Extending Microsoft OCS to non-Windows Mobile DevicesExtending Microsoft OCS to non-Windows Mobile Devices

So you're deploying Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 for corporate instant messaging. You're deploying the Office Communicator client on desktops and laptops, but want end users to have access to it from their mobile phones as well. No problem: That's what Mobile Office Communicator is for. It lets buddy lists appear, not just on PCs, but on smart phones as well. As long as your smart phone is of the Windows Mobile variety.

So you're deploying Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 for corporate instant messaging. You're deploying the Office Communicator client on desktops and laptops, but want end users to have access to it from their mobile phones as well. No problem: That's what Mobile Office Communicator is for. It lets buddy lists appear, not just on PCs, but on smart phones as well. As long as your smart phone is of the Windows Mobile variety.You can't entirely blame Microsoft for restricting Mobile Office Communicator to Microsoft's OS for mobile devices. The company is, after all, in the business of selling Microsoft software. (Digression starts here.) The last time I spoke with Motorola, its Total Enterprise Access & Mobility had much the same kind of restriction. It's a nifty FMC solution that lets businesses deploy single-mode FMC features today and seamlessly transition to dual-mode telephony of the GSM-WiFi variety in the future. But it only works with Motorola mobile phones, apparently for no better reason than Motorola (at least at the time TEAM was developed) is in the business of selling mobile phones. (Digression ends.) Until Microsoft starts getting a serious amount of customer backlash for not allowing Mobile Communicator to run on alternative devices, it's very unlikely they'll act any differently.

But if your business has not standardized on Windows Mobile devices, that doesn't mean you're stuck. I was recently introduced to WebMessenger, a small company that started off as an IVR developer, but has more recently focused its business around mobile unified communications software development. Its WebMessenger Mobile for LCS and OCS software lets smart phones running Symbian or BlackBerry operating systems be loaded with unified communications clients that tie back to the same OCS server, delivering availability and rich presence information to Microsoft Office Communicator clients on end users' desktops. So users get access to at least some of the same unified communications features regardless of whether they are at their PC or utilizing a smart phone not using the Windows OS. There's also a version of the WebMessenger Mobile platform that offers similar services for IBM Sametime. Granted, this does not solve all the issues around justifying the deployment of unified communications out to a highly mobile workforce. But not having to standardize on a single type of mobile device could in fact make it easier for large businesses to start thinking along these lines.