Microsoft Unveils Unified Communications Product Roadmap

Published: June 28, 2006

by Alex Woodie

Microsoft on Sunday unveiled its "unified communications" product roadmap, a far-reaching plan to bring together e-mail, instant messaging, mobile, and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) telephony, and audio-, video-, and Web-conferencing, into one cohesive unit. Much of the new technology, including server software and even phones, will be delivered as part of Microsoft Office 2007, although Microsoft will rely on partners for a big chunk of the "experience."

According to Microsoft, today's communication systems are too expensive and complicated. What's more, customers are missing out on potential productivity boosts because their phone, e-mail, and instant messaging solutions don't talk to each other. Microsoft wants to change all that with Unified Communications.

"Unified communications will drive the next major advancement in individual, team, and organizational productivity in today's 24x7, always-connected, and increasingly mobile work environment," says Jeff Raikes, president of the Microsoft Business Division, at a "strategy" event in San Francisco. "We believe that through software, we can transform business communications, bringing down both its cost and complexity, by . . . integrating voice communications with the familiar and powerful communications and collaboration experiences provided by Microsoft."

At the hub of this strategy resides Office Communications Server 2007, the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based platform that will provide real-time communication among the various mediums, including instant messaging, VoIP calls, and the video-, audio-, and Web-conferencing solutions. Exchange Server 2007, meanwhile, will add capabilities for e-mail, voice mail, and fax, while Speech Server 2007 provides automation to voice-enabled applications.

Residing on client devices will be Office Communicator 2007, which will work with Office Communications Server 2007 to deliver VoIP, conferencing, and instant messaging--all "presence-enabled" through the wonder of SIP. This client will be available in desktop, browser-based, and Windows Mobile-based versions. This application will work with desktop VoIP hardware from Polycom, LG-Nortel, and Thomson Telecom.

Organizations wanting a richer conferencing solution will have Office Live Meeting. The new version will feature enhancements in the areas of e-learning, support for VoIP, a streamlined user interface, better integration with Office, simpler deployment, and new audio and video capabilities.

Microsoft will also introduce Office RoundTable, which it bills as an audio-video collaboration device with a 360-degree camera. Office RoundTable will work with Office Communications Server 2007 to deliver "an immersive conferencing experience," including a panoramic view of everyone in a conference room, as well as close-up views of individual participants as they take turns speaking, Microsoft says.

Most of this new software, including Communications Server 2007, Communicator 2007, Communicator phone experience, Live Meeting, RoundTable, and the VoIP desktop phones, is scheduled to be available in the second quarter of 2007. Exchange Server 2007 is scheduled to be released in late 2006 or early 2007, while Speech Server 2007 will be available in late 2006, Microsoft says.