Microsoft targets VoIP with Office 2007

Microsoft is targeting the business sector of VOIP users for its latest market test.

The company has announced the launch of an ambitious beta test with links to its 2007 Microsoft Office application.

The beta is aimed at allowing the business to utilize their existing telephony infrastructure. One of the most exciting features is the ability to initiate a call simply by clicking on a college’s name in Office Word 2007, Office Outlook 2007 or Office Communicator.

This is the feature that most industry watchers have been expecting for the Microsoft VOIP for over a year – ever since Microsoft acquired Teleo.

The new beta has open architecture and broad interoperability.

For the upcoming test Microsoft enlisted the assistance of several of its partners, including Alcatel-Lucent, Avaya, Cisco Systems, LG-Nortel Co., Mitel Networks, NEC Philips Unified Solutions, Polycom, and Siemens Communications.

The partnerships are one of the main factors in allowing Microsoft users to support VOIP on their existing desktop phone, data networks, and TDM or IP-PBXs.

Microsoft is basing its VOIP on Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) which is the standard signaling protocol for Internet conferencing and telephony. The SIP will make the Microsoft VOIP service different from the runaway VOIP provider, eBay’s Skype.

The company has also noted that its Communications Server 2007 and Microsoft Office Communicator have native support for SIP.

There are numerous add-on features for the Microsoft VOIP like instant messaging, and hosting capabilities for on-premise audio, video, and Web conferences.