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Research In Motion (RIM) have had a BlackBerry LCS client for some time, but in case you hadn't heard they have now released a client for OCS 2007.
BlackBerry® Client for use with Microsoft® Office Communications Server 2007 allows you to engage in immediate interactive communication while you're on the go. Exchange text messages with other Microsoft® Office Communicator users on your BlackBerry® smartphone*, whether they're using a desktop computer, BlackBerry smartphone or other mobile device.
Enjoy Familiar Features Wirelessly
Enjoy a desktop-like experience on your BlackBerry smartphone, with features and functionality you’re already familiar with from Microsoft Office Communicator. There's no need to compromise just because you are away from your computer.
- Initiate and manage group chat sessions of three or more participants from your smartphone
- View the presence status of contacts, such as online, busy, do not disturb, be right back, away or appear offline and set your own status to inform others of your availability
- Enjoy a synchronized contact list, with the same contacts available on your BlackBerry smartphone and your computer
- Find contacts quickly with the quick find function and picture association
- Receive alerts when team members become available
- Communicate more effectively with emoticons
- And more
Integrates with other BlackBerry Smartphone Applications
You will also enjoy tight integration with other applications on your BlackBerry smartphone:
- Set your presence status from your home screen icon
- View the presence status of contacts directly from your address book
- Check your spelling and edit autotext on your instant messages
- Initiate phone calls or browser sessions directly from phone numbers or URLs embedded in instant messages
- Voice integration with ‘Click to Call’
Download or get more information at http://na.blackberry.com/eng/services/server/exchange/ocs2007.jsp
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Office Communications Server 2007 is the first Microsoft product to combine enterprise-ready IM, presence, video-conferencing, web-conferencing, and VoIP telephony in one solution. In addition, OCS 2007 includes real-time videoconferencing solutions running on servers in your intranet or interoperating with video-conferencing hardware vendors such as TANDBERG or Polycom.
Providing interoperability between Office Communications Server 2007 and video-conferencing vendors allows you to take advantage of your existing video-conferencing hardware investment while extending video-conferencing features to other users with minimal hardware investment and user training. The users that attend conferences using dedicated video-conferencing hardware can schedule meetings and determine attendee availability using familiar tools, such as Microsoft Office Outlook or Office Communicator 2007.
Download the whitepaper and get more info at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/ocs/cc836454.aspx
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Cisco Unified Communications Manager (aka CallManager) version 4.2, 5.1 and 6.1 (specific version/release below) is now certified for Direct SIP connectivity with Office Communications Server.
Direct SIP allows connectivity between the OCS mediation server and the Cisco IP-PBX without the need for a gateway, meaning that Office Communicator users can be enabled for Enterprise Voice (i.e. Office Communicator is a full soft-phone, not just click-to-call or RCC) without significant upgrades or hardware replacements.
More detail at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/bb735838.aspx
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At Tech.Ed Australia Ian Palangio and I did a 75 presentation that contained no PowerPoint slides. It was a complete demonstration of Unified Communications and Collaboration technologies available from Microsoft including:
- Office 2007
- Office Groove 2007
- Office SharePoint Server 2007
- Office Communicator 2007
- LiveMeeting Hosted Service
- Office Communications Server 2007
- Exchange Server 2007 including Unified Messaging
An interesting thing is that we completely performed our demonstration live on Microsoft infrastructure - the real stuff that Ian and I (plus 100,000 others) use 
every day. We connected remotely into Microsoft's network and completed a complete project centric demo. Ian was connected via VPN, and I was VPN-less on a very slow network. My (very) slow network actually wasn't deliberate, it was due to infrastructure issues at the event - but it ended up showing some of the capabilities of our technologies on low-bandwidth/high-latency networks quite well.
Ian has created a Word document of what our demonstration script was, and screen shots of what was shown. For those that attended, you can follow through this content easily. For others, it is a long demonstration scenario around how a company could run an Innovation or R&D type project - in our case it was around the development of a Bluetooth integrated Bicycle Helmet.
You can download this Word demo script document (5MB) from Ian's Windows Live SkyDrive at:
http://cid-e7db9bf957528709.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/OFCCT201%20UCC%20Demo/OFCT201%20UCC%20Demo%20Script.docx
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Tech.Ed 2008 has finally wrapped up... I was in Auckland for Tech.Ed NZ on Monday and Tuesday, and then in Sydney for Tech.Ed Australia from Wednesday to Friday.
It was a hectic and somewhat exhausting week as I was the track/content owner for Unified Communications and Mobility, and I also presented or co-presented 9 sessions. But more importantly it was a fun week... I met literally hundreds of my peers and associates in the local technology industry, we launched a local Sydney UC community, we had a great party on Thursday night, and the vibe of the whole event was simply amazing!
Here are some photos and videos from Sydney....
Some of the local Microsoft UC team - Alan Cardenas, Steve Edmonds,
Mario D'Silva and Colin Lee
" It was this big! " - Mario D'Silva presenting UNC305 (Exchange 2007 UM)
RFID scanners
Who will be The Ultimate Expert?
Sydney UC kick-off lunch
Me on the left, Brendan Carius on the right: setting up before UNC314
(OCS/PBX Interop... In Real Time!)
Brendan and me presenting UNC314 (OCS/PBX Interop... In Real Time!)
Mexican Wave during Mobility Smackdown! Filmed with a Treo Pro
Colin Lee chats to some Women In Technology about Tech.Ed
In case you haven't heard, Tech.Ed 2009 will be at the Gold Coast. See you there!
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I was interviewed yesterday at Tech.Ed New Zealand by Nic Romaniuk about my views on Unified Comms, and how it's changing the way people work.
Check it out at http://www.microsoft.com/nz/teched08/office-unified-communications.aspx (click Johan Kruse (SIC) under Other Videos on the right).
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Tech.Ed in Sydney has kicked off. A great vibe, and everybody seems to be enjoying themselves so far.
Blurry photo of the keynote
Jonathan Lewis presenting UNC301 (How MSIT does Exchange)
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I've just got back to Sydney after two days in Auckland for Tech.Ed New Zealand. From tomorrow morning I'll be at Tech.Ed Australia. Here are some photos.....
Rick Anderson and Mauricio Freitas after UNC117
Behind the lectern in UNC314
Brendan Carius setting up just before UNC314
Sky City - the venue
Colin Lee presenting UNC302
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At Tech.Ed next week we're launching a new community for Unified Comms in Sydney - Sydney UC!
If you work in, are passionate about, or just enjoy Exchange, OCS, VoIP, video, or comms in general - this is the place for you to network with your peers, learn from the experts, see the technologies and roadmaps, and of course have fun.
The group will be driven by several well-known experts in the industry including: Derrick Buckley (OCS MVP, owner of SWIUG), Craig Pringle (MVP) James McCutcheon (MVP), and Dr. Neil (MVP, Microsoft Regional Director).
We'll be kicking off Sydney UC at lunchtime on Thursday at Tech.Ed, and of course will be available via LiveMeeting for those who can't attend in person.
Come and join us!
More details at http://sydneyuc.org
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After a lot of whining, begging and stalking DonK, I finally managed to get my hands on a loaner Palm Treo Pro for Tech.Ed next week.
Palm Treo Pro on the left, Palm Treo 750 on the right
Great device! Read my brief review over at the Windows Mobile Oz blog.