Microsoft’s Mac Business unit released an updated version of Messenger for Mac. The new version does offer some new features, but perhaps it is going to be better known for what it does not deliver, rather than what it does deliver.

While Microsoft indicated that version 7.0.1 of Messenger for Mac was supposed to deliver broader compatibility and support with Enterprise users, it still can not make audio or video calls to PC users running Windows Messenger. The lack of the VoIP and Video support in the latest version is quite puzzling.

The focus of the new version seems to be tweaks to Messenger’s enterprise features as well as a variety of bug fixes. In a surprising move, Microsoft is offering the version 7.0.1 in both a version for Intel- based Macs as well as PowerPC-based Macs. This will, we assume, make PowerPC-based Mac owners happy, as support for the PowerPC-based Macs is coming to an end soon.

Version 7.0.1 also delivers enhanced compatibility with Office Communications Server 2007 which has been lacking for some time, and can be a real advantage if you happen to work in a mixed PC/Mac environment that is using Office Communications Server 2007.

The bottom line is that while 7.0.1 of Messenger for Mac does go farther to bring the Mac and the PC versions closer together, it really does not go far enough. While some of the bug fixes are nice, the fact of the matter is that without VoIP support and video call support, it misses the mark.

Microsoft’s Mac Business Unit has revealed that they intend to add VoIP and video call support to the Mac version of Messenger, but, of course, they did not indicate a timeline of when they intend to make such support available. In the meantime, Mac users that are using Messenger will continue to have to suffer along without it.