SIP

netTALK vs. magicJack

March 16, 2011

netTALK sent me their netTALK DUO VoIP device to test. Obvious comparisons will be made with magicJack since both offer all you can eat U.S. and Canada calling for a flat yearly rate. In the case of netTALK it is $69.95 $49.95 (the first year); $29.95 (each year after).

Posted in Android, SIP, TMCnet, VoIP

Oxford Hair Academy Selects Freetalk Connect

March 16, 2011

Recently, I installed the FREETALK Connect Skype-enabled IP-PBX for my sister Kellie Steeve's salon and hair academy businesses (Body Shoppe & Oxford Hair Academy) located at the renowned and purportedly haunted Carousel Gardens. Carousel Gardens was a mansion that was originally built in the late 1800's by William Wooster and later was converted into a restaurant in the mid 60's. Ruth Wooster was the last surviving Wooster to live in the mansion and is said to haunt the location still to this day. Many harmless paranormal activities are said to happen within this mansion that my sister purchased and renamed.

Posted in Asterisk, SIP, Skype, TMCnet, Unified Communications, VoIP

ViBE Bandwidth Optimization Kicks Traditional QoS to the Curb

March 15, 2011

ADSL is very popular, especially in SMEs/SMBs. It's more difficult to get on the VoIP bandwagon with ADSL bandwidth since it typically has only 256Kbits/s upstream bandwidth. Powernet, the UK's oldest business broadband provider claims the average VoIP call uses 42Kbit/s. In my experience with Vonage, I saw more like 90Kbit/s, but I believe I was using Vonage's "HQ" codec (G.711) for the best sound quality where as Powernet is using G.729a (8Kbit/s plus overhead).

In any event, at 42Kbit/s that gives you 6 VoIP calls with barely any no room left for data/Internet. So you'd have to knock that down to maybe 5 simultaneous VoIP calls.

Posted in SIP, TMCnet, Unified Communications, VoIP

VoIP Hacker vs. VoIP Server Honeypots

March 10, 2011

It's VoIP hacker vs. VoIP Server. Who will lay the smack down and win this battle of good vs. evil? The stakes are high.

Posted in Linux, SIP, TMCnet, VoIP

Google Voice <strike>Supports</strike> SIP

March 8, 2011

We all heard the buzz surrounding Google killing off Gizmo5, including some peeved users like Todd Vierling. However, Todd Vierling then discovered that Google added SIP support to reach any Google Voice number. For instance, if you Google Voice number is 203-555-1000, anyone can now call you for free via SIP simply by dialing +12035551000@sip.voice.google.com.

A bunch of bloggers picked up on Todd's discovery. Dan York, writes "Wouldn't it be great if you could call a Google Voice number directly via SIP?

Posted in Android, Google, SIP, Skype, TMCnet, VoIP

Aastra BluStar Media Phone Launches

February 28, 2011

Aastra today launched Aastra BluStar, a video conferencing solution for the desktop. The BluStar 8000i desktop media phone includes true HD video conferencing quality with unified communications and business applications along with collaboration. It includes a 13-inch touch screen that achieves true HD 720p video conferencing at a rate of 30 frames per second. It also includes excellent HD sound quality, powered by four voice tracking microphones and three speakers.

Posted in ITEXPO, SIP, TMCnet, Video Conferencing, VoIP

Bandwidth.com Acquires Dash - Google Voice, Skype & Others Impacted

February 23, 2011

Bandwidth.com, a nationwide supplier of VoIP network services to Voice 2.0 innovators such as Skype, Pinger, and others, today announced the acquisition of dash Carrier Services (dash), a North American-based provider of tier-one emergency services and wholesale carrier voice solutions. The acquisition provides Bandwidth with a definitive competitive edge, as it will now tightly couple additional advanced services, such as E911 calling, with its core voice and SMS offerings to deliver a stronger experience for customers who would otherwise need to cobble together these services in much less efficient ways. The deal was all-cash, and the combined company is now projected to generate over $100MM in revenues this year.

Voice 2.0 innovators will increasingly need to add services like E911 calling as VoIP adoption continues to accelerate, and Bandwidth.com can directly address this need through its now expanded portfolio of solutions.

Posted in Android, SIP, Skype, TMCnet, VoIP, Wireless

Microsoft Lync Virtualization How-to Guide

February 22, 2011

Microsoft just released a whitepaper that outlines best practice recommendations for running Lync Server 2010 in a virtualized environment.

Here's a snippet from the Table of Contents showing the covered topics:
1.2    Why Virtualize?
2    Virtualization in Lync Server 2010
2.1    Terminology
2.2    Supported Functionality
2.3    Hypervisors
2.3.1    Validated Hypervisors
2.3.2    Other Hypervisors
2.3.3    Unsupported Hypervisors
2.4    Guest Operating System Requirement
2.5    Virtualized Lync Server Deployment General Considerations
2.5.1    Mixing Physical and Virtual Servers Running Lync Server 2010
2.5.2    Spreading Lync Server Workloads on Different VM Hosts
2.5.3    High Availability through Virtualization
2.5.4    Quick Migration and Live Migration Support
2.5.5    Dynamic Memory Support

8    Measuring Performance on Virtual Lync Server 2010
8.1    Performance Indicators
8.1.1    Processor and Percentage of Processor Time
8.1.2    Network Interface
8.1.3    Memory
8.1.4    Databases
8.1.5    SIP

1.7    Establishing Performance Baselines
1.7.1    Resource Utilization Baseline Tests
1.7.2    User Load Baseline Tests
1.7.3    Multipoint Conferencing Unit (MCU) Resource Utilization Baseline Tests: (Monitor on All MCUs)

Running Lync in a virtualized environment is a popular topic amongst Lync aficionados, so read up on this document and avoid any pitfalls in your UC infrastructure!

Posted in Lync, Microsoft, SIP, TMCnet, Unified Communications, VoIP

Asterisk + OpenBTS = Be Your Own Wireless Carrier

February 14, 2011

OpenBTS (Open Base Transceiver Station) is a free softare implementation of the GSP protocol allowing the creation of software-based GSM access points that enable standard GSM mobile phones to make phone calls without using traditional wireless providers' networks. In other words, create your own homebrew cellular network!

According to the OpenBTS Project, OpenBTS is an open-source Unix application that uses the Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP) to present a GSM air interface ("Um") to standard GSM handset and uses Asterisk software to connect calls leveraging SIP and VoIP.

The goal of the project is to reduce the cost of GSM service provision in rural areas and the developing world. They explain, "In plain language, we are working on a new kind of cellular network that can be installed and operated at about 1/10 the cost of current technologies, but that will still be compatible with most of the handsets that are already in the market. This technology can also be used in private network applications (wireless PBX, rapid deployment, etc.) at much lower cost and complexity than conventional cellular."

During the past few Burning Man festivals, OpenBTS has performed a week-long live field test under special temporary WE9XJN authorization to use certain wireless frequencies.

Posted in Asterisk, Mobile Phones, SIP, TMCnet, VoIP, Wireless

Polycom UC Intelligent Core Platform Supports TIP Standard - Interoperable with Cisco

February 9, 2011

June of last year I wrote about how Cisco had to adopt the open source TIP protocol before the EU would approve Cisco's acquisition of Tandberg:

An interesting back story behind the Cisco acquisition of Tandberg is that Cisco had to make sure Cisco's open source and free TIP (Telepresence Interoperability Protocol) protocol was used. The EU wouldn't approve the acquisition of Tandberg without Cisco agreeing to use this protocol. There have been obvious concerns (including my own) that Cisco/Tandberg could create a proprietary telepresence platform that locked out third-party competitors. Cisco and Tandberg just made an announcement stating advanced multiscreen telepresence interoperability with each other as well as other third-party systems, by integrating the Telepresence Interoperability Protocol (TIP) on Cisco's newly acquired Tandberg TelePresence Server.

The fruits of that effort are now realized with today's announcement from Polycom.

Posted in Cisco, Polycom, Polycom, SIP, TMCnet, Video Conferencing, VoIP

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