Continuing a trend towards integrated UC-server systems, Ottawa's Mitel Networks Corp. announced a global agreement with Sun Microsystems Inc. that should see Mitel's unified communications equipment married to Sun's servers. Designed for multi-tenant dwellings, the combined offering supports up to 200 instances of Mitel's IP Communications Platform so numerous tenants can share the same Sun Fire X4200 or X4600 servers, but they don't have to have the same communication-system configuration.

Mitel and Sun also unveiled the Sun Ray IP Phone Bundle, which combines Sun's thin client computer for hot desking - the Sun Ray - with Mitel's IP softphone capabilities for contact centres.

Mitel follows Nortel Networks and Cisco Systems Inc., which have also introduced new systems based on relationships with other IT equipment providers.