Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com
Yesterday’s announcement by AT&T offering a great site where you could watch online shows was just a tip of the iceberg. Here’s 25 Places to Watch the Fall TV Season Online
Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com
No, I have not gone away.
I’m just taking a break for a while.
Some of it is summer.
Some of it is just needing to step back and figure out where to take this blog into the future.
I am still focused on AT&T’s three-screen offerings, but I want to look beyond the obvious. Maybe some time away will help me figure that out.
Your comments, input and suggestions are welcomed.
Stay tuned….
Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com
I’m sorry, but I think this is in pretty bad taste. Get yours free here.
Source: www.voip-news.com
There are two new Unified Communications solution products being released by GN Netcom. The new products are the Jabra GO(TM) 6400 and PRO(TM) 9400 Series, which are the first Bluetooth and DECT headset solutions that feaure a touch screen base. They are scheduled for release in September.
“We are dedicated to working with today’s industry leading unified communications solutions providers to help change the way office professionals communicate,” said David Grazio, Director of Channel Marketing, GN Netcom. “The Jabra GO 6400 and PRO 9400 series are the latest innovations that secure our commitment to the Jabra brand’s position as the number one choice for unified communication solutions.”
According to the company:
The Jabra GO 6400 and PRO 9400 Series feature several state-of-the-art sound technologies to ensure optimum call clarity and hearing protection, regardless of which phone (mobile, desk and softphone) the user is connected to.
Wideband/Narrowband Sound and DSP
– High definition sound and digitally enhanced speech deliver crystal
clear calls ensuring both parties are able to hear clearly, minimizing
disruptionsNoise Blackout(TM) Technology
– A dual microphone technology eliminates virtually all background
noise, transmitting only the user’s voiceSafeTone Technologies
– PeakStop(TM) technology protects users from sudden sound spikes and
loud noises, while Intellitone(TM) keeps sound levels within a safe
average throughout the dayDECT Technology
– The Jabra PRO 9400 series features DECT technology, providing up to
450 feet range; dependable connectivity gives users the freedom to
move around the office without losing sound quality
Source: www.voip-news.com
Taridium has released an ipbx iPhone interface for its enterprise PBX solution. The iPhone interface compatible with Apple’s iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3G S.
“One of the big advantages of the Taridium ipbx iPhone interface is that users can now access internal PBX extensions directly from their mobile phone with a single click — it basically allows you to take your office extension with you,” says Dominique Kull, Taridium’s CTO.
According to Taridium:
With the ipbx mobile interface your employees always stay ahead of the game. Visual voicemail allows them to listen to their office voicemail directly from their iPhone, check their recent calls, call users back as if they were at their desk and even host telephone conferences. This does not only save money, but also allows access to the Taridium unified voicemail system, where a single mailbox serves VoIP phones, mobile phones and any other phone that supports conditional call diversion.
If required for compliance reasons, all calls passed through the mobile phone can be recorded and immediately reviewed on the phone. Users are presented with a familiar interface that seamlessly integrates their iPhones into the office telephone system.
Source: www.voip-news.com
There is a new handset coming from TCM Mobile that will work on both the TCM Mobile Cellular VoIP Network and on traditional GSM cellular networks. The dual band phone is scheduled for release in two to three months.
“While our new handset is scheduled for release in two to three months, we can currently take any existing dual band handset available on the market and, together with its manufacturer, embed TCM’s revolutionary, patented software into it. This represents a significant opportunity for these manufacturers to grow sales of their own branded handsets in conjunction with the deployment of TCM’s Cellular VoIP network,” said a TCM Mobile senior executive.
According to TCM Mobile:
With existing dual band handsets currently on the market, the GSM cellular service is the default mode while WiFi is a value added feature allowing for lower cost service in home/office enterprise environments. TCM’s dual band device, however, is the first of its kind whereby the Cellular VoIP service is the default mode while a GSM network can be used when outside TCM’s coverage area.
Source: www.voip-news.com
MTS Allstream is going to use NetIQ AppManager to manage their customers’ Unified Communications applications and infrastructure. It will be used to manage more than 1 million VoIP phones around the globe.
“We needed a solution to help us measure performance levels and enhance end-user experience,” said Eric Fletcher, senior vice president, Marketing at MTS Allstream. “NetIQ provides us with the ability to report on service levels, diagnose call quality degradation and remediate issues immediately. NetIQ AppManager allows us to scale and manage our customers’ UC components — all from a single console. With NetIQ, we can deliver value by optimizing end-user Quality of Experience (QoE), which is exactly what our customers need and have come to expect.”
According to the company:
MTS Allstream first leveraged NetIQ Vivinet® Assessor to effectively predict the overall expected call quality on customer networks. Now utilizing NetIQ AppManager, MTS Allstream can holistically manage customers’ UC deployments, including application servers and network devices. As a result, MTS Allstream delivers compelling customer value by preventing end-user downtime and proactively enhancing service levels 24×7×365.
“Now managing over one million of the world’s VoIP phones, our proven history in this space is a testament to the value that our comprehensive monitoring and reporting delivers for the additional applications that comprise Unified Communications management,” said Criss Scruggs, senior manager, Product Marketing at NetIQ. “Service providers like MTS Allstream require a heterogeneous management solution like NetIQ AppManager, as it will not only meet their current needs, but also reliably scale to accommodate future growth plans.”
Source: www.voip-news.com
ClearOne will be showcasing their new conferencing solutions at the InfoComm 09 Show on Wednesday through Friday, this week – 6/17-6/19. It’s being held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida
Among the new products being showcased are the new ClearOne Converge(TM) Pro 880TA and Converge(TM) SR 1212A.
According to the company:
MAX(TM) IP Response Point, the industry’s first — and only — conference phone for the Microsoft Response Point phone system will also be shown at InfoComm 09 . MAX IP Response Point is a tabletop conferencing system that brings high performance audio quality capabilities to users of Microsoft’s popular small business phone system. Response Point that supports both voice over IP (VoIP) and traditional analog phone lines and provides a voice-activated user interface.
ClearOne will also be showing the CHAT(TM) 70 and CHAT(TM) 170, brand new speakerphones specifically optimized for use with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007. Both the CHAT 70 and CHAT 170 speakerphones easily connect via USB to laptops or PCs for natural, hands-free audio communication for users of Office Communicator 2007. The CHAT 70 and CHAT 170 deliver full-duplex capability for crystal-clear communications and are the perfect addition to the office or home office, providing convenient, high-quality audio. ClearOne is a certified member of the Microsoft Partner Program and has been rapidly releasing high performance audio solutions that support users of Microsoft’s unified communications platform.
Source: www.voip-news.com
NetMotion Wireless has released the latest update of their Mobile VPN Software. Version 8.51 of Mobility XE(TM) can now support character sets from many languages including French, German, Italian, Spanish, and most other European languages. That means that IT admins and end users can use their native languages for user names, passwords and more. Additionally, the new release has support for Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and 2005 SP3.
“Many European languages include characters that are not supported by the basic English character set and most products built for the United States market ignore this fact or deal with it poorly,” said Pam Cory, vice president of marketing, NetMotion Wireless. “The new Mobility XE allows IT managers and mobile workers outside the U.S. to use the same character set they use every day. We’re committed to serving the European market, and we believe this new product enhancement will better serve business and government agencies looking for a best-in-class Mobile VPN solution.”
According to the company:
Around the globe, more than 350,000 mobile workers use NetMotion’s Mobility XE to mitigate some of the most common challenges in mobile deployments today, including application stability as users move in and out of wireless coverage areas, and seamless roaming between Wi-Fi and wide-area cellular networks. In addition, the company provides advanced security and network management controls that extend corporate security policies to mobile devices, while also allowing customers to utilize their existing mobile investments to reliably deploy real-time applications such as Voice over IP (VoIP) and streaming video.
Source: www.voip-news.com
Speakeasy is using an innovative way to get noticed by more customers: offering a Starbucks gift card to potential business customers who fax over their phone bill to find out how much they could save with VoIP.
“It’s no secret that businesses are trying to find ways to cut back on spending, but many are often reluctant to make any major changes, so they start by cutting out the little things, like free coffee for their employees,” said Bruce Chatterley, Speakeasy CEO. “What they don’t realize is how much money they could save just by switching to voice over IP services – up to 45 percent – which would allow them to keep the little things that matter.”
So why should companies switch? Speakeasy offered several myth debusters to prove their point:
Myth #1: It’s not really going to save much money. Businesses tend to underestimate just how much money they’ll save by switching to VoIP – up to 45 percent over traditional phone service. In addition to saving on national and international long distance, companies with Speakeasy’s hosted service can significantly reduce costs associated with moving, adding or changing employee phone lines – costs that have historically made up approximately 30 percent of traditional phone bills. Because there is no on-site phone system, businesses can also eliminate costly maintenance fees.
Myth #2: It’s too much of a hassle to set up and manage. Speakeasy offers both hosted and integrated voice services. With hosted systems, there is no PBX hardware on site, and therefore nothing for the business to manage. For companies opting for integrated services, they can use their existing phones and PBX, and Speakeasy simply adds its voice over IP lines or trunks to their pre-existing on site phone system. Both allow businesses to realize significant cost savings with minimal set-up hassle and maximum flexibility. In addition, Speakeasy’s solution allows small business to take advantage of features usually found only in more expensive systems, such as automated attendant, hunt group and call center routing.
Myth #3: Call clarity is inferior to traditional phone quality. The reality is, not all voice traffic is created equal. Broadband quality directly influences voice quality, with marked differences between consumer-grade broadband and business-class connectivity. Speakeasy provides business-class, voice-optimized broadband, which eliminates data interference when using data and voice on a single line. Prioritizing voice traffic over all other data ensures the highest quality possible.
Myth #4: The technology is still too new. According to Forrester Research, many businesses are still afraid of what they do not know, including how services work, voice quality and how much bandwidth they will consume with VoIP(1). Yet VoIP has been around since the mid-90s and has come a long way since in terms of technological advances and adoption rate by businesses. In fact, Dell’Oro Group, a marketing research firm, predicted that IP lines will grow to almost 60 percent of small business line shipments by the year 2011, while digital and analog shipments are expected to decline at an average of 10 percent per year. Traditional systems are expected to fair even worse, declining to less than 5 percent of the total market by 2011(2).
Myth #5: VoIP is just a large business solution and is not necessary for SMBs. According to Forrester Research, 52 percent of small businesses say that providing more mobility for employees is a priority(3). VoIP offers features unavailable through traditional phone systems that increase mobility, such as Speakeasy’s Remote Worker, which allows an individual to use their office phone number and features, including four digit calling and number identification, whether they temporarily work from a client’s office, their home or using their cell phone. Other VoIP-specific features, like Find Me/Follow Me, allow employees and customers to route calls made to their office number based on a flexible user-defined set of rules. VoIP technology levels the competitive playing field and provides small businesses the features to provide better customer service, lower operational costs, and deliver more business flexibility to expand and contract according to business needs. VoIP is especially necessary in future-proofing small businesses to avoid being hamstrung by outdated technology.
Source: www.voip-news.com
MediaTek has released a new chip for USB dongles, handsets and other embedded devices called the MT 7118. The WiMAX Forum Wave2 chip. Additionally, a new handset using a MediaTek chip has been announced as well.
“MediaTek is not only a chip company, but a leader clearly setting its marks as the best WiMAX SoC solution provider. Our expertise in systems is vital to the success of WiMAX. The latest WiMAX SoC and integrated GSM+WiMAX dual mode handsets are only the beginning of our plan to integrate more wireless technology with future electronics,” said CT Chuang, Vice President of MediaTek. “WiMAX industry needs a chip company that possesses the breadth and depth of technology and experience of diverse platforms.”
According to MediaTek:
This is one of the most cost optimized WiMAX handsets in the market today It enables voice over EDGE network and voice/data over WiMAX network, while the USB port of the phone can be used for data connectivity with laptops. It also features a 2.8 inch touch screen and 5M pixel camera. The VoIP engine inside the phone has gone through stringent IOT and field trials for over 4 years, making it the most trusted and risk free dual-mode handset. MediaTek brings its expertise in GSM and software directly into the handset and put together a turnkey solution for operators.
With BOM of less than US$100, this is a truly cost effective solution, without compromising quality and performance, which is essential to enable mobile WiMAX applications in emerging markets.
“WiMAX needs more high-quality, low-cost devices, and MediaTek’s solutions will help enable them, given its track record as a leading mobile chipset vendor. The dual-mode phone based on MediaTek chips should build momentum for WiMAX in key emerging markets, given the device’s combination of WiMAX for high-speed broadband and GSM/EDGE for ubiquitous voice and data services,” said Mike Roberts, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media.
Source: www.voip-news.com
Network-1 Security Solutions, Inc. has agreed to settle its court battle with NETGEAR. NETGEAR was accused of infringing on Network-1’s Remote Power Patent.
Under the settlement, NETGEAR will have a non-elusive license to the technology that runs through March 2020, paying quarterly royalties based on the sales of its Power over Ethernet products. Additionally, there will be an upfront payment of $350,000.
“We are very pleased that NETGEAR agreed to take advantage of the terms of our Special Licensing Program and become a licensee of our Remote Power Patent,” commented Corey M. Horowitz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Network-1. “This outcome is consistent with Network-1’s goal of making licenses available to the technologies covered by the Remote Power Patent to the Power over Ethernet industry in a manner that promotes the widespread adoption of this important industry standard.”
According to Network-1:
The Remote Power Patent relates to, among other things, delivering power over Ethernet cables to remotely power network connected devices including, among others, wireless switches, wireless access points, RFID card readers, VoIP telephones and network cameras. In June 2003, the IEEE approved the 802.3af PoE Standard which led to the rapid adoption of PoE. The IEEE is currently working on the 802.3at Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE Plus) Standard which will increase the maximum power delivered to network devices to 40-60 watts from the current 15 watts under the 802.3af Standard.
