Daily Payload

H.323 and SIP: Which Won the Protocol War?

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:25:05 GMT

Now that H.323 and SIP are nearly 13 years old and both are widely deployed, which one can we say won the protocol war? The answer is that they both did, but there are many things one must still consider when selecting the right protocol to use. Also, given the age of these protocols, isn't it time to start asking about what comes next?

Nokia CEO: Symbian Is Catalyst for US Market

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:04:18 GMT

Nokia's chief executive, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, believes the time is right for the company to move aggressively in the U.S. market, where it commands just a 6% market share compared with its global share of 40%. And, it is betting its future on Symbian, a fully open mobile platform.

Nortel earnings tank with worsening economy

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 23:09:21 GMT

Nortel reported its biggest quarterly loss in seven years amid a worsening economy, with losses at $3.4 billion, or $6.85 a share, during the third quarter of 2008. — But do not let those numbers fool you. Nortel took some big, one-time charges and are shaving staff. Look for Nortel to turn things around in the next two quarters.

AT&T to acquire Wi-Fi network provider Wayport

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 00:16:53 GMT

AT&T announced plans to acquire Wi-Fi network provider Wayport in a $275 million cash deal.

Ballmer dismisses Google Android

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 00:11:36 GMT

Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer dismissed the Android mobile operating system, saying he believed that building it was not easy and was not financially unsound for Google. "They can hire smart guys, hire a lot of people, blah dee blah dee blah, but you know they start out way behind, in a certain sense," he said. — I think Balmer just does not get it, in more ways than one. Google wants to enrich the user experience, help users find things, buy things, etc. Google makes money that way and driving change in mobile devices will definitely help them, because there are more mobile devices in the world than desktop computers.

FCC opens free 'white space' spectrum

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 23:24:00 GMT

Google and other technology companies that wanted access to more free spectrum have gotten their wish. The Federal Communications Commission unanimously agreed to open up unused broadcast TV spectrum for unlicensed use.

VoIP startup Jaxtr lays off some staff, CEO steps down

Tue, 4 Nov 2008 21:48:17 GMT

VoIP and social network startup Jaxtr has laid off 13 of is employees and its chief executive has stepped down. The company raised US$10M in June 2008, which it still has in the bank. The company believes it had enough funding to operate at least another 18 months.

Cisco Completes Acquisition of Jabber

Mon, 3 Nov 2008 16:27:42 GMT

Today marks a significant step forward for instant messaging technology, with the acquisition of Jabber by Cisco. Jabber is the leading provider of open standards-based instant messaging technologies that fully supports inter-domain instant messaging federation. The technology driven by Jabber, called XMPP, enjoys wide industry support, with dozens of clients and servers that support the protocol, not the least of which is Google's GoogleTalk product.

Verizon gets DOJ approval for Alltel purchase

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:00:30 GMT

Verizon Wireless has made it through an important regulatory hurdle in its bid to acquire rural wireless operator Alltel, but the approval didn't come without conditions. The FCC is expected to approve the acquisition on November 4, 2008.

Sprint to keep Nextel

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:58:14 GMT

After failing to find a buyer for its Nextel network, Sprint Nextel it will keep the Nextel iDEN network. Sprint has steadily been losing customers on the old Nextel Network since the acquisition in 2005. And earlier this year the wireless operator said it was looking to sell the network.

Kevin Kennedy takes top spot at Avaya

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:28:49 GMT

Well, Avaya is not dead (yet). Kevin Kennedy, currently CEO of JDS Uniphase Corp. and a veteran of Openwave, Cisco, and AT&T, will be taking the reins at Avaya.

Videoconferencing More Confusing For Decision-makers Than Face-to-face Meetings

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:29:24 GMT

Although videoconferencing has become a billion-dollar substitute for flying business people to meetings, it leaves distant participants less likely to make sound judgments about speakers being viewed over a screen, according to a published study.

Logitech to Acquire SightSpeed, Provider of Internet Video Communications Services

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:04:11 GMT

Logitech announced that the company has agreed to acquire privately held SightSpeed for approximately $30 million in cash. The acquisition of SightSpeed will provide Logitech with video calling technology and a software and services development team.

Verizon Wireless settles Visual Voicemail suit

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:34:57 GMT

Patent holding company Klausner Technologies said Verizon Wireless has settled a suit alleging infringement of a patent covering the visual listing of voicemail.

Global Crossing Announces High Definition Video Conferencing Service

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 22:54:24 GMT

Global Crossing announced high-definition enhancements to its flagship IP Videoconferencing service, offering crystal clear, face-to-face collaboration between dispersed business locations around the world.

Polycom Unites Telepresence And Desktop Video For Enterprise-Wide Visual Communication

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:27:11 GMT

Polycom announced the first presence-enabled solution for enterprise-wide visual communication that unites telepresence and highly scalable desktop video collaboration within a common converged management platform.

FCC chairman backs use of 'white space' spectrum

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:21:43 GMT

Companies lobbying the FCC to access unused spectrum known as "white spaces" won a big victory on Wednesday when Chairman Kevin Martin threw his weight behind the proposal.

Cisco, Tata Take Public TelePresence Beyond India

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:28:04 GMT

Cisco Systems and Tata Communications have expanded a network of public TelePresence meeting centers to the U.S. and U.K., with plans to set up 100 of the high-end videoconferencing centers around the world by the end of next year.

Microsoft Rumored to Be Eyeing RIM

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:46:16 GMT

Microsoft's rumored interest in acquiring Research In Motion (RIM) would instantly give the software giant a larger share in the consumer and enterprise smartphone market, while bringing in technology that could help stave off new challengers in the market, such as Apple and Google. — But, such a move would undermine Microsoft's efforts to expand its reach with Windows Mobile (which are just now showing signs of success in the face of the iPhone). And the gain is what? Microsoft is not going to be a leader in selling music or videos. The right move in that space is what Google did: partner with Amazon. Windows Mobile just needs a better browser, better VPN, and support for Amazon's content services. As it is, Windows Mobile makes a great companion to the desktop PC, so Microsoft needs to be very careful here.

Mystery Mobile VoIP Technology Available Next Month?

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:37:34 GMT

An almost decade-long effort to bring an unknown wireless broadband technology to the U.S. is set to bear fruit next month in Florida after XG Technology Inc. scored a $375 million infrastructure deal backed by a secretive Swiss billionaire. XG, which is listed on the AIM market in London, is pushing a low-power, long-range wireless technology called wMAX that they're pitching as a competitor to cellular and WiMAX networks. The goal is to roll out a VoIP service in South Florida this year and launch data and modem services in 2009.

Cisco Overemphasizes Video in Its UC Product Refresh

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:29:10 GMT

Taking the 'too much is never enough' approach to heart, Cisco has rolled out more than 800 new or updated features across its unified communications portfolio, leaving solid contact center features buried in an avalanche of upgrades. This flood of announcements contained a mixed bag for contact center functionality, including features with clear value, as well as some with less clear benefits.

China Mobile plans R&D facility in Silicon Valley

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 00:01:44 GMT

China Mobile, China's largest cell phone operator, plans to establish a research and development facility in Silicon Valley in 2009.

With WiMax, Sprint cuts the cord in Baltimore

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 23:49:31 GMT

Executives from Sprint Nextel and its ecosystem of partners ceremonially cut the broadband cord in Baltimore with the launch of the first mobile WiMax network in the U.S.

Jury Clears Cox in Verizon VoIP Row

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 00:22:39 GMT

Verizon filed a suit on Jan. 11, 2008 alleging that Cox violated eight patents used for completing IP telephone calls (only six of the original eight patent claims were found valid for the trial), seeking more than $400 million in damages. A jury found that Cox did not violate those patents, which could work to the benefit of other cable operators.

IMTC Examines Unified Communications by Industry, Reviews Early Test Cases at Fall Forum

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 00:07:00 GMT

Worldwide telecommunications leaders will explore unified communications solutions for unique vertical industry needs at the International Multimedia Telecommunications Consortium (IMTC) 2008 Fall Forum Nov. 12-13 in San Francisco. Topics will cover current standards, new standards in development (including AMS), H.264, scalable video coding, and more.

What's the big deal about WiMax?

Sat, 4 Oct 2008 03:40:16 GMT

Sprint Nextel has made headlines all week as it's started lighting up its first 4G wireless network using a technology called WiMax. But what exactly is WiMax? And how does it fit into the future of wireless? Here's a primer to help you sort it out.

500,000 G1 phones expected to sell in quarter

Sat, 4 Oct 2008 00:48:06 GMT

T-Mobile USA is expected to sell in the fourth quarter between 400,000 and 500,000 of the recently announced G1 phones, which use Google's Android operating system.

Skype service in China recording, censoring messages

Sat, 4 Oct 2008 03:02:34 GMT

TOM-Skype, eBay's joint venture in China, is recording customer text chats and censoring them if they contain certain keywords related to topics the government deems objectionable, according to a report released on Wednesday (PDF) by researchers in Canada.

WiMax Is 'Imminent'

Thu, 2 Oct 2008 00:59:00 GMT

A Sprint Nextel executive says that a mobile WiMax launch in Chicago is "imminent" and inextricably linked with the closing of the Clearwire asset merger.

End of VoIP Hype in Germany

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:00:20 GMT

German technology magazine "Heise On-line" reports on a research survey conducted by InformationWeek and Steria Mummert Consulting that indicates the end of the VoIP hype at least in enterprises in Germany. 468 managers and security officers have been queried. Nearly 40% of them said that VoIP is not planned in their enterprise (2006: 33%). The fraction of enterprises that deploy VoIP already has basically remained constant (33%) for the past 2 years. Only 25% are still planning to introduce VoIP. Reason for reluctance being: fear of follow-up costs such as employee training and investment in network infrastructure change. VoIP security problems are said to be among the major hurdles; VoIP security concerns have more than doubled in the past year.