Microsoft Tests VoIP in Communications Server 2007
With the introduction of new software to manage Internet-based calling systems in the enterprise, Microsoft has added a key component to its unified voice-data communications strategy.
A beta version of Office Communications Server 2007 has been delivered to some to 2,500 I.T. professionals who will be the first to use the application to integrate Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) into their current telephony systems.
With the new voice server, workers can initiate a person-to-person or multiparty phone call from Office 2007 applications, such as Word, Outlook, or Office Communicator, by clicking on a colleague’s name to determine his or her availability.
Presence Is Key
Office Communications Server 2007 represents the latest iteration of Microsoft’s Live Communications Server 2005, and includes enterprise instant messaging, audio, video, and Web conferencing, and VoIP capabilities.
“This is a significant development because it lays the foundation for real-time communications in the business environment,” said Forrester Research analyst Erica Driver. “Presence awarenes is key, and with Office Communications Server, you can know who is available and then reach them immediately while you are reading an e-mail or looking at a work document without having to open a different application.”
As a result, such time-saving activities can boost productivity in the workplace, she added. The latest communications server also provides flexibility by enabling businesses to make voice calls using their own VoIP systems or by putting the software into those systems, said Driver.
New Business Strategy
While the unified communications concept is not new, companies such as Cisco, Avaya, and others are taking a closer look at linking messaging, telephony, and multimedia functions. “This is a new way to conduct business, and companies are moving closer to the real-time world with access to customers, colleagues, and partners,” said Yankee Group analyst Carrie MacGillivray, in a recent interview.
Software-based collaboration is key, noted Driver, with companies increasingly…
