a fully hosted carrier solution that delivers a unified communications experience to small and midsize businesses (SMBs), extending benefits previously available only to large enterprises.

The hosted solution is based on the Nortel Communications Server 2000 (CS 2000), an Internet Protocol multimedia softswitch, and the Microsoft Solution for Hosted Messaging and Collaboration Version 4.5 (HMC 4.5), which comprises hosted versions of Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. Nortel is delivering the first integration with HMC 4.5 to help manage real-time communications and deliver a unified messaging experience. In addition, to help carriers simplify and accelerate deployment, Nortel's Global Services portfolio provides a comprehensive suite of integration and end-user services to complete the end-to-end solution.

By combining the carrier-grade CS 2000 with HMC 4.5, service providers can offer SMBs new, powerful unified communications that combine real-time communications, such as voice, with Microsoft's collaboration services, such as click-to-call, click-to-conference, missed call e-mail messages, mobility and telephony presence. These features all work seamlessly with the Microsoft Office portfolio and the Microsoft Office Communicator client to bring a unique experience to the end user. This new solution also allows SMBs to benefit from unified communications without having to purchase, install, manage and maintain additional network infrastructure and complex in-house systems, enabling them to save operational costs and increase productivity.

"Unified communications is a strategic purchase that, up until today, has been leveraged primarily by the large enterprise," said Ruchi Prasad, vice president and general manager of the Innovate Communications Alliance at Nortel. "This enhanced joint Microsoft and Nortel solution makes unified communications accessible to businesses of all sizes. For service providers, this solution offers new revenue opportunities and the ability to expand their addressable market and deliver higher-value application and service bundles to their customers."

"We are currently seeing strong interest in the hosted unified communications solution among our service provider customers," said Steve Zimba, managing director, Global Telecom Business, Microsoft. "The fully hosted unified communications solution provides opportunities for increased revenue and helps service providers deliver the connected work style to SMBs, providing the ability to communicate virtually anytime, anywhere and on any device."