Microsoft and Nortel team up

The big idea is that Vole and Nortel will create communications packages ranging from e-mail, instant messaging, video conferencing and voice communications.

This idea of "unified communications" has been kicking around for years, although no outfit has actually achieved a true one stop shop for corporate IT.

Nortel reckons that it will get more than $1 billion in extra revenue from the deal, which is not to be sneezed at.

The glorious alliance has a web site here with a sinister picture of Steve Ballmer shaking hands with Mike Zafirovski and who look like they are about to bite each other. µ