Microsoft Releases Second Version of Office Communication Server 2007

Microsoft has rolled out the next version of its Office Communication Server 2007 Release 2, or simply OCS 2007 R2, company’s unified communication software that incorporates integration of emails, Web conferencing, instant messaging and VoIP, at the VoiceCon Conference in Amsterdam.

Available in private beta version now, the new OCS 2007 R2 will bolster support for mobile devices, include Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunking and will allow developers to adjoin communication channels with business applications, Microsoft claimed.

It includes a PC-based attendant console, which allows receptionists in managing call conferences and routing calls, Yancey Smith, director unified communications at Microsoft added.

The SIP trunking feature incorporated in the new version would allow companies to link OCS 2007 directly to the carrier network, thereby reducing the number of gateways required to connect to the PSTN.

Audio dial-in feature of OCS 2007 R2 includes an audio conferencing bridge that allows initiators to access calls right from their PCs, thereby minimizing the infrastructure costs substantially. 

With this new release, Microsoft is all set to take on IBM’s Lotus Sametime and Webex Connect from Cisco.