Paula Musich

San Jose, Calif.—Microsoft at the VON 07 conference demonstrated a brand new phone system for small business that officials say overcomes the cost and complexity issues of traditional PBXes. Microsoft teamed up with three hardware OEMs to deliver an offering which combines the functions of an IP PBX, Integrated Voice Response System and Messaging in […]

Cisco Systems tried to build momentum behind its high-end TelePresence video conferencing system at CeBIT on March 16 by building out features and announcing the first public service based on its TelePresence technology. Cisco added two key features designed to broaden the appeal of the life-like conferencing system by allowing virtual meetings in several locations […]

Cisco Systems planned $2.9 billion acquisition of leading Web conferencing provider Webex sets up a complex and interesting dance between itself and Microsoft as both vendors work through the need to both cooperate and compete in the same customer accounts. Cisco will compete directly with Microsoft in the Web conferencing and shared applications market, where […]

In a departure from its go-to-market strategy for management software, Microsoft on March 13 said that it will OEM its Systems Center Operations Manager 2007 software to application delivery controller vendor F5 Networks. The management software, formerly called Microsoft Operations Manager, or MOM, will form the foundation for a new management appliance F5 Networks intends […]

Microsoft, as expected, on March 14 announced its intent to acquire voice-search platform provider Tellme Networks as part of a broad-ranging effort to use voice technology as an interface for accessing information and services. “We see voice and speech recognition as way to improve interaction with productivity software. Last week at VoiceCon we said we […]

If the rumors prove true, Microsofts next big push in the area of Unified Communications could involve voice search. Microsoft is rumored to be in talks to acquire privately held Tellme Networks, which markets a platform based on the open standards-based VoiceXML 2.0 specification. The standard describes how to build voice applications that provide access […]

Network analysis vendor Network Instruments on March 12 launched a new version of its Observer packet capture and analysis line that allows users to see exactly what happened in a security breach. The Minneapolis company leveraged the ability in its Gigastor network analyzer to capture and retain large amounts of data on actual network traffic […]

Customer satisfaction could take a hit for call centers that overlooked more obscure parts of the system in preparing for the daylight-saving time rule change. Although only time will tell how successful most call center operations have been in their efforts to deal with the change, industry experts warn that its possible some elements in […]

Two different individuals in the Northeast were arrested in the past week for allegedly defrauding Cisco Systems out of millions of dollars worth of replacement parts. On March 6, Michael Daly, a 53-year-old businessman from Danvers, Mass., was arrested for wire fraud. On March 2, Michael Kyereme, an independent contractor working for the city of […]

Cisco Systems and IBM on March 7 at VoiceCon in Orlando, Fla., will team up to further the cause of richer collaboration with the launch of a new, open platform for third-party developers. The new UC2 platform for unified communications and collaboration client development is intended to allow developers to create plug-ins to extend clients […]

Opsware on March 6 plunged into the nascent IT process automation market when it announced its deal to acquire startup iConclude for roughly $54 million. The acquisition, expected to close in May, will bring to Opsware a new presence in the Network Operations Center thanks to iConcludes ability to automate tasks described in the NOCs […]

Nortel Networks at VoiceCon on March 5 will back up its unified communications vision with a series of new and enhanced products aimed at both enterprises and carriers. Nortel will extend its unified communications vision beyond the work it is doing with Microsoft in their joint Innovative Communications Alliance to integrate IBMs Lotus Notes with […]