Anoop Gupta, corporate vice president of the Real-Time Collaboration (RTC) Business Group at Microsoft, has announced plans for a next-generation client. Building on the recent success and rapid adoption of Microsoft Office Live Communications Server and Microsoft Office Live Meeting, Gupta introduced the newest member of the Microsoft Office System, code-named "Istanbul," that will provide integrated communications capabilities including instant messaging, extensible presence, PC-based voice and video, and telephony integration.The "Istanbul" client fits into the overall Microsoft vision for real-time collaboration by helping business users communicate more effectively through providing pervasive, integrated communications capabilities. Bringing together these capabilities and making them all accessible in Office and line-of-business applications will provide a greater degree of efficiency in quickly finding, connecting, communicating and collaborating in real time with colleagues, partners and customers regardless of application or location. "Istanbul" is scheduled for release in the first half of 2005.
