Microsoft Outlines Real-time Collaboration Vision -- "Istanbul"

Microsoft announced plans for a next-generation client aimed at strengthening the connection between users and their telephony, line-of-business and productivity applications.
In a keynote address at the Fall 2004 VON Conference in Boston, Anoop Gupta, corporate vice president of the Real-Time Collaboration (RTC) Business Group at Microsoft, introduced the newest member of the Microsoft Office System, code-named "Istanbul," that will provide integrated communications capabilities including instant messaging, extensible presence, PC-based voice and video, and telephony integration.



"Istanbul" will be the preferred client for Microsoft Office Live Communications Server. Its role would be to provide single interface for presence including instant messaging, conferencing and traditional telephony.



"Istanbul" is scheduled for release in the first half of 2005. http://www.microsoft.com