Microsoft Rounds Out Voice Assault
Taking aim at replacing the venerable PBX, Microsoft now has the technology in its Office Communications Server that could change corporate telecom forever.
With last week’s official release of OCS 2007 R2, Microsoft filled in some important gaps in its voice platform with a SIP trunking capability and a console for operator assisted call routing. The company also added some conferencing enhancements and API improvements. SIP trunking lets OCS connect VoIP services directly to Internet telephony providers, eliminate the need for separate voice and data trunks, and provide a viable alternative to the PBX.
Gold Systems in Boulder, Colo., which helps companies build bridges between telephony and software, has nearly completed its own in-house swap out of its voice system for OCS.
“The milestone here is this is now a mature product,” says Terry Gold, the company’s CEO. “Companies can look at this and say Microsoft is serious here. Microsoft is throwing down the gauntlet. This is a viable alternative.”
Gold admits that it is still early-adopter days for his clients, who he says are more the larger corporations who are replacing branch office PBXs.
