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October 2009

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Halloween in VoIP Land

October 30, 2009

Posted in Personal and Humor, VoIP
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2 Comments
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Research Report Shows VoIP Kicking PSTN's Ass

October 30, 2009

According to Infonetics Research, VoIP services brought in $21 billion for service providers in the first half of 2009. According to their report, the number of residential/SOHO VoIP subscribers is forecast to top 225 million by 2013. In other words, with about 310 million Americans that means 75% of all residential subscribers will be VoIP by 2013. Buh bye old analog PSTN landlines!
Posted in TMCnet, VoIP
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AdMob Sees Explosive Mobile Phone Internet Usage

October 30, 2009

A fascinating if not predictable report from AdMob was just released yesterday showing explosive mobile phone web surfing growth. In their September 2009 AdMob Mobile Metrics Report AdMob received more than 100 million ad requests from 14 countries, and more than 10 million ad requests from 64 countries. This data was collected using AdMob's network of more than 15,000 mobile Web sites and applications. Of course, just about everyone is now using their mobile phone to check email, surf the web, tweet via Twitter, check their Facebook, update their statuses, etc.
Posted in Android, Apple, Gadgets, Mobile Phones, Wireless
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1 Comments
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SimpleSignal Brings Call Control Toolbar to Hosted VoIP

October 26, 2009

Hosted VoIP is making great strides, but there is often one problem - with hosted VoIP you don't get desktop call control. Well, today SimpleSignal introduced its Call Control Toolbar, which adds advanced business VoIP calling features while leveraging their hosted environment. Personally, I am very computer-centric and hate managing my phone calls using the phone. Why use an antiquated TUI (telephone user interface) to setup a conference when you can use a GUI and drag-and-drop conference participants?
Posted in TMCnet, Unified Communications, VoIP
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3 Comments
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GE's Vscan Portable Ultrasound = No more OB Visits?

October 21, 2009


GE's Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt unveiled the new Vscan an ultra-small ultrasound. According to GE, "For critical care clinicians, Vscan can offer an immediate look beyond patient vital signs with the potential to identify critical issues, like fluid around the heart, which could be a sign of congestive heart failure. And for cardiologists, Vscan provides a dependable visual evaluation of how well the heart is pumping at a glance, so they can treat patients more efficiently."

It's certainly small enough to be portable - about the size of a mobile phone and could even have some home-use potential - assuming the costs are low.

I can see it now...

Man: "Hey honey, forget about going for an ultrasound and paying a $30 copay, the wasted time and gas money, etc.






Posted in Digital Cameras, Gadgets, PDAs & Handhelds, Technology and Science
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1 Comments
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Microsemi Launches Captain Marvel-proof PoE Midspan

October 21, 2009


Today, Microsemi is launching a new line of midspans which feature integrated lightning protection. This marks the first time a PoE midspan features lightning protection. As more and more PoE devices are used outdoors, including outdoor wireless Access Points (APs), outdoor security cameras, and more, having lightning protection is critical. One lightning bolt strike and it can wipe out your entire networking and IT infrastructure.
Posted in SIP, Sports/Outdoor Technology, TMCnet, Technology and Science, Unified Communications, Video Conferencing, VoIP, Wireless
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Man attacks Sears' employee for Annoying Telemarketing calls

October 16, 2009

Posted in Call Center and CRM
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IBM & Digium Join Forces on Asterisk for Smart Cube

October 15, 2009

In a fascinating deal, IBM and Digium announced today that they are teaming up to offer Asterisk for Smart Cube, a customized version of Asterisk Business Edition. IBM's Smart Cube is very similar to Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS), a pre-packaged bundle of various IT & business applications - except in this case Smart Cube is based on Linux not Windows.

Businesses using Smart Cube can be up and running with a complete IT solution to run their business, including the operating system, integrated middleware, database, security and back-office functionality such as file, print, backup and recovery, and more. Extending the IBM Smart Cube to IP telephony and unified communications is a natural extension of the Smart Cube.

Asterisk for Smart Cube has administration capabilities built right into the Smart Cube Smart Desk GUI, which is perfect for the SMB.



Posted in Asterisk, TMCnet, Unified Communications, VoIP
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3 Comments

Don't install KB974571 or You will Break Microsoft OCS 2007!

October 14, 2009

If you're running Office Communications Server or LCS whatever you do, don't install KB974571 or you will cause the LCS or OCS server to state you are running the evaluation version and then say it has expired. Poof! - There goes your corporate unified communications (UC) followed by a parade of your coworkers carrying pitchforks & torches looking to find out why their UC isn't working. How widespread this patch is affecting OCS/LCS installs worldwide is unknown.

KB97451 is also known as  "MS09-056: Vulnerabilities in CryptoAPI could allow spoofing" and it was released just yesterday on Patch Tuesday.

Posted in Microsoft, SIP, TMCnet, Unified Communications, VoIP
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3 Comments

AT&T <strike>Grants</strike> Denies Us Mobile VoIP Freedom

October 12, 2009

The big news last week was how AT&T grants denies us mobile VoIP freedom. Just last week I wrote how AT&T had "granted" us mobile VoIP freedom by finally allowing SIP port 5060 on their 3G data network. I was able to use siphon, a SIP-based application on my jailbroken iPhone to register with TMC's IP-PBX and make/receive phone calls.

Well apparently, AT&T must read my blog or something, because once again SIP port 5060 is blocked. I tried siphon on my iPhone this morning and now it won't register.

Posted in Apple, Mobile Phones, SIP, TMCnet, VoIP, Wireless
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10 Comments
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AT&T Grants Us Mobile VoIP Freedom

October 8, 2009

On September 17th I wrote about how siphon, a SIP app for the iPhone was working over 3G for me in Los Angeles but not in Connecticut. Apparently, port 5060, the SIP port was blocked in Connecticut but not in Los Angeles. Sources have informed me that AT&T was trialing opening up port 5060 nationwide but was first opening it up in select cities, including Los Angeles. I guess I was onto the "big news" about AT&T now allowing VoIP over 3G calls and didn't know it.
Posted in SIP, TMCnet, VoIP
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2 Comments

Skype statement: AT&T to allow 3G Skype calls

October 7, 2009

My oh my! Things just got very interesting in the mobile VoIP space. Check this out:


Begin forwarded message:

From: Chaim Haas
Date: October 6, 2009 5:13:14 PM EDT
To:
Subject: Skype statement: AT&T to allow 3G Skype calls



Josh Silverman, President of Skype, issued the following statement regarding AT&T's announcement today that it has taken the steps necessary so that Apple can enable VoIP applications on the iPhone to run over AT&T's 3G wireless network:


"Since launching our iPhone application six months ago, consumers have downloaded and installed Skype on 10% of all iPhone and iPod touch devices sold. This clearly demonstrates that our customers are extremely interested in taking Skype conversations with them on the go on the iPhone.

Posted in VoIP
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AstriCon Adds to your Asterisk Arsenal

October 6, 2009

Posted in Asterisk, SIP, TMCnet, Unified Communications, VoIP
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1 Comments
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Vonage Launches Vonage Mobile for Apple iPhone & Blackberry

October 5, 2009

Today Vonage launched Vonage Mobile for the Apple iPhone and Blackberry. I've already said this will be a killer app and could sway iPhone users to sign up with Vonage. Though, many iPhone users and wireless phone users in general have killed their landline entirely. Nevertheless, there are some cool features with Vonage Mobile, including a single-number identity for both your home and mobile number that could give Vonage an added boost.

Vonage World is not limited to just WiFi - it works over 3G!  Vonage Mobile offers low-cost international calling and Vonage claims that you can save more than 50% on calls to dozens of countries versus the rates charged by wireless carriers.

Posted in Apple, Mobile Phones, SIP, TMCnet, Unified Communications, VoIP, Vonage, Wireless
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1 Comments
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Verizon Hub Bites the Dust

October 2, 2009


What an inglorious end to the Verizon Hub, which Verizon Wireless promoted as the greatest VoIP phone ever. Sure it was sexy, and sure it was gadgety - doubling as a Web tablet and digital phone frame, but apparently users just weren't buying. Not even a year after Verizon Wireless launched the Hub they have killed it.

Verizon Wireless said Sept. 30 it was discontinuing sales for its Verizon Hub. The Hub retailed for $199 and required a $34.99 monthly fee. Too high a price if you ask me.


Posted in SIP, TMCnet, Unified Communications, Video Conferencing, VoIP
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1 Comments

What Do You Do When Your Network Goes Down?

October 2, 2009

Posted in Cisco, Internet, Personal and Humor, TMCnet
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Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 XMPP Gateway Launches

October 1, 2009

Microsoft today just released the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 XMPP Gateway, which is available at no cost. That's right, it's free and is immediately downloadable. The XMPP gateway allows basic presence sharing and instant messaging (IM) with Cisco Jabber and Google Talk. OCS users can now instant message Cisco Jabber and Google Talk users.

The Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 XMPP Gateway can be downloaded here. Also, check out this video featuring Ashima Singhal (Senior Product Manager) and Albert Kooiman (Senior Product Manager) from the Communication Server team who discuss IM interoperability between different networks and show how the XMPP Gateway works.

Notice the different network icons (Yahoo!, AOL, Gmail/Google Talk)


Demo of Communicator client IM'ing a Google Talk user.

Some more good news - a PIC License will no longer be required for federation with American Online (AOL).  Customers qualify for federation with AOL if they have Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Standard CAL or active Software Assurance on their current LCS/OCS license.  Alas, customers who want Yahoo!








Posted in Microsoft, SIP, TMCnet, Unified Communications, Video Conferencing, VoIP
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Cisco Buys Tandberg, but does Video Interoperability Suffer?

October 1, 2009

Cisco bought Tandberg, a video conferencing company for $3 billion. But is this good for the video conferencing industry or bad? Let's have a recap of Cisco's "openness" and adoption of standards.

First, Cisco was very late to adopt the SIP standard, finally embracing third-party SIP phones back in 2006. However, Cisco plays some serious licensing shenanigans that make it very cost prohibitive to use 3rd party SIP phones with Cisco CallManager.

Posted in Polycom, SIP, TMCnet, Unified Communications, Video Conferencing, VoIP
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6 Comments