The communications world is split in two—between the things you do on the telephone and the things you do on the computer.

The split exists because most real-time (synchronous) communications--like telephone calls and voice mail--depend on one network, while message based (asynchronous) communications--like e-mail--depend on a separate, incompatible network.

Real-time (synchronous) communications run on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Asynchronous communications run on packet-based networks like Ethernet (IP).

The split creates problems, lots of them. Phones aren't as intuitive as they should be: just try to start a three-way call without hanging up on someone. Computers can check your e-mail, but not your voice mail. And then there's the enormous cost of purchasing, maintaining, and upgrading two complex infrastructures.

There is, however, a solution: Unified Messaging. Learn more about Unified Messaging via this presentation. By uniting your existing communication systems and tools:

• Desktop telephone systems
• Legacy PBX and IP-PBX systems
• Internet
• Voicemail
• Faxes

With the productivity tools your people use every day:

• Windows Mobile-powered devices
• Email
• Office Productivity Suites
• Instant messaging

Using integrated servers plus services and client applications:

• Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007
• Microsoft Office Communicator 2007
• Microsoft Exchange Server 2007
• Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2007
• Microsoft Office Outlook 2007

To deliver complete communications tools:

• VoIP telephone service
• Email
• Collaborative Audio and video conferencing
• Integrated Voice mail
• Presence and contact information
• Faxes
• Instant Messaging
• Calendars

And delivers them safely and securely across multiple convenient applications and devices:

• Desktop computers and telephone
• Public Internet
• Windows Mobile-powered devices
• PSTN telephones

Click here to learn more about Unified Communications