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

Fine Point Technologies, Inc. has agreed to purchase Sonic Telecom GmbH (with the help of private equity firm Access Point LLC. Sonic has been selling Fine Point’s device management technology for four years as well as VoIP gateway systems and services.

This will provide Fine Point with a more entrenched position in Europe and will also open the company up to selling to more communications providers.

According to Fine Point:

Fine Point said that it plans to retain Sonic’s engineering and sales staff who are already knowledgeable in selling and supporting Fine Point’s products. Fine Point will also maintain Sonic’s existing facility in Germany, and rename the entity Fine Point Technologies, Inc. Financial terms for the transaction were not disclosed.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Ambient Media is now an authorized distributor and importer for ViewCast Corporation products in Spain and Portugal. The products include Osprey video capture cards and Niagara encoding systems.

“We’ve been promoting ViewCast solutions for more than seven years, and believe that working with them even more closely will give our customers an advantage over those who are using less robust technologies,” said Richard Spellman, Ambient’s CEO. “The Iberian marketplace has always responded strongly to the reliability, ease-of-use and value that ViewCast offers, and as new market segments open up, that demand is increasing. ViewCast’s ability to anticipate and respond to market requirements is quickly closing the price/performance gap between consumer and professional products.”

According to the companies:

Recent developments in the European Union’s regulatory framework have contributed to unprecedented growth in voice-over-internet (VOIP) technology and television services through broadband lines. The telecom markets in Spain and Portugal, in particular, have emerged as principal growth areas in Europe. Continued growth is expected particularly in broadcast, telecom, education and corporate communications – all sectors in which ViewCast’s plug-and-play solutions stand out among its competitors’ products.

“The video-over-IP market is booming in Spain and Portugal, and ViewCast intends to play a key role in driving these emerging media opportunities,” said Gary J. Klembara, ViewCast Senior Vice President of Sales. “Having a dedicated distribution channel will increase our visibility in this region and enable us to provide local industry with the technology infrastructure it needs to deliver cost-effective, professional-quality video over IP and mobile networks.”

Source: www.voip-news.com

EMBARQ has launched EMBARQ Managed IP Telephony service, an always-on managed IP solution with monitoring and alerting, management and support services. The service oversees a business’s voice communications systems including call servers and voicemail servers.

“Unmanaged growth could result in problems with speed, throughput, response time and other issues causing jitter and latency,” said Susan McQueeny-Scholes, Director of Marketing Communications for EMBARQ Business. “Allowing EMBARQ to take care of these issues can help businesses focus on their core competencies while lowering their costs and needs for internal support.”

Here’s the detes of what EMBARQ offers:

EMBARQ(R) MIPT service provides life-cycle support for day-to-day management and monitoring and offers two levels of protection to match the evolving needs of a customer’s enterprise.

Monitoring and Alerting Service
– 24×7×365 device monitoring
– Remote diagnostics and minor remote repairs
– Help desk support with 24×7 live response
– Notification of events through phone, e-mail or both
– Up/down and ticket status
– Monthly traffic and alarm activity reporting

Comprehensive Services
Includes all Monitoring and Alerting Services plus:

– Design and engineering assistance
– Project implementation
– Assigned technical engineer
– Proactive management of alarm monitoring, notification and escalation
– Software management services, including annual major software updates
– On-demand business management reporting through a secure Web portal.

Source: www.voip-news.com

It’s that time. Companies everywhere are rushing to pull together first quarter numbers and public companies are gearing up to share their results on calls and webcasts. VoIP companies are no exception.

So, how did the ultra-quiet Vonage do during the first quarter of 2009? Vonage Holdings Corp. will report is financial results on Thursday, May 7 and also make their earnings release available at http://ir.vonage.com.

A webcast is planned to discuss the results at 10 a.m. on May 7.

Here’s the detes:

To participate, please dial (877) 795-3649 approximately ten minutes prior to the call. International callers should dial (719) 325-4835. A replay will be available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call until midnight May 21, 2009, and may be accessed by dialing (888) 203-1112. International callers should dial (719) 457-0820. The replay passcode is: 8834295.

The webcast will be broadcast live through Vonage’s Investor Relations website at http://ir.vonage.com. Windows Media Player or RealPlayer is required to listen to this webcast. A replay will be available shortly after the live webcast.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Averna, a global test engineering company, has acquired DAQTron, Inc., a company that designs and implements test systems for things like VoIP modems and cable modems. Averna says that the purchase strengthens their broadband product portfolio.

“We believe that the convergence of radio, video, and navigation content into mobile devices will continue to fuel demand for multifunctional test instruments and systems,” said Pascal Pilon, president and CEO of Averna. “Acquiring a formidable competitor such as DAQTron, a recognized world frontrunner in broadband test systems, concentrates our strengths and positions Averna to lead the trend towards computer-based instrumentation.”

According to the companies:

At the core of DAQTron’s intellectual property are the industry’s first DOCSIS 3.0 RF protocol analyzer, the Mercury and Jupiter manufacturing and design verification test systems, and the Trident software platform suite for simulating and testing over-air and terrestrial digital signals for a wide array of device types, including any device communicating via cable. In addition to the Atlanta headquarters, the acquisition gives Averna a new office in Annapolis Junction, Maryland.

“We are pleased to join such a dynamic company, and are convinced that our product offering is a perfect fit,” said DAQTron Inc. founder and ex-president Robert Sandage, who will stay on in a senior executive position. “Averna’s worldwide Channel Sales Partner network will give our technology even better distribution, and I am confident that our clients will benefit greatly from the richness that our combined strengths bring to all aspects of RF and broadband test.”

Source: www.voip-news.com

There is a new release of NetEqualizer available from APconnections and it’s developed for WISPs and small business users. The new, smaller model is Power over the Ethernet as well, so it’s more flexibile for placement.

“About half of wireless network slowness comes from p2p (Bit Torrent) and video users overloading the access points,” said Joe D’Esopo, vice president of business development at APconnections. “We have had great success with our NE2000 series, but the price point of $2,500 was a bit too high to duplicate all over the network.”

According to APconnectionc:

The model was developed to meet a growing demand both for an affordable traffic shaping device to help small businesses run VoIP concurrent with data traffic over their Internet link as well as a need for a shaping unit with PoE for the WISP market.

In a large wireless network, congestion often occurs at tower locations. However, with a low-cost PoE version of the NetEqualizer, wireless providers can now afford to have advanced bandwidth control at or near their access distribution points.

The model starts at $1,200.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Smith Micro Software will be showcasing its QuickLink Messenger, a Rich Communications Suite Client, at CTIA Wireless 2009. QuickLink Messenger combines voice, chat, SMS, video, image and file sharing in one integrated client. It works with both desktop PCs and Windows Mobile phones.

“QuickLink Messenger establishes Smith Micro’s industry leadership in the field of rich media communication clients,” said William W. Smith Jr., President and CEO Smith Micro Software. “RCS is an important industry initiative that sets cutting edge technology in the context of an ecosystem that puts interoperability, and therefore user experience, at its heart.”

According to the company:

Centered on a presence-based address book, QuickLink Messenger allows users to seamlessly switch between voice, text, chat, and video depending on the capacities of their contacts. Users can manipulate their own presence settings, gaining an unprecedented degree of control to determine how they can be reached. Using QuickLink Messenger, for example, users can configure their device so that text is the only available contact method permitted while they are in a meeting. Smith Micro will be showing a preview version of QuickLink Messenger for both Windows and Windows Mobile allowing operators the opportunity to extend their services beyond the device onto the desktop. The Unified Communications client for Windows will allow users to access the same set of rich media features from their desktop PC as from their handsets.

Source: www.voip-news.com

The San Diego-based Daycom Systems, a telecommunications company, has been Carousel Industries, Inc.

“Daycom has proudly served customers in our region,” said Richard Day, Daycom CEO and president. “Through this acquisition, we are able to expand our technology solutions, offer national service delivery and a greater pool of resources for our customers.”

Carousel says that the acquisition is intended to help grow their company and shows that they are strong, despite hard times.

“This acquisition represents a tremendous opportunity for Daycom and Carousel. Given our nation’s current economic struggles, this acquisition reinforces that Carousel is here to stay for the long haul. We continue to grow our company so that we are properly positioned to support all of our customers nationally,” said Carousel CEO Jeff Gardner. “Daycom has a great reputation in the industry and a strong customer base. Like Carousel, they have built a culture around taking care of customers.”

According to Carousel:

Carousel Industries is a premier technology solutions provider designing, implementing and maintaining powerful converged communication networks for enterprise customers nationwide. Utilizing a single-source approach, Carousel offers a full range of solutions including VoIP, Data Infrastructure, Unified Communications, Power and Cooling, IVR, Wireless, Security, Speech Applications and much more. Carousel also provides a complete range of maintenance and managed services that improve operations and reduce overall costs. For more information visit www.carouselindustries.com

Source: www.voip-news.com

OrecX LLC’s OrecX TR is now supported in QueueMetrics 1.5.1, the call center monitoring application from Loway that is used for large scale Asterick PBX operations. That can reduce operating costs of recording voice calls by moving them from the Asterisk server to a dedicated server.

“OrecX TR is a very popular solution used in thousands of call center networks around the world. Bringing support for OrecX into the QueueMetrics environment will lower costs, simplify call recording, and extend functionality for many QueueMetrics users,” said Lorenzo Emilitri, managing director of Loway.

According to the company:

QueueMetrics turns any Asterisk PBX into a full-featured contact center. Able to support up to 500 live agents, the suite allows operations managers, call team leaders and call agents to complete their daily tasks through a real-time computer interface. Operations managers can view activity reports, listen to recorded calls, measure agent activity and business targets, while team leaders can see current agent status and listen to live calls as they are handled. QueueMetrics also allows agents to see calls they’re handling, integrate with external Customer Relationship Management (CRM) applications and more.

By providing support for OrecX TR, Loway gives QueueMetrics users a way to record calls with minimal changes to the Asterisk dialplan. As the user’s audio storage medium, OrecX TR will cut the disk I/O and transcoding costs necessary for the main Asterisk server(s). It accomplishes necessary recording and storage tasks while retaining a high level of control, even in distributed or clustered Asterisk deployments.

Source: www.voip-news.com

BT inmo is now licensed to sell mobile VoIP solutions from Qnective around the globe. BT inmo is developing secure, cost-effective mobile solutions for parent company BT Telecommunications. Qnective’s Qtalk products are a jumping off point for that.

“Qnective is pleased to be working with an industry leader to license Qnective’s first-of-its kind technology,” said Oswald Ortiz, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Qnective.

Qnective develops VoIP solutions for mobile communications, which are designed for operators and businesses.

“Qtalk from Qnective is the first truly mobile VoIP product which actually earns the ‘carrier grade’ rating. No other provider currently has a comparable, high-quality product and service range in a combined GSM and mobile data network environment such as HSDPA, UMTS, EDGE und GPRS,” said Harry van Streun, CEO, BT inmo.

Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com