The VAR Guy

It’s a familiar trend: Smart people leaving Microsoft to launch a company that cashes in on Microsoft-oriented technology. The latest example: A group of Microsoft Unified Communications veterans have launched Unify2, a consulting firm focused on (wait for it… wait for it…) Microsoft Unified Communications. Here’s the scoop.

According to a Unify2 press release:

“Global enterprises today recognize the tremendous business value of unified communications. However, it is an industry-wide challenge to identify an appropriate strategy, roadmap and integration path necessary to achieve breakthrough cost efficiencies and productivity enhancements, while leveraging existing investments in PBX technology. Unify2, a Bellevue, Wash.-based company providing consulting services, has been launched by a team of Microsoft veterans to address these challenges.”

The VAR Guy has to admit: He thinks the Unify2 (www.unifysquare.com) folks are onto something. Fact is, most businesses are embracing voice-over-IP. But they have no idea how to describe or embrace Unified Communications.

Mixed Signals

Alas, definitions of Unified Communications vary from source to source. For the record, The VAR Guy considers Unified Communications to be the marraige of VoIP with applications. Simple enough, right?

Perhaps not. There’s a shortage of unified communications integrators and solutions providers. So Unify2 should have plenty of opportunity to fill that market void.

According to the company press release, Unify2’s founders:

“have played a pioneering role in the unified communications space, with more than 30 years combined experience in development of Microsoft Real-Time Collaboration products including Office Communication Server (OCS) 2007. The company’s CEO holds the original patent for enterprise instant messaging technology, and the Unify2 team has driven significant aspects of the Microsoft unified communications platform’s evolution, from overall architecture and roadmap, to core technical specifications and integration, to driving interoperability testing with all of the leading PBX vendors.”

Opportunities And Challenges Ahead

Several Fortune 500 companies, the company claims, have already turned to Unify2 to help them define and implement their unified communications strategy.

The VAR Guy isn’t surprised. But a word of caution: Don’t bet the house on Microsoft in the unified communications market. Unify2 might be wise to partner up with Cisco Systems Inc. as well. Filling the void between Cisco and Microsoft solutions is a ripe opportunity. Ignoring Cisco, on the other hand, can be hazardous to a service provider’s health.

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