IBM & Alcatel-Lucent offer unified communications; instant messaging and Web collaboration

Comments from Paul Korzeniowski are interesting!
What say you????
* unified communications; instant messaging and Web collaboration,

* IBM unveiled
<http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/wps/portal/!ut/p/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLM
nMz0vM0Y_QjzKLd4x3tXDUL8h2VAQAURh_Yw!!?LMSG_CABINET=Docs_and_Resource_Ct
r&LMSG_CONTENT_FILE=News_Releases_2007/News_Article_000626> the newest
partner, Alcatel-Lucent
* integrated audio conferencing solution for IBM Lotus Sametime
* click-to-conference capability from Lotus Sametime and IBM Lotus
Notes
* as well as audio conference scheduling and management from Lotus
Sametime Web conferencing
*
Someone Please Pay Attention to Me -- PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!!!!
http://www.bmighty.com/blog/main/archives/2007/11/someone_please.html
Posted by Paul Korzeniowski <mailto:paulkorzen@xxxxxxx> Tuesday, Nov 6,
2007, 08:16 AM ET
As an illustration of how far the mighty have fallen, there was barely a
blip on the radar when industry behemoth IBM unveiled
<http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/wps/portal/!ut/p/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLM
nMz0vM0Y_QjzKLd4x3tXDUL8h2VAQAURh_Yw!!?LMSG_CABINET=Docs_and_Resource_Ct
r&LMSG_CONTENT_FILE=News_Releases_2007/News_Article_000626> the newest
partner, Alcatel-Lucent, supporting its attempt to become a key supplier
of unified communications solutions.
With the advent of integrated data, voice, and video communications,
unified communications has become a hotbed, one where companies, such as
Cisco and Microsoft are making major investments with the desire of
emerging as industry leaders. In its latest announcement, IBM provided
the instant messaging and Web collaboration portion of the unified
communications solution, and Alcatel-Lucent supplied the voice
communications component.
The two companies delivered an integrated audio conferencing solution
for IBM Lotus Sametime customers. OmniTouch My Teamwork for IBM Lotus
Sametime (catchy little name, eh?) provides workers with
click-to-conference capability from Lotus Sametime and IBM Lotus Notes
as well as audio conference scheduling and management from Lotus
Sametime Web conferencing.
The product eliminates the need for third-party audio conferencing
services, does not require additional client to download, and works with
existing telephone systems or softswitches. In sum, the product allows
companies to bypass third party services and reduce their audio
conferencing costs. While that sounds intriguing, IBM faces an uphill
battle in convincing small and medium businesses to use its product.
That's ironic because at one time, IBM was . . .