Microsoft signs telephony deal with Alcatel – Computer Business Review: “Alcatel’s Gensys unit will work with Microsoft’s Real Time Collaboration Group to provide integrated instant messaging and telephony with planned front-end software codenamed Istanbul, part of Microsoft’s next Live Communications Server.
According to Microsoft, Istanbul is ’the preferred client’ for LCS 2005 bringing instant messaging, extensible presence, PC-based voice and video, and telephony integration to PCs. The companies’ deal follows an agreement between Siemens Communications Group and Microsoft to jointly market and sell Office Live Meeting and Siemens’ HiPath OpenSpace presence-enabled collaboration portal that is built into LCS 2005 and Istanbul.”
Thanks to Carl for pointing this one out.
Also Network Fusion has some news on this. (the bold is added by me)
Microsoft, Alcatel team to make calls from the desktop: “French telecommunications company Alcatel Thursday said it has signed a deal with Microsoft to help develop applications that allow users to make phone calls from their computers.
Under the partnership, Alcatel’s Genesys unit will work with Microsoft’s Real-Time Collaboration Group to give enterprise customers integrated instant messaging and telephony applications using the software giant’s next-generation IM and communications software called ‘Istanbul.’ Istanbul is the front-end application for Microsoft’s upcoming Live Communications Server 2005 product, which links LCS 2005 with users’ telephones.
The products resulting from the collaboration are aimed at giving users the ability to make phone calls through a company’s existing PBX or IP-PBX phone system from their desktop, as well as access to a suite of communication features, such as the ability to view the availability of contacts, transfer calls and schedule conference calls, Alcatel said.
The deal comes as the Redmond, Wash., software maker aims to take greater part in the convergence between the telephone and computer markets. Microsoft forged a similar agreement with Siemens earlier this week, to bring together the companies’ communication and collaboration products. “
