What do UC?

A site developed by Joe Schurman for those who want to know more about Microsoft Unified Communications.

The Microsoft Unified Communications solution is one of the most exciting offerings that the company has ever released, but is also one of the most confusing due to the overwhelming marketing by Microsoft competitors such as Cisco, IBM, and others who also provide Unified Communications products and services.  The purpose of this site is to provide detailed information and media from an IT professional's point of view to assist Microsoft employees, partners, and customers understand what the Microsoft Unified Communications solution is all about.  My purpose is to help with the evangelism of this program and to support the Microsoft Unified Communications technical community.
The latest VoIP innovation brought to market, Microsoft Response Point will provide customers with an incredible new communications solution leveraging VoIP technology and simplifying the use of telephony.  Response Point is a new, innovative technology that provides many features including a voice-activated operator, customized call planning, e-mail/voice-mail integration, client desktop integration for notifications via Windows Vista and Windows XP, and much more!

This year, our team will be releasing beta versions of Response Point through our OEM providers and along with these releases, I will be providing training via the Microsoft Partner Learning Center with online webcasts and virtual training seminars.  In late September of this year, I will be traveling to US district offices providing a one day training seminar to include overviews, demos and hands-on labs.  Stay tuned for more information and in the meantime, visit http://www.microsoft.com/responsepoint.

Whether you are just now investing in Voice over IP technology or you are upgrading your existing traditional phone services, the Microsoft Unified Communications provides the capability to enable voice, video, and data using VoIP.  This service will save existing companies millions of dollars in phone charges and will provide a simplistic network to manage telephony services.  Using the Microsoft Unified Communications products, you can still answer phone calls that go to your office location from anywhere, yes anywhere!  You can also integrate all of your communications including E-Mail, Voice Mail, Instant Messaging, Video, and Web Conferencing using Microsoft Office! Are you frustrated with "paying the piper" every time you make an international phone call or are you absolutely sick of wireless carriers charging up the wazoo for international roaming charges on your mobile phone?  With Microsoft Unified Communications you can leverage VoIP and WiSIP technology so that you can make international calls from any location.
Ask me how! Ask me how! Ask me how!
  • With my book, Professional Live Communications Server, and through the onsite and virtual training sessions I provide, you will learn everything you need to learn in order to talk intelligently about Microsoft Unified Communications products.
  • I am now offering both existing Microsoft Unified Communications and the 2007 Microsoft Unified Communications training including an advanced telephony session that will not only teach you the basics about telephony but how Microsoft Unified Communications uses technology and equipment including PBX, PSTN, VoIP, SIP, and WiSIP.
  • I am available to provide training through webcasts or virtual lab sessions unless you want specific on-site location training.  Otherwise, you can attend one of my sessions by registering through the Microsoft Events website at www.microsoft.com/events.
  • I provide both overview and deep level technical information that can assist you with really understanding what the Microsoft Unified Communications platform provides, how to deploy both the current and future versions of the product, and how to troubleshoot and support the deployment.
  • I also provide project templates including test plans, design guides, architecture guides, which are extremely helpful when you are working on a deployment engagement.
  • I can provide you with an understanding of the business value that the Microsoft Unified Communications platform and solution provides versus other competing products in the marketplace.
  • Keeping up with technology, especially when it comes to Unified Communications technology can be extremely difficult for customers.  I now provide introductory overviews of what the Microsoft Unified Communications program provides in easy to understand terms as well as provide links to exiting online resources.
  • If you need assistance choosing a Microsoft Systems Integration (SI) partner to help you with your deployment, or you need help reviewing or troubleshooting a solution that a SI did not configure properly, you can contact me for additional support.