News Archive - January 2007
Sony Ericsson starts making cheap phones in India
January 31, 2007
Mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson said on Wednesday it would have low-cost color screen and music-playing handsets made in India through manufacturing agreements with Flextronics and Foxconn.
Verizon adds wireless to bundle
January 30, 2007
Verizon will sell bundled packages that include various combinations of voice, high-speed Internet access, TV and wireless services as a part of six new pricing plans, giving users discounts when selecting a bundle.
SIPphone: Gizmo plug-in a faster route to VoIP
January 30, 2007
SIPphone is launching a service called Gizmo that allows people to make Internet phone calls without having to use a traditional software client.
VoIP security: Scenarios, challenges, and counter measures—Part I
January 29, 2007
VoIP combines the worst security vulnerabilities of IP networks and voice networks. This article discusses vulnerabilities, challenges and countermeasures in securing a VoIP network from the application right down to the hardware. Part I reviews typical scenarios.
These VoIP players know the score
January 29, 2007
It's a given that with time VoIP will replace traditional voice technology in corporate networks. Sales of IP phone systems have surpassed those of traditional PBXs, and business VoIP will exceed traditional voice by 2010.
10 things you need to know about VoIP
January 29, 2007
Anybody working on a VoIP project should stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before to avoid their mistakes and glean tips that can make their own deployments go more smoothly.
China's 4G wireless launch leapfrogs 3G
January 29, 2007
China, still working on its long-delayed homegrown third-generation wireless network, has leapfrogged itself by launching the world's first fourth-generation network.
Verizon Wireless passed on iPhone two years ago
January 29, 2007
Verizon Wireless could have been the first wireless carrier to offer the Apple iPhone, but the mobile carrier passed on the opportunity because Apple's financial terms were too steep.
New phone technologies pose major challenge for 911 service
January 28, 2007
Canada's 911 system was built for land lines, not for cellphones, Internet phones or text messaging. A caller using Vonage Canada, for example, can't dial the nearest 911 centre directly. The 911 call goes to a national Vonage operator, who then redirects the call to the appropriate 911 center.
January 26, 2007
NEC announced the development of new technology for the prevention of SPam over Internet Telephony (SPIT) it calls VoIP SEAL. The new technology, which defends against the threat of rapidly increasing spam IP phone calls, is expected to contribute significantly to the realization of safe VoIP phone networks in the future.
Skype adds new features to business-oriented service
January 25, 2007
Skype has expanded its Skype For Business package to include features for improved central management and IT administration, as well as optional add-ons.
DyLogic PSE 3G VAS Genie 3.0, getting started with 3G premium services
January 25, 2007
DyLogic unveiled the new release of its PSE 3G VAS Genie, the all-in-one solution for Service Providers willing to offer managed 3G/UMTS video services and seek a short time-to-market. It includes 3G/H324M connectivity, a media server, a Video Portal application, and Content Management System.
January 24, 2007
XO Communications said its VoIP traffic grew 80% over the past year, exceeding 15 billion minutes in 2006.
Intel speeds up delivery of faster Wi-Fi
January 23, 2007
The Next-Gen Wireless-N product will appear in notebooks from companies such as Acer, Gateway and Toshiba by the end of this month.
Real-time collaboration gets real
January 23, 2007
Vonage offers free calling to subscriber numbers
January 22, 2007
Internet telephony provider Vonage is launching a service called V-Access that not only cuts costs for its subscribers, but also will provide savings to friends and family members who call them.
Nokia and Engin bring VoIP calls in Australia
January 22, 2007
Nokia and Australian VoIP provider, Engin, have announced what they call "a breakthrough for consumers seeking low cost mobile phone bills", allowing Engin customers to make cheap Internet phone calls using the Nokia N80 Internet Edition, which is being called "the first Mobile Internet Phone to be released in Australia".
Motorola to cut 3,500 jobs to improve margins
January 19, 2007
Motorola plans to cut 3,500 jobs in the first half of 2007 to reduce costs and help it return operating margins to the double-digit percentage range.
SMBs Are Still Insecure Over VoIP
January 19, 2007
Though the IP telephony quality issues that had concerned small and medium-sized businesses have largely been solved, more than half of these are still wary of IP telephony security issues.
Skype Takes Internet Communications One Step Further With New Pricing Strategy
January 18, 2007
Skype announced its new global pricing structure which includes gouging customers with a connection fee of about US$0.04 per call. Ouch! So, a one-minute phone call to the United States will now cost about US$0.06.
AT&T plans 'Unity' strategy for free calls
January 18, 2007
Leveraging its 100 million subscriber lines, AT&T will introduce AT&T Unity, a pricing package that allows its cellular customers to call any AT&T landline customer without incurring additional usage fees or using their wireless minutes.
Live Video Streaming from Cingular/AT&T
January 17, 2007
One of the technologies on display at CES is Cingular/AT&T's live cellphone streaming service, which is due to launch some time before the summer on certain 3G (HSDPA-enabled) phones. It is, apparently, the first phone-to-phone live videoconferencing service to hit the United States.
Sony Ericsson rings up record earnings
January 17, 2007
Sony Ericsson beat expectations with record fourth-quarter earnings and said it is optimistic about raising its world market share to third largest from fourth.
Paid VoIP Users in China Will Exceed 70 Million by 2011
January 16, 2007
China's telecom industry, fueled by GDP growth of 8 to 10 percent over the next five years, will continue to grow on all fronts. The total number of Chinese broadband subscribers will be 144 million by 2011, and paid VoIP services adoption will dovetail with broadband growth.
Verizon to spin off some assets for $2.7 billion
January 16, 2007
Verizon plans to spin off part of its telephone and DSL business in rural parts of the New England and combine it with independent phone company FairPoint Communications in a deal worth $2.7 billion.
DoCoMo's new phones feature touch panel, smell
January 16, 2007
Japan's top wireless operator, NTT DoCoMo, unveiled a mobile phone featuring a touch-sensitive screen, like the popular Nintendo DS portable game console, and another model that gives off a relaxing scent.
Polycom Announces HD Telepresence Solutions With Cinematic Views And HD Surround Sound
January 15, 2007
Polycom announced new high definition telepresence solutions that enable people working at a distance to communicate as if they were all in the same room. The telepresence solutions provide an immersive collaboration experience unlike any other with unique features, including full eight or 16-foot HD cinematic views, 22 kHz high definition surround sound, and technology that puts the camera at eye level for more natural face-to-face interaction.
In quest for Ubiquity, Avaya to pay $144 million
January 12, 2007
Avaya said that it will buy communications software maker Ubiquity Software for about $144 million.
January 12, 2007
The short of this article is that IMS is all the rage, but it's too little too late, does not align with what users want, and only puts carriers at a disadvantage who have to compete with more agile application providers. — Do you know what the real secret is to success for operators in the 21st century? Content, Content, Content. AT&T, you should be buying Time Warner, Inc.
Small firms ring changes with hosted VoIP
January 11, 2007
AT&T to phase out Cingular brand
January 11, 2007
AT&T will begin to extinguish next week the brand of cell phone operator Cingular, built up with billions of dollars over a few years, to imprint its more-than-century-old name firmly across its services.
BT Signs Up 1 Million VoIP Users—Fast
January 10, 2007
The British telecom reaches the milestone six months ahead of schedule, and the number represents more than one-third of its broadband customers.
Visa, Nokia turn cell phones into credit cards
January 10, 2007
Consumers will be able to pay for groceries and other purchases by swiping a phone over a reader that electronically communicates with a microchip on the phone. Phone owners confirm the purchase with the push of a button and the deal is complete.
Cisco sues Apple over use of iPhone trademark
January 10, 2007
Cisco Systems has filed a lawsuit against Apple accusing the company of infringing its iPhone trademark and creating a Wilmington, Del.-based front company called Ocean Telecom Services that applied to use the trademark in the U.S. with intent to gain control of the iPhone name.
Finally, Apple answers call for iPhone
January 9, 2007
In one of the most anticipated gadget announcements in recent years, Apple Computer at Macworld on Tuesday introduced the "iPhone," a mobile device that CEO Steve Jobs promised will reinvent the phone.
Panasonic To Launch Hybrid VoIP and Landline Phone
January 7, 2007
Push-to-talk comes to BlackBerry handsets
January 4, 2007
Research In Motion has signed a licensing agreement with wireless-networking specialist Kodiak Networks that will allow the smart-phone manufacturer to support push-to-talk features on its devices.
HP, TANDBERG partner on visual collaboration solutions
January 3, 2007
HP and TANDBERG have announced an alliance to make their respective telepresence and video conferencing portfolios interoperable. The two companies have agreed to pursue a development program that will allow TANDBERG's video conferencing systems to operate on the HP Halo Video Exchange Network (HVEN), which powers the Halo experience.