Intermedia, the leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider specializing in messaging and collaboration solutions has unveiled Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (OCS) for BlackBerry, an instant messaging and presence solution that allows business users to engage in secure instant message conversations from their BlackBerry smartphones to colleagues working at their desks. This solution goes beyond basic wireless email synchronization to better connect mobile and remote employees with their offices for increased collaboration and productivity. Intermedia's offering is the first hosted version of OCS for the BlackBerry platform.

"Having instant messaging and presence through OCS 2007 on our BlackBerry devices makes it easier for our staff to be in constant contact and able to share information," said Rachi Messing, Vice President of Technology Services for DiscoverReady LLC, an Integrated Discovery Management solutions provider and Intermedia customer. "Intermedia's services have greatly improved communications and productivity for our company and this new offering is an excellent extension of that."

This offering is an extension of Intermedia's existing hosted OCS 2007 service, which Intermedia was also first to launch in February 2008. OCS 2007 is a business instant messaging platform that integrates with Microsoft Exchange and Outlook to provide secure communication and integrated presence. Presence capabilities allow users to immediately determine at-a-glance their colleague's status - available, busy, away and offline - enabling them to quickly connect with available colleagues. The OCS for BlackBerry solutions extends these capabilities to mobile users when they are out of the office. Combined, the two solutions provide small business customers with enterprise-grade unified communications tools that greatly increase collaboration and productivity at a price they can afford.

A recent Osterman Research study on instant messaging shows that mobile IM grew 18% in 2008, the fastest growing segment of the IM market. Osterman identifies "traveling employees" and "senior technical managers" as the biggest users of mobile IM. 52% of the study's participants responded that enabling users to use IM on mobile devices is either important or extremely important to them.

Business users already heavily rely on their BlackBerry smartphones for telephone and wireless email communications. The OCS for Blackberry solution adds secure instant messaging and presence, to fill in the missing gap, and provide true remote connectivity and productivity capabilities to mobile workers.

"Hosted OCS 2007 on the BlackBerry is another first to market achievement for Intermedia," said Serguei Sofinski, CEO of Intermedia. "We continuously strive to help our small and medium business customers compete more effectively."