Microsoft announced on 22^nd May, 2007 their interoperability partners who will assist them in revolutionizing the VoIP market and for promotion of the Office Communications Server 2007.

Microsoft has announced a partner line-up that consists of some of the key players in the voice over IP gateway and IP PBX industry. These key players have agreed to work with Microsoft in developing the OCS 2007 unified communications conferencing and messaging server.

The various gateway and IP PBX companies who have pledged their interoperability with Microsoft’s Office Communications Server 2007 include Avaya, Dialogic and Quintum Technologies, Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco Systems, Siemens Enterprise Communications, Mitel Networks, Nortel Networks, AudioCodes, NEC, Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, and Ericsson.

As a part of the entire partnership process, Microsoft announced on 14^th May 2007 the launch of 15 VoIP phones that will be provided by nine different handset partners. These phones will be compatible with Office Communications Server 2007 as well as the Office Communicator 2007. These phones consist of conferencing phones, IP Phones, USB phones, and wired as well as wireless headsets among many others. Some of the partners providing these phones for Microsoft OCS 2007 include Samsung, Plantronics, NEC, Polycom and Nortel Networks. The gateway and IP PBX providers have also signed an agreement stating that they will provide interoperability upgrades to Microsoft early next year.

The Office Communications Server 2007 can deliver some of the basic IP PBX functionality like ability to take a call or make a call. You will also be able to transfer calls, and do voice conferencing. The Office Communications Server 2007 will add more value by integrating instance messaging, conferencing and VoIP presence with Microsoft Exchange e-mail.

One of the partners, Mitel has also worked with the predecessor of OCS 2007, which is the Live Communications Server 2004. It has recently announced the integration of PBX to Microsoft Exchange 2007 using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

Don Smith, the CEO of Ontario-based Mitel said in a statement recently that, “the recent deployment of our direct Mitel 3300 IP Communications Platform SIP connection with Microsoft Exchange 2007 to Microsoft Technology Centers (MTCs) worldwide is further evidence of Mitel's firm commitment to ensuring the seamless integration of our solutions portfolio with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007."

So finally with assistance from their partners, Microsoft is all set to release the Standard and the enterprise versions of the Office Communications Server 2007. Almost 1,700 enterprises are in the process of testing the Beta version of the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 since December 2006. Microsoft is expected to open the field to all so that other organizations can sign up and download the public Office Communications Server 2007 beta version from their website.