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Microsoft Serious About VoIP

Posted by Zonk on from the because-they-have-dalliances-all-the-time dept.

VoIPluvr writes "Microsoft, is quietly turning into a voice-over-IP powerhouse. It all started with the launch of its Microsoft Live Communication Server. Bill Gates says, 'Communicating in a better way has a huge impact for business,' and he states that he wants Microsoft to marry the PC, the cell phone and the desk phone. Recently, Microsoft teamed up with VoIP companies like Sylantro to offer hosted IP-PBX services, and now is rumored to have bought Teleo, a small VoIP company based in San Francisco. Microsoft's dominance on the desktop is helping the company extend its reach into the fast growing VoIP business, thus putting it in direct competition with the likes of Cisco. Teleo, for instance could help the company compete more effectively with the likes of Yahoo and Skype."

7 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. Can't they leave ANYTHING alone? by TempusMagus · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Microsoft makes a PDF-like format, Microsoft takes over municipal water works, Microsoft creates new ice-cream cone. My god, can't Microsoft leave anything alone? This is what is going to kill MS; they are doing too many things and fighting too many wars on too many fronts in an effort to maintain market dominance. You would think large companies would ditch MS wholesale simply because MS may one day use the revenue to compete with them.

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    1. Re:Can't they leave ANYTHING alone? by KarmaMB84 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Microsoft's Client, Information Worker and Server & Tools divisions are all profitable. This encompasses Windows XP, Windows 2003, Office, Exchange, SQL Server and probably just about every piece of software they produce. Their Home & Entertainment division has posted a one-time profitable quarter and their Business Solutions division is also posting losses. The Mobile and Embedded division is around the break-even point if not profitable already. I'm not sure where they hide their mouse and keyboard business at but I doubt they'd still be producing mice and keyboards if that segment didn't at least pay for itself in mindshare if not actual dollars. The "failing" divisions simply are not mature with a steady revenue stream yet.

    2. Re:Can't they leave ANYTHING alone? by dev1t · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Has everyone lost their minds??? Every large compay in the world has it's hands in so many different pots it's amazing. UPS builds battle ships for god sake. Phillip Morris makes bread... The list is endless. If any corporation truely wants to succeed the need to diversify heavily. If microsoft or Linus Torvalds, for that matter, wants to build a better diaper I say go for it!!! Especially if it helps employ some people. On a side note there was once a flsh website that had an active matrix of people and the many MANY boards they sat on. It was very scarey seeing where some board members crossed conflicting companies. If anyone knows what it was let us all know.

  2. Microsoft is a control freak. by Goalie_Ca · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It seems to me like any new sector or industry comes along and people start making money microsoft goes AAHHH we don't control that! So they buy a bunch of companies and produce some buggy vaporware and spend a bunch of money. Is it possible for them to be happy with that they got or at least not branch out so much and focus on goods they can produce and produce them well.

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    Go canucks, habs, and sens!
  3. "This phonecall best recieved with VoIP Explorer" by G4from128k · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I wonder when that little pop-up will start appearing on computer screens during incoming VoIP calls. I can think of a million ways MS could embrace-and-extend VoIP to add features that only work/ "work best" with MS software. Makers of VoIP add-ons will then test their widgets with MS only and not support "non-standard" operating systems.

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    Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do.
  4. Nothing to worry about by eno2001 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Where I work, we have a saying. "There are only two things that need to be up and running 24x7 without a hitch. Ever: phone and e-mail". Until Microsoft can provide an OS with this kind of reliability that doesn't cost the farm (like Windows Data Center on Unisys) they will not be chosen as a serious contender for carrier grade mail or phone. How many large ISPs out there use Exchange for mail? None. An for people like me... I want carrier grade quality in everything even for my own home use. That's why I use *nix for anything serious.

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    -"...bad old ideas look confusingly fresh when they are packaged as technology" - Jaron Lanier (Digital Maoism on Edge.o
  5. I prefer different systems by Bender+Unit+22 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Microsoft have tied all their systems nicely together. I don't know much about Microsoft products but once or twice every year I see problems that brings down every Microsoft based problems.

    Whenever we need different MS systems to talk to each other, they pretty much needs to be on the same network or at least have so many open network ports between them that firewalling them in different security zones becomes useless.

    I'd prefer different systems with clearly defined boundries, communicating trough standard protocols instead. Moving everything to a big consolidated MS monster, might have helped bring down some of the expenses of having different systems. But I have yet to see it bring better stability.

    I see some signs of people not any longer want everything to be tied in to a MS system after have had problems with one vendor to rule them all.

    but sadly the management in a lot of places does not understand why they don't get the stability they had on the mainframe after moving it all to MS.