Going SaaS: Intermedia’s hosted Microsoft OCS 2007 Solution

Intermedia Launches World’s First Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Software-as-a-Service

New York, NY (January 29, 2008) – Intermedia, the global leader in business email services, today launched the world’s first ‘hosted’ Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS) 2007, the instant messaging and unified communications server. By offering OCS software-as-a-service (SaaS), Intermedia is helping make streamlined workplace communications affordable for small and medium businesses, an important step following the software’s launch in October 2007 by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.

The Intermedia hosted OCS solution offers many powerful features:

* Private, secure instant messaging, allowing companies to avoid the privacy and legal risks of staff using public instant messaging (IM) systems
* Presence integration across Communicator, Outlook and SharePoint, so free/busy status is always visible to colleagues and integrated with calendars
* Messages are saved, so IM conversations are searchable and stored for legal compliance
* PC-to-PC voice and video conferencing, as well as secure file transfers

“OCS 2007 is a major new product in business communication, and we are proud to offer the world’s first software-as-a-service version,” said Rurik Bradbury, vice president of strategy for Intermedia. “Small and medium businesses can now enjoy powerful instant messaging and unified communications, integrated with Exchange 2007, for just a few dollars a month for each employee.”

Office Communications Server 2007 hosting is available to all users of the Intermedia hosted Exchange 2007 service, and will cost each user $7.95 per month, with a one-time setup fee of $7.95 per user. Also included is a free download of Microsoft Office Communicator, a sophisticated instant messaging program, for each user of the service. For more information, please visit www.intermedia.net/ocs

[via Intermedia Press Release ]