October 2006 Archives

According to a new study from Insight Research entitled “IP-Based Application Services Market 2006-2011" a wide array of new Internet-enabled communications services geared to the needs of consumers is expected to generate nearly $265 billion for phone companies and other telecommunications carriers worldwide over the next five years.

These new Internet-enabled services include residential video telephony; fixed-mobile convergence; file sharing services; streaming services; location-based services; and presence-based services.

What's more, the study notes that wireless and mobile telecommunications carriers seem to be making the most headway when it comes to offering these new services, mainly because they tend to have greatest amount of control over the content in their networks as well as more flexible billing platforms. Wireline carriers expect operational and infrastructure savings by deploying the new IP-based services, and are initially choosing to rollout the new services as an overlay on their existing network.

For more info, including an excerpt, table of contents, and ordering information, go to: http://www.insight-corp.com/reports/ipapps06.asp.
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For those of you who thought mainframe computers were completely passe, washed away in the wake of a flood of powerful, cheap servers -- surprise! Far from disappearing from the IT ecosystem, mainframes are in fact making a big comeback, according to an interesting piece on CNN.com today.

In fact, according to the piece, IBM's mainframe revenues are up 25% this quarter -- to an estimated $2.3 billion for the first nine months of the year -- which makes it the fastest growing division for the company after microprocessors!

Who'd a thunk that?!

Blip.tv, a leading hoster and distributor of Internet TV shows and videoblogs that gained a good deal of traction due to its embrace of online video phenom Amanda Congdon, has come out with a redesigned homepage that reinforces the site's position as a major destination for online video content.

Perhaps more interesting from a Web 2.0 perspective -- as well as from a distribution angle -- is the site's new "cross posting' feature that allows show creators to quickly and easily send videos hosted by blip.tv to their MySpace friends with one click.

Blip.tv's MySpace integration allows content creators a new way to distribute videos throughout the Web for maximum exposure and enhances blip.tv's existing distribution platform that allows users to send videos to Wordpress, TypePad, Movable Type, Flickr, iTunes, del.icio.us, Upcoming.org, Dabble and a number of other Web services.


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A new Java-based click-to-talk solution from Mexuar Communications, a private UK company, promises to deliver browser- and platform-neutral, free IP call capabilities for commercial websites.

The Corraleta Technology SDK enables development of click-to-talk functionality on any website, allowing visitors to use their Web browser and PC to make free calls and talk with sales or contact center support staff. Other possible applications include click-to-call buttons that trigger callbacks from support staff to a specific telephone number, emails embedded with click to call functionality, and pay-per-call online banner advertising.

The Corraleta SDK uses Java to deliver VoIP across multiple browsers and 3rd party, white-label applications, providing platform-agnostic integration between traditional phone systems and core business applications, whether on the company internal network or on the Web. This contrasts with rival solutions that use ActiveX and work only with Windows platforms and the Internet Explorer browser.

In addition to enabling IP calls, the Corraleta SDK can also delivers information about the user’s online experience to the merchant’s customer service agent when the call is initiated. The agent software can display this information directly or use it to trigger lookups in company databases to retrieve details such as customer records, purchase histories, etc.
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Only three VoIP players "made list" on the current Deloitte 2006 Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing companies in North America.

To determine the fastest growing companies, Deloitte calculated the revenue growth percentage over five years, from 2001-2005.

Cbeyond came in at #22, M5 at #54 and Broadsoft at #99. M5 made the list in no small part due to its blazing revenue growth of 4,445% -- more than double the average increase of 2,145% among the 500 companies on the list.

The VP of Engineering of a company that will remain nameless here has contacted me looking for an consulting expert who is hands on and up-to-date with regards to how broadcast TV or studio signals are moved over the Internet to a CDN for distribution over an IP wired or wireless network.

This company is seeking an individual who has strong experience using existing equipment/protocols/systems to solve real-world problems, and not someone who specializes in designing next gen networks.

Knowledge of the following is required:

• Relaying video signals over IP channels
• IPTV architecture
• ATM vs. IP for video transfer
• Knowledge of current standards, including codecs, formats, QoS, and Protocols
• Knowledge of current industry practices, including popular hardware for signal relay over IP, bandwidth issues, integration best practices, and SLAs.

If you are such an individual, or know of someone who would make a good candidate for this assignment, please contact me directly and I will put you in touch with the company. Continue Reading...

 

With TeleGeography's new Enterprise Network Pricing Service, companies will be able to get an accurate breakdown of WAN service costs and find out how competitive their price is, and carriers can determine how their prices compare to the competition, where their best margins are hiding, how to create a discount structure, and find out at what price customers will upgrade to a VPN service offer.

The Enterprise Network Pricing Service delivers current market rates for MPLS VPN services, dedicated Internet Access, and Retail Private Line services on a global basis. This analysis provides insight into typical network pricing structures, levels of customer interest, leading service providers, and varying conditions across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

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Packet Island recently introduced a new software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution designed to target the VoIP lifecycle management needs of VARs and SMBs deploying the open source-based Asterisk IP-PBX. The PacketSmart for Asterisk solution is based on Asterisk software agents and purpose-built micro-appliances that work with the highly scalable PacketSmart SaaS platform, hosted at a Tier-1 data center. The solution has three distinct functions, including network assessment for VoIP, VoIP troubleshooting, and ongoing VoIP SLA monitoring.

The Asterisk software agents perform continuous monitoring of all VoIP calls terminating at the PBX, while the micro-appliances are complementary to the software agents, and can be easily moved around the network to isolate and troubleshoot network issues affecting VoIP quality.

During the deployment planning phase, the micro-appliances can be used to simulate live VoIP traffic on an SMB's network, to identify and fix problems before the Asterisk VoIP deployment. After Asterisk deployment, the Packet Island software agent that is left installed on the Asterisk PBX continues to collect detailed quality metrics that can be used by the SME and VAR for SLA monitoring and to isolate and troubleshoot transient VoIP quality issues. Continue Reading...

As if worries about protecting our PCs, laptops, PDAs and mobile phones from pesky viruses wasn't enough, now we have to cast a gimlet eye on our iPods. According to a recent story that appeared on cnn.com, the RavMonE.exe virus, which affects only computers running the Windows OS, has been reported on a number of video iPods shipped after September 12th.

Apple has reported about 25 cases of infection, and apparently this virus doesn't impact owners of the iPod nano, shuffle, or Mac-based iPods.

For more info and instructions on how to remove the virus, Apple has set up a special page on its support web site.

Rich Tehrani's humorous plug today about a new Mac-based IP-PBX draws on a post by Andy Abramson that provides a sketchy outline of the offer.

Since my inbox contained a release about the iBlue product this morning, I thought I'd add to the fray by adding some details of the product.

The company behind the iBlue is Berlin-based 4S newcom GmbH -- a spin-off of Snom Technology AG.  The iBlue is based on the 4S IP PBX, a SIP/software-based IP PBX. In order to use the Mac Mini as an IP PBX, the software is is booted off of an iPod Shuffle, which has been engineered to host the complete system, including the OS and IP PBX. Supposedly the system is so compact that even on the smallest 512 Mb iPOD Shuffle, there's enough room left for 4 hours of music.

Once the system is booted off the Shuffle, it can be installed on the Mini's built-in hard disk, while the Shuffle can be saved as a backup in case of emergency. Continue Reading...

While roaming the aisles of the show, I came across one of the more intriging products I've seen all week -- a new key system/PBX gateway that lets SOHO and small businesses access Skype's VoIP service to make and receive free and low-cost long distance phone calls worldwide.

Called the VoSKY Exchange, from Actiontec Electronics in Sunnyvale, CA, the solution is apparently the first Skype-certified solution that allows businesses of 10-300 users to take advantage of Skype's service. The gateway can add up to four outgoing Skype lines to a Key system or PBX without requiring any changes to the equipment, phones, or user PCs, and allows all the phones extensions connected to the PBX to use Skype.

I've seen a small but growing number of companies coming out with innovative solutions that are designed to essentially "extend" broadband telephony services such as Vonage and now Skype and allow small businesses to take advantage of these low cost services, and I expect to see several more emerge in the coming months.
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This past Tuesday and Wednesday, I had the pleasure to moderate and speak on a number of panels with a number of well-regarded and incredibly knowledgeable individuals, including Jon Arnold, principal of J. Arnold and Associates; Ron Gruia, Principal Analyst and Program Leader Information and Communications Technology at market research firm Frost & Sullivan; Richard Grigonis, Executive Editor of the IP Communications Group at TMC; Andy Mercker, Director of Marketing at Sphere Communications; Ray Hernandez, Managing Partner at VC firm ROTH Capital Partners LLC; and Ken Camp, speaker, writer and consultant who also blogs about IP communications technology at IPadventures.com.

I want to thank all the above profusely for their time, invaluable insights and for making the Summit a truly enjoyable experience.

For a great review of the first session on "The State of Industry: Focus on the Corporate and Government Enterprise Marketplace", check out Richard Grigonis' article ITEXPO West 2006 Powers Up, State of the Industry Discussed. Continue Reading...

A month ago, I decided to check out Pandora.com -- a new "analytic recommendation" site for music that functions like your very own personalized Internet radio console. Pandora lets you create personalized "stations" based on specific artists or songs, and then plays music related to your stations selected from a database called the Music Genome Project. Cover art is displayed as songs are played, and song/artist information is available. A nifty "thumbs up/thumbs down" Tivo-like feature lets you fine tune the station selections. Continue Reading...

Nasser Manesh, CTO of Frucall, attended a recent seminar at Google focused on Social Search, which included such Web 2.0 luminaries as Kevin Rose, founder of Digg and Joshua Schachter, founder of Del.icio.us.

Nasser was able to glean some interesting statistical tidbits from the session. Read his session summary here.

Readers of this blog know I'm a big fan of EQO, based in Vancouver, BC.

EQO made waves early on due to its innovative service/software that basically Skype-enabled a host of mobile phones so that users of these phones can access their Skype buddy list, and make and receive Skype calls.

Recent news from the folks up North is notable -- EQO has released the latest version of EQO Mobile, a product/service that delivers online communities to mobile phones, enabling users of social networks such as MySpace, Friendster, Tagworld, Hi5, Xanga and Multiply to exchange web-to-phone, phone-to-web and phone-to-phone text and picture messages with their online buddies. In addition, EQO Mobile now enable users to use AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo! IM, GoogleTalk, Jabber, as well as Skype on any one of more than 300 mobile handset models from vendors including Nokia, Motorola, Palm, and Sony-Ericsson.

EQO Mobile incorporates rich new community features enabling users to add friends and see what they've posted from their mobile phone. It also allows users to include a call back phone number or IM screen name as part of an EQO message, enabling the recipient to start a conversation using a simple click-to-call or click-to-IM feature.

The new version of EQO Mobile is available for free at www.eqo.com.

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