IM and Presence Improvements

Communications Server 2007 and Communicator 2007 deliver small but useful upgrades to their contact management, presence, and IM features, which will benefit organizations that have already deployed the products, and could spur additional interest among first-time customers.

Why IM and Presence?

IM, which enables users to send short text messages to other online users, is increasingly supported in organizations alongside e-mail and voice: IM can provide quicker turnaround than e-mail when participants are all available, and it can provide a written and searchable record of a conversation. Organizations are also increasingly enabling users to advertise presence information, which indicates whether the user is actively using a PC or other device, and whether the user is willing to receive IM or other communications at the device. This enables IM and voice users to determine where a potential recipient is and whether the recipient is willing to talk, avoiding some useless IM messages or phone calls. Both IM and presence have found traction in the financial services industry, where they have been used to convey time-sensitive information to traders and customers. Fortunately or unfortunately, IM has also proven useful as a way to make an end run around overstuffed inboxes in large organizations, getting immediate attention from users who might not otherwise respond to e-mail or telephone calls.