Communications Server 14 News

The new Microsoft Communications Server 14 product can replace your Phone Branch Exchange (PBX), but if you don’t want to upgrade it can also enhance the existing system.
In fact the Communications Server 14 benefits of audio/video web conferencing, instant messaging and VoIP telephony can all be added as unified communications solutions to your current infrastructure.
With its special interoperability, Communications Server 14 is easy to integrate into Microsoft Office and simple to deploy.
One option is for Communications Server 14 to be connected directly to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) via SIP Trunking or through a gateway. To do this your phone number is simply transferred to Communications Server 14.
Alternatively Communications Server 14 can be connected to your existing PBX. Using Communicator your system will then ring whenever the PBX rings. This is ideal for mobile or remote workers.
There is also a new Join From” feature where the user’s PBX phone is automatically rung to invite then to join a conference call.
However Microsoft has just seen some 70,000 customers use Communications Server 14 in place of their PBX. With its partners Aastra and Polycom Microsoft is also starting to roll out IP desktop phones as well as optimised USB devices.