Innovative Communications Alliance

The Innovative Communications Alliance (ICA) is a telecommunications alliance between Microsoft and Nortel, created in July 2006, to co-develop, integrate, market, sell, and support unified communications products. The two companies are working together to create integrated hardware and software solutions that join together voice, video, and data communications without requiring gateways or middleware. [ [http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/bb735838.aspx Microsoft Unified Communications Open Interoperability Program] ] Microsoft and Nortel share developing technologies and patents for unified communications products.

As of August, 2007, the Gartner group identified Nortel and Microsoft as leaders in unified communications. [ [http://mediaproducts.gartner.com/reprints/nortel/150273.html Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications, 2007] ]

Formation of alliance

Nortel and Microsoft announced the Innovative Communications Alliance in July 2006. [ [http://ipcommunications.tmcnet.com/hot-topics/security/articles/1888-microsoft-nortel-announce-innovative-communications-alliance-ica.htm Microsoft, Nortel Announce Innovative Communications Alliance (ICA)] ] Nortel and Microsoft agreed to share patents, technology, marketing, and development for unified communications products. The companies created joint development teams to integrate Microsoft Office 2007 applications with the Nortel telecommunication hardware (Communication Server 2100, Communication Server 1000, Secure Router 4134, and LG-Nortel IP Phone 8540),citation needed|date=July 2008 in order to provide unified enterprise communications products such as secure instant messaging, presence, voice and video telephony, and web conferencing. The alliance permits the two companies to accelerate their development of unified communications solutions.

Joint solutions

Various Nortel products have been integrated with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007, including:cite web
last = Montalbano
first = Elizabeth
title = Microsoft, Nortel unveil ICA's first products
publisher = IDG News Service
date = 2007-01-17
url = http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/01/17/HNicafirstproducts_1.html
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-07-28 ] cite web
last = Jim
first = Duffy
title = Nortel, Microsoft ship unified communications products
publisher = Network World
date = 2008-03-12
url = http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/031208-microsoft-novell-unified-communications.html
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-07-28 ]
* Nortel Secure Router 4134: support remote business sites.
* Nortel Multimedia Conferencing: support dial-in audio conferencing for non-Microsoft Office Communications Server users
* Nortel Converged Office: integrate voice services of the Nortel Communication Server 1000 IP-PBX and Communication Server 2100 IP-PBX

The Carrier Hosted Unified Communications Solution is an integration of the Nortel Communication Server 2000 softswitch with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2000 and Exchange Server 2007 Unified Messaging, to provide instant messaging, voice services, video conferencing, and other multimedia services.

As of January, 2007, British and Dutch Royal Dutch Shell had deployed approximate 2,000 Nortel phones to work with Microsoft Office Communicator client.cite web
last = Hamblen
first = Matt
title = Microsoft, Nortel show unified communications road map
publisher = ComputerWorldUK
date = 2007-01-19
url = http://www.computerworlduk.com/technology/networking/voip/news/index.cfm?newsid=1881
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-07-28 ]
ASUSteK Computer is using unified communications solutions from Nortel and Microsoft for its internal communications.cite web
title = Taiwan’s ASUS Embraces Unified Communications with Nortel and Microsoft Solutions
publisher = IDG Communications
date = 2008-05-20
url = http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1283174667
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-07-28 ]

Unified communications products

*LG-Nortel IP Phone 8540
*LG-Nortel USB Phone 8501
*Microsoft Office 2007
*Microsoft Office Communications Server
* Microsoft Office Communicator
*Microsoft Exchange Server
*Nortel Communication Server 2100
*Nortel Communication Server 1000
*Nortel Secure Router 4134

Competing solutions

In March, 2007, Cisco and IBM announced an alliance to bring together Sametime collaboration and Cisco Unified Communications Portfolio, to compete against the Nortel-Microsoft product offerings. [ [http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=FA5CC2BB-CE75-40FE-A6FC-2FB704A705BD IBM and Cisco team against Microsoft and Nortel] ]

ee also

* Microsoft Office 2007
* Unified communications
* Microsoft Office Communications Server
* Unified Messaging
* List of Microsoft - Nortel (ICA) products
* WebEx

Notes

External links

* [http://www.innovativecommunicationsalliance.com/ Official Innovative Communications Alliance Site]
* [http://www.microsoft.com/uc/default.mspx Official Microsoft Unified Communications Site]
* [http://www.nortel.com/solutions/uc/index.html Official Nortel Unified Communications Site]
* [http://products.nortel.com/go/product_content.jsp?segId=0&catId=null&parId=0&prod_id=63480&locale=en-US Nortel Multimedia Conferencing]
* [http://support.microsoft.com/kb/284927 Microsoft Office 2007 Smart Tags]
* [http://products.nortel.com/go/product_content.jsp?parId=0&segId=0&catId=C&prod_id=58480&locale=en-US Converged Office for Communication Server 1000]
* [http://www2.nortel.com/go/news_detail.jsp?cat_id=-8055&oid=100213594&locale=en-US Nortel and Microsoft CEOs Outline Transformation of Business Communications]
* [http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=365&sid=1330666 Nortel vs. Microsoft or Nortel AND Microsoft?]

References

<- - !! The ICA page was RFD and deleted for lack of references in Dec 2007; the following is an extensive list of references to validate the notability | Please assist in integrating the following list into the article. - ->
* [http://www.computerworld.com/action/whitepapers.do?command=viewWhitePaperDetail&contentId=9004226&intsrc=wp_li_spons Nortel and Microsoft Innovative Communications Alliance to transform business communications]
* [http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/011707-microsoft-nortel-ica-products.html Microsoft, Nortel unveil ICA's first products - Network World]
* [http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0199-6745287_ITM Companies Worldwide Embrace Microsoft and Nortel Communications Solutions Innovative Communications Alliance; Celebrates One-year Anniversary.]
* [http://www.techworld.com/networking/news/index.cfm?newsid=6470 Techworld.com - Microsoft and Nortel plan do-everything server]
* [http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9001861 Nortel, Microsoft communications alliance wins praise]
* [http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/071806-microsoft-and-nortel-to-codevelop.html Microsoft and Nortel announce broad unified communications]
* [http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Infrastructure/Zafirovski-Says-Nortel-Making-Enterprise-Comeback/ Zafirovski Says Nortel Making Enterprise Comeback]
* [http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1797176501;fp;4;fpid;19;pf;1 Shell bets big on Microsoft global VOIP plans]
* [http://www2.nortel.com/go/news_detail.jsp?cat_id=-9721&oid=100225321&locale=en-US The Nortel And Microsoft Innovative Communications Alliance Celebrates Its First Anniversary]
* [http://agendabuilder.gartner.com/NET2/WebPages/SessionDetail.aspx?EventSessionId=837 Planning and Deployment of Unified Communications]
* [http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/07/18/HNmsnortel_1.html Update: Microsoft, Nortel join on unified comms]
* [http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/021108-nortel-microsoft-uc-progress.html Nortel, Microsoft chart unified communications progress]
* [http://www.networksasia.net/article.php?id_article=3218 Nortel, Microsoft ship unified communications products]
* [http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/spec/A6F9E66DAE151742CC25741100829E60 Peeling the layers off the UC onion]
* [http://blogs.technet.com/markdea/archive/2006/07/19/442469.aspx Technet Blogs]
* [http://www.globalknowledge.com/training/casestudylist.asp?pageid=692&country=United+States&submit=single&csid=80 Global Knowledge Case Studies]
* [http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/blogs/mikeg/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?List=1b3bbb8f%2D4b5a%2D4f72%2D94c4%2D94cb80bc3866&ID=35 15 Minutes With Mikey: Fred Moore - Innovative Communications Alliance]
* [http://lippisreport.com/2007/12/03/lippis-report-issue-95-the-communications-industry-braces-for-restructuring/ Lippis Report Issue 95: The Communications Industry Braces For Restructuring]
* [http://www31.nortel.com/webcast.cgi?id=4620 ICA Webcast]
* [http://www31.nortel.com/webcast.cgi?id=5309 Video Cast]
* [http://www.journaldunet.com/solutions/0701/070119-accord-nortel-microsoft.shtml (FR) Nortel et Microsoft dévoilent leur arsenal face à Cisco]
* [http://www.businessmobile.fr/actualites/analyses/0,39044174,39362335,00.htm (FR) Microsoft s'allie avec Nortel pour investir la VoIP professionnelle]
* [http://www.01net.com/article/344270.html (FR) Cisco achète WebEx pour contrer Microsoft sur la]
* [http://www.reseaux-telecoms.net/actualites/lire-alliance-nortel-microsoft-ca-prend-forme-16463.html (FR) Alliance Nortel-Microsoft : ça prend forme]
* [http://www.itnews.it/2007/0716093202639/des-soci-t-s-du-monde-entier-adoptent-les-solutions-de-communications-de-microsoft-et-de-nortel.html (FR) Des sociétés du monde entier adoptent les solutions de communications de Microsoft et de Nortel]
* [http://www.lemondeinformatique.fr/actualites/lire-nortel-dope-les-fonctions-communicantes-de-microsoft-office-21864.html (FR) Nortel dope les fonctions communicantes de Microsoft Office]
* [http://www.lemondeinformatique.fr/actualites/lire-premiers-resultats-tangibles-de-l-alliance-microsoft-nortel-23060.html (FR) Premiers résultats tangibles de l'alliance Microsoft-Nortel]
* [http://www.itnews.it/2007/0716093202639/des-soci-t-s-du-monde-entier-adoptent-les-solutions-de-communications-de-microsoft-et-de-nortel.html (FR) Des sociétés du monde entier adoptent les solutions de communications de Microsoft et de Nortel]