Inside Cisco Unified Communications System 7.0

10/13/08

Cisco showcased its Unified Communications System 7.0 at the company's recent UC Partner Summit. The release aims to improve ease-of-use, openness, interoperability, and total cost of ownership. It also includes upgrades to Cisco's Unified Mobile Communicator, MeetingPlace and WebEx integration, a Unified Customer Voice Portal, deeper integration with IBM and Microsoft desktop products, and extended third party development opportunities with a unified applications environment.

Unified communications e-book suggests 3 questions to consider when deploying UC

10/13/08

Today, we'd like to draw your attention to a new chapter in a unified communications e-book titled "VoIP: Do You See What I’m Saying?" authored by NetQoS and available on Webtorials. This is a continuation of a great tutorial series. In the chapter, unified communications is carefully defined in terms of what it is and what it isn't. It covers the impact of UC on network performance and examines the needs and methods for managing and monitoring UC. Just as with the other chapters, for readers just learning about VoIP, this is a super starting point and UC experts will find it to be a great reference.

ShoreTel VoIP supports seven new countries

10/08/08

ShoreTel has expanded its offerings with ShoreTel 8.1, which adds support for seven new countries, plus support for ShoreTel's Unified Communications desktop client. Also included are VPN-enabled phones and two new voice switches. The company has also established new offices and expanded its distribution channels to support the increased global portfolio.

Skype now on Digium's Asterisk open source telephony platform

10/06/08

Digium and Skype announced recently that they are collaborating to bring Skype to Digium's Asterisk-based open source telephony platform, allowing customers to make, receive and transfer Skype calls from within their Asterisk phone systems. The collaboration is targeted at small and midsize businesses, with an emphasis on providing low rates. The beta version of the product is limited to a select number of users, developers and integrators; system administrators and developers are invited to apply here http://www.astricon.net/skype. Following the beta period, Skype For Asterisk will be sold and distributed by Digium and its worldwide network of resellers, according to the two companies’ joint statement.

DiVitas adds voice, messaging software to smart phones

10/01/08

DiVitas Networks announced system upgrades with Version 2.0 for its Mobile UC platform. The DiVitas Mobile UC solution adds voice and messaging applications onto smart phones that can run on Wi-Fi networks, cellular networks or both. The latest software edition provides an improved GUI, extended PBX features over the cellular network, visual voice mail, a Voice Quality Engine (VQE), and new management and control tools. With the release, DiVitas moves away from including a hardware appliance to a software-only model, and adds a hosted deployment option.

Agito adds 'dual persona' to fixed-mobile convergence gear

09/29/08

Agito Networks earlier this month launched the next-generation version of its RoamAnywhere Mobility Router. The router supports fixed-mobile convergence in the enterprise and uses both proactive and reactive metrics to deliver sub-100 millisecond handover of mobile voice between Wi-Fi and cellular networks. The new version adds security features to deliver voice outside the enterprise, expands support for additional PBX systems, adds least-cost routing, and comes with a "Dual Persona" capability so users can appropriately use a single mobile phone for both business and personal calls.

Genband beefs up security, control and packet inspection through NextPoint buy

09/24/08

IP gateway supplier Genband announced last week that it had acquired NextPoint Networks, a provider of carrier-grade security products, including session border controllers (SBC) and security gateways for fixed-mobile convergence. The acquisition adds security capabilities to Genband's gateway products and "puts the company on an aggressive product development path aimed at the integration of emerging technologies like security, control and packet inspection," according Genband.

Aculab's gateway bridges legacy PBXs with new IP PBX software

09/22/08

Today, we'll highlight some of the announcements made at the Internet Telephony Conference and Expo held last week in Los Angeles. Among the announcements include Fonality's upgrade of its unified communications platform to include SMS and mobile; Aculab's gateway that connects new IP PBX products with legacy PBXs; and Quintum Technology, which released a gateway for Microsoft's Response Point phone system for small businesses.

Zeacom adds presence management to its Communications Center; VoIP Logic adds real-time reporting to call records

09/17/08

Today, we'd like to highlight a few announcements from IT Expo West 2008, which kicked off yesterday in Los Angeles. Among the news: Zeacom announced a presence management capability designed for the mobile phone and VoIP Logic has introduced a call detail record manager for its Cortex module.

Ericsson releases IMS-integrated IPTV middleware; Nokia broadens support for Microsoft Exchange Active Sync

09/15/08

Today we'd like to highlight a couple of announcements from trade shows last week that caught our attention. The first comes from Ericsson at IBC 2008; the company is extending its TV offering with what it claims to be the world's first IMS-integrated IPTV middleware. The second announcement made at CTIA comes from Nokia, which released plans to expand the number of Nokia devices that can support Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync.

NetIQ releases Microsoft Office Communicator Server VoIP management module

09/10/08

NetIQ, an Attachmate business, Tuesday announced the availability of a VoIP lifecycle management module for Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007. The NetIQ AppManager for Microsoft Office Communications Server (OCS) is designed to better manage server performance, determine performance thresholds and demonstrate service delivery, and track application performance with session activity and failure metrics for aggregated reporting, according to the company's announcement.

Tango steps up close to Microsoft Ofice Communications Server

09/08/08

Tango Networks announced last week that its Abrazo fixed-mobile convergence product is now interoperable with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007. Abrazo is designed to connect any mobile phone, through any wireless network, with any PBX and requires a server in both the enterprise and mobile provider's network. The announcement also noted that Tango Networks has now been accepted into the Microsoft Unified Communications Open Interoperability Program. The interoperability test was conducted by tekVizion Labs.

IBM releases tools to enable mobile devices to mimic the PC

09/03/08

IBM last month announced software and services to enable mobile devices to closely mimic the desktop features that were only available on the PC. According to the company, the new software includes products with business intelligence, collaboration, social networking and business performance capabilities. IBM is also providing developers with tools to make existing software applications run on most mobile platforms including the BlackBerry and iPhone, as well as Windows Mobile- and Symbian-based handsets.

Mitel and Sun add unified communications to Sun's thin-client platform

09/01/08

Late last month, Sun Chairman Scott McNealy, and Mitel Chairman Terry Matthews delivered a Webcast on their thoughts on convergence in a thin-client environment. The discussion follows two March 2008 announcements by the companies unveiling the availability of the Sun Ray Unified IP Client from Mitel and availability of the Mitel Communications Suite on the Sun Fire X4150. McNealy and Matthews were both very bullish on their joint progress, and we had a chance to follow up with Matthews after the Webcast.

SMB managed service providers challenged by green IT, security, managed VoIP

08/27/08

We recently spoke with Charles Weaver, president of the MSPAlliance about his observations on the evolutionary trends in the SMB market. The MSPAlliance is a professional association and accrediting body for the managed services industry. According to Weaver, VoIP and unified communications are at the heart of managed services growth - whether the managed services provider is offering a hosted VoIP or a premise-based VoIP solution. Noting that MSPs can either become the enterprise's fully outsourced IT department or simply work with the IT team, Weaver attributes the growth of MSPs to the availability of management tools and platforms that are much more effective today than they were five years ago.

AT&T halts CallVantage VoIP - is this the end of stand-alone consumer VoIP?

08/25/08

AT&T recently stopped offering its CallVantage VoIP service to new subscribers. With no official announcement, online shoppers for the service were greeted with a message thanking would-be customers for their interest and noting that the company is not currently accepting new orders for the VoIP service. The decision affects both the consumer and SMB versions of the service. AT&T will continue to provide CallVantage to existing customers, although it has not disclosed what will happen when an existing customer wants to move or change their current service.

IMS: Heavy on planning but zero on revenue

08/20/08

Tom Nolle, founder and president of CIMI Corporation and a longtime industry analyst recently published an "Unconventional Wisdom" brief titled "Beyond IMS" that we'd like to highlight today and also recommend to our readers. Nolle starts with the premise that, "One of the most significant technology shifts that have accompanied 'convergence' is the shift from conceptualizing service features as attributes of network devices to conceptualizing them as something hosted 'above' the network. Feature hosting is an integral part of the whole convergence concept, in fact." However, he points out that the shift also raises several questions and issues.

Who wins as suppliers break softswitches into multiple pieces?

08/18/08

Joe McGarvey, principal analyst for IP services infrastructure at Current Analysis recently published an advisory report on the trend for softswitch suppliers to break up the softswitch into multiple pieces as they engage in a new round of disaggregation. He attributes the move to improved cost and performance efficiencies associated with a modular architecture and also points out that the disaggregation will help operators to "smoothly and incrementally move their service delivery infrastructures to an IMS-based architecture." But the trend also raises multiple questions.

Covergence bridges IBM, Microsoft unified communications

08/13/08

Covergence, best known for controlling, securing and managing real-time services with its Covergence Session Manager, announced Monday that it is upgrading its Covergence Collaboration Gateway (CCG) to support interoperability between IBM Sametime 8.0 and Microsoft's unified communications platforms. The company also introduced a subscription-based pricing alternative to its CCG customers.

Siemens enterprise rises, backed by Gores

08/11/08

Late last month, Siemens announced it had decided on The Gores Group as a partner for its enterprise communications business. The partnership decision follows Siemens' increased investment in its existing global services infrastructure, its move to deliver software-based unified communication services announced earlier this year, and a restructuring plan the company announced in March.

Telanetix targets VoIP package at Costco customers

08/06/08

Last month, Telanetix's AccessLine Division launched a product to Costco members that combines a low-cost business VoIP phone service with a VoIP business phone system. The package is targeted at members operating a small and midsize business with five or fewer employees. According to Telanetix, the Digital Phone Service package is up to 50% cheaper than comparable offerings from traditional phone companies and equipment manufacturers. The service includes local and long-distance calling, it supports toll free and international calling, and includes traditional VoIP system features like fax mailboxes and automated attendant.

SinglePipe gives muscle to the underdogs in the triple-play business

08/04/08

Based on incoming Q2 2008 financial reports, the Tier-1 cable TV providers such as Comcast and Cablevision are continuing to pick up consumer VoIP subscribers at the expense of legacy phone companies including Verizon and AT&T. For example, based on VoIP serviceable homes within their territories, Comcast now has 12.5% voice market share and Cablevision reported 37.6% voice share to homes passed. To counter the cable companies' successes, phone companies are using DSL and fiber to the premise (FTTP) combined with their own video to make up a discounted triple-play package.

Unified communications solutions for 7 cents a day

07/30/08

Objectworld last week announced that it is now offering unified communications and communications-enabled business process (CEBP) software solutions for SMBs with Microsoft Windows platforms for as little as 7 cents a day per user.

Polycom makes video conferencing and telepresence easier

07/28/08

Polycom Monday announced two new products designed to make video conferencing and telepresence easier for the enterprise and SMBs. When we spoke with Laura Shay, Director for Product Marketing at Polycom, she said that from the big picture view, "video conferencing is exciting but implementation can sometimes be difficult." With the announcements, Polycom's strategy of "VC2" is to make using a video call as easy as dialing a phone for the end user and as easy to administer and manage as an e-mail account for the IT staff, according to Shay. The two new products announced are the first wave of products designed to make the Polycom vision a reality.

Unified communications and contact centers, another perspective

07/23/08

Following up on several of our newsletters about unified communications trends, how unified communications is a useful tool for contact centers, and our concept of "unified applications," we recently had the chance to interview Ernie Wallerstein, President Americas at Zeacom for his perspectives on our positions. Zeacom is a global provider of unified communications solutions with a customer base of more than 2500 small and midsized organizations in 25 countries.

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Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. Larry Hettick is a principal analyst at Current Analysis.