Source: www.voip-news.com

There is a new tool available for commercial maritime operators that can add an additional dedicated VoIP telephone line specifically for crew calling on KVH’s maritime VoIP services. The mini-VSAT Broadband Crew Calling System from KVH Industries

“In the highly competitive commercial maritime industry, offering affordable communications is an easy and effective step to help attract new crew members, improve crew efficiency and satisfaction, and reduce the costs incurred by crew turnover,” explained Brent C. Bruun, KVH’s vice president of sales and business development. “In a recent survey by ShipTalk, Ltd., professional mariners ranked access to a telephone as the second most important facility to have on board a vessel. By adding our crew calling option to a new or existing TracPhone V7 system, vessel owners and operators will take full advantage of their mini-VSAT Broadband service connection while enjoying the benefits to crew morale and retention rates that come when crew members are able to stay in touch with friends and family anywhere on the globe.”

According to KVH:

Adding the crew calling option is a simple process. A dedicated Crew Calling Gateway is connected to the TracPhone V7, thereby establishing a link for a dedicated crew calling phone. Crew members will be able to purchase a calling card from the ship’s captain or buy minutes directly from KVH via credit card. They will then be able to place calls anywhere in the world via this dedicated phone while the ship’s business is handled via the two enhanced VoIP lines that come standard with mini-VSAT Broadband service.

Together with the KVH TracPhone V7, the mini-VSAT Broadband service comprises the first end-to-end 24-inch VSAT hardware, service, and support package available for maritime communications. The mini-VSAT Broadband service currently offers Voice over IP telephone and Internet access as fast as 512 Kbps (upload) and 2 Mbps (download) at fixed monthly rates to mariners throughout North America, the Caribbean, the North Atlantic, Europe, the Northern Pacific, and the Persian Gulf. KVH also recently announced an agreement with SP-JSAT to expand mini-VSAT Broadband coverage into Asia Pacific waters and the Indian Ocean.

Source: www.voip-news.com

There is a new software and services solution based on Microsoft Unified Communications that offers SMBs a way to delivery cost-effective and feature-rich customer service experiences available from Clarity Consulting. The solution uses multi-modal and presence-based communications services that are built on top of existing Microsoft Unified Communications infrastructure.

“Consumer expectations for superior service are at an all-time high and mega-brands like Apple and Amazon are consistently raising the bar,” said Jon Rauschenberger, chief technology officer, Clarity Consulting. “With Clarity Connect, we’ve created a solution that lets small to mid-sized businesses deliver the kind of customer service solutions that the big brands do without expensive third party licensing or complex on-site maintenance. Our goal is to make customer interaction management more affordable and accessible to the SMB market.”

Interested? Here’s the detes:

Given that customer retention and loyalty is at a premium, SMBs struggle with justifying the cost of linking customer touch points such as the Web, call centers, instant messaging, and emails for a consistent user experience. Using Clarity Connect, SMBs can bring together customer touch points through a combination of Microsoft software products installed at the customer site and services hosted by Clarity. This combined software plus services offering reduces the cost and complexity of building a fully integrated call center without compromising features and benefits such as immediate response and issues resolution which customers expect when they interact with customer service agents.

Specifically, Clarity Connect builds on the investment companies have made in the Microsoft Office Communications Server and Exchange Server products. Deployed at the customer’s premises, these servers manage all unified communications and feature support for voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) along with native support for external connectivity. Additionally, customers can take advantage of fully secure, corporate grade instant messaging and email capabilities. The services part of the offering includes a fully hosted customer interaction management platform and integration with CRM, SFA and support desk applications

Source: www.voip-news.com

WatchGuard Technologies has unveiled WatchGuard Fireware XTM, a new operating system for WatchGuard security appliances, which work on a variety of technologies including VoIP.

“WatchGuard’s vision of extensible threat management means giving customers the ability to extend or add on to or augment their security foundation,” said Eric Aarrestad, Vice President, Marketing at WatchGuard Technologies. “With Fireware XTM, businesses gain a new and formidable tool that keeps their networks, resources and sensitive data safe and highly secure.”

According to the company:

The new WatchGuard operating system, Fireware XTM, defends networks by adding innovative security features, including full HTTPS inspection, VoIP security, and IM and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) application blocking. Furthermore, Fireware XTM integrates new networking capabilities, including clustering, load-balancing and other networking features. Additionally, the new operating system also extends management capabilities by adding role-based access control (RBAC), centralized multi-box management and enhanced reporting functions. The combination of this makes Fireware XTM the most powerful operating system developed by WatchGuard needed for today’s ever-growing threats and dynamic business environments.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Radware is using NetLogic Microsystem’s NETL7 Layer 7 processors for its new DefensePro network security Solutions. The NetLogic processors are designed to enhance the performance and functionality of next-gen networks for high-definition video delivery over the Internet (IPTV), media-rich content over advanced mobile wireless services, voice transmission over the Internet (VoIP) and network security applications.

“We have been impressed with the superior performance, quality and ease-of-integration of NetLogic Microsystems’ NETL7 processors and SDK which have enabled us to get to market much sooner and with a more robust product,” said Avi Chesla, vice president of security, Radware. “By offering our comprehensive, high-performance network security product line that integrates NetLogic Microsystems’ industry-leading hardware accelerators, our new line of DefensePro IPS products provide customers with unparalleled performance and scalability for data center security protection.”

According to the companies:

Radware has collaborated with NetLogic Microsystems to use NetLogic Microsystems’ industry-leading NETL7 knowledge-based processors to accelerate deep-packet inspection (DPI) and enhance the wire-speed performance of Radware’s DefensePro systems. The NETL7 processor family comprises highly scalable solutions that provide real-time, uncompromised inspection performance from 250Mbps to 20Gbps with a common set of APIs and software development kit (SDK). By inspecting every bit in every packet against every security threat signature at wire-speed, the NETL7 processors enable comprehensive, best-in-class security solutions for next-generation data center, enterprise, service provider and small/midsize business networks.

“We are excited to have been selected by Radware for their new line of DefensePro network security products,” said Mike Ichiriu, senior director of Layer 7 products at NetLogic Microsystems. “DefensePro solutions are driving advanced security performance, functionality and services to new levels in next-generation data centers, and we’re glad to be delivering innovative processors into these advanced security systems.”

Source: www.voip-news.com

The Metropolitan Nashville Hospital Authority now has data and voice services from tw telecom, the company that also does their data and internet services.

“The Hospital Authority needed to upgrade communications capabilities to meet the growing needs of Metropolitan Nashville,” said Robert Stillwell, CPA, Chief Financial Officer for the Metropolitan Nashville Authority. After a thorough RFP and search we saw that tw telecom could provide the solutions and expertise required for this transformation. As essential care facilities for the residents of the City of Nashville and Davidson County, we see tens of thousands of patients each year and this improvement to our infrastructure will support our mission to provide seamless, high quality care to our patients.”

The Authority now has two 10Mbps Ethernet circuits, a point-to-point data connection, a 500Mbps Ethernet connection to an off-site disaster recovery and business continuity location, and voice services at Nashville General Hospital and other locations.

“We were very pleased with tw telecom’s Internet and data services, and these additional services were the next component required for our upgrade,” said Ken Irwin, Telecom Manager for the Authority. “Today we have a single provider that delivers a converged, SONET-protected communications solution to the Authority. Having one provider streamlines network management capabilities as well as providing real expense savings that ultimately benefits taxpayers.”

Source: www.voip-news.com

SIPvicious has the scoop on an add-on for Immunity CANVAS that provides security for VoIP applications.

There’s a risk to VoIP PBX, says Fortify. VoIP News of the UK has all the details.

Skype has some new hires and VoIP Watch has some opinions on them.

Source: www.voip-news.com

NetMotion Wireless is boosting mobile security with expanded support for new end-user authentication protocols. NetMotion’s Mobile VPN, Mobility XE makes it easier for companies to meet set standards.

According to the company:

The new functionality, available at no cost to most customers with existing maintenance agreements, allows IT administrators to flexibly deploy a host of strong user-authentication methods, including public key infrastructure (PKI), smart cards and biometric systems. The expanded authentication options also enable industries with strict regulations over data security, such as law enforcement, to become compliant with state and federal security guidelines, such as the Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) Security Policy.

“At a time when revenues and budgets are shrinking, public safety agencies across the country are faced with meeting strict security standards for data delivery and user access to regional and federal information databases,” said Major Steven Williams, chief technology officer, Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles. “Support for these authentication methods helps our agencies meet these standards quickly and inexpensively so that our officers and employees can have mobile access to the information critical to their duties.”

Source: www.voip-news.com

Optenet has a new content security solution that includes a new bandwidth optimization function. The Optenet Bandwidth Management enables highly granular, real-time network traffic control.

According to the company:

With Optenet’s bandwidth management capability, the ISP or customer administrator can monitor and control the bandwidth resources consumed by a URL connection, an IP address, or a traffic group, in efforts to reduce network congestion caused by increasingly popular practices such as streaming video, frequenting social network sites, and the downloading of large multi-media files.

“It’s critical for companies to optimize bandwidth capacity for the most significant traffic, whether that’s mission-critical data or the CEO’s email,” said Joel Silberman, vice president, North America, Optenet. “Prioritizing traffic is particularly important as businesses expand or add new, bandwidth-intensive applications, like VoIP and Web conferencing which require high-quality connectivity.”

Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com

New consumer research, from Leichtman Research Group, reports that 27% of TV households in the United States have at least one Digital Video Recorder (DVR), and 30% of those households have more than one DVR, and that 87% of DVR owners would recommend their DVR service to a friend. 81% rate their DVR 8-10 on a 10 point scale (with 45% rating the service as 10).

Read more here.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Nortel is using Certicom’s security technology to improve cryptographic performance and simply application creation for its UC platform for U.S. Federal Government agencies.

According to Nortel:

Nortel plans to integrate Certicom ECC algorithms into its Application Server 5300, bringing this open, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based software platform into conformance with U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) recommendations for cryptographic implementation.

Nortel has also licensed Certicom’s Security Builder(R) GSE(TM), which provides a pre-approved FIPS 140-2 cryptographic module for application development, saving both development time and cost of certification.

“We’re experts at developing solutions that meet or exceed the most rigorous security requirements,” said Chuck Saffell, chief executive officer, Nortel Government Solutions, which provides networking solutions and IT services for a number of U.S. Federal agencies.

Source: www.voip-news.com

VoIP Watch really likes Jazinga. Apparently, Andy Abramson has been using it for awhile and only has the highest regard for the service …

Inclarity has launched a fixed mobile convergence service in the UK. Read about it on VoIP News across the pond.

VoIP and Gadgets Blog has the low down on the G1 – the first ever Android headset. Read it here.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Many people Twittered today that they were trying out the new Google Chrome web browser, however I saw few people actually evaluating the browser yet. Few, but not none.

One interesting post about the new browser came from Larry Dignan at ZDNet. Larry did the smart thing: evaluated the browser based on his normal day to day tasks. Among the tasks, the one thing that did work was web-based conference call services. His other two tasks didn’t work on Chrome – yet – which makes it not yet usable for him.

It’s new, and still in Beta, so it will be curious to see how Chrome shapes up over time. Will it become a primary browser for the masses?