* Microsoft sees VoIP in its unifed communications future
Last week, Microsoft announced major enhancements to its products that support the company’s unified communications platform. The changes will be included in the broad range of the company’s 2007 product lines.
In a statement, Microsoft said it will, “bring together Microsoft Exchange Server, which includes new unified messaging capabilities, Microsoft Office Outlook, and Microsoft Speech Server, with updated versions of its real-time collaboration technologies and a set of new communications devices to form a cohesive unified communications solution.”
The enhancements for Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 include support for Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to provide “presence-based VoIP call management; audio-, video- and Web conferencing; and instant messaging communication within and across existing software applications, services and devices.”
Changes to the Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 will add new capabilities including a speech-based auto attendant.
Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 will add a VoIP softphone and provide enhancements to offer secure interoperability with public instant messaging services including those offered by MSN, AOL and Yahoo. Communicator 2007 will also add software capabilities to run “new voice and video devices … “including business-enabled IP desktop phones from.”
These upgrades and others represent a comprehensive strategy to support unified communications on the desktop, wireline phones and mobile devices. According to the company, the ecosystem also includes unified communications support for “USB handsets, wireless USB headsets, USB Webcams and PC monitors with built-in audio and video components.”
Microsoft partners that have announced their support of the enhanced unified communications ecosystem include:
* Polycom, LG-Nortel and Thomson Telecom (IP phones).
* GN Netcom, Logitech, Motorola, Plantronics, Samsung and Tatung (PC-based USB devices).
* Siemens, Mitel and Quintum Technologies (IP-PBX).
* Motorola (mobile devices).
* HP (enterprise servers and systems integration).
As industry announcements go, this one is a “biggie.” It proves that VoIP has moved beyond simply offering simple voice connectivity and that vendors are working together to provide the enterprise with a multivendor solution for unified communications.
