Tom Keating : VoIP & Gadgets Blog
Tom Keating
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| VoIP & Gadgets blog - Latest news in VoIP & gadgets, wireless, mobile phones, reviews, & opinions

Longview IoT Boosts Energy and Wireless Efficiency

Some of the biggest challenges slowing down the adoption of IoT are security, efficient battery usage and optimized wireless communications.One company has...

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Hallmark's Simple, Inexpensive Way to Boost Customer Satisfaction

In an effort to boost margins, companies often push more users to automated solutions such as FAQs, chatbots, voice bots and anything...

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Huawei Places the World's First 5G VoNR Video Call

Huawei recently completed the world's first voice over NR (VoNR) call. The voice and video call service was made using two Huawei...

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IGEL Advances Future of Work

IGEL is a provider of a next-gen edge OS for cloud workspaces. The company’s software products include IGEL OS, IGEL UD Pocket (UDP) and Universal...

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Tata Communications and Cisco Collaborate on SD-WAN

Tata Communications and Cisco have extended their partnership to enable enterprises to transform their legacy network to a customized and secure multi-cloud...

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How to Win the 50-Year-Old China Trade War

Today and this week in-fact is historic - the left and right in the U.S. agree that we have a major trade...

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Extreme Elements Enables The Autonomous Enterprise

Extreme Networks just announced Extreme Elements which in-turn enables the autonomous network and subsequently the autonomous enterprise. In a dynamic webinar, Dan...

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Is VoIP Ready for Primetime?

September 17, 2004

I've started to regularly visit GeekNewsCentral - a blog on gadgets, technology, etc. The site often mentions VoIP. In a recent entry, they wrote: "I'm a fan of cable broadband service, and it seems that many online Americans share my opinion. I detest dial-up service, it makes teaching class a drudgery, and it's too slow for me to listen to my favorite radio stations.

Skype down?

September 16, 2004

Vonage Launches Mexico City Virtual Numbers

September 16, 2004

Cisco Bigwig Joins Skype Board

September 15, 2004

I read on The Street.com's website that BusinessWeek has reported that a Cisco Bigwig, namely Mike Volpi, Cisco's former strategy chief, has joined the board at Skype.

Skype's P2P VoIP business model doesn't exactly fit into Cisco's VoIP business model. Cisco wants to sell more hardware-based routers and using VoIP to leverage the sale of more routers. Skype is simply software that enables VoIP calling.

Skype McDonald's-like VoIP Minutes Counter

September 15, 2004

Remember before McDonald's changed to a static "Billions and Billions Served", McDonald's billboards would change every couple years and increase in number. "10 Billion Served", "20 Billion Served", "50 Billion Served", etc. etc.

Ahhh, those were the days, driving past a McDonald's and tracking the number of people served at McDonald's...

AT&T CallVantage Adds more Advanced Features

September 15, 2004

AT&T today announced another round of new feature enhancements for AT&T CallVantage Service including the availability of "Simple Reach Number," a new capability that enables subscribers to have up to nine additional telephone numbers for their service in any available area code. The new enhancements are the latest in a series of innovations the company plans to add to this popular new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service.

"AT&T is moving quickly to deliver innovations that will bring consumers more features, better quality and greater value for residential broadband phone service," said Cathy Martine, AT&T senior vice president for Internet Telephony. "We have a pipeline of exciting new enhancements coming from AT&T Labs that will give AT&T CallVantage Service customers even more capabilities, convenience and control over their communications."

The Simple Reach(SM) Number feature enables AT&T CallVantage Service customers to add up to nine additional telephone numbers anywhere in the country where AT&T offers residential VoIP service.

Cisco vs. Juniper

September 15, 2004

I was just reading an article from BusinessWeek Online that discussed the battle between Cisco and Juniper.

It hits the nail on the head with what I said yesterday about Cisco and Juniper. (Cisco New Routers Everything But the Kitchen Sink)

Part of the article states: "Rather than concentrate strictly on the "big iron" used by phone companies and other carriers, Juniper announced on June 14 that it would start selling low-end "access routers" as well. These "J-series" models were aimed at Cisco's stronghold -- a $4 billion-a-year segment, in which Cisco enjoys a market share of roughly 90%.
Now, Cisco is fighting back.

iPod battery life improved via high capacity replacement

September 14, 2004

As an iPod lover, I just had to share this announcement about improved battery-life:

OWC AND NEWERTECH ANNOUNCE ULTRA HIGH-CAPACITY REPLACEMENT BATTERY FOR FIRST- AND SECOND-GENERATION IPOD MODELS

2100mAh replacement battery has highest capacity of any iPod battery on the market, with 70 percent more capacity than Apple stock battery

WOODSTOCK, Ill. - September 14, 2004 - Newer Technology, Inc. (NewerTech() and Other World Computing (OWC) today introduced an ultra high-capacity 2100mAh Apple iPod replacement Lithium-Polymer (Li-Polymer) replacement battery for all first- and second-generation iPod models.

The NewerTech battery is the highest capacity iPod battery on the market and provides 70 percent more capacity than standard Apple stock batteries. It is available immediately for $39.95.

"The sad truth about first- and second-generation iPods is that in many cases their batteries start to fade after about 18 months, and there's nothing worse for an iPod-user than to slowly become unable to access their digital music on-the-go," said Larry O'Connor, president of OWC.

VoIP plug and play box for traditional PBXs

September 14, 2004

I've said for years that there should be a turnkey "box" that you can simply plug into a PBX and turn it into a PBX with VoIP trunks (or IP Centrex if you prefer.) The box would "simulate" analog or T1/E1 trunk lines so the PBX simply sees the box as the Central Office (CO) providing trunk lines. Then an Ethernet connection on the box would hook up to some sort of broadband IP connection. All voice traffic would get packetized and sent across this IP connection and terminating on an ITSP's (Intenet Telephony Service Provider) network, such as Level3 or Global Crossing. Maybe the box would have expansion ports for a 2nd or 3rd T1/E1.

Cisco acquires Dynamicsoft

September 13, 2004

Cisco Systems Inc. has acquired Dynamicsoft Inc., best known for their Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) product line, for about $55 million in cash, including the assumption of about $3.8 million in debt.

dynamicsoft has always had a strong SIP core offering, as well as support for presence in 2G, 2.5G, and 3G networks, which is becoming increasingly important.

The real story behind the story is that Cisco still has been using their proprietary SCCP protocol (a version of MGCP – Media Gateway Control Protocol) rather than the industry standard SIP protocol.

While Cisco claims their lack of true SIP support hasn't hurt them, I say "yeah right".

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