge and expertise. Perhaps equally important, the retained IM an Expert questions and answers can provide a valuable knowledge base that highlights common questions and resolutions to issues within your organization. Users can become experts by entering their Profile information (keywords and URLs related to their area of expertise) on the IM an Expert Website. The IM an Expert administrator may also elect to use other sources of expertise information to help identify experts. ..."

I thought this kind of neat. Not sure if I'd sign up for it if it was offered at my place (not that we've upgraded  to Lync yet, but anyway...) but I still think it's kind of cool. If it were not abused then I think I'd go for it. In a distributed work environment, this kind of thing might be pretty useful. Okay, okay... I just like the idea it has "leaderboards" LOL