Office 2007 To Streamline Communication
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Microsoft has announced plans to work with hardware giants such as Hewlett-Packard and Motorola to integrate the various communication applications to be included in its Office 2007 server and applications.

The move comes as Internet-based communication becomes increasingly popular, especially in the workplace. Many workers these days communicate by email, Instant Messaging and by making phone calls over the Web and wirelessly. However many workers find it hard to keep track of all these communications – Microsoft estimates that the average worker in a business environment receives 51 messages from seven different places in a single day.

However Microsoft claims that the new partnerships will ensure that workers’ email, phone calls, faxes, voicemail, conferencing and instant messaging can all be unified on one system under the Office 2007 server and applications, which is due out later this year.

Another feature that can be used internally across the same Office 2007 server is an ‘online’ function. When a worker’s name appears on a document or email, an icon will let other users know if that person has indicated they are available for phone call or message communication.

On top of the hardware deals announced by Microsoft over the weekend, IBM also said separately that the next version of its instant messaging system, Lotus Sametime, will be integrated with Office products as of 2007. Sametime is currently the largest business instant messaging tool.