News Archive - September 2005

Big Hurdles Remain For VoIP Deployments
September 30, 2005

Network security, regulatory policy, and business service issues are just three of the major issues that VoIP will have to overcome before gaining ubiquitous acceptance.
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PlusNet calls for open VoIP standards
September 29, 2005

The users of free internet telephone services such as Skype, are facing call quality issues and spam over IP telephony (SPIT) attacks as providers using peer-to-peer technology fail to control the quality of service.
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VoIP: Continental Drift?
September 28, 2005

Europe's softswitching market is progressing quickly, while the lack of broadband competition is making the U.S. VoIP market a little harder to peg.
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The FCC Fumbles VoIP Wiretapping Rules
September 28, 2005

The know-nothings who run the FCC are at it again: This time they've fumbled new rules extending a federal wiretapping law to VoIP.
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Wanadoo claims 40k VoIP users
September 28, 2005

Wanadoo UK is poised to leapfrog BT in consumer broadband telephony subscribers.
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Japan carriers brace for VoIP competition
September 28, 2005

Having the hottest mobile-phone model remains a status symbol among Japan's glitterati and school children alike, but some of the biggest changes in the telecommunications market are coming from less-apparent areas, such as VoIP.
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FCC extends 911 deadline for Net phones
September 28, 2005

The FCC has given VoIP operators a temporary reprieve from meeting a 911-notification deadline, delaying the possibility of disrupted service for tens of thousands of customers.
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FBI to get veto power over PC software?
September 27, 2005

The Federal Communications Commission thinks you have the right to use software on your computer only if the FBI approves. — Ahhh... the land of freedom....
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Vonage Selects IPO Bankers
September 27, 2005

VoIP poster-child Vonage has chosen the investment banks to take it public, but some of the bankers involved believe an acquisition might be a better long-term strategy for the company.
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Carriers are key to VoIP prominence
September 27, 2005

The true value of convergence won't be realized until self-contained corporate VoIP networks are linked in to the larger IP world through carriers.
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Wiretap rules for VoIP, broadband coming in 2007
September 26, 2005

Broadband providers and Internet phone services have until spring 2007 to follow a new and complex set of rules designed to make it easier for police to seek wiretaps, federal regulators have ruled.
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BT takes the VoIP gloves off
September 26, 2005

BT is to halve the cost of its VoIP service from 4 October, in a thinly veiled swipe at the continued growth of rival offerings from Skype and Vonage.
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Firms Struggle To Meet VoIP Mandate
September 26, 2005

Many firms may not be able to comply completely with the FCC's VoIP Enhanced 911 order by the Nov. 28, 2005 deadline.
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Oh, SPIT! Security woes hit VoIP too
September 25, 2005

As the adoption of VoIP rises, security experts are beginning to warn that hackers and other evil-doers will eventually turn their attentions to the telephone.
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FCC Requires Certain Broadband and VoIP Providers to Accommodate Wiretaps
September 24, 2005

Responding to a petition from the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Agency, the FCC determined that providers of certain broadband and interconnected VoIP services must be prepared to accommodate law enforcement wiretaps.
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Playing Games with VoIP
September 23, 2005

With an increasing number of people using VoIP communications alongside their video games, companies providing online gaming networks could reap the rewards as users adopt new Internet telephony services.
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VoIP's gonna be huge
September 23, 2005

VoIP is going to be massive. The effects of internet telephony are touching technology, business, culture, geographic penetration and consumer expectations in a way that is certain to turn the telecoms industry on its head.
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VoIP Testing Goes Live
September 23, 2005

As carriers take the plunge into VoIP services, they are faced with the tough task of ensuring that VoIP calls sound as good as traditional voice calls.
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VoIP Over Wi-Fi Poised To Spread Quickly
September 22, 2005

VoIP over WiFi networks, like the one now being implemented in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, could soon spread like wildfire to other municipalities.
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Katrina spurs federal action on VoIP
September 22, 2005

Hurricane Katrina's thrashing of communications networks has amplified the need for Congress in the US to take action on Net phone policy.
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VoIP service provider gear sales to hit $2 billion this year
September 22, 2005

Service provider VoIP equipment sales are booming, as providers gear-up to meet growing market demand.
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VoIP Industry Considers Adoption Issues
September 22, 2005

According to Elka Popova, an industry analyst at Frost & Sullivan, much more needs to be done to improve the broadband infrastructure before VoIP can be taken to the next level on the consumer front.
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Level 3: Mass market not ready for VoIP
September 22, 2005

Level(3) said the saturation of the early adopter market for VoIP is looming, and the industry is stalling in its advance on a broader mass market.
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MCI Upgrades Biz VoIP
September 22, 2005

Helping companies simplify the move to IP Telephony, MCI announced it has expanded its VoIP suite of services to include two new solutions-Managed IP PBX and IP Trunking Services.
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F&S Reports on VOIP Monitoring
September 22, 2005

With VoIP emerging as an integral part of modern day business, enterprises are placing greater emphasis on the monitoring and management of their VoIP applications. In addition, as service providers and carriers strive to ensure that their services are comparable to competitive PSTN offerings, concerns over the quality and performance of VoIP networks are driving greater uptake of VoIP monitoring solutions among SP&Cs as well as business enterprises.
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Vonage Ups VOIP Ante
September 22, 2005

TeleCommunication Systems announced that Vonage is the first VoIP service provider to utilize its recently introduced VoIP Verify service. Designed for mobility, VoIP Verify provides Vonage subscribers with a simple tool to determine the availability and extent of the individual's emergency services coverage from the caller's current registered location.
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SunRocket's $25M VoIP Launch
September 22, 2005

Startup attracts largest cash infusion for an independent provider outside of Vonage's $200M investment boost.
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AOL UK cuts prices for VOIP, Internet packages
September 22, 2005

America Online said it will offer U.K. customers a GBP2.00 discount on their bills if they take both its voice and Internet packages.
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Video Processing and Video Toolbox Capabilities Featured in New Version of SurfUP Triple-Play Media Processing Suite
September 22, 2005

SURF Communication announced the general availability of version 4.0 of SurfUP, its line of open Universal Port solutions that combine a wide range of voice, video, fax, and modem conversion engines in various levels of software and hardware integration, ranging from DSP chip-level solutions to DSP-farm resource boards.
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How VoIP became dull
September 22, 2005

A new British voice-over-IP company is challenging US-based Vonage with a cheaper, more varied offering. Switch Call has a £5 monthly fee, better phones, and other bundled features.
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Lucent May Be Close To Winning BellSouth VoIP Contract
September 22, 2005

UBS Investment Research maintained a "neutral" rating on Lucent and said the network equipment maker may be close to landing a VoIP contract with a major telecommunications carrier.
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Cisco Sells its 6 Millionth IP phone as Worldwide Demand Soars for IP Communications
September 21, 2005

Cisco Systems has reached a major milestone in the IP Communications market with the sale of its six-millionth IP phone worldwide; and more than 300,000 devices sold in Australia.
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NEC launches super-slim flip phone
September 21, 2005

The phone is less than half an thick when folded, making it slimmer than an AA battery. It's equipped with a 1.3-megapixel digital camera, 1.9-inch color display and music player function.
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AOL, Microsoft prep VoIP services
September 20, 2005

America Online and Microsoft are both gearing up to launch Internet phone services, the companies announced.
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Macromedia, Cisco Push Telecom Apps
September 20, 2005

Macromedia announced that it has licensed its Flash-based Breeze Web conferencing technology to Cisco for use in a new suite of business applications aimed at small and medium-sized businesses.
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Carrier VoIP Deployments Surge
September 20, 2005

In a clear demonstration of wide acceptance, 77 percent of the service provider employees surveyed in a recent poll said they had already deployed VoIP networks.
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Acme Packet Unveils Net-Net 9000 Next-Gen Session Border Controler
September 20, 2005

Acme Packet unveiled its next-generation SBC platform - the Net-Net 9000. The Net-Net 9000 supports next-generation, converged fixed-mobile architectures being defined by 3GPP IMS, ETSI TISPAN, the Multi-Service Forum, PacketCable and the DSL Forum.
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BellSouth's Smith: VoIP no miracle cure for Katrina
September 20, 2005

BellSouth CTO Bill Smith reminded the VON '05 audience, in response to excitement over the fact that only a VoIP softphone enabled the New Orleans mayor to contact the outside world, that without electrical power, no alternative service is going to work for long, and most need to rely on the PSTN infrastructure at some point. — What a stick in the mud. As if the PSTN has does not also depend on external power sources at some point.
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Big Players Enter VoIP Game
September 20, 2005

MSN, Yahoo and AOL, the originators of Internet telephony, are finally getting down to business.
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Avaya buys Ottawa IP phone specialist Nimcat Networks for $46 million US
September 20, 2005

Avaya is paying CDN$46 million in cash for Nimcat Networks, maker of peer-to-peer SIP-based software.
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GLBC Enhances VoIP
September 19, 2005

Broadening the scope and reach of its VoIP services, Global Crossing announced it has enhanced the Global Crossing Carrier VoIP Local Services offer for North American customers, enabling carriers to provide traditional TDM interconnections for legacy voice switches, as well as expanded reach to seven European countries.
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Voiceserve Selects iBasis to Provide International Service for Residential VoIP Customers
September 19, 2005

iBasis announced that Voiceserve has selected iBasis to deliver international calling services to its residential subscribers.
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Samsung launches IP comms box for SMBs
September 19, 2005

The Business Communications division of Samsung Electronics has launched an IP communications device in Europe for SMBs with between 20 and 150 employees, charging E233 ($285) per seat for 30 users and less as the number increases. The US launch is scheduled for the first week of October.
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Kiwi Skype users suspicious of eBay
September 19, 2005

Skype users in New Zealand say they are unlikely to tolerate price rises after the Internet phone company was snatched up by US auction giant eBay.
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ITU ratifies vital video-conferencing standards
September 16, 2005

The ITU has ratified two new standards that should overcome one of the biggest hurdles facing video-conferencing: making connections through different companies' firewalls.
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Draft Telecom Bill Aims at VoIP, Video
September 16, 2005

The first draft of a broadband bill that may succeed the 1996 Telecommunications Act began making the rounds with lawmakers and lobbyists, with VoIP and broadband video in starring roles.
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AOL's Got VoIP Again
September 14, 2005

AOL is set to announce a free-standing version of its VoIP product, "AOL Internet Phone Service," which will be available on the Internet to non-AOL members.
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TANDBERG Expressway Becomes the Standard for NAT-Firewall Traversal Worldwide
September 13, 2005

The ITU announced two new standards for NAT - Firewall traversal in H.323 systems based on TANDBERG's Expressway technology: H.460.18 and H.460.19.
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VoIP phones set to drive $24 billion business
September 13, 2005

The number of residential VoIP users is expected to increase over the next years, causing market revenue for wireline VoIP equipment to more than triple from 2004 to reach $24.5 billion in annual revenue in 2010.
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Can wallet phones ring up sales?
September 13, 2005

Japanese and South Korean mobile operators are betting future revenue growth on wallet phones—handsets with embedded chips that allow electronic payments—but the technology may be slow to take off in the rest of Asia.
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Boardrooms face up to video versatility
September 13, 2005

For years videoconferencing companies have been trying to convince businesses of the time and cost-saving virtues of their products, and now it seems top managers are starting to listen.
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SiP Micro Systems Deploys MERA's Softswitch
September 12, 2005

MERA Systems announced that SiP Micro Systems has deployed the MERA VoIP Transit Softswitch (MVTS) on its international VoIP network. MVTS will enable the US-based telco to extend its presence in the Latin American and African markets.
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iphone next on Apple's mobile-music list?
September 12, 2005

With the help of Motorola, Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs finally made good last week on his pledge to deliver a cellular phone that plays music like an iPod.
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Google plans to add video to messaging
September 12, 2005

Google appears to be moving into videoconferencing. It is advertising for a senior engineer to develop a videoconferencing application to use on a global scale. — And looking for H.323 experts... very cool.
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Is it RIP for VoIP in China?
September 12, 2005

Voice over Internet Protocol VoIP development is posing a threat to state-protected telecom carriers, calling into question China's willingness to let technology advances into the marketplace.
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Could compliance nix VOIP?
September 12, 2005

Businesses affected by compliance regulations and susceptibility to legal discovery requests have to archive paperwork, Word documents, spreadsheets, and e-mails. Could the same be in store for VoIP?
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eBay to Acquire Skype
September 12, 2005

eBay announced that is plans to acquire Skype, the world's leading VoIP service provider, in a deal worth more than US$2.6 billion dollars. — We love Skype, but the company simply is not worth that much money. We feel for the eBay investors.
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China Telecom Seeks to Block VoIP
September 10, 2005

China Telecom is looking at ways to block phone calls made over the Internet, such as the popular service offered by Skype.
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VOIP to the Rescue
September 9, 2005

The American Red Cross uses VoIP for all of the same reasons you should, but for the Red Cross, the stakes are vastly higher.
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Videoconferencing market set for growth
September 8, 2005

The videoconferencing market is set for significant growth over the next few years. Another related story can be found here.
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Google hires Net pioneer Vint Cerf
September 8, 2005

Google announced that it hired Internet pioneer Vint Cerf, as the search giant seeks to build a network foundation for its future Internet applications.
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AOL Closing in on Video VoIP Launch
September 7, 2005

After years of endless speculation in the industry about plans for video over its vast Instant Messaging networks, AOL is closing in on its own splashy video VoIP calling service.
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Surf Communication Solutions Named to the 2005 Pulver 100
September 7, 2005

SURF Communication announced that it has been named to the 2005 pulver 100 - which is the VoIP industry's premier listing of privately held growth companies that represent the future of the communications ecosystem.
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Global Crossing, TeleWare Unveil Hosted VoIP
September 7, 2005

Global Crossing launched a series of a hosted VoIP services developed in collaboration with TeleWare Plc, a U.K. provider of intelligent business communication solutions to enterprises and service providers.
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Vonage Activates One Millionth Line
September 6, 2005

"In a very short time, Vonage has woken up a dormant telecommunications industry and sparked a tidal wave of change; activating over one million lines is both a milestone for Vonage and the industry," said Jeffrey A. Citron, chairman and CEO of Vonage Holdings Corp.
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NetCentrex Residential Deployments Exceed 2 Million VoIP Lines
September 6, 2005

Netcentrex announced it exceeded 2 million Class 5 VoIP lines in commercial service.
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Hearing the VoIP call, and giving it a whirl
September 6, 2005

VoIP is changing the telephone business. From big businesses to families, a growing number of people are letting the Internet do the calling.
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Nortel Deploys Rural VoIP
September 6, 2005

Nortel announced the successful deployment of its next generation, SIP-enabled DMS-10 platform, bringing residential VoIP to the rural North American market.
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Conferencing gets a new look
September 5, 2005

The new ITU specifications for traversing NAT and firewall devices in H.323 systems will have a profound impact on the adoption of voice and video conferencing within and between enterprises.
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Free acquires Altitude to launch WiMAX in France
September 5, 2005

France's main alternative broadband ISP, Free Telecom, is to acquire privately-held Altitude Telecom, the owner of the sole national WiMAX 3.5GHz licence, for an undisclosed amount.
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Taiwan embracing VoIP in mobile initiative
September 5, 2005

Part of a plan by the Taiwanese government to back mobile Internet and telecommunications on the island is to promote VoIP as a way to reduce phone charges.
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Skype signs VoIP JV in China
September 5, 2005

Skype is looking to make inroads into the potentially lucrative Chinese market after inking a joint venture (JV) agreement with wireless internet operator TOM Online.
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FCC Names VoIP 911 Panel
September 2, 2005

The FCC has named a task force to oversee the agency's VoIP E911 mandate.
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Enterprise VoIP Is on Fire
September 2, 2005

Enterprises around the world are going IP with their PBXs in a big, big way, according to a new report.
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North American MSOs Top 1 Million Mark for VoIP Subscribers
September 1, 2005

With VoIP technology surging in popularity among consumers, cable operators are starting to grab a lion's share of the new broadband voice market.
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Skype Signs up First Mobile Network Partner
September 1, 2005

Skype announced a partnership with E-Plus, Germany's third largest mobile phone network, which marks an important step in Skype's global mobile strategy to move beyond the desktop.
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