Siemens rocks messaging boat

BOCA RATON, FLA. - A new unified messaging server from Siemens will let Microsoft Exchange/Outlook users manage their e-mail, voice mail and fax from a PC, telephone or personal digital assistant, while giving network managers the advantages of a single message store and standards support.

The Xpressions 470 family of unified messaging products works with Siemens' PhoneMail voice messaging platform. While the first version supports only Microsoft messaging, Xpressions will ultimately come in versions for Lotus Notes and Novell GroupWise, the company says. The first release is a hardware/software combination, but software-only versions are planned.

According to Siemens, the new product's modular design allows companies to selectively give users access to voice, e-mail or fax services. The first two models are Xpressions 472, which supports workgroups needing between four and 16 voice sessions, and, Xpressions 475, which supports up to 48 voice sessions.

One industry expert says the Siemens announcement is indicative of the maturation that is occurring in the unified messaging marketplace, which includes vendors such as Octel, AVT and Active Voice.

"We're moving toward putting together the pieces in a way that allows this kind of technology to finally work effectively, and Siemens is clearly doing some very good things along that line," says Don Van Doren, president of Vanguard Communications Corp., a consulting company in Morris Plains, N.J.

The market is not as mature as the products. "Having the technology in place is one thing. The real challenge here is: Is the market ready?" Van Doren says.

Not quite, he says. "The concept of unified messaging is something that, long term, makes a lot of sense, and we're going to get there," he says. "We see it as slow going for another year, at least."

Available in June, Xpressions will cost between $100 and $300 per mailbox, depending on system size and features.

Siemens: (800) 765-6123