Wednesday, 18 November 2009

Exchange 2010 – An Odyssey into Convergence

We have written before about the convergence of data and voice systems, but Microsoft have today accelerated this whole process with the launch of Exchange 2010. The reason behind this statement is simply that this new version of Exchange features something called a “Universal Inbox” that collects email, voicemail, instant messaging and SMS messaging across a wide range of devices.
Of course, Microsoft are suggesting that Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 is the best Client / Server combination for Exchange 2007, and a related article will explore this. However, the short conclusion is that Microsoft have a history of making new application features only operable on new platforms, thereby necessitating a migration for those users / companies that wish to take advantage.
We will have to wait and see how this develops, but we cannot help but feel that the convergence between voice and data is absolutely inevitable, and the main beneficiary of this will be the end user. We do not expect a smooth route to Voice / Data nirvana, but the end will justify the means as we approach a truly seamless environment which incorporates ALL the communication we need, on a daily basis. Bring on Exchange 2010!
Nemark have just downloaded the trail version so watch this space for what we think of it in a few weeks!

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