Is Microsoft Office Communications Server your next IP PBX?

Product Test and Buyer's Guide This newsletter is sponsored by Avnet IDC Whitepaper: Storage Encryption: Implementing the Linchpin of Data Security Encrypting Data in transit is a start, but encrypting data in storage is widely recognized as the next frontier in security. Find out how you can mitigate financial risk, prevent identity theft, block internal leaks and more, while keeping your vital information accessible and manageable. Product Test and Buyer's Guide, 06/26/07 By Michael B. Hommer Sr., Robert Smithers When OCS's software-based VoIP engine is coupled with Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 client software, users have access to IP telephony, instant messaging and presence awareness. Furthermore, when Microsoft Exchange 2007's unified messaging services (see story detailing these capabilities) are added to the mix, voice mail and autoattendant features also are on the table. Wireless Products Buyer's Guide From wireless adapters to WiMax repeaters, we've got detailed information on hundreds of products that will quickly help you pinpoint the hardware or software you're looking for. We've categorized each product into one of 10 specific wireless market segments, so you can drill down, compare and contrast products in only the areas you need. Click here for more.> The pieces add up to a solid foundation for presenting voice at the desktop. Microsoft is quick to point out that it is not proposing to replace the traditional IP PBX with this combination; rather, it touts its standards-based Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) ties for trunking and communications with traditional PBX systems. To that end, we note that some core IP PBX features, such as call park and whisper page, are not available in this version of OCS, nor are many of the call-routing and -handling features of traditional IP PBX back-end systems. For more on this test, please click here.

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Contact the author: Hommer is engineering manager and Smithers is CEO of Miercom. They can be reached at mhommer@miercom.com and rsmithers@miercom.com, respectively. This newsletter is sponsored by Avnet IDC Whitepaper: Storage Encryption: Implementing the Linchpin of Data Security Encrypting Data in transit is a start, but encrypting data in storage is widely recognized as the next frontier in security. Find out how you can mitigate financial risk, prevent identity theft, block internal leaks and more, while keeping your vital information accessible and manageable. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: security.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007