Microsoft buys group chat technology

 

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By Simon Aughton

Posted on 30 Aug 2007 at 13:49

Microsoft is to acquire Parlano, developer of enterprise group chat application MindAlign. It plans to add MindAlign's group chat functionality to both its Office Communications Server and Office Communication instant messaging, conferencing and VoIP software.

Parlano's technology lets users hold topic-specific, multi-person instant messaging discussions that persist over time. The software is used in a number industries, including financial services and call centres for conducting ongoing business-critical conversations.

This group chat functionality will be added to Office Communications Server and Office Communicator as part of the standard client access licence for Office Communications Server 2007 Software Assurance customers.

"Parlano has been successful in meeting the rigourous communications needs of companies in financial services and other vertical markets," says Gurdeep Singh Pall, corporate vice president of the Unified Communications Group at Microsoft. "Parlano's expertise and technology, added to Microsoft's unified communications offering, will deliver customers the most complete presence, instant messaging and group chat solution on the market."

Financial terms of the acquisition were not announced and the deal is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2007.