So I got the usual slew of “you’re selling out, man” from my Linux friends by saying my company is pushing Microsoft software. I’m sorry guys, but the world demands more – more than IRC and GAIM. No, those are not the same as what Microsoft is building, not by a long shot. Take a look at this video to see what Microsoft is doing for communications.
Above is a demonstration of the new integration of LCS, Office and Unified Messaging. They are showing an integrated system of multiple presentations, multiple presenters and the camera that swings to the person that is actually talking or whose presentation is currently on the screen. Yes, they are working on something really important 
But this kind of underscores just what Microsoft is working on and what is coming out. Yes the basics could be pulled off on Jabber, and Skype and eventually thrown together – but virtually anyone involved in software development will tell you that its cheaper to just buy than to sit around and reinvent the wheel over and over again. These will be expensive, thats for sure, but I for one don’t want to spend more time listening to screaming todlers on airplanes.
For the less coherent, more grammatically correct realtime insight, follow me on Twitter at