For all of the solution providers who"ve said they"re taking a wait-and-see approach to Microsoft"s impending unified communications blitz, the wait is almost over. Microsoft has been laying the groundwork for its march into the voice market for some time now, throwing out tantalizing tidbits along the way including a wide-ranging partnership with Nortel Networks in July, 2006, to develop integrated VoIP products and the release of the public beta of its Office Communications Server (OCS) 2007 in March.
While solution providers at large have heard the rhetoric and seen hints of what"s to come, they"ve been waiting to get their hands on Microsoft"s new technology so they can appraise for themselves just how big an impact it will have on the VoIP space. Now, for Microsoft and its solution providers, it"s nearly go time.