When VoiceCon 2009 kicks off March 30 in Orlando, The VAR Guy wonders: Will Microsoft arrive solo to this latest unified communications dance, or will it still have Nortel Networks on its arm? Here are some clues.

Fact is, the Microsoft-Nortel relationship — inked in 2006 — has served its purpose. At this time last year, Microsoft and Nortel said they had attracted 500 joint unified communications customers — among other major major milestones. Impressive stuff.

Different Directions

But fast-forward to the present, and Microsoft and Nortel are living in different IT neighborhoods. While blogs like AllAboutNortel document Nortel’s current bankruptcy situation, the folks at Microsoft continue to make progress on the unified communications front.

Two prime examples:

Admittedly, both of those anecdotes come from a Microsoft-produced media interview. But Intel and Sprint would not have gone on the record if the financial tidbits weren’t true.

Let’s Stay Friends

Looking ahead, you can bet Microsoft and Nortel will maintain a solid unified communications relationship. But times have changed. There’s no longer a need for Microsoft to “hype” the Nortel deal for credibility in the UC market. Office Communications Server is earning Microsoft that credibility on its own.

When Microsoft Corporate VP Gurdeep Singh Pall delivers his keynote at VoiceCon, The VAR Guy suspects he’ll touch on the Nortel relationship — but it will likely be part of a much bigger Microsoft-centric UC story.

Rivals Loom

Ultimately, the real UC showdown involves Microsoft ISVs (independent software vendors) against Cisco Systems’ channel partners and solutions providers.

Just last week, Cisco unveiled a unified computing strategy that rivaled some of Microsoft’s best product launches in terms of marketing polish and scope. Also, Cisco wants the application world to shift from Windows servers and desktops to networks.

Cisco is even offering prize money to Linux developers that write the most compelling network-aware applications. But ultimately, ISV relationships have always been Microsoft’s biggest strength.

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