G
Guest
Microsoft needs a full-fledged communications center. Small businesses and
individuals really need a central communications center where they can
consolidate and manage ALL forms of communication. Currently, our
communications are disbursed across multiple platforms that include answering
machines, fax machines, internet email, newsgroup forums, internet RSS
feeds, internet messengers, video feeds, and various software equivalents for
all these resources. While, these are good options, we are wasting way too
much time learning how to use different machines and software programs, not
to mention the confusion and inconvenience of having so many resources in so
many places.
The consumer desperately needs a way to consolidate all these resources into
one software program on our computer. We do not object to leaving copies of
e-mails, or similar items, on the internet or elsewhere for remote retrieval,
but most important, we need a SINGLE PLACE where all these resources are
consolidated and managed as one resource at home or in the office!
Furthermore, the software consolidation center needs to have access to all
these communication resources. If either the software application, or the
communications resources themselves, start placing limitations on where they
can be accessed from, or consolidated to, then we are placed right back into
the center of the dilemma we currently face. For example, certain email
accounts cannot be accessed from within Microsoft Outlook, thereby forcing
the user to independentlly access and manage those resources from an internet
webpage. Such mandates undermine the concept of one central computer-based
repository for all forms of communication.
Many programs in the past, including Symantec’s TalkWorks software
application, came very close to accomplishing this unified end over ten years
ago, but the product was mysteriously pulled from the market. This was odd,
since the technology was even available back then, to easily accommodate such
an undertaking. On the other hand, Microsoft, it appears, has done little
towards developing a single product that would facilitate this worthy goal.
We would highly recommend that Microsoft develop a single product that would
incorporate all these communication resources into one application, such as
Outlook. In our opinion, the product should have all, plus many more, of the
following features:
1. The ability to make and answer voice calls from the computer either over
the internet or using a modem. This should include full-duplex mode voice
communications, so user can converse as if on a traditional telephone. It
should also accommodate multiple lines, conference calls, call forwarding,
music on hold, call timers, call monitoring, one button call recording, call
accounting, etcetera.
2. A software based automatic answering attendant that routes and saves
voice messages to multiple mailboxes. It should also have custom greetings,
folders, routing, forwarding, etcetera.
3. Video calling, video messaging, faxing, emailing, and text messaging
from within the same program.
4. A customizable central repository to store, list, and organize all
communications, including voice, video, fax, email, text, and other forms of
communication. Including the option to store them together in the same
folders if desired.
5. A customizable universal address book and contact list available to all
these forms of communication.
6. Integration of all other Outlook features with these resources, such as
the calendar, journal, tasks, etcetera.
----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.
http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...b7bafd2db&dg=microsoft.public.outlook.general
individuals really need a central communications center where they can
consolidate and manage ALL forms of communication. Currently, our
communications are disbursed across multiple platforms that include answering
machines, fax machines, internet email, newsgroup forums, internet RSS
feeds, internet messengers, video feeds, and various software equivalents for
all these resources. While, these are good options, we are wasting way too
much time learning how to use different machines and software programs, not
to mention the confusion and inconvenience of having so many resources in so
many places.
The consumer desperately needs a way to consolidate all these resources into
one software program on our computer. We do not object to leaving copies of
e-mails, or similar items, on the internet or elsewhere for remote retrieval,
but most important, we need a SINGLE PLACE where all these resources are
consolidated and managed as one resource at home or in the office!
Furthermore, the software consolidation center needs to have access to all
these communication resources. If either the software application, or the
communications resources themselves, start placing limitations on where they
can be accessed from, or consolidated to, then we are placed right back into
the center of the dilemma we currently face. For example, certain email
accounts cannot be accessed from within Microsoft Outlook, thereby forcing
the user to independentlly access and manage those resources from an internet
webpage. Such mandates undermine the concept of one central computer-based
repository for all forms of communication.
Many programs in the past, including Symantec’s TalkWorks software
application, came very close to accomplishing this unified end over ten years
ago, but the product was mysteriously pulled from the market. This was odd,
since the technology was even available back then, to easily accommodate such
an undertaking. On the other hand, Microsoft, it appears, has done little
towards developing a single product that would facilitate this worthy goal.
We would highly recommend that Microsoft develop a single product that would
incorporate all these communication resources into one application, such as
Outlook. In our opinion, the product should have all, plus many more, of the
following features:
1. The ability to make and answer voice calls from the computer either over
the internet or using a modem. This should include full-duplex mode voice
communications, so user can converse as if on a traditional telephone. It
should also accommodate multiple lines, conference calls, call forwarding,
music on hold, call timers, call monitoring, one button call recording, call
accounting, etcetera.
2. A software based automatic answering attendant that routes and saves
voice messages to multiple mailboxes. It should also have custom greetings,
folders, routing, forwarding, etcetera.
3. Video calling, video messaging, faxing, emailing, and text messaging
from within the same program.
4. A customizable central repository to store, list, and organize all
communications, including voice, video, fax, email, text, and other forms of
communication. Including the option to store them together in the same
folders if desired.
5. A customizable universal address book and contact list available to all
these forms of communication.
6. Integration of all other Outlook features with these resources, such as
the calendar, journal, tasks, etcetera.
----------------
This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the
suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I
Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this
link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then
click "I Agree" in the message pane.
http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...b7bafd2db&dg=microsoft.public.outlook.general