Konftel and Snom Enter into Partnership

In order to share experience and technology with one another, Snom Technology AG and Konftel AB have entered into partnership, the two company hope to consolidate on their relationship and thereby improving services they offer. Speaking on the cooperation, Peter Renkel, CEO of Konftel AB said "With this cooperation we can exchange knowledge that we both will
benefit from. We have so many things in common with snom that this
partnership is bound to lead to interesting projects."

Recently, the two companies introduced a new cordless DECT VoIP phone,
the snom m3 targeted at home offices, SMBs or enterprises. DECT, which
is short for digital enhanced cordless telecommunications, has been
widely used in Europe, but has yet to take firm hold stateside as an
alternative to IP voice over Wi-Fi.

The technology of snom VoIP telephones offers a wide range of
additional functions which improve everyday business communication
thereby making them particularly suited for business use. Users
benefit from the interoperability and flexibility of the telephones
which can be integrated in almost all SIP-based environments.

As a manufacturer of conference telephones based in Umea, Sweden,
Konftel offers a range of products designed to meet the varying and
specific needs of both small and large groups of people. Konftel has
already made other partnerships for mutual benefit including with the
Alcatel Business Partner Program, and have undergone testing to
guarantee that their functions are supported in Alcatel's PBXs.

It is hoped that the mutual agreement will not only improve the
services of the two companies but also bring about positive changes in
the VoIP industry.

Tensilica and SPIRIT DSP form Mutual Benefit

SPIRIT DSP, a leading industry in voice, audio and video software
engine providers and Tensilica, another leading company in
configurable processor technology creators have both entered into a
mutual understanding in order to create 18 separate software packages,
designed specifically for Tensilica's HiFi 2 Audio Engine.

They have already released few packages and these include AAC-LC
decode and encode, aacPlus v1 and v2 decode and encode, BSAC decode,
MP3 decode and encode, Ogg Vorbis decode, and WMA decode and encode,
as well as AMR-NB (narrowband) and AMR-WB and G.729AB for voice.

The agreement will allow SPIRIT to calibrate its entire range of Audio
and wideband Voice Engines to work on Tensilica's HiFi 2 platform in
the next couple of months.

SPIRIT's software allows products like mobile internet devices, video
conferencing terminals, residential gateways, IP set-top boxes,
multimedia terminal adaptors, and Video IP-phones to receive video
images. SPIRIT have designed their Audio Engine to be used for both
personal and professional uses, with a full range of recording and
play back features, parametric equalizer and channel mixing. The
engine also supports all common digital music formats.

The Vice President of Products at SPIRIT, Slava Borilin, stated that
the capabilities offered by Tensilica's HiFi 2 Audio Engine as the
most desirable architecture for providing VoIP and audio to devices
like mobile televisions and phones, mobile internet devices, and VoIP
terminal devices.
Borilin also said that customers of SPIRIT had been requesting the
audio engine be made compatible with HiFi 2, which was a driving
force, along with the chance to offer best-in-class VoIP and audio
enabled devices, in the companies' choice to team up.

Steve Roddy, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at
Tensilica, praised SPIRIT DSP's audio and voice solutions, stating
that they were highly successful in today's demanding market.
Tensilica are also extremely pleased to be able to offer their
customers a product range that will be supported by SPIRIT's
solutions.

Already, some SPIRIT DSP's software packages designed to run with the
Tensilica HiFi 2 are available in the market.

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Vopium Seeks more Markets in Europe

Vopium, a VoIP company that offers cheap international telephony to
customers without the inconvenience of changing their operator or sim
card is seeking for expansion all over Europe and beyond.
At the moment it is only possible to use Vopium in Denmark, Finland,
Norway, Sweden and Spain but the company does have expansion plans.
Vopium has been tested in various countries such as France, Germany,
Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, UK and the US.
It also aims to increase its access in parts of US and Asia.
Vopium is cheaper to call because the user pays the mobile provider
for a local call and Vopium for the international add-on.
To use this service, you need to get a free software program of Vopium
installed on your mobile phone. It is compatible with almost 500 new
mobile handsets that support various operating systems such as
Symbian, Windows Mobile, Java and Blackberry.
People using Vopium will be able to save up to 90% on voice or text
communication anytime they travel abroad. The company has high
ambitions and aims to be the sole long distance provider of its
customers.
Vopium is available in local languages, rather than the Standard
English, enabling people to communicate with their relatives in the
same language they speak. It can be easily selected automatically
based on the language setting in your phone.
Moreover, Vopium provides various products that ensure fixed low
prices for international calls, unlimited talk time to a number of
countries, low price international calls form landlines, low price
text messages and call back products, which empower users to make
cheap calls when they are abroad.

Vopium based in Copenhagen was founded following the agreement made by
Pakistani entrepreneur, Tanveer Sharif, in 2006 with two other
partners.

Skype Offers 3G Mobile Phone

The much speculated upgrade to 3G mobile phone by Skype could after all be around the corner if the news from Skype is anything to go about. The 3G mobile phone is called 3's Skypephone and it allows users to make free Skype to Skype VoIP calls and send free Skype instant messages to other Skype users.

The Federal Communications Commission, the US agency in charge of communications regulation, has given its approval to the device and following this approval, the images of the upgraded version were made available on 'Just Another Mobile Phone Blog'.

The phone which is called IMP2 is given a code name WMA8709. The
phone's camera seems to have been upgraded to 3.2MP, and the device
still offers Wi-Fi although the 3G functionality seems to have disappeared.

New Web-Based Communication Called Indafon

Combining a flash phone application connected to a jabber server to achieve a complex service integrating telephony, instant messaging, text message sending, and contact management which works in a browser, Indafon is a new is a web based communication service enhanced with contact management capabilities.

Since it integrates browser based SIP telephony and Jabber IM services, it can be used for phone calls, instant messaging, SMS sending and several other functions. Indafon users can call one another free of charge, and may buy credits via PayPal to make cheap phone calls into other international networks.

It can be run on major browser platforms including MS Windows, Mac OS X, and even Unix based systems depending on Flash availability. Another interesting feature is that Indafon users may also chat with each other, or even with users from other jabber based IM systems like Google Talk and during the test period, the company will, step-by-step, enable the gateways to other services, like MSN, AOL/AIM, ICQ as well.

 

The technology behind Indafon can flexibly be adjusted to complement webmail, social networking, and dating solutions, or any other online content. The technology can be used to enhance such websites with chat or telephony functions, or a combination of these in various ways, using the given service provider's own user base, being tailored to their needs in shape and size, as well as graphical appearance.

As soon as interested users register through their website, they will be given Jabber ID which will also be their SIP identifier. This JID can be used in any jabber system with the password set on the website. (SIP password will be released and as planned match the jabber password after the beta phase!).

Indafon phone calls to other networks are also possible using your already existing SIP subscriptions – such as Vonage, VoIP Cheap, etc. – (these can be configured on the settings panel), but buying Indafon credits through PayPal is also a matter of seconds.

 

Apple Integrates Truphone’s Application

By integrating Truphone's application to its service, Apple makes it possible for iPhone users to be able to make lower cost international calls via Truphone which are made over the Internet rather than over GSM. This was announced today at App store by Apple.

The download which is available at Apple's official website is simple and free with just few clicks. As a free service, users would not be required to pay any charges, there are no monthly subscriptions or other charges but rather following registration users get £2 of free credit.

 

International users do not need to worry about using their iPhones which can be costly, when making calls from abroad; they will be able to avoid roaming charges. It costs 3p per minute to make Truphone international calls to landlines in 40 countries, and 15p per minute to mobiles.

 

Calling mobiles in Canada, the USA and China, costs the lower 3p per minute rate.

Countries where the call rates apply include the UK, Brazil, Australia, Thailand, Japan, Russia, Hong Kong, and most European countries.

Cardo Systems Partners with Teletouch Communications Subsidiary

With a view to expanding its distribution channels, Cardo Systems, Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced wireless Bluetooth(R) devices for the consumer electronics market today announced its new partnership with Progressive Concepts, Inc. (PCI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Teletouch Communications, Inc.

PCI provides mobile, portable and personal electronics products and services to individuals, businesses, and government agencies, through its wholesale distribution division, PCI Wholesale and a direct sales force and its leading regional consumer electronics retail chain, Hawk Electronics.

Abraham Glezerman, Chairman and CEO of Cardo Systems announced that they are very pleased to be forming partnership with PCI. He said, "Both companies are leaders and experts in their fields; Cardo, at providing the most technically advanced and stylish Bluetooth personal headsets and PCI, as a sales leader in mobile electronics products. PCI only carries the most innovative and value-adding consumer products and Cardo's assortments of Bluetooth personal headsets are sure to exceed the company's expectations."

According to the company's officials, both the PCI Wholesale division and PCI's nearly 30 Hawk Electronics company-owned and authorized agent locations, including eCommerce sites will carry the full line of Cardo Systems Bluetooth(R) headsets including the iconic, Cardo S-800(TM). The headset's high-end features and superbly crafted design make the S-800(TM) one of the most feature-rich and technologically advanced headsets available on the market. It is designed for extensive wear and use, and can be worn in-the-ear or with a stylish over-the-ear loop.

The S-800(TM) offers up to 8 hours talk-time and one week of standby time. The headset's superb acoustic technology, noise suppression solutions and high-end speaker provide superior audio performance. Among its outstanding features, the S-800(TM) offers Hot-Dialing, allowing users to store and speed-dial up to three different numbers with one simple click of a dedicated button. It also features a Headset Location Buzzer which allows a user to page their headset using their mobile phone if they misplace it.

T. A. "Kip" Hyde, Jr., Teletouch Communications President and COO and CEO of PCI added, "As more and more states adopt hands-free cell phone laws, Bluetooth-enabled technology in all forms becomes increasingly important. As a Bluetooth innovator, Cardo Systems is an emerging leader in this high-growth category. Both our retail and wholesale customers have shown strong positive initial response to Cardo's exceptionally well designed, user friendly product line.

Snom Introduces VoIP Installation Training

The introduction of a series of training events of VoIP installation by Snom Technology will not only help new VoIP users to install VoIP telecommunications systems by Asterisk but it will also help Snom's VoIP telephones. The launch of this training came as a response to requests from dealers for introductory level training that will ensure that users can handle basics installation procedures without having to contact any technicians.

This training opportunity is only opened to anyone who has purchased a snom VoIP starter package and the sessions are slated to start on July 27 in Berlin, Germany.

Snom has also arranged for other events to be hosted by its partners worldwide,and these include  Austria (IPAustria), Switzerland (Shark Distribution), Spain (EUREPSIP), Italy (Allnet Italia), Australia (Noojee Telephony and Digital Techniques) and Hong Kong (Digital Techniques Asia).

More information is available at on snow website

J2ME Released by Fring

In continuation of exhibiting its commitment to revolutionized the communication through improved technology and thereby makes life easier for its customers, Fring has added another new face to its list of VoIP devices.

The new 'baby' is called J2ME and it allows you to IM and make VoIP calls through Nokia N810 at a reduced rate. Although you cannot use the VoIP services through the J2ME, you can send instant message on the various networks it supports and this includes the widely used Skype!

Another interesting feature is that you can make PSTN calls using your Skype Out minutes.

 

 

The Redundancy of Sprint’s Push-To-Talk

Many users have been complaining about the functionality of Push-To-Talk, an application available on Sprint network, some are confused about the true function of this feature, they wonder if it is tied to carrier or tied to application since it appears not to speak to anybody.

 Another ugly issue is the fact that since acquiring Nextel Sprint hasn't been able to duplicate

the Nextel Direct Connect service which gains more popularity among the people.

Recently, Sprint announced the availability of Push-To-Talk in additional 14 markets which increases the count of markets where their service is available to 46. Meanwhile, the folks at Palringo point out the absurdity of this. Their push-to-talk software is carrier-agnostic. If you've got a Windows PC, a Mac running Leopard,Windows Mobile handset or Symbian S60 3rd Edition FP1 or FP2 handset, you can run the Palringo client.

 Palringo gives more than Push-To-Talk because you can also IM with folks on the networks pictured here. All for free. Well, except for the data charges, of course.

Vyke Communications Launches Free Texting Application

FreeTxt is the new texting application that allows users on Vyke Communications' network to send and receive free text using Symbian Series60 third edition mobile phones. The application offers Vyke customers as well as non-Vyke users the ability to use its features at a cheaper rate than other VoIP providers.

The FreeTxt application is available on Vyke website and the download has been simplified such that it conveniently integrates with the phones existing messaging system, and start texting directly from their handset as they normally would by default.

The download is done in such a way that when you sign up from their website, you will receive an SMS with a link to the FreeTxt download page and all you have to do is click the link to install the application onto the phone's messaging menu. Once the application is downloaded you enter your mobile phone number and select an "internet access point". As soon as Vyke has verified that your mobile number is correct and that you have a Vyke account then you are good to go. You can start sending the messages from your device.

Speaking on the new development, Jan Berger who is the Chief Marketing Officer at Vyke Communications said they are delighted to offer the FreeTxt application to their customers.

He continued by saying "With text messaging being an integral part of today's consumers' lives, particularly with the younger generations, affordable messaging is essential. Unfortunately, mobile operators are taking advantage of SMS being a 'must have' believing that they can continuously keep on charging exorbitant rates as consumers will pay. Vyke believes in taking a stand by offering consumers a fairer deal and, for the first time, offering consumers a choice concerning which provider they want to use for their text messaging".

 

The application works by intercepting outgoing text messages and sends them to Vyke's server via the phone's internet connection. If the recipient of a text is also a FreeText user and is online, the message will be delivered peer to peer for free. If the recipient is not a FreeTxt user or is offline, the text message will be delivered at Vyke's discounted SMS rates (as long as the user has credit on their Vyke account).

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BroadSoft and Fonality Team Up to Offer Managed IP PBX for Service Providers

Fonality®, the leading provider of open-source phone systems, and BroadSoft Inc., the leading provider of VoIP application software, announced today that the two companies have certified their products to work together, enabling service providers to market and deploy Fonality to their small and medium-sized business (SMB) customers with confidence. BroadSoft®, which provides VoIP applications and SIP trunking to seven of the top 10 and 13 of the 25 largest carriers worldwide, has completed certification of Fonality trixbox® Pro and PBXtra® with BroadWorks®, BroadSoft’s industry-leading VoIP application platform for fixed-line and wireless service providers. BroadSoft has also joined the Fonality Authorized Certified Ecosystem (FACE).
BroadWorks offers a range of carrier-grade applications that includes hosted PBX, unified communications, mobile PBX, business trunking, and residential broadband. Fonality products include a family of open-source-based, hybrid-hosted IP PBX offerings tailored for SMBs. By certifying the products together, the companies offer service providers a complete line of hosted and premise-based unified communications offerings for customers of all sizes.
“By collaborating with Fonality, we’re giving service providers a way to go to market quickly with fully integrated, market-tested offerings for smaller companies,” said Leslie Ferry , Vice President of Marketing for BroadSoft. “Service providers can now take new products to their customers with the confidence that comes from knowing that both companies’ solutions will work together seamlessly.”
“BroadSoft is the dominant VoIP platform deployed by service providers and MSOs,” said Chris Vuillaume, Vice President of Business Development and Channels at Fonality. “Their certification is an important stamp of approval for Fonality products and expands our market opportunity to include Tier 1 and Tier 2 providers.”
Fonality business phone systems are designed for modern workplaces, accommodating companies that have a mix of office, mobile and home-based workers. Fonality solutions support both VoIP calling and traditional phone lines, allowing a smooth transition for businesses upgrading their calling services. Its patented, hybrid-hosted architecture allows employee identity to be maintained as they travel between work, home and hotels. Fonality products, when paired with the award-winning HUD® presence software, provide a unified view of Instant Messaging, e-mail and calling for all fixed and mobile workers.

VoIP Logic Announces New Billing System

Introducing a new Wholesale Billing module for its award-winning Cortex © middleware, VoIP Logic, one of the leading global providers of VoIP Managed Services and solutions announced that the service is available to all NextPoint customers who work with VoIP Logic and it expected this new system to be immediately in-demand as it delivers an easy-to-use, integrated NextPoint solution for wholesale billing.

With the introduction of this new billing, the service providers will be able to bill all aspects of their enterprise, Voice 2.0 or even wholesale VoIP offering as well as making provision and managing these services. Cortex acts as a single point of integration for all necessary components of a successful VoIP rollout.

In a comment, Micah Singer, VoIP Logic CEO and Founder said, "With the highly competitive nature of the telecommunications market, all wholesale service providers demand a reliable, cost-effective billing solution, and must monitor profitability and productivity." He continued, "Our Cortex Wholesale Billing is a truly value-added service that we are confident will not only strengthen our position as a leader in NextPoint technology distribution, but will also allow our customers to improve their gross margins in a thin-margin sector of the VoIP industry."

It should be recalled that earlier this summer, VoIP Logic announced an agreement with NextPoint under which it will provide direct sales and technical support to NextPoint customers globally. NextPoint's MSX technology is the most commonly used VoIP Peering system in the world. The addition of Cortex Wholesale Billing allows NextPoint peering customers easy access to tracking and billing costs and profitability.

Citrix Online Launches Two New Application

Citrix Online, a subsidiary of Citrix System, Inc. has released two new applications that will allow free VoIP and audio conferencing over both Mac and PC. With Citrix(R) GoToMeeting(R) and Citrix(R) GoToWebinar(TM), true one-click meetings are now possible with this new combination of VoIP, phone and web conferencing for small-group online meetings and large-group Web events.

GoToMeeting makes it easy to meet, present information, demonstrate products and provide training online, allowing users to do more and travel less for small groups with up to 25 attendees. For online events with up to 1,000 attendees, GoToWebinar makes communication with prospects, employees, partners and customers easier and more efficient than any event product available today.

According to John Lane, founder and owner of TaxSaleLists.com LLC."The new VoIP capability gives us the opportunity to significantly scale up the business. Having both VoIP and phone connectivity options will encourage more attendees at our weekly marketing seminars, and now we can handle up to a thousand people. With this new product, we are free to ramp up our promotional efforts and really make an impact on the bottom line".

"With collaboration products, ease of use is critical, especially for SMBs," said Mark Levitt, vice president for collaborative computing at research firm IDC. "Citrix Online's one-click access to VoIP and traditional phone connections for both PC and Mac users is designed to give growing businesses one easy-to-use interface for a rich combination of popular tools that are easy to manage and afford."

Speaking on the essence of the two products, Elizabeth Cholawsky, vice president, products and services for Citrix Online said that "With these newest releases of GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar, every feature is based on extensive user feedback, from full Macintosh access to this new total audio solution. Used effectively, these technologies can change not only the operating style but also the business economics of companies everywhere. Our goal at Citrix Online has always been to develop the simplest and easiest-to-use Web solutions, which is extremely important to our SMB customers".

 

The Threat Poses by VoIP Spam

People no longer have absolute trust in using email because of fear of infiltration by spammers who are always ready to use any means to obtain sensitive information in order to swindle the innocent users. Their activity is now spreading to other means of internet communication and the VoIP is not an exemption.
Soon the trust people have in using VoIP will be compromised if urgent attention is not given to combating the alarming rate of VoIP spam. Imagine if 90% of all calls or voice-related messages were, well, spam. Would we even bother to pick up our ringing phones anymore? Just as Caller ID spoofing has become commonplace, it's difficult to identify the validity of callers.
It's important to realize that VoIP spam is easily possible with today's technology already in place. Regular "trunk spam" can be generated using falsified Caller ID (as described above) over the PSTN, just as you or I could place prank calls with advertising for discounted medications, etc. You obviously could be running a 20-year-old key system and still be subject to PSTN spam.
Another vital factor is the type of spam that's aimed at VoIP PBXes, gateways, and servers. Especially with the slow standardization of SIP as an IP-based signaling protocol, many organizations allow "direct" SIP URIs to be used from external sources, trusted or un-trusted. Although, this method of spamming is still rare, it's only a matter of time before the malicious begin to utilize new vectors for propagation.
With the unquestionable focus towards unified messaging, converged infrastructures, and IP-based integration, we'll undoubtedly be fighting new methods of security issues and, the earlier the VoIP service providers realize the urgency in combating this issue, the better.

TRUPHONE'S voIP App Available for iPhone

The VoIP application manufacturer, Truphone has released the iPhone version of its application for iPhone users. With this new application, users of iPhone can now send text messages or make calls to anywhere in the world for a low fee. This application has been available for Nokia E and N series users since 2006 and it is good news for iPhone users for the service to be extended to them.

With this application, they will be able to call a landline as low as 6 cents per minute, and dialing a mobile phone costs 30 cents per minute. SMS text messaging costs 20 cents. Calling another Truphone user is free in certain countries, including the United States, U.K., China, Australia and large parts of Europe. However, to be able to enjoy these special offers; users need to be in a Wi-Fi spot located in the countries listed.

Another interesting feature is that calls can be made entirely over Wi-Fi and the Internet, bypassing the traditional GSM network operators. Some service providers however do not allow this, in April 2007, Vodafone and Orange blocked Truphone's VoIP capability on its branded Nokia N95 handsets. In June 2007, T-Mobile in the U.K. followed suit, blocking calls from its customers to Truphone's mobile numbers. But only a month later, a U.K. court forced T-mobile to stop their blockade.

Although, Truphone usage isn't limited to Wi-Fi spots using the Nokia phones, it can also work over 3G. This is not possible with the iPhone.

Cell phones and VoIP are becoming more Popular than Landlines in Europe

A recent survey carried out in Europe revealed that European households are replacing the use of landline with either cell phones or VoIP; some even adopt both the mobile phones and VoIP internet telephony. The survey which was carried out in 27 countries involved 1000 households in each of the country bringing the total number of the households interviewed to 27,000.

Apparently, the result of the survey indicates that the use of cell phones and VoIP services as a major means of communication is becoming more popular in Europe and Europeans are increasingly taking advantage of the healthy competition in the Continent's telecommunication industry. According to the report made available, about 24% of the households have jettison their fixed-landline subscription and opted for mobile phones. Notable countries with highest number of subscriptions are Finland which has about 61%, Portugal (48%), and "new Member States" in Eastern Europe (39%).

The VoIP internet telephony is also gaining more popularity, as 22% of households with internet connections now make some of their telephone calls online. This figure is especially high in Latvia (58%), Lithuania (51%), the Czech Republic (50%), Poland (49%), and Bulgaria (46%).  

With the trend of subscription rate, it is expected that more users will favor the use of these two in place of landline.

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COMSTAR ADOPTS ERP SYSTEM ORACLE E-BUSINESS SUITE

COMSTAR, the leading integrated telecommunications operator in Russia and the CIS, today announced that it has implemented Oracle E-business Suite, the full-scale Enterprise Resource Planning ("ERP") system from Oracle. The total investment in the project amounted to US$ 12 million.

Comstar commenced the introduction of the ERP system in 2005. The project was implemented in several stages, with Kvazar-Micro (now renamed as SITRONICS Information Technologies) acting as a prime contractor. Over 500 Comstar employees have been trained to work in the new system as users.

Comstar implemented the process automation stage which included contract management, procurement payments and other treasury functions, between 2005 and 2006. The second stage of the project commenced in the Autumn of 2006 and involved the automation of financial, tax and accounting management, legacy IT-systems replacement and the introduction of unified accounting and management data to the centralized Oracle E-business Suite system. The management team was thereby equipped with a powerful tool to control and execute the Company's operations, based on the best enterprise business process management practices. The system users operate in an integrated information infrastructure which eliminates duplication and provides an end-to-end control at all levels of accounting and reporting. The current implementation includes the following modules of ERP system: Oracle Purchasing, Oracle Account Payables, Oracle Warehouse Management, Oracle Treasury, Oracle Projects, Oracle Fixed Assets, Oracle General Ledger and Oracle Financial Consolidation Hub.

Alexey Goncharuk, First Vice President of Comstar UTS, commented: "The introduction of the ERP system has enabled us to create an integrated information infrastructure and optimize the business processes within the Company. This is of great benefit to Comstar as one of the leading players in the Russian telecommunications market and a public Company listed on the London stock exchange.

Irina Matveeva, Chief Financial Officer of Comstar UTS, added: "The ERP system increases management efficiency and provides greater transparency, both of which should have a positive impact on Comstar's market capitalization."

 

Cisco patches potentially crippling VoIP flaws

The bugs – rated "highly critical" by vulnerability tracking firm Secunia – were reported in 16 devices from the networking giant's Unified IP Phone 7900 series, according to a Cisco advisory. Affected phones are those running either the industry standard session initiation protocol (SIP) and/or Cisco's proprietary Skinny Client Control Protocol (SCCP).

Four of the VoIP flaws are overflow vulnerabilities, caused by handling errors that could result in the installation of malicious code on a victim's phone. Another two bugs could permit specially crafted packets to launch DoS attacks. And a final vulnerability may allow privilege escalation.

VoIPshield Laboratories identified the vulnerabilities in Cisco's Unified Communications Manager versions 5.x and 6.x, and in its Call Manager 4.x.

The vulnerabilities could lead to unauthorised access and denial of service (DoS) attacks.

The Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) was found to contain a flaw in its Computer Telephony Integration ( CTI ) Manager, which could allow a DoS attack

In Cisco's Real-Time Information Server (RIS) Data Collector, an authentication bypass hole could give hackers access to information they could use to mount other attacks.

Cisco has now issued patches for both of these issues at no extra charge to customers with service contracts.

Over 30 Million Units of VQmon Shipped by Telchemy

Telchemy´s market leading position is based on solid technology, a deep understanding of VoIP and IPTV performance and an excellent product. The company recently announced that has over 100 equipment manufacturers have successfully integrated its VQmon software into a wide range of products, such as IP phones, VoIP Gateways, Routers, Session Border Controllers, Probes and Analyzers. Over 30 million units of VQmon have been shipped, representing an annual growth rate of over 200%. This number does not include an estimated 100 million additional shipments by a number of large ISPs who license VQmon on a subscription model basis.

There are three version of the VQmon product family ; the VQmon/EP which is ideal for IP Phones and Gateways to provide real-time VoIP performance measurement and reporting. VQmon/EP generated QoE reports can be analyzed using a "collector" such as Telchemy´s SQmediator.

The second is VQmon/SA, designed for Routers, Probes and Analyzers to provide in depth analysis of VoIP traffic and IP performance  and the last is an hybrid product of VQmon/SA-VM and VQmon/HD, integrated into Routers, Probes, Analyzers, and IP Set Top Boxes, providing a rich set of real time IPTV and IP Videoconferencing performance metrics.

VQmon products are compact, reliable, efficient and highly portable software agents that are integrated into a wide range of software and hardware platforms, producing accurate real-time, actionable, performance and QoE metrics for IP voice and video traffic. VQmon is unique in its ability to model the impact of time varying impairments on user perceived quality, which has been shown to materially improve the accuracy of QoE metrics.

Telchemy,(R) Incorporated is the global leader in Voice and Video over IP Performance Management Technology with its VQmon(R), DVQattest(TM) and SQmon(TM) families of service quality monitoring and analysis software products. Telchemy is the world´s first company to provide Voice and Video IP performance management technology that considers the effects of time-varying network impairments and has led the development of VoIP performance management protocols within the industry. Founded in 1999, the company has products deployed worldwide and markets its technology through leading networking, test and management product companies. Visit: www.telchemy.com.

Citrus Introduces DIGITALK VoIP platform

One of the UK's most innovative communications providers, Citrus Telecom, has expanded its range of VoIP services for its residential and business markets. Citrus deployed DIGITALK Broadband Telephony and Web calling Card in 2005 and are now introducing IP Virtual Office and Service Numbers to the range of services on the DIGITALK Multiservice Platform.

The two new additions will enhance Citrus's offering to its business subscribers who will now be able to offer virtual office features and intelligent inbound routing to customers and resellers in over 60 countries. Citrus is able to offer SMEs a simple, cost-effective and professional business communications service using DIGITALK IP Virtual Office, that includes multiple calling features and network and services management software, plus full billing, rating and web self-care functionality.

In addition, DIGITALK Service Numbers enables Citrus to offer number translation and inbound call management solutions to a range of business scenarios, including sales and support centres, free phone services and premium rate number services all managed via a web-self care interface.

Citrus is also announcing plans to migrate all TDM services over to IP based DIGITALK Media Application Server infrastructure which could reduce management and maintenance costs by up to 75%.

Nimbuzz Raises More Fund for Growth Plan

As a move to consolidate on their growth plans, Nimbuzz announced that they have been able to raise $15 million of Second Round funding. Nimbuzz is a mobile VoIP and IM provider that also brings IM and voice to social networks, the company intends to use the new cash injection to assist in the development of its product range, to enable the software to be used on the widest selection handsets possible.

 Currently, they support use on 22 brands and over 500 different models which are compatible with many Internet-enabled mobile phones with Java ME; this includes the ubiquitous BlackBerry as well as the Nokia S60 enabling integration across multiple IM and Social Network communities and in anywhere.

Nimbuzz can offer both voice and IM to social network operators; this is achieved by the incorporation of fully integrated real-time communication into the networks. They can give users access to voice calls, chat, file sharing and access to their friends in other popular IM communities such as Skype, AIM , Yahoo, MSN and GTalk.

The company has been very active in seeking out distribution deals with the main social networks as well as the big mobile operators.

Their intended aim is to blend their technologies with the existing mobile internet systems.

They consider that the advantage for the operators that they partner with will be increased traffic, as they believe that Nimbuzz can bring a raised demand for mobile data plans, an up and coming revenue maker for the companies.

Nimbuzz claims to have 10 deals with major social networks as well as 3 operators 'already on the table', although the information available does not qualify what the actual situation is with those deals. The company further claims to be 'on the way' to signing up one million users and states that they are receiving 5000 new sign ups each day.

It must be assumed that the new cash means that their backers are of the opinion that the company is worthy of the new funds injection and that there is a good degree of interest in their products.

Results of research by analysts at IDC are indicating that VoIP will evolve to around half a billion users globally over the next four years.

Last year Nimbuzz raised an initial $10 million from Naspers / MIH Group and Holtzbrinck Ventures, which amongst other things allowed them to take on 70 staff members in their Brazilian and Argentinean offices.

 

Nimbuzz mobile VoIP can be used worldwide with all Symbian Series 60 devices that are hooked up to a 3G or Wifi network.

Users that only have a GPRS/ EDGE link or have the use of Java-enabled phones are able to make international mobile VoIP calls in around 50 countries with Nimbuzz "hybrid-VoIP" at local call rates.

Facebook now Available for Fring Users

Through a new setting called Add-on, users of Fring will be able to use Facebook application from their cellphone. Gmail Notifier, Orkut, vTap videos, and Yandex.mail are also in there, together representing the first extensions created by third-party developers using Fring's application programming interface.

Exactly how many add-ons join this handful will depend on Fring's popularity with casual developers. Fring is not the only mobile software company opening its API to programmers. In fact, crowd-sourcing software authors are now seen as integral to a mobile software publisher's strategy and success.

Relatively easy to make, programs like these help Fring close in on bragging rights for being the most far-reaching social networking hub out of all the multinetwork text and VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) communicators without putting forth additional development dollars.

FringAdd-ons are currently available for the latest versions of Nokia Symbian 9, Sony Ericsson UIQ, and Windows Mobile.

Poole Hospital Opts for Alcatel-Lucent’s Wireless LAN

With the aim of improving patients' care at its 789-bed hospital, Poole Hospital NHS Trust is adopting the wireless local area network from Alcatel-Lucent which will be installed by Alcatel-Lucent Business Partner Khipu Networks. The new network is based on the Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess WLAN technology.

 The technology will be used in association with printed patient wristbands to ensure patient safety by automating blood donation tracking and ultimately streamlining the process of dispensing drugs.

Poole Hospital opted for the Alcatel-Lucent solution because of its high availability, the ease with which it integrates with the Trust's existing Network Access Control solution, and its scalability. The initial rollout will provide up to 400 staff with wireless access and is capable of supporting more than 10,000 devices.

Alcatel-Lucent helps dynamic enterprises like Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust interconnect their networks, people, processes and knowledge for competitive advantage through strengthened relationships, simplified communications, and improved performance.

Khipu Networks, which already manages the hospital's NAC (Network Access Control) solution, won the contract to undertake the new WLAN installation based on the high level of knowledge, support and responsiveness it provided. Post-deployment, Khipu will offer network support, and will be involved in the rollout of new services over the wireless network.

The Trust plans to add voice over IP (VoIP) to the wireless network in 2009, which will dramatically reduce the Trust's telephony costs. Among those tested by Poole Hospital, only the Alcatel-Lucent WLAN could seamlessly support the handover of calls between wireless cells without loss of quality.

 

New Executives Appointed at Hawaiian Telecom

Speaking on this new development, Eric Yeaman, Hawaiian Telcom President and Chief Executive Officer said "I am pleased to have people of this caliber join Hawaiian Telcom's management team. They have the local knowledge and important expertise to move the company forward as we continue to focus on customer service and operations and bring to Hawaii the most cutting-edge telecommunications products and services."

 

Overwhelmed by the turn of events in his life, Komeiji was eager to say "I'm excited to join Hawaiian Telcom's management team and look forward to the challenge of keeping the company at the forefront of telecommunications. Also, working with Eric Yeaman, Walter Dods and the company's dedicated employees is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

In his new role, Komeiji will be responsible for legal, government affairs, support services and external affairs. Komeiji comes to Hawaiian Telcom from Watanabe Ing & Komeiji LLP, where he served as senior partner. His practice focused in the litigation of complex commercial, personal injury and professional liability matters.

Komeiji is currently a lawyer representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference and has served as a lawyer representative to the United States District Court Conference, and the State of Hawaii Judiciary Conference. Komeiji was appointed as an arbitrator and master mediator by the State of Hawaii Judiciary.

Yeaman also speaks on his confidence in Inouye, he said "Craig Inouye brings a diverse background in the telecommunications industry to the company and will help bring innovative ideas to Hawaiian Telcom

As Senior Vice President of Sales; Inouye will be in charge of business sales, retail stores, wireless, customer contact centers and wholesale markets. Inouye joins Hawaiian Telcom after working at Sun Innovation Holding Ltd, where he served as Director. He previously worked at Circle Telecom USA a Sun Innovations Holdings subsidiary, where he created retail and wholesale VOIP long distance telecommunications service in Japan. Inouye also worked at iBasis Inc. as Vice President for Asia/Pacific and at WorldxChange where he served as Vice President/Asia. Inouye also previously worked at GTE Hawaiian Tel for a decade.
 

About Steve Golden Yeaman said he will be responsible for regulatory issues, corporate communications and customer relations in his new job. "Steve Golden has a long history of dealing with regulatory issues and will be a valuable asset to the company," he concluded.

Golden comes to Hawaiian Telcom from The Gas Company, where he served as Vice President of External Affairs. Golden was responsible for the company's statewide public, government and regulatory affairs. He also managed employee communications and media relations.

Before joining The Gas Company, he served as a public policy advisor for elected officials with both the State of Hawaii and City and County of Honolulu. Golden also worked as a government affairs liaison for GTE Hawaiian Tel and Pacific Resources Inc.

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Head of PR at Skype Moves to Enfatico

Recently, Skype has implemented some changes in order to consolidate on the strength of its staff, not long ago a former executive at Motorola was absorbed to contribute his own quota to the development of the company.

The latest one involves the transfer of its global head of public relation, Imogen Bailey, to WPP-owned agency solely overseeing the dell account. Imogen Bailey has started as senior VP of communications for EMEA at Enfatico, overseeing corporate and consumer PR with a particular focus on emerging markets and she was also a director of tech at Edelman before moving to Skype in 2006.

 

Bailey will work closely with Enfatico's global team, including those working on marketing and advertising. 'That's the beauty of Enfatico – it's fully integrated'. Bailey said. 'This is a one-off role'. On the Dell client side, she will work closely with director of communications Stuart Handley. On the agency side, Bailey reports to Enfatico chief communications officer Kelly McGinnis. 

Skype Launches Laughter Chain to Promote Video Calls

We've all been in a situation where one of us gets a fit of the giggles and before long everyone else is joining in; it's as contagious as a yawn, and a lot more fun. It's a well known fact that laughter brings us closer together – it's a language we all understand and everyone loves a good laugh.

These might be what Skype has in mind for its valued users when the internet phone company showcases its viral campaign featuring a cavalcade of jolly babies, grown-ups, snorting and otherwise breaking into hysterical laughter on camera.

 Skype believes that face-to-face communication is the best kind and this has motivated them to create Laughter Chain which hopefully will promote the company's free video calling feature. You can use Skype to make as many free video calls as you want. Seeing the person you're talking to makes your conversation come alive – you can share excitement, laughter, tears or even just pull a silly face.

Non-cranky Skype subscribers can record their own contribution and become part of the laughter-is-contagious mega video at the Skype Laughter Chain site.

Enterprise-Level Consumers Eager to Adopt Skype

Many business owners are now in eager to integrate Skype technologies in order to enable them enjoy the free and reduced cost Internet telephony services being offered by Skype. Most of them are now looking for new ways to exploit this free Internet telephony Executives from their IT service partners.

Until now, majority of Skype's subscribers are either the small business owners or the consumers who applied the service directly for heir personal use. Many enterprise-level are now eager to introduce Skype to certain class of their employees many of whom are already using Skype.

Revealing his observation, Shane McNulty, head of business development at Skype for Business said "The Company does not target the enterprise directly, but we are seeing these kinds of customers pushing their large systems integrators and business process outsourcers to provide Skype services. While these customers may have had reservations about using Skype – with particular concerns about security and quality of service – they are now simply saying "just make it happen" – for cost reasons. There is also widespread evidence that in most areas of business such concerns are unfounded".

According to Ian Robin, director of Skype for Business, the company now has 17 enterprise customers operating more than 2,000 Skype IDs two of those have more than 10,000 and both in the Far East. Skype has total number of registered users of about 309 million, 30% of which use Skype for at least some business activity. A recent survey conducted by the company suggested that 95% of those business customers experience savings as a result, with a third claiming to have cut their phone bill by 50%.

Voice-over-IP (VoIP) calls between Skype users are free; users pay £2.24 each month for unlimited calls to UK landlines and mobiles, £3.39 for calls within Europe, and £7.99 for calls around the world.

 

Skype Appoints New Operating Officer

Skype announced the appointment of Scott Durchslag as its new chief operating officer and he is to assume this position with immediate effect. The announcement was made on Tuesday when Durchslag, a former Motorola executive, was told he would be reporting directly to Josh Silverman, the president of Skype.

His appointment by Skype may not have been unconnected with his outstanding track record during the time he was with Motorola. Joining the company in 1992, Scott job was on important issues that range from product strategy, innovation, intellectual property, design, user interfaces to include others such as consumer experiences, partnerships, product marketing and customer care.

Another successful landmark achieved at Motorola by Scott is the fact that he was a major factor who helped seal deals with Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Kodak that brought their products to Motorola phones which attracted a considerable number of customers.

While speaking about his new appointment, the Skype's new chief operating officer said that "I believe in Skype not only because I've been a user since the early days, but also because I'm convinced the opportunities ahead for Skype are tremendous given how the world is changing. Skype connects customers and enables smaller businesses to grow without the unnecessary fuel consumption, costs and carbon pollution generated by needless travel."

In his comment, Silverman stated that "Scott has an outstanding track record and will be able to help us apply best practices in staying ever more customer-focused and nimble, even while becoming larger."

In another development, Skype announced its partnership with Wireless Innovation Alliance (WIA), an organization dedicated to gaining access to TV white spaces. This was necessitated by the fact that when broadcasters shift from analog to digital signals in February 2009, there will be an open, unregulated spectrum between the digital channels, or white spaces, that Internet companies like Google and Microsoft want to use for wireless broadband service. The WIA has approximately 15 members, including Microsoft, Google, Motorola, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard.

BroadSoft and Comdasys Complete Interoperability Validation for Comdasys FMC Solution

BroadSoft, Inc., (www.broadsoft.com), the leading provider of VoIP application software, and Comdasys AG, (www.comdasys.com), a leading and trusted supplier of fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) solutions for enterprises and service providers, announced today that the two companies have completed interoperability validation between BroadSoft’s BroadWorks® VoIP application platform and the Comdasys FMC product line.
In addition to its award-winning FMC solution, the Comdasys Convergence and Convergence GW network appliances allow enterprises to securely connect branch offices. They also allow hosted service providers to securely and reliably deliver their applications and services to small, medium and large offices.
“The Comdasys FMC Solution provides a one-number solution coupled with the ability to access PBX services in the office, at home and on the road with one handset,” said Stefano Genoni, a Business Development executive at Comdasys. “Achieving interoperability with BroadSoft’s BroadWorks platform enhances the value of our offering, and allows Comdasys to leverage BroadSoft’s reseller network. We believe that with the Comdasys FMC Solution, BroadSoft service providers will now have the most compelling, valuable option available for providing FMC hosted services to small- and medium-sized customers.”
"The Comdasys FMC Solution has successfully completed BroadSoft’s thorough interoperability testing program," said Robert Weidenfeller, Vice President of Engineering for BroadSoft®. "Their solution becomes another validated option for BroadSoft customers who want to extend FMC functionality to end-users.”
The Comdasys FMC Solution has two components:
* The Comdasys FMC Controller is an all-in-one network appliance and includes a multi-service router, a session border controller with voice security enhancements, QoS and FMC voice applications.
* The MC Client is software that resides on the mobile user's dual-mode handset and works with the Comdasys FMC Controller. The MC Client allows users to freely roam between Wi-Fi (enterprise/residential/public) and cellular networks. Today Comdasys supports all Nokia dual-mode phones. The Comdasys FMC Solution can also be deployed as a cost-effective DECT replacement.