Microsoft Beta Testing New VoIP Server
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The successor to Live Communications Server 2005, the component of Microsoft's Office System that handles communication between office workers, has entered private beta testing. Now simply called Office Communications Server 2007, the software integrates VoIP calling with traditional phone setups.
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Microsoft have let the public use a beta of their tool for some months while testing continues. The last few days have seen a new release of the beta which seems to be getting closer to bringing back consistently sensible results.
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(InfoWorld) - SkypeÂ released the beta version of Skype 2.2, a software client that allows Windows Mobile smart phones to access the company's VOIP (voice over Internet Protocol) service over Wi-Fi connections. Previous versions of the software were compatible with Windows Pocket PC devices. The beta works on 120 different Windows Mobile devices, Skype said. Users in range of a free Wi-Fi network can make free VOIP calls to other Skype customers. Users can also pay via their SkypeIn and SkypeOut accounts to receive and make calls to landline phones. New features in Skype 2.2 for Windows Mobile include an enhanced screen with presence status and notification of events such as missed calls and voicemails. The client also now supports secure connections including HTTPS, HTTPS/SSL, and SOCKS5 proxies. Skype recently said that it has seen 5 million downloads of Skype for Pocket PC. Skype promotes the use of its mobile client over Wi-Fi, not over cellular networks. Mobile operators have largely resisted Skype and some have even blocked the service because it can compete with their own voice offerings. But operators would have trouble blocking Skype calls over Wi-Fi networks, which they typically don't control. Last month, 3 Group broke from its competitors andÂ introduced a new data offeringÂ that enables customers to make and receive Skype calls over its 3G network. The service is initially available only on a single Nokia phone model and is supported via iSkoot, a company offering software that enables Skype on mobile phones. In October, Eric Lagier, Skype's head of mobile development, said that the company would introduceÂ a client that would run on Symbian phonesÂ by the end of the year. Fans of Symbian, the most popular smart phone operating system, are still eagerly awaiting the much-delayed Skype client.ADVERTISEMENTNEW IT SERVICES FROM IBM: EASIER TO BUY AND IMPLEMENTDiscover a simpler, more cost-effective way to get the solutions your company needs to grow more flexible and efficient.
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Microsoft's MSN division will launch a test version of a free Web logging (blogging) service aimed at consumers on Thursday, Microsoft's first foray as a provider of this increasingly popular Internet activity for the mass consumer market.
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A select group of testers next week will get an early look at MSN Messenger 7.0, the next version of Microsoft&#39;s popular instant messaging client.
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Microsoft Corp., worldâs largest software maker, has entered the blog market with its new MSN Spaces beta service that it started offering to end-users starting Thursday.
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Microsoft is now seeking beta testers for its Windows Home Server software, which was unveiled last month at the Consumer Electronics Show and is set to ship before September.
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(InfoWorld) - Microsoft plans to offer a few more details Tuesday on the upcoming version of its hosted Web conferencing offering, Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2007. The updated software will have a new user interface and allow users to share media files. In addition, users will be able to participate in conferences over either VOIP (voice over IP Internet Protocol) or regular telephones. In Live Meeting 2005, the meeting presenter could choose to either let participants call in using landline phones or listen only via Internet audio. Live Meeting 2007 users conducting training events will also have access to expanded testing and grading functions. The updated service will hit the market in the third quarter, around the same time that theÂ Office Communications Server 2007, with its Web conferencing capabilities, will also become widely available. That's a bit behind schedule. Last year, Microsoft said it was hoping to ship these products in the second quarter of 2007. When the products are both out, users of Live Meeting and the Office Communications Server can participate in the same conference. Both types of users will see the same Web interface and have the same experience, said Roger Muff, director of marketing for Microsoft's unified communications group. "The fact that we're making Web conferencing available... through a server as well as Live Meeting is a good example of software plus services in action," he said. Customers choose the service or the server-based offerings for different reasons, he said. An IT manager might decide to use Live Meeting because it's a service that includes support. "IT pros are spread ever more thin," he noted. Because Live Meeting is hosted and includes support, it's one less service an IT professional has to manage. Other companies may choose the Communications Server because they'd prefer to keep sensitive company documents internal within the corporate firewall, rather than out on the Internet. Enterprises may instead choose Live Meeting for the opposite reason--because keeping documents on an Internet-based service may satisfy certain regulations around publicly sharing documents, he said. In addition, meeting size may determine which product a company wants. Live Meeting can support thousands of participants while Communications Server supports hundreds.
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Microsoft now has opened public access to the latest beta build of Vista Service Pack 1 to all who are interested.
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The online giant is quietly calling on beta testers to try out its take on VoIP.
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Virtual world's publisher to roll out beta trial next week of voice chatting built directly into the client software.
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Enterprise network managers are implementing VoIP, but how are they managing these installations? Here are four tools to simplify the task.
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December 23, 2004 -- (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- Opera Software  announced on Wednesday that it has released the beta version of its next browser for the Windows platform.
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Software maker is ready with a test version of its server software for running business phone systems.
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Jive Software is set to unveil a new version of its corporate collaboration server that will allow voice calls to be initiated from its IM system.
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Voice over IP service releases beta client that accommodates Windows Mobile handsets.
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After first unveiling the product at CES in January, Microsoft on Monday released Beta 2 of Windows Home Sever, and is opening up the beta program to a broader group of external testers. Previous releases were tested by over 1,000 Microsoft employees and the Redmond company's partners.