Iristel BROADFONE - Now offers VoIP over WiFi

TORONTO, Dec. 10 /CNW/ - IRISTEL Inc., one of Canada's leading voice and
data service providers is pleased to announce that it is now adding Hybrid
Phones to its VoIP Solutions.
Hybrid phones grant users the opportunity to make connections using a
local wireless Internet access point and seamlessly switch over to a cell
phone network whenever necessary. The net result is enhanced flexibility in
mobile communications not to mention the savings gained by shifting minutes
that would otherwise count against a cell phone plan onto the Internet.
The union of short-range, high-speed access and cellular service brings
together two technologies, creating opportunities for both collaboration and
competition. Mobile operators have spent billions of dollars to upgrade their
systems for high-speed data, or third-generation (3G), services. While
offering a broader coverage area that exceeds WiFi's limited range, their
bandwidth tops out at less than 500kbps, and thus cannot compare with wireless
LAN technology that blazes at speeds up to 54mbps. Combining the ability to
use both networks on a single device allows consumers to take advantage of the
best each has to offer.
"As the CEO of a multinational corporation I am constantly on the phone,
be it a landline call or a mobile one. It is not uncommon for me to have a
mobile invoice in the hundreds of dollars per month," said Samer Bishay,
President and CEO Iristel Inc. "During the course of the last year we have
migrated all of the mobile phones for our staff to hybrid phones. The voice
quality over WiFi is crystal clear and the cost savings makes this a business
decision well worth talking."
Recently IRISTEL has been in discussions with local partners to allow
IRISTEL subscribers the opportunity to utilize their WiFi networks. "By
aligning the two services, WiFi supplier and IRISTEL, we would be able to
eliminate the need for cellular usage for numerous individuals and entire
firms in Canadian downtown cores, said Michael Gurr, Product Manager, Iristel
Inc. "The potential cost savings is limitless."
IRISTEL's VoIP over WiFi can also be integrated into our Hosted PBX, or
IP PBX. The user may have an extension on the IVR that can be dialled, if s/he
is not on a WiFi network then the call can be routed to their mobile number.
The flexibility and cost savings per user make switching an easy decision.
Source: newswire.ca

The Latest Trends in VoIP Recording

The world is changing. New technological innovations occur every day, impacting the way we work and live. Only a decade ago, people would have been stunned at the prominence of the Internet in almost every home for information, commercial transactions and communications.

While some transformations happen quickly, others are introduced in a slow and steady manner. Communications technology sometimes follows the latter route. Time Division Multiplex (TDM), the basic technology underlying traditional telephony, has been consistently converted into Voice over IP (VoIP) within the last few years. Eventually, VoIP will completely replace TDM, primarily for cost efficiency; data and voice are transmitted over one infrastructure instead of two.

The Deployment of VoIP Recording

The need for recording communications has existed from the dawn of the telecommunications era. VoIP recording solutions include the preservation of audio data with call-index details such as time of the conversation, incoming and outgoing phone numbers, length of the call, etc. Call details are usually retrieved via a connection to the telephony system, generally through a CTI (computer telephony interface) link to the PBX or a decoding of signaling protocols, depending on the technology used. As the type of telecommunications changed, the technique for recording VoIP communications changed as well.

Voice over IP applies basic Internet Protocol (IP) network principles employed for years in data transmissions. For example, all kinds of digital information are broken down into small parts, known as network packets, then addressed and sent separately to the recipient.

The initial approach for recording Voice over IP communications was quite simple. IP network traffic, containing VoIP audio data in the form of RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) packets, was monitored, filtered and collected as it was exchanged between IP phones. Since all IP PBX vendors use the standard RTP protocol for real-time transmission, this method may be used for any kind of VoIP environment, regardless of the telephony system, and is therefore called “passive recording.” The recording is only affected by the customer’s network infrastructure and the capability of network devices used to obtain the VoIP data.

However, confidential communications, especially for financial organizations, must be encrypted to prevent internal wiretapping. Otherwise, the monitored audio data would be subject to modification and abuse. Therefore, IP PBX vendors are adopting encryption for the entire environment to ensure secure IP communications. Passive recording in an encrypted field is impossible when the decryption keys are unknown.

Therefore, an alternative way to perform VoIP recording was needed, through an active interaction with the environment. Two basic methods are used. The first works through a “soft phone” registered in the network. Call recording then takes place similar to the third-party in a conference call. The second method relies on a proprietary implementation from each IP PBX vendor with a built-in interface to deliver the audio and call-index information directly.

Thus, active VoIP recording may be used in an encrypted secure environment. As an interacting component of the network, it can receive the necessary encryption keys. Like any IP endpoint, the recording device may be located and accessed from anywhere in the network.

Value Added Applications to VoIP Recording
VoIP recording today offers new functionality and analysis capabilities. Different types of organizations use VoIP recording for their own, unique reasons.

Key clients

Companies with basic communications recording solutions mainly require them for proof of transactions. Some insurance companies are required by law to record all their communications for this reason. Further analysis is unnecessary.

On the other hand, contact centers focus on quality service for their end customers. They use call recording for quality monitoring and agent training.

A third group needs communications recording for security reasons. Airports and other public institutions use preventative recording to protect the public from terrorism and other planned attacks, often initiated by a threat call. These organizations also need the ability to analyze mass communications in an intelligent way.

Quality Improvement

An inbound contact center, especially one handling requests from end customers, will maximize its profits when callers are referred to agents trained to answer their questions competently and expeditiously. IVRs (Interactive Voice Responses) assign requests to the agent in the correct field, but the agent must be well trained in the first place.

Contact center operators understand the difficulty of the training process. Basic instruction may use e-learning mechanisms. But call recording of customer interactions provides practical customized training for a specific agent. On-the-job lessons may help much more than theoretical knowledge. To find a good training sample, supervisors may search for calls with a long duration, perhaps indicating insufficient knowledge by the agent.

Automatic Call Identification

The latest VoIP recording solutions use automatic filtering methods to help supervisors identify calls when the end customer becomes angry.

The filtering uses special audio analysis tools such as emotion detection or keyword spotting. Emotion detection analyzes the audio stream through a special algorithm to identify a change in the volume of a talker.

Keyword spotting uses the principles of speech recognition to match spoken language with previously generated “dictionaries,” used to transform audible communications into a digital format.

Keyword spotting may also be used to prevent terrorism by identifying words such as “bomb” or “attack.”

Conclusion

VoIP recording solutions today serve multiple purposes. The trends include recording of encrypted voice data and many other functions for the processing and analysis of customer interactions. The virtualization of contact center environments will increase the customers’ expectations for on-demand services and result in more value-added applications to pure voice recording. In the future, video may be added to IP communications, especially for video conferencing. Source: tmcnet.com

BlueNote Extends VOIP Web Services Suite

VOIP Web services company BlueNote Networks on Dec. 10 will extend its ability to embed voice into online business applications or services when it launches a pair of new application program interfaces for its SessionSuite communications platform.
The new APIs (application program interfaces) for BlueNote's SessionSuite SOA Edition, which allows developers to embed voice within SOA applications running on IP networks, make it possible to add outbound notification and interactive response to business applications.
The ON-SF (Outbound Notification Solution Framework), based on Simple Object Access Protocol standards, makes it possible to add to business applications "proactive outbound notification," according to Mark Ericson, director of product strategy for BlueNote.
For example, with consumer applications in the financial services industry, the ON-SF allows users to add account activity notification or stock alerts. In healthcare, prescription renewal notifications can be added, and, in transportation applications, flight delay or cancellation notifications can be added to existing business applications.
The ON-SF goes beyond voice notifications to reach intended message recipients through multiple channels. It enables not only voice notifications, but e-mail and text message notifications as well.
Source: eweek.com

Google on new cellphone technology

Nokia says it was far ahead of Google on new cellphone technology

ESPOO, Finland: When Google announced its plans in October to revolutionize the software of cellular phones, few were more eager to hear the details than the industry titans at Nokia. They still are.

"We've seen an announcement," Nokia's chief executive, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, said with a spoonful of sarcasm. "Conceptually, we could have made that announcement a long time ago."

For a decade, Kallasvuo noted during a recent interview here, Nokia has had its own army of software developers, writing applications for the next generation of mobile telephone services. On the face of it, that is little different from what Google plans to do with Android, an open-source platform for software that aims to transform the mobile phone into a pocket PC.

Of course, Google is - well, Google - just as Apple was not just another cellphone maker when it introduced the iPhone. By virtue of their brains and brawn, and in Apple's case, a cool phone, these interlopers have shaken up an industry long dominated by the quiet giant from Finland.

Nokia's chief said he regarded Apple as the first credible new entrant into this market in years. As for Google, he said he would wait for more details before deciding whether it was a threat or an opportunity. But Google did not invite Nokia to join its Open Handset Alliance, a consortium of 34 companies that includes Motorola, Samsung, and other phone makers.
Source: iht.com

TV-Out Technology for High Performance Embedded DVR

LG Electronics Selects Focus Enhancements' TV-Out Technology for High Performance Embedded DVR 16-Channel Surveillance System One of Several LG Solutions to Incorporate Focus Enhancements' TV-Out Video Encoder Chips
Focus Enhancements, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCSE), a worldwide leader in Ultra Wideband (UWB) wireless technology, video conversion and digital media, today announced its FS454 TV-out encoder chip was selected by LG Electronics to power its LE3100D series of Embedded Digital Video Recorders (DVR). The LG LE3100D series is one of several products utilizing Focus Enhancements' TV-out video encoder chip technology.
"We are delighted by the opportunity to continue working closely with LG and to further strengthen our relationship with this key customer," said Mark Zadeh, vice president of worldwide sales for Focus Enhancements' semiconductor group. "We are committed to our customers' success and to helping them achieve their strategic goals."
"We selected the Focus TV-out chip for this embedded DVR because of its superior performance and high video quality," said Mr. J W Park, project leader for LG's Security Group. "With Focus Enhancements' leading TV-out technology, our customers get exceptional video quality for their security systems, where clean images are crucial."
The LE3100D series of embedded DVR incorporates a new type of recording technology that is much less susceptible to virus attacks and tampering from the outside. The recording systems can record up to 16 different closed circuit television cameras and output TV video in multi-channel, picture-in-picture and picture-over-picture playback options.
About Focus Enhancements, Inc.
Focus Enhancements Inc. (NASDAQ: FCSE), headquartered in Campbell, CA, is a leading designer of world-class solutions in advanced, proprietary video and wireless video technologies. Many of the world's largest technology companies partner with Focus Enhancements for high performance TV encoder, UWB, and video convergence solutions. The company's Semiconductor Group develops integrated circuits (ICs) for high-performance applications in the video convergence market, including IPTV set-top boxes and portable media players. Focus Enhancements is currently developing a wireless IC chip set based on the WiMedia UWB standard and designed to be compatible with Wireless USB, and used in personal computer (PC), consumer electronics (CE), and mobile electronics applications. The company's Systems Group develops video products for the digital media markets, with customers in the broadcast, video production, digital signage and digital asset management markets.
Source: money.cnn.com

WiMAX invades upper Normandy

PARIS (WiMAX Day). Le Conseil Général de Seine Maritime announced the wireless invasion of the upper region of Normandy. By next month nearly all of the inhabitants of Seine Maritime will have access to the Internet. Seine Maritime is the administrative department for the region.

While ADSL services have been available in major cities such as Rouen, Dieppe and Le Havre, the region has had many “white zones” where no broadband access was available.

To rectify this problem, the department deployed a wireless network comprised of 35 WiMAX base stations that will provide broadband access throughout the region to some 14,000 homes. The network is also complemented with 73 WiFi antennas that extend access to municipal buildings.

The network will be operated by HDRR using its 3.5 GHz WiMAX spectrum license. HDRR is a subsidiary of TDF Group, a French company that is one of the leading terrestrial broadcast service operators in Europe.

HDRR will operate the network for Seine Maritime in partnership with Axione and LD Collectivités. Axione is a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction group, and LD Collectivités is a subsidiary of Neuf Cegetel. Both company’s specialise in the design, construction and operation of broadband and telecommunications infrastructure on behalf of local authorities in France.

The marketing and commercialisation of the new WiMAX service will be put to tender later this month, but most likely will be awarded to Nordnet and Infosat, two local ISPs.

In a press release, the Conseil Général said that the commercial service will offer up to 1 Mbps of service with an attractive price scheme. The Conseil Général admit that 1 Mbps is “far from luxurious, but the network will offer comfortable access where before it was impossible.” Increased speeds may be available for the general public in the future, and the Conseil Général said that more bandwidth will soon be proposed for business users.

Customers who subscribe to the service will be required to purchase an access modem (CPE) for roughly €127 EUR, of which up to 85% will be subsidised by the ISPs that market the service.

The impact on the local population now living outside the boundary of traditional boradband services should be substantial, especially for businesses. Camille Rotunno, a spokeswoman for the Conseil Général, said the network “answers a real and immediate need expressed by companies based in rural areas, irrespective of their size, business or their market sector…. the goal of the Conseil Général de Seine Maritime is to provide the local economy with the tools that are necessary and fundamental to its operation and development.”

This is good news for Alice de Scudéry, a horse breeder in the rolling hills outside the town of Yvetot. “Broadband access will allow me to keep contact with my clients and know where the market is moving. I can’t do that now.”

Agriculture, which powers the local economy, is expected to be a major beneficiary of the WiMAX services. “For example, for the farming community, companies could enjoy specific services enabling them to improve their quality and productivity,” said Rotunno.

The coastline of upper Normandy is also scattered with many small businesses from aquaculture and ship-building, to lace and porcelain manufacturing. Guillaume Delavigne makes traditional wooden yachts near to the port city of Le Havre. His atelier and workshop lies some 500 metres from the closest ADSL connection. “I’ve tried many times to get Internet. All my neighbors have it, but not me, because I’m at the end of the line. I hope this WiMAX comes soon. It can help me a lot in marketing my business.”

Even the small village of Ry, fictionalised by the French writer Gustave Flaubert in the 19th century, will enjoy improved broadband Internet access. If only Madame Bovary lived in the present day, she might have found happiness in the benefits of crossing the digital divide, with its myriad divertissements.
Source: wimaxday.net

New ADSL solution launched

A new ADSL solution – which can bring significant savings by switching easily between local and international bandwidth - is launched today.
Cybersmart, an Internet Service Provider (ISP) known for its cost effective DSL384 products, has launched an innovative new ADSL solution which allows users to easily switch between local and international bandwidth.
The new Capextender add-on service allows users to switch seamlessly between international and local bandwidth at any time during the day or month to save on more expensive international bandwidth.
There are also no session timeouts which are typically associated with ADSL offerings. This however does not guarantee a static IP address as a router reset may result in a different IP address being allocated to the subscriber.
The local bandwidth is entirely unshaped, but does not allow P2P traffic.
Another unique feature of the service is that Cybersmart informs users on the fly as to whether a certain website is hosted locally or internationally.
Price
This new Capextender product – which is only available to Cybersmart one-price DSL384 and DSL512 subscribers – comes in three different flavours.
The ‘small capextender’, costs R10 and gives a user 0.5 GB of local bandwidth during the month.
The ‘medium capextender’, priced at R35 per month, lifts the local monthly bandwidth to 3 GB.
The ‘large capextender’, which costs R74 per month, has 20 GB of monthly local bandwidth usage.
In order to be in full compliance with the ADSL Regulations, which call for uncapped local bandwidth, additional local bandwidth usage after depleting both the allotted local and international bandwidth will be charged at R 20-00 per GB for DSL384 users and R 22-00 per GB for DSL512 subscribers.
This service can also be combined with Cybersmart’s bandwidth rollover product, which at R 21-00 allows for up to 3 GB of unused monthly international bandwidth to be saved.
A price sensitive ADSL 384 user looking for high local usage will most likely opt for the ‘combined price’ DSL384 service, with a 1 GB international cap, a 20 GB capextender add-on and a 3 GB 'giggy bank'.
The total cost of this service is R 264-00 per month – very competitive when compared with similar services in the market. Without the bandwidth rollover service the all-inclusive price is R 243-00 per month.
A typical combined price DSL384 service with a 1 GB monthly international usage allowance and a 20 GB local SAIX bandwidth will come to around R 540-00 – double the Cybersmart rate.
The Cybersmart combined price DSL service with a 3 GB monthly international usage limit and a 20 GB local bandwidth Capextender service is priced at R 333-00 – cheaper than the standard R 340-00 which users can expect to pay at many other ISPs for only their ADSL access and 3 GB international usage.
Source: mybroadband.co.za

D-Link foresees strong revenues

D-Link foresees strong revenues growth in Australia, Japan, South Korea and emerging markets in 2008

D-Link expects revenues from its international business unit, which covers markets in Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Russia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, will grow 30-40% in 2008 from the US$400 million projected for 2007, according to Tony Tsao, president of D-Link's international unit.

Demand for application services related to ADSL, 3G, WLAN, WiMAX, VoIP and IPTV have continued to emerge from the aforementioned markets due to the implementation of infrastructure for various networks, Tsao explained.

In addition, the ratio of revenues generated by the international division to D-Link's total revenues is expected to climb to 50% in 2008, up from 48% estimated for this year, Tsao added.

By market segment, D-Link Japan revenues are likely to hit one billion yen (US$8.95 million) in 2008 from 250 million yen in 2007. D-Link has established business relationships with 10 telecom service operators in Russia, with Russia revenues to see a 50% on-year growth in 2007, Tsao said.

D-Link has three additional marketing units covering its business in the US, Europe and the Greater China area, respectively.
Source: digitimes.com

NY airports need technology to prevent collisions

NEW YORK (AP) _ The region's three major airports lack technology designed to prevent airplanes from colliding with each other, and it could be years before all of them have it, a lawmaker said Sunday.

LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International and Newark (N.J.) Liberty International airports don't have the surface detection equipment technology that alerts air traffic controllers to potential collisions within 5 miles of an airport, including on runways, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said.

The airports remain at the bottom of the list to receive the new technology, and LaGuardia will be among the last airports to receive it in December 2010, said Schumer, D-N.Y. Kennedy was slated to receive the new system in August of 2008 and Newark in July 2009, he said.

Schumer's comments come three days after a plane taxied onto a runway where a plane was about to land at Newark Liberty. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating that incident, called an incursion.

Also last week, a congressional report said there was "a high risk of a catastrophic runway collision occurring" in the country because of poor leadership, unreliable technology and overworked air traffic controllers.

Schumer called on FAA officials to expedite the installation of the collision technology, which he said was particularly helpful in bad weather and at night, at New York area airports.

"As one of the busiest areas in the country, we should be at the top of the list when new technology is developed to make us safer," Schumer said. "On the heels of this week's scathing report, Thursday's near miss at Newark shows the FAA must not continue to drag its feet."

An FAA spokesman said the schedule to install the technology was based on several factors including how busy an airport is and the complexity of an airport's runway and taxiway infrastructure and procedures. Some airports received the technology ahead of New York's airports while others will get it later, FAA spokesman Jim Peters said.

New York's three airports already have ground surveillance radar although it doesn't offer as much detail about an aircraft's whereabouts as the new technology, Peters said.

Near misses at New York area airports increased from six in 2003 to 13 in 2006, Schumer said.

Although the FAA decided in October 2003 that the new system was ready to be installed across the country, it is operating in 11 U.S. airports, Schumer said. Twenty-four more airports are scheduled to get it.

The lack of the technology combined with understaffed air traffic controller towers at the region's three major airports create "a perfect storm for an accident," Schumer said.

Source: newsday.com

New consumers want it - now

At the recent Digital Future Summit, Darryn Melrose, the chief executive of digital and direct marketing agency AIM Proximity, urged businesses to wake up to the opportunities provided by a global digital marketplace. Here is a summary of that address:
The accelerating pace of technological change enables consumers to engage with brands and services at the location and time of their convenience. With consumers increasingly in control, the fundamental model of communication has been transformed from interruption to invitation.
Consequently, a new consumer has emerged. Empowered, he or she actively seeks fast, simple, relevant and tailored channels of communication.
Hallmarks of the new consumer
Today, the new consumer is always on, with ADSL, Wi-Fi and 3G making markets available anytime. Time shifting, in the form of personal digital video recorders, allows content to be consumed at the most convenient time; commercials can be skipped, live TV paused and programmes emailed.
Portable media has created place shifting. The mobile phone, and more recently the PDA, provide access to all media, anywhere. And virtual living has also influenced behaviour. Sites like Second Life, with more than 11 million residents, are global markets in their own right, worthy of separate marketing strategies. Self-expression has transformed media consumers into media producers. Advocates and antagonists, the new consumers advertise products and services, as well as judging them.
The five core skills marketers need for online success
AIM Proximity recently took part in a worldwide study by the Proximity group, which involved exploring and gathering a lot of data from consumers' online behaviour. From this, five core skill sets emerged which provide a roadmap for success in the global digital marketplace.
* The consumer is already in control; tailor your content accordingly
Digital technology has turned these consumers into radio station DJs, TV programming directors, editors and even film directors. Media consumption has moved from passive to active - content consumers select and mould to taste.
With so many choices and demands on time, consumers will only have space for those companies that understand them and provide relevant content. Rather than being about "you", your website now needs to be about "me".
* Personalise it
Our research during the past 12 months has indicated a growing confidence in self-expression. With all this media choice, the consumer expects to personalise and adapt experiences, products and services to their own tastes. Amazon has long been one of the leaders; customers are individually welcomed to the site with customised recommendations. At Nike iD, you can now design a pair of boots with your own personal colour combination. Involving customers like this is more likely to create a deeper affinity with your products and services.
* Fulfil the 'now' expectation
Patience has become unfashionable. The consequence of "always on" technology is an "always on consumer". Answers to queries are expected here and now. This has big implications for the way traditional organisations provide service or ensure that their customers can always find them. It also impacts on how they sell. Mobiles are an overlooked medium and I believe that mobile-based customer relationship management is a big area where companies can provide an improved experience.
* Listen to your customers
Organisations that have meaningful online communication with customers are likely to thrive in the future. By seeking customer input into product design and services, as well as providing easy access for feedback, these businesses will gain a competitive edge. Today, few organisations are awake to this opportunity and fewer attempt it.
* Embrace self-expression
Twenty years ago, personal diaries tended to be private, locked in a drawer and read only by the author. Today's equivalent, the blog, is shared with millions on the internet (90 per cent of South Koreans in their 20s now blog). And increasingly, consumers are turning to this unmediated content as a source of news, views and entertainment.
The rise of social networks shows how important self-expression is to consumers. Many companies use firewalls to block social networking sites when they should be embracing the phenomenon. If they are not listening and observing, then they will be cut off from one of the best catalysts for change: their own staff.
How is your new company doing?
The rise of the new digital consumer is fast and, in comparison, few companies in New Zealand have adapted the way they operate. In fact, most of the key consumer expectations and attitudes above are difficult for companies to adapt to.
But you don't have a choice really - meet the need or, ultimately, you will disappear. The key point of this article is that hundreds if not thousands of companies in your sector globally will provide for this consumer need. Make sure you are one of them.
Source: nzherald.co.nz

Science-Technology Magnet School Creating Some Chemistry

New London -- Robert and Susan Lawrence believed in the value of the Science and Technology Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut enough to stop home-schooling their son,William, last year and sign him up for the school's 10th grade.

At the time, the school,which opened its doors next to New London High School in September 2006, had little track record or reputation, just the promise of academic excellence focused around science and technology instruction.

Designated as a magnet school, the school uses a lottery system to draw about half its students from New London and half from other towns.

Robert Lawrence of Preston said he and his wife were “very impressed” with Louis Allen Jr., the school's director, and what he told them about the school.

“He's very intelligent, and he certainly is a good representative of what the New London magnet school can be,” Lawrence said.

The “can be” is telling. Halfway through the school's second year, the school is in full swing, with six full-time teachers and 201 students enrolled as of Oct. 1. Students focus on specific programs: environmental sciences, health/biotechnology, physics and engineering under the sciences; and digital media, network design, and database development and administration under technology.

Parents like Lawrence, as well as the students, appear generally satisfied with their school choice, but some things still need work. A yearlong Cisco certification course that gives students the skills necessary to get entry-level jobs working on networking systems is, in its first year, provided as an online class because of the lack of a Cisco-certified technology teacher to teach it, Allen said.

The highly specialized courses offered at the school often require additional training of its teachers, Allen said, leading to a natural shortage of qualified instructors. For example, the school's engineering program, Project Lead the Way, requires the teacher to take extra training in order to teach the brand-specific curriculum.

Allen acknowledged there are kinks and challenges to work through in the new school, whose students this year come from East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, Lisbon, New London, Norwich, Preston, Sprague, Stonington,Waterford, Bozrah, Canterbury, Lyme, Old Lyme, Higganum and Scotland. But he said the school is on the right track, preparing students for college and for careers in science and technology. He called it a “great program,” an “evolving program.”


The magnet school is a state-funded regional school, but it operates under the New London public school system and is considered part of New London High School. Students take core courses at the high school, use its facilities, participate in its after-school activities, and graduate with a New London High School diploma along with their magnet-school certificate.

Allen said the relationship between the magnet school and the high school is one of the biggest questions parents have. The fact that students at the magnet school become part of New London High is also one of the harder sells in what Allen calls his “sales pitch” to middle-school students and parents shopping around for the right high school.

“That's probably one of the bones of contention and barriers that we have to overcome,” Allen said, “because of perceptions, stereotypes,misunderstandings about New London High School.”

Beyond that stigma, Allen said, belonging to the high school means the magnet-school staff spends a lot of time coordinating its school schedule with the high school's. This year, the magnet school hired a University of Connecticut student to intern as a guidance counselor to help its students with their particular needs.

The school is continually evolving, Allen said, and not just with logistical improvements but in terms of the program's strengths. In that sense, the school may never be as good as it should be, because where it should be is always changing, especially with the continuous technological advances, Allen said.

“If you don't keep making it better, you're going to be status quo,” Allen said.

Allen knows the competition he's up against. When he goes out to recruit students, he's joined by representatives from schools like Norwich Free Academy, Norwich Technical High School, Grasso Southeastern Technical High School in Groton, and private schools such as St. Bernard High School in Uncasville.

Allen's job is to keep finding ways to offer educational opportunities students couldn't find elsewhere.

Allen also wants to ensure that the magnet school can attract some of the promising eighth-graders who leave the district — “bright flight,” he calls it — in search of a more challenging high- school academic environment.

This year, the school introduced Project Lead the Way's biomedical sciences program, which is, like its engineering counterpart, a four-year program. Biomedical sciences teacher Rachel Rice took a twoweek training session last summer in order to teach the first course of the program.

She'll return for more training to prepare for the remaining three courses that the school will introduce year by year.

Rice,who taught at the high school before moving to the magnet school this year, said the magnet school is so far the only school in Connecticut to offer Project Lead the Way's biomedical sciences program.

“I really like being able to teach the specialty class,” Rice said. “... (T)he kids seem to really enjoy being in a class that they get to choose. And it's a really fun curriculum to teach, also.”

William Lawrence said he enjoys attending the magnet school and the challenge of the specialty science and technology classes. “It's a nice school. Everything is new,” he said. “More technology there than a regular high school.”

Allen said the school continues to work toward distinguishing its program from others. That means everything from adding new, unique classes with supplemental programs such as internships and after-school or weekend programs, to ensuring all his students feel welcome.

He has a “student contact” chart in the conference room adjacent to his office with a list of all the students' names. Allen conducted an exercise earlier this year in which the teachers had to initial every student they knew well enough outside the classroom to stop them for a conversation.

“If you can't put an initial by all these names, then somebody at the school is lost in the shuffle,” Allen said.

To build on the welcoming atmosphere, Allen adds another personal touch to his school: He sends out birthday cards to all of his students.

And he keeps pushing the school for more.

“Every year, I have to say to my staff, 'Where are we, and where do we need to be?'” Allen said. “... Every year, you have to reinvent yourself.”
Source: theday.com

no longer need landline phone service

I no longer need landline phone service, so total cost was about $100/month

In the beginning, BellSouth ADSL service was great. I connected at an Average 30 times faster than dialup (not 50 times, but hey, I was in heaven). DSL Reports gave me an average 1200/378 over the several times I tested my connection speeds. Equipment arrived in a reasonable amount of time, and I installed everything in about a minute. When problems occurrred, Tech Support treated me like a Retard, but I know they were really just reading Elementary Steps out of a Book for Dummies. Either they don't really know how to solve problems, OR Bellsouth doesn't allow them to actually solve them. Hence, I spent an hour or 2 and gave up with Tech Support, then finally corrected problems on my own. During the year I had the service, there were 2 outages that lasted almost a week each. There were also several week long periods where connectivity could not be maintained for more than a few minutes. Again, Tech Support was useless, and these problems resolved themselves eventually. One time, they tested my phone line and gave me false results, claiming my alarm system was interfering with the service. It cost me $225. to discover that it was not, in fact, interfering. HOORAY, BellSouth Tech!!! * Ohhh, let's not forget the SpyWare that comes with their Connection Manager Software!!! Neither SpyBot S&D nor Ad-Aware can catch this. I found out by reviewing my Task Manager List. BJCFD.exe and CFD.exe and T g c m d.exe are all Adware or Spyware that can safely be uninstalled without hurting performance. THEN....I moved. I ordered the service to move along with me, and it is available in my new home. First, BellSouth made the mistake of getting the wrong address. They delivered new equipment to the wrong location, along with the service even though *no*such*address*exists* (the address is 120 NOT 102 on my street, so I know for a fact there is no such address). When I called to question why I hadn't connected yet, they promised that it would happen before midnight. Midnight came and went, and they made a similar promise for the next 4 days, but I never achieved connectivity, except there was dialup service for one evening. They ultimately cancelled my account against my wishes - dumping crucial e-mails that I was waiting for - and decided I was not a necessary customer. Since all my phone calls are made on a cellphone, and I never really use the landline phone, I decided that $100 a month for ADSL service is a bit steep, so I am moving to Wireless...
Source: broadbandreports.com

MobiFone to offer lightning service

HA NOI — MobiFone has announced it’s using new technology that will allow users to access the internet at four times the current rate.
The mobile phone company said they are boosting their GPRS data network with Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) technology, a first for Viet Nam, which will deliver throughput speeds on the network at the speed of ADSL.
But the new-improved speed will depend on several factors, including network changes, traffic volume, service outages and the weather.
MobiFone’s general director Le Ngoc Minh said the new technology would help the company attract more subscribers, especially high-income users who can afford EDGE-enabled mobile devices.
MobiFone, a subsidiary of the Viet Nam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), has set its revenue target for 2007 at US$1 billion, becoming the most profitable mobile operator in Viet Nam.
Earlier the Ha Noi based firm short listed six international financial firms, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Rothschild and UBS, to take part in bidding to advise MobiFone through its equitisation process, which will include listing shares some time next year.
An initial public offering has been slated to take place early 2008 with VNPT maintaining a one-third stake in the company. Strategic investors would hold another third with the remaining shares sold to the public.
Vodafone, BT, Singtel and Telenor have also voiced interest in claiming MobiFone shares and forming a strategic partnership with the Vietnamese mobile service provider.
MobiFone currently has over 10 million subscribers, representing around 30 per cent of the market. Its main rivals are the military-run Viettel, currently the market leader, and State-run Vinaphone, which is also controlled by VNPT.
Source: vnagency.com.vn

Critical hole in Skype VoIP client remedied

It has been announced that Skype has remedied a critical security hole in version 3.6 of its VoIP software for Windows, released in mid November 2007.
When a specially crafted website is visited, attackers are able to inject malicious code onto a PC and execute it with the user's privileges. It would then be possible to infect the computer with contaminants.
The Zero Day Initiative says there was a flaw in the URI handler skype4com, which is created when Skype is installed. Short strings can then be used to provoke a memory violation in this handler, allowing code to be written into memory.
It is not clear whether this flaw entered the software with the update for the URI hole that was made public just prior to this update. But it is clear that Skype has once again closed critical holes furtively without informing users at all.
The last security advice published by Skype is dated 3 October, 2006. Users who still have an older version of Skype should install the latest version as soon as possible. Generally, the software informs users that a new major update has been released. The software reportedly also informs users about security releases, but Skype first has to declare them as such.
Source: voip-news.co.uk

New technology could revive dormant local oil fields

LIMA, Dec 08, 2007 (The Lima News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) The state last year passed over a Lima group's application for a $60 million grant to help establish an energy megacenter. Even so, more of that proposal is taking shape.
Global Energy and Hydrogen Technologies Corp., or HTC Purenergy, this week announced they had signed a memorandum of understanding to form a new company for carbon dioxide management, sequestration and enhanced oil recovery. In layman's terms, Carbon Management Technologies would catch and store the carbon dioxide that will be a byproduct of Global's converting coal and petroleum coke into synthetic gas. It also would use that carbon dioxide to force previously unreachable oil to the surface.
"What we're looking at with Global is to take some of the CO2 off the new plant there that they're building in Lima," HTC Senior Vice President Jeff Allison said. "That new company will take that CO2 and then market it to the various oil fields around your state. We'll also do some work with regards to helping those oil companies set up enhanced oil recovery programs in that area.
"That's sort of based on the technology that's been successful in Canada with EnCana and Apache."
Global Energy will own 70 percent of Carbon Management Technologies and HTC Purenergy will own 30 percent. In return for HTC's technology services and licensing, Global Energy will issue 41,666 common voting shares to the Canadian energy technology company. The companies expect to complete the deal, subject to regulatory approval, Jan. 11.
Ultimately, the new venture could mean more jobs and more investment in Lima to complement the 550-megawatt plant Global is building on the site of the former Lima Loco Works.
"It's hard to say how much more," Global Group Vice President Dwight Lockwood said. "You'd expect that process would add some, but there's no way for me to speculate how much or where. Capture and compressing (the gas) at the Lima facility is one thing, but moving the gas to the other end of the state or even 20 or 30 miles north or whatever, that's going to take a lot of work to figure out the best way to proceed or the pace of it. ...
"It takes time to figure out the best place and it takes time to negotiate a deal and it takes time to go forward so it's successful and not rushed."
When a group that included the city of Lima and Global Energy applied last year to the Ohio Department of Development for the megacenter grant, the group had enhanced oil recovery and carbon capture as one of the business lines it intended to research and pursue.
"What HTC and Global have decided is that they're not going to wait on grant funding," Lima Mayor David Berger said. "They apparently concluded there's a real business opportunity. Moving ahead with that is part of the project development here in Lima."
Initially, the enhanced oil recovery services would be marketed to the east side of Ohio. The oil there is deeper than in this area. The depth affects its usefulness.
Global Energy's gasification process will leave the carbon dioxide pressured and in liquid form, Berger said. Carbon Management Technologies would pipe it in liquid form, and it would be pumped into the ground that way. On the east side of Ohio, the oil field is between 2,500 and 3,000 feet below the surface, a level at which the carbon dioxide stays in the liquid form that lets it more easily lift the oil, Berger said. In Northwest Ohio, where the oil is only 1,200 feet down, the carbon dioxide would return to gas form, requiring more of it to lift the oil.
"Long term, their intent would be to continue to research the opportunities for Northwest Ohio, recognizing there are some challenges on the northwest side that don't exist on the east side," Berger said.
With uncertainty about whether holes drilled for oil on this side of the state were properly capped, there's also concern that both the carbon dioxide and oil would come out places it wasn't wanted.
HTC stores the carbon dioxide in the ground, using saline aquifers, unmineable coal beds and retired oil and gas fields. It escaping into the atmosphere would eliminate the carbon credits the company would earn for the reduction of carbon emissions.
Global has always intended to do carbon capture and sequestration, Lockwood said. The memorandum of understanding allows Cincinnatibased Global to use HTC's expertise in those areas and enhanced oil recovery more fully.
Source: tradingmarkets.com

ISD calls for less than a Re/min

Players such as Net4, Sify and Worldphone Internet Services are offering International long distance (ILD) calls that work out to less than a rupee a minute by using a technology called Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

Around 80 million minutes worth of calls are made via VoIP every month (legally), according to Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

VoIP is simply the transmission of voice traffic over IP-based networks. It has become popular largely because of the cost advantages to consumers over traditional telephone networks. For instance, Worldphone Internet Services — a category “A” Internet services provider — recently launched its premium Internet telephony unlimited plans in Mumbai whereby international calls to the US, the UK, Australia and Canada will be available at Rs 1,500 per month (around 3,000 minutes) onwards — effectively bringing the price down to about 50 paise per minute.

Mumbai is the second city after Delhi where people can access these cheap call services. The company plans to introduce the services across class A and B cities in a month’s time.

Delhi-based Net4 India is perhaps the earliest player in this segment. The company earlier this year had introduced its One World services, wherein users could call 44 countries for Re 1 per minute.

“While we have been focused on the medium and the enterprise segment, Net4 India also caters to the retail segment through 3,000 public phone centres under the brand name of Phonewala,” says Jasjit Sawhney, CEO Net4 India. Sify offers similar services. “For the home user, we offer these calls at Re 1 whereas through retail outlets the charges are Rs 2, but the retailer can pass on the discount to the customer,” says Naresh Ajwani, executive VP, Sify.

He believes that the ratio of outbound calls to inbound calls has improved drastically in the past few years and cost has been the key factor. The company is also planning to slash its prices further and introduce value-added services.

One can make these calls through a PC by downloading software from the service provider or make use of an IP phone. Players such as Sify also provide for an analog terminal adopter (ATA) priced at Rs 700-800, which needs to be connected to the telephone.

However, there’s a flourishing grey market too where VoIP calls are made illegally. Alok Shende, Head IT and Telecom, Ovum India, says that one of the reason is the acceptance of these services among the low-cost call centres.

Despite this, he notes, that some VoIP players have grown phenomenally over the last couple of years. Aditya Ahluwalia, chairman, World Phone Internet Services Private, says: “The prime reason to cut cost was to combat grey marketers.”
Source: business-standard.com

New 3-D Real-time Heart 'Mapping' Technology

New 3-D Real-time Heart 'Mapping' Technology Improves Precision And Patient Safety
ScienceDaily (Dec. 8, 2007) — Specialists at Loyola University Health System are the first in the nation to use new ultrasound technology to guide ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF), offering potential improvements in both the precision and safety of this therapy. AF is the most common type of heart rhythm disorder.
In treating AF with catheter ablation, cardiac electrophysiologists traditionally use standard X-ray technology to guide proper placement of radiofrequency energy to ablate the tissues (cause small areas of scarring) in the heart responsible for starting and maintaining the irregular rhythm. These physicians also generate a computer reconstruction of the heart’s interior, often with the help of pictures obtained from CT or MRI scans done prior to the procedure. While helpful, these reconstructions can be time consuming, difficult to produce, and expose patients to additional radiation.
With the newly installed software imaging technology, the CartoSound™ Image Integration Module and SoundStar™ 3D Catheter, Loyola physicians now are able to visualize and create a whole new kind of “map” of the heart in order to perform atrial ablation. They use ultrasound imaging to produce pictures of the heart during the ablation procedure. The ultrasound technique produces three-dimensional images of the heart’s anatomy within a few minutes at the bedside, and allows real-time, simultaneous monitoring of catheter position and orientation during the procedure, improving both precision and patient safety.
Dr. David Wilber, professor of cardiovascular sciences, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, said he and his team have used the new technology with 20 patients with “excellent results.
While the previous method provided three-dimensional images of the heart, they often lacked sufficient detail. Incorporating CT pictures images from a scan obtained several days earlier provided more detail, but it was difficult to accurately register the older picture to the precise orientation of the heart during the procedure.
“The new 3-D ultrasound images provide a very detailed view of the heart, and most importantly, they reflect the condition of the heart during the procedure. Since the image is generated by the same computer program that tracks the location of the catheter, the points of interest match very closely,” Dr Wilber explained. “This allows very accurate placement of lesions (the ‘scarring’) to assure elimination of the arrhythmia, while avoiding injury to important nearby structures, such as the pulmonary veins or the esophagus. We can now image these structures with unprecedented accuracy continuously during the procedure.”
“Patients experience shorter X-ray times, and physicians can create more precise ‘heart maps’ for the ablation,” Dr. Wilber noted. He added that “the technology also allows us to map both the right and left sides of the heart from the right atrium (right upper heart chamber) before we must move into the left side to complete the actual ablation (‘scarring’) procedure.” Dr. Wilber explained that with less time spent in the left side of the heart, the patient has a decreased risk of having a blood clot form during the procedure that could lead to a stroke.
Overall procedure time is decreased by more than 30 minutes, Dr. Wilber added, and the need for additional imaging procedures prior to ablation may be completely eliminated. “This is real breakthrough in making these procedures safer, more precise and less taxing on the patient. We are extremely excited about being able to bring these benefits to patients here at Loyola,” he said.AF is the most common irregular heart rhythm disorder in the U.S., affecting about 2.2 million Americans. Approximately 160,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. alone each year.
AF may be related to coronary artery disease, thyroid disease, high blood pressure, or other structural heart defects, but often has no detectable cause. If left untreated, AF can cause structural heart changes that diminish heart function. It can also increase the risk of stroke, congestive heart failure and other heart disease. Approximately 50,000 ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation are performed annually in patients who do not respond to medical therapy.
Source: sciencedaily.com

Cisco combine expertise for wireless technology

NEW DELHI: Emerson Process Management, a business of Emerson with an annual sales of $22.6 billion, and Cisco, a global leader in IT networking for industrial and business management applications, are combining their expertise and technology to deliver a complete solution that improves productivity, safety, and operational efficiency for manufacturing customers in India.

The product, called Smart Wireless Solutions, enables mainstream production, manufacturing, and distribution to move to the next level of reliability and operational performance. Companies such as IOCL, HPCL, BPCL, L&T and ONGC showed keen interest in adopting the new technology.

“This is for the first time such a process automation application has been introduced in India. We intend to provide this application to our existing customers that include Reliance, ONGC and many more,” said Sunil Khanna, managing director, Emerson Process Management India.

Emerson Group has also targeted a turnover of Rs 4,000 crore in India by 2011 from a present Rs 2,000 crore, said a company official, with approximately 25% coming from Emerson Process Management.

“This Smart Wireless networks will extend asset optimisation and predictive maintenance, helping manufacturers avoid costly, unexpected process interruptions and shutdowns; optimise performance and lifetime of processing equipment; and maximise production output.

Field trials with several customers over the last three years have demonstrated greater than 99% network reliability and installed cost that is as much as 90% lower than a wired equivalent,” said Mark Schumacher, president, Rosemount Division, Emerson Process Management, India. The smart wireless solution for process automation will surely enable Indian industries to cut cost effectively. Emerson has extended its PlantWeb.

digital architecture to create Smart Wireless solutions comprised of self organising Smart Wireless field networks. Emerson’s innovative new wireless technology is the first designed and field proven for mainstream use within production, manufacturing and distribution facilities.

The technology opens up the age of wireless. Emerson’s Smart Wireless network enables to deliver data at unprecedented levels of reliability from assets previously out of physical or economic reach. This will help for asset optimisation and predictive maintenance increasing plant availability, maximize profits and enhance safety by meeting regulatory compliances.

Emerson’s Smart Wireless solutions can be deployed in various process manufacturing segments, including oil and gas, refining, chemical, pulp and paper, metal & mining, power and water and wastewater treatment.

Source: indiatimes.com

Web’n’walk Stick launched by T-mobile

Croatian mobile communication company, T-Mobile, announced on November 29 the launch of a new web’n’walk Stick - the smallest and simplest data device currently available in the Croatian market for quick and simple access to the Internet, e-mail or multimedia content. The device provides Internet access at the speed that could compete with an ADSL connection, using the latest wireless HSDPA technology, to all computers with a USB connector, T-Mobile said on November 29.The installation of the device is very simple - it does not require any odd installation CDs and additional setting up of software and device parameters. All it takes is just one click for the installation programme located in the device itself to be activated and a T-Mobile SIM card.Web’n’walk Stick USB modem is connected via Atype USB plug, and it allows Internet access even to computers without a PCMCIA slot or with an Express slot which cannot take a Fusion+ PC card. The Stick supports both desktop PCs and notebooks with Windows Vista, XP and 2000 as well as Mac Power- Book OS 10.3.9 and higher operating systems.T-Mobile has also singed a partnership contract with Kon^ar-INEM d.d in order to completely meet expectations of customers for simplest possible solutions of mobile Internet access.The partnership, contract which T-Mobile signed with the company Kon^ar-INEM d.d, is the first step in presentation of even simpler solutions of mobile Internet access. It is a unique cooperation of this kind in the Croatian market where two leading companies in their own areas offer to customers’ mutual, whole service. The business cooperation between T-Mobile and Kon^ar encompasses the offer and promotion of specially adjusted portable computer N3.5G with a built-in SIM card. Using this computer the customer will be connected to fast mobile Internet access in a moment, pressing one button. As the market leader in the segment of business customers, T-Mobile successfully cooperates with Croatian companies providing them with contemporary and quality communications solutions thus supporting the further development of their businesses.
Source: neurope.eu

Toshiba Establishes New Software Technology Lab

Toshiba Establishes New Software Technology Lab with the College of Technology, Vietnam

Toshiba Establishes New Software Technology Lab with the College of Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi Company to Contribute to Training Personnel to Develop EmbeddedSoftware and Systems in VietnamTOKYO--(Business Wire)--Toshiba today announced that it has established a new laboratoryto develop platform technology for embedded software and embeddedsystems with The College of Technology (Coltech) of Vietnam NationalUniversity, Hanoi. Under an agreement signed today, Toshiba andColtech have become partners in the "Toshiba-Coltech SoftwareTechnology Laboratory" and both will promote cooperative research anddevelopment in platform technology of embedded software and systems.Looking to the future, the lab is expected to provide Vietnamesesoftware engineers with training and know-how in embedded software andsystems, and provide a platform for Toshiba and Coltech to promote R&Dprojects. The "Toshiba-Coltech Software Technology Laboratory" has beenestablished on the Cau Giay campus of The College of Technology,Vietnam National University, Hanoi. Toshiba is supporting the lab'sinitial set up and operating costs, will participate in selectingresearch themes of the Lab, appoint technical advisors and providetechnological support for embedded software and systems development,and also participates in developing a curriculum for embedded softwareand systems. Coltech will provide the lab's premises, and the staff,researchers and students who will carry out research and developmentworks. Toshiba has long standing relations with Vietnam that includesproviding scholarships to Vietnam's two national universities, VietnamNational University in Hanoi and Vietnam National University in Ho ChiMinh City, and to Hanoi University of Technology, the country'sleading universities. At Hanoi University of Technology, Toshibasponsors a scholarship program in nuclear power that contributes todeveloping human resources for nuclear engineering. Toshiba will seekto further enhance its partnership with these universities so as tosecure excellent human resources for its fast growing operations inVietnam. Toshiba is also promoting development projects in Vietnam, and inApril this year established Toshiba Software Development (Vietnam)Co., Ltd. in Hanoi, as a wholly owned subsidiary dedicated tostrengthening development of embedded software and systems for digitalconsumer products. Toshiba will promote business opportunities in thishighly promising market. Background Vietnam continues to see positive economic development that hastranslated into a GDP growth rate of around 8% in recent years. This,combined with the country's population of over 84 million, second onlyto Indonesia in Southeast Asia, is supporting Vietnam's emergence as apromising future market. The Vietnamese are skilled, capable workers,and the government is promoting a national policy that emphasizestraining IT engineers, assuring the country with high-tech potentialessential for R&D in such complex areas as embedded software andsystems. By cultivating long-term partnerships in various fields, Toshibawill seek to find and train excellent personnel who can supportbusiness growth, cultivate R&D capabilities through training programs,promote employment at local subsidiaries, and seek businessopportunities in the growing Vietnamese market. *Vietnam National University is a tertiary education and researchinstitution under the direct jurisdiction of Vietnam's Prime Minister.Vietnam has two national universities: Vietnam National University inHanoi (approximately 45,000 students), and Vietnam National Universityin Ho Chi Minh City (approximately 60,000 students).Toshiba CorporationJunko Furuta, +81-3-3457-2105Corporate Communications OfficeFax: +81-3-5444-9202
Source: reuters.com

Telefónica O2 sets sights on broadband expansion

MADRID - Telefónica's O2 Europe division said yesterday it is looking to grow in the British and German ADSL broadband markets over the next few years.
O2 Europe Chief Executive Peter Erskine told a news conference in London that Britain is expected to add a further eight million ADSL customers in the coming years and a similar number in Germany. A further eight million users are expected to switch operators in both countries, he added.
Telefónica had 9.6 million ADSL customers as of the end of September, an increase of 32 percent over a year earlier.
Telefónica acquired UK mobile operator O2 last year for EUR 26 billion. It is now integrated into the O2 Europe division, which includes Telefónica's Czech subsidiary Cesky Telecom and its businesses in Britain, Germany, Ireland and Slovakia.

Erskine is to step down as O2 CEO at the end of this year but will retain a seat on Telefónica's board. He said the synergies generated in Telefónica's purchase of O2 amounted to more than the EUR 1.1 billion initially estimated.
O2 Europe accounted for about a quarter of Telefónica consolidated revenues in the first nine months of the year, which amounted to EUR 42 billion. Telefónica's share price closed yesterday down 1.65 percent at EUR 22.70.
Source: expatica.com

VoIP provider Jajah

VoIP provider Jajah has released a web app today that helps you make international calls on an iPhone without going totally broke. The Jajah web app looks like the iPhone's dial pad, and like the iPhone it uses an address book to store contacts. After selecting the person you want to call, though, things get a little funky.
You hit the person you want, then Jajah calls you back and acts as the middleman, using VoIP to connect you to the other party's landline. You are still using your plan's minutes on top of Jajah's VoIP rates, so it makes no sense to use this for calls within the US. While calling cards provide less expensive options to communicate with people overseas, you don't always have a card. This is more of an option of convenience, letting you worry about things other than calling card PIN numbers.
Another advantage is that Jajah members may also call other Jajah members for free, that is, without paying the VoIP service fee. While Jajah's product is far from perfect, it's a start. Personally, I won't even consider using it until they lower the price of calling Djibouti from $13.77/minute.
Source: gizmodo.com

VoIP pilot to cut NHS phone bills

Connecting their individual voice networks to the NHS N3 network could help hospital trusts across the UK cut their phone bills.

The N3 broadband backbone is part of the £12.4bn NHS IT modernisation programme and is key to the delivery of new services, such as electronic prescriptions and the Picture Archiving and Communications digital X-ray system.

The N3 network links surgeries, hospitals, community pharmacies and other NHS sites and has recently been updated to carry phone calls using VoIP technology.

BT — which is running the £530m N3 project — claims NHS organisations will make substantial savings on communications by converging voice and data over a single network.

London trusts are being offered free connections to the N3 Local Gateway Service — allowing them to call each other for free — as part of a pilot and will also get reduced tariff mobile calls through a partnership with mobile network operator O2.

Currently 21 trusts in London have joined the pilot, with another 26 due to join up and several more expected to take part before the funding expires at the end of the year.

The director of ICT at the North West London Hospitals NHS Trust, Rick Juniper, said converging its voice and data over one single network has provided a simple and efficient way to manage its communications needs.

The upgrade of the N3 broadband network in July of this year included the Local Gateway Service for NHS sites to connect their voice services into the main N3 network and call other sites free of charge.
Source: zdnet.co.uk

Making Technology Sexy

How frequently have you read a sexually connotated article in one of the online Technology News web sites that was ranked highly by Google? The answer to that question is... rarely. Is it because technology is not sexy? Can it be that the readers of these technology news sites are not interested in sex? No... Another possible explanation is editorial censorship. If that is the likely reason, here is an interesting correlation between the technology news web sites and sex.

"I believe in censorship. After all, I made a fortune out of it." ~ Mae West

According to Wikipedia, MAE West is a "network access point" that handles, by some estimates, as much as 40 percent of the nation's Internet traffic. The MAE (short for Metropolitan Area Ethernet) is the second-busiest intersection in cyberculture. Mae West, the global sex symbol of the 1920's, 30's, 40's and 50's brought the first sexually connotated subject material to the general public. Eighty years ago , she was arrested on charges of public obscenity for putting up SEX on a Broadway marquee.

As you can see, both of the above two Mae West have been catalyst for revolutions. The Mae West, "network access point" is a driving force for the information and knowledge-based revolution. Mae West, the sex symbol was instrumental in allowing the delivery of sexual content in today's mass media.

Wikipedia states that Mae West's Film, She Done Him Wrong (1933), had fans going wild over the sexy starlet because she was something that was unheard of and dramatically different from anything presented before. It is safe to say that Mae West, the network access point has delivered a similar response from the general public for the same reason.
Source: zdnet.co.uk

Analysis of Themes Driving Core Research

Analysis of Themes Driving Core Research for Our Insurance Technology Research Stream...

DUBLIN, Ireland--(Business Wire)--Research and Markets has announced theaddition of "2007 Trends to Watch: Insurance Technology" to theiroffering. Analysis of themes driving core research for our insurancetechnology research stream in 2007 Scope of this title: Focuses on the North American, European and Asia Pacific insurancetechnology markets Focuses on the Life and Non-life insurance segments Explores how business trends and institution strategies acrossthis industry are driving IT priorities, decision making andtechnology investment Highlights of this title: Industry concentration will continue, particularly in the Europeanlife and US non-life segments, gradually resulting in a lessfragmented industry. Larger insurers tend to be both bettercapitalized and in need of integration, and these firms willincreasingly make architecture integration the cornerstone of theirtechnology investment. Insurers are beginning to realize that a movetoward an enterprise view of data is essential for enablingcross-segment (E.g. policy administration, product development,customer service) efficiency. Investment in enterprise datainitiatives is expected to rise in 2007, following, and mirroring, theinvestment in application integration the insurance industry hasundertaken in earnest in the past several years. Reasons to order your copy: This brief is essential reading for you to identify and track thekey forces shaping the prospects for your business. Our lead analystwill outline the trends in your market, explain how this has shapedour research agenda for 2007 OUR VIEW CATALYST SUMMARY 2007 TRENDS TO WATCH: INSURANCE TECHNOLOGY The top business issues facing the insurance industry Maintaining performance amidst growing competition Leveraging in-house information to build more effectiveenterprise-wide business capabilities The information-intensive global Insurance industry continues tostruggle with how to store, measure and use the data at the core ofall insurance operations. Especially for the largest carriers, who mayoperate in dozens of business lines and offer hundreds of products,integrating policyholder information, risk profiles, and catastropheand actuarial models can result in faster time to market, developmentof higher-demand products, more accurate underwriting and rating andtimelier regulatory reporting. The presence of "architecture islands"containing vast but isolated data stores is considered a seriousimpediment to achieving these goals. Meeting onerous regulatory requirements in the global insuranceindustry Theme 1: Sales and Service Issues in Insurance Theme 2: Data Integration and Business Intelligence in Insurance Theme 3: Regulation/operational risk management for insurers This theme examines the methods by which insurers areconsolidating risk management and regulatory reporting practices. Mostinsurers financial services firms continue to take an ad hoc approachwithin individual business units to managing risk and complianceactivities. Under this method, information is captured but remains insilos, hindering timely access to data essential to make criticaloperational decisions. This may prevent detection of potential riskevents early enough to prevent them. Silo structures also inhibit thesharing of knowledge related to best practices and create redundantand incompatible data, which complicates technology decisions. OUR TAKE A look ahead at 2007