Alcatel’s Gensys unit will work with Microsoft’s Real Time Collaboration Group to provide integrated instant messaging and telephony with planned front-end software codenamed Istanbul, part of Microsoft’s next Live Communications Server.
According to Microsoft, Istanbul is the preferred client for LCS 2005 bringing instant messaging, extensible presence, PC-based voice and video, and telephony integration to PCs. The companies’ deal follows an agreement between Siemens Communications Group and Microsoft to jointly market and sell Office Live Meeting and Siemens’ HiPath OpenSpace presence-enabled collaboration portal that is built into LCS 2005 and Istanbul.
