By Beecher Tuttle

If this year has taught us anything, it is that network security is a vital part of the health of any organization. This is especially true for service providers, which are facing cyber threats that they couldn't have imagined just a few years ago.

The ever-increasing reliance that businesses have on mobile devices, next-gen communication services and Web apps has made security even more paramount for service providers. These broadband technologies provide additional revenue opportunities for carriers, but they also give hackers, malware purveyors and spammers greater opportunities to find cracks in network armor.

By Susan J. Campbell

Data usage patterns clearly demonstrate that consumers today have a rapidly increasing appetite for advanced communications and multimedia capabilities. Emerging broadband and data services are fueling this appetite as they promise a new and better customer experience. The communications industry is feeling the pressure to deliver on this promise or lose market share.

A recent white paper by Alcatel-Lucent, Listen Up: Is Servicing Customers a Cost or An Investment?, explores this phenomenon. It has become clear that simply expanding the network to handle increased demand is not enough.

By Beecher Tuttle

Widespread access to mobile communications is a well-known signifier of economic and social prosperity in the developing world. In fact, a recent study by the World Bank found that every 10 percent increase in mobile penetration correlates to a 1 percent increase in a developing country's gross domestic product (GDP).

Bell Labs, the research arm of telecom giant Alcatel-Lucent, believes that an appropriate mix of action and investment can accelerate the impact of mobility well beyond this model.

Research experts from Bell Labs and the World Economic Forum’s Telecommunications Industry Global Agenda Council recently conducted a series of studies that show how certain strategies can boost the impact that mobile communication services can have on a nation's GDP, by up to 36 percent.

By Mae Kowalke

In most industries, metrics of some sort are used to gauge the success of a particular endeavor. Often, sensors that measure things like humidity, pressure and temperature play a role in metrics. Enterprises and organizations in a myriad of fields, including healthcare, green building, supply chain and oil & gas use sensors to enhance their operations.