June 2005 Archives

Wow!, is all I can say. After nearly 20 hours in labor, one healthy and happy Kyler Christen Lagerway finally decided to make his appearance on June 29 at 6:19pm PST. Weighing in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces and cute as a button, if I don't say so myself

With the recent rulling on mandatory E911 for providers touching the PSTN Level 3 is leveraging their recent E911 solutions and are filling a gap.. "Since the FCC issued its recent order on E-911 for VoIP, we have seen a significant increase in interest from customers looking for a path to compliance with the FCC's rapid implementation requirements," said Sureel Choksi, executive vice president of services for Level 3. "Having deployed extensive E-911 infrastructure over the course of the past eighteen months, Level 3 is in a unique position to assist our customers in meeting the FCC's requirements, and we believe these enhancements will further extend our leadership position as a network partner for VoIP providers across the industry." more...

With the press release that went out yesterday I have received a number of phone calls and emails, including some blog posts, thanks Om and Tom. For clarification, I resigned as the President and COO, Mark Bruk resigned as CEO but remains as Chairman. Larry Timlick is the President and new head-honcho at Xten. Some of you are asking what my plans are now that I have resigned. My plans at current are to continue consulting to the company until such time that the company or I feel my presence is no longer required there, when that will be is anyone's guess. I will continue to maintain my blog and report on whatever I think will have an impact in the IP communications sector. If you want to know more just ping me.

"This latest round of funding demonstrates investors’ confidence in our management team, strategy and roadmap. The new investment will help HelloSoft accelerate its development of CelluLANTM for the burgeoning mobile multi-mode handset market. With its experienced team and a innovative technology portfolio, HelloSoft will continue focusing on the world's most advanced low-cost and low-power solutions," said Krishna Yarlagadda, CEO of HelloSoft. "The convergence of Cellular, VoIP, and Wi-Fi technologies is inevitable and happening at a rate faster than expected. HelloSoft’s deep domain experience and expertise in each of these technologies makes the company uniquely positioned to take advantage of this opportunity. HelloSoft’s visionary solutions will enable cost-efficient mass deployment of multi-mode mobile communications devices for the converged marketplace," said Jim Goldinger, Director and Investment Partner of TD Capital Ventures. more...

Here dawns the day of a new era for Xten. I have stepped down as president of Xten to make way for the next phase of growth in the company. I think Larry will do a marvelous job and certainly is a capable sales oriented executive, exactly what Xten needs. I welcome Mr. Timlick with open arms and I will continue to assist in any way I can as a consulting co-founder of the company. Yahoo! News..

I guess I have officially become a doting dad. Even though our baby has not yet been born I can already see it in 3D by way of 3D UltraSound. I thought it was damn cool to see my kid in 3D before birth, check it...

Avalanche is crap according to Bram Cohen of BitTorrent. He has alot to say, worth the read... more...

Yahoo! News PT.com, the Internet subsidiary of the wireline division of Portugal Telecom Group (NYSE: PT - News; visit www.telecom.pt), and Xten Networks, Inc. (OTCBB: XNWK - News), a provider of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), Video over IP, Instant Messaging (IM), and Presence SIP softphones, today announced today that PT.com has entered into software licensing agreement with Xten. Under the terms of the agreement, PT.com has licensed Xten's eyeBeam SDK to develop a softphone application for integration and deployment with the PT.com Broadband Service (SAPO ADSL). "In the last months, we have been working rather intensively in finding VoIP solutions that will answer the present and future needs of our clients. We believe that this solution with Xten's trademark is the best way to proceed and succeed in the future," stated Manuel Rosa da Silva, an Executive Board Member of PT. "This partnership signifies another carrier win for Xten," stated Erik Lagerway, president and chief operating officer of Xten Networks. "We are very happy to have been chosen by PT to power their new IP communications soft client and eagerly await their upcoming product launch."

According to Stealth Communications their VoIP Peering technology could put ILECs out of business. I would think that P2PSIP would have a similar impact and potentially more significant. If end points were smart enough not to need a "super node" or alike costs could be reduced dramatically and features could be, for the most part, maintained. Easier said than done. In a conversation I had with an industry stakeholder I asked the same question and he commented "P2PSIP is nearing a point where product creation using the technology might make sense although features like voicemail would likely have to be delvered by way of a centralized service." Which to me makes sense, I am not sure I would want my voicemail stored on someone elses computer. I look forward to the next IETF in July when hopefully more progress has been made on the drafts.

Interesting news, this will have a VoIP play you can be sure of it... Comcast says it is close to a deal with a wireless telephone company that will allow customers to check e-mail, VOD selections and make phone calls through a Comcast-branded cellular phone. Comcast has held talks with the combined Sprint-Nextel and with T-Mobile USA on its own behalf and as part of a consortium that includes Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications and Charter Communications. One idea being discussed is the sale of a Comcast-branded cell phone that would share a telephony subscriber's phone number and would be a conduit for a subscriber's online email and voicemail as well as customized broadband video clips. This form of wireless service essentially could be integrated in all of Comcast's core businesses and embrace the company's recent calls for differentiation and personalization. Such a deal also would more closely align the country's largest cable operator with personal computer and online products and services. more..

According to InternetNews.com Klausner Technologies has filed a $200 million patent infringement lawsuit against America Online (AOL) over voice platform technology. At issue are features that let subscribers receive visual notification of new voice messages and selectively retrieve messages from their displays. "Because of the fast-paced docket in the Eastern District of Virginia, we expect a quick resolution of the matter and the prompt issuance of an injunction that will stop AOL from using this patented technology," Greg Dovel, an attorney representing Klausner Technologies, said in a statement. more..

Yahoo!'s recent acquisition of Dialpad and the integration of Xten software puts them squarely in the middle of a mounting battle to own the IP communications end point market. I think it's clear that Yahoo! believes they are on the right track. IMHO, they need to move a little quicker towards open standards on IM and Video if they plan to really make a difference long term. For those of you who don't know Xten also powers Vonage, Deutsche Telekom and about 60 other Telcos, Carriers, & OEMs. More.. Russell Shaw Rhonda Ascierto

eyeBeam SDK Licensed to Enhance PC-to-PC VoIP in Instant Messaging Xten Networks, Inc. announced today that Yahoo!, a leading global Internet company, has licensed Xten's eyeBeam software development kit (SDK) to deliver SIP-based PC-to-PC VoIP in the new Yahoo!® Messenger Beta (http://messenger.yahoo.com). "We are extremely pleased that Yahoo! chose Xten for this project," commented Erik Lagerway, COO and President for Xten. "The excellent call quality with Yahoo! Messenger's PC-to-PC calling feature is a direct result of the combined efforts of our engineering teams." "Providing a high-quality instant messaging service is our number one priority, which is why we choose to work with Xten Networks, the best-of-breed standards-based voice engine provider, to ensure our users have an exceptional PC-to-PC calling experience," stated Frazier Miller, director of Yahoo! Messenger.

Yahoo! has just acquired DialPad Communications. Dialpad is a PC to Phone provider made famous by offering free PC to PSTN calls into the US in 2000-2002. They no longer provide free pc to pstn service but now that Yahoo! has bought them, hmmm... Depending on the subscription plan, Dialpad charges as little as 1.7 cents per minute for calls, including international calls to more than 200 countries. DialPad subscribers can also buy a prepaid VoIP calling card. The company has been offering calling plans for about two years and has more than 14 million users. New products from Yahoo! that integrate DialPad technology could debut within a month, Stevens said. FYI.. Dialpad's former COO is now the EVP Operations at Vonage and serves as an advisor on the Xten Board of Advisors (BOA). Yahoo!'s new messenger, now in beta, has a new voice powered by Xten and a voice services Product Manager from Yahoo! also sits on the Xten BOA. Businessweek... Om Malik... Andy Abramson... engadget...

“Closing a funding round at this critical time allows us to move forward with our ambitious plans for the VoIP market,” said Dr. Baruch Sterman, CEO of Kayote Networks. “Enabling a secure, integrated and fully interconnected VoIP system is the focus of our efforts and we are continuing to apply our technology expertise to create practical and robust solutions for the emerging mass adoption of VoIP in residential and enterprise markets.” As VoIP technology becomes more widely deployed, it is becoming apparent that security concerns are of primary importance to widespread adoption of VoIP – particularly in full IP to IP communication scenarios. Kayote’s proprietary technology-based solutions are designed to solve the prevailing problems that exist today in the VoIP world.. more...