Microsoft’s Unified Communications Software

Microsoft India has announced the availability of its Unified Communications (UC) software. The software will enable employees within organizations to be able to communicate and collaborate through emails, phone call, Instant Messaging, video conference in a very simple, efficient manner through any device such as a computer, cell phone or even a public phone, while in office or on the move allowing them to be more productive. It helps in streamlining workplace communication and reducing the cost of the average corporate VoIP (Voice over IP) system.

Microsoft’s Unified Communications and VoIP software include:

• Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007: software that delivers VoIP, video, instant messaging, conferencing and presence within the applications like Microsoft Office system applications.
• Microsoft Office Communicator 2007: client software for phone, instant messaging and video communications that works across the PC, mobile phone and Web browser.
• Microsoft Office Live Meeting: advanced conferencing service that enables workers to conduct meetings, share documents, use video and record discussions from any computer.

As businesses expand their geographical footprint and grow employee strength, we believe a Unified Communications solution will become an integral tool to ensure anytime anywhere access and will significantly impact organizational productivity. Microsoft said its UC solution offers substantial cost savings to customers as it allows businesses to leverage existing IT and Telephony infrastructure, with no need to rip and replace current telephony infrastructure such as EPBAX systems. The company said customers across the world are already reporting dramatic time savings due to more efficient communications and cost savings of 25% to 30% over traditional communications technologies.

Microsoft said its India based development center, MIDC has also played a significant role in developing the latest Unified Communication solution filing over five patents already in the process. More than 100 employees at MIDC have worked towards providing Microsoft’s Instant Messenger over phone. The feature rich Communicator Mobile v2.0 works on all WinMobile Cellphones. The Office Communicator Phone Edition v1.0 is an innovative solution, which allows Present information in the UC-ready phones by partners such as LG-Nortel and Polycom. MIDC has also created some key features in the new video conferencing solution, Live Meeting 2007.