Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Cayman for Kids
Monday, October 27, 2008
Microsoft Unified Communications Open Interoperability Program updated!
Thanks to my buddy John de Breij from Mitel Netherlands. Mitel is now listed on the interoperability program site of Microsoft! So Mitel is now fully qualified IP PBX vendor.
Qualified IP-PBXs for Microsoft Office Communicator 2007
Listed below are IP-PBX and firmware combinations that have been independently qualified viatekVizion labs or at Microsoft to meet qualification requirements. Please contact the vendor for more information on these products. Other supported products may also be listed by request of the vendor as the same firmware is used in these products.
More information see
Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 Hotfix KB 957707
File Name:
communicator.msp
Version:
2.0.6362.97
Knowledge Base (KB) Articles:
KB957707
Date Published:
10/24/2008
Language:
English
Download Size:
4.9 MB
System Requirements
- Supported Operating Systems: Windows 2000 Service Pack 4; Windows Server 2003; Windows Vista; Windows XP Service Pack 2
- This download works with the following Office program:
- Microsoft Office Communicator 2007
Friday, October 17, 2008
Keynote: Eric Swift, Senior Director, Microsoft (VoiceCon Amsterdam 2008)
Keynote: Eric Swift, Senior Director, Microsoft (VoiceCon Amsterdam 2008)
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Speech Server Scoop on OCS R2
The gotspeech guy (MVP dubby Marshall Harrison) did post some interesting material on Speech Server and OCSR2. Absolutely worth to read this article when you have developer skills.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Video: Microsoft Business Division President Elop on the Debut of Office Communications Server 2007 R2
REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 14, 2008 — Today Microsoft debuted the new release of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, currently in private beta testing and becoming available for purchase in February 2009. Office Communications Server 2007 R2 highlights the pace of innovation that is possible with software, putting the new release on a rapid path to deliver voice software that does much more than a network PBX and with much less cost. More than half of the Fortune 500 companies have already licensed OCS and Microsoft Business Division President Stephen Elop discusses what the upcoming release means for the future of corporate telephony.
Microsoft Business Division President Stephen Elop talks about the debut of Microsoft’s Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2 (R2), an update to the award-winning Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, and how it fits into the future of corporate telephony.
Watch the video
Microsoft Unveils OCS 2007 R2!
Office Communications Server 2007 R2 will launch in a worldwide online event Feb. 3, 2009.
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands –– Oct. 14, 2008 –– Today, Microsoft Corp. debuted Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Release 2 (R2), an update to the award-winning Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007. Microsoft representatives demonstrated the new release for the first time before an audience of telecom and IT professionals at the VoiceCon tradeshow in Amsterdam. Customers will be able to purchase the release, currently in private beta testing, beginning in February 2009.
Office Communications Server 2007 R2 delivers important new functionality that extends software-powered voice, particularly for remote and mobile workers; provides on-premise audioconferencing to help reduce operational costs; and introduces new developer advances, including the ability to build communications-enabled business processes. These enhancements will improve business communications through a unified infrastructure and user experience.
“Office Communications Server 2007 R2, debuting just one year after the Microsoft unified communications launch, highlights the pace of innovation that is possible with software,” said Stephen Elop, president of the Microsoft Business Division at Microsoft. “This new release puts Microsoft on a rapid path to deliver voice software that does much more than a network private branch exchange (PBX) and with much less cost.”
Customers worldwide are embracing Microsoft’s unified communications platform, which streamlines communications by combining e-mail, instant messaging, conferencing and voice communications onto a single, unified platform.
More on the sourceKey new features of Office Communications Server 2007 R2 include the following:
Next-Generation Collaboration
Dial-in audioconferencing. Office Communications Server 2007 R2 enables businesses to eliminate costly audioconferencing services with an on-premise audioconferencing bridge that is managed by IT as part of the overall communications infrastructure.
Desktop sharing. This feature enables users to seamlessly share their desktop, initiate audio communications and collaborate with others outside the organization on PC, Macintosh or Linux platforms through a Web-based interface.
Persistent group chat. This enables geographically dispersed teams to collaborate with each other by participating in topic-based discussions that persist over time. This application provides users with a list of all available chat rooms and topics, periodically archives discussions in an XML file format that meets compliance regulations, provides tools to search the entire history of discussion on a given topic, and offers filters and alerts to notify someone of new posts or topics on a particular topic.
Enhanced Voice and Mobility
Attendant console and delegation. This allows receptionists, team secretaries and others to manage calls and conferences on behalf of other users, set up workflows to route calls, and manage higher volumes of incoming communications through a software-based interface.
Session Initiation Protocol trunking. This feature enables businesses to reduce costs by setting up a direct VoIP connection between an Internet telephony service provider and Office Communicator 2007 without requiring on-premise gateways.
Response group.A workflow design application manages incoming calls based on user-configured rules (e.g., round-robin, longest idle, simultaneous), providing a simple-to-use basic engine for call treatment, routing and queuing.
Mobility and single-number reach. This extends Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile functionality to Nokia S40, Motorola RAZR, Blackberry and Windows Mobile platforms, allowing users to communicate using presence, IM and voice as an extension of their PBX from a unified client.*
New Developer Tools for Business Applications
APIs and Visual Studio integration. This improves the efficiency of everyday business processes by enabling businesses to build communications-enabled applications and embed communications into business applications.
Join Us for Launch
Thursday, October 9, 2008
What’s happening!?
Today something different. No blogging about Unified Communications or what so ever. 
Dow falls below 9,000
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost about 679 points -- some 7 percent -- in frenzied trading during the final half hour of Thursday's session as the Treasury's eye on buying stakes in struggling banks failed to reassure investors amid the ongoing credit crisis. Source CCN.com.
Problems with ICESAVE. Dutch government grants emergency loan to Fortis and since 1 hour the entire Dutch economy (Wouter Bos)
Main question:
What’s happening!?
Still 1 out of 3 children die before they become 5 years old in West Papua (Indonesia).
How is the economy going? Everyone is concerning about the entire economy these days. My point of view is quite different. It remembers me the time when my own sister Gaby Farla was in Papua for over 4 months. The real life is over there!
West-Papua is an Indonesia n province with many faces. It is a beautiful province with beautiful people, overwhelming and sometimes impenetrable nature, unique cultures and a lot of secrets that are yet to be discovered. West-Papua is also the area with the biggest poverty, the most tropical diseases and the highest percentage of child mortality in Indonesia. It’s a country where foreign investors have their minds set on the rich natural resources. It’s an area where human rights are violated and Papua’s can almost only be found in the inland and the remote areas.
The foundation for Sustainable Development Papua Barat (SDSP) is
a Dutch Foundation. This foundation works hard to make improvements in West-Papua. Two volunteers from the SDSP, Jurgen Nagel and Ellis van Minnen, started a Mother and Child project in the inland (Senopi) of West-Papua. Jurgen en Ellis stay in West-Papua at least two years and they want to build a clinic, inform the locals about basic hygiene and improve the life circumstances for the locals. Unfortunately they don’t have enough resources and possibilities for transport to complete their mission. Besides that the Indonesian government doesn’t co-operate. How is that possible? Still 1 out of 3 children die before they become 5 years old!
Attention:
The Dutch broadcasting company “Llink” pays € 100.000,- if this project gets the most votes. Please vote for this good initiative!
Surf to www.llink.nl and become a member from Llink for only € 5,73 and vote for http://reddegroensteomroep.llink.nl/video/we_don_t_need_flying_cows.
For the complete report surf to http://player.omroep.nl/?aflID=8030704. Unfortunately these movies are only in Dutch.
If you would like to have more information about this specific project of the SDSP or other initiatives, please check www.sdsp.nl or www.kuku.nl.
Thanks a lot for helping the Papua’s! Special greetings to my sister Gaby Farla who was taking this initiative. Good luck!
Friday, October 3, 2008
NEW: Exam 088-924 Voice Specialization
Certifications
Technical Exam Requirements: To qualify, your organization must employ or contract with at least two individuals, each of whom must have passed both of the following Microsoft exams:
-
Exam 70-638 TS: Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, Configuring
-
Exam 088-924: Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 – UC Voice Specialization (available in fall 2008)
Attending the Unified Communications Voice Ignite workshop is recommended as preparation for Exam 088-924 (available in fall 2008). Voice Ignite attendance is based on workshop availability . You must complete the following prerequisites, which are both available online, before attending:
Learn more about the value of Microsoft certifications and a new generation of offerings available from Microsoft Learning.
Sales Exam Requirement: Employ or contract with two or more individuals who have passed the Unified Communications Voice sales training assessment (available in September 2008).
More information see
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Proof of Concept for Unified Communications: Voice Datasheet
Quick Details
File Name:
Proof_of_Concept-Voice.pdf
Version:
1.0
Date Published:
9/29/2008
Language:
English
Download Size:
175 KB
Estimated Download Time:
1 min 56K
Overview
The Proof of Concept for Unified Communications: Voice offering provides customers with a design and production proof of concept (POC) of a Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS) 2007 voice solution. The offering provides a prescriptive methodology to design and pilot the capabilities with minimal effect on the customer’s existing environment. The offering provides the delivery team with the deliverables and processes to implement a successful POC.
