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Is Microsoft Office Communications Server your next IP PBX?

OCS shines with Office Communicator 2007 front end and Exchange 2007
By Michael B. Hommer Sr., Robert Smithers , Network World , 06/25/2007

Microsoft is getting ready to make a big splash into the VoIP pool with its OCS 2007, expected to ship this summer.

When OCS's software-based VoIP engine is coupled with Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 client software, users have access to IP telephony, instant messaging and presence awareness. Furthermore, when Microsoft Exchange 2007's unified messaging services (see story detailing these capabilities) are added to the mix, voice mail and autoattendant features also are on the table.

The pieces add up to a solid foundation for presenting voice at the desktop. Microsoft is quick to point out that it is not proposing to replace the traditional IP PBX with this combination; rather, it touts its standards-based Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) ties for trunking and communications with traditional PBX systems. To that end, we note that some core IP PBX features, such as call park and whisper page, are not available in this version of OCS, nor are many of the call-routing and -handling features of traditional IP PBX back-end systems.

How does OCS stand up as an IP PBX
When run in combination with the Office Communicator 2007 client and Exchange 2007 at the back end, Microsoft's new Office Communication Server (OCS) 2007, aims to deliver a formidable voice communications platform. This chart shows which of the 15 IP PBX features we'd consider necessary for a basic IP PBX platform to succeed in an enterprise deployment.

Basic call conference Yes
Call drop Yes
Call forward all Yes
Call hold Yes
Call park/retrieve No
Group pickup No
Call transfer Yes
Multiple line appearance Yes1.
Caller ID Yes
Last number redial Yes2.
Message waiting light/indicator Yes
Missed call indicator Yes
Music on hold No
Mute Yes
One-button speed dial Yes3.
1. User can be logged into OCS from multiple computers, each running Office Communicator at the same time. A call that comes in for that user will ring at all computers.
2. The last numbered called is added to the recent contacts within Office Communicator.
3. There are no "Speed Dial" buttons. Users can add individuals to their "Contacts" list in Office Communicator and with a single click call that contact.
Click to see: OCS as an IP PBX

That said, taking into account the IP-telephony focus the combination -- OCS 2007, Office Communicator 2007 and Exchange 2007 -- offers Microsoft shops, our testing of the public beta code evaluates how far Microsoft does go in terms of providing enterprise-ready IP PBX capabilities.

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at last?By fadumpt on December 26, 2007, 9:22 amAsterisk already provides these featuers in a software/hardware VOIP solution. It's also a stable, "been here a while", application. Just adding my two cents...

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Is Microsoft Office Communications Server your next IP PBX?By Microsoft Subnet on June 25, 2007, 5:32 pmA full-on Microsoft VoIP option? When Microsoft OCS ships in the summer it could bring a software-based VoIP to the desktop and also create unified messaging at...

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