Free VoIP calls for Christmas

Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony provider Jajah is offering its customers the chance to make free calls on Christmas day.

Jajah will reimburse new and existing customers for up to an hour's worth of calls, which will be credited to your account after Boxing day.

Unlike Skype, you don't actually need to be online to use Jajah's service - you don't even have to have a PC.

Jajah's Direct service allows you to call a local switchboard, input the number you want to call and it will text you back with a new number, which will connect you to the person you want to get in touch with.

Though the saving you make depends on several factors, Jajah's Daniel Mattes told Web User recently that the average saving you would make by using the service is 95 per cent.

Jajah explained that last Christmas, when it made a similar offer, it saw a surge of calls just after 3pm on Christmas Day.

"We're not suggesting people are bored with the Queen's message – perhaps it's just that 3:04pm brings most people across the world into an appropriate time zone for Christmas calls," said Jajah co-founder Roman Scharf.

"Free calls for Christmas struck a chord last year as cash-strapped Brits looked for any opportunity to peg back some Christmas pennies, and it's a gesture we're very pleased to be offering again," Scharf continued.

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

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

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

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

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

Becoming a VoIP Reseller: best business opportunity

To survive in the world of high-end communication, one must opt for new opportunities. While shuffling pages of latest opportunities in communication industry with less investment, VoIP reseller rated more credit compared to any other profile. Well, becoming active VoIP reseller means holding huge potential for spreading call termination services across the world. They have to ensure that their services reach the end-user effectively. With this as job profile, number of voice over IP resellers are increasing as it has wide scope across the globe, for instance, even the remotest areas are also accessing VoIP calls. So, it can be said that it's the time to bid an adieu to traditional channel of communication i.e. Public switch Telephony network or PSTN and switch on to VoIP.
Scope of becoming a reseller is increasing; as earlier their services were opted by corporate houses and business organization only. But with the time and looking at benefits, reseller's services are also becoming popular among residential users. IP resellers builds pivotal link between the service provider and end-users. To become a reseller VoIP, one must have an established customer base in specific geographical areas, as well as a sound and efficient sales department. Moreover, one must also possess basic knowledge about Voice over internet protocol domain. Therefore, an individual is free from investment in infrastructural set-up. The work of a reseller is to avail and allocate some portion of VoIP switch from providers to the end users respectively. So, while availing portion of switch from voice over IP provider, any reseller must look into few features like:
1. Best quality of service to find appropriate ASR, ACD and PDD from any service provider.
2. Affordable rate with best quality of services
3. Availability of technical support round the clock i.e. 24x7x365
Lastly, relationship with IP provider and reseller is considered as a one-step opportunity to connect with the best carriers.
Source: tmcnet.com

VoIP is the next big hack

Sticking your head above the parapet and talking about security threats on Voice- Over-IP (VoIP) networks is a dangerous business. Peter Cox discusses his proof-of-concept VoIP hacking tool.
A recent Techworld news story on SIPtap, a proof-of-concept demonstrator I wrote to illustrate the problem of VoIP call eavesdropping, resulted in a flurry of postings accusing me of scaremongering. Most of the negative comments fell into one of three categories. Firstly that the eavesdropping threat would work only if encryption and other security controls were turned off; secondly that the issue of VoIP security was well understood; thirdly that securing VoIP network is really just the same as securing any other IP application. One posting included the comment:
“Many of the [VoIP] security precautions should already be in place if your network and IT environment is secure.”
On the plus side, the article generated as many positive comments thanking me for highlighting the eavesdropping threat.
So what is the reality? Are such stories just hype or are there a set of threats and risks unique to VoIP protocols and applications that merit special attention? To answer this it is necessary to draw some comparisons between VoIP and other network applications.
VoIP as its name suggests runs on an IP network. This means that it shares a common set of security threats and vulnerabilities with other IP applications such as web and email. These threats and vulnerabilities include all the IP network level threats that web masters and email administrators deal with on a daily basis; threats which are addressed with standard network security technologies and good network design.In addition to this set of network level threats VoIP applications also face a set of protocol and application specific threats and a set of content related threats.
The protocol and application specific threats stem from the design and implementation of the protocols and the services that VoIP applications deliver. VoIP protocols are complex. This is partly because VoIP aims to provide a real time communication service on an IP network and partly because VoIP protocols have to provide an interface to the standard phone system and mirror some of the features and facilities we have become dependent on after a lifetime’s use of both fixed and mobile phone services.
In addition virtually all VoIP applications provide a rich set of non-voice services such as video conferencing, presence services (providing information on a person’s availability and indicating the best contact options) and even Instant Messaging and paging services. Protocol and application threats include a range of flooding attacks and call disruption threats. Disruption threats include call termination attacks were a malicious attacker can simply cut-off a call and hijacking attacks where an attacker can take over a call. Many of these VoIP application specific threats have no direct analogue in any other network application.
Source: techworld.com

VoIP firms must connect 999 calls

From 8 September next year, VoIP (voice-over Internet Protocol) providers will be legally obliged to let their users make emergency calls using their services.
The law is being changed to ensure that there are no vital delays in contacting the police, fire brigade, ambulance service or coastguard in an emergency.
Ofcom, the communications industry regulator, is pushing the law through after its research found that 78 per cent of VoIP users either incorrectly thought that they'd be able to make a 999 call using the service, or were unsure whether they could or not.
Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards said: "As new voice services develop and become more mainstream, regulation must evolve too. In the future, consumers will be confident that if they can make calls to ordinary national numbers using their VoIP service then they will be able to call 999 or 112 in an emergency."
Ofcom has been considering changing the law in this area for some time, as Web User reported back in July.
However, some think that Ofcom has dragged its heels in getting this law pushed through.
Tim Wolfenden of price-comparison service uSwitch.com said: "It's disappointing that Ofcom has taken four years to complete this consultation. VoIP is predominately being used as an additional service to a landline and to date the ability to make 999 calls has not been guaranteed.
"By enabling emergency calls to be made, the number of consumers using VoIP as an independent form of communication will increase dramatically; it's just a shame that we'll have to wait until 2008 to get there," Wolfenden continued. Source: webuser.co.uk

VoIP Applications for Social Networking?

There are a few major reasons that businesses use Facebook instead of many of the other online social networking sites that are out there.

One is that there are such a vast number of people on Facebook that it is an excellent platform for social networking. Another is that Facebook has gained some credibility over the years for professional use as opposed to many of the other social networking sites which remain more for kids than adults. But one of the biggest reasons that business professionals use Facebook as their primary social networking tool is that it offers users so many different applications to improve their business practices. (Read "A dummy's guide to social networking" to find out why you should be using this tool in your business.)

Unfortunately, VoIP is not yet one of those applications.

Well, that's not entirely true. There are applications available for Facebook which include some aspects of VoIP technology. However, as was recently pointed out in an overview of those applications by VoIP News, there is no official VoIP application for Facebook professionals to utilize.

Why would you want to integrate social networking and VoIP? One of the main purposes of VoIP is to streamline your business in order to increase efficiency and productivity. Social networking should be a major part of your business life and since you should be doing a lot of online networking, you should do what you can to streamline your efforts.

Let's use an example of why VoIP would be great for use on a social networking site like Facebook. Imagine that you have developed a strong network of Facebook connections but they aren't people with whom you regularly do business. You write an article for your site that points to a new product you have just begun to offer. Using Facebook, you make an announcement about the article to every one of those connections. If a VoIP application were available, people in your network with an interest in the product could easily place a call to you to get their questions about it answered. This would clearly facilitate sales of the product.

As multiple services are integrated, this will become even more important. An article at Disruptive Technology last month discussed applications which allow for increased use of social networking sites on Blackberry phones. Additional phone advancements are making it more possible than ever before to do your social networking on your cell phone while you're waiting in lines or traffic. As phones add VoIP capabilities, your social networking and other aspects of business will begin to get even more streamlined.

Of course, Facebook isn't the only social networking site out there which is being used by business professionals. It's just the one that is most likely to see VoIP developments because of the fact that it allows use of so many different applications. As the trend grows, it would be nice to see streamlining of VoIP technology for use with other business networking sites as well.

Would you be more likely to contact a Facebook friend if VoIP services made it cheap and easy?
Source: pcworld.ca

Freedom VoIP System Deployed By West Brom

West Bromwich Albion Football club has installed an IP telephony system in order to benefit from lower call and maintenance costs. Employees will now be able to call internally, and between the club’s two sites, for free.
The Alcatel-Lucent VoIP system was installed by voice and data integrator, Freedom.
The flexible system can be scaled up when large numbers of calls are expected - when match tickets go on sale, for example.
This is achieved through an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, which tells customers their position in the queue and directs the call to the appropriate agent.
Freedom’s VoIP system replaced an existing legacy phone system, and has resulted in significant cost savings and greater efficiency.
Freedom is now the sole supplier of line rental, compared with five suppliers on the previous system. Source: voip-news.co.uk

Taking VoIP Beyond Talk

New Unified Communications Demo Centre Open to Public,
Lets Business Test and Try Advanced Tools Before Buying

TORONTO, Dec. 4 /CNW/ - Quartet Service Inc., a leading information
technology outsourcing firm focused on the mid-tier corporate market in the
Greater Toronto Area, is delighted to host the grand opening of its Unified
Communications Laboratory (UC Lab).

DATE: Wednesday, December 5, 2007

TIME: 4 - 7 P.M.

PLACE: 1867 Yonge Street, Suite 102

PROGRAM: hors d'oeuvres, beer & wine, brass quartet, draws and more

"When VoIP is just voice you save money," says Robert Bracey, Quartet's
President and CEO. "But when you take VoIP beyond simply talk and mix in all
these new applications watch out, especially for agile small and medium-sized
businesses who traditionally get the short end of the stick when it comes to
emerging technologies. Not anymore."
Among the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) applications on display at
the lab:

<< - Integrating voice, data, video, security, and wireless into a single communications repository; - Turning Outlook into a single platform for all communications, including email and voicemail which means you can listen to your email messages and talk to your Outlook calendar to set appointments; - Transforming phone calls into videoconferences, and much more. >>

"We want customers to see and feel the power of these new tools," says
Mr. Bracey. "Our lab is a true demo centre where customers can try new things
like talking on their VoIP phone and then walking outside and seamlessly
getting connected to the wireless phone companies' networks without dropping
the call. Not only is it cool, but it also saves customers a ton of money."
Quartet invites companies with 30 to 500 employees to visit the lab and
experience the applications and advanced VoIP technologies from Cisco,
Microsoft and HP.
"With the resources we have in this high-tech hub, there's no limit to
what we can do blending voice and data into unique customer-tailored
configurations," says Mr. Bracey. "Size no longer matters when it comes to
getting the most advanced VoIP business solutions. This total connectivity
takes the hassle and complexity out of the equation."
Quartet is a Microsoft Gold Partner with infrastructure and information
worker specialization, Cisco Premier Partner in the VoIP category and
certified Blackberry Partner. It specializes in serving the growing call from
mid-tier companies for sophisticated technical services such as remote
management, disaster recovery and third-party IT infrastructure management.
Source: newswire.ca

InteleCom Signs VoIP Distribution Agreement With TechnoPlanet

INDIANAPOLIS, IN--(Marketwire - December 4, 2007) - InteleCom, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: IECM) is pleased to announce that TechnoPlanet Productions has signed a distribution agreement to market InteleCom's Internet phones and service through TechnoPlanet's 20,000 Canadian, 35,000 US, and 45,000 International computer, electronics and Internet orientated Value Added Resellers (VARS).

InteleCom, through its brand name InteleFone, provides Internet phone service (VoIP) for pennies a minute to customers anywhere in the world, in many cases saving up to a dollar or more per minute over regular long distance and international calls. The savings are even greater for International travelers using their mobile phones. The company's Travel InteleFone simply plugs into a USB port on a laptop or PC and allows customers to make calls over the Internet for the same low rate no matter what country they place the call from. All InteleFone calls initially travel over the Internet bypassing the local or national phone company in the country where the customer is located and can connect to any regular or mobile phone in the world. InteleFone to InteleFone calls are provided free of charge.

Unlike most VoIP companies that only provide service to broadband Internet customers, InteleFone also works with dial-up Internet service, giving InteleCom a global market universe of 1.25 Billion Internet customers, which is 900% larger than the 125 Million broadband Internet customer base.

"We are thrilled to work with TechnoPlanet Productions and their outstanding network of resellers. This new relationship represents a significant step forward in our global distribution efforts," stated Michael Connor, President and COO of InteleCom, Inc.

InteleCom previously announced that The Sakal Group, Israel's largest privately owned retail chain, will invest $5 Million with InteleCom, Inc., for a global joint venture to market the company's Internet phones and service in South East Asia, Central America and the Middle East. Sakal recently started sales of InteleCom's Travel InteleFone at its electronic stores and is committed to sell its current inventory of 21,000 phones prior to starting the joint venture. The details of Sakal's current sales efforts and plans were reported in Yediot Aharonot, Israel's largest newspaper.
Source: marketwire.com

Nokia Siemens Networks Press Releases

Network traffic will grow 100-fold by 2015, driven by bandwidth-hungry services like peer-to-peer file sharing, video and high-definition TV (HDTV). This presents intriguing opportunities – but significant scaling challenges as well.
Nokia Siemens Networks has a rich portfolio of highly efficient and flexible fixed and mobile broadband solutions to meet these challenges, and it will demonstrate them at the Broadband World Forum Americas 2007 in São Paulo, Brazil (booth 305). Nokia Siemens Networks will present solutions that help operators leverage their bandwidth investments and migrate to an all IP/Ethernet network, along with its leading broadband technology and related management and service offerings.
Building out bandwidth with fiberNokia Siemens Networks will show how its customers can flexibly adapt their networks to meet rising bandwidth demand with the help of its industry-leading copper and fiber solutions, which provide support for all access technologies and fiber architectures: fiber to the curb, building, or home. Deployment is optimized with hybrid Multi Service Access Nodes (MSAN), which can transport both optical and electric copper signals. As a result they support ADSL2+, VDSL2, SHDSL, GPON, Ethernet, TDM and POTS/VoIP over the H.248 protocol and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and CATV connections.
Melding fixed network and IP servicesTo bring quality of experience to the consumers, Nokia Siemens Networks is bringing two worlds together: the telecommunication and IT world. Convergence between the various network domains is achieved with the aid of network abstraction, enabling converged applications. Therefore the company provides the framework for leading-edge Service Delivery Platforms to consolidate the application platform landscape to reduce OPEX and to build a flexible creation and execution environment for new applications to generate new revenues with the fastest time-to-market. Nokia Siemens Networks provides comprehensive consulting and integration services, an extensive portfolio of architectural components, a broad ecosystem, and has a great track record with jointly more than 30 business-led service delivery projects implemented.
Extending broadband with the mobile WiMAX solutionNokia Siemens Networks’ end-to-end mobile WiMAX solution extends broadband services to areas where fixed broadband is not cost-efficient. This solution delivers a unified stream of voice, data and video over wide distances with wide bandwidth. The mobile WiMAX solution enables reliable connectivity to broadband services for consumers on the go, adding mobility to their user experience. For operators, mobile WiMAX minimizes network deployment and operational costs – thus enabling easier implementation and more efficient rollout – while at the same time offering new ways to enhance both customer satisfaction and profitability.
Leveraging the simplicity of EthernetProvider Backbone Bridging Traffic Engineering (PBB-TE) is the new connection-oriented technology for Carrier Ethernet networks. PBB-TE lets carriers get the full benefits of their deployment of residential (triple play), enterprise VPNs and mobile backhauling services in their telecommunications networks. Carrier Ethernet ensures carrier-grade reliability, manageability, security, and scalability. Carrier Ethernet is rated as particularly cost-effective, significantly reducing equipment prices and network complexity.
Optimizing TV with complementing technologiesIn Sao Paulo, Nokia Siemens Networks will show how to capitalize on TV opportunities through its mobile TV broadcasting solution, which offers transmission of a great number of channels with enhanced video quality, while at the same time reducing operational expenses. Nokia Siemens Networks also demonstrates its preeminent IPTV end-to-end solution, which provides a unique bundling of entertainment and communication via an interactive multimedia platform for highly flexible use.
Adding value with a cutting-edge VoIP offerNokia Siemens Networks will also be demonstrating its VoIP solution for consumers and business customers, integrating business groups across the mobile and fixed domains. The demonstration will incorporate the Nokia E90 and E61 handsets as well as plain POTS phones connected via an IP DSLAM from Nokia Siemens Networks. The VoIP solution enables operators to offer an advanced hosted VoIP solution to any customer no matter what kind of in-house infrastructure the customer is currently using.
Source: techwhack.com

Klausner Sues VoIP Giants Over Voicemail Patent

New York — VoIP technology firm Klausner Technologies launched a legal broadside against three of the VoIP industry’s largest firms — Comcast, Cablevision and the eBay-owned Skype.

Klausner claims the companies’ voicemail-to-email systems infringe on Klausner’s visual voicemail patents. The company has already successfully litigated against Time Warner (for its AOL Voicemail) and Vonage. Both companies currently license Klausner’s voicemail technology.

According to Klausner, damages and future royalties from the suit are estimated at $300 million.

The suit has been filed in a federal court in the Eastern District of Texas.
Source: twice.com

VoIP: How Free Can It Be

VoIP initially promised free calls everywhere, but somebody has to write the software, run the servers and pay the telcos to complete calls to landlines and mobiles, while users need to pay for a phone or a laptop and broadband.

Still, there are many providers of free PC-to-PC calls — Skype, obviously, is the best-known — and they keep coming up with new ways to get users closer to that holy grail of VoIP: free calling. There are enough services that allow free calling at least some of the time — whether via laptop, landline or mobile — that an energetic user should be able to duck paying for a phone call for months by switching services as those services’ restrictions dictate.

Ccube Inc. allows you to make and receive calls without anyone knowing your number. Post a Ccube widget or username on your Facebook, LinkedIn or other social-networking page, viewers click it, your phone rings, their phone rings and you’re connected — all without the caller knowing your phone number or whereabouts, since their Caller ID shows you only as a Ccube number. Ccube also promises 60 minutes of free nationwide (U.S. and Canada) calls per month and an additional 30 minutes for each person you refer to Ccube. This referral business is important to Ccube, which is primarily in the social-networking business. The service matches you with other people based on your (and their) stated preferences, and allows you to meet one another via VoIP. This also means that Ccube lets you block callers and edit feedback that others post about you, to prevent abuses.

Interestingly, Ccube also features voiceKey, a word you speak to authenticate yourself to the Ccube system. (This is not, apparently, voice recognition so much as word recognition.)

SMS software is also handy for making free cell calls, since the same protocols that allow instant text messaging can also carry voice traffic. Click4Me performs this trick nicely. You and whoever you want to call sign up with Click4Me and get Click4Me IDs; then you text Click4Me with “CALL” plus the recipient’s Click4Me ID, and the call connects. Click4Me also allows blocking of certain numbers or IDs and lets users get email or SMS messages showing missed calls.

ComBOTS AG connects your PC or landline phone with others around the world for free, or at least for nothing extra on top of your current broadband charge. ComBOTS’ Web site is unclear about whether you can originate calls using your mobile, but you can certainly use it to call mobile numbers from your PC or landline. Additional communication options from your mobile include file transfer, chat, text messaging and emoticons.

Damaka Inc. turns your Windows Mobile 1.0 smartphone or Pocket PC into a wifi-enabled phone, allowing you to make free peer-to-peer calls or call PSTN (public switched telephone network) or mobile numbers for cheap. Damaka Mobile also enables users to share video and text messages, transfer files with virus scanning, listen to voice mail and view call logs. Damaka also makes an enterprise version of its product that adds recording, videoconferencing and enhanced security and Quality of Service.

Gizmo Project is the best-known open-standards softphone project. It enables free or cheap calls worldwide — and its spinoff, SIPphone Inc., offers more complex, business-oriented tools using Gizmo’s protocols, including PSTN gateways, voice mail and SIP/PSTN network peering. Gizmo features Call In and Call Out (similar to SkypeIn and SkypeOut) typically for 1.9 cents per minute, plus IM, conversation recording and mapping of caller and receiver locations.

Google Talk comes in two flavors: a gadget to use from a Google site (with Flash 8.0) and a 1.5MB download. It integrates directly with a user’s Google Personalized Homepage, and the Google Talk application speeds setup by automatically loading contacts from your Gmail account. Unfortunately, the Google Talk client currently only works with Windows and with BlackBerry devices, although Mountain View promises Linux and Mac OS X versions in the future. Note that Google Talk does not connect with landline phones or mobiles.

If you’re on a Mac, iChat shares many of Skype’s features without using so much bandwidth, has excellent voice quality and integrates automatically with iSight video cameras. The new version for Mac OS X 10.5 adds more bells and whistles, which you can see in a demo here.

Jajah lets users make free PC-to-PC VoIP calls and a limited number of free calls to and from landline phones. You visit Jajah’s Web site, enter your phone number and the number you want to call. Your phone rings and you answer, after which the phone of the person you're calling rings to complete the call.

Jajah operates on an honor system that allows you about 1,000 minutes per month of free calls, thanks to other Jajah users paying for premium services (business accounts, calls to non-Jajah users, some foreign calls). Exceed that limit and Jajah will ask you to buy some premium services; if you don’t, you may be cut off. (Think you can just sign up again? Wrong: They have your phone number.) Works on Macs and with Microsoft Outlook.

Other companies are building applications that ride on top of Skype technology, including Mobivox. Register your Skype account with Mobivox and the company will list your Skype contacts as people you can call. You can then use local-access numbers to call them for free from your mobile (presumably connecting with them at their laptops). That said, if you and your callee are both in the Mobivox network, mobile-to-mobile calls are not only possible, but free up to 250 minutes per week. As with Jajah, it appears that those 250 minutes are underwritten by others’ purchase of premium Mobivox services, in this case international calling minutes. However, Mobivox’s operator app, VoxGirl, actually tells you whether a call is free before you’re connected.

PhoneGnome is similar to Jajah, in that Web-initiated mobile or landline calls to other PhoneGnome members are free within the U.S. and Canada. Calls are free regardless when both caller and receiver have a $60 PhoneGnome box, a wallet-size switching gizmo that automatically finds the cheapest way to route a given call (landline, VoIP, Skype or others). So if calls to non-PhoneGnome users aren’t actually free, it’s a good bet they’re traveling the lowest-cost route available at a given moment.

If you do a lot of international calling, you can use RocketVoIP for unlimited dialing to other RocketVoIP members for $19.95 per month (up from $10 per month not so long ago). This is the plan for heavy users, since the more calls you make, the cheaper they become per minute.

In addition, since it will usually be evening or the weekend on either the caller’s or the receiver’s continent (think U.S.-Asia, U.S.-Europe, Asia-Europe), wait until you’re on your mobile plan’s free night-and-weekend minutes, dial the RocketVoIP access number, dial the overseas number you want, and presto: free international calling from your cell with no charge against your mobile plan’s monthly total.

SightSpeed Inc. touts free PC-to-PC voice calling and videoconferencing, while a $4.95 per month Pro service adds video-mail recording and multiparty videoconferencing. It’s available for Windows and Mac, and its MySightSpeed feature allows browser-based voice and videoconferencing with non-SightSpeed members (note that both parties will need at least Internet Explorer 6; see demo here).

Ontario-based Softroute Corp.’s Vbuzzer allows free PC-to-PC VoIP-based calling, faxing and videoconferencing with low rates to complete calls to landlines and mobiles (typically 1.5 cents per minute to the U.S., Canada and China; 1.7 cents per minute to other countries). Unfortunately, Vbuzzer currently works only with Microsoft’s outdated Windows 2000 and XP operating systems.

Know of a free or inexpensive VOIP option not mentioned here? Leave it below in the comments.
Source: voip-news.com

Free Calls to More Than 50 Networks Worldwide at Terrasip

Estepona (OPENPRESS) December 3, 2007 -- No. 3 of the ToP 100 VoIP providers in the world at www.myvoipprovider.com extends his offer for free calls.

What was formerly supposed to be only a pilot project will be continued.
Also after the trial period landlines can be called for free, as long as a member account at least has 1 ct credit, for example to Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal, Poland, Russia, United Kingdom, USA and more.

A complete list of free destinations is available on the TerraSip homepage.

Phonecalls with friends and family worldwide for free
Since ever TerraSip members make free calls to one another worldwide and at very low call rates when phoning non-members, without any commitment to a contract, no monthly fees, no membership charges, and no hidden costs. Memberships are free of charge as well.

No computer required for Internet Telephony
“Most users download the free Phoner, a comfortable softphone, for making calls from the computer,” says Susan Scheiber, responsible for Customer Service at TerraSip.

But apart from that, there is not necessarily a computer needed to do calls like other services require. Using special phones called IP phones, TerraSip makes Internet Telephony simple for users.

As an alternative to an IP phone an adapter enables the normal phone to be VoIP capable. At a push of a button the user determines whether to take advantage of free Internet Telephony or his normal service provider whenever making outgoing calls.

No VoIP phone required for Internet Telephony
Members using a computer but preferring making calls with a normal telephone can use the Phone2Phone service on the TerraSip homepage.
Phone2Phone connects 2 normal landlines or mobiles with one another at the low rates of VoIP, but without the necessity of any additional hardware, software, installation or configuration.

About the Companies:
TerraSip is a young, internationally oriented company operating throughout the globe, a private held VoIP Provider based in Spain with an international team of software developers in Germany, Spain, California, Romania and India. TerraSip offers cheap high quality VoIP telephony and value added solutions based on Voice over IP, such as Callshop Management Software, Free Call Buttons, Phone2Phone solutions, SMS -Service and more.

TerraSip’s main orientation is in the direction of mobile internet telephony: Voice over WLAN or VoWLAN for short.

TerraSip S.A., Avenida Espana 70, 29680 Estepona, Spanien
Contact: Susan Scheiber
Tel: +34 636982415
E-Mail: pr@terrasip.com http://www.terrasip.com

If you have any queries relating to this release please contact the company’s press department at pr@terrasip.com.
Source: theopenpress.com