Avaya lends audio to IBM collaboration

IBM and communications specialist Avaya said Wednesday that the companies have entered into an agreement under which IBM will begin integrating Avaya's audio software into its corporate e-mail, Web conferencing and instant messaging products. According to the two firms, the combined technology will allow IBM collaboration software customers to utilize so-called "click-to-call" features in future versions of its Lotus division's Notes, Domino and Sametime offerings.

As part of the deal, IBM said that it also plans to blend Avaya's Meeting Exchange technology into its Lotus Web conferencing tools, promising the ability to identify a specific speaker during a meeting. The companies reported that the communications technology will first become available with Lotus' Sametime release, due in the fourth quarter of 2005. The communications tools will find their way into Lotus Notes and Domino in the first quarter of 2006.