Communications Server Update Coming

The next update to Communications Server, Microsoft’s business product for synchronous communications, such as instant messaging (IM), Voice over IP (VoIP), and videoconferencing, is 64-bit only, makes Communications Server compatible with Windows Server 2008 and adds useful features, such as dial-in teleconferencing and a console that will help assistants handle calls for their bosses. However, other needed improvements, such as automatically reporting the location of 911 calls to responders, will have to wait until the next release, expected in 2010.

What’s New in R2?

Communications Server 2007 Release 2 (R2) was announced at the Oct. 2008 VoiceCon tradeshow in Amsterdam, with availability slated for Feb. 2009—less than 18 months after its predecessor was released. The most important improvement is support for Windows Server 2008; previous versions of Communications Server did not run on the latest version of Microsoft’s server OS.

R2 also marks the transition to an exclusively 64-bit product, as is the case already with Exchange Server 2007. Prior versions have been 32-bit-only. Together, Exchange 2007 and Communications Server 2007 comprise Microsoft’s unified communications platform, and certain features, such as the ability for users to receive voice mail in their e-mail inboxes, are available only when both products are used.