Source: www.voip-news.com

Infonetics is predicting that VoIP will continue to expand. Read about it on VoIP News of the UK.

VoIP Watch reports that Radio Shack is now selling Ooma systems.

VoIP Insider has news of a new Cisco gateway set to be released (and a first look at it).

Source: www.voip-news.com

Weren’t we just talking about how VoWiFi could be the next big thing? Well. Maybe.

Redpine Signals and Ascom Wireless Solutions are collaborating to create next-gen VoWiFi phones that have 802.11n wireless connectivity. The designs will draw upon Ascom’s experience creating handsets, wireless voice and message transmission systems, customised alarm and positioning applications and more.

“Redpine’s expertise in developing and deploying high performance and low power wireless technology perfectly complements Ascom’s experience in delivering solutions for wireless on-site communication that support and optimize their customers’ mission-critical processes,” said Venkat Mattela, CEO of Redpine Signals. “Our pioneering design has been the world’s first SDIO device to be Wi-Fi certified for the 802.11n draft 2.0 certification, along with WMM, WMM-PS and WPS. It is also among the first designs to be certified for Voice-Personal – the Wi-Fi certification that helps ensure a satisfactory user experience for Voice over Wi-Fi applications.”

According to the companies:

Redpine Signals has been working closely with Ascom in bringing in the differentiations of its Wi-Fi product to Ascom’s handset designs. Redpine’s Lite-Fi(TM) technology, based on its RS9110 802.11n SoC, provides key advantages in a VoWiFi solution – including high performance in multipath environments, best-in-class standby power consumption, an active Wi-Fi power consumption of less than 20 mW through the use of uAPSD (certified as WMM-PS), use of less crowded 5 GHz spectrum, voice performance certified through the Wi-Fi Alliance’s Voice-Personal program, and enterprise class security through WPA2(TM) Enterprise.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Sigma Systems has scored three new customers in North America. The Advanced IP Service Fulfillment solutions company does residential and business VoIP services fulfillment solutions.

“Increasingly, cable and telecom operators are turning to Sigma for service fulfillment to meet their requirements for scaling residential VoIP and deploying the more complex VoIP offerings for SMBs,” said Tim Spencer, president and COO of Sigma Systems. “These new VoIP fulfillment customers are benefiting from Sigma’s ability to rapidly deploy new services so they can realize revenues more quickly. With more than 7 million VoIP lines already provisioned across the globe, Sigma has established itself as a leader in VoIP services fulfillment.”

According to the company:

Sigma has deployed its award-winning voice over IP fulfillment solutions at:

– A quad-play carrier for business VoIP services targeting small and
medium businesses (SMBs). This operator also uses Sigma’s Service
Management Portfolio for its broadband and residential VoIP services.
The residential and business VoIP services are delivered on the Nortel
CS2000 softswitch.
– A cable operator for business VoIP services delivered over the
BroadSoft BroadWorks softswitch. Sigma also manages the operator’s
residential VoIP services, which are delivered on Nortel’s CS2000

softswitch.

– A top-10 cable broadband operator for residential and business VoIP
services offered on Nortel’s CS2000 softswitch.

Source: www.voip-news.com

A large, unnamed hospital chain in St. Louis has opted to upgrade their existing Ascom Personal Wireless Telephony system to the Ascom Freeset IP DECT system, the company said.

According to Ascom:

The Ascom Freeset IP-DECT on-site wireless system combines the best of both worlds. It utilizes the proven Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) 6.0 standard for over-the-air transmissions along with the emerging technology, VoIP, for backhaul over the Local Area Network (LAN). Current Ascom customers have used the FCC-protected Unlicensed-PCS spectrum (1920-1930 MHz) for many years. They seek to upgrade to the latest technology while maintaining the interference free operation they have enjoyed for years. The Ascom IP-DECT system is a dedicated wireless network that eliminates the complexities and regular adjustments necessary when attempting to manage voice clients on a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). Once IP-DECT is installed, it takes virtually no maintenance and can be managed remotely.

“I am delighted that this healthcare system has decided to continue depending on Ascom wireless solutions throughout all 7 hospitals,” says Chad West, President & CEO of Ascom (US) Inc. “This decision demonstrates the confidence that they continue to have in Ascom. Our Freeset IP-DECT offering provides them with the same dependability that they have relied on for many years at a lower Total Cost of Ownership.”

Source: www.voip-news.com

Ascom Wireless Solutions has added VoIP to the Ascom teleCARE IP solution. Intended for hospitals, the solution allows nurses to speak directly with patients when they call.

According to Ascom:

Ascom teleCARE IP was introduced last year to the market. This is the platform to branch out from, a solid foundation to build new features and innovations on. Now the next step has come; with VoIP. This new voice communication feature will make everyday life for hospital staff even more convenient. Communication is done while on the move, by means of Ascom DECT or VoWiFi wireless handsets. Conversation is possible between patient and staff, and naturally also between the staff themselves. All communication is done over the LAN using VoIP and SIP clients. Using the LAN makes it possible to connect multiple sites to one large united site.

“To create a truly future proof environment with solid communication solutions for our customers is one of the most important tasks we got,” says Jan Ringenier, Product Manager at Ascom. He continues, “With VoIP the healthcare sector can benefit from reducing communication and infrastructure expenses by routing phone calls over existing data networks and avoid duplicate network systems. The Ascom teleCARE IP system is highly secure in operation and makes it possible to reuse the existing infrastructure, which means less investment for the hospital.”

Source: www.voip-news.com

VoiceCon San Francisco 2008 will be held at the Moscone North Convention Center from Nov. 10-13. The conference will also feature an exhibition of vendors with new and exciting products.

“With a great amount of transition and change occurring in enterprise communications, we are pleased that VoiceCon continues to be the premier platform for vendor leaders to introduce their latest products and technologies,” said Fred Knight, VoiceCon General Manager. “VoiceCon San Francisco presents an ideal setting for attendees to experience and interact with these new technologies, and to gain a better understanding of how to expand and leverage their communications platform.”

There will be a number of new products unveiled at the conference as well. Here’s a sampling:

911 Enable will be introducing Desk Alert, an emergency reporting application that notifies security personnel of 9-1-1 calls in progress through a pop-up window on their workstations. The alert provides the caller’s name, callback number, location information, and a link to location and employee-specific information.

Fluke Networks announces Visual Performance Manager 4.0, a unified system that provides integrated views and data correlation for effective management of VoIP and application performance and response time analytics. Included is a new Application Performance Solution, vastly more efficient at analyzing relevant traffic information for efficient delivery of business services.

Mindsharp will present the most useful, comprehensive instruction available for designing, deploying, configuring, and troubleshooting Microsoft Unified Communications (OCS 2007) core components. As premier technology educators, Mindsharp is known for matching business needs to technology and creating fresh ways to teach people how to use technology to achieve success.

MXL Technology Division will showcase the MXL AC-404 USB Conference Room microphone and MXL AC-405 Personal Computer speakerphone. Both products offer radical improvements to voice quality on computer and laptop conferencing and are a perfect complement to internet telephony services like Skype(TM). Booth #247

NetIQ will debut the latest iteration of NetIQ(R) Vivinet(R) Diagnostics, version 2.3, the most comprehensive performance analysis tool for diagnosing and troubleshooting voice quality issues. New features include: Layer 2 and 3 path tracing across VLAN configurations and deeper support for Nortel hybridized Ethernet, router and switch data gear.

NetQoS is launching version 2.0 of its VoIP monitoring product with expanded support for unified communications, including quality of experience monitoring for video. The product also includes enhanced diagnostics and reporting for Cisco IP Telephony environments to better monitor VoIP performance across the network.

Polycom will demonstrate new unified communications solutions across its voice, video and telepresence portfolios. Polycom will exhibit its: expanded VoIP phone portfolio with new desktop models that further the adoption of its revolutionary HD Voice technology; 1080p telepresence solutions; Microsoft OCS integration; and Converged Management Application.

Psytechnics is unveiling Experience Manager 4.0. Experience Manager 4.0 enables service providers and enterprises to proactively manage and rapidly diagnose user quality issues in video conferencing and voice. The new capabilities will help drive video conferencing as businesses strive to reduce their carbon footprints and lower costs.

ShoreTel will feature its new release of Converged Conferencing that frees enterprises from expensive conferencing services with a flexible, integrated conferencing and instant messaging solution. Converged Conferencing 7.1 helps improve collaboration and lower costs, with all the Web collaboration tools users require in a user-friendly, simple to manage package.

VIXXI-PBX is a new E911 solution for PBX users or vendors, providing exact location information of an emergency caller from within a PBX network as opposed to the location of the main switch. The technology’s use of x, y, and z coordinates promotes the speed and accuracy of emergency response.

VoIPshield Systems introduces two new models in its VoIPguardTM line of VoIP Intrusion Prevention Systems (VIPS) — designed to protect enterprise Voice over IP systems. VoIPshield will feature live product demonstrations of the VIPS10 at the booth at VoiceCon and have information on the VIPS1000 — the new carrier grade model.

Xorcom will unveil EPICAcce, a turnkey solution from EasyRun that bundles its multimedia contact center software with Xorcom’s Asterisk(R)-based IP-PBX to control, manage, monitor and support blended inbound/outbound corporate communications. EPICAcce integrates seamlessly with any existing PBX and delivers immediate ROI through increased efficiencies. Product demo in Xorcom booth #740.

To learn more or find a schedule of all educational sessions, keynote addresses and participating exhibitors, click here.

Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com

Spotted in the wild:  Cisco’s new IP Set Top Box for AT&T’s U-verse.

I happened to be meandering in an AT&T store in San Antonio and spotted this display.

It’s bird.  It’s a plane.  No, it’s a Cisco IPT V set top box for AT&T’s U-verse offering.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Bye-bye, Cisco! It’s been a good run. But it’s time to go . . .

The Cisco VoIP system installed in Oakland, California, in 2003 has been removed. In its place is a new ShoreTel system. The unified communications system isn’t used by the Emergency 911 system there though.

Check out a video about the swap at Network World.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Vulnerabilities? What vulnerabilities?

That would have been the easy response for Avaya and Cisco when they were faced with a report exposing problems with their VoIP systems. But they didn’t. Instead, the company is facing them head-on, or seems to be.

According to Network World:

Avaya says it knows about the problems and is issuing advisories to customers and providing service-pack updates that address some of them. “Ongoing updates and service packs addressing this will continue to be made accessible on our support site,” an Avaya spokesman says.

Cisco is releasing software updates that address the vulnerabilities at no extra charge for customers with service contracts Nortel did not respond to questions about their response to the VoIPshield warnings.

Brava.

Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com

No, I am not doing 3G  iPhone coverage today.  There’s lot of other sites like Gizmodo or Engadget where you can get what you need there.

Since this is an AT&T focused blog, and and the big news today was about the 3G iPhone, I thought it was be best and most productive to talk about the importance of 3G, what it means, and where it’s going.

Blogger, Robert Scoble, did an on the street interview with John Donovan, CTO of AT&T.  John is in charge of the AT&T  research labs, network deployment-  all the technology that gets out there. In the new position, Donovan is responsible for managing the company’s global technology direction and innovation road map, including product development, network and engineering operations. The AT&T Labs and the security and intellectual property organizations is also in his set of responsibilities.

John focused on AT&T’s plans for 3G.  In the video, he talk about the eventual deployment of 350 cities, the concept of filling in the footprint from within, and the scalability of 3G.

John’s broader message was pretty simple:  the more bandwidth you deploy, the more people will use it and use it in more places, hence the need for increased mobility applications.

Source: www.theregister.co.uk

Tesco has started extending its VoIP service, Tesco Internet Phone, onto mobiles, offering Wi-Fi capable handsets the chance to make free calls to other Tesco customers.

Tesco’s existing service is a pretty-standard VoIP operation, and is handled by Freshtel, the Australian VoIP specialist with a PC client. Freshtel are also providing the S60 client for the mobile version.

Putting VoIP onto a S60 phone isn’t hard – the handsets generally come with a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) stack so the downloaded application is generally more about getting the right settings onto the phone than enabling it to use VoIP (though it may also provide branding and other capabilities).

Tesco are limiting the trial to four Nokia handsets, the N95, N81, E65 and E51, none of which are available to customers of Tesco Mobile as the MVNO is aimed at the lower end of the market. One of the problems with mobile VoIP is that those most interested in saving pennies on their phone calls don’t tend to have Wi-Fi-enabled handsets.

One feature Tesco can offer is close integration with the mobile network, so the existing mobile phone number can be used with the VoIP service, in contrast to other systems which require a separate number to be issued.

Mobile VoIP works great, when connected to Wi-Fi, but it’s becoming increasingly complicated for the user to decide which network to use. Having VoIP integrated in the handset, as on the S60 platform, makes things easier as simply hitting the green key connects over VoIP if it’s available. But with separate providers and bundled packages, using VoIP might not always be the cheapest option.

Having a single provider of both services makes a lot more sense, and hopefully that’s what Tesco, and Freshtel, will be able to offer once they complete their trials. ®

Source: andyabramson.blogs.com

I happen to always enjoy reading Ike Elliott’s analysis of companies in the VoIP space that are publicly traded. God does his microscopic analysis remind me of what we used to see from James Enck before he ran off from being simply watched by the Japanese for every move he made with the EuroTelcoBlog to greener pastures with a hedge fund where he’s been bound and gaged to the outside world.

Well no matter. For James’ silence has led to a gap that Ike does his best to fill. His analysis of Vonage is absolutely hilarious, but not because he’s wrong, but because he’s so right on and it reinforces one of my "I Told You So’s" from years past.

Vonage’s churn numbers are high, but in best guess form, I don’t think include two other types of user churn.

1) Involuntary–that’s the user who goes deadbeat, doesn’t pay and gets cancelled.

2) The 30 day trial user who cancels.

But go beyond my speculation and note how Ike nails the Vonage team to the wall by saying elaborating on their marketing spend per user and how long it takes to "pay back." Now factor in that I used to say seven years, so Vonage has brought costs down and increased retention a tad. Whoopee….

Here’s a tip for the CFO at Vonage. You can’t make money if you never break even on a customer. And you can’t make money if they don’t stick around.

Vonage is suffering from two big problems, high cost of acquisition of customers, and limited user retention. So, how do they solve it? Ah….

1) Improve customer service. Let’s face it, as bad as the other guys are, cable MSO’s and Telcos are very responsive compared to Vonage. Pull the outsourced team back home. Create a more "customer friendly" approach.

2) Ditch the "if you leave us it will cost you money." Nothing hurts more than when someone liked you service but for whatever reason chose to cancel. Don’t charge them for that. Let them leave on a high note and THANK THEM for having been your customer. Oh, and just try to take your number with you. Horror stories about about Local Number Portability going FROM Vonage, unless you’re me, who took it away before I cancelled.

3) Improve the experience–Right now Vonage dumps calls over the public Internet. There’s not real QoS from the time the call leaves the house until it hits their gateway in, and none when it leaves to go to where the call terminates.

4) Add some features that matter. Look over this list and you’ll see not much new, other than four "Alpha" features being deployed. Anonymous number. Jingle, Jangl. No one really wants it. Softphne. Yeah, but it means a second line charge (or did when I was a subscriber). Vonage Fax-okay…so you can send a fax, but what about receiving? Shhsh…Webley/CommuniKate has had that for 10 years or more.

This list could go on and on…you see, at Vonage, it’s all about customer acquisition in their direct marketing model. They do that VERY WELL, but keeping the customer as Ike points out, that’s another story. Or maybe, the story the public really needs to know.