Avaya and Microsoft Announce Intent to Expand their Strategic Relationship to Integrate Business Communications Solutions

Integrated solutions planned to enable intelligent, real-time communication and collaboration across an enterprise

07-Mar-2006, VOICECON - ORLANDO, FLA. – Avaya (NYSE:AV) and Microsoft Corp. (Nadaq:MSFT) today announced the intent to develop open standards, SIP-based interoperability between Avaya MultiVantage® Communications Applications and Microsoft Office Communicator, the unified communications client for Microsoft® Office Live Communications Server 2005. Aimed at extending the rich capabilities of Microsoft applications to include voice capabilities, this joint initiative will focus on delivering a unified communications solution that allows people, teams and organizations to communicate simply and effectively while working seamlessly with Avaya and Microsoft communications applications.

The goal of the joint solutions is to enable intelligent, real-time communication and collaboration across an enterprise to enhance productivity, to power decision-making and to improve responsiveness to customers. Business users would be able to launch, receive and re-direct communications while accessing the robust, more reliable and security-enhanced business communications functionality and features of Avaya Communication Manager and the desktop and mobile versions of Microsoft Office Communicator 2005. With the joint solution, business users would be able to:

* Initiate calls with a click-to-dial from Microsoft Office Communicator and Avaya telephony endpoints that seamlessly interoperate between applications.
* View colleagues’ phone status and presence availability from within Microsoft Office Communicator and instantly send an instant message or click-to-dial any worker.
* Launch or answer phone calls from within Microsoft Office Communicator, and choose to conduct calls from the PC or Avaya desk phone.


“Avaya and Microsoft share a vision of unified communications and collaboration based on open standards, which will allow businesses to communicate effectively, and interoperate seamlessly across applications and processes,” said Mike Thurk, president, Global Communications Solutions, Avaya. “This relationship will allow Avaya and Microsoft to develop new innovations that can simplify worker collaboration and deliver on the promise of Intelligent Communications.”

“Microsoft is pleased that Avaya supports Live Communications Server as a hub for unified communications, extending the rich capabilities of presence and people-centric communications to encompass voice communications,” said Zig Serafin, general manager, Unified Communications Group, Microsoft. “Together we are building new solutions that will dramatically improve productivity of information workers.”

Avaya and Microsoft plan to use existing interfaces and develop new methods for integration, including ones based on SIP open standards. The use of open standards and SIP will provide customers with greater flexibility to use the integrated Avaya-Microsoft solutions in conjunction with other business applications and to communications-enable business processes to increase productivity.

The first of the joint solutions is expected in the fourth quarter of 2006.

This is a new stage in a long-standing relationship that allows Avaya applications to work with Microsoft technology. For example, Avaya Modular Messaging and Speech Access products work with Microsoft Office Outlook®, Exchange Server and the Active Directory® service; Avaya Meeting Exchange™ conferencing utilizes Outlook scheduling and Microsoft Internet Explorer; Avaya Contact Center solutions works with Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM, SQL Server™; and Microsoft Windows®. and Avaya IP Office provides telephony application interoperability with Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Dynamics CRM Small Business Edition.

HP is a global systems integrator at the forefront of developing services for the convergence of real-time communications and presence, which would be able to provide additional value to interoperability between these Avaya and Microsoft solutions.

“Delivering converged communications aligns with HP’s vision for the enterprise and offers strategic value to customers,” said Jack Novia, managing director and senior vice president – Americas, Technology Solutions Group, HP. “Enterprise customers are looking for the increased speed and efficiency, improved business interactions and intelligent communications that are possible through integrated IT and telephony solutions.”

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

About Avaya
Avaya Inc. designs, builds and manages communications networks for more than one million businesses worldwide, including 90 percent of the FORTUNE 500®. Focused on businesses large to small, Avaya is a world leader in secure and reliable Internet Protocol (IP) telephony systems and communications software applications and services.

Driving the convergence of voice and data communications with business applications – and distinguished by comprehensive worldwide services – Avaya helps customers leverage existing and new networks to achieve superior business results. For more information visit the Avaya website: http://www.avaya.com.

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Microsoft, Outlook, Active Directory, Microsoft Dynamics and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Contact Information

Deb Kline

Media Relations

Avaya Inc.

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