According to InfoTech's "2007 InfoTrack on Microsoft and Disruptive Convergence program: Enterprise and SMB Strategies for Implementing Microsoft's VoIP Solution," 46 percent of enterprises and small and medium businesses (SMBs) surveyed said they were "extremely likely" or "very likely" to implement Microsoft's voice-related systems, including Live Communications Server, Office Communications Server or its future complete software-based VoIP system.

The report was based on nearly 300 survey responses from InfoTech's research panel of U.S. and international enterprise and SMB decision-makers. Results of the survey also found that:

• 17 percent identified Microsoft as their primary unified communications applications vendor and, of that group, 94 percent were "extremely likely" or "very likely" to implement Microsoft's voice-related systems.
• 24 percent expect to implement Microsoft's future software-based VoIP system, but half of those will be LCS or OCS users that won't migrate until there is a strong need to upgrade.
• Only 17 percent felt that one IP-PBX vendor offered a better integration with LCS than other IP-PBX vendors.
• Microsoft ranked sixth or seventh out of eight vendors on its ability to provide systems that can support mission-critical voice communications.

"The leading manufacturers of IP-PBXs are partnering with Microsoft to integrate their systems with Microsoft LCS and OCS 2007. These manufacturers are currently shipping their integrated IP-PBX and LCS solution, while the integrated OCS solution is in the beta trial stage," says Terry White, vice president/InfoTrack for Unified Communications and author of this report. "Between 30 percent and 40 percent of the participating decision-makers were not aware that Microsoft plans to have a full-featured, software-based VoIP system by 2010 that will be one-half the cost of current IP-PBXs."

Almost one-quarter of the companies surveyed for the report expect to implement Microsoft's complete software-based VoIP system, but half of those will be LCS or OCS users that won't migrate until there is a strong reason to upgrade. This represents a potential opportunity for the IP-PBX vendors that offer integrations with Microsoft LCS and OCS, because they can take advantage of the strong interest in Microsoft's voice-related systems to sell their IP-PBXs integrated with LCS or OCS. However, in order to convince most of those companies to eventually upgrade to their software-based VoIP system, Microsoft will have to deliver on its promises of high availability and 50-percent lower cost.

For more information on this report visit http://www.telecomweb.com/microsoftreport2/.