MSExchange.org has posted a two-part article that describes the process of turning Outlook into a unified messaging inbox with Exchange Server 2007. This is perhaps one of the most eye popping new features of the latest version of Exchange. The article says that despite the large number of VoIP and PBX devices said to support Exchange Server 2007, getting some of them to work with the new Exchange isn't a cakewalk. A SIP gateway is required and two products recommended in the article are open-source Asterisk Software and Linux-based Ferrari Office Master Gateway. (To be fair, more products than these two are discussed as well.) The article also plugs something called Microsoft Partner UM Starter Kit. The Starter Kit sounds kind of interesting. For $1,000 it includes a compatible VoIP gateway and two hours of telephone support for setup.
Word on the street is that the UM functions of Exchange 2007 are a big hit with end users as long as they work well. This could be one of those new features that will help you sell the upgrade to the purse holders. Thanks to open-source versions of at least some of the necessary software, you may be able to experiment with unified messaging at a very low cost.
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