Greg Galitzine : Greg Galitzine's VoIP Authority Blog
Greg Galitzine

December 2006

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Presence... just in time for the holidays

December 21, 2006

  They told me I would find presents, but I guess I misunderstood.    :)   Honestly, there’s a fascinating conversation going on regarding the ongoing evolution of the terms “presence” and "relevance" and in fact what that terms mean to each of us, individually, in a given context, at a given time, etc…   It’s something we should all be aware of — and by “we” I mean the press, the bloggers, the thinkers and framers of the conversation — and we need to massage this technology, and use it and bend it and twist it and try to break it. Then we need to build it up again and do it all over again until it becomes something that becomes easy enough for Mom to use. (My mom only recently joined the e-mail “revolution” albeit she types the ‘letters’ and asks my dad to ‘send’ them.)   Andy does a great job distilling some of what’s going on in this most recent dialogue.

FCC Decision: More Comments

December 21, 2006

A number of other groups have added their voices to the conversation in the aftermath of yesterday’s FCC decision to make it easier for competitors, such as traditional telcos, to offer TV/video services.   Here are a couple of comments I’ve received over the past 12 hours or so:   Joe Savage, President of the FTTH Council, stated, “The FCC is to be applauded for today’s action streamlining the outmoded and detrimental video franchising process. This action caps a year in which state legislators and governors in eight states joined Texas in enacting new laws facilitating new video entry over fiber-to-the-home and other advanced broadband networks. As a result, American consumers will have more choice, lower rates, and access to much higher-speed broadband networks.”   Savage also praised the FCC for initiating a new proceeding to deregulate incumbent cable providers. “We feel that where competition exists, it is important to extend deregulation to all participants.”     According to Cindy Christy, President North America, Alcatel-Lucent: “This is a victory for both consumers and for the advancement of next-generation broadband networks across the U.S.

Paul Bowen on Ericsson/Redback

December 20, 2006

In the wake of yesterday’s Ericsson/Redback news, I had the chance to ask Paul Bowen for his take on the news. Bowen is president of Bowen Advisors, a strategic M&A consulting firm and a well-known boutique banking brand for emerging and established communications technology companies.   GG: How does this merger position Ericsson versus competitors Nortel, Alcatel-Lucent, and others? PB: Ericsson has long threatened to make bigger waves in U.S. Telco market. While they certainly paid a high price from my perspective, the notion of buying Redback, a $70M per quarter revenue company (as of 9/30/06 quarter), to fend off Cisco in the IPTV for Telco space, hardly qualifies as a big splash.

Ericsson, Redback - The Consolidation Continues…

December 19, 2006

The consolidation continues…   Swedish telecom gear-maker Ericsson is buying data networking equipment vendor Redback Networks Inc. for $2.1 billion in cash, the companies announced late Tuesday. The deal will be internally funded by Ericsson. Redback will maintain its current leadership team and will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Ericsson.   Following on the heels of the recently completed merger between Alcatel and Lucent, which formed the world’s largest telecom equipment maker, this new deal marks further consolidation in the telecom industry.   It appears that Ericsson is positioning itself to better compete with Alcatel-Lucent and Nortel, among others. Redback is an up and coming player in the edge router market, which is being driven by new IP communications applications such as IPTV and VoIP.

Congratulations to... Me!

December 18, 2006

I sat by my mailbox all day waiting patiently for a note or a postcard of some kind wishing me well.   I watched my fax machine for the congratulations I was certain would come at any moment.   I checked my voicemail several times, convinced that the message waiting lamp was simply broken.   And yet, no one seems to care about this achievement of mine.

iPhone: Linksys VoIP, Not Apple Cell

December 18, 2006

  Cisco’s Linksys group has announced the most-awaited product of the year. Sort of. Linksys today unveiled its iPhone family of VoIP solutions, which comprises seven solutions:  
  • iPhone Cordless Internet Telephony Kit — CIT200
  • iPhone Dual-Mode Internet Telephony Kit — CIT300
  • iPhone Dual-Mode Cordless Phone for Yahoo! Messenger with Voice — CIT310
  • iPhone Dual-Mode Internet Telephony Kit for Skype — CIT400
  • iPhone Wireless-G IP Phone — WIP300
  • iPhone Wireless-G IP Phone with Web Browser — WIP330
  • iPhone Wireless-G Phone for Skype — WIP320
  Response as expected has been underwhelming, which is a shame.

IMS Forum Plugfest Information

December 15, 2006

The IMS Forum is announcing their IMS Plugfest, a large-scale testing event and series designed to “foster the interoperability of IMS applications and services for wireless, wireline and cable broadband networks.”   The first Plugfest of the proposed series will take place at the IMS Forum InterOperability Lab, a vendor-neutral testing center associated with the University of New Hampshire. For more information on the test facilities please click here.   According to the IMS Forum, “January’s Plugfest is the first in a series of IMS Forum test events scheduled throughout 2007 and 2008. The extended program will bring together dozens of leading service providers and vendors to work with the IMS Forum to develop test plans, a long-term roadmap and industry-recognized IMS applications and services interoperability certification.”   Online registration information is available at the IMS Forum Web site.

IP Unity, Glenayre to Merge

December 14, 2006

IP Unity, the provider of carrier-grade media servers, application servers, and real-time multimedia applications, is hooking up with Glenayre Messaging, a division of Glenayre Technologies.   This is how the official language read: “the parties have entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement for the consolidation of the two entities.”   The resulting company, to be called IP Unity Glenayre will be one of the larger independent suppliers of carrier-class, rich media messaging systems and advanced IP multimedia solutions serving both wireline and wireless carriers.   This move looks good for a number of reasons. According to a company statement, the two firms have no common customers and basically play in different geographies and networks. Also, researchers believe that IMS is set to explode.   A recent study from ABI Research predicts that telecom carriers around the world will spend $10.1 billion in IMS infrastructure over the next five years.

BEA Unveils SIP Server 3.0

December 13, 2006

BEA Systems, Inc., today released the BEA WebLogic SIP Server 3.0.   According to the company release, new features include on-line and off-line charging support, geographical redundancy, hot application and platform upgrade capability, IPv6 and SCTP support, a plugable Profile API, full Diameter base protocol access and complete Java EE1.4 compliance.   BEA WebLogic SIP Server 3.0 is generally available today. For more information on BEA WebLogic SIP Server, check out BEA’s site.

Hurry Up! ITEXPO Early-Bird Rates Expiring!

December 13, 2006

Hey folks, just a reminder…   This Friday, December 15 is the deadline for ITEXPO Early-Bird rates. Savings range from $200–$1,000 based on the plan you select, so if you’re planning on attending the conference this January 23–26, now is the time to act!   To register for the event, simply click here.   I look forward to seeing you in Ft. Lauderdale this January!
Who knows, you might also drive away in one of these fancy rigs...

Carriers Are Hot To Adopt Fixed/Mobile Services… Or Are They?

December 12, 2006

BBDO Consulting just released the results of survey that show that over 65 percent of operators will have implemented Fixed-Mobile Convergence (FMC) services into their product suites over the next three years. Among FMC services, respondents identified most closely with the dual-mode handset.   Recent research from ABI Research posits that by 2011, shipments of dual-mode handsets will be well in excess of 300 million worldwide.   But some sources in the industry believe in a less rosy scenario. Louis E. Frenzel, wireless/communications editor at Wireless System Design, writes the following in a recent editor’s note, “With so many manufacturers making dual-mode cell phones, you would think this was a hot market. It is not.

I've Been Tagged!

December 12, 2006

So I too have been tagged.   If I traced it back correctly, it goes like this: Jeff to Andy to Peter and Ken who both tagged Leanne to Garrett to me. If I had the time, I would find Kevin Bacon’s blog and link us all once and forever within the six degrees.   5 things you don’t know about me?   Let’s see….   1.) I’m a huge fan of the greatest things to ever come from Canada: Beer, Hockey and Mrs. Galitzine; not necessarily in that order.   2.) Stealing an entry from Leanne, I also hate peas.   3.) I’m a tremendous fan of Hemingway, but I have to agree with him that he would be destroyed if he ever stepped in the ring with Tolstoy.   4.) I once worked for the Metropolitan Opera in the carpenter’s shop.

Microsoft Pushes Into VoIP

December 12, 2006

It’s indeed a big day for Microsoft and VoIP.   The release of Office Communications Server 2007 heralds Microsoft’s latest push into the enterprise communications space. The company has put the new solution into the hands of 2,500 IT managers to beta test the offering.   Microsoft also announced a number of partners including Avaya, Cisco, LG-Nortel, Mitel, NEC Phillips, Nortel Networks, Polycom, and Siemens.

White Papers Galore!

December 11, 2006

As part of the never-ending quest to bring value to our readers, I thought I would direct you to have a look at our growing White Paper Library.   TMCnet has created this service to help interested parties with the tasks of research and analysis, whether you’re looking to increase your productivity or make a more-informed purchasing decision.   The library offers a simple user interface with which to enter search criteria, putting the most relevant information affecting the IP Communications world at your fingertips.   Currently our White Paper Library features content on a wide variety of subjects including SIP, VoIP, CRM/Call center and a number of other compelling topics.   Two of the whitepapers I’ve recently looked at were on the following subjects:   Building Next Generation Network Services - The Data Management Infrastructure   and   Building Highly Available Application Servers - The Network Infrastructure   I suggest you check it out. If you’re in the process of learning about any of the relevant areas that we feature in our White Paper Library, then this service is perfect for you.   Best part is, it’s FREE.   As always, we at TMCnet believe our goal is to bring you the best Internet experience possible, by providing not only the most content, but the most relevant content.  

Excellent VoIP Security Article

December 7, 2006

Speaking of Ottawa…   Bogdan Materna of VoIPShield Systems has a wonderful article up on our site today on the subject of spam over Internet telephony, or SPIT. Hate the acronym. LOVE the article.   As Materna points out, the threat of SPIT is real:   Spam over Internet Telephony (SPIT) incidents are already being reported in Japan, where the VoIP market is more mature than North America. A major VoIP provider, SoftbankBB, found three incidents of SPIT within its network, which included unsolicited commercial messages for an adult Web site and illegitimate requests for personal information.

Thanks for Missing Me

December 7, 2006

OK, ok… I’m back. I realize that you missed me, but I had a couple of things to take care of these past few days.   I spent some time in Ottawa visiting with the fine folks from Mitel as well as several other companies including Natural Convergence, DragonWave, NewHeights, Solace Systems, and TalkSwitch, who incidentally announced a deal with Covad today.   I mentioned Ottawa, but really all the time was spent in Kanata, the telecom corridor du Nord. There are a huge number of fascinating companies that all play in our space — the IP Communications space that is — and a fair number of them have roots in three places: Nortel, Newbridge, and Bell Canada. It should not escape notice that many of these companies share something else as well: the leadership, wisdom, energy, and financial backing of a man named Terry Matthews. Sir Terry Matthews is also a gracious host.   I look forward to returning to Kanata soon — maybe when the days get a bit warmer and the golf courses are open.

10 Years On, Still Kicking It

December 1, 2006

  It just dawned on me as I wrap up my Friday that tomorrow marks my 10th anniversary here at TMC.   Like anything else in life, it’s the so-called “round numbers” that we make note of. I mean how come people never make a really big deal about their 9th anniversary? Or their 23rd?
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