Death to :) and :-( and ;-> and the Like! Let ...

Computerworld - ... natural communications recommence. A world without emoticons would be a far better place. It could happen if more companies embrace unified messaging technologies, suggests Andrew Feit, senior vice president of marketing at Adomo Inc. in Cupertino,
Calif. "Business messaging swung over to text because there was a record of it with e-mail," Feit argues. Traditional voice mail systems hobble users by not letting them easily view and prioritize messages, he says. But with unified messaging, v-mail becomes aural e-mail, letting you see who has contacted you and then determine which message to listen to first. You can also store voice mail or pass it along to anyone with an e-mail account. Feit says those capabilities will "swing the pendulum back toward voice communication because it's more efficient than text." Plus, he adds, "it's easier to express a feeling to the recipient." So, you'll no longer have to ponder which emoticon best represents the sarcasm you want to express about, say, vendor product-delivery promises.
No need to feel cynical about the delivery of Adomo's Voice Messaging for Exchange appliance. It's being announced today but has been shipping for two weeks. Feit says the device connects your Microsoft Exchange servers to your private branch exchange. V-mails are routed to your Outlook folder, and if callers are listed in your address book, their information is displayed. According to Feit, capabilities due by year's end include a speech-based autoattendant that can find names in a company directory through voice or keypad prompts. Another upcoming feature will let outside callers schedule meetings with Adomo users by checking their Outlook calendars via voice. Pricing for the appliance starts at $12,000.

Adomo Voice Messaging for Exchange appliance