http://www.microsoft.com/uc/default.mspx

So, Microsoft is going to try to get into telephony.  I'm sure they will do quite well in the endevour.  They already have a good foothold in the Enterprise Server market and alot of companies use an Exchange / Outlook combo deployment.  This new initiative promises to provide VoIP style functionaity without companies having to scrap thier PSTn system and start over from scratch. 

Bill and Company are having a big launch day in SF:

Join Bill Gates & Jeff Raikes at Unified Communications Launch Join Bill Gates and Jeff Raikes as they kick off the worldwide Unified Communications Launch 2007 in San Francisco on October 16. This free, daylong event includes a keynote with demos, technical sessions, the Unified Communications Starter Kit, and a partner pavilion. See how Microsoft solutions help streamline communications between people and organizations.

I'm registered for the event.... should be fun :)