This chapter highlighted remote access, federation, and some of the topologies used in the edge network. The consolidated, scaled single-site, and multisite topologies were all identified and briefly explained. In addition, each of the three Edge Server roles (Access, Web Conferencing, and A/V Edge Server) were identified along with how they are involved in enabling conferencing, federation, and basic remote access capabilities. Office Communicator Web Access 2007 R2 was identified as an extended remote access tool that provides easier access for many uses.

Federation is an important part of the capabilities in Office Communications Server 2007 R2. The feature set has been refined and streamlined for a much more configurable and secure solution. In addition, the Audio/Video feature set and the Live Conferencing capabilities all can be launched from the Office Communicator client, enabling local, federated, and anonymous parties to take part in a variety of communications and collaboration methods. With all of these capabilities, Office Communications Server 2007 R2 delivers a rich and compelling solution for intra-enterprise and extra-enterprise solutions.

Finally, as Chapter 8 details, federation sets the stage for a manageable and controllable public IM solution. The ability to manage which providers (Yahoo!, AOL, or MSN) your users have access to is a powerful tool. All of this is available from Office Communicator 2007 R2, Web browser, Live Meeting 2007 R2, and Office Communications Server 2007 R2.