Microsoft and Nortel Announce Innovative Communications Alliance (ICA)
The convergence of the communications and IT industries took a significant step forward today as Microsoft Corp. and Nortel announced a strategic alliance based on a shared vision for unified communications. By engaging the companies at the technology, marketing and business levels, the alliance will allow both companies to drive new growth opportunities and has the potential to ultimately transform businesses communications, reducing costs and complexity and improving productivity for customers.
By combining Nortel’s world-class network quality and reliability with Microsoft software’s ease of use, the alliance will accelerate the availability of unified communications — an industry concept that uses advanced technologies to break down today’s device- and network-centric silos of communication (such as e-mail, instant messaging, telephony and multimedia conferencing) and makes it easy and efficient for workers to reach colleagues, partners and customers with the devices and applications they use
Q & A with Jeff Raikes
Webcast of the Press Conference
About a month ago Bill Gates announced Unified Communications and now Microsoft is following through.