Windows 8 has a Lync client that can be installed from the Windows App Store (formerly known as Lync MX). This new Lync client has active tiles which also shows you your upcoming appointments in a tile. For this to work it connects to your Microsoft Exchange environment using autodiscover.
There are multiple ways you can deploy and configure autodiscover. If you’re only using a service record (SRV) in DNS for autodiscover (_autodiscover._tcp.smtpdomain.com) you will notice that the Lync client cannot connect to the Exchange Web services. For now it is not known if Micorosoft will change the client for it to work. A workaround could be to add an A-record to DNS, autodiscover.smtpdomain.com.
Here a video showing you the Windows 8 Lync client functionality.
Hans Sleurink
Hans Sleurink works as a Consultant at Wortell in the Netherlands where he designs and deploys Unified Communications solutions. His main focus is on, but not limited to, Microsoft Teams (migrations), including Enterprise Voice, contact center solutions, AudioCodes, Direct Routing, Exchange, Office 365, Active Directory and other UC related topics.
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Now that Lync Server 2013 is available and there are at least two new clients now which also leverage this service it is becoming more clear that the new autodiscover approach will be the primary, and eventually maybe the only approach for Lync clients to locate servers to connect to.