Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Response Point phone system, a VoIP IP Telephony system from Microsoft targeting SMBs have been released to manufacturing.
This different from the planned launch of Microsoft’s Office Communications Server (OCS) 2007 and other communications products at a launch event in San Francisco on October 16.

With this system Microsoft joins vendors such as 3Com, Cisco Systems and Digium in targeting VoIP systems at small businesses with 50 users or less. Response Point phone system, which include VoIP call processing and features such as voicemail, call forwarding and integration with Microsoft Outlook.
Microsoft has joined with two OEM partners, D-Link and Quanta, in preparing and marketing product bundles within the next few months that package Microsoft software with their base hardware units, gateways and phones. Systems and Packaged systems will be available to solution providers via the distributors working with D-Link and Quanta.

Customers can preorder Quanta Syspine models beginning Friday, Oct. 5. A complete package that includes a base unit with built-in analog telephone adapter (ATA) and secure gateway, plus four phones, will cost approximately $2,500 (all prices U.S.). Additional phones will be available for $159 each.

In addition, D-Link VoiceCenter phone systems will be available in the fourth quarter of 2007. The VoiceCenter system will include a base unit, ATA and five phones for approximately $2,999. Additional phone lines will cost approximately $149.

Response Point phone system.

Source: voipcentral.org

In an effort to reduce telecom bills, the British Airways (BA), the largest airline of UK whose main hubs are London Heathrow and London Gatwick has reached out an agreement with California-based Cisco Systems to develop an advanced telephone system based on VoIP technology.

The telephone system will support BAs 14,000 office and airport workers, reports Computer World.

As per the agreement, Cisco System would provide nearly 8,500 IP phones along with the CallManager call-processing software and MeetingPlace conferencing software over an Ethernet network built by Cisco. BA will use them by March next year.

Cisco hopes the deal with BA will boost its IP phones selling in the market, but did not disclose the value of the deal. It is believed that the value of the deal is a multimillion pound.

Source: voipcentral.org

Australia-based MyNetFone, a leading broadband service provider has reached out an agreement with Linksys, under which the Cisco subsidiary Linksys will provide its VoIP equipment to MyNetFone.

The deal with Linksys will enable MyNetFone to create a strong a base in the SOHO (Small Office and Home Office) and SME VoIP markets. The company expects its customers base will hit 10,000 in the next few months by selling equipment worth of $250,000 and $1 million per year in additional revenue.

Announcing the deal, the company explains,

The equipment the two partners have in mind provides two lines of VoIP telephone and fax service. The MNFSPA2100 equipment has not just been configured, but it also has been customized particularly for the MyNetFone services. The implication of this is that reliability is high and there would be encryption based security.

MyNetFone ensures customers to make and receive phone calls over any type of broadband Internet connection. The calls between MyNetFone customers are free. However, the company charges very low rates for the calls to the public fixed and mobile networks.

Source: voipcentral.org

In its recent report, the research firm Juniper Research has asserted that Cisco Systems will hold the top most position in the Enterprise VoIP Access Point market as well as the VoIP WLAN Switch/Mobility Controller market.

The report Converged Wireless VoIP Handsets and Equipment, 2007-2012 brought out by Juniper predicts that total market will hit $15 billion mark in 2012 up from $2 billion this year.

The VoIP market will witness rise of a number of new vendors during this period. They are Trapeze Networks, Proxim Wireless, Meru Networks and Aruba Networks. However, none of them can take the number position from Cisco.

According to Juniper Research, the market for VoIP Access Points will generate whopping $5billion revenue by 2012, up from $390 million this year, while the VoIP WLAN Controllers market will cross $8 billion by 2012, up from paltry $1 billion in 2007.

Source: voipcentral.org

Cisco Systems has announced that it is purchasing NeoPath Networks, a company that pioneers in field of virtualisation software and network storage.

With this addition, Cisco hopes to enhance its server systems and Services Oriented Network Architecture direction and vision by creating tighter linkages between file based data and network accelerated services.

California-based NeoPath has excelled in the areas of virtualisation software that links multiple small storage units and facilitates them to act as a single device.

The terms and conditions of the deal are not divulged to the media. However, it is believed that Cisco is acquiring NeoPath by the end of third quarter of companys fiscal year 2007.

The IP networking giant has also announced that it is acquiring the web conferences services specialist WebEx Communications for $3.2 billion next month.

Source: voipcentral.org

The iPhone controversy takes a new twist with a Canadian VoIP company alleging Cisco Systems illegally using its iPhone trademark.

Comwave, one of the leading VoIP service providers of Canada has complained that Cisco Systems is illegally using the iPhone trademark.

In a letter to Cisco, the company claimed that it has acquired the trademark in 2004 to sell its IP services. It has asked Cisco to stop using the iPhone brand.

A Cisco spokesperson said that the company is looking the iPhone issue thoroughly.

It is still fresh in our memory, when Cisco filed a lawsuit against Apple in Federal Court this month claiming it has held the trademark on the name iPhone since 2000 when it acquired InfoGear Technology Co. InfoGear has originally registered the name.

Source: voipcentral.org

Cisco Systems has filed a lawsuit against Apple in Federal court claming Cisco owns the iPhone trademark. Apple displayed the much talked Apple iPhone at the MacWorld trade show in San Francisco and announced its official launch in June this year. However, the lawsuit says Apple has no right to use the neame iPhone.

Cisco says it has held the trademark on the name iPhone since 2000 when it acquired InfoGear Technology Co. InfoGear has originally registered the name.

Linksys, Ciscos division applied the trademark to develop an IP phone called iPhone just three week ago for VoIP calls.

However, an Apple spokesperson Natalie Kerris termed the suit silly saying a number of companies are using the name iPhone for VoIP products.

Source: voipcentral.org

San Jose, California-based Cisco Systems, a global leader in networking and communications technology has teamed up with Teleware to offer VoIP solutions to the Small and Medium Business (SMB) enterprises.

The telecommunications systems provider Teleware that operates its business in UK and Asia Pacific region says both the companies have reached out a six-month technology development partnership to offer a VoIP bundle for the SMB enterprises.

The VoIP bundle includes Telewares application server and Ciscos Unified Call Manager Express system. The converged voice and data system is based on Ciscos integrated services routers that support SIP-based VoIP applications.

Geoff Lawrie, Cisco country manager said,

The challenge with the [SMB] market has always been that the really sophisticated and valuable features have been beyond the reach in terms of price and you required a high degree of expertise to implement and maintain the system.

The combined Cisco-TeleWare solution offers SMBs with cost-effective features- from smart voice mail and call forwarding, to one number and unified communications.

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Source: voipcentral.org

US-based leading VoIP equipment manufacturer, Cisco Systems has agreed to acquire Greenfield Networks Inc., a privately owned company focused on delivering innovative networking solutions for enterprise and metro markets.

Both the companies have not revealed financial details of the high profile deal. Cisco just indicated that it has agreed to acquire Greenfield to enhance its existing line of Metro Ethernet products.

Commenting on the acquisition Cisco says,

By integrating Greenfield Networks technology with Cisco’s family of metro Ethernet switches, we will be able to improve the time to market of new carrier-class features to our service provider partners.

Founded in 2000, Greenfield Networks has a strong base in California, USA and Bangalore, India. Currently, it has near about 60 employees.

Via:[Zdnet]

Source: voipcentral.org

US-based telecommunication equipment supplier Cisco will focus on quadruple play services to maintain sustained growth for the next 10 years.

Cisco known for its aggressive marketing strategy plans to achieve 10 to 15 percent compound annual revenue growth by putting its resources for the enrichment of quadruple play which includes Voice, Video, Data and mobile capabilities.

Speaking at the companys annual financial analyst conference in New York, Cisco CEO John Chambers said the company is now launching a video conferencing product in the next few months and fine-tune quality control for VoIP and video across several router lines.

It has also joined hands with Microsoft to provide integrated controls to obstruct malware-infested computers from connecting into networks.

As per the two-year deal, Ciscos Network Admission Control or NAC technology would work with the Microsoft Network Access Protection (NAP). It would be available on the Windows Vista and Longhorn operating systems.

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Source: voipcentral.org

Here is a classy example to show how the innovative use of Voice and Video over IP has enabled the California hospitals to break the language barriers between doctors and patients.

California is the most diverse state of USA with a population of 37 million and 40 percent of which speak a language other than English at home. A recent survey on the healthcare reveals around 70 percent patients face language barrier while communicating to their doctors.

In other words, they find it tough to explain their disease and symptoms. Most of the cases, they hardly make out the doctors treatment advice. Quite long, the California hospitals are in search of a technology, which could breach the language barriers. Taking a pioneering step in this direction, Cisco Systems provided its Unified Communication product portfolio for the Health Care Interpreter Network (HCIN).

For better understanding, HCIN is a translation network that routes about 3,000 videoconference and phone calls a month from the hospitals to the interpreters. Using this service, the doctors and patients bridge their language differences.

The HCIN connects doctors and patients with Spanish language interpreters in a call center. The interpreter speaks English and the language of the patient. Calls are replied in less than five minutes and most are connected within 40 seconds.

As of now, three hospitals San Joaquin General Hospital, San Mateo Medical Center, and Con- tra Costa Health Services are implementing this system.

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Source: voipcentral.org

Cisco Systems has started up a new program called SWAT to integrate all kinds of emergency communications, such as 911 emergency dialing, radio interoperability, satellite, wireless, weather alerts and video.

IP based SWAT program carries Cisco Instant and Mobile Integrated Communications Solution(IMICS) to assist police, fire and other emergency response agencies for the timely installment of VoIP, Web connectivity and wireless hotspot capabilities.

Ciscos SWAT also provides latest and neighborhood-specific weather information through a Cisco partnership with AWS Convergence Technologies Inc. It runs the WeatherBug monitoring service.

Cisco claims that its SWAT program provides a mobile video kit for video surveillance and conferencing, and a field-deployable 911 service.

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