Siemens, VMware: Virtualized Unified Communication

Here’s an interesting combination: Siemens Enterprise Communications and VMware are connecting the dots between unified communications and virtualization. Here’s the story, which emerged at the VoiceCon trade show, and the implications for channel partners.

In the past, virtualized VOIP and data sometimes suffered from latenccy issues. But SEC and VMware say they have created a way to optimize data center and/or cloud resources for real-time communications.

The concept of this partnership is to create an “open, flexible and future-proof telephony and unified communications (UC) platform” in addition to support for the real-time virtualized communications through VMware.

In a prepared statement, Parag Patel, VP of Alliances at VMware, said:

Specifically, VMware will virtualize the Siemens Enterprise Communications OpenScape Voice, Unified Communications and Contact Center portfolio. (Wow, that’s a mouthful.)

And after all that happens, the inherent benefits are real-time telephony and unified communications designed to support and deal with real server consolidation, not to mention storage,  processing optimization, and even energy efficiency, the two companies claim.

Channel Opportunities?

In theory, the SEN-VMware partnership will allow channel partners to leverage   ‘Virtual Appliance’ software solutions that have pre-packaged configuration and installation routines.

Siemens has adopted the Open Virtualization Format (OVF) with VMware, which means channel partners can offer customers bundled solutions that are hardware agnostic. Potentially, that means more choices for  channel partners who are looking to do Communication as a Service (CaaS) or  cloud and other virtualization in the future.

Siemens overhauled its channel partner program in 2009, and channel chief Denzil Samuels offered a progress report in November 2009. We’ll be monitoring Siemens’ progress.

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