Microsoft Poised for Major VOIP Push, IDC Says
FRAMINGHAM, Mass., May 18, 2005 After years of quietly building a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) strategy on a number of fronts, Microsoft is now stepping up its VoIP efforts and is poised for major initiatives in both the enterprise and carrier space. According to new research from IDC, the centerpiece of this increased activity is SIP-based collaborative applications being developed for the Microsoft Office Live Communications Server (LCS) 2005 product.
In the past, Microsoft has kept a low profile around its development and marketing strategy for VoIP. But all of that is about to change. The company has developed partnerships with major IP-PBX vendors, such as Siemens and Alcatel, to help jump-start the move into enterprise IP telephony. These partnerships represent an important step toward strengthening Microsoft's position in the VOIP space. On the flipside, however, many vendors in the IP PBX market worry about Microsoft as a competitor, especially in the area of the high-end collaborative applications. Real-time collaborative applications such as instant messaging and Web conferencing increasingly have VoIP features and this association will dramatically enhance VoIP's stature.
VoIP has become a lightning rod for a new competitive dynamic between IT and telecom vendors, notes Tom Valovic IDCs program director for VoIP Infrastructure. A battle for the enterprise desktop is looming between major IT and telecom vendors, and at the center of it are innovative types of user-defined communications and the marriage of telecom-based convergence and IT-based desktop collaboration."
This new report from IDC, Microsoft (and Bill Gates) Put LCS and VoIP Center Stage (IDC #33329), also examines major new initiatives on the carrier front where Microsoft is building partnerships with service providers such as British Telecom and MCI. The key to this part of Microsofts strategy is the Connected Services Framework (CSF), an integrated solution that allows service providers to deliver converged services across multiple networks and a range of device types. By deploying the CSF, service providers can bring together not only Microsoft services such as Microsoft Solution for Hosted Exchange 2003, the Microsoft TV platform and Microsoft Office Live Communications Server, but also a broad array of operator-developed and third-party services and content. Telecommunications operators such as BT, Bell Canada and Celcom Malaysia are deploying CSF to facilitate the delivery of services to their customers.
To purchase this study, call IDC Sales at 508-988-7988 or email sales@idc.com.
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