Microsoft’s Unified Communications (UC) solutions use the power of software to streamline communications. Office Communications Server 2007 R2, one of the cornerstones of Microsoft’s UC solution, is the platform for presence, instant messaging, conferencing, and enterprise voice for businesses around the world.

Building on the customer, partner, and industry momentum of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, the new Office Communications Server 2007 R2 update continues to deliver on the Microsoft promise to streamline communications for users, give IT organizations the flexibility and control they need to manage their communications infrastructure efficiently, and provide an extensible platform for communications-enabled business processes.

Streamlined Communications

People manage their communications across many devices and applications, which can have a negative impact on productivity. Office Communications Server 2007 R2 streamlines the way users manage communications, which allows them to find and communicate with the right person, right now, from the applications they use most. It delivers on the promise of Unified Communications. Microsoft’s unique software-based approach has allowed rapid innovation. This update introduces many new enhancements over the 2007 release.

Operational Flexibility and Control

IT departments are expected to manage cost control, security, integration with existing infrastructure, and compliance requirements. Office Communications Server 2007 R2 allows IT administrators to meet these challenges effectively by giving them the ability to provide flexible communications solutions to users and by delivering the tools they need to help manage secure, compliant communications.

Extensible Communications Platform

One advantage of a software-based communications infrastructure is that businesses can embed communications capabilities into existing line-of-business applications and use communications and workflow capabilities to automate business processes, which saves money, saves time, and improves customer service. Office Communications Server 2007 R2 delivers an extensible communications platform that works with an organization’s existing messaging and telephony infrastructure and can adapt to changing business needs.

What's New

Office Communications Server 2007 R2 update that continue to deliver on the Microsoft promise to streamline communications for users, give IT organizations the flexibility and control they need, and provide an extensible communications platform.

Streamlined Communications

• Call management capabilities let receptionists and team assistants take a large volume of incoming calls and quickly route them to the intended recipients. Delegation allows executives to give complete management of their phone calls to assistants.
  
  
• Desktop-sharing capabilities allow users on Windows, Macintosh, and Linux platforms to collaborate with one another while they talk to each other using enhanced audio conferencing features.
  
  
• Group chat lets organizations set-up searchable, topic-based chat rooms that persist over time, which allows geographically distributed teams to collaborate with one another efficiently while preserving organizational knowledge.
  
  

• On-premise audio conferencing capability puts IT in control of audio conferencing infrastructure while saving on outsourced audio conferencing costs.
  
  
• Single Number Reach allows IT to log business calls placed from mobile phones for accounting purposes. It also helps to ensure that the same dialing rules that apply to calls from a work phone extends to mobile calls.
  
  
• Video monitoring capabilities allow IT to monitor the quality of video calls and conferences on their network and make adjustments if necessary.
  
  
• Support for SIP-trunking removes the need to manage on-premise gateways.
  
  

• Automate business processes with instant messaging, voice, and e-mail workflows with familiar development tools like Microsoft Visual Studio 2008.
  
  
• Agent Dashboard for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, built using the published platform APIs in Office Communications Server 2007 R2, gives call center agents the ability to see presence information and the ability to “click-to-communicate” from within the Microsoft Dynamics CRM screens.