Collaboration Loop Article

Written by Melanie Turek, November 3, 2005

Microsoft recently delivered beta 1 of the Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile client, based on Microsoft Office Communicator 2005’s user interface. Companies that have deployed Live Communications Server and Communicator will be able to give their mobile workers integrated communication features, including IM, presence, VoIP and telephony integration, on their Smart Phones or Pocket PCs.

Microsoft isn’t the only vendor eyeing the mobile workforce with real-time communications tools. Telephony vendors such as Avaya and Nortel are also developing their real-time-communications applications for the mobile worker, for instance. And given that more than 90% of employees work away from headquarters on a regular basis, that focus makes sense.

But as companies deploy collaboration tools, they must consider their business processes, and make sure to change them when warranted by the new technology. This is especially true in the face of mobility, where both technology and human reality will affect application success. A tool like Web conferencing that works well on a PC may work less well on a cell phone, while cell phone presence may indicate something different from landline presence.