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Microsoft's unified communications platform to the rescue!!!

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Microsoft has recently released Office Communications Server 2007 to private beta. OCS will be the replacement to Live Communications Server, which was first released in 2003 and has since seen a 2005 and 2005 SP1 version. So, how does this play in the unified communications platform? Well, for 2007, Microsoft has invested heavily to providing a platform of products that will help companies more tightly integrate their voice services. Essentially, Exchange 2007's unified messaging voice services connect with OCS which then connects to a PBX or VoIP provider. Microsoft has already announced strategic partnerships with providers such as Nortel Networks, Alcatel-Lucent, Avaya, Cisco Systems, LG-Nortel, Mitel Networks, NEC Philips, Polycom, and Siemens. In addition to the server software, Microsoft is also developing a new version of Office Communicator, the desktop client software, that can handle telephony functions in addition to corporate instand messaging.

It is exciting to see a product mature so quickly. In 2003, LCS championed corporate instant messaging. LCS 2005 extended this platform to federated partners (not to be confused with Active Directory federation. You do not have to federate your AD in order to federate LCS). Now OCS will extend this platform into voice.

For more information, please go to https://www.microsoft.com/uc

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    The expected release date of OCS 2007 is the end of July. I can't really comment on application compatibility as I haven't been involved with testing any third party applications. Plus, that is a very general question similar to asking about application compatibility between one OS revision to the next. It will have to be looked at on a case by case basis and I highly recommend testing it in your environment. There are significate changes to the way OCS 2007 operates compared to LCS2003/2005. So, I would expect that a majority of application will continue to work, but many will likely need to be updated to continue to work with OCS 2007.

  • Anonymous
    June 09, 2007
    Hello, What is the expected release date for the unified communications platform? Will the applications compatible with LCS 2003/2005 work with the new server. Please guide.