Called the Nortel Converged Office, the combination of hardware and software builds on a Microsoft Corp.-Nortel relationship announced Aug. 30.

Converged Office integrates Microsoft Office Communicator as a voice endpoint with Live Communications Server and Nortel's Communication Server 1000, an IP-based voice switch.

The convergence combines popular Microsoft applications such as Outlook, Word and PowerPoint with IP telephony to simplify communications and improve productivity for workers, Nortel and Microsoft officials said in a statement.

Nortel named two beta customers using the Nortel Converged Office. One is Baker Communications Inc. in Des Moines.

Since September, Baker has been successfully using the beta version for about 50 office workers in four buildings, said Jeff Drummond, vice president of communications at the systems integrator. Baker will continue to use the product and will sell it as a Nortel integrator -- though it will also sell competing IP voice switches from Cisco Systems Inc. and other vendors, Drummond said.