As one of the early local Microsoft partners to achieve Microsoft Gold Partner status in the competency information worker solutions, Galdon Data believes Live Communications Server will be one of the most popular technologies by 2010.

According to Galdon Data MD, Garry Ackerman, Live Communications Server provides a scalable, enterprise-grade instant messaging and integrated presence solution. "Live Communications Server improves business efficiencies by extending instant messaging and other real-time communication capabilities to team members, partners, suppliers and customers across multiple geographies, time zones and organisational boundaries," he adds.

Live Communications Server aims to provide Instant Messaging (IM) and presence awareness, an enterprise capability designed to allow users to discover if others are available to collaborate, communicate and share information.

Customers can connect and communicate with users of the public IM service providers (MSN, AOL and Yahoo!), Ackerman says. This means information can flow rapidly and efficiently, reducing costs and enabling better, faster decision-making, he adds.

Integrated with Microsoft Office System, Sharepoint and the Windows Server System, Live Communications Server fits seamlessly into ones existing work processes and infrastructure to deliver immediate benefits to ones organisation, Ackerman says. It also supports peer-to-peer audio, video, application-sharing and data collaboration, instantly accelerating the workflow of today's information workers, he adds.

Ackerman says when information workers can see their colleagues on Instant Messaging; they can immediately get the answers to quick questions involving work issues. "Cutting through the e-mail clutter, and less invasive than a phone call, Instant Messaging focuses on the exact information needed to keep business processes moving forward. Earlier this year we underwent training in the UK and we are already successfully using this application across our three national offices."

"For example, Live Communications Server enables users to display their status (away, idle, busy, do not disturb, etc.) to other users. One can also determine who is offline or unavailable. By right clicking on a user that is offline, users will see if a contact is available via other forms of communication, such as e-mail or telephone, if the organisation has taken advantage of telephony integration," he explains.