Microsoft Corp. announced Tuesday an early beta of a new rich client for its Live Communications Server product designed to unite instant messaging with telephony and video, and to embed such technologies in other applications. Code-named "Istanbul," the company is demonstrating the new Office-based technology at the Fall 2004 VON conference here this week and seeking testers for a managed beta program.
Istanbul will replace Windows Messenger as the preferred client for Live Communications Server, though Windows Messenger will continue to be included within the Windows operating system, Microsoft officials said. "Istanbul is a richer client with richer capabilities," said Anoop Gupta, corporate vice president in Microsoft's Real-Time Collaboration Business Unit, who formally announced Istanbul during his Tuesday morning keynote at VON.
News source: eWeek
