Microsoft, Cisco and Avaya lead in this space with their popular videoconferencing and collaboration applications.

spontaneously jump from an IM chat to a voice call or to a videoconference. It, too, runs on Windows PCs, Macs, iPhones (iPad support is in the works, according to Cisco’s website), Android devices and Nokia phones. Cisco promises integration with some third-party applications, including Microsoft Office.

Unlike Lync, Jabber supports the BlackBerry platform. Another difference is with client endpoints — Jabber integrates with Cisco’s Unified IP phones, Cisco WebEx MeetingCenter and Cisco TelePresence connections. Also, Cisco offers an SDK (software development kit) for Jabber, which lets programmers build integration with Jabber, including videoconferencing,  into their own home-grown Web applications.

Clearly, Jabber is a good fit for enterprises with extensive investments in Cisco communications hardware and software. Jabber is available based on the platforms you intend to deploy it to. For instance, there’s a Jabber for Windows application and a Jabber for Mac, and both of them are purchased through Cisco resellers. The mobile versions, such as Jabber for iPhone, can be freely downloaded.

Jabber also differs from Lync in that the server components aren’t part of the package. Jabber requires several components from Cisco’s Unified Communications System, including Unified Communications Manager, a call procession solution, and the Unified Presence platform. Your Cisco reseller can help you figure out which components you need to deploy Jabber on your network, as well as determine licensing fees (which are not publicly published).

Avaya Aura

Avaya is the third UC leader identified by Gartner, and it’s attempting to further bolster its place in the market through acquisitions; it recently purchased Radvision, a telepresence and videoconferencing solutions vendor. In terms of UC, its offering is Aura Conferencing Standard Edition. Like Jabber, Aura Conferencing requires a UC platform, in this case, the Aura Communications Platform.

“You can buy what you want; you can buy ala carte. The infrastructure is the same, regardless of the features,” explains Avaya’s Zakowski. “The voice and video network, with Aura, can be one and the same.”

That means that when you buy Aura Conferencing, conferencing abilities are all you get. You can deploy it for just audio or for integrated audio, video, and Web conferencing. An additional Web Conferencing module is required for application and

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