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BroadSoft Inc., makers of the BroadWorks softswitch and application server used by many VOIP service providers, was one of several companies at last weeks VON show in Boston to announce plans to integrate its platform with Microsoft Corp.s new Live Communications Server. The Gaithersburg, Md.-based company is offering a collection of advanced phone features, such as call screening, forwarding, transfer, hold and voice mail, and the browser-based tools to control them.
VOIP providers such as BroadVoice and Covad Communications Group Inc. use the BroadWorks platform to support IP call switching and to offer their subscribers customized Web GUIs for real-time control of incoming or outgoing voice calls. Integrated with LCS “Istanbul” client, BroadSofts offering will allow call routing decisions to be made based on a called partys presence and availability data.
BroadWorks will also add 911 and CALEA (Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act) compliance, company officials said.
Microsoft Live Communications Server 2005, the Istanbul communications client, and BroadSofts BroadWorks will interoperate via their mutual support of the Session Initiation Protocol. BroadSoft also plans to incorporate LCS presence and IM functionality into its hosted VOIP offerings, according to Scott Wharton, vice president of marketing at BroadSoft.
“With SIP, you can mix and match whats hosted, and whats not,” Wharton said. This could include mixtures of Exchange messaging, Web conferencing, voice and instant messaging, he said.