Compare Unison to Microsoft

Unison offers a more powerful solution than Microsoft's unified communications offering. Deployment is simpler and much more rapid. Total cost of ownership (TCO) is also far lower than a Microsoft solution.

Here is an example of the time and costs for a 100-user deployment:

Upfront costs

		Microsoft ‘semi-unified’ communications
Hardware	1 server for Unison Server™	1 server for Exchange Server 2007 1 server for Office Communications Server (OCS) 2007 1 server for Active Directory® 1 standalone PBX (eg Nortel/Avaya)
IP telephone	100 telephones	100 telephones
Software	Linux server (RedHat or CentOS) Unison Server™ license 100 copies of Unison Desktop™	3 copies Windows Server 2003 Exchange Server license OCS 2007 license 100 Exchange client access licenses (CALs) 100 OCS CALs 100 copies of Office Communicator 100 copies of Microsoft Outlook 2007(Optional, if not owned)
Deploymentapproximate	46 hours	155 hours

Features included

		Microsoft ‘semi-unified’ communications
Server OS	Linux	Windows Server
Client OS	Windows (Linux coming soon)	Windows only
Client(s) needed per user	1 client	2+ clients
Directory built in	LDAP	Active Directory® deployed separately
Email server
Calendars and scheduling
Contacts (personal and GAL)
User presence, free/busy status		In separate client
Instant messaging		In separate client
Telephone
PBX system		Not included – must be purchased separately
Instant contact finder
Instant email message search		Must upgrade to Outlook 2007, install extra app
Antispam and antivirus Included in server

Linux World 2008 Finalist
2008 Finalist