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The VoIP Week in Review for November 12-16, 2007

TMCnews Featured Article


November 16, 2007

The VoIP Week in Review for November 12-16, 2007

By Patrick Barnard, Group Managing Editor, TMCnet


Passage of a new E911 bill through the U.S. House of Representatives, another Skype outage (of sorts), and the conclusion (hopefully) of patent litigation against Vonage are the highlights of this week’s VoIP Week in Review.

 
On Monday, Polycom and 3Com announced
a strategic co-branding agreement for 3Com to OEM and jointly market Polycom's wired IP conference and desktop phones. The companies plan to include future integration in areas such as VoWLAN, mobility and integration of other popular business applications such as CRM and enterprise VoIP security. Polycom phones will be integrated with all 3Com enterprise VoIP platforms. "The combination of 3Com's strong distribution network with Polycom's voice technology expertise makes this the ideal solution for our customers," said Polycom Senior VP of Voice Communications Sunil Bhalla, in après release. "Our voice solutions will bring the richness of HD Voice quality to 3Com customers, affording them crystal clear communication that greatly improves productivity. We also share a vision with 3Com of providing open, non-proprietary solutions to our customers. And with the addition of 3Com as a strategic distribution and technology partner, we look forward to deepening our relationship by expanding our efforts into key areas such as wireless and business productivity applications." The announcement expands Polycom's distribution channels to include 3Com's network of distributors and resellers, including a worldwide community of providers who offer IP trunking and hosted enterprise VoIP services. The co-branded 3Com/Polycom phones will be available through 3Com North American channels starting this month, and available on a worldwide basis by the new year.
 
Also on Monday, Beijing CandidSoft (News - Alert) Technology Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of China Voice Holding Corporation, announced
that it has developed a new carrier grade softswitch for use in IP/TDM networks. The new full featured VoIP switching platform will see integration into the CandidSoft’s patented SKY O/A Office Automation System. It is highly scalable so as to serve a large number of lines at certain government run agencies, as per contracts already signed by the company. Beihang University (BUAA), one of China's leading research universities, reportedly contributed to the development of the new softswitch. The new platform supports converged communications services by integrating SS7 telephone signaling with packet networks. Offering Class 5 functions, it was designed to serve as a replacement for a third party hardware-based switch. The Chinese Navigation Affair Administration Bureau is reportedly already trialing the new switch with success.
 
Also making news on Monday was Raketu Communications Inc.’s introduction
an SMS-text driven VoIP service that offers mobile device users the ability to make phone-to-phone VoIP calls with no computer or Internet connection. With the offering, it is possible to make free or extremely low national and international calls from a mobile phone that supports SMS. This new service provides call instructions for users once they send a text message to a local SMS-text number. For example, if a user in the U.S. wants to call a friend in Japan, they will call a local number provided by Raketu with the appropriate calling information in the message. Raketu then connects the two phone numbers and lets users speak at a rate based on regular RakWeb calling rates.
 
On Tuesday, TMCnet’s Tom Keating broke the news
 about a Skype outage wherein certain Skype-enabled mobile devices were not able to connect to the service. As reported by Skype, “Users of some Skype Certified devices experienced login problems on Sunday when a server-hosting location experienced network connection difficulties. As a result, some services became temporarily unavailable. This has since been rectified. The scale of the problem was minor and we've taken appropriate precautions to avoid it happening again.” (This why you need TMCnet: To get up-to-the-minute updates on these kinds of things.)
 
Also making headlines on Tuesday Voice and data communications technology company Brekeke Software, Inc.’s announcement of its upcoming launch of its new SIP Server Advanced Edition, slated for availability this winter. The new edition, based on the SIP standard, offers service providers a backbone for IP communications offerings including voice and video. Brekeke CTO Shinichi Mitsumata emphasized that this solution, which he called a “SIP proxy server,” is both versatile and reliable.
 
Also on Tuesday, Rack-Soft announced
the release of its free 4PSA VoipNow Express PBX software, which is ideal for small companies, home offices and even technology buffs who would like to switch over to a VoIP system quickly and easily. The free software offers a range of features and supports up to ten phone extensions. Rack-Soft is a leading developer and integrator of software solutions for the server market. The company develops solutions for ISPs (Internet Service Providers), HSPs (Hosting Service Providers), and enterprises. Rack-Soft’s products make server management, Data Center administration, and voice communications easier. 4PSA VoipNow Express offers features including call management, least cost routing, PSTN fallback, multi-tenancy, user management, conferencing, voicemail and fax. The self-provisioning system software facilitates faster deployment of SIP phone systems and even beginners will find the process easy. The new edition is supported by x86 and Power PC architecture based servers in Linux environments. The software reduces the traditionally high costs associated with the migration from PBX (News - Alert) systems to VoIP technology. It enables SOHOs and SMBs to test and deploy new communication methods.
 
Yet another item of interest on Tuesday was VoIP Logic’s announcement
that its solutions have carried more than 1 billion phone calls since the company’s inception four years ago. This milestone was achieved mainly through the success of VoIP Logic’s Cortex System Management Portal, a go-to-market solution used by service providers to develop customized VoIP services, thus enabling them to differentiate themselves in the market. The Web-based system management application offers an easy-to-use, fully integrated OSS/BSS system for managing Class 5, retail and wholesale VoIP services. In addition to its billing and reporting capabilities, it also offers integrated provisioning, customer self-care, QoS monitoring, and customer service capabilities. Coinciding with this milestone, the company reports that it has achieved a compound annual growth rate of 48% since 2003.
 
Still keeping with Tuesday (a busy day in VoIP World), Allot (News - Alert) Communications announced
a new Channel Partner Program that will allow value-added resellers and systems integrators to win business in the deep-packet inspection (DPI) market. The program combines DPI products with expanded sales and marketing support, as well as other incentives. The Allot channel program is made up of three partner certification categories: Elite, Premium and Authorized. There is a two-tier distribution system. A channel manager is assigned to each partner. The program also encompasses a range of technical and sales training, technical support, joint marketing activities and sales lead generation initiatives. The channel program focuses on systems integrators and resellers with experience in selling networking solutions to web hosting companies, service providers, ISPs, cable providers, wireless carriers and enterprises in government, financial services, education and many other industries.
 
Also capturing out attention on Tuesday was a new report
 from market research firm Disruptive Analysis predicting that mobile VoIP will overtake Voice-over-WiFi and become a mainstream form of mobile communications by 2012. The analyst firm’s new report, “VoIPo3G Business Models,” finds that the “convergence of mobile and IP is inevitable.” The report says that while operators have been preoccupied with the convergence of fixed and mobile networks, they will soon be capitalizing on the opportunity to develop all-IP mobile networks that enable true end-to-end connectivity. The report predicts that the number of “VoIPo3G” users could blossom from practically zero in 2007 to more than 250 million by the end of 2012.
 
Wednesday brought the big news
 that VoIP providers will now have direct access to the nation's E911 system after legislation was approved (Tuesday evening) by the U.S. House of Representatives requiring Internet telephone companies to provide customers with emergency calling services. The 911 Modernization and Public Safety Act, an effort to bring Internet telephony companies in compliance with new Federal Communications Commission rules, will now allow VoIP providers, such as Skype, the ability to obtain direct access to the backbone of the E911 system. "The E911 legislation is designed to ensure that a consumer calling 911 in an emergency from an Internet phone … can do so with a degree of confidence matching that of traditional phone service and wireless service," Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, said in a statement. The move comes after a 2005 FCC order from the FCC that VOIP providers to comply with E911 mandates, however, it did not provide a provision that mandating telecoms to open their infrastructure for the providers to directly connect the calls. The legislation should help to quickly facilitate the transition to a national IP-based first responder network and allow for that transition regardless of what type of communications technology is being used.
 
Wednesday also brought the news that Whaleback Systems (News - Alert) has launched
OrcaMeeting, an integrated conferencing package. OrcaMeeting also includes an optional 1-800 conferencing number that can help reduce toll calls. It can be deployed in five- or ten-seat bundles as a standalone conferencing platform, or it can be integrated into Whaleback’s CrystalBlue VoIP service. Each conferencing seat includes unlimited usage via a PIN that can be assigned to individual users or shared among workgroups. The conferencing platform allows for both scheduled and ad hoc conferences, making it a flexible solution, and can be set up with customized greeting as participants enter a call. Recording is available, making minutes and decision-making easy, and the system is flexible in allowing dialing out during a conference to invite additional participants, or to create private sub-conferences as needed.
 
Also making a splash on Wednesday was the news
that Nortel and IBM are teaming to offer a software-based foundation designed to easily bring together business applications and processes with the latest unified communications and collaboration tools, including click-to-connect, presence, location and VoIP. This new foundation is built on the principles of service oriented architecture (SOA) in order to allow businesses to communicate with colleagues, partners and customers in new ways without compromising service, security or existing technology investments. Under the terms of the new agreement, the standards-based IBM WebSphere Application Server will be integrated into Nortel's new software-based solution foundation environment.
 
Yet another interesting headline
on Wednesday was the news that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service (RUS) had granted acceptance for copper and fiber services on the Tellabs 1100 Multiservice Access Platform (MSAP), which is an integral part of the Tellabs DynamicHome solution. That means service providers seeking to deliver high-speed Internet, digital voice and IPTV (News - Alert) to rural areas in the U.S. can use the platform and get government funding to off-set the cost. Thus they can deliver these next generation services in areas where other service providers don’t want to go, because it doesn’t fit with their business models. The Tellabs 1100 MSAP family lets service providers deliver advanced services via Gigabit Ethernet Fiber-to-the-Curb; Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) Fiber-to-the-Premises; Fiber-to-the-Node; and traditional copper architecture. The advantage is, they can bring their fiber lines to within 500 feet of a residence and then run the rest of the signal over copper with very little signal degradation.
 
Thursday brought the announcement
from NexTone, a provider of session border controllers and scalable session management solutions, and Springboard-ASA Limited, a billing and analysis solutions firm, that Springboard’s VoIP billing services are now ServiceReady certified for use with NexTone’s IntelliConnect System. UK-based Springboard develops and deploys highly scaleable, customized billing and analysis solutions for VoIP providers of all sizes and offers them on a highly competitive usage-based model. ServiceReady certification validates that Springboard’s services are interoperable end-to-end with NexTone’s IntelliConnect System.
 
Also making headlines on Thursday was TelcoBridges Inc.’s announcement
that Janus Systems of New Jersey has deployed its JanusVoIP Media Gateway Solution based on TelcoBridges’ proven, high-availability, scalable carrier-grade telecom platform at NetworkIP of Longview, Texas. This deployment will enable installations in Texas and California. Philip Shin, President and CEO, Janus Systems said in a Thursday statement: “Our operator client – NetworkIP – is an innovative applications provider, supplying stored value solutions to major telecommunications carriers, prepaid calling card distributors and resellers. It is currently equipped with 3 Nortel DMS-250 switches that are well integrated into their operations and deliver most of the services they need to provide.” “By leveraging TelcoBridges’ leading technology, Janus Systems has provided them with a competitive, cost-effective path to enhance their current VoIP solutions. The JanusVoIP Media Gateway solution provides the capacity and functionality needed to front-end the big-iron Nortel switches to today’s VoIP networks,” Shin added.
 
Another major news item on Thursday was the announcement
that VoIP provider Jajah and “social communications” company Jangl have teamed up to make IP telephony a standard and integral part of the Web. This deal is huge, as these two companies have already done much to make VoIP a familiar term to millions of Web users. Jajah specializes in “click-to-call” VoIP for online advertising and retail Web sites, in addition to offering its popular Web-based telephony service via its Web site, Jajah.com, which connects users all over the globe. Meanwhile, Jangl offers a similar service (using your email address) and also specializes in bringing click-to-call VoIP and text messaging to social Web sites, including technology that lets members communicate via their Web-enabled mobile phones. This partnership will combine the strengths of the two companies and promises to bring new, innovative and low-cost text and VoIP services to consumers, thus making Web-based voice communications practically ubiquitous. The two companies will work together to market their combined solutions and bring new solutions to the fore.
 
Another major news item
 on Thursday was VoIP service provider Globe7’s introduction of its upgraded PC-to-PC calling application, version 8.0. The new version provides a variety of new widgets as add-on features to offer further convenience to users. The Globe7 application is a small program that enables PC-to-PC calling (free) and PC-to-landline or mobile phone calling (very low rates). The softswitch comes with a variety of widgets that can be used for online communication and entertainment. These value-added widgets include SMS (send text messages to any mobile phone), Video (watch news, entertainment and sports clips for free), Games (variety of amusements including puzzles and crosswords), Live Radio (listen to hundreds of radio stations), and Recipes (access recipes from various cuisines such as Chinese, Indian and Italian). A complete library of widgets is available at globe7.com.
 
Finally, on Friday it was announced
that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has denied Vonage Holdings Corp. request to rehear a patent case, which it had lost to Verizon Communications earlier this year. Vonage has to pay $120 million in settlements. According to reports, the web site of U.S Court of Appeals for Federal Circuit stated that it had denied Vonage's request for an appeal. The reported $120 million total settlement consists of $117.5 million to Verizon and $2.5 million to charities. “We were not surprised, but disappointed that the court denied our request for a rehearing of the case,” Charlie Sahner, spokesman at Vonage, told the press. “We are pleased to continue putting litigation behind us and keep focusing on our core business.” The Associated Press said that if Vonage had won a rehearing, the company would have been required to pay Verizon $80 million, under the terms of the settlement announced last month. Hopefully this is the end of Vonage getting sued … we’re not sure if the company can even pull itself up out of this. Talk about getting kicked while you’re down …
 
Oh, and one last thing, if you want to read a great article
 about the operational impact of VoIP on businesses, check out this contributed feature by TMCnet Special Guest David Messina, vice president of marketing, Xangati.

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Patrick Barnard
 is Associate Editor for Customer Interaction Solutions magazine and Assignment Editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit Patrick Barnard’s columnist page. 
 








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