Recently in Wireless Category

Nortel - will they or won't they file for bankruptcy? Will they be chopped up into pieces and sold off? All the news these past few months leading to a crescendo of news yesterday stating Nortel is planning to file for bankruptcy. Certainly, all the rumors didn't help their stock any. I'm reminded of Senator Chuck Schumer (D) who released a public letter about IndyMac's viability causing a bank run by customers that led to the fall of IndyMac. So perhaps we in the media should carefully consider what we say about Nortel, one of the premiere telecommunications companies of all time. If we continue the drumbeat of Nortel headed into the fires of obvlivion we just might help march them there. Sometimes the media and bloggers are way too gleeful when a company 'titan' takes a fall.

The media should always report the news of course, but I've read way too many stories about Nortel these past few weeks that is all "doom & gloom". Nortel has many technological assets, patents, and a huge customer base. Their customers aren't going to disappear overnight, but if the media keeps hammering away at Nortel's viability, it might scare their current and potential customers away from purchasing Nortel equipment. I'd just hate to see a good company die because of fear or panic caused by overblown news coverage.

This isn't to say Nortel doesn't have problems - they do. As Rich points out, "they have up to six billion dollars of debt which means they pay hundreds of millions of dollars of interest." But we should take everything in perspective. With the global slowing economy, nearly every company is hurting - even those with good technology and great products. Nortel went on a bit of spending spree acquiring companies back in the dotcom boom days and now the bill has come due.

A fascinating read by Rich Tehrani where he talks to Nortel's President of the Enterprise Solutions Division of Joel Hackney was just posted. The article is titled "Despite Reports, Nortel Operates as Usual". In the article, Rich writes, "reports are circulating that Nortel has declared bankruptcy and pieces will be sold off to foreign firms. Company sources say this is untrue. Here is the complete story." There is certainly more to the story than just 'doom & gloom' and Rich gets Nortel's perspective. Read More...

Some interesting news from D2 Technologies worth sharing. It's worth mentioning that D2 offers the mCUE mobile convergence software solution, which combines a communications user interface with the company's vPort MP VoIP software platform targeting OEMs and service providers to help deliver integrated Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) and Unified Communications (UC) functionality.

Their news today involves WiMAX, femtocells, and fixed mobile convergence (FMC). Many predict (myself included) that 2009 will be the year of WiMAX, FMC, and femtocells. Though I think femtocells won't really getting going until late 2009.

At CES D2 Technologies is announcing a significant upgrade to its flagship embedded VoIP software, vPort, supporting processors from market leaders such as Cavium, Freescale, LSI, Ralink, AMCC, Ikanos and TI for OEMs developing the latest in dual mode and IP phones, CPE communications products and other mobile devices.

Here's the news...

D2's vPort optimizes support for video calls, high definition audio, Windows® CE/Mobile applications and remote security management.

D2 Technologies, the market leader in embedded IP communications software platforms, today announced the next generation of its flagship vPort product line, enabling OEMs and service providers to cost-effectively and quickly deliver to market the most advanced mobile and CPE communications products. vPort 2.0 now provides optimized support for the development of femtocells, mobile internet devices (MIDs) and mobile handset products. It also offers significant technology upgrades that support WiMAX, the Windows® CE and Windows® Mobile platforms, IMS, video calls, remote management of end-user devices via TR-069 (an application layer protocol) and the Secure Real Time Transport Protocol (SRTP), and high definition audio through additional wideband CODECs.

vPort 2.0 merges the best of existing and emerging technologies to deliver a wealth of communications services in any mode (voice, video, IM chat, email, SMS, etc.) over any network (WiMAX, WiFi, cellular, IMS, broadband, PSTN), giving service providers, enterprise users and general consumers the widest choice of connectivity platforms.

A leader in embedded VoIP performance, efficiency and platform support, vPort enables networking, signaling and voice processing functions to execute as an integrated solution on a single processor. Through this upgrade, vPort now offers the broadest application support and most advanced features of any embedded VoIP software on the market, and allows manufacturers to quickly meet consumer demands for communications products such as IP and dual mode mobile phones, triple- and quadruple-play devices, advanced VoIP adapters/gateways and other mobile devices.

Key vPort 2.0 product features include:
• Broadest range of IC and core processor support for market leaders such as Cavium Networks, Freescale Semiconductor, LSI Corporation, Ralink Technology, AMCC, Ikanos Communications and Texas Instruments
• New CODECs including GSM-AMR support for femtocells
• Increased embedded OS support for WinCE/WinMobile, VxWorks, Linux, Android
- OS Abstraction Layer allows quick porting onto new and proprietary OSs
• Unified and IP communications at its core:
- VoIM and multi-protocol support (SIP, GoogleTalk, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ)
- Presence based functionality
- Video call/chat capability
• Complete suite of NAT Traversal software including STUN, ICE, and TURN
• Full SRTP support including RFCs 3550, 3711, and 4568
• Remote management integration with TR-069 and TR-104 SW modules
• Industry leading voice quality, CPU (MHz) optimization and service provider interop

"By enhancing vPort, D2 is helping customers quickly respond to the increased market demand for VoIP-enabled devices in new application areas, on new platforms and with advanced features," said Doug Makishima, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at D2 Technologies. "We are now conducting demos with our key partners and OEM customers, and expect commercial availability of vPort 2.0 toward the end of Q1 2009."

Skype announced Skype Lite for Java-enabled phones, including the Google Android, but it should also work on Windows Mobile with Java installed.

Skype Lite is the first native VoIP client using Java. I guess my prediction of a Flash-based Skype client was a little off. From a technical standpoint Java is better suited to an application than Flash, which is better at multimedia stuff.

In any event, Skype is submitting the app to Google's Android Market today according to Techchuck.

Since Skype Lite is Java-based, it should work on several mobile phone brands, including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Motorola, and others. Don't expect the full-fledged features of the regular client though. Even the native Windows Mobile Skype client will have more features than the Java version. Still, this opens the door for Skype to be used on many phone devices.

Notice I didn't mention the Apple iPhone. Uhhh, Skype on the iPhone support anyone? Well, there are workarounds to get Skype running on the iPhone. Still, a native Skype client for the iPhone would be nice...

Truphone has added a new Skype feature that will allow iPhone and iPod Touch users to make calls and instant message other Skype users.  This new feature is scheduled to go live to consumers the week of Jan. 12, but it's available for a select few media that inquire. I'm going to try it very shortly.

You now will have the ability to make and receive Skype calls and instant message Skype users from your iPhone or iPod touch. Truphone customers on both Apple devices can contact their Skype friends via their Skype IDs.

According to Techcrunch, we can soon expect to see a 7" or 9" iPod touch, which would make it more akin to a tablet PC than a portable music & video player with app support. The app support is a key point here. One of the problems with the iPod touch and similarly the iPhone is the relatively small screen. Sure, it's bigger than most portable devices, but it's still not quite large enough for optimal productivity.

By stepping up the screen size, not only will it improve productivity, you may even see users actually "work" within business apps such as Excel on the iPod touch. Try working in Excel on the iPod touch or iPhone on such a small screen is nearly impossible. In fact, I should point out that natively the iPhone and iPod touch don't support Excel. There is a workaround however.

Rich has an excellent piece on Nortel where he talks to Nortel's President of Carrier Networks' Richard Lowe and Bruce Gustafson, Director of Marcom, Carrier Networks. With all the bad news surrounding Nortel it's interesting to get a perspective of Nortel from the horse's mouth. Of course, Nortel's job or any company for that matter is to try and spin things in a positive light.

However, reading the article it seems that Nortel was fairly open about their current status and the direction they are taking. For instance, Rich's article states, "He did say a large number of carriers are slowing their spending in CDMA... they have deployed 1x he mentioned for voice and have their first EVDO deployments in place for data. He says they will be looking for this line of business to decline perhaps 5-10% a year."

The article adds, "He further explained that ROI parameters are getting more challenging so operators are slowing their CAPEX investments which would be used to upgrade TDM to VoIP. He says these operators will hold onto their Class 5 switches longer than originally planned... As long as it continues to support the traffic he explained."

Rich's article then goes into Nortel's views on their prospects in GSM, WCDMA (wideband CDMA) and more.

Great read. Check it out.

I was doing some Christmas shopping on Amazon when I was curious what sort of VoIP phones were available on Amazon. I came across the Belkin Desktop Internet Phone for Skype, which I never heard of.

The Belkin Desktop Internet Phone for Skype is a standalone Skype phone with no PC running Skype requirement. All that is required is a wired connection to your LAN with Internet access. Because it's a standalone Skype phone it's much more suitable as a landline phone replacement in your house than some of the USB-based Skype phones.

The Belkin Desktop Internet Phone for Skype sports a 1.8-inch color LCD display and a phonebook that supports over 500 sets of phone numbers. Importantly, it supports all key Skype features including Skype-to-Skype calling, SkypeIn, SkypeOut, Skype Voicemail, Skype search directory, Skype contact list, Skype Presence, call waiting, conference call (guest only), call history, and user profiles. (Note: The SkypeIn capability is critical if you want to replace your landline phone.)

Belkin espouses the fact that unlike many other Skype phones that use a WiFi connection and require additional SSID or security-key input, the Belkin Desktop Internet Phone is a plug-and-play device that connects automatically to the Internet & Skype at boot up. While no wireless SSID keys to fuss with is certainly a plus, the fact that this phone is completely "wired" without even a wireless handset, may make this a deal breaker for some. The only time I use a "wired" phone is at work and even then I have a DECT 6.0 wireless headset I can use if need be. The phone does have a speakerphone for a hands-free experience, but that doesn't make up for no roaming around capabilities.

Still, if you want to have a standalone Skype phone and make this a landline replacement for cheaper calls, it certainly has some nice capabilities. Other features include phone-book dialing, mute, redial, hold, and a call-timer display.

Available on Amazon for $79.99

p.s. You should also check out my Philips VoIP841 review, which sports a DECT cordless phone and is also a standalone Skype phone.

From the "Oh no you didn't!" department, BerryReview.com has an article and some sweet photo goodness showing a Windows Mobile HTC Touch Pro running a virtual BlackBerry operating system. The Windows Mobile OS running the BlackBerry OS? What's next, the iPhone running Windows Mobile? Soon there will be human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!

The BlackBerry OS runs as an application on Windows Mobile allowing you to run your favorite BlackBerry apps. Similar to other "virtualized" software out there that lets you run other operating systems. BerryReview claims it should have all of the BlackBerry 4.2 OS features in it.

More...

Truphone is now bringing low-priced international calls to the iPhone even when not connected to Wi-Fi. In case you don't recall, Steve Jobs will only allow VoIP over Wi-Fi and not over a 3G data connection. So has Truphone enabled VoIP over a 3G connection for the Apple iPhone? Not quite. It's a callback system similar to Jajah that uses the 3G voice bearer channel not the data channel. So you're still using voice minutes. But if you have an unlimited bucket of voice minutes, you make international calls across the internet for as little as £0.03/$0.06 [UK/Rest of World] per minute even when they're not connected to the Internet using Truphone Anywhere. Today Truphone also announed inbound Truphone calling on the iPhone making it possible to have completely free Truphone calls between two iPhones.

Truphone Anywhere works by connecting to a local Truphone server, which then connects the long-distance part of the call over the internet, i.e. VoIP. The local connection to Truphone is, typically, free because it uses bundled minutes from the customer's usual cellular service provider.

Unlike calling card solutions, Truphone Anywhere doesn't require a user to remember what to do. Whenever an international number is dialed from outside Wi-Fi, Truphone Anywhere simply asks whether he/she wants to make a Truphone call. The user simply accepts, and Truphone connects the call.

The second new key feature - inbound calling for Truphone on the iPhone - works in all countries. Using the new 'presence' feature, iPhone users can see which of their other Truphone-using contacts are online, including contacts who also have Truphone on their iPhone. This makes it possible to place, for the first time, a free iPhone-to-iPhone Truphone call.

Benefits of Truphone for the iPhone:

• Truphone routes calls over the internet whenever possible, saving loads of money both on international calls from a user's home country and on calls when connected to Wi-Fi abroad
• Truphone routes calls over the internet, so customers don't need to worry about poor mobile reception. Calls are crystal clear and voice quality is superb from almost any Wi-Fi zone
• No monthly line rental, subscription or other hidden charges. Truphone customers only ever pay for the calls they make. Additional credit is simply purchased online, or an account may be set to top up [refill] automatically when it falls to a certain level
• Truphone is free to download via the iPhone App Store and takes seconds to install. New customers receive £1/$1 [UK/RoW] free calling credit to get them started
• With Truphone's American Tru Saver bundle, calls within and to the USA and Canada can be as low as 0.75 pence/1.5 cents [UK/RoW] per minute
• Calls within and to 40 countries (including UK, Australia, Brazil and most of Europe) are £0.03/$0.06 [UK/RoW] per minute to landlines and £0.15/$0.30 [UK/RoW] per minute to mobiles
• making a Truphone call is easy: open the Truphone application and dial as normal. Truphone uses the iPhone's own address book.

With a slowing global economy, one of the cost-cutting measures desired by IT personnel appears to be the desktop phone, including desktop IP phones. That at least according to an OnRelay survey that shows 88% of cost-conscious IT Professionals would ditch the desktop phone. Apparently, the desire for for mobile working makes desktop tools a low priority expense. I should point out that OnRelay offers a hosted PBX solution with mobile phone only extensions, so you might think this survey has a conflict of interest. However, OnRelay's solutions can work with existing PBXs and desktop phones, so there isn't necessarily a conflict.

In any event, today OnRelay published results from a survey revealing the personal business tools IT professionals couldn't be without, and the equipment they would give up as corporate budgets tighten. Their answers show a clear preference for the mobile office, and question corporate spend on technologies that those in IT have already left behind.

OnRelay surveyed 330 IT professionals in UK enterprise. Reflecting today's tougher economic choices, they were asked to select the four office IT tools they see as essential - out of a list of nine items.

Those surveyed were asked to choose from: the laptop; desktop PC; virtual private network (VPN) access; mobile phone; Blackberry™, desk phone; video conferencing; or their own personal desk.

The top three items chosen by the IT professionals were all mobile office technologies. The laptop came in as the most essential item - making the must-have list of 88% of respondents. The mobile phone came second at 74% of respondents, followed by VPN access (69%).

The least chosen items emphasise the low priority end-users place on fixed desktop equipment. The office desk phone was the tool those questioned were most willing to give up, with only 18% listing the desk phone as essential. This is akin to the 20% who prioritised a desktop PC, and the 22% who chose video conferencing as a must-have.

OnRelay's survey provides insight into IT professionals' disengagement with desktop tools. Although the majority of those questioned (87%) currently had an office desk phone, if given the choice, 88% said they would choose the mobile as their one business phone.

The underuse of the desk phone is already apparent from the fact that only 3% of those surveyed said they forwarded their calls to mobile when away from their desk. A full 54% of IT professionals admitted to never forwarding their desk phone calls, whilst only 10% forward their calls when away from the office.

"This survey shows that IT decision makers want wireless, use wireless, and will lead the drive to cut the cord as budgets tighten," comments OnRelay, CFO Marie Wold. "Costly desk phones will rapidly be phased out of IT budgets to be replaced by mobile-only telephony. The current economic climate is accelerating this shift towards mobile integration in the corporate."

We do indeed live in a mobile world, but do I see the desktop phone going the way of the dinosaur anytime soon? Not likely. There are just too many advantages to a desktop phone, including a larger LCD, higher quality speakerphone, more feature buttons & speed dials, and more. Still, it was an interesting survey worth sharing.