Daily Payload

News Archive - October 2005

SBC chief: Vonage, other VoIP providers should pay to use our pipes

October 31, 2005

SBC Telecommunications CEO Ed Whitacre sounds a bit more than forthright about what he sees as his company's right to demand carrier fees from Internet telephony providers.

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Moving Your Number to VoIP? Please Hold

October 31, 2005

Changing cell phone companies? You can keep your number. Changing local phone companies? Same deal. Switching over to Internet phone service? Well....

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Telefonica to pay $31.6 billion for O2

October 31, 2005

Spanish telecommunications giant Telefonica agreed to buy mobile group O2 for 17.7 billion pounds (US$31.6 billion), sparking hopes of a bidding battle for one of the sector's hottest takeover targets.

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Using Wi-Fi as a competitive weapon

October 31, 2005

With cable providers and the Bell telephone companies dominating the market for residential high-speed Internet service, smaller Internet access providers are desperately trying to find a new way to connect with consumers.

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VocalTec acquired by Tdsoft

October 30, 2005

VoIP gateway provider Tdsoft announced the acquisition of beleagured VoIP pioneer VocalTec Communications.

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Country losing huge revenue as VoIP not yet legalised

October 30, 2005

The use of VoIP is yet to be legalised in the [Bangladesh] allegedly protecting the interest of a few information technical (IT) companies though it could pave way for earning plenty of IT outsourcing work.

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Companies say Qualcomm isn't playing fair with 3G

October 28, 2005

Ericsson said that it and five other companies have complained to the European Commission over alleged anticompetitive behavior by Qualcomm in licensing patents for 3G.

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All We Hear Is Video Ga-Ga

October 27, 2005

In a real, nuts and bolts world, videoconferencing promises to be a productivity tool and efficiency enhancer for CIOs across all verticals.

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Martin Phones In on Franchising

October 27, 2005

FCC chairman Kevin Martin told an audience of telecommunication industry professionals the Commission plans to discuss video franchising issues in its November meeting, and suggested some sort of regulatory action may result.

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Internet Portals Take Lead Over Telecoms In VoIP

October 27, 2005

Merrill Lynch said Internet portals have an advantage over telecommunications companies in the battle over the VoIP market.

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Motorola, Intel team on mobile WiMax

October 27, 2005

Motorola and Intel are teaming up to accelerate the development and adoption of a broadband technology called WiMax for mobile devices.

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DOJ approves telecom megamergers

October 27, 2005

The U.S. Department of Justice gave its blessing for Verizon Communications to buy MCI and for SBC Communications to purchase AT&T.

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Groups Sue FCC Over New VoIP Wiretap Rules

October 26, 2005

A new federal regulation making it easier for law enforcement to tap Internet phone calls is being challenged in court.

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Are VoIP Providers Set To Win The Jackpot?

October 26, 2005

U.S.-based companies anticipate saving 40% on telecommunications costs as a result of implementing VoIP technology, and 100% of information technology managers plan to install new or additional VoIP services within the next year.

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Vonage leads VoIP pack in US

October 26, 2005

Vonage currently owns 32% of the residential and SOHO market in North America, though that's its lowest share in nine months. Meanwhile cable companies are on the rise, with Time Warner Cable holding 25% of the market and Cablevision 19%.

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Arming Against The Worst VoIP Dangers

October 26, 2005

Best-practice tactics include consistent security policies and VoIP-specific tools and hardware.

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VoIP Growing Astronomically, $23.4 Billion By 2009 Projected

October 26, 2005

Helping VoIP make strides is a huge marketing push by cable providers in recent months, an Infonetics analyst says, who adds that the telcos are not quite as far along.

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It's all very well to talk about VoIP, but the big issue is whether your network can cope

October 26, 2005

Using an IP-based network for voice communications is a sure way to reduce IT infrastructure costs. But the age and functionality of your telephone and network infrastructure, and what you intend to do with business processes in the future, will directly influence your company's strategy on whether to adopt VoIP.

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Japan companies form 'mobile wallet' alliance

October 26, 2005

Japan's credit card companies, headed by Japanese top-ranked JCB, formed an alliance to promote a standard that will enable the use of mobile phones in lieu of credit cards, regardless of the issuer.

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Razr tops cell phone sales in boom quarter

October 26, 2005

Motorola's Razr phone was the top seller in the third quarter as overall cell phone sales in the U.S. jumped 30 percent from a year earlier.

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Nokia dials into emerging markets

October 26, 2005

Nokia launched four new handsets, including two aimed specifically at fast-growing emerging markets.

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VoIP on 47% of Aussie IP Networks

October 26, 2005

An annual survey of IP network usage by Optus Business has found that 47 per cent of businesses with an IP network have partially or fully deployed VoIP services.

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Nuvio Files Request for Stay of FCC VoIP - E911 Order

October 25, 2005

Nuvio said that it has filed with the Federal Communications Commission a motion for a stay of the E911 Order for VoIP Service Providers.

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VoIP Wiretap Order Heads to Court

October 25, 2005

Civil liberties, privacy and high-tech industry advocates went to court to block the FCC's pending rule to impose wiretapping standards on VoIP systems.

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US firms rush to embrace VoIP

October 25, 2005

US companies anticipate saving 40 percent on telecoms costs as a result of implementing VoIP.

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Video Changes the Telecom Act

October 25, 2005

The Telecom Act of 1996 is long overdue for a rewrite, according to a panel of Washington insiders. And, like a church choir, they began a familiar refrain that without clear enough rules, investment in the telecom space will suffer.

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VoIP may be vulnerable to barrage of threats

October 25, 2005

Is enterprise VoIP due for a security wakeup call or are the threats mostly exaggerated? It depends on who's talking.

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Cable close to Sprint wireless deal

October 25, 2005

Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications could be close to offering cell phone service using Sprint Nextel's network as part of its bundled services, which currently include cable TV, high-speed Internet and digital home telephone services.

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Cingular pumps up wireless IM, e-mail

October 24, 2005

Cingular announced that it will offer e-mail and instant messaging from America Online, Yahoo and MSN on cell phones.

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IMS: Simplify First, Add Apps Later

October 24, 2005

As carriers begin to spend considerable budgets on IMS infrastructure, the hype has been building. What's this IMS stuff all about? — It's a huge boat anchor... that's what IMS is all about.

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Why VoIP over IPv6 will be better

October 24, 2005

The emerging IPv6 standard will provide the launching pad for VoIP to challenge the public switched telephone network.

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Take On VoIP's Security And Privacy Challenges

October 24, 2005

VoIP applications face the same risks as other IP services. The good news is that the same protection you use for data applies to voice. There's just more to protecting VoIP.

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FiberNet Touts VOIP Peering

October 24, 2005

FiberNet Telecom Group announced the launch of Phonomenum, a carrier-class, ENUM-based technology platform that enables carriers, cable operators and VoIP service providers to establish peering connections and exchange VoIP traffic.

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Group Announces VoIP Security Taxonomy

October 24, 2005

By defining the kinds and nature of threats, the VoIPSA hopes to provide a common reference point to deal systematically with VoIP security issues.

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High-def videoconferencing hits the market

October 24, 2005

Polycom took advantage of the Polycom User Group conference to announce products to support high-definition videoconferencing.

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Internet makes phone calls cheap

October 24, 2005

Most foreigners in Shanghai have to purchase phone cards in the streets to make international calls, but one web site for Shanghai foreign residents provides tips for cheaper calls, including negotiating calling card prices and using Skype.

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Making Right Call Cuts Telephone Bill

October 23, 2005

Twenty percent of Americans thought the weird-looking acronym VoIP was a hybrid European automobile, and 10 percent though it was a low-carbohydrate vodka, according to a survey released in September by Verizon.

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Broadband providers play the VoIP greed game: and you lose

October 22, 2005

Wireless phone companies like Verizon Wireless and Vodafone Group PLC stipulate in their subscription contracts that customers can't use the company's high-speed Web-access networks for Internet calling- or may prohibit usage in the future.

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SBC sees little threat from Skype, Net calling

October 21, 2005

SBC sees little challenge to its traditional telephone business from services such as Skype that offer free phone calls over the Internet, SBC's chief financial officer said.

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Creating a secure VoIP infrastructure

October 21, 2005

With the growing demand for converged networks where voice, video and data co-exist, organisations are embracing VoIP to reduce costs and improve their offerings in delivering voice services and lower operational costs for long distance and other phone services.

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The Many Challenges of VoIP Peering

October 21, 2005

At ISPCON, one speaker explained why building a global VoIP network will be far more challenging than the stitching together of a global IP network through peering agreements.

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US Robotics Launches VoIP Phone

October 21, 2005

Or should we say that US Robotics simply rebranded Chinese phones? Here, compare at Yealink's web site. Their USB-P1K (also duplicated by other Chinese companies) is exactly the same phone!

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StarVox Morphs Into IP Voice Provider

October 20, 2005

One time IP Centrex developer StarVox Communications has reinvented itself for the VoIP age as an IP service provider for businesses, and at least three VCs are betting $9 million that new model will pay off.

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Ipevo aims Skype phone at VoIP users in US

October 20, 2005

A Taiwanese start-up began selling handsets used with Skype's popular Internet phone calling software in the U.S. early this month for about half the price of rival products.

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Canada orders VoIP firms to warn about 911 limits

October 20, 2005

Canada's telecom regulator ruled that phone companies offering local phone service using Internet technology must warn customers about the limits of their 911 emergency service.

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Incoming Nortel CEO sued by Motorola

October 20, 2005

Nortel Networks' incoming president and chief executive, Mike Zafirovski, has been sued by Motorola, his former employer.

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eBay chief foresees free voice calls for all

October 20, 2005

In a few short years, consumers can expect to make telephone calls for free, with no per-minute charges, as part of a package of services through which carriers make money on advertising or transaction fees, eBay's chief executive said.

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Avaya Marks Ten Years Since Introduction of First Converged Telephony Solution for Enterprises

October 19, 2005

Avaya announced it has marked the 10th anniversary of the first enterprise IP Telephony solution, which it introduced to the market.

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Surf Communication Solutions Secures New Round of Funding

October 19, 2005

SURF Communication announced that it has secured a round of funding with the participation of Texas Instruments, Giza Venture Capital, Pitango Venture Capital, and others.

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Nokia Completes Fast Data Call Using WiMAX Technology

October 18, 2005

Nokia announced that it has completed a data call in its WiMAX development program as the cell phone and infrastructure manufacturer examines the nomadic and portable mobility features of its WiMAX (802.16e) development program.

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Senate Set For DTV, VoIP E911 Markups

October 18, 2005

This Thursday (Oct. 20), the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will work on proposed legislation introduced earlier this year to codify requirements for standard and enhanced 911 emergency call-handling capabilities by VoIP service providers.

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Samsung launches enterprise wireless VoIP

October 18, 2005

Samsung has introduced the OfficeServ Wireless VoIP application, which integrates voice, data, wired and wireless technologies.

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SBC Jumps on Lucent IMS Bandwagon

October 18, 2005

SBC is the latest carrier to line up for Lucent's IMS solutions. The carrier says it will roll out convergence applications based on an IMS architecture by the end of 2006.

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VoIP to hit mass market shelves for Christmas

October 17, 2005

Netgear and engin have announced a co-branding partnership which will see their products bundled and sold through Harvey Norman and the channel.

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Skype sees Microsoft as biggest VoIP rival

October 17, 2005

Internet phone-calling phenomenon Skype Technologies said it sees computer giant Microsoft as one of its biggest potential rivals.

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Africa makes progress on VoIP

October 17, 2005

African countries are gradually opening up to legalizing VoIP services, with both consumers and businesses benefitting from the trend.

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Cingular Picks Lucent for IMS

October 17, 2005

Cingular Wireless has become the second major U.S. wireless operator to show its IMS hand, picking Lucent to supply a convergence platform that will start to roll out sometime in 2006.

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BellSouth teams with Yahoo

October 17, 2005

BellSouth and Yahoo announced that they're teaming up to offer a co-branded broadband service.

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VoIP - the internet phone revolution

October 15, 2005

It might still be an alien concept to most consumers but VoIP is taking off in a big way.

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34% of European companies do not deploy VOIP because of high cost

October 14, 2005

In a survery of European organizations, 34% of respondents identified cost as the major obstacle to VoIP deployment, with concerns about reliability next and 15% and compatibility issues at 9%.

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Europeans Slow To Take Up VoIP

October 14, 2005

Despite all the hype around VoIP, 70 percent of Western Europeans haven't heard of VoIP and only 1 percent use it as their preferred technology for making calls from home.

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Nokia Invests in China 3G

October 13, 2005

As expected, Nokia has set up a joint venture with a domestic vendor in China to develop technology based on China's home-grown 3G standard, Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA).

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VoIP users saving $44 per month: claim

October 13, 2005

Australian users of new VoIP technology are saving an average $44 per month on costs, a survey claims.

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Japan to offer VoIP for cellphones

October 13, 2005

Japan is readying a new network for cellphones that will allow people to connect to the Internet to talk over the phone more cheaply and transmit data more quickly.

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VoIP is not as secure as you think

October 13, 2005

VoIP, also known as Internet telephony, may be all the rage these days but it is not as secure as the general public think it is.

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Incumbent telcos winning European consumer VoIP battle

October 12, 2005

Report claims that VoIP pure plays like Skype and Vonage have no chance of dethroning proactive European incumbent telcos from their consumer fixed voice market leadership.

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Vonage Hearing Buy-Out Bids

October 12, 2005

VoIP pioneer Vonage has heard several acquisition offers in the last two weeks and has already rejected at least one worth more than $1.5 billion.

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Linksys Debuts Cordless Skype VOIP Handset

October 11, 2005

Linksys has released a wireless phone that support Skype called the CIT200. Details and pictures are available on the Linksys web site.

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India Blocks Foreign Telecom Gear

October 11, 2005

India's partly state-owned telecom operators Bharat Sanchar Nigam and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam have dealt Huawei Technologies a blow this week as the two carriers are aiming to keep India's telecom market as homegrown as possible.

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VoIP rules on way, providers told

October 11, 2005

The Australian federal government said it would soon respond to industry calls to introduce measures to regulate low-cost VoIP telephony services. — Yeah, who is calling for these... I can guess.

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AT&T solves VoIP's 911 issue

October 10, 2005

AT&T says it's solved a problem that has dogged Internet-based phone service: how to provide emergency 911 to people who use VoIP on the road

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VeriSign Ups the Ante for IP Wireless Connect

October 10, 2005

VeriSign's IP Wireless Connect has passed a significant milestone with the trial of its service by Net2Phone.

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Balanced implementation of the service will drive growth

October 7, 2005

After the industrial revolution, the growth of the internet has probably had the maximum impact on businesses by enabling faster access to information and in turn faster response to changes in the market dynamics.

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Gateway Goals for Carriers

October 6, 2005

The consumer gateway is getting more attention, as witnessed by the enthusiasm from service providers and telecom technology developers.

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VoIP Players Spur Spending

October 6, 2005

Excitement around the arrival of non-traditional telecom players like Skype and Google may trigger a surge in capex spending among legacy voice carriers.

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Canadian VoIP Recommendations

October 6, 2005

VoIP, also known as Internet or Digital Telephony in Canada, is beginning to break down local landline telephone service by providing Canadians with more options at a lower price.

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Telecom NZ feels VoIP pressure

October 6, 2005

Surging business from new technologies has led to Telecom New Zealand earning less than half its revenue from traditional telephone services.

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MCI shareholders approve Verizon merger

October 6, 2005

MCI shareholders voted to give the $8.44 billion merger with Verizon Communications the green light.

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XO Adds to VoIP Peer Pressure

October 5, 2005

One of the largest CLECs in the U.S., XO Communications, has joined the Stealth Communications VoIP peering cooperative, creating a database of almost 10 million phone numbers that can connect to each other without ever touching the PSTN.

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Tech firms pay big bucks to join VoIP list

October 5, 2005

VoIP turns the rules of traditional telephony on their head and lots of tech companies want to be part of the action.

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Connect Skype with SIP and H.323 networks

October 5, 2005

RSDevs.com introduced PSGw 2.0 (Personal Skype Gateway) a new VoIP application aimed at connection Skype with local SIP and H.323 endpoints and major VoIP providers.

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Sprint Nextel files suit against Vonage

October 4, 2005

Sprint Nextel, the recently merged third largest US mobile network operator, filed a VoIP patent infringement suit against Vonage and two other companies. — Give me a break! I am sure I can see why this came about... Vonage is a potential threat. Patents are bad.

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Hong Kong firm offers US$6 a month VoIP

October 4, 2005

A Hong Kong company is offering users all the VoIP calls they want to telephone numbers in Hong Kong for US$6 a month, as long as they use its software, 2b Broadband Phone.

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Can only you hear me now?

October 3, 2005

The advantages of VOIP are obvious. Voice communications via your existing broadband connection can save a lot of money. However, security is one area that still needs work.

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DyLogic powers Mobaila 3G Videoblog

October 3, 2005

DyLogic announced that Mobaila, the Italian company focused on the creation of new contents and formats for broadband and UMTS markets, selected DyLogic's technology also for the forthcoming new release of the Mobaila 3G Videoblog service.

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Can Secure VoIP Interoperate?

October 3, 2005

Interoperability has been part of VoIP's promise from the start, but in practice secure deployments are rarely interoperable and interoperable deployments are rarely secure.

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LifeSize bid to top videoconferencing slot

October 3, 2005

Video communications vendor LifeSize said it is aiming to be the number one player in the videoconferencing market, despite the fact that it has not even entered the market yet.

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Solving VoIP's Outstanding Issues

October 3, 2005

VoIP is an outstanding technology when it works. But whenever the power goes off or the broadband connection runs out of steam, an enterprise's voice links can come to a crashing halt.

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Nokia Intros VoIP Server

October 3, 2005

At Broadband World Forum 2005 in Madrid, Nokia reinforces its leadership in the convergence of fixed and mobile networks with a comprehensive portfolio of solutions for operators and service providers, including the Nokia VoIP Server for IP-based voice service.

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Moves by VoIP Players Could Dampen Cable's Voice Ambitions

October 1, 2005

Forget about the Baby Bells or Vonage. Skype and the other Internet telephony providers like it may well turn out to be the biggest competitive threats to the cable industry's VoIP ambitions. — Is there really a surprise here? Those others have been in this game far longer than cable!

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