Oregon-based Columbia Sportswear is a leading manufacturer of outdoor apparel. Its employees conduct business with suppliers and retailers around the world, and the company frequently searches for ways to increase the efficiency and productivity of its workers who travel. Columbia had already deployed Microsoft® Exchange Server 2007 with Unified Messaging and Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005 for instant messaging (IM) and presence awareness. It sought to expand its employees’ communications options by upgrading to Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and deploying IP-based devices from LG-Nortel and GN. Now employees have enhanced real-time communications capabilities, including audio, video, and Web con-ferencing and software-powered voice over IP (VoIP). Columbia also avoided the cost of an upgrade to VoIP networks and eliminated the use of public IM applications.

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