Microsoft released Forefront Security for Office Communications Server 2007. I’ve been working with the product for about 9 months and seen it go through a number of changes; each iteration substantially better than the last. In fact, you can read more about Convergent Computing’s experience in the Microsoft FS OCS case study.
For those unfamilar with the “Forefront” concept, it’s an umbrella that encompasses most of the Microsoft security portfolio. For example, there is Forefront Security for Exchange, Forefront for Sharepoint, etc. You can check out the full Forefront Server line at Microsoft.com. You can check out the new Microsoft.com page for FS OCS as well.
FS OCS is designed to to protect OCS users from SPIM (Spam IMs), IM viruses and enforce compliance around regulations such as HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, FDA CFR 21 part 11 and a number of others.
The console is simple and intuitive. Everything is laid out in a few obvious sections. Unlike some other products, there’s no need to search for that one important setting that should be obvious but instead is buried 3 menus deep. No Forefront-specific experience is needed to jump in and and get basic protection up and running. Expert administrators can make very granular rulesets to meet complex requirements.
I recommend checking out the FS OCS datsheet (pdf) for a quick glance at its features and capabilities. It supports OCS 2007 and R2 on either a 32-bit or 64-bit platform. Installation is simple consisting of hitting Next a few times. Download the 120-day evaluation here.
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