The Big Question for Microsoft's OCS

It's 21 hours before Microsoft officially breaks the shrinkwrap off of Office Communications Server (OCS) 2007, the company's much touted unified communications (UC) platform provide VoIP, IM, conferencing and presence. A live webcast of the event can be viewed here tomorrow at 9:15am PDT.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with the release of OCS. Except for its much touted relationship with Nortel, Microsoft's delivered its UC components alone. Sure Microsoft can parade PBX partners across a press conference stagewith best of them. This is Microsoft we're talking about. But those relationships have been very tactical. Contrast that with IBM Lotus's who's studiously avoided expanding to SameTime into the territory of its PBX and video partners.

The release of OCS will test Microsoft's "Rambo" strategy. Cisco and Microsoft made a show a few months ago of kissing and making up in public. My sources tell me in Cisco at least that that company is pragmatic about its competition with Microsoft competing and partnering where necessary. But all of that was before OCS shipped. It'll take a few major wins and then we'll see just how well the Microsoft-Cisco partnership lasts.

Microsoft will continue to hold an edge in that battle with Cisco, Avaya, and the rest of the PBX-party. One beta user that I spoke with swore about OCS and said he would expect his organization to move their PBX on it. As long as communications means UC and UC involves the desktop, organizations will favor Microsoft.

Classic IT questions though still remain. Can Microsoft deliver the sort of availability and fault tolerance telecom buyers expect from their phone systems? The IP contributed by Nortel in the development of OCS may help, but given the problems with Microsoft 1.0 releases (witness Vista's challenges) and the caution of telecom buyers, my bet is that most will wait another year before seriously considering OCS.