Siemens has announced its new unified communications software platform, OpenScape Unified Communications (UC) Server, available at the end of April. The suite includes OpenScape Voice Application (HiPath 8000 V3.1 R2, enterprise grade voice and IP least cost routing), OpenScape Video (integrated HD, desktop and client video conferencing) and OpenScape UC Application V3 (role-based UC).The move is meant to highlight Siemens Enterprise Communications transition from hardware manufacturer to software provider, and the UC Server can operate in virtually any existing IT or telephony environment, from any vendor. Siemens has long supported 100% SIP applications, and OpenScape has traditionally been one of the most open UC platforms around. The move is good for customers of both Microsoft and Siemens; it would seem unnecessary for IBM/Siemens shops, since IBM is OEMing Siemens technology for its upcoming Unified Telephony solution.Siemens says OpenScape UC Server software is meant to be the foundation for the companys new unified communications suite and enables presence, administration, session control and other shared services for the current and planned family of OpenScape UC suite of applications. Siemens is also introducing a new, redesigned version of its OpenScape UC Application. Im frankly surprised that telephony vendors think they can compete with IBM and Microsoft on the UC applications front (as opposed to the call-control middleware front), but I do like one aspect of the suite very much: OpenScape Video.The most innovative thing about OpenScape Video is that is truly integrates video conferencing into UC; OpenScape Video can be integrated with the OpenScape UC Server to enable video and voice endpoints to participate in the same conference calls and use the same directory and call numbering plans. It includes three HD systems and a PC soft client, and the system is smart enough to deliver the right technology to the right device, at the right bandwidth for that endpoint. Video conferencing is on a roll, but until now, no ones really figured out how to make anything by PC video a part of UC; this changes that.