Deciding on a 'best' VoIP solution provider

In the modern competitive scenario, businesses need to do all that it takes to stay ahead. In this context, the change from public switch telephony network to VoIP makes a lot of sense in terms of cost efficiency and productivity enhancement. Once the decision to switch to VoIP is finalized, organizations need to choose the 'best' provider of VoIP solutions.

An important decision by any counts a decision that needs quite a bit of research. But before that, organizations need to ensure that the Internet service provider that they are subscribing to is delivering a high speed broadband connection at required bandwidth. A high speed broadband connection is a must for subscribers who want to enjoy 'premium' voice quality over VoIP networks.

A number of Voice over IP providers have come up in the telecommunication sector and potential users need to undertake a thorough research on the types of services that they are offering. These services need to be assessed viz-a-viz the specific individual business requirements, before a final purchase decision can be made. Other pointers that need to be taken into account are mentioned below:

1.Potential users must check the call rates for different destinations. In this context, users need to check if the VoIP solution provider is offering a-z routes. An extensive research on call tariffs would enable a potential user to avail of the benefits of cheap calls.
2.The voice quality is another factor that is important for any business. A VoIP solution provider who is delivering services at low rates, but is compromising on the quality aspect should be avoided.
3.The presence of multiple routes or switches as well as the contingency for back up routes is third factor that needs to be considered.

A business Voip solution provider should be able to deliver uninterrupted telephony services with maximum call quality. Business reliability and security in terms of communication also becomes important in this context. The above mentioned points should be kept in mind, when businesses are deciding on entering the profitable domain of VoIP telephony.
Source: tmcnet.com

magicJack VoIP Service

Lately, the VoIP market has become extremely interesting and volatile -- largely due to the very public crash of the SunRocket VoIP service. The demise of the company left many suddenly without service, and many others questioning the business model of cheap VoIP service.

Enter Dan Borislow and his invention, the magicJack. In this edition of the Product Spotlight, we'll take a peek at what magicJack and its service offers, what people are saying about it, and just how big the potential is for such a device.

Review of magicjack.com by redshift
This is a very useful device for someone using this as a second line or for someone who wants to make long distance calls (to Canada/US at the moment). It's still in beta so inevitably there will be bugs (though reliability for me has been excellent). You can safely recommend this to a non-technical friend and they will have few issues. The price is excellent. If you don't mind using it via a computer of some kind it's excellent value for money.
Source: dslreports.com

Technology goes bling with silicon gems

This is the ultimate in high tech bling: artificial gems of dazzling colour and variety created with a technology that was originally developed for the telecoms industry.
Called photonic crystals, they are used to separate signals carried by different wavelengths within the same optical fibre used to carry telecoms. But that also makes the crystals appear to change colour as the viewer's perspective changes, a phenomenon that occurs naturally in the gemstone opal.
New Scientist reports that Thomas Mossberg, president of Lightsmyth Technologies in Eugene, Oregon, now wants to make gems of rare beauty from simple chunks of silicon using this technology, though he himself admits that it is "surprising that a high-tech photonic concept might end up making a beautiful thing."
He uses a method called photolithography to carve circular, hexagonal and triangular spaces between three and 20 millimetres wide into a silicon wafer, etching some 200 different patterns into each gem. Each pattern reflects light of a different wavelength in a different direction, which produces gems that flash a rainbow of colours in all directions.
Within a few weeks he hopes to have a second generation of pure photonic crystal jewels, produced on a transparent material so they can be viewed from either side. And for those who may worry that high tech bling is a bit cheap, he points out they cannot be produced really cheaply, as is the case with cubic zirconia simulated diamonds.
The tools involved in their creation are state of the art and typically cost millions of dollars," he told The Daily Telegraph. "The jewels will carry a bit of a premium because of the current difficulty in producing pure photonic crystal."
He is also interested in using sapphire instead of silicon. "Sapphire is actually quite a bit more costly than silicon, but it is a material of proven attractiveness and physical qualities in which to create pure photonic crystal jewels."
Source: telegraph.co.uk

Raptor Networks Technology and Blue Tech Announce

Raptor Networks Technology and Blue Tech Announce New Business Partnership for the NASA SEWP IV Contract
SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Raptor Networks Technology, Inc. , provider of the world's first distributed network switching architectures, announced today the addition of Blue Tech as a systems integration partner focused on Federal Markets. Blue Tech holds a prime contract under the NASA SEWP IV Program. This contract is one of the many methods held by Blue Tech through which Federal customers will be able to place orders for the Raptor product line.
"We are pleased to join with a superlative integration partner like Blue Tech," noted Tom Wittenschlaeger, Raptor Networks' Chairman and CEO. "Virtually any Federal Agency can now acquire Raptor networking equipment through Blue Tech's NASA Contract Vehicle, which, we believe, will serve to grow our presence across the broad Federal marketplace."
"As a Company that prides itself on providing solutions that always incorporate the latest technologies in support of our customers, we are pleased to add Raptor Networks to the SEWP IV Contract vehicle to offer the first "distributed core" switching technology to the DOD and Federal marketplace," added Guy Stone, Blue Tech President.
Source: money.cnn.com

NHS Direct embraces VoIP

The 24-hour information service from the National Health Service (NHS) has brought its 36 contact centres together on the same network using VoIP.Cost savings and efficiency benefits are predicted due to the improved efficiency from united previously 'siloed' NHS facilities, while it is also hoped that response times to patient calls can be reduced."We wanted to improve the service we were offering, while benefiting from the cost savings that centralisation should bring," said Adrian Price, national ICT infrastructure manager at NHS Direct."We recognised that the only way to create the desired consistency and efficiencies was through virtualisation – joining up all call centres to create a united appearance – and the only way to do that was to deploy IP telephony across the country."Calls to NHS Direct can now be re-routed from where it was received to any other call centre around the country, allowing for shorter waiting times for patients on hold.And tax-payers money will be saved from lower internal phone bills, as all calls between sites will now be free over the IP telephony service.
Source: telappliant.com

eXpansys VoIP

UK online gadget store eXpansys has launched its own VoIP service in conjunction with Truphone, and will pre-install the software on every Wi-Fi enabled Nokia.

The own eXpansys branded ‘Voice over IP’ service will enable users of selected Nokia phones to make low-cost calls over the Internet when connected via Wi-Fi.

Truphone have not had much luck with Nokias in the past. Back in April it was discovered that both Vodafone and Orange had disabled a part of the N95 which made it capable of using 3rd-party VoIP software.

Truphone, who develop VoIP applications for mobile phones discovered that even after a supposed successful install of their software to an Orange locked N95, it still wasn't able to make internet calls.

eXpansys UK will now ship every compatible Nokia phone with a pre-installed eXpansys VoIP software client and instructions on how to install the software.

The decision to register the service is entirely up to the customer, eXpansys simply inform them that the phone they’ve just bought has eXpansys VoIP capabilities and they are encouraged to try the service. If customers are interested, they have the choice to register/fully install the eXpansys VoIP software and create their user account. They can then log into their online account to top-up (as this is a ‘pay-as-you-go’ service), check the account balance and submit support requests.
Source: mbmagazine.co.uk

Endeavor Telecom Using Packet Island's VoIP Network Readiness and Monitoring Solutions

Endeavor Telecom, which offers professional installation and technical services to carriers, service providers, systems integrators, VARs and equipment manufacturers, is reportedly using PacketIsland’s VoIP network assessment and monitoring solutions to help it better serve its clients.

Specifically, Endeavor is using Packet Island's VoIPPro Field Service Kit (FSK) to assess WAN and LAN VoIP readiness and Packet Island’s VoIPCare Service to monitor and tweak network performance post deployment. These software/hardware test solutions let Endeavor technicians discover and address network performance problems, such as congestion, phone malfunctions and other VoIP service issues. Plus, with VoIPCare, they can analyze up to 30 days worth of data to see trends in network performance (during high peak periods for different types of traffic) and do ongoing SLA comparison to help ensure service quality. Packet Island's micro-appliances (remotely configurable probes installed at the network edge) also provide IT staff with the data they need for capacity planning, trend analysis, and overall network management activities. "As VoIP deployments become more commonplace in the SMB marketplace, affordable and reliable network assessment and management tools have become an integral part of the process and our offerings complement Endeavor's service portfolio nicely," said Praveen Kumar, co-founder and president of Packet Island, in a press release. "Endeavor's field organization already supports many of the companies that we seek to attract, so we're thrilled to be able to offer our channel a service solution through Endeavor.""Over the past year, there has been a marked increase in the number of our service provider customers who have specifically requested the utilization of Packet Island's solutions," added Justin McLain, CEO of Endeavor Telecom. "We are pleased to answer their call in association with the great folks at Packet Island. There are only a handful of companies that offer a meaningful VoIP assessment tool, and Endeavor certainly considers Packet Island one of the more successful and unique vendors." Packet Island last made news on TMCnet in September when it announced that VoIP solutions provider Protocall Communications was using VoipPro and VoipCare for network assessment and deployment verification, as well as to provide 24x7 monitoring with SLA reporting to its VoIP customers. Protocall, which serves enterprises and SMBs working primarily in the travel, real estate, and mortgage and title industries,offers a diverse set of IP communication products including hosted VoIP, SIP trunking, unified messaging and first-class carrier products such as 800 and T1 services. The company’s robust, feature rich IP PBX is called “Genesis.” Now, with Packet Island’s solutions, it has a powerful tool for LAN and WAN assessment, as well as VoIP deployment verification and network troubleshooting.

Timms opens RFID technology centre in Halifax

Minister for competitiveness Stephen Timms has opened a radio frequency identification (RFID) technology centre in Halifax to demonstrate the benefits of RFID for retailers and others.

Backed by Yorkshire Forward and a number of other organisations, the centre is demonstrating the type of system currently being used by Co-op stores.

The AIDC (automatic identification and data capture) Centre is billed as a European Centre for Excellence for RFID and associated technologies, such as bar coding.

The Co-operative Group uses Skillweb's RFID technology to supply and track valuable stock such as cigarettes and alcohol.

"Automatic identification and data capture technologies are improving the quality and range of services and a key consideration must be how they can further improve business processes," said Timms.

The Halifax centre is a fully equipped test laboratory which has a sixty seat multi-media theatre.
Source: computerweekly.com

Police: DNA technology leads to arrest in Fresno cold case

FRESNO, Calif.—Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims says new DNA technology allowed authorities to arrest a registered sex offender they suspect killed a Fresno High School student in 1974.
Authorities arrested 51-year-old James Blaylock Monday on suspicion of murdering Debra Lee Curb. Curb was just 17 when her parents found her dead at their Fresno home on January 1st, 1974.
DNA taken from her body revealed that Blaylock had intercourse with Curb, although he denies he killed her. Mims says it's the first cold case to be filed since the unit was formed in 2002.
Source: AP

emirates computers recognized by cisco as a telepresence authorized technology provider

emirates computers recognized by cisco as a telepresence authorized technology provider
Emirates Computers announced today that it has achieved the TelePresence Authorized Technology Provider (ATP) status from Cisco. This designation recognizes Emirates Computers as having the fulfilled the training requirements and program prerequisites to sell, deploy and support Cisco TelePresence. Cisco TelePresence Meeting solution is a revolutionary new category of products that create live, "face-to-face" meeting experiences over an Internet Protocol (IP) network, empowering users to interact and collaborate in ways they could not before. It combines the reach, intelligence and reliability of the network with the simplicity of a telephone interface to deliver an entirely new way for people to meet and collaborate. Cisco TelePresence Meeting is the first application of Cisco TelePresence technology.“We are happy that Cisco chose us to be a TelePresence Authorized Technology Provider. Cisco has constantly been innovating to offer customers the latest and best technology. Our team is dedicated and committed to providing the best service, support and technical expertise in promoting Cisco TelePresence in this region,” said Mr. Dani Diab, Vice president and General Manager - Emirates Computers Abu Dhabi."Cisco TelePresence is an innovative, new application that changes the entire realm of communications and collaboration," said Mr.Richard McLeod, director of unified communciations for worldwide channels at Cisco. “Our TelePresence ATP partners, such as Emirates Computers, will help Cisco drive the technology across the chasm by delivering the sales, technical and lifecycle services capabilities customers need to successfully deploy the entire solution.” The Cisco Authorized Technology Provider (ATP) Program is a key part of Cisco’s emerging technology go-to-market strategy. The program helps define the knowledge, skills and services that channel partners need to successfully sell, deploy and support a subject technology. As markets mature and technologies progress along the adoption curve, some ATP programs may migrate to Cisco Specializations.
Source: © 2007 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

Confusion reigns when switching ISPs

Nearly half of the UK's ISP call centres offer incorrect advice about switching to and from full local loop unbundling (LLU) broadband providers.
Recent undercover customer research by Broadband Choices found that some customers were getting billed by both their old and new ISPs.
Issues surrounding the use of Migration Authorisation Codes also proved inconsistent, as did advice from regulator Ofcom.
"This is ironic as Migration Authorisation Codes were introduced by Ofcom to ease the issues surrounding migration," said Michael Phillips, product director at Broadband Choices.
"Clearly we cannot rely on ISPs to inform consumers on the best process to follow when switching."
Philips cited the case of a Mrs Farren, a TalkTalk customer who decided to move her broadband and telephone account from a Virgin Media ADSL connection to TalkTalk LLU.
To complete the process Mrs Farren obtained a Migration Authorisation Code from Virgin Media ADSL and the migration appeared to go smoothly.
However, she continued to receive bills from Virgin Media ADSL, as TalkTalk had not used the Migration Authorisation Code, despite taking the matter up with Ofcom.
"Ofcom has given us complete lack of clarity as to who is to blame in this matter," said Mrs Farren.
"While I appreciate that Ofcom cannot become embroiled in individual cases, I find it incredible that two large ISPs cannot agree who should take responsibility."
Phillips called on Ofcom to offer "clear advice on what action consumers should take if they find themselves in a similar situation".
Source: vnunet.com

On Facebook, VoIP Has a Sore Throat

The VoIP community, like so many others, got swept up in the Facebook platform euphoria. Not a day passed without some startup or another unveiling their Facebook application amid much fanfare. Well, the party is over, and it has become clear that VoIP apps have lost their voice on Facebook.
This was first noted by one of my readers on his blog; now Stuart Henshall, Alec Saunders and other VoIP bloggers have joined in pointing out the sorry state of VoIP on Facebook.
“The majority of Facebook users are students — mobile phone users — as well. In fact, 27% of Facebook users are users of Facebook mobile,” writes Saunders.
Given how easy mobile is, he wonders, who is going to take the trouble to fire up a PC and log onto Facebook just to make a call? Let’s extend this argument to all VoIP widget offerings — they don’t offer a vastly improved user experience when compared with the simplicity of the phone. Sure they save pennies per minute on international long distance calls, but even those costs are coming down quite sharply.
Actually the situation for VoIP apps on Facebook is pretty bleak.
We emailed Ryan Nitz, founder and CTO of Deft Labs and maker of AppHound, a Facebook apps analytical tool company, to help us get a better sense of what is going on with VoIP-related Facebook apps.
When Nitz ran queries using the keywords Skype and VoIP, AppHound found that the combined installs for all VoIP applications was 435,481, with 11,615 daily users. That’s about 2.7 percent.
Source: gigaom.com

VoIP over 3G mobile networks will eclipse voice over WiFi, says Disruptive Analysis

The evolution of mobile VoIP will rapidly eclipse voice over WiFi and become a mainstream form of communication, according to a study by Disruptive Analysis. The analyst firm predicts that the number of VoIPo3G users could grow from virtually zero in 2007 to over 250 million by the end of 2012. This is comfortably in excess of the expected number of FMC users with dual-mode VoWLAN/cellular phones.
The report demonstrates that it will be the operators themselves which will be mainly responsible for the push towards VoIP being carried over cellular networks. Carriers will become increasingly attracted to VoIPo3G because it will enable them to fit more phone calls into their scarce spectrum allocations, reduce operating expenses by combining fixed and mobile core networks, and launch new services like push-to-talk and voice-integrated “mashups”.
VoIPo3G also fits well with the move towards femtocells. Future generations of wireless technology -- 3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution), 3GPP2 UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), WiMAX -- are “all-IP”, so unless mobile operators continue to run separate voice networks in parallel, they will inevitably transition to VoIP at some point.
However, because these new radio technologies are three to five years away from mainstream deployment -- what happens in the meantime will provide the major disruption to operator business models. Some independent VoIP players are already exploiting the fact that today’s 3G networks can already support VoIP, putting dedicated software on smartphones, exploiting open operating systems, flat-rate data plans and features like “naked SIP” and built-in VoIP capability. These are linked to competitive ‘over the top’ phone or IM services via a mobile Internet connection.
At the same time, there is an increasing trend of carriers marketing 3G modems for PCs -- not just for mobile computing, but also to compete with home DSL/cable broadband offerings. Laptop users expect to be able to use their normal broadband applications over 3G, including voice-based ones like Skype. Some operators are even offering their own VoIP software for PCs with wireless broadband.
The end-result of the push towards VoIPo3G is that by 2012, most VoIPo3G users will be using mobile carriers’ own standards-based VoIP capabilities, over the new, advanced 3G+ networks. However, a significant minority of about 60m will be using independent or Internet-based solutions -- many actually operated in partnership with carriers or retailers.
Dean Bubley, author of the report and founder of Disruptive Analysis, comments: “3G networks are increasingly capable of supporting VoIP, for both traditional mobile operators and independent Internet-based VoIP challengers. But while CDMA operators will benefit from VoIP being ‘designed-in’ to their newest networks, 3GPP / HSPA operators will have to wait for several years -- a window of opportunity which will be exploited by the ‘over the top’ players. Rather than competing head-on, partnership models have the potential to create win-win propositions.”
Source: telecom.tekrati.com

Choosing the right VoIP phone

November 20, 2007 (Network World) -- We have a four-person consulting practice. We are separated by 40 miles between three cities and all work out of our homes. We have reasonably fast DSL and one has Verizon FiOS. It has been highly recommended to us to consider a virtual PBX relationship with RingCentral and eliminate our current land lines and fax line. The new service would be purely VoIP based. Assuming we want a phone in each home office, what full-feature desk phone do you recommend we obtain? The vendors appear to be Cisco, Siemens and 3Com. With a virtual switch do we go for analog or digital desk phones? On eBay, it appears the phones are typically part of a site-based phone system. It appears we may have a "soft phone" option on our laptops through the DSL. We would also like to have such qualities as headsets and freedom to move around. -- Kirk A. KingThe first thing I'd do is ask RingCentral (or whoever you pick for VoIP services) what hardware it supports and is most comfortable with. See if you have the option of buying it from the vendor, since you should be able to have it preconfigure the phones before shipping them to you. If you can't buy the phones from the vendor, see where you can get it at a good price and have local support for the hardware -- in case you run into an issue that your VoIP provider can't resolve. The choice between digital and analog will depend in part on the hardware your provider can support.I like the idea of having a soft phone option for your laptops. This can help keep you connected while traveling without having to drag the phone with you. When using a soft phone with a laptop, you will want to have a good headset. A $10 headset can be used in an emergency, but it will sound pretty bad and maybe not as good as a tin can and a string. I have used headsets from both Plantronics and Heil Sound. Bob Heil, the owner of Heil Sound, is a broadcast engineer with 40 years of experience in providing good sound for many applications. Both provide good quality headsets that are compact and easy to take with you.You will want to check the DSL/cable modem connections to make sure you have what you are paying for. Depending on the upload/download speeds you currently have, it might be worth a few extra dollars to go up a step so that you have plenty of bandwidth so you can use the phone and be on the Internet at the same time. This is another good thing to ask your VoIP provider: What configuration changes should be made to the firewall so you can get the best possible voice quality with your phones and setup.Be careful when buying VoIP phones from eBay, however. You will want to make sure they have the right firmware installed. Most likely this will be SIP, but it could be a different firmware load. Again, ask your provider before buying the wrong device. If you can buy new, this will make it easier to get support from the vendor that made the phone. This will be an additional yearly cost, but one that will be well worth it. If the phone is used, you may not be able to purchase support from the company that made the phone.
Source: computerworld.com

Improvements keep people focused on new cameras

Digital camera sales are defying expectations.
Two years ago, camera sales were expected to hit a peak and begin falling. Instead, sales are expected to grow 16% this year, and analyst Chris Chute at research firm IDC expects them to grow an additional 8% in 2008.
"We really thought the growth had ended," Chute says. "People are either upgrading their cameras now, because prices are so low, or replacing dead models."
About 122 million cameras will be shipped to stores this year, up from 105 million in 2006, IDC says. Camera manufacturers have found new ways to entice buyers, with tools such as image stabilization, first found in video cameras.
"It's really easy to understand," says Chute. "You don't want blurry shots? Try this camera, it will compensate for a shaky hand — and it really works."
In the USA, about 65% of households own at least one digital camera, or 106 million Americans, says the Photo Marketing Association.
One of the fastest-growing areas in camera sales is the digital SLR, or single lens reflex, which lets shutterbugs use interchangeable lenses for wide-angle and close-up shots.
These cameras used to start around $1,000, but prices have become more competitive. SLRs from Nikon and Pentax now sell in the $500 range, and Chute predicts we'll see an SLR for about $300 this holiday season.
The Pentax K100D digital SLR is available for $349 (with a $100 rebate) at some aggressive discounters online.
Much of the pricing action happens between Thanksgiving and New Year's, which is when camera manufacturers see 45% of their sales for the year.
In the third quarter, camera makers sold 8.4 million units, IDC says, with Canon holding onto its lead as the No. 1 manufacturer, with 23% market share. Sony , with 18%, was No. 2, and Kodak was No. 3 with 15%.
Source: usatoday.com

Hong Kong - Smartone-Vodafone speeds up mobile broadband

Nov 20, 2007 (Tarifica Alert/Access Intelligence via COMTEX)

An HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) mobile broadband service from Smartone-Vodafone, which covers the whole of Hong Kong including the metro system, was launched on 14th November 2007.
The service provides download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbit/s and an upload rate of up to 2 Mbit/s. Postpaid prices start at HK$ 348.00 per month for a 30- month contract and go up to HK$ 488.00 for an 18-month contract. The modem costs HK$ 1,680 but is free on the 30-month contract. Usage is 'unlimited' for postpaid subscribers although a fair usage policy applies.
Prepaid users pay HK$ 2.00 per MB up to a maximum of HK$ 48 per day. The initial cost to cover the modem is HK$ 1,888 which includes HK$ 300 of inclusive data usage. Data roaming costs HK$ 0.12/ KB on all plans.
Tarifica's Take:
Competing mobile operator PCCW offers unlimited mobile broadband for HK$ 488.00 per month, and prepaid for HK$ 0.08 per KB. Another Hong Kong 3G operator CSL charges HK$ 538.00 per month for unlimited mobile broadband access along with access to WiFi hotspots. Smartone's new offer compares favourably with these, but it is the fixed broadband market that it is really aimed at. A downlink speed of
7.2 Mbit/s is easily comparable to speeds offered by ADSL providers, and an upload speed of 2 Mbit/s is in fact much faster than is usually offered with consumer ADSL. Netvigator, a leading Hong Kong Internet Service Provider in association with fixed operator PCCW, offers ADSL at 6 Mbit/s download/ 256 kbit/s upload for HK$ 398.00 per month for 200 hours of access time with no contract commitments.
1 US Dollar (USD) = 7.78613 Hong Kong Dollars (HKD). VAT does not apply.

Source: tradingmarkets.com

Uncapped local ADSL bandwidth kicks in

Telkom Internet is trialing its uncapped local ADSL bandwidth service where users who have reached their cap still have local access.
Telkom Internet is trialing their uncapped local bandwidth ADSL service where users who reach their monthly bandwidth limit, or cap as it is more commonly known, will only be capped on international bandwidth. All local websites and services are therefore still available to ADSL subscribers who are ‘capped’.
Telkom has previously indicated that it will charge a reduced fee for all local bandwidth consumption after the usage limit is reached. Telkom is however currently not charging for this service and the price for this local bandwidth has not been communicated yet.
The Telkom Internet usage tracker website simply states that “Local Bandwidth is in a testing phase and more details will be communicated at a later stage. Please ignore usage that accrues on the Local Bandwidth tracking tool and it will have no impact on your original blended threshold purchased.”
Lower threshold cap
Telkom Internet became known as an ADSL ISP which did not cap its users immediately when they reached their monthly usage limit. They made a name for themselves by endorsing a more lenient capping policy that allowed for a fair amount of usage after the ‘capped value’ had been reached.
This is however something which may change. Telkom has recently told ICASA that it will enforce its international capping policy more strictly.
According to feedback from Telkom Internet subscribers, many users are capped shortly after exceeding their monthly usage limit, typically between 3 GB and 4 GB for ADSL users with a 3 GB cap. The same holds for 1 GB and 2 GB subscribers who said that they were capped nearly immediately after they reach their monthly limit.
Performance
The performance of the local ADSL service after being capped looks the same as an uncapped account.
The Gamco speed test gave a downlink speed of 2.59 Mbps while the Sentech Speed test displayed a download speed of 1643.66 Kbps.
The iBurst speed test, located on the Verizon Business backbone, indicated that the download speed was 3.48 Mbps and the uplink speed was 244 Kbps. Telkom’s own FTP speed test gave a speed of 3200 Kbps.
These results are similar to results achieved on a Telkom Internet account where the monthly usage limit has not been reached yet.
No official launch date yet
Telkom’s Group Executive for Corporate Communications Lulu Letlape said that Telkom Internet commenced testing its intended solutions from 1 November 2007 in a live environment to ensure that the solution complies with the regulation concerned.
“Specific changes to Telkom Internet's subscribers’ contracts, as well as any new packages, will be communicated once testing is successfully completed,” said Letlape.
Source: mybroadband.co.za

Linksys' IP Phones and VoIP Adapters Now Compliant with Centile's IntraSwitch

Linksys’ VoIP appliances are now interoperable with Centile’s IntraSwitch VoIP platform. That means businesses and residential users can now use Linsys’ leading IP phones and VoIP adapters in concert with Centile’s leading VoIP software and be comfortable that the two have been interoperability tested.


Thanks to SIP, Linksys devices certified to work with Centile's IntraSwitch include the SPA-1001, SPA-2102 and PAP2T adapters, as well as its line of IP phones."We are excited to support Centile's applications with our product portfolio," said Ivar Beljaars, technical solutions manager for Linksys, a Cisco company, in a press release. "Customers are now able to take advantage of the Linksys VoIP products with Centile's value-added and innovative applications.""This strategic combination of Linksys products with our solution represents an excellent addition to our family of leading third-party vendors," said Jose Ruiz, CEO for Centile. "The supported Linksys products enable our customers to offer best-of breed VoiP CPE equipment to their end customer base, which give us further competitive advantage and will certainly help accelerating our worldwide market penetration."The combined product will offer excellent audio quality, a broad range of voice codecs, secure remote provisioning and unobtrusive in-service software upgrades. Users will not only get a full range of telephony features, including easy station moves, presence and shared line appearances, they will also gain a phone system that can be readily expanded to meet their needs.Linksys made news on TMCnet earlier this month when it announced that it had signed a deal with VoIP service provider Voxitas, formerly NetLogic, to become a national service provider supporting the Linksys One series of IP PBXs. Because Linksys One is one of the most popular VoIP phone systems for SMBs, this deal all but assures steady growth for Voxitas’ high quality business VoIP service in the years to come.Meanwhile Centile made news on TMCnet in October when it announced that Moscow-based systems integrator CPM Ltd. had selected the IntraSwitch platform to help it deliver next-generation, turnkey VoIP and IMS solutions to telcos and medium to large sized enterprises across Russia. The deal means service providers in Russia looking to trial IntraSwitch can get full support from CPM, including network planning, platform integration, web portal customization, custom application development, multi-vendor interoperability, hosting and network testing.IntraSwitch is Centile’s flagship, SIP-based, pre-IMS VoIP platform. According to the company it provides the scalability, reliability and manageability to support hundreds of thousands of customers in a highly distributed and modular architecture. The platform comes loaded with ready-to-market service functionalities including Business Trunking, VoIP VPN, IP Centrex, Hybrid IP Centrex, Mobile IP Centrex, Intra Centrex, and Residential VoIP. It also offers value-added Class 5 features including CTI, a full Media Server with IVR, ACD, Conferencing, Presence Management, Instant Messaging, Free Seating, Multi-Terminal and Video support.
Source: tmcnet.com

IBM, Universities Research Open Source Technologies For Aging Workers

IBM aims to provide technology for people with age-related disabilities, as large portions of workforces in developed countries near retirement age.

IBM has teamed up with researchers from the University of Dundee's School of Computing in the United Kingdom and the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine to develop open source technology for older workers.
IBM announced the effort last week, saying it aims to provide technology for people with age-related disabilities, as large portions of workforces in developed countries near retirement age and the pool of younger workers decreases.
The partnership is part of IBM's Open Collaborative Research (OCR) program, which encourages ties between IBM and universities.
Researchers from the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center and Professors Peter Gregor from the University of Dundee and Sara Czaja from the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine will target training and collaboration technologies to meet the needs of older workers.
"Older workers represent an extremely valuable resource," Czaja said. "However, they need to have tools available to them to be able to compete in today'' technology driven workplace."
Researchers from Miami's Miller School of Medicine will build on findings from the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE) and the Center on Aging. CREATE is a multidisciplinary center, funded by the National Institutes on Aging, with research teams from the University of Miami, Florida State University, and Georgia Institute of Technology.
Miami's program focuses on technology in job settings. Researchers there analyze training programs and design e-learning software that works for older adults.
The University of Dundee's Assistive and Healthcare Technologies Group includes eight faculty, three full Professors and a Royal Society of Edinburgh Fellow, who focus on assistive technologies. The university will provide researchers from the School of Computing, as well as those specializing in psychology, media arts and imaging, and design.
The researchers will publish open source software code and all additional intellectual property developed through the projects or release it royalty-free, IBM said.
"This collaboration is a superb opportunity for the group in Dundee to apply our wide experience of research with older people, and of developing better ways of accessing technology, in an exciting new transatlantic partnership with IBM and the Miller Medical School in Miami," Gregor, head of the School of Computing at the University of Dundee, said in a statement. "The open source focus makes the challenges particularly rewarding because it means that knowledge gained and systems developed will be available freely to the people who need them and to other developers."
IBM's research team has worked for several years on Web site usability for older adults and created software for older users.
"IBM strives to aid companies in developing solutions to accommodate the maturing workforce, as well as prolong and increase productivity," Vicki Hanson, accessibility manager for IBM Research, said in a statement.
Source: informationweek.com

8x8, Inc. Launches Packet8 MobileTalk(TM) International Calling Service for Mobile Phone Users

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 8x8, Inc. , provider of Packet8 (http://www.packet8.net) broadband Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), videophone and mobile VoIP communication services, today announced the launch of Packet8 MobileTalk(TM), an easy to use mobile calling service that offers a simple, affordable and high quality digital voice solution to overseas calling.
Packet8 MobileTalk utilizes a downloadable software application that can currently reside on any Windows, Palm or Symbian based mobile phone to seamlessly connect international calls from the mobile phone to the Packet8 digital VoIP network. Routing these calls over the Packet8 network enables cell phone users to significantly reduce their international phone bills and maintain high international voice quality while still enjoying the convenience and flexibility of mobile calling.
"Packet8 MobileTalk is a breakthrough application that dramatically improves the international mobile calling experience from start to finish," said 8x8 Chairman and CEO Bryan R. Martin. "Most mobile phone users typically avoid placing overseas calls from their cell phones because of the exorbitant rates their mobile carriers are charging. With Packet8 MobileTalk, subscribers won't think twice about calling Europe or Asia because instead of $1.00 to $3.00 per minute, they will be paying as little as $.02 to $.05 per minute over the Packet8 network to most destinations. With more than 340 mobile phones from any cell phone carrier currently supported, the Packet8 MobileTalk service is a vital tool for mobile business professionals and consumers."
Unlike calling card, callback and other reduced-rate international mobile calling services, which require the user to dial numerous key strokes in addition to their destination number or make their calls through cumbersome software applications, Packet8 MobileTalk users can dial calls directly and natively from their mobile handset, contact list or speed dial directory with no additional keystrokes - a significant advantage when, for example, placing a call while driving. Once the destination number is dialed or selected, the Packet8 MobileTalk software application identifies the international prefix being called and redirects the call to a local Packet8 network access number. With Packet8 MobileTalk, all calls are carried to the Packet8 network over the subscriber's existing cellular voice phone service and do not require access to an expensive monthly data plan or WiFi access point. Packet8 MobileTalk calls offer unparalleled voice quality as the calls are routed over the award- winning, patent-protected Packet8 digital phone VoIP network.
Customers can sign up for a Packet8 MobileTalk account today at http://mobiletalk.packet8.net and download the application to their mobile device from a PC or, if the customer's existing mobile service plan includes data service, via a quick over-the-air software download.
Customers do not have to subscribe to other Packet8 VoIP or videophone services in order to sign up for Packet8 MobileTalk, though discounted service fees are offered to existing Packet8 VoIP or MobileTalk subscribers. There is a one-time $9.99 activation fee for the service and a monthly fee of $9.99 for non-Packet 8 subscribers. Existing Packet8 VoIP subscribers, including subscribers with one Packet8 MobileTalk account, pay a monthly service fee of $4.99. Packet8 MobileTalk overseas calls are billed at Packet8's low international rates which can be found at http://www.packet8.net/international_services/. To view a demo of Packet8 MobileTalk go to http://mobiletalk.packet8.net/demo.html.
About 8x8, Inc.
8x8, Inc., the second largest standalone VoIP service provider in the U.S., offers internet-based telephony solutions (http://www.packet8.net) for individual residential and business users as well as small to medium sized business organizations. In addition to regular Packet8 VoIP service plans priced as low as $24.99 per month for unlimited anytime calling to the U.S., Canada and eight additional countries, 8x8 offers the Packet8 Tango Video Terminal Adapter along with accompanying monthly service plans also priced at $24.99 per month. Packet8 Virtual Office, 8x8's VoIP phone system for small to medium sized businesses, is a hosted PBX solution comprised of powerful business class features. Companies subscribing to Virtual Office pay just $49.99 per month per extension for enterprise class PBX functionality along with unlimited local and long distance calling in the U.S. and Canada. The Packet8 Complete Contact Center(TM) is a hosted multimedia call center distribution and management platform that works with any broadband Internet service and provides enterprise class contact center functionality combined with Virtual Office hosted iPBX calling features and business calling plans. Packet8 Softalk Office(TM), 8x8's PC-based soft phone client, offers high quality voice and video in-network calling as well as outbound calling to the PSTN. Packet8 MobileTalk(TM) is a breakthrough mobile service that dramatically improves the overall mobile international calling experience by routing overseas mobile phone calls over the award-winning, patent-protected Packet8 digital VoIP network. For additional company information, visit 8x8's web site at http://www.8x8.com.
NOTE: 8x8, the 8x8 logo, Packet8, the Packet8 logo, Packet8 Virtual Office, Packet8 Softalk, Packet8 Tango and Packet8 MobileTalk are trademarks of 8x8, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Source: money.cnn.com

World Demand Helps H.P. Outpace Rivals

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 19 — Buoyed by its heavy international presence, Hewlett-Packard appears to have sidestepped the softening demand from corporations inside the United States for new technology.

In recent weeks, companies including Cisco, I.B.M. and Network Appliances have warned that American corporations are tightening their purse strings when it comes to technology spending. On Monday, Hewlett-Packard, the world’s largest technology company, not only reported strong fourth-quarter net profit and sales, but also predicted further growth in the months ahead.
In conference calls with reporters and industry analysts, Mark V. Hurd, the chief executive, declined to answer directly whether H.P. is seeing softening in demand among corporate customers in the United States. Over all, he said, “we’re seeing fairly steady demand.”
He also said: “I don’t want to be confused with an economist in any way, shape or form.”
Hewlett-Packard, he also noted, does not depend on the financial industry for a significant portion of its sales.
Wall Street analysts said that the results, which beat their projections, reflected the diversity of H.P.’s business geographically and in terms of its reliance on selling to consumers, not just corporations.
“This is very different from what we heard from I.B.M. and Cisco, in particular,” said Shaw Wu, an analyst with American Technology Research. “H.P. continues to execute in this very tough environment. The key reason is that they’re very global.”
Mr. Hurd, known for giving conservative forecasts to analysts, predicted revenue for 2008 would rise about 7 percent to about $111.5 billion. The new forecast exceeded industry analysts’ predictions.
For H.P.’s fourth quarter, ended Oct. 31, the company reported revenue of $28.3 billion, and net income of $2.8 billion, or 86 cents a share, a figure that does not include one-time charges.
In the fourth quarter a year ago, H.P. reported net income of $1.9 billion, or 68 cents a share, and revenue of $24.55 billion. For its full fiscal 2007, H.P. reported revenue of $104.3 billion and net income of $8 billion, or $2.93 a share, excluding one-time charges.
A. M. Sacconaghi, an industry analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Company, called the fourth-quarter and fiscal 2007 earnings “very solid,” adding: “They beat handily and raised guidance, which investors always cheer.”
The company’s shares, which fell with the overall market Monday during regular trading, rose 86 cents in after-hours trading to close at $50.30. The company also announced a plan to buy back $8 billion of its shares.
Unlike many technology companies — which do roughly 60 percent of their business domestically — H.P. does around 65 percent overseas, industry analysts said. Dell, its chief competitor, does only about 35 percent of its business internationally, Mr. Wu said.
Despite its recent success, the question for a company as large as H.P. is where can it find opportunities that will satisfy investors’ interest in seeing continued growth at a rapid pace. Mr. Hurd has frequently warned analysts that the law of large numbers makes it increasingly difficult for the company to add $7 billion to $8 billion in new revenue each year.
Mr. Hurd said in a conference call with Wall Street analysts that he would continue to seek businesses with growth potential, but that he would also keep pursuing a program of cost cuts and efficiency improvements and would then reallocate resources to the growth sectors.
At the two largest individual business divisions, sales rose 30 percent, to $10.1 billion, in the personal systems group, which sells PCs to consumers and corporations, but they were up only 4 percent, to $7.6 billion, in the imaging and printing group.
“PC’s continued their torrid success,” Mr. Sacconaghi said. “The only mild disappointment was in the imaging and printing group.”
The performance in computers could underscore continued trouble for Dell, H.P.’s chief competitor, which reports its financial results next week. Sales of H.P. notebook computers rose 49 percent in the fourth quarter, Mr. Hurd said.
While Mr. Hurd declined to discuss the relative performance of corporations in the United States, H.P. did see more modest growth in North America in the fourth quarter than it did in its overseas markets.
Excluding currency effects, growth in North America was 10 percent, to $11.9 billion, compared with the period a year ago. Sales grew 19 percent in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, to $11.6 billion, and in the Asia-Pacific market they were up 20 percent, to $4.8 billion.
H.P. estimated that for its first quarter of 2008, sales would be $27.4 billion to $27.5 billion, and net income would reach 80 cents a share, not including one-time charges.
Wall Street analysts were hoping H.P. would shed more light on overall economic conditions and on the spending patterns of American companies.
“The investment community is anxious about what’s happening in large corporate I.T. spending,” Mr. Sacconaghi said. “Even if it’s limited now to U.S. financial services companies, it could spread.”
Source: nytimes.com

vidIP Enable Live Broadcast Transmission Over IP Through Retail ADSL Internet Access

vidIP, has demonstrated ahead of competition a new capability of its TSS-110 and CDS-110 video routers, allowing live broadcast transmission over IP using retail Internet ADSL access.

A major breakthrough for the media industry, allowing the use of public IP access networks for broadcast quality video transmission. Highlighting vidIP’s technology advance on its market, this capability meets today’s requirements of national and local television networks, news agencies and media industry professionals, looking at reducing their transmission costs.

Now media industry professionals can rely on vidIP’s solutions to set up live video transmission using generally available ADSL-based public Internet access, not renouncing broadcast quality requirements. vidIP’s solutions will enable to set up on demand broadcast-class live video links with remote offices, local and special correspondents, temporary event sites, at a fraction of the cost of fiber or satellite based transmissions.

Real world testing

To ensure the reliability of this new capability, vidIP has realized real world testing of its products using retail ADSL Internet access from four major ISPs in France. With vidIP’s technology, these connections allowed repeatedly real time video transmission during 15 to 30 minutes nonstop using various bit rates (1 Mbit/s to 4 Mbit/s) and formats (MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 ASP). This has been achieved without any kind of support or specific setup from the ISPs, highlighting that vidIPs solution is out of the box compatible with off the shelves retail ADSL based internet access offerings.

Results are clear: vidIPs integrated systems linked through public internet over retail ADSL internet access have demonstrated their ability to meet broadcast quality standards, including an end to end latency below 1 second.

High level error correction functionalities

To meet the quality requirement of live broadcast video, vidIP has leveraged its link aggregation technology Gatherlink, adding to it several mechanisms to compensate for the imperfections of retail ADSL internet access. Specifically, vidIP’s performance relies on enhanced jitter reduction mechanisms and advanced lost IP packet rebuilding functionalities, implementing FEC (Forward Error Correction) standard. Theses enhancements enabled vidIP’s solution to aggregate four retail ADSL lines into a 2.8 Mbit/s virtual link.

Fast deployment and cost effective

vidIP’s Gatherlink technology has proven its ability to enable reliable live video transmission over xDSL and QoS controled links, including managed VPNs. With this new capability, Gatherlink also demonstrates that it is possible to use non dedicated and public ADSL based internet access to deploy quality live video networks. These capabilities allow media industry professionals to extend their network faster than ever, and at a fraction of the current transmission costs.

In addition to allow fast and cost effective transmissions for live duplex, delivery of news reports from remote offices or special correspondent on event sites, vidIP’s solution help to strengthen the security of existing live video transmission networks, providing a cost effective way to set up a fail-over backup line.

Live broadcast video over IP through Public ADSL based internet access capabilities are available immediately as part of the integrated systems TSS-110 and CDS-110 from vidIP.
Source: broadcastbuyer.tv

Bigfoot Networks Partners with DiamondWare To Put Online Gaming VoIP into Killer™ NIC

Bigfoot Networks, Inc., with the Killer NIC gaming network card, and DiamondWare, the leading provider of 3D spatial VoIP technology, have agreed to jointly develop VoIP for MMORPG and FPS games that fully offloads all client-side processing to the Killer NIC. This will enable online gamers to experience higher-quality multiplayer voice chat while gaming, without impacting their MMO and FPS game's performance.
Austin, Texas (PRWEB) November 20, 2007 -- Bigfoot Networks, Inc., makers of the award winning Killer™ NIC gaming network card, today announced a joint development agreement with DiamondWare, the leading provider of 3D spatial Voice over IP technology. The companies are developing a hardware-accelerated voice solution for MMORPG and FPS games that fully offloads all client-side processing to the Killer NIC. DiamondWare's 3D positional voice technology accelerated with Killer hardware will enable online gamers to experience higher-quality multiplayer voice while gaming, without impacting game performance.
Powered by Bigfoot Network's proprietary LLR™ Technology and a dedicated onboard NPU (network processing unit), the Killer gaming network card is optimized to reduce the lag and network latency associated with high action MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Play) and FPS (First Person Shooter) games. In addition, the card supports a variety of popular gamer applications that run directly on the card's NPU instead of the CPU all without affecting game play or performance through its Flexible Network Architecture (FNA). Currently supported FNA clients include Firewall, Game Patcher, BitTorrent, FTP, Telnet and now 3D voice from DiamondWare.
DiamondWare upgrades the plain old voice experience into the digital age, offering an experience like being in the room with people "Voice chat while gaming adds a whole new level of realism that gamers crave," said Harlan Beverly, co-founder and CEO of Bigfoot Networks, Inc. "Our users have told us emphatically that voice chat is the #1 capability that they would use more if it had no impact on frame rate and Lag. By partnering with DiamondWare we will be able to offer Killer owners the best 3D voice technology at zero impact to gameplay."
The DiamondWare Platform enables integrated high-definition, proximity-based positional voice in games. DiamondWare's patent-pending technology provides custom spatial positioning of each voice for each listener in the game. Spatial voice in multiplayer gaming creates a more natural audio experience that significantly enhances immersion and gamers' perception of the playing field.
"DiamondWare upgrades the plain old voice experience into the digital age, offering an experience like being in the room with people," said Keith Weiner, CEO of DiamondWare. "By partnering with Bigfoot we will be able to offer game players an even more immersive 3D multi-player voice experience without the worry of any PC performance impacts."
The companies plan to initially release a Beta version open to Killer NIC owners before the end of this year.
Source: prweb.com

Medical tests for new technology

Not enough hospital beds, not enough nurses and not enough money. It's the same old story.
But the health system is on the verge of a wave of technology reform that can help, says Thomas Hatvani, director of business development and operations at Melbourne's new Centre for Health Innovation.
Opened this year, the purpose-built centre tests and evaluates health-care applications in a simulated clinical environment.
At the Alfred Hospital, it is a joint initiative of Bayside Health, La Trobe University, Monash University and the Baker Heart Research Institute.
The centre advises hospitals and other health-service providers about relevant technologies and gives them a chance to test products and services off-site, without risk to patients or critical hospital systems.
The centre worked with Cisco to design a test-bed network infrastructurefor applications such as radio tagging of patient wristbands, wireless communications systems, desktop-to-desktop videoconferencing, and thin clients with smartcards for quick access to clinical information.
The $350,000 Cisco network infrastructure includes switches and routing, internet connectivity, secure remote access, a firewall, wireless IP telephony, voicemail, and wireless connectivity for mobility and wi-fi radio tracking. Running on the network are laptops, tablet PCs, thin-client PCs with smart cards, wi-fi PDA/phones, about 30 IP phones, and more than 20 servers..
Thecentre uses Dell's blade server system and external storage, Intel's server hardware, and Hewlett-Packard's peripheral devices, and has a technical consultant for Windows server and application infrastructure.
Technology manager Frank Smolenaers says the centre's test-bed architecture is unique. "We run a quarantined network embedded in a simulation hospital facility and a production hospital system in parallel. We have secure access to the Bayside Health network so we can demonstrate access to clinical and digital medical imaging.
"We are not aware of another facility like this elsewhere in the world."
The centre's use of technologies has posed challenges for vendors.
It was the first Australian site to operate a wi-fi radio-tracking system produced in the US. The system can consolidate different vendor radio systems for a single view of where everything is. It tracks people and assets such as radio-enabled devices including wireless IP phones, PDAs and laptops.
Applications in development include: IP telephony and integrated unified messaging; an IP-enabled nurse call system; remote access technologies; desktop-to-desktop video conferencing; and patient entertainment and bedside clinical portal systems.
The project was challenging because the centre's network had to remain secure and reliable, says Mr Smolenaers. "The complexity of our test bed grew rapidly and, in hindsight, it would have been beneficial if key vendors adopted the infrastructure and provided long-term management. We are currently performing all management in-house."
The centre also makes it easy for the ICT and medical equipment industries to test and demonstrate healthcare applications. "We offer the IT industry an economy of scale. They can develop and test a solution here, do it once, and bring health staff here to experience it," says Mr Smolenaers.
The centre also offers vendors advice on how they can improve their product for the health-services industry.
Dimension Data's chief technology officer, Gerard Florian, considers virtual and remote access by health-services groups throughout Australia part of the centre's future and says it could also one day consider streaming technology.
Source: smh.com.au

Making communications technology more social

Technology helps us communicate but is it cutting out too much of the chitchat that makes us human?
Researchers at the University of Melbourne are exploring how technology can support phatic communications.
Phatic communication is not about hard-core data transfer. It is titbits like "good to see you", "thanks for calling" and "I see" - the small-talk glue that holds human relationships together.
Globalisation and increased time pressures can challenge phatic communications, says Dr Martin Gibbs, a lecturer at the university's department of information systems who has been researching domestic communications since 2004.
Even our close friends and family are resorting to technology originally designed for businesses to support occasional and rapid bursts of information exchange.
Dr Gibbs believes that in the future specially developed phatic technologies could help people reconnect and also lead to more "socially beneficial applications of technology", such as helping people quit smoking or take better care of their health.
While some social-networking tools do support elements of phatic communication (and twitter.com could be considered phatic communications gone mad), Dr Gibbs believes specially designed phatic technologies will be important in the future. After lengthy field studies examining how people use technology to communicate and support family activities, researchers have developed a series of concept technologies demonstrating how phatic technology might evolve.
Dr Gibbs' team has just completed a 12-month trial of Collage, a wall-mounted device that allows families who are geographically separated to interact with one another. The trial involved two synchronised touch screens, one in the family home and the other in the grandparents' home. Either group could take photos on a mobile phone and post them on Collage, or send text messages that would be displayed simultaneously on both screens, prompting further phatic comment via the touch screens.
Over time, the earlier messages and photos on Collage recede into the background while newer ones were superimposed - a little like the family fridge becoming an archaeological dig of family information with photos, invites and alerts stuck on it.
Dr Gibbs believes technologies such as Collage could nurture geographically distant families or help reconnect grandparents to grandchildren following a divorce. He believes phatic technologies will have a particularly important role to play given the ageing Australian population, although he cautions against people trying to replace human contact entirely with phatic technologies.

While there are no plans to prototype Collage as a product, Dr Gibbs says that he hopes the research into human computer interaction would help inform future products designed for domestic rather than corporate applications.
"The notion of phatic technology is that it is designed for social support rather than information exchange. It needs a different approach to business technologies, which are all about efficiencies and productivity," Dr Gibbs says. "In home technologies, it is more about nurturing and the way we choose to spend time."
He adds that while many technologies designed for businesses had been appropriated into the home, very few had been designed specifically with the domestic setting in mind.
Collage is the latest in a series of concept phatic technologies. Dr Gibbs and his team have also conceived the SynchroMate, a computer pad designed to fit in the palm of the hand and gently vibrate when a close friend or family member sends a message. Researchers in Scandinavia have experimented with the Gust Bowl, where two networked bowls were installed, one in the home of parents and the other in the home of their children who had left home. When either party returned home and dropped their keys in the bowl, it would vibrate, providing a gentle reminder that all was well and maintaining the human connection even over long distances. Other phatic technology teams have used a light, which switches itself on when a friend or relation walks into a room in a remote location.
Much of Dr Gibbs' work has been sponsored by the Smart Internet Technology CRC. Now replaced by the Smart Services CRC of which the university is not a member, Dr Gibbs says that he will nevertheless continue researching this area to deliver a "better understanding of the needs and desires of families with respect to technology".

While there are no plans to prototype Collage as a product, Dr Gibbs says that he hopes the research into human computer interaction would help inform future products designed for domestic rather than corporate applications.
"The notion of phatic technology is that it is designed for social support rather than information exchange. It needs a different approach to business technologies, which are all about efficiencies and productivity," Dr Gibbs says. "In home technologies, it is more about nurturing and the way we choose to spend time."
He adds that while many technologies designed for businesses had been appropriated into the home, very few had been designed specifically with the domestic setting in mind.
Collage is the latest in a series of concept phatic technologies. Dr Gibbs and his team have also conceived the SynchroMate, a computer pad designed to fit in the palm of the hand and gently vibrate when a close friend or family member sends a message. Researchers in Scandinavia have experimented with the Gust Bowl, where two networked bowls were installed, one in the home of parents and the other in the home of their children who had left home. When either party returned home and dropped their keys in the bowl, it would vibrate, providing a gentle reminder that all was well and maintaining the human connection even over long distances. Other phatic technology teams have used a light, which switches itself on when a friend or relation walks into a room in a remote location.
Much of Dr Gibbs' work has been sponsored by the Smart Internet Technology CRC. Now replaced by the Smart Services CRC of which the university is not a member, Dr Gibbs says that he will nevertheless continue researching this area to deliver a "better understanding of the needs and desires of families with respect to technology".
Source: smh.com.au

KDDI, The Ubiquitous Provider Provides More

KDDI Corporation is focused on total customer service. Currently, DVD quality film may be purchased by broadband subscribers. In the R&D division, KDDI is poised to offer the first Quad HD download over the existing pipe.
The KDDI Corporation of Japan plans to implement an initial phase of its manifesto to provide total customer satisfaction. KDDI is releasing to its broadband subscribers DVD quality films that may be downloaded for about $4.30. The pipeline news for KIDD is more interesting. KIDD has plans to deliver Quad HD movies over the same pipe. This will make KDDI the first telecom to offer 4k digital cinematic downloads via broadband.
Current DVD Services: KDDI offers all of its broadband subscribers the ability to download nearly 1,000 DVD quality films. The downloaded films are copy protected like SD cards, but may be played as many times as the subscriber desires. The downloaded DVD must be written to a DVD-R disc in order to be viewed on a DVD player. KDDI has a distribution agreement with Warner Bros. The agreement in theory prevents subscribers from copying and distributing the films, but there is no limitation on the number of plays on the initial download. According to Digital World Tokyo, the cost effectiveness of this feature is presently uncertain. The reason is that new release movies may be rented for about one-half of the cost KDDI is charging to own the no-frills packaged movie. The customer will be the final judge which may take a little time to determine. The Future Quad HD: KDDI is in the development stage of providing Quad HD movies using their existing pipe. The R&D division is currently using eight processors to handle the enormous calculations. The R&D team is confident the desired results can be parred down. To maintain a high definition quality film generally consumes bandwidth at the range of 250Mbps. The KDDI version plans to utilize only 20Mbps. According to Digital World Tokyo, Japan is uniquely poised to implement this innovation because broadband typically operates between 50Mbps and 100Mbps. In the West because it is beyond most ADSL subscribers capacity. KDDI is confident the innovation that utilizes H-264 methodology may be run on a typical ADSL or fiber optic Internet connection. KDDI Corporation, the ubiquitous solution company has nearly 28 million subscribers in total. KDDI is dedicated to total customer satisfaction not in the abstract, but as a guide post for all company operations.
Source: physorg.com

TraceSpan Announces TR-069 Support and Analysis

TraceSpan Announces TR-069 Support and AnalysisRA'ANANA, IsraelTRACESPAN
TraceSpan Communications, a leader in broadband monitoring solutions, today announces the new TR-069 analysis module. Leveraging the Upper Layers analysis module available for the DSL Xpert and VDSL Xpert analyzers, TraceSpan adds a unique capability to test and analyze xDSL products for TR-069 compliance.
The TR-069 is a DSL Forum technical specification that defines an application layer protocol for remote management of end-user devices, among them xDSL Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) modems.
The DSL Xpert support of TR-069 allows modem makers and service providers to test and verify compliance of their equipment with the TR-069 protocol. It provides full transparency of the communication and details all the messages and commands sent between the CPE and Auto Configuration Servers (ACS). It also identifies any deviation from the protocol and indicates the correct protocol-compliant messages.
?We are proud to announce the launch of TR-069 analysis support,? said Dr. Hanan Herzberg, TraceSpan founder and CEO. ?Many companies are involved in making TR-069 a viable solution for remote management of CPE modems. The success of this project means improved customer support and huge savings of time and money. TraceSpan is happy to contribute its share by providing the TR-069 analysis module as a new free add-on to any customer who currently uses the DSL Xpert Upper Layer analysis, and any new customer of the Upper Layers analysis module.?
The Upper Layers Analysis Module allows viewing and analyzing ATM traffic, as well as other protocols, such as PTM, AAL5, Ethernet, PPP, PPPoE, IPv4, TCP, HTTP, and now the TR-069 protocol. The DSL Xpert is the first non-intrusive analyzer that allows ADSL engineers to view data in all layers from the ADSL physical layer up to the DHCP, independently from any DSL chipset and without affecting the test or the products under test.
Source: ad-hoc-news.de

Telkom sees huge ADSL growth

[ Johannesburg, 19 November 2007 ] - Telkom has seen huge growth in ADSL subscriptions, recording a 76.2% increase in subscribers, to 335 112, by the end of September.This is a 31.1% increase since 31 March, the company says in a statement. In addition, the number of Internet customers, including dial-up subscribers, increased by 12.4%, to 337 853 customers, it says.This growth comes amid a reported drop in earnings by the fixed-line operator. Telkom delivered its half-year financial results today for the year ended 30 September.Calling the ADSL product's performance “impressive”, Telkom acting CEO Reuben September says the company expects ADSL growth to be further stimulated by the commoditisation of ADSL.The company's Do Broadband offering and the option by potential subscribers to self-install ADSL services are also expected to drive adoption. ADSL port automation and wholesale services are expected to play a key role, he notes.September says Telkom is on track to reach the target of 420 000 subscribers for the year ending 31 March. Telkom aims to achieve ADSL penetration of 15% to 20% of fixed access lines by 2010/2011, he adds.
Telkom acting CEO Reuben SeptemberThe company has also achieved the target of installing ADSL services within 30 working days, as stipulated by ADSL regulations developed by the Independent Communications Authority of SA.This target has long been a bone of contention among potential ADSL subscribers, including online advocacy organisation MyADSL's members, who argued Telkom was wilfully breaking regulations.September says Telkom's introduction of the option for customers to install ADSL for themselves continues to improve the average installation time. He says 59% of all Telkom's ADSL installations were self-installs, as at 30 September.Managed services growthTelkom also reports a 22.7% growth in revenue from managed data sites. The number of sites increased 16.8%, to 23 224, as compared to a similar period last year, it says.Revenue from virtual private networks has increased by 34.4% for the six months ended 30 September.“Telkom remains focused on its revenue opportunities from data and high-value-added services, as well as the innovative products and solutions being developed in line with the next-generation network roll-out,” says September.
Source: itweb.co.za

AAPT denies Broad hint on ADSL

AAPT won't be playing Santa this Christmas, as it has backed away from a commitment to offer broadband ADSL services over copper lines with lower line rental charges.
Comments last August by Paul Broad, chief executive of the carrier, owned by Telecom New Zealand, had led observers to expect the service, known as naked DSL, would be launched before Christmas.
Yesterday AAPT head of corporate affairs Than Shannon said Mr Broad had erred by saying the system would be launched by the end of the year.
"Maybe that was Paul speaking off the top off his head, but it was never our intent to release a naked DSL product before Christmas," Ms Shannon said.
The company expected to launch the naked DSL product sometime next year, she said.
Naked DSL lets consumers buy ADSL services without paying fees for voice services commonly embedded in line rental prices.
However, their release was held back while the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission wrangled on prices that Optus and Telstra could charge for unbundled local loop services.
The ACCC has set interim pricing for ULL services in metro areas outside the CBD (about 70 per cent of the market) at about $US17.70 ($19.80) monthly, compared with fees of about $US30 monthly for conventional line rentals.
Perth-based internet provider iiNet launched a naked DSL service last week, becoming the largest Australian internet provider to make it available.
IiNet chief executive Michael Malone said the company would be able to pass on savings to consumers of about $US15 monthly off their broadband bill.
IiNet said it would charge about $US50 monthly for the service, which would include internet telephony to replace Telstra's and Optus conventional voice services. AAPT said it was focusing its efforts on integrating with Powertel, which it acquired for $NZ357 million ($303 million) last April.
"Obviously we're watching what iiNet's doing very closely and obviously we'll learn from it. At the moment we're still focusing on our integration of Powertel and AAPT but we'll definitely be looking at a naked DSL offering coming in the future," Ms Shannon said.
Other internet providers also seem content to wait before launching services.
Internode said it was trialling naked DSL and planned to launch its offering in the first calendar quarter of 2008.
It is planning to include a voice over internet protocol service but it has declined to reveal pricing.
Internode product manager Jim Kellett said the trial had revealed challenges in setting up the service.
"The preconceived idea is that it's just going to behave like any other broadband, but there are always little wrinkles and challenges in getting the services set up," Mr Kellett said.
"That's what the trial seems to be revealing, so we're working our way through those and expect that trial to run for several months."
Mr Kellett said the company would not set pricing for the service before the ACCC released its final rulings on ULL pricing.
"Obviously it's prudent to have that component nailed down, as it is the biggest cost," he said.

Swyx's Launches New Version of Software-based VoIP

Swyx has reportedly announced the latest version of its software-based VoIP telephony. Aimed at both SMEs and larger corporates, SwyxWare Version 6.10 features Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) with the SwyxMobile option. This capability enables workers on the move to take advantage of important Swyx IP-PBX functionality they would normally only be able to enjoy in the office such as call forwarding, call recording and conferencing.

According to Ralf Ebbinghaus, the Senior Vice president of Sales and Marketing at Swyx, there is growing demand both from employers and staff for more flexible methods of working that blur the boundaries between the office and other locations. He said in a statement that the customers also now expect enquiries to be responded to quickly wherever the employee is. Thanks to SwyxWare Version 6.10, mobile workers can now be available to receive calls, just as if they were on an office-based telephone extension.

Ebbinghaus further explained that mobile workers can also make outbound calls on their mobile, as if they are dialling from the office. While in office they can choose to always use their mobile, and thus eliminate the need for an office-based phone. The workers may also find it more convenient to switch to a deskphone, retaining the same extension number.

SwyxMobile has the ability to support any mobile phone. A separate client for smartphones running Symbian and Windows Mobile operating systems is available for additional ease of use. The company informs that compatibility with Blackberries is due in Q1, 2008.

The company has included the SwyxMobile in the SwyxProfessional Option Pack. If existing Swyx users have a valid Swyx Update Service in place they can upgrade free of charge. Swyx is also offering SwyxMobile separately as a chargeable option. However, users must upgrade to SwyxWare V6.10 first, in order to run SwyxMobile. SwyxWare Version 6.10 can be purchased beginning 1st of December 2007.

Swyx develops software based IP communication solutions that continually push the boundaries whilst maintaining its core belief that technology must always deliver tangible business value and productivity for clients. Source: tmcnet.com

Ruckus Completes Interop with ShoreTel VoIP System

Depending on whom you ask, you’re likely to get a variety of different suggestions as to the definition of Unified Communications. Most of them will include some version of unified messaging, but the one thing they all have in common is a level of added convenience and productivity.

Yes, the unification of fixed and mobile telephony solutions certainly makes for a more efficient business communications environment, but the fact is that often, it is more important to be able to move about a single facility while staying connected. Yet, many WiFi solutions are not robust enough to capably provide voice services without disrupting other applications or affecting sound quality.

Ruckus Wireless is looking to change that. More specifically, Ruckus has completed interoperability testing between its WiFi technology and the ShoreTel 7.5 Unified Communications system, in the process becoming a member of ShoreTel’s Technology Partner Program (TPP).

The truth is that with the growing complexity of communications applications, along with the growing use of wireless technologies, interoperability testing is becoming a requirement to ensure network stability and application performance, including voice quality.

The testing process between Ruckus and ShoreTel ensures that businesses can deploy ShoreTel’s Unified Communications solution in conjunction with Ruckus’ ZoneFlex Smart WLAN system and MediaFlex routers. The combination of the two now ensures customers can better predict and assess network performance, including the effective range of the WLAN APs, allowing them to design and implement a solution that will meet all of their communications needs.

In fact, but deploying a combined Ruckus/ShoreTel solution, businesses will improve their communications infrastructure, including:

Doubling or even tripling the WiFi coverage area;
Achieving better voice quality in the presence of other forms of traffic;
Providing support for high density environments and a larger number of voice clients per AP;
Ensuring consistent high data throughput is available for other applications;
Simple installation and maintenance;
Lower power consumption VoFi-enabled dual mode phones;
Seamless operation of certified VoIP over WiFi phones.

“The combination of VoIP and WiFi is profoundly compelling to enterprises of all sizes,” said Steve Timmerman, vice president of marketing for ShoreTel. “One of the key issues in the implementation of these technologies is reliability. Ruckus Wireless helps solve this problem, giving our partners and customers the opportunity to expand the benefits of mobility in the enterprise.”

The advanced “Smart WiFi” system — the underlying technology in the Ruckus WLAN architecture, allow users to enjoy high quality voice over the wireless network as a result of automated control over the path WLAN traffic takes to deliver maximum network efficiency.

Indeed, Ruckus’ patented BeamFlex and SmartCast technologies create an increase in WiFi coverage that is up to four times that of traditional wireless networks, along with greater consistency in throughput. By navigating traffic around congestion and interference, the system is able to increase the data flow rate, while minimizing packet loss by using the best path for each communication.

By combining ShoreTel’s Unified Communications solution, businesses are now able to not only enjoy the latest features, but can do so with added flexibility inherent in a wireless network.
Source: tmcnet.com

Near Space Technology Brings Health Care To Navajo Nation

The partnership with the SkySite constellation marks the first time the communications system will be used to monitor health.

The Navajo Nation said Monday that it will use near space technology to fight near epidemic levels of diabetes.
The Navajo Nation Special Diabetes Project, the Space Data Corporation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant program have joined forces to help monitor glucose levels in patients with through communications systems that work in remote areas. The launch, announced this week, marks the first time that SkySite constellation will be used to monitor health.

Members of the Navajo Nation, many of whom lack access to telephones, will receive glucose monitors that transmit information to balloons flying at near space altitudes of around 65,000 feet -- above air traffic elevations but beneath satellites.

The Space Data Corporation's balloons are launched throughout the day. They carry transceivers and create a constellation over the Navajo Nation. They send information back in parachute packages, which can be located using GPS.

For the Navajo, the balloons will cover an area of 7,205 square miles where the population density is just 3.15 people per square mile. The system combines electronics, industrial weather balloons and GPS. Health care practitioners will be able to monitor patients' glucose levels and provide advice as well as emergency services.

The energy industry and the U.S. Air Force use the space communications technology as well. Oil and gas companies use it for monitoring pipeline and storage tank alarms, production automation, asset tracking, and field communications in remote areas. Electric companies use the technology for equipment monitoring and meter reading.

The Federal Aviation Administration allows SkySite to launch without restriction, since the system is small, light and not considered a risk for aircraft.

Source: informationweek.com

Why Nobody’s VoIP Is Secure

Paul D. Kretkowski on November 19, 2007

Eric Vyncke made headlines in October 2007 by telling an audience at RSA Conference Europe 2007 that “nearly nobody” is deploying secure VoIP — even while acknowledging, in a separate interview, that there have been deployments of hundreds or thousands of VoIP phones at a time during the past five years.

Vyncke should know; a distinguished engineer at Cisco Systems Inc., he’s written books with titles like "LAN Switch Security: What Hackers Know About Your Switches."

But the headlines didn’t make it clear whether Vyncke thinks that VoIP can't be secured or whether he believes that businesses simply aren’t taking the necessary precautions.

A closer look makes it clear that Vyncke was asking VoIP users to think about their deployments and use available techniques and tools to secure them. His remarks should be greeted as a wake-up call rather than a fire alarm, and in that spirit, here are some security considerations that come up in VoIP deployments, along with ways to make those deployments more secure.

Special Measures

There are two problems with VoIP today, Vyncke told security experts in London. First, many companies have shied away from deploying VoIP at all because of past security concerns. Though these problems have largely been solved, Vyncke’s second point is that you shouldn’t just buy a VoIP product, turn it on and forget about it — and still expect it to be secure.

During an interview at the conference, Vyncke told ZDNet, “When people deploy [VoIP], they don’t deploy it in a secure way. What they’ve done is securing the network itself, which is a pretty good step, by using specific tracing to Layer 2 switches, preventing attacks like app spoofing. But [VoIP] telephony itself can be secured by encryption, authentication — they are not using it.”

For instance, users can change any vLAN switch to nondefault settings. It’s better to increase security at the switch layer, Vyncke argues, because that’s where it will cause the smallest additional delays in a VoIP call. (He added that you can always increase security at the application layer later while creating only a small amount of latency — about 3 milliseconds, which is not detectable by users.)

Secondly, make sure that an application’s encryption plays nicely with your network’s firewall. Regarding encryption, Vyncke recommends using a DNS (Domain Name Server) proxy, which can read a portion of encrypted VoIP traffic, realize that it’s VoIP and let it through.

Vyncke also advocates the use of secure VoIP phones authenticated via certificates, and he said that IT managers should retain the ability to revoke these certificates should a VoIP phone be stolen or returned to the manufacturer.

A combination of secure switches, firewalls and secure devices won’t produce 100 percent security, but it can approach 99.9 percent, Vyncke said.

Fear Factor
Vyncke sees two major consequences for those who don’t secure their VoIP network properly.

“The threat is mainly a threat against confidentiality, meaning that everyone connected to the network — if the network is badly designed ... that anybody can listen to any phone conversation."

Vyncke continued, “So you can listen to the conversation between the COO and CFO without any problem, which of course is not very good, but you can also fake yourself. There is no authentication, so somebody can pretend to be, I don’t know, an IT manager, and ask somebody, ‘Hey, can you give me your password,’ and the guy naively will give out the password, because there is then no check on the number which is displayed on the IP phone.”

Vyncke argues that the importance of security increases directly with size, as a company grows from, say, 10 users to the size of a large bank, health care business or government.

“Please think about it,” he urged.
Source: voip-news.com

Old poem, new technology

Dusty old English poem Beowulf, long required reading in schools, goes Hollywood in a bit of high-tech animated movie trickery that its makers are loath to call “animation”.
The story, about a hero who battles demons and a dragon around the 6th century AD, has been transformed into a film by Oscar-winning director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) using up-to-the-minute digital technology and drawing on techniques he helped pioneer in 2004 film The Polar Express.
Real actors dress in tight-fitting suits covered in dots that are tracked by cameras and computers. Their movements are then transferred to digitally animated characters. But don’t call Beowulf an animated film.
“We were physically doing all of these things,” Angelina Jolie told reporters. “Every single gesture is ours ... even where our eyeballs move is exactly where we look.”
The film’s makers see Beowulf as a hybrid of animation and live action because the technology allows human movement to shine through the veneer of computer-built artwork.
Crispin Glover becomes the hideous and tortured monster Grendel, and Ray Winstone transforms to strapping blond Viking Beowulf. Jolie plays Grendel’s mother, a conniving demon who seduces Beowulf and King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins).
The actors said they were able to see the nuances of their performances through the imagery, and Glover said he was surprised to recognise himself on screen.
“You can feel the presence of the actors that are there, and if they weren’t actually performing it, it would feel more like a standard animation,” Glover said.
Originally, screenwriters Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary saw Beowulf as a low-budget, live-action thriller when they wrote the script a decade ago with Avary set to direct. But when Zemeckis read their screenplay, he saw it differently.
Fresh from making Polar Express, which was based on a children’s holiday story, Zemeckis convinced Avary and Gaiman the new technology would enable them to make a film in which the look, feel and supercharged action would be limitless.
“Suddenly, we are in a universe in which Bob (Zemeckis) is telling us to go to town,” Gaiman said. “There was something very intriguing about taking the oldest single story in the English language and retelling it with the newest technology.”
Avary said that by turning Beowulf over to Zemeckis, “it was an opportunity to reach the widest possible audience. The whole point of (the poem) Beowulf is to tell the story around the fire. Our fire is now movie theatres.”
The movie Beowulf does not entirely conform to the poem. Avary, who won an Oscar with Quentin Tarantino for co-writing 1994’s Pulp Fiction, said he knew the original poem’s two-act structure was too sparse for modern-day movie audiences. So, the writers added details and explanations of characters’ actions and the reason behind the rise of the dragon Beowulf slays.
“We’re actually very faithful to what happened,” said Gaiman. “We’re just implying that maybe there was other stuff that happened as well.”
So far, critics like what they see.
“Zemeckis not only deploys 21st century movie technology at its finest to turn the heroic poem into a vibrant, nerve-tingling piece of pop culture, but his film actually makes sense of Beowulf,” wrote the reviewer for show business trade newspaper, The Hollywood Reporter. – Reuters

Macrovision to buy Blu-ray technology assets from Cryptography Research for $45M

NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2007 (Thomson Financial delivered by Newstex) -- Macrovision (NASDAQ:MVSN) Corp. Monday said it would buy self-protecting digital content technology assets from Cryptography Research Inc.The assets are used in a security platform for Blu-ray technology.The consideration for the assets is $45 million in cash, as well as warrants for Macrovision stock. Some of the stock is subject to certain undisclosed performance milestones.The acquisition includes Cryptography's patents, security software codes and related agreements with third-party customers and partners.Macrovision said it expects the acquisitions will add to its 2008 earnings. The deal is expected to close in the company's fourth quarter.Macrovision is a distributor of digital products based in Santa Clara, Calif. Its stock closed Friday at $26.43

Source: money.cnn.com

IPcelerate Launches Professional Services Organization to Drive VoIP Success

IPcelerate, a provider of advanced VoIP products and technologies, has announced the launch of its Professional Services Organization (PSO), a new business division designed to work directly with customers and partners to maximize IP technology impact and personalize IPcelerate solutions for specific business needs.
This division was specifically created to address customer demands for greater ROI and increased usage from their IP investments. This new division seeks to provide a solid bridge between all parties to strengthen relationships and provide added value.
“Based on our experience, we know that customers make a sizable investment in IP technology, and then are often disappointed with the results because the initial deployment does not match their vision, or they realize there are more areas of the business that can be impacted,” said David Denton, PSO vice president. “To address this, our PSO team offers a host of Discovery and Design Services, all targeted to assist in the discovery process of identifying business goals, personalizing our applications to fit those goals, and then implementing these solutions for maximum impact to the organization.”IPcelerate’s Discovery and Design Services include: Application Discovery Workshops, Application Design Workshops, Configuration and Implementation, Network Review and Validation, and VoIP Business Solutions Services.
“This is an important step in the continuing evolution of applications in the unified communications market,” stated Kevin Brown, president and CEO at IPcelerate. “It is critical that we help our partners ensure their VOIP technology deployments deliver the promises discussed with customers.

To provide the most value to customers, partners, and the company, the PSO team is compromised of seasoned, industry professionals with extensive experience in all facets of VoIP technology, project management, and application discovery and design. IPcelerate is positioned its Professional Services Organization as representing a new level of customer service in this sector.
“At the core of any successful professional services initiative is customer satisfaction; we want to use this division — with our partners — to help customers more effectively apply VoIP application technologies to their business requirements,” added Brown.
Anytime a company is implementing new technology for an organization, it is imperative that the implementation goes smoothly, users are comfortable with the new solution and how it works, and that bean counters realize a swift and robust ROI.
IPcelerate understands the importance of all three when working with clients. They company also understands how intense the competition is in this field and has launched the PSO to not only bring added value to customers and partners, but to also more firmly position the company in the market as providing complete solutions and support.
Source: tmcnet.com

Vtion Wireless Technology aims to raise 100 mln eur in German IPO

FRANKFURT (Thomson Financial) - Vtion Wireless Technology, the Chinese chipmaker that is preparing an initial public offering in Germany, said it aims to issue shares worth up to 100 mln eur to finance its growth and to bolster research and development.
Vtion, whose microchips enable Internet applications on mobile phones, had previously reported it plans to issue 5.077 mln shares, of which 4.0 mln will be new ones and remainder will be put on offer by its current owners.
The offer price will be determined in a book building process.
The offer period will run from Nov 23 through Nov 28 and the first day of trading is planned for Nov 30.
The price span is yet to be disclosed, the company said.
ludwig.burger@thomson.com
lb/mas/sal
COPYRIGHT
Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

Source: forbes.com

Grass grub killer technology for human trials

Biotechnology company Encoate says it is looking at using technology that helps kill grass grubs to keep humans healthy.
The company – owned by Ballance Agrinutrients, Agresearch and Biopacificventures – used bio-polymers to encapsulate a naturally-occurring serratia bacteria that kills grass grub.
The bio-polymers – strings of molecules attached in long chains – protected the bacteria until it could attack the grass grups.
Now Encoate chief executive Simon Yarrow wants to apply the technology to coating unstable ingredients in foods, such as pro-biotic bacteria that boost the digestive system, repairing it after illness, or helping to maintain optimal function..
So far, these bacteria have mostly been offered in yoghurt drinks because they prefer a cool environment.
But Mr Yarrow predicted the company would be able to offer an encapsulated pro-biotic ingredient in 2008 suitable for dry products such as energy bars or cereals.
"Pro-biotics tend to have limited shelf life, and offering them in a product with extended shelf life requires long term testing on stability and ability to maintain effectiveness," he said.
A huge variation in types of pro-biotic bacteria meant the product had to be capable of adapting to the production process, such as a muesli bar which is is moister than breakfast cereal.
And the company was looking at how the technology could be used in powders for infant formula, or pet foods.
Mr Yarrow said the same technology had potential in stockfood.
"Poultry and pork producers rely on antibiotics to counter infections in densely-populated rearing units, but probiotics could prove a drug-free option," he said.
Source: stuff.co.nz

Ondine preclinical data indicate bright hope for photodisinfection technology

VANCOUVER - Ondine Biopharma Corp. (TSX:OBP), already using lasers to activate drugs that treat gum disease, said Monday its technology shows promise against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a dangerous hospital-acquired pathogen.
The announcement came a week after Ondine indicated its technology can clear nasal passages of potentially lethal methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus.
"Our photodisinfection system has demonstrated 100 per cent eradication of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in planktonic (free-floating) cultures, and in excess of 99.9 per cent kills in biofilms," stated Nicolas Loebel, Ondine's chief technology officer.
"The data from the preclinical research supports our belief that our photodisinfection technology could provide significant benefits over conventional antipseudomonal therapies such as topical antibiotics or micronized silver."
He noted that Pseudomonas bacteria are difficult to kill and occur throughout hospitals as an opportunistic disease, frequently killing patients being treated for cancer or other ailments.
Ondine's eradication process "does not upregulate bacterial resistance factors because the process is rapid, the kill rates are high, and killing occurs through disruption of surface membranes rather than internal metabolic processes," Loebel added.
After launching Periowave, its photodisinfection treatment for periodontal disease, Ondine's product development is being focused on nasal staphylococcus aureus decolonization, disinfection of skin wounds and burns and treatment of external ear infections.