Microsoft OCS 2007 R2 Virtual Launch event today

Microsoft is officially launching Office Communications Server 2007 R2 today.  If you want to attend the virtual launch, go here and register.  Be sure and stop by the Gold Systems booth.  We won't be able to give you the chocolate gold coins that we usually have at trade shows, but hey, you didn't have to fly half-way across the country either, right?  With travel budgets being slashed, I'm really curious to see how a virtual launch works for people.  While I was writing this, the launch officially opened.

A big part of the OCS experience is in communicating better with people when you can't just sit down face to face.  I'm getting more done with less hassles, and the company is saving money.

I wrote about the savings that we're actually experiencing with the new release on the Gold Systems blog - it's over $3,000 a month, and I expect that to go to maybe $6,000 a month once we disconnect our old voice T1s and POTs lines.  And we're a small company – our customers will save a lot more.

I see the press releases are starting to hit – our good partner Polycom just mentioned us in one of their press releases.

Update #1:  I just heard that Gold Systems was mentioned in the keynote address.  Like most trade shows, I was unable to attend the keynote, but with this show, I'll be able to go back and watch it later.

Update #2:  Here's the link to the post I wrote on the Gold Systems blog about our actual cost savings.

Update #3:  Here's our own press release in the wild.

Update #4:  Mitchell Ashley just did an update post on his Network World blog about the R2 release and what this means for the enterprise.