On May 30th 2006, I speculated that Windows Live Meeting 2006 was coming - the next version after Windows Live Meeting 2005. I was close -- Microsoft actually "skipped a year" and released Microsoft Office Communicator 2007, a unified communications client that works in tandem with Office Communications Server 2007, which was also announced today. This solution delivers a presence-based, enterprise VoIP “softphone” for secure, enterprise-grade instant messaging that allows for intercompany federation and connectivity to public instant messaging networks such as MSN, AOL and Yahoo! It also enables one-to-one and multiparty videoconferencing, audioconferencing, and webconferencing. Office Communicator 2007 will be available in desktop, browser-based and Windows Mobile-based versions.
Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 uses Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) standards-based protocol to enable presence-based VoIP call management, as well as VoIP communication. Unfortunately, it appears as though this solution is strictly targetting the enterprise and completely ignoring the consumer market. Although it does support SIP, it will not support all SIP based VoIP networks, but instead only connect to Microsoft's proprietary (and commercial) Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 platform.
Sure, Microsoft has partnered with public instant messaging networks such as AOL and Yahoo! to offer IM connectivity, but what if I want to have my employees use my own SIP registrar server or SIP-based IP-PBX in combination with just the Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 client? Unfortunately, you can't. Stupid Microsoft does it again… When will they get it that with so many open-source solutions out there you can't get away with this proprietary stuff - proprietary solutions are so 1990s. Perhaps Microsoft should go read my recent perfect unified communications client article?
Although the Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 client CAN connect to an IP-PBX, it has to FIRST go through Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 as an intermediary. I should point out that Microsoft's smartphones (Windows Mobile 5.0) has still been fairly slow to take off as compared to Treo and other smartphones, which are often used for business applications such as email access. If Microsoft wanted to give its smartphones a shot in the arm, Microsoft should have included support in the Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 client client for ANY SIP-based IP-PBX without the need for the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 platform. Sure, it's nice to have all the tight integration and ease of management, but hasn't Microsoft realized that most organizations are not 100% Microsoft shops? What if I want to use Microsoft's client with the popular Asterisk IP-PBX and without the commercial Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 software? Can't do it.
But if you are a 100% Microsoft shop - or at least your communications servers are - then here's what you get with today's announcement. First, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 unified messaging will make it possible to view voicemail from traditonal PBXs and IP-PBXs in an Outlook inbox. Microsoft demonstrated an application where a user late for a meeting that is scheduled in an Outlook calendar can phone the Exchange server and tell the system to notify other participants that he or she is running late. The system, using voice recognition to interpret the message generated an e-mail notification. Another application is TTS (text-to-speech), which will enable users to have e-mail read to them by telephone. Of course, this is nothing new to the Asterisk community, which can even have the weather read to you.
Another application is Microsoft Office RoundTable, an audio-video collaboration device with a unique 360-degree camera. When combined with Office Communications Server 2007, according to Microsoft, "RoundTable delivers an immersive conferencing experience that extends the meeting environment across multiple locations. Meeting participants on site and in remote locations gain a panoramic view of everyone in the conference room as well as close-up views of individual participants as they take turns speaking."
Microsoft launched joint ventures with Motorola Inc. and Germany's Siemens AG. Microsoft will supply its Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 for use in Motorola HC700 series mobile computing devices and the new sexy Motorola Q smart phone. Also, Siemens HiPath 8000 softswitch real-time telephony will be integrated with Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft Office Live Communications Server.
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 is scheduled to be released in late 2006 or early 2007. Microsoft Speech Server 2007 will be available in late 2006. Communications Server 2007, Communicator 2007, Communicator phone experience, Live Meeting, RoundTable and the IP-enabled business desktop phones featuring Communicator phone experience will complete Microsoft’s unified communications solutions and are scheduled to be available in the second quarter of 2007.
Update: 3/28/2007 - some further thoughts.
Although I knocked Microsoft and called them "stupid" for choosing to go the proprietary route, I went and visited Microsoft to see a demo of Office Communications Server 2007 in action. I have to say I was impressed and perhaps I was a bit harsh in calling them "stupid". With any software, at some point you will have to develop your own proprietary code. Even with open standards in many areas, open standards will never anticipate every single feature or option. What Microsoft has done is leverage the SIP VoIP standard to allow you to use any SIP endpoint you want (Cisco phone, Polycom phone, etc.) but if you want the power and functionality of OCS 2007, such as presence, then you have to use their softphone client (Office Communicator). A fair compromise IMO. Microsoft is also partnering with hardware phone manufacturers to embed the OCS code in the IP phone so you get the same functionality of the Office Communicator client. Microsoft has put a lot of work into OCS 2007 to make it tightly integrated with Active Directory and Exchange 2007, which lends itself to making enterprise employees more productive. I'll have a comprehensive review on OCS 2007 in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!
Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 uses Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) standards-based protocol to enable presence-based VoIP call management, as well as VoIP communication. Unfortunately, it appears as though this solution is strictly targetting the enterprise and completely ignoring the consumer market. Although it does support SIP, it will not support all SIP based VoIP networks, but instead only connect to Microsoft's proprietary (and commercial) Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 platform.
Sure, Microsoft has partnered with public instant messaging networks such as AOL and Yahoo! to offer IM connectivity, but what if I want to have my employees use my own SIP registrar server or SIP-based IP-PBX in combination with just the Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 client? Unfortunately, you can't. Stupid Microsoft does it again… When will they get it that with so many open-source solutions out there you can't get away with this proprietary stuff - proprietary solutions are so 1990s. Perhaps Microsoft should go read my recent perfect unified communications client article?
Although the Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 client CAN connect to an IP-PBX, it has to FIRST go through Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 as an intermediary. I should point out that Microsoft's smartphones (Windows Mobile 5.0) has still been fairly slow to take off as compared to Treo and other smartphones, which are often used for business applications such as email access. If Microsoft wanted to give its smartphones a shot in the arm, Microsoft should have included support in the Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 client client for ANY SIP-based IP-PBX without the need for the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 platform. Sure, it's nice to have all the tight integration and ease of management, but hasn't Microsoft realized that most organizations are not 100% Microsoft shops? What if I want to use Microsoft's client with the popular Asterisk IP-PBX and without the commercial Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 software? Can't do it.
But if you are a 100% Microsoft shop - or at least your communications servers are - then here's what you get with today's announcement. First, Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 unified messaging will make it possible to view voicemail from traditonal PBXs and IP-PBXs in an Outlook inbox. Microsoft demonstrated an application where a user late for a meeting that is scheduled in an Outlook calendar can phone the Exchange server and tell the system to notify other participants that he or she is running late. The system, using voice recognition to interpret the message generated an e-mail notification. Another application is TTS (text-to-speech), which will enable users to have e-mail read to them by telephone. Of course, this is nothing new to the Asterisk community, which can even have the weather read to you.
Another application is Microsoft Office RoundTable, an audio-video collaboration device with a unique 360-degree camera. When combined with Office Communications Server 2007, according to Microsoft, "RoundTable delivers an immersive conferencing experience that extends the meeting environment across multiple locations. Meeting participants on site and in remote locations gain a panoramic view of everyone in the conference room as well as close-up views of individual participants as they take turns speaking."
Microsoft launched joint ventures with Motorola Inc. and Germany's Siemens AG. Microsoft will supply its Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 for use in Motorola HC700 series mobile computing devices and the new sexy Motorola Q smart phone. Also, Siemens HiPath 8000 softswitch real-time telephony will be integrated with Microsoft Exchange Server and Microsoft Office Live Communications Server.
Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 is scheduled to be released in late 2006 or early 2007. Microsoft Speech Server 2007 will be available in late 2006. Communications Server 2007, Communicator 2007, Communicator phone experience, Live Meeting, RoundTable and the IP-enabled business desktop phones featuring Communicator phone experience will complete Microsoft’s unified communications solutions and are scheduled to be available in the second quarter of 2007.
Update: 3/28/2007 - some further thoughts.
Although I knocked Microsoft and called them "stupid" for choosing to go the proprietary route, I went and visited Microsoft to see a demo of Office Communications Server 2007 in action. I have to say I was impressed and perhaps I was a bit harsh in calling them "stupid". With any software, at some point you will have to develop your own proprietary code. Even with open standards in many areas, open standards will never anticipate every single feature or option. What Microsoft has done is leverage the SIP VoIP standard to allow you to use any SIP endpoint you want (Cisco phone, Polycom phone, etc.) but if you want the power and functionality of OCS 2007, such as presence, then you have to use their softphone client (Office Communicator). A fair compromise IMO. Microsoft is also partnering with hardware phone manufacturers to embed the OCS code in the IP phone so you get the same functionality of the Office Communicator client. Microsoft has put a lot of work into OCS 2007 to make it tightly integrated with Active Directory and Exchange 2007, which lends itself to making enterprise employees more productive. I'll have a comprehensive review on OCS 2007 in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!
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I'm not a Microsoft fan and I use Asterisk and lots of open source day to day but I have to say Microsoft's Office Communicator is the best VoiP/Unified Comms software on the market.
It certainly is aimed at enterprise and if Microsoft push it correctly they may have a huge revenue stream. In europe Cisco are pretty much dominating new VoiP installs. Enterprise want a one stop shop and with integrated IM client, application sharing as well as great quality voice, Cisco may have a real competitor, especially when the Microsoft solution does not require a $200 desktop phone.
How would you say that Microsoft's Live Communicator would compare to IBM's new Sametime 7.5 and upcoming products around Sametime?
Quote:
Although it does support SIP, it will not support all SIP based VoIP networks, but instead only connect to Microsoft's proprietary (and commercial) Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 platform.
My point is if it will only support a Microsoft version of SIP then it can't be called SIP. That would be against RFC3261. What we have here is the typical Microsoft strategy of taking a standard and closing it off to a Microsoft proprietary format.
Microsoft you have NO RIGHT to call this SIP!
If you could give us more information (from your visit) on the video functionality of OC 2007 (multiparty, quality, new features, overall experience, etc) it would be awesome.
Look foreword to your comprehensive review.
Thanks
Hi All,
Have anyone tried out Office Communicator 2007 Beta 3.
I have installed it but the fact is that The option to Enable Users in AD is not showing.
Can anyone help me
You can use Asterisk with OCS, if Asterisk supported SIP over TCP. Asterisk only supports SIP over UDP while OCS supports SIP over TCP. If you find a product to put in between the two, you are set!
Microsoft doesn't use a proprietary SIP, just as I said before there SIP uses TCP while most everything uses UDP. According to the new RFC for SIP, everyone should be supporting SIP over TCP.
I have a question; well not exactly one.
Can someone explain me the difference between Exchange 2007, Communication Server 2007 and Speech Server 2007?
I thought Exchange in its 2007 incarnation INCLUDES Comm Srv 2k7 functionality. Am I wrong? You need both for some reason? And what about this speech server?
Communicator 2007 will not work with "plain" Exchange 2007?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Tom and everybody,
Quote: "What Microsoft has done is leverage the SIP VoIP standard to allow you to use any SIP endpoint you want (Cisco phone, Polycom phone, etc.)..."
As you mentioned in your article, OCS 2007 could use any SIP endpoint.
We are evaluating OCS2007 beta and could not find a way to connect a Linksys SIP Standadrd Phone Model SPA 942.
Do you have informatios on how to do this?
Regards,
Javier
Hi,
Nice article. I about the SIP issue, i too have an SPA942 and have spent the last 2 months trying to get it to work with Speech server.
No joy yet
Hi @all,
to connect an Asterisk use OpenSER. It is able to talk SIP over UDP and TCP. Place it between the OCS Mediation Server and your Asterisk.
My prefered solution: Use pbxnsip instead of Asterisk. It can be integrated with Exchange 2007 and OCS 2007. Talks SIP over TCP&UDP on every Port you like. Comes with plug&play for popular IP-phones (cisco, snom, polycom,...) and an integrated Session Border Controller.
best regards,
Jan
Did you manage to register Speech server as an extension on PBXNSIP?
What is the difference between Microsoft Live Meeting and Office Communications 2007?
Another thing is, is there Microsoft Live Meeting version that we can host on our own. What I mean is I will not subscribe with their Live Meeting? Anyone who has idea with this please explain it to me. Thanks in advance.
ronduag.blogspot.com
>>What is the difference between Microsoft Live Meeting and Office Communications 2007?
Check out my review of Live Meeting 2007 (LM 2007) which explains the difference between LM 2007 and OCS 2007 in the 2nd paragraph. Basically in a nutshell the difference is hosted vs. CPE (customer premise equipment). With OCS 2007 you own the solution lock stock and barrel - no monthly fees.
Microsoft Office Live Meeting First Look
My Roundtable review is also worth a look since it was tested with Live Meeting 2007.
http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/microsoft/microsoft-roundtable-review.asp
When I read the first posting (dated 6/26/2006) I felt it was odd that you thought M$ proprietary approach was stupid. I'm a big fan of open source, but selling proprietary is a valid and successful business model.
But I was most shocked by your change of stance in your update of 3/28/2007. The first posting and the update look like they're from hell and heaven (or vice versa).
How much $$ did it take for your to sell your soul (& integrity)?
>>How much $$ did it take for your to sell your soul (& integrity)?
I think it's pretty clear that my original post and then my further thoughts on it were very fair and balanced. My follow-up update simply explained some of the benefits that OCS 2007 brings even though it is proprietary.
You don't have to use the Communicator SIP client (for use in other non-OCS 2007 apps). There are plenty of good SIP clients out there. I wouldn't be surprised if someone reverse engineers Communicator to allow it to be used with a 3rd party platform.
Also, to provide a seamless integration with Active Directory, obviously Microsoft has to choose some proprietary aspects. They did leverage SIP, an industry standard and they integrate with many IP-PBXs. Let's face it, Microsoft isn't an open source company, but they do make good products. I don't follow the "if it isn't open source it sucks" mantra that many open source zealots do.
I would never sell out to anyone, period! I say it like it is. You may not like it, or I may even be wrong sometimes, but I always tell the truth as I see it.
Tom, Glad that you write without bias. thanks for clarifying. As always, look forward to your articles.
Hi @all,
I have written a new pbxnsip Wiki page with a guide for pbxnsip-OCS2007 setup. Including helpful screenshots:
http://wiki.pbxnsip.com/index.php/Office_Communications_Server
Best regards
Jan Boguslawski
Consultant IT Infrastructure
MCSE
ITaCS GmbH, Berlin
http://www.itacs.de
AFAIK, the Public IM connectivity requires a monthly per use license.
Because this federation requires that microsoft and partners (aol and yahoo) actually configure your federation on their end.
Disappointing, leaving me still running multiple IM clients. I guess that was inevitable as they don't support jabber federation.
it's not a problem with asterisk 1.6 (sip) but if you want a service as remote gw - you need provide csta gw to *. i finalize project with csta gw to * (from ocs and ex 2007) - see later on sf.net
you wrote you're working on a csta gateway to *. are you thinking to put this work to open source? i'm looking currently for this exact setup, and thought about implementing a module in openser...
"Can someone explain me the difference between Exchange 2007, Communication Server 2007 and Speech Server 2007?"
There's good webcasts, virtual labs, and podcasts with intro material at the Microsoft Office Communications Server website with intro material.