News Archive - July 2006

BT wants a million VoIP users within a year
July 28, 2006

BT is seeking to recruit a million net voice customers inside 12 months in an attempt to precede the inevitable decline in its fixed-line revenues and head off a wave of competition.
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Verizon Wireless team touts A-IMS
July 27, 2006

Industry observers who thought the IMS concept was the latest in a long line of well-intended but generally convoluted technology standards can now size up Advances to IMS (A-IMS), an evolutionary reference document compiled over the last year by Verizon Wireless and several of its vendor partners.
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Cambridge start-up making VoIP less tecchie
July 27, 2006

A Cambridge start-up has announced volume production of its first product a mere matter of months after securing angel financing.
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Kontron and Surf Communication Solutions Collaborate on Voice-over-IP and Media-over-Packet Solutions
July 27, 2006

Kontron and Surf announced their partnership to jointly develop and market AdvancedTCA-, AdvancedMC-, and MicroTCA-based convergent media solutions to the communications market.
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TANDBERG Sets Its Sights On "Changing The Way People Communicate"
July 26, 2006

Signaling the arrival of a new era in visual communication, TANDBERG introduced high-definition (HD) group and personal videoconferencing systems.
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Getting Branch Office VoIP Deployments Right
July 26, 2006

As VoIP catches on in large enterprises, companies are pushing the technology out to their smaller offices to reap the rewards of four-digit dialing, site-to-site calling and other cost-saving and collaborative features. But experts warn preparation in five key areas is critical for success.
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Home Office Users Lead Consumer VoIP Charge
July 26, 2006

Income-generating or corporate-provided home offices are two to three times more likely to sign up for VoIP in the next 12 months than the average household.
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New mobile features boost calls to customer service
July 26, 2006

Unlike the stubborn driver who won't even consult a map as she ventures into unfamiliar territory, cell phone users are not afraid to stop and ask for directions from their service providers.
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AT&T: We've Got Cash
July 25, 2006

Solid numbers from AT&T indicate the company may be in a position to increase capital spending, as it beat earnings estimates, boosted its profit and cash-flow forecast for the year, and said it would spend as much as $10 billion in a stock buyback.
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D-Link videophone
July 25, 2006

D-Link has launched a videoconferencing device called the D-Link i2eye Broadband Videophone (DVC-2000). It is a full featured H.323 desktop videoconferencing device with built-in 5-inch color LCD screen.
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VoIP providers face headaches galore
July 25, 2006

The FCC recently expanded the federal Universal Service Fund (USF) reporting and contribution obligations to cover "interconnected VoIP" providers.
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Motorola Intros Windows VoIP Handset
July 24, 2006

Motorola joined the growing ranks of cordless phone manufacturers to court PC VoIP users with the release of its T31 series for use with Windows Live Messenger service.
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Listen Up! VoIP Quality...
July 24, 2006

VoIP QoS is bad and getting worse. And IT is using the wrong tools to measure the aural performance of voice-over-IP calls.
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World's First Secure H.323 Instant Messaging Client
July 24, 2006

Packetizer APAC is pleased to announce the release of the latest version of its advanced ground-breaking secure NAT-Aware H.323 softphone, PacPhone, with support for instant messaging and presence.
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Australia: Only 60% VoIP Providers In TIO Scheme
July 21, 2006

The VoIP telephony industry risks a regulatory clampdown if service providers continue to avoid participating in the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman scheme.
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BellSouth shareholders approve AT&T merger
July 21, 2006

Despite opposition from consumer and advocacy groups, BellSouth shareholders have given the green light to the company's $67 billion merger with AT&T.
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Skype launches Wi-Fi VoIP mobiles
July 21, 2006

Skype has announced the availability of four Wi-Fi mobile handsets for making free calls using VoIP technology.
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AT&T targets VoIP, wireless services
July 21, 2006

AT&T's development road map for the next year includes new and enhanced offerings around VoIP, wireless, security and Web hosting. — Web hosting?!?!?!
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Home VoIP Growing; Vonage Leading Pack
July 21, 2006

Home VoIP subscribers continue to adopt Internet phoning at a rapid rate, growing from 2.2 million households in the first quarter to 2.9 million in the second quarter. Vonage holds 53.9% of that market.
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SIPphone's Free VoIP Calling Plan
July 20, 2006

SIPphone rattled the VoIP industry today, announcing free calling to PSTN and mobile phones for users of it's VoIP-IM service, Gizmo Project.
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DataTechLabs Arrow Switch Released for Live Beta Tests
July 19, 2006

DataTechLabs announced the release of Arrow Switch — a software appliance built upon the well known Yate's telephony engine that is primary intended for use in conjunction with the native DataTechLabs VoIP billing services.
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Greater China VoIP Product Exports Projected to Top 22 Million Units in 2006
July 19, 2006

Exports of VoIP units from China are estimated to hit 22.66 million units, an increase of 14 percent over 2005 estimates.
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VoIP systems: More network support burdens
July 19, 2006

The complexity of managing and maintaining VoIP systems is posing more problems than many IT managers initially expected, spurring demand for so-called Day 2 support services.
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Cablevision Touts Consumer VoIP Wins, Eyes Business Users
July 18, 2006

Cablevision's VoIP service has attracted more than one million customers representing more than one-third of the company's cable TV customers.
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VoIP: Quality is still a big concern
July 18, 2006

As Internet phone service heads toward the mainstream, the industry still has quality issues it needs to address.
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Pressure Piles on Huawei, ZTE
July 18, 2006

Evidence is emerging that influential Chinese telecom equipment vendors Huawei and ZTE are facing unprecedented financial and competitive pressures that will weigh on future growth — and reduce profits in the immediate term.
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Nortel and Microsoft Form Strategic Alliance to Accelerate Transformation of Business Communications
July 18, 2006

Microsoft and Nortel announced a strategic alliance based on a shared vision for unified communications. Nortel and Microsoft will transition traditional business phone systems into software, with a Microsoft unified communications software platform and Nortel software products to provide further advanced telephony functionality.
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Is There Such A Thing As Free VoIP Service?
July 17, 2006

When VoIP was first introduced over the Internet, most of the programs available offered free VoIP services. Ah, the good old days. Unfortunately, those days are gone and nowadays many of these services are no longer free; but are still offered at a very minimal monthly fee.
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Juniper Kills Its Session Controllers
July 17, 2006

Juniper has discontinued the standalone SBC products it inherited when it acquired Kagoor Networks in March 2005, and has laid off staff in Israel as part of the process.
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Jajah Touts No Frills Wireless VoIP
July 14, 2006

VoIP service provider Jajah plans to move away from its mostly PC-based service and onto mobile phones in the next few months. — Does this tell us anything?
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VoIP user claims Skype protocol hack
July 14, 2006

A Chinese company claims to have reverse-engineered the Skype protocol, allowing it to place calls over Skype's VoIP network.
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Rolls-Royce opts for $20m VoIP network
July 13, 2006

Jet engine maker Rolls-Royce has signed a $20 million seven-year deal with Nortel that will see Nortel replace a global TDM phone network with IP-based voice and fax services.
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Which? report says VoIP is the future
July 13, 2006

The surging uptake of VoIP technology may mean the end of traditional landline and mobile services, according to consumer body Which?.
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Videoconferences save court money
July 11, 2006

The government screws up and arrests the wrong man. It happens, right? He is sitting in jail and he does not even have an opportunity to appear before a judge in person to make his case? We fully support videoconferencing, but this seems too cold.
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SunRocket's International VoIP Plan is Bad News for Vonage
July 11, 2006

SunRocket is planning to introduce a new international calling plan that would offer unlimited calls to landlines in 36 countries for a flat fee of about $25/month.
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Lucent: Slow wireless sales will hurt earnings
July 11, 2006

Lucent said it expects third-quarter earnings to fall due mainly to slower sales of wireless network equipment in North America, in news that pushed down its shares.
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Phishers come calling on VoIP
July 10, 2006

Cheaply available VoIP numbers and Net calling are helping crooks launch new data-thieving scams.
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ntl:Telewest chooses Ericsson to aid work on its voice network capability
July 10, 2006

ntl:Telewest has selected Ericsson as a technology and services partner to help with developments to its telephone network using VoIP technology.
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Vonage Sued Over Voicemail Patent
July 10, 2006

Vonage learned that it's facing a second patent infringement lawsuit in less than a month, this time a $180 million complaint concerning voicemail technology. — At what point does it become impossible to innovate due to a broken patent system?
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Judge looks into modifying terms of phone mergers
July 8, 2006

A federal district judge in Washington is considering the imposition of major modifications to the two largest telephone mergers in history: SBC Communication's acquisition of AT&T and Verizon's purchase of MCI.
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FBI plans new Net-tapping push
July 7, 2006

The FBI has drafted sweeping legislation that would require Internet service providers to create wiretapping hubs for police surveillance and force makers of networking gear to build in backdoors for eavesdropping.
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Australia: Legal Bun Fight Over VoIP Deal Escalates
July 7, 2006

The legal proceedings between IP Telephony softswitch developer, Transcom, and Adelaid-based ISP, Chariot, heated up outside the courts this week as Transcom's Queensland-based subsidiary accused Chariot of misleading the market.
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Internet telephony and VoIP: What's the difference?
July 7, 2006

If you want to dive into the world of Internet telephony but prefer to use your existing phone — not VoIP software — as your primary calling device, you might consider subscribing to an Internet telephony service provider (ITSP).
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AudioCodes Takes Netrake
July 6, 2006

AudioCodes had a busy M&A Thursday, closing its acquisition of fellow media gateway specialist Nuera Communications and announcing the $11 million takeover of SBC vendor Netrake.
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Clearwire Nabs $900M, Nixes IPO
July 6, 2006

Wireless broadband provider Clearwire is abandoning its $400 million IPO, as it receives a cool $900 million in a financing round led by Intel Capital. Furthermore, Clearwire has sold its subsidiary NextNet Wireless to Motorola, which will now be Clearwire's chief provider of WiMax wireless broadband network equipment.
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FCC, Senate Committee At Odds
July 5, 2006

If a measure passed late last month by the Senate Commerce Committee becomes law, Internet telephone companies will be exempt from certain state economic regulations. But until then, the FCC ruled last week, states may conditionally regulate Internet telephony.
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No 'Buy' From Vonage Bankers
July 5, 2006

Two of the banks that led the underwriting of the Vonage IPO have now initiated coverage of the stock, and neither are recommending it to investors.
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Mobile WiMax Takes Fixed Field
July 5, 2006

More and more WiMAX companies acknowledge that 802.16e — the standard often called "mobile WiMax" — is in demand for fixed deployments, too.
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Vonage Peer Makes a Fine Whine
July 5, 2006

8x8 CEO sends an open letter to investors saying that his company's stock price has suffered unfairly from Vonage's IPO.
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Kenya: Finally, VOIP Goes Mobile
July 4, 2006

International calling rates were set to fall after the two cellular operators got international gateway licences. Both Celtel Kenya and Safaricom Ltd said avoiding the Telkom circuit in routing international calls would yield a huge drop in prices of calls made from mobile phones.
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Europe overcharging for mobile call termination
July 4, 2006

Mobile phone companies in Europe are charging "unrealistic" fees for call termination, according to VoIP provider Jajah.
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Microsoft unified comms lacks VoIP, IM compliance tools
July 4, 2006

Microsoft's complicated unified communications product roadmap, unveiled with much fanfare recently, is missing an important component: regulatory compliance tools for VoIP and instant messaging.
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Chunghwa Plans $4B NGN
July 4, 2006

Taiwan's national operator Chunghwa Telecom plans to invest up to $4 billion in a new all-IP network as it migrates away from its current infrastructure.
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AT&T's TV adventure
July 3, 2006

While traditional cable and phone services run on separate lines, AT&T's U-verse crams video, data and, in time, phone calls down one high-speed broadband line.
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Siemens joins Acme and Nominum to promote VoIP peering
July 3, 2006

Siemens has joined the partnership already existing between Nominum and Acme Packet for the promotion of VoIP peering.
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Asia Leading VoIP/IMS Growth: Synergy
July 3, 2006

Synergy Research Group reports that the IP Multimedia Subsystem business is growing well worldwide, but that the APAC region has a distinct growth advantage over Europe and North America.
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Phone customers heed call of the free
July 2, 2006

Competition in the phone business, intensifying this year as Internet-based calling has taken root, has reached the point where many industry experts are anticipating an era of remarkably cheap and even free calls.
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