Microsoft Corp. formally announced Tuesday that its forthcoming real-time collaboration server will be included in the Microsoft Office System of servers, programs and services and will be known as Microsoft Office Real-Time Communications Server 2003.
The extensible IM (instant messaging) server, formerly code-named Greenwich, will allow developers to build real-time communications capabilities into their applications. Other Office 2003 applications, such as Outlook 2003 and SharePoint Portal Server 2003, will also incorporate presence detection, so that users can see if the person listed in e-mail or the portal is online and available to communicate via IM.
“With RTC Server deployed with other Microsoft Office System products, such as Outlook 2003 or SharePoint Portal Server 2003, information workers will be able to send instant messages to colleagues from within the productivity applications they use every day,” Anoop Gupta, head of the Real-Time Collaboration Business Unit at Microsoft, said in a statement.
“Collaboration in context delivers greater relevance. Collaboration in real time allows for faster resolution of issues and shorter time to decisions. Its a powerful combination we believe information workers will embrace.”
The Microsoft Office Real-Time Communications Server 2003 is expected to be available in the third quarter. Licensing and pricing have not yet been determined.
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