* Microsoft names manufacturing partners for unified communications
At last week’s Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, Microsoft announced that it has partnered with nine manufacturers to offer 15 new phones and other communications terminals that are available with a beta version of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and Microsoft Office Communicator 2007. The generally available release of OCS is expected later this year.
The manufacturing partner companies include ASUSTek Computer, GN, LG-Nortel, NEC, Plantronics, Polycom, Samsung, Tatung and ViTELiX.
Microsoft provided its design specifications to the manufacturers and they have worked together to make sure that the manufactured devices will work easily with Microsoft’s VoIP and unified communications software and features offered with Office Communications Server and Office Communicator. According to Microsoft’s statement, “The qualified phones and devices work out of the box with Microsoft unified communications software. It’s as simple as plug-and-play.”
The devices include IP phones, USB phones, wired and wireless headsets, conferencing phones, LCD monitors and laptops. Pictures of the handsets, wireline and mobile phones and devices, and PC terminal screen shots are here. Businesses interested in taking part in the OCS Office Communications Server 2007 and Office Communicator beta program can get more information here.
Our analysis: First, it seems like announcements about support for and integration with Microsoft’s VoIP and unified communications are a near-weekly item, although we’ll keep covering the significant developments with this tidal wave. Second, we’re still not sure about the final date or price for the general release of the 2007 version, but we anxiously wait to see if it is a cost effective solution for the SMB. And finally, we’re not sure a bunch of compliant handsets will ever replace the full fledged IP-PBX, but it seems that every announcement further opens up that possibility just a little more.
