Shortly, the company may finally take a step in that direction. For several years, Microsoft has shown demos in which people can choose who contacts them, and when — and through the miracle of software, we are seamlessly connected to those with whom we want to communicate. And Microsoft has some products it says will bring us closer to that reality of unified messaging.

Microsoft has already announced some steps in this direction. Earlier this year, the company combined its Exchange unit with the real-time communications group that handles its Live Communications Server for instant messaging and presence management — software that detects whether you are online or offline. The company has also said that the next version of the Exchange e-mail server will be able to handle voice mail and allow workers to check e-mail by phone.

Meanwhile, the company's efforts are being aided by the move of telephony — particularly business telephony — off of traditional phone lines and onto computer networks, through Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.

Microsoft has said to expect new products in the unified messaging area but has not yet said exactly just what it will be offering.