Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com

Source: www.voip-news.com

Gwinnett County Public Schools is taking a big step so that they can better reach homebound students. With the help of Alcatel-Lucent, the district has created an interactive learning environment for students who learn at home using VoIP services. They’ve chocen Alcatel-Lucent OmniTOuch My Teamwork Unified Conferencing and Collaboration, which they say will connect teachers and students while saving the district money. Between 600 and 700 students receive instruction at home weekly, the district says.

“Previously, our teachers would either travel to each homebound student to provide a few hours of daily instruction or use an audio bridge to conduct group lessons. Voice-only instruction lacks the graphics and visual aids that help keep young, inquisitive students engaged,” said Rick Overton, Director of Telecommunications & Network Services, Information Management Division, Gwinnett County Public Schools. “Alcatel-Lucent’s VoIP network and the My Teamwork solution help teachers provide a richer learning experience — they can use video clips for a history lesson, interactive graphing for science or white-board instruction for math.”

According to Alcatel-Lucent:

The Gwinnett County Public Schools IP network already used a range of Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch Ethernet switches to provide the bandwidth and security needed by students and faculty for on campus communications. The more recent deployment of the Alcatel-Lucent OmniPCX Enterprise provides a new VoIP solution and allows the district to centralize its main voice switches at the district headquarters, extending remote call servers with back up circuits at each school building when fully complete.

“Effective and efficient communications technology is critical when creating a dynamic learning environment that makes it possible for students to connect with teachers, fellow students and other knowledge resources safely and securely — anytime, anywhere,” said Tom Burns, who heads Alcatel-Lucent enterprise activities. “My Teamwork will help Gwinnett County Public Schools expand access to education beyond the four walls of the classroom. Our solution helps school districts reduce travel requirements and transportation costs with a virtual infrastructure that brings students and teachers together when they can’t reach the brick and mortar classroom.”

Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com

Starting  the day before President McCain – I mean, President Obama gets to take over the reins of our country, U-verse TV customers will receive up to 30 new HD channels at no additional charge as part of their existing HD service subscription, depending on their programming package.

AT&T has just announced additional HD programming with  more than
30 new HD channels and new international programming packages for
Chinese, Polish, Russian, French and European-sports audiences.

With the additions, U-verse TV offers more than 75 HD channels — exceeding the HD channel lineups offered by the major local cable providers in every U-verse market.

The newly added HD channels include several regional sports networks, premium movie channels, and popular national sports, news, women’s, shopping and lifestyle networks. (Refer to the full list of HD channel additions at the end of this release.) HD service is available for $10 a month with any U-verse TV programming package. All U-verse TV packages include HD-ready equipment, and four of the five packages include an HD-ready Total Home DVR. Total Home DVR is being rolled out to all U-verse markets by the end of this year.

U-verse TV is also introducing more HD options on Nov. 10 with a new HD Premium package. Featuring Universal HD, MGM HD and Smithsonian Channel HD, the new tier can be added to an HD service subscription for an additional $5 a month. More channels will be added to the HD Premium package in the future.

AT&T is also expanding the ethnic programming available on U-verse TV with several new packages for its diverse customer base including:
 
·         Mandarin Package, featuring CCTV-4, CTI-Zhong Tian Channel, Phoenix InfoNews and Phoenix North American Chinese Channel, for $35 a month. CTI-Zhong Tian Channel can be ordered a la carte for $12 a month, and CCTV-4, Phoenix InfoNews and Phoenix North American Chinese Channel are available a la carte for $10 a month.
·         Polish Package, featuring TV Polonia and TVP Info, for $25 a month. TV Polonia can be ordered a la carte for $20 a month.
·         Russian Package, featuring RTR Planeta and Channel One Russia, for $25 a month. Each channel is available a la carte for $15 a month.
·         TV5MONDE, featuring programs from France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and Quebec, for $10 a month.
·         Setanta Sports, featuring exclusively live European and international soccer, rugby and other sports, for $15 a month.

The new international packages are available starting Nov. 10 and can be added to any U-verse TV core programming package.

As part of this month’s expansion, U-verse TV customers also gain access to several new standard definition channels: The Outdoor Channel, NASA TV and, as part of Paquete Español, WAPA America and V-me. Paquete Español features 24 Spanish-language channels for $10 a month with any U-verse TV core programming package.

THE FOLLOWING HD CHANNELS ARE BEING ADDED TO THE AT&T U-VERSE TV LINEUP:
 

@Max HD
5StarMax HD
ActionMax HD
Comcast SportsNet Chicago HD
Comcast SportsNet New England HD
Encore HD
Fox Business Network HD
Fox News Channel HD
FSN Detroit HD
FSN Florida HD
FSN Midwest (Kansas City) HD
FSN Midwest (St. Louis) HD
FSN Ohio (Cincinnati) HD
FSN Ohio (Cleveland) HD
FSN Prime Ticket HD
FSN South HD
FSN Southwest (Dallas) HD
FSN Southwest (Houston) HD
FX Network HD
FX Network HD – West
Hallmark Movie Channel HD
HBO Latino HD
HBO Signature HD
HBO Zone HD
HBO2 West HD
Lifetime Television HD
Lifetime Television HD – West
MoreMax HD
Outdoor Channel HD
OuterMax HD
Planet Green HD
QVC HD
Showtime 2 HD
Showtime Extreme HD
Showtime Showcase HD
Speed HD
SportsSouth HD
SportsTime Ohio HD
Starz Comedy HD
Starz Edge HD
Sun Sports HD
The Travel Channel HD
ThrillerMax HD
TMC Xtra HD
Weather Channel HD
Wmax HD

Photo courtesy of AT&T

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

I am sure you never thought about security when you picked up the phone to call some one. Then you got that skype or Gizmocall on your computer and called some one. I doubt you thought about security then. If you did not much more than asa would be annoyance.
But all of us know that security is a serious consideration when it comes to VoIP deployed in your corporation or your small office, even your SOHO business. Because at this point, a lot of things depends on your phone service, your VoIP service.
People spend a lot of money when it comes to security of WEB and EMAIL servers that are exposed to the NET, world wide net, Internet!, Firewalls, IDS etc.
When you expose your phone systems to the open Internet, you need to take same precautions. So how do I do it, What do I need to do?
Tom Olzak over at Tech Republic has brought all together in one article. VoIP threats: Beyond eavesdropping
Have a read!