Source: www.voip-news.com

VoIP News of the UK says that Ofcom wants reverse VoIP tracing for emergency calls in the UK.

Smith on VoIP says that niche applications are driving the adoption of video calling.

Network World says that Google has grabbed 1 million phone numbers for Google Voice. Whoa.

Source: www.voip-news.com

VoIP Watch says that Google Voice is going to support local number portability. YAY! That’s a good move on their part.

Smith on VoIP wonders which you’d prefer: good service or good pricing for VoIP … since you just can’t have both. Or can you?

A new smartphone that supports Skype video conferencing? Yep. Elektrobit MID Reference Device does that. Read about it on VoIP & Gadgets Blog.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Sipera Systems has launched a business communications solution. Read about it on VoIP News of the UK.

Video conferencing got some mainstream coverage. What does it mean? Read VoIP Watch to find out.

Smith on VoIP offers up four keys to a successful VoIP gateway purchase.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Skype is sharing their SILK wideband audio codec for free. Read about it on Voice Over IP Weblog.

VoIP News of the UK reports that Ixia has launched a VoIP testing service.

VoIP Watch chats a bit about the travel industry and video conferencing.

Source: www.voip-news.com

The C3 Desktop Videoconferencing and Collaboration solution from Avistar Communications Corporation has been named the Best Unified Communications and Collaboration Solution in the 15th Annual IBM Lotus Awards. The awards recognize Lotus software solutions from IBM PartnerWorld members that excel in quality, innovation and services.

“Desktop videoconferencing offers significant opportunity for cost savings and productivity gains, especially when it is used in conjunction with other unified communications applications. To take advantage of these technologies, companies must pay attention to performance and bandwidth management to achieve maximum success,” said Melanie Turek, Principal Analyst, Enterprise Communications, Frost & Sullivan.

According to Avistar:

In addition, Avistar is working with IBM to provide bandwidth management for IBM Lotus’ unified communications and collaboration solutions, which include IBM Lotus Sametime, an award-winning and market-leading platform that offers integrated, enterprise unified communications tools such as IM, VoIP, video chats and web conferencing. Avistar’s patent protected dynamic bandwidth management is a key feature of its C3 videoconferencing technology, making intelligent and automatic adjustments to support connections with external VoIP services, video within web-based instant messaging clients, room-based videoconferencing systems and high-end, high-definition telepresence environments.

“This recognition from IBM Lotus illustrates Avistar’s continued leadership in business-class videoconferencing,” said Simon Moss, CEO, Avistar. “The combination of our highly competitive price, extensive capabilities to deliver a videoconferencing solution quickly and comprehensive product functionality allows businesses to realize a speedy return on their investment while achieving significant productivity gains.”

Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com

I am opening my home to vendors of IP based audio and video technologies who need access to a real live home that is on AT&T’s U-verse platform.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Avistar Communications Corporation is working with ClearOne to deliver a new videoconferencing solution. The companies are pairing up Avistar’s C3 desktop videoconferencing solutions with ClearOne’s CHAT 50 personal speakerphone.

“With heightened economic concerns, corporations around the world are taking a fresh eye towards videoconferencing,” said Mark Child, Director of Product Marketing – Telephony, ClearOne. “Videoconferencing does not have to be expensive, but it has to be good. And, to be effective, it has to have good audio. The crystal clear sound from the CHAT 50 and the simple-to-use and rich capabilities of Avistar C3 make working remotely as effortless as working in the office, with no communications downsides. In addition, companies enjoy the added benefit of improving their green initiatives by reducing their carbon footprint.”

According to the companies:

ClearOne has been in the audio conference business for more than 20 years, and Avistar’s experience in the desktop videoconferencing business goes back more than a decade. This combined expertise brings a “best of breed” approach to every product each company sells. With an uncertain economy, rising travel costs and a renewed appreciation for the “human element” of communication not found in email or instant messaging, the demand for videoconferencing has taken on a new level of importance in corporations around the world. Growth in the audio market has been brisk, and expansion into desktop videoconferencing has reached new milestones. Both markets are included in the area of unified communications, which some industry analysts estimate could reach $30-40 billion by 2011.

“ClearOne has earned a strong market and product leadership reputation and is in sync with how Avistar approaches the market and its customers. Avistar has enjoyed increasing momentum in distributing C3 via resellers and distributors since we began working with the indirect channel earlier this year, and ClearOne is one of the best brands for both product quality and service. Just as ClearOne only partners with the best, we only partner with winning organizations that seriously want to grow their business through videoconferencing. We believe our strategy is working quite well,” said Simon Moss, CEO of Avistar.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Google has launched Vocito, a new desktop UI for GrandCentral. Read more here.

Andy Abramson isn’t quite ready to dump all other IM programs for Skype. Find out why.

What’s the problem with video calling? Find out at Smith on VoIP.

Source: www.voip-news.com

There is still money to be raised and used in telecom and VoIP, says Andy Abramson. And he points to a recent round of fundraising to illustrate that. Read about it on VoIP Watch.

Interested in inexpensive video conferencing? There is a new, cheap service that leverages on Skype. Read about it on VoIP News of the UK.

Time Warner and Comcast have topped the Keynote VoIP study. Read about it on The VoIP Weblog.

Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com

AT&T Inc. today announced the public beta of VideoCrawler, an innovative new Web application designed to provide a better way for people to search for, organize and share online videos and other multimedia content.

Developed in collaboration with Divvio, VideoCrawler indexes hundreds of millions of video clips from thousands of sites, with new sites and millions of clips added every day. Enter a search term and you’ll receive consolidated results from across this vast index. From there, you can organize your favorites into collections, which you can choose to keep private or share with others via the VideoCrawler site or social networking widgets.

The Phone Company is Embracing Social Media – A Hint of Where U-verse is Going?

The VideoCrawler public beta is the latest example of AT&T initiatives to enable customers to get the most out of social media and networking applications. The company has introduced multiple social networking and media applications in recent months for its mobile and Internet customers, and it also delivers the blue room, an online sports and music destination.

VideoCrawler is a free Web application, supported by banner advertising. The site features a modular, customizable layout that includes a video player window, a collection of some of the most popular videos among VideoCrawler users and a view of search results, including content thumbnails. Users can organize VideoCrawler’s layout to best match their individual preferences.

VideoCrawler’s unique and powerful combination of features allows consumers to search across the entire Internet index or within the public collections of other VideoCrawler users to find relevant content that has already been identified by others as "the good stuff." People have full control over their collections, so they can keep them private or share them with friends, family and other VideoCrawler users. The site even enables portability of collections, so users can create and share them across multiple social networking sites via VideoCrawler widgets.

VideoCrawler does not host content; it quickly traverses the Internet to organize results and enable consumers to view content streamed directly from the source. The site offers a "safe search" feature that helps users avoid objectionable content.

The public beta continues AT&T efforts to develop and deliver new social media and networking applications. The company recently announced a strategic investment in Zvents, a local search engine and advertising network that enables users to find, contribute, share and promote local businesses, entertainment, sports, restaurants, events, performances and sales and weekly specials. Zvents currently provides this search service for the popular YPmobile iPhone application that was developed by YELLOWPAGES.COM, a subsidiary of AT&T.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Now that internet on planes is a reality, videoconferencing is only a half-step behind. Seriously.

And if Cisco’s CEO has anything to say about it, that will come much sooner than later. (Hey people, what? You thought you deserved a few minutes break from work on the plane?!? Think again, fools.)

According to ComputerWorld:

“I want to be on a plane and have TelePresence in front of me,” quipped Thomas Bittman, one of the Gartner analysts who interviewed Chambers onstage here.

“Well, the answer is, you are probably going to,” said Chambers, who predicted that the arrival of Wi-Fi services and other types of Internet connections on planes will enable travelers to hook up devices to the Web — potentially moving in-flight Internet access well beyond mere entertainment options. Chambers said he sees such capabilities becoming available within 18 months or so.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Peer-to-peer video calling and multi-point video conferencing is now available on mobile phones thanks to Global IP Solutions’ VideoEngine Mobile. The new solutions runs on the Windows Mobile platform.

The company is using Marvell Technology to ensure that the media processing software gives the most

“Mobile VoIP is increasingly becoming an important service for users who seek to maximize the value received from mobile phones,” said William Stofega, Research Manager at IDC’s VoIP Services Program. “With video calling the mobile operators can now deliver the full benefits and innovations of IP communication, allowing them to offer more value-added services to customers while increasing their revenue streams.”

On the go services like videoconferencing and TV are expected to grow exponentially in the coming years.

“Today’s mobile phone users demand the best in quality and rich functionality, which is why there is an enormous opportunity for application developers and wireless carriers to offer real-time video calls to the masses,” said Emerick Woods, GIPS’ Chief Executive Officer. “Our expertise in enabling IP communications will allow mobile phone users the highest quality video calling experience possible.”