TDM and VOIP

Analysts: Nortel wise to walk away from Avaya

2007-06-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

Analysts: Nortel wise to walk away from Avaya
By Ed Gubbins
Jun 5, 2007 12:13 PM

After reportedly entertaining acquisition offers from Nortel Networks, enterprise telephony equipment vendor Avaya today announced an $8.2-billion acquisition by private equity firms TPG Capital and Silver Lake Partners. Some analysts are saying Nortel was right to walk away.
“Even if it were financially possible, an acquisition of Avaya by Nortel would likely have been messy, fraught with integration issues,” RBC Capital Markets analyst Mark Sue wrote in a note today.

The combination of Nortel and Avaya would have created an 800-pound gorilla in the enterprise telephony space: a vendor with about 30% of the market—nearly twice that of its closest rivals, Cisco Systems and Siemens. It also would have more than doubled Nortel’s services business, from more than $2 billion to nearly $5 billion, fulfilling Nortel’s stated goals of growing that segment. But the combination also would have posed significant challenges, UBS Investment Research analyst Nikos Theodosopoulos wrote in note issued today.

UBS imagined $250 million in synergies from a Nortel/Avaya merger over several years, with $50 million to $100 million coming in the first year. Synergies would come mainly from product-related sales, general and administrative expenses but would have been harder to find in product development and supply chain areas, UBS said.

Avaya’s many enterprise customers would require ongoing support without service disruptions, likely forcing Nortel to maintain redundant products for a long time, UBS said. And while Avaya sells most of its gear directly to its customers, Nortel relies much more on resellers, making it harder for the combined company to unify and rationalize its sales channels. Avaya wouldn’t do much for Nortel’s revenue growth, either, UBS said, anticipating nearly 3% growth from Nortel next year and a little more than 4% growth from Avaya.

The deal announced today allows Avaya to solicit competing bids over the next two months, but analysts don’t expect Silver Lake to be outbid since it has already outbid its rivals.

As for Nortel, Sue suggested the company consider acquiring another IP telephony vendor, Mitel. “Across the metrics of synergies, product rationalization, integration and geography, Mitel is a better fit for Nortel than Avaya would have been,” Sue wrote.

New Microsoft-compatible VoIP phones to compete with Avaya, Cisco

2007-05-17T17:13:00.000-07:00

Eric Lai and Nancy Gohring, IDG News Service

May 14, 2007 (Computerworld) SEATTLE -- Microsoft Corp. today trotted out what one analyst called a "very impressive" list of hardware makers that plan to build telephony gear compatible with its soon-to-be-released unified communications software.
Nine vendors are creating an initial batch of 15 phones that will be certified for use with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and Microsoft Office Communicator 2007, both of which are expected to finally be released this summer.
T
he vendors include leading manufacturers such as Samsung, LG-Nortel, NEC, Plantronics, Asus, GN, Polycom, Tatung and Vitelix.

"My first impression is -- very impressive," wrote Blair Pleasant, an analyst at Santa Rosa, Calif.-based CommFusion LLC in an e-mail. "The demos were cool, showing how the devices leverage the capabilities of [Microsoft's software] and let users do things like dial by name and click to call. ... Microsoft is pushing the idea of reaching a person not a number, which is really key."

The Microsoft communications software is available to users that are part of a public beta program. Combined with other Microsoft programs, they unify e-mail, instant messaging and videoconferencing functions so that users can do things like click on an e-mail message to make a voice-over-IP call to its sender. The software also supports standard desk phone features.
Microsoft did not announce how much its partners will charge for the phones when they hit the market later this year. The company's goal is to encourage partners to build a wide variety of compatible phones so that prices quickly drop, Pleasant said.

That would make the overall package -- Office Communicator/Communications Server, plus telephones -- more financially attractive than integrated products from established players such as Avaya Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc., which list their VoIP phones for as much as $800 retail, according to Pleasant.

Microsoft is also intent on ensuring that all phones work out of the box. To do so, it is setting up a new qualification program for hardware makers. Those products will be tested by Microsoft to assure buyers that devices will work as expected with Office Communications Server or Office Communicator, said Eric Swift, senior director of unified communications product management at Microsoft.

Certified handsets must include wideband audio support, comply with a wide range of VoIP codecs and include specific user-interface elements. Swift also said that most existing VoIP gear today that works with services such as Vonage or Skype should work fairly well too.
"We're looking to ignite partner innovation to bring software economics to what has been proprietary," he said.

Some of the new phones connect directly to a USB port, so mobile workers can bring the phone with them and use it along with their laptops to access features typically only supported on desk phones, like call forwarding and conferencing. Other new phones include Bluetooth and video capabilities.

By themselves, none of the phones offers as many features as those from Cisco or Avaya, Pleasant said. But "when integrated with [Microsoft's software] these devices offer capabilities like presence, integration with the Microsoft Office Suite, the ability to view missed calls and return a call," she said. "It's not the Microsoft partner devices in and of themselves that are powerful, it's the fact that they offer seamless or embedded integration with [Microsoft's software], which is very powerful."

As for uptake of Microsoft's software, Pleasant believes companies adopting Office Communicator or Communications Server will keep their existing PBXs or IP PBXs "for the next few years" to lower the risk of hiccups in their phone service.

That means companies may initially eschew some of the lower-end phones -- such as those that lack actual keypads and require users to make calls from their PCs using Office Communicator or Communications Server -- in favor of more expensive devices, Pleasant said.

Microsoft made the official announcement at its Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in Los Angeles.

Can Skype Make Friends With the Enterprise?

2006-10-18T09:27:00.000-07:00

Robert Poe on Oct. 17th, 2006

The Internet telephony trailblazer is taking serious steps to ease the fears of network administrators.

Enterprises have long viewed Skype as the bad boy of VoIP, and for good reason. The peer-to-peer Internet phone service snuck through firewalls like a cat burglar, appropriated bandwidth and processing power from users' systems, and cloaked its traffic — which could include text messages and file transfers as well as voice calls — in a blanket of encryption. It amounted to what one observer called a "free-range rogue application" that network administrators found nearly impossible to detect, much less control. And it made them about as comfortable as would tattoos and facial jewelry in the boardroom.
Now the wildly popular service (113 million users at last count, with updated figures due this week), brought to you by the creators of the controversial Kazaa file-sharing service, seems set on respectability. It is making an earnest effort to ingratiate itself with enterprise IT departments, mainly by bringing out a new version of its client that it says will let network administrators manage Skype the way they do more conventional applications. But because Skype is inherently so unconventional, there's no certainty that the effort will ultimately win over those administrators.

In fact, Skype could hardly do a better job of rubbing enterprises the wrong way if it were deliberately designed to do so. Rather than sending its traffic through a single well-known port, for example, the way respectable applications like those of Oracle, Siebel and SAP do, it skips around almost randomly. Often it chooses port 80, the default http port, effectively disguising its activities as Web traffic.

Nor does it set up its connections by handshaking with a single location the way normal applications do. Rather, it does multiple handshakes to multiple unpredictable destinations. Each of the handshakes by itself gives no hint that it's guilty of association with Skype. The result is that IT administrators, an understandably control-obsessed lot, find it almost impossible to know whether Skype is running on their networks.

Also upsetting is that Skype can (it's in the user agreement) turn users' computers into so-called supernodes, using their processing power and network connections to relay calls of other Skype users. Administrators and security specialists worry that that can put a significant yet undetectable processing and bandwidth load on the enterprise network. In its defense, Skype's literature carefully states that "a Skype client that is unable to receive inbound network connections (such as a user behind a NAT or firewall) will never become eligible to become a supernode nor will it ever be asked to relay a third party's traffic."

Perhaps scariest of all, Skype's end-to-end encryption means that, even if they can somehow detect and monitor its traffic, enterprises have no way to tell whether it is sending sensitive corporate information, whether by voice or via Skype's messaging and file transfer functions, to the outside world. That can be a particular concern for companies such as financial firms that are required to monitor the information they provide to outsiders. Indeed, there is a new breed of security software intended for converged applications and specifically instant messaging and voice, that is supposed to automatically apply corporate compliance rules for regulations like SOX and HIPPA. This software intercepts every outbound message (email, instant message, VoIP, file transfer) and examines it for non-compliant content and then automates the process of complying with regulations – encrypting patient data automatically for messages bound outside the organization for example. Skype’s encryption could defeat the purpose of such software. Encrypted file transfers also provide an undetectable path by which viruses and other bad stuff might make their way into an enterprise, immune to eradication by anti-virus software that typically scans incoming documents such as e-mail attachments.

Skype has intensified such concerns with its almost pathological secrecy. Both its communications protocol and its encryption system are proprietary. It makes public almost no information about them, though it did once commission an audit by cryptology and computer security expert Dr. Thomas Berson, who concluded that its encryption methods at least were solid. But for the most part, how it works remains one of the great mysteries of the VoIP world.

All in all, say security experts, Skype's unconventional ways of doing things add up to a giant red flag. "For the most part, if you're following best security practices, Skype would be considered a major threat to any environment," says Jon Kuhn, product manager at Internet security vendor SonicWALL.

Rodney Thayer, a Mountain View, California-based security consultant, agrees. "I think Skype has way too many unanswered questions to be considered safe to use in a business environment," he says. "I always recommend that people don't use it, and that they prohibit it by policy." As for the company's secrecy, he adds, "If you are doing a security evaluation of a vendor, a 'We don't comment' answer is a failing score."

Skype, for its part, has clear reasons for doing things the way it does. For one thing, any application well-behaved enough to meet the approval of enterprises would by definition be one they can detect and block at will. And that would defeat Skype's purpose in life.

"Skype is attempting to proliferate as much as it can in the real world," explains SonicWALL's Kuhn. "To do that it has to take measures to connect out to that real world completely independently of the type of security you're using. The more they can make sure administrators don't know Skype is connecting outside to the Skype network, the more people they're going to have using it because it functions right out of the box."

Too, highly secret protocols and technologies, if done well, can be harder than their more public counterparts to compromise. "Skype is proprietary and encrypted, so it's difficult for people to figure out how to exploit it," says Mark Collier, CTO of enterprise telephony management vendor SecureLogix. "If they make it more enterprise friendly…and publish the protocol, the nasty side effect is that people will start to analyze it and take advantage of it." Collier points out that most VoIP handsets currently use proprietary protocols. "There are few attacks on Cisco's Skinny [client control] protocol, but you see tons of them for SIP," he notes. "The fact that [SIP] is published makes it easier to exploit."

The counter-argument is that, in the long run, public scrutiny can be the best way to make a security technology bullet-proof. That's because the number of good guys trying to find and patch the holes exceeds the number of bad guys trying to exploit them. Some experts also note that Skype itself has apparently been compromised at least once, as evidenced by security bulletins on its Web site involving buffer overflow and other issues. And at least one source, a company in China, claims to have reverse-engineered Skype software.

Regardless of the merits of the arguments on either side, Skype is taking steps to make itself more enterprise-friendly. The biggest step will be the upcoming release of a new version of the Skype client that will, according to chief security officer Kurt Sauer, let enterprise IT administrators control its use the way they do any other application on their networks.

The new version will not be a special enterprise-only edition, but simply the latest release of the Windows version of the standard client. Sauer says it will allow enterprise administrators to turn on or off various Skype capabilities, from file transfer to messaging to sending or receiving authorizations to changing privacy settings, all via standard Windows network management tools.

The tools employ documents called "policy objects," which allow administrators to designate how the machines in the network, or specified groups (domains) of them, can install and use various applications. Because the policy objects get pushed to all the machines involved, administrators don't have to know which users, if any, have installed Skype in order to control what they can do with it. Although the current version already lets them turn off file transfers, according to Sauer, the new version will extend such control to a dozen or so functions.

And Skype aims to make it as easy as possible. "They will be doing what they're already doing," Sauer explains. "They've already got machines sitting in domains, and we can simply leverage that. All we will do is provide IT administrators with the technical literature they need to create those policy objects. We're going to create a set of templates that are basically plug and play administrative templates they will be able to download from our site that have all of the control switches preloaded, and they can set them however they want."

Although it sounds reassuring, security consultant Thayer argues that, unless it's done carefully — and, at least as important, thoroughly explained — such a one-client-fits-all approach can, for complex technical reasons, at least raise suspicions that the solution itself opens up new paths of attack. And so the controversy continues. Thus it remains to be seen whether Skype's new approach will make enterprises feel better about it, given that, underneath it all, the service breaks so many of the conventional rules of application behavior.

According to at SonicWALL's Kuhn, in fact, Skype's greatest threat is not the specific danger it poses to enterprises, but rather what it might lead to. "I'm concerned about the precedent it sets," he says. "It's one of the first programs to operate in such a stealthy nature, and has the characteristics of proliferating very fast, using supernodes, etc. Some people may say that it's benign. But when is the next application going to come out that will basically hide everything you do through some proxy, that proxies all of your Web traffic out through a connection that is hidden and encrypted? When it does, content filtering and all the other provisions that organizations use today to find out what employees are doing are now obsolete. By setting a precedent with Skype, you're announcing that your acceptable use policy is that any application sitting on that PC is OK."

On the other hand, it may be enterprises themselves that end up having to adjust to new realities. As Skype security chief Sauer notes in the accompanying Q&A interview, a veritable avalanche of new peer-to-peer applications is in the works. Some if not most may work as unconventionally as does Skype. Enterprises that don't find some way to come to terms with them may find themselves falling irretrievably behind the times. And that may be the scariest danger of all.

Fibre is back in demand, says Nortel

2006-10-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

By Bryan Betts
Published Sunday 1st October 2006 06:02 GMT

Demand for fibre-optic networking gear is on the rise at last, according to Nortel.

The company's CTO John Roese said he's heard telco CTOs and CEOs say they're finally starting to fill some of the optical fibre capacity that they over-built back in the 1990s.

Much of the extra bandwidth is being eaten up by new wireless services, broadband access and rich-media applications such as voice and video, Roese told a sold-out meeting at the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation.

He said that three or four years ago many people in the industry wondered if the next generation of the optical Internet would ever happen.

"We are beginning it now, and it will be absolutely critical for the next 10 years," he added.

However, other networking experts said that a big reason why those new services and applications consume so much bandwidth is that they are inefficient. Fixing those inefficiencies could be more cost-effective than adding extra fibre, they claimed.

"Service providers can't solve application inefficiencies," said Craig Stouffer, marketing veep of WAN acceleration developer Silver Peak Systems. "But they are starting to see that they can add value by optimising how applications run over the WAN."

"Take what you've got and try to improve it - it's cheaper and lower risk," agreed Chris Bell, the European director of network monitoring specialist WildPackets.

Microsoft VoIP Move Creates Dilemma for Enterprise IP PBX Buyers

2006-09-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Buy now, or wait to see how hard a complete integration all the way to the desktop is going to be?

Robert Poe on August 17th, 2006

Those who feel they really need an IP PBX will face a painful decision over the next year or so. The decision won't about what model of box to buy, though. It'll be about whether to buy one at all, or to hold off a while longer. The cause of all this uncertainty will be the new "unified communications" products Microsoft will be introducing through the middle of next year. Some observers think the products could seriously disrupt the enterprise VoIP market, if not dominate it. The million-dollar question: Will they be worth waiting for?

The products, announced in late June, take advantage of Microsoft's key strength in everything it does: the fact that its products are everywhere in the enterprise, and they all work together. Or to use the jargon, they're ubiquitous and integrated.
The centerpiece is the Office Communications Server 2007, a SIP-based communications platform that provides presence-based VoIP call management; audio, video and Web conferencing; and instant messaging, all working in conjunction with existing software and applications. There is also a unified messaging server, called Exchange Server 2007, that integrates e-mail, voice mail and faxing.

A soft phone called Office Communicator 2007 will work with the communications server. Microsoft Office Live Meeting will provide feature-rich conferencing services. And an audio-video collaboration device called Microsoft Office Round Table will incorporate a 360-degree camera that lets participants see everyone in the room at the other end of the conference. Additional software will let IP phones from Polycom, LG-Nortel and Thomson Telecom work with the other products.

The software giant will start shipping the various products between the end of this year and the second quarter of 2007. And the fact that they're indisputably on the way sets Microsoft up for a momentous clash with existing IP PBX makers, according to Thomas Valovic, author of a newly released report by IDC.

The clash has been a long time coming. IP PBX makers have for some time realized that proprietary hardware and feature sets that users couldn't easily customize and integrate with desktop applications weren't the way to go, according to Valovic. To compete in the future, they needed to have features like presence detection, SIP-based services, click to conference, and sophisticated service personalization capabilities. Avaya has done a particularly good job of moving in that direction, Valovic adds.

In short, PBX makers have been "moving up the value chain going beyond voice towards these enhanced capabilities," he explains. At the same time, "Microsoft has had these enhanced capabilities, but they didn't have the voice. So they're moving down the stack."

But until now Microsoft's move hasn't been all that convincing. "The question for years has been how aggressively Microsoft is going to go after voice," Valovic says. "Do they just want to use it as an enhancement or bundle it with some of their other capabilities, or are they going after the primary voice market?" The unified communications announcement was important, he claims, "because Microsoft finally opened the kimono and stated that they are going after this primary voice market in the enterprise."

Each side will have particular advantages — and challenges — in the battle. Microsoft, for example, will have its ubiquity and integration. On the other hand, it's just getting started in the enterprise telephony game. So at least at the beginning, the call control features it can offer will be minimal compared to what the IP PBX makers have on tap.

"The IP PBX makers have been concerned about Microsoft for several years," explains Valovic. "It will take some time for Microsoft to develop their level of feature richness. They have spent millions of dollars and many man hours developing a lot of the feature sets and capabilities and reliability they offer."

On the other hand, the report says the IP PBX vendors will have to work harder to integrate their products with the IT world, and "strengthen their capabilities in SIP-based applications that integrate with applications that are available on the desktop and enhance business processes."

It could represent a tricky balancing act on both sides. Microsoft, for its part, will have to continue to cooperate with the IP PBX vendors, and make sure its applications work with their products. And in fact, less than a month after the unified communications announcement, it announced a major collaboration with Nortel.
IDC doesn't think IP PBX vendors will start to lose much share to Microsoft until 2008, with what it terms "significant" loss coming in 2009 and 2010. But there may be an even shorter-term effect: IDC thinks Microsoft will be able to convince some customers to delay their purchases until it can "beef up" the call control functions in OCS 2007.

That means some customers could get caught between Microsoft and leading IP PBX vendors like Avaya, Cisco and Siemens, with one side encouraging them to wait, the other urging them to buy now. Thus their decisions will depend not just on how good the products are, but how desperate they are. That's never the best basis for a significant purchase, or any other major decision for that matter.

Report: VoIP Sounds Better than PSTN

2006-09-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

Marin Perez on September 1st, 2006

Testing company Minacom says call quality is increasing for VoIP phone calls, but not for computer-to-computer services like Skype.

VoIP phone services worldwide sound better than the standard public-switched phone network, according to research from Minacom. But, these findings do not apply to PC-to-PC VoIP calling, like Skype, for a variety of issues. The company's data from the last 12 months showed that the quality of VoIP services offered by broadband VoIP providers, cable operators, and telecos has increased , with an average Mean Opinion Score of 4.2, compared to 3.9 for the PSTN. Minacom said, “Based on a MOS threshold of 3.6, only one out of 50 calls in North America were considered to be unacceptable – one in 10 worldwide – while greater than 85 percent of VoIP calls exceeded average PSTN quality of the same period.”

Additionally, VoIP phone calls were found to connect quicker overall, 8.2 seconds on average compared to 8.7 seconds on a PSTN. Minacom's findings did not apply to PC-to-PC VoIP services, like Skype.

The study comes as Brix Networks recently indicated that 1 in 5 Internet phone calls were classified as unacceptable, and that call quality was declining.

“Minacom felt is should be clarified for both those in the VoIP industry, and individuals and enterprises considering VoIP service, that (Brix's) report evaluated computer-to-computer Internet phone service, similar to those offered by Skype, Google Talk, MSN and Yahoo Messenger,” The company said in a written statement. “The quality and service reliability of these applications does not compare to that of the VoIP phone services offered by telecos, cable operators, and broadband VoIP providers who carefully deploy, monitor and manage the the quality of their services.”

“PC-PC VoIP quality is subject to many diverse impairments, including firewall settings, computer performance, antivirus installations, high-compression codecs, and Internet bandwidth shared with gaming, file downloads, Web surfing, and e-mail. By contrast, VoIP offered by service providers is switched using telecom-grade equipment, uses lower-compression codecs, and is prioritized over regular Internet traffic using sophisticated, standards-based multimedia telephone adapters maintained and monitored by the operator.”

VoIP call quality is a very important and sometimes frustrating thing. A report by Telephia showed that more than 27 percent of VoIP subscribers who are likely to change providers do so because of network quality. Adding credence to Minacom's report, J.D. Powers & Associates had their own report which found cable TV providers who offer telephone service ranked higher than traditional phone companies in customer satisfaction.

Still unsure what's all the fuss about VoIP? Please visit here to see if VoIP service is right for you, and here to see 10 questions to ask before you sign a VoIP contract.

Nortel takes another step toward clarity

2006-09-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

By Ed Gubbins

Sep 1, 2006 1:41 PM

The shedding of Nortel Networks’ UMTS access business adds more clarity to the company’s priorities as it continues to evaluate which markets it will invest and compete in and which it won’t. The company will continue to focus on mobility in the areas of CDMA, GSM and LTE, with a greater focus on 4G. Meanwhile, it will aggressively pursue enterprise markets and the services business.

In a note issued this morning, UBS Investment Research called Nortel’s UMTS access sale “the first major step from [Nortel’s Chief Executive Officer Mike Zafirovski] consistent with his strategy of focusing only on areas where Nortel can be a meaningful player.”

In February, Zafirovski vowed to commit Nortel only to markets in which it could hold a 20% share. But he also highlighted three areas in particular that he felt were critical to the company’s future: WiMax, IMS and IPTV.

Since that time, Nortel’s optical business has been growing (up 30% sequentially in the second quarter and up 7% from a year earlier), and the company created a new metro Ethernet division. Both areas fall outside the three Zafirovski listed as priorities, leading some analysts to wonder aloud whether Nortel is still reaching too broadly.

As Nortel’s chief strategy officer, George Riedel, explained in June, “Those three areas--WiMAX, IMS and IPTV--aren’t the three pillars of the company going forward. I’d characterize them as important new investment areas we launched earlier in the year that fit in the broader context of the strategic plan--a subset of the strategic plan.”
Backing out of the UMTS access business--where Nortel has only 2% of the market--lets Nortel focus more intently on other mobility areas. The company will continue selling UMTS core gear.

Although some employees dedicated to Nortel’s UMTS business will be transferred to Alcatel as part of the deal, remaining resources that were previously dedicated to UMTS will now be redirected to other Nortel efforts, Zafirovski said today. UBS estimated the company’s UMTS access business--which is being sold for $320 million--generated annual revenue between $400 million and $500 million and losses up to $200 million.

When asked today whether Nortel would need a partner in order to continue selling its core UMTS business without the access portion, the company pointed to a sale of strictly core UMTS gear to Cingular Wireless earlier this year.

The sale of the UMTS business follows another step toward clarifying its business focus Nortel took earlier this summer. The company affirmed its commitment to enterprise markets with a Microsoft partnership aimed at co-developing and cross-licensing intellectual property to bring unified communications solutions to business customers.

“This is part of our business transformation,” Zafirovski said in a press conference today, citing both the MicroSoft alliance and the sale of its UMTS business announced today.

Nortel to use Followap presence server

2006-09-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

By Kevin Fitchard
Sep 8, 2006 4:03 PM

Nortel Networks is stopping development of its own presence server for its IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) portfolio in favor of using that of a third-party vendor, Followap.

Rob Scheible, leader of Nortel’s VoIP product and technical marketing group, said Nortel developed its own presence solution four years ago and has sold it as part of its multimedia portfolio to some 40 customers. “We decided, though, that is was not a technology that we wanted to continue to develop,” Scheible said. “We wanted to focus on our core IMS products.”

Scheible said Nortel chose Followap because it had the most complete portfolio of presence products, leaving Nortel free to focus on the critical components of the IMS architecture, the call session control function and home subscriber server as well as its VoIP and session initiation protocol expertise.

The Economist Group Chooses Nortel to Make Communication Simple

2006-09-11T07:24:00.000-07:00

The Economist Group is using a complete Nortel IP communications solution at its second London office in Red Lion Square to allow its editors, analysts and business staff to communicate more effectively. Nortel's IP-based voice and data network for TEG delivers a simplified personal communications management system to its staff. This allows users to access telephony, fax, e-mail, voicemail and wireless through personal computers and IP telephony handsets anywhere in the TEG office.

The converged solution, which is capable of supporting Quality of Service (QoS) from the edge to the core of the network, was completed in conjunction with Allnet, a Nortel channel partner and is based on Nortel end-to-end enterprise portfolio.

Nortel Ethernet Routing Switch 8600 at the core, Nortel Ethernet Routing Switch 5520 at the edge, and Nortel Communication Server (CS) 1000 IP telephony solution provide The Economist Group with a system designed to handle 'mission critical' information cost effectively and with high reliability. Nortel solution for the media Group also includes wireless local area network capability.

The Economist Group also chose to converge its network to enable its entire staff to benefit from a flexible, mobile environment using 400 Nortel 2004 and 2002 Internet Phones.

IP Desktop Phones go Microsoft

2006-07-07T06:54:00.000-07:00

07.05.06 | Doug Mohney

Nortel and Polycom have announced IP phone support for Microsoft's Unified Communications Platform 2007.

LG-Nortel, a joint venture of LG Electronics Nortel, will develop and market a business-enabled IP desktop phone that will work with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 and incorporate presence-awareness, IP call management features, and enhanced instant messaging capabilities. Both Microsoft and LG-Nortel will market the new phones to Microsoft customers worldwide starting in 2007.

Polycom also announced support for Microsoft's plan for unified communication and will develop and market integrated business-class UC SIP "voice end-points," with the new products incorporating integrated desktop devices to leverage presence awareness, IM, and the new telephony and VoIP capabilities of Microsoft's unified communications platform. The new devices will also support wideband voice communications at 14 kHz, auto provisioning, management, and configuration.

Cisco Details Wireless LAN Vulnerabilities

2006-07-05T13:58:00.001-07:00

June 28, 2006

By Kevin McLaughlin Courtesy of CRN

Cisco Wednesday revealed details on two vulnerabilities that could enable remote attackers to gain unauthorized administrative access to wireless LANs.
The first affects Cisco's Wireless Control System (WCS), an application for managing lightweight access points and WLAN controllers.

Cisco Wednesday issued an advisory outlining numerous vulnerabilities in WCS that could enable remote users to perform a wide range of malicious acts, such as logging in with a default password, obtaining access point encryption keys, launching cross-site scripting attacks, and reading and writing to files in the WCS system.

In an advisory issued Wednesday to subscribers of DeepSight Threat Management System, Symantec rated the severity of the flaw as 8.9 on a 10 point scale and said the vulnerabilities only require access to the WCS application in order to be exploited.

A second flaw that came to light Wednesday involves an issue in the Cisco Access Point Web interface that could enable remote attackers to bypass authentication and gain access to the administrative interface.

In a separate advisory, Symantec gave this issue its highest severity rating, 10 out of 10. The Cupertino, Calif.-based security vendor outlined an attack scenario in which an attacker could find a remotely accessible access point with its Web interface enabled, connect to the interface without logging in, and gain full administrative privileges to the access point and possibly use it to launch subsequent attacks.

As a workaround in the meantime, Cisco recommends disabling Web-based management. The issue only affects Cisco Access Points running Cisco IOS Software Release 12.3(8)JA or 12.3(8)JA1.

San Jose, Calif.-based Cisco issued advisories for both vulnerabilities and said it will release free software to its affected customers.

Cisco Details Wireless LAN Vulnerabilities

2006-07-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

VoIP Eats Into Traditional Voice Service Revenue

2006-05-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

May 16, 2006

By David Haskin Courtesy of TechWeb News

In a few years, incumbent telecom operators will no longer earn most of their revenues from traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) voice service, according to a study released Tuesday by U.K. market research firm Informa Telecoms & Media.

The precipitous drop in PSTN revenue will be caused by increasing use of voice-over-IP (VoIP), a trend the telecoms will need to continue to capitalize on, the study says. The study predicts a worldwide decrease in revenues from traditional PSTN voice service of about 16.7 percent between the end of 2005 and 2011. That percentage works out to about $100 billion in lost earnings from traditional voice service, the market research firm said.

The market research firm company said that VoIP accounted for only 25 percent of the total revenues for telecom operators in 2005. The good news for the operators is that they have widely built out their broadband networks over which VoIP service can be offered and the percentage of revenues the telecom operators gain from VoIP is expected to rise significantly, the report concluded.

"After 2010, PSTN will no longer be the main revenue generator in developed countries," report author Malik Saadi said in a statement. "There will be no justification for big operators to reserve a whole network for traditional PSTN voice traffic. This trend will increasingly push operators and network owners to gradually migrate their subscribers from traditional PSTN to VoIP."

Saadi noted, though, that there is peril in this trend. In particular, there is the threat of revenue loss for telecoms because VoIP charges are lower than those for PSTN service, he said. In addition, there is a lot more competition from dedicated VoIP vendors such as Skype and Vonage, according to Saadi.

Six Reasons Not to Deploy VoIP

2006-05-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

May 22, 2006

By David Greenfield Networking Pipeline

There's plenty to like about VoIP. There's also plenty to hate. While VoIP vendors are good and touting the former they tend to ignore the latter. Here then are six "gotchas" picked up over the years of deploying and reporting about all things related to VoIP. None of which will eliminate the technology from your business' consideration, but all of which must be accounted for when you consider the technology.

1. Reliability Headaches - It's a fundamental axiom of manufacturing engineering and just plain common sense that all things being equal, the product with fewer parts will be the more reliable one. If that's true then VoIP starts out with a significant strike against. Unlike digital networks that just telephony switching equipment, cabling, and telephones, VoIP systems brings the additional complexity of the underlying data network. The choices made at those layers, independent of the VoIP network, will make or break a voice system. Mess up on the VLAN or QoS settings of your switch or router and watch voice quality tank the next time a virus-infected PC spews junk onto the network. Reboot a router or switch and watch voice calls drop. Lose power and in properly designed data network will send voice to you-know-where.

2. Hidden Costs – A two- or three- year old 100 Mbits/s or even 10 Mbits/s infrastructure may have a fair amount of gas left in the tank, but the conversion to VoIP will force most companies to buy new data equipment and even new wiring. They'll need switches that implement 802.1p (MAC-layer QoS) and 802.1q (VLANs). If availability during power outages is necessary then those switches will likely need to be equipped with inline power (802.3af). All totaled expect new edge switches to at least run $68 for a 48 port switch. A VoIP-enabled router, like HP's ProCurve Secure Router 7000dl, will run $1,173 to $2,303 depending on configuration. This says nothing for fees relating to network design, installation, and maintenance contracts

3. Plenty of Insecurity – VoIP bigots will remind you that wiretapping in the PSTN is a technically trivial task for any accomplished technician. What they won't mention, however, is that while the PSTN carries it's own vulnerabilities, the VoIP world must contend with a potent combination of global accessibility and simple-to-use hacking tools. Users otherwise ignorant of the ways of wiretapping or war dialing can easily download applications, such as Cain and Abel or Trinity and snoop on phone calls or launch a massive distributed denial of service (DDOS) attack that disable a phone number. Companies looking at deploying VoIP must plug those holes in their data network if the voice network is to be secure.

4. Talking Underwater – Digital telephony is nice and neat. Pick up the telephone, dial, and talk. Voices never sound as if they're coming from the handsets filled with seawater. Yet run VoIP over a poorly engineered network and you'll find warbled voices, echo, and just about any other type of distorted voice condition.

5. The Saga of the SoftPhone – Some aggressive VoIP providers will argue that the PC can be used as a telephony replacement. Just buy a USB headset, load up a soft-phone, and walla! Companies can save the cost of their digital handsets. The fact is though that most companies will find their soft-phone performance to be erratic. The combination of Windows XP and PCs have yet to provide an effective way to prioritize voice threads, allowing applications to hog the a PC's processor and wreck havoc with voice calls. Echo cancellation is difficult to tweak when the two soft-phones on either end of a call come from different manufacturers or when a softphone communicates through a PSTN gateway to a regular phone. Much of that might change when Vista ships and with improvements making in processor design

6. Brainteaser – What size access line does it take to service 114 telephones on a VoIP network? Don't fret for not knowing. Voice engineers spend their lives noodling around with those sorts of questions. They're difficult enough in the digital world, but in the VoIP world they become even more complex. Is this a trunk to a VoIP network the PSTN? If it's to the VoIP network what type of CODEC do the telephones run? What's the underlying transport network? What other applications are sharing that access line? Voice engineering across a WAN of any sort is a rather complex science one that’s only made more complex when the network is VoIP.

In the end, most companies move to VoIP for reasons of attrition. They've written off their PBXs and its time to for an upgrade. Often they're find that the costs of paying for the existing maintenance contracts can come close to matching the cost of a new IP PBX. There are plenty of other good reasons for moving to VoIP just few that are compelling enough for most offices to make the switch on their own merit.

Nortel, Qualcomm claim speed record

2006-03-31T14:37:00.000-08:00

By Marguerite Reardon

Telecommunications equipment maker Nortel Networks and wireless chip manufacturer Qualcomm said Friday that they have set a new download speed record using so-called 3.5G wireless technology.

The companies say they have achieved downloads of 7.2mbps (megabits per second) based on the UMTS-HSDPA (Universal Mobile Telephone System-High Speed Downlink Packet Access) standard. The companies plan to show off the high-speed capability during a demonstration at the CTIA Wireless 2006 trade show in Las Vegas next week.

The companies achieved the ultrafast HSDPA data calls using test terminals based on Qualcomm's Mobile Station Modem, MSM6280 and HSDPA network equipment from Nortel.
HSDPA is a new mobile-telephony protocol that is often called 3.5G or 4G Internet, because it increases the download speeds of regular 3G, or third-generation, networks. The technology is designed to boost network capacity for data transmissions up to four times and enables twice as many wireless users per cell site compared with current UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service) or 3G networks.

The faster download speeds should come as good news to Cingular Wireless, which announced in December that it planned to set up an HSDPA network in 16 markets. The service, called BroadbandConnect, currently provides average speeds between 400kbps (kilobits per second) and 700kbps.

The technology competes with other next-generation cellular technologies, such as EVDO. Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel use EVDO, also known as 1xEV-DO, and also offer wireless broadband service with download speeds between 400kbps and 700kbps.
The Nortel and Qualcomm move improves the performance of HSDPA. That makes the technology competitive with other emerging broadband wireless technologies such as WiMax, which boasts peak data speeds of about 20mbps, with average user data rates between 1mbps and 4mbps.

Merger talk keeps Nortel on the line

2006-03-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

The New York Times
2006/03/27
Ian Austen

When the technology boom of the 1990s ran its course, the major companies producing telecommunications gear paid the price. But for all the pain of layoffs and retrenchments, they went through remarkably few consolidations and mergers.

Now, just as the companies have again begun to show signs of life, an Alcatel-Lucent merger might vastly alter the industry's dynamics by creating a large new competitor with worldwide reach, the first that would be a leading company on more than one continent.

The deal, if it is concluded, may bring pressure for mergers or takeovers at competitors including Nokia, Siemens Communications of Germany, Ericsson and, above all, the current North American leader, Nortel Networks, which is based in Brampton, Ontario.

"It's going to be tough for them," said Tyler Adam Chamberlin, an assistant professor of management at the University of Ottawa who has looked closely at Nortel.

"This is a company that's already struggling just to get its own internal operations in order. To have an Alcatel-Lucent merger on top of that is quite daunting."

The good news for equipment makers is that their main customers, the telecommunications carriers, are finally buying network equipment again. But the pressure that all the equipment companies face reflects a fundamental change in the technologies the carriers are seeking.
The new spending, partly a product of the carriers' relative financial stability, stems from their desire to find new profit sources in services such as internet-based television, wireless television and internet voice calling.

To that end, many carriers are finally showing interest in a concept long promoted by equipment makers with relatively little success to date. Put simply, it eliminates distinct networks for different services like landline calls and wireless calls. The new systems run all content from voice to video through a single, closed version of the internet. Sophisticated software gives higher priority to delay-sensitive services, like television, while internet access systems sort everything out at the customers' end.

The complexity of such systems makes a case for companies with a breadth of offerings, like a combined Lucent and Alcatel.

"The basic lesson is that scale does have its advantages," said Mark Sue, a New York-based analyst with RBC Capital Markets. "Similar to a lot of other industries, you have to go big or you have to go home."

Few expect any competitors of a combined Lucent and Alcatel to pack up in the near future.
Krish Prabhu, chief executive of Tellabs and former chief operating officer at Alcatel, said it would take four to five years for the merged firn to sort out its technology and take advantage of its increased size.

"The biggest troubles will be in products that have started deployment in the last five years," he said.

One obvious way to bulk up any telecommunications company would be a deal involving Siemens Communications or Nortel, with the ultimate merger, arguably, being one between them.

Given Siemens' strength in Europe and Nortel's significant position in North America, "there's a compelling logic for joining Siemens and Nortel", said Scott Clavenna, the Boston-based chief analyst with telecommunications equipment research firm Heavy Reading.

Certainly both companies are in a state of transition and in Nortel's case, turmoil. Chief among Nortel's problems is a seemingly chronic inability to sort out its finances.

After restating several years of results because of an accounting scandal, Nortel announced this month that it would make its third restatement in three years because of accounting errors. Still looming over the company from the earlier accounting issues are criminal and securities investigations in the United States and Canada.

Last October, Nortel named a former Motorola executive, Mike Zafirovski, as its third chief executive since 2004. Since then, Mr Zafirovski has replaced most of Nortel's top management, largely with executives from General Electric, his employer before Motorola.

Siemens recently shuffled the top management of its communications division, begun a reorganisation of the operation and is believed to be interested in ultimately selling the division.

Not everyone, however, is convinced that a Nortel-Siemens deal is likely or even desirable.

A telecommunications analyst with CIBC World Markets, Steve Kamman, said Nortel could compete effectively without merging.

Australia: St. George Bank deploys Nortel network

2006-03-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

Published March 27, 2006
St. George (ASX: SGB),

Australia's fifth largest bank and a top 15 Australian Stock Exchange company, has deployed a high- speed Nortel (NYSE/TSX: NT) network to provide more reliable communications between its head office and business continuity sites.

The new network replaces the Bank's legacy data network and was chosen from a list of competing vendors following a comprehensive tender and trial process conducted last year.

"As part of our customer experience development we launched a CRM project in Q4 2005 that required an overhaul of our existing network to function optimally," said John Loebenstein, group executive information technology, St. George. "Not only did we need vastly increased bandwidth to support new CRM and other applications, but - given the type of traffic we were going to run over the network, including voice and video - we needed sub-second failover recovery to minimise any effect on customers in the event of a system failure."

"New applications like video conferencing and VoIP put a much greater emphasis on the reliability and resiliency of the network infrastructure because of the added stresses they put on available bandwidth," said Paul Bristow, St. George's executive manager, IT network services. "In Nortel, we found a solution that gives us the high levels of performance we need to maintain a consistent top level of customer service. Nortel's technology is based on open standards, which allow us to continue building leading networks while retaining the freedom of choice in vendors."

Optus, Australia's second-largest telecommunications carrier, and Nortel nPower channel partner implemented the network. Optus has been a long-term network services provider for St. George Bank, which includes managed services for the Bank's DWDM core optical network.
Nortel's solution for St. George comprises a 10 Gigabit Optical Metro 5200 fibre-optic platform connecting St. George's main production and business continuity sites in Sydney. A pair of Nortel Ethernet Routing Switch 8600s is deployed at each site, providing sub-second failover through split multi-level trunking (SMLT) technology. Further 8600s are also used to connect the Bank's 400-plus servers across more than 300 branches nationwide. Optus implemented the network in its capacity as a Nortel channel partner, and also runs the optical core network as a managed service for the Bank. The new network was built in less than eight weeks, including the time taken to decommission and dismantle the legacy network. In its first four months of operation, the network exceeded its five-nine uptime target, with simulations confirming actual throughput speeds nearing the network's 10 Gigabit rating.

Mark Stevens, president, Australia and New Zealand, Nortel, said: "Converging technologies onto a single network infrastructure puts the onus on the reliability of the network to maintain data integrity and optimally balance available bandwidth. We work closely with our technology and implementation partners to build resilient converged networks on the foundation of a strong data network infrastructure designed to deliver the benefits of convergence without impacting the end-user experience."

Nortel, Sierra make EV-DO test calls

2006-03-27T07:42:00.000-08:00

The Associated Press/NEW YORK
MAR. 24 10:22 A.M. ET

Communications equipment makers Nortel Networks Corp. and Sierra Wireless Inc. said on Friday they made the first over-the-air test calls using a next-generation wireless technology called EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized).

The technology, which is being pushed out in the U.S. by Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc., is expected to deliver higher-speed wireless service which will allow for push-to-talk, push-to-video, voice-over-Internet-protocol, and interactive gaming wireless functions.

Shares of Nortel, which have traded between $2.26 and $3.60 over the last year, were up 14 cents, or 5 percent, at $2.95 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares of Sierra rose 3 cents to $11.08 on the Nasdaq

Nortel? Never heard of it.

2006-03-24T07:44:00.000-08:00

March 23, 2006

For millions of investors, lenders and customers, the name Nortel is synonymous with failure, not innovation

STEVE MAICH

In business, as in life, it's best to avoid overt signs of desperation if at all possible. Everybody knows never to let 'em see you sweat, but there is a key exception to this rule that is rarely discussed and often overlooked, generally with dire consequences. Acting desperate is excusable, even advisable, when you actually are desperate, and everybody knows it.
In those cases, who really cares how you look? The thing that matters is survival. There are no points for style in survival situations. When a freighter goes sailing by your leaky lifeboat, playing it cool can be fatal.

Which brings us to Nortel Networks Corp., and the many reasons why it is now time to relegate the company's name, logo and branding to the history books, and begin again. Go back to Northern Telecom if you like. Heck, call the company Acme Corp. for all it matters. The point is, CEO Mike Zafirovski was brought in last year to be an agent of change at a company adrift. They paid US$11.5 million to Motorola to get him. He has a new board, a new CFO and an extremely ambitious plan. To make it happen, he needs to make a dramatic break from the past -- the sooner the better. But that's proving difficult.

Two weeks ago, Nortel revealed that it will be restating its financials for the third time in less than three years, due to yet another accounting error. Unlike its last restatement, this one likely won't trigger subpoenas from the cops, so that's at least one positive. But still, the psychological impact of yet another misstep is huge. To the millions of skeptics out there, it was a reminder that this is the same old Nortel, up to the same old pratfalls that ceased to be funny a long time ago.

Would a new name really substantively change anything within the company? Not really. Would critics deride it as meaningless and superficial? Probably. But whether we like it or not, the world of business is driven by human beings, who respond to symbolism. For millions of investors, lenders and potential customers, the name Nortel is synonymous with failure, not cutting-edge technology. Zafirovski has embarked on the biggest challenge of his professional life, and at the top of every letterhead is a bit of dead weight he can ill afford. In this game, little details mean a lot.

Consider the mountains in his path.

The latest accounting problem, and the fact that Nortel will have to delay filing its annual report to regulators, has several implications, none of them good. As of now, Nortel is technically in default of its US$1.3- billion credit facility. Lenders could, if they choose, demand accelerated repayment or claim company assets as collateral. Export Development Canada, which has given US$750 million in support, could cut off further funding or terminate existing commitments. The New York Stock Exchange could boot the company's shares off the Big Board.

Any of the above could be a death blow for Nortel at this point. The good news is, none of these things are very likely to happen. Lenders have been down this road before with Nortel, and it really isn't in their interest to drown the company. They're much more likely to issue waivers and let Nortel get back on its feet. Still, the risks are real, and they are only part of a much larger challenge.

Last month, Zafirovski laid out a plan for Nortel's future, indicating that he wanted to focus efforts on businesses in which Nortel could be an industry leader, with at least a 20 per cent share of the market. According to Merrill Lynch analyst Vivek Arya, just four of Nortel's 14 primary business groups currently meet the boss's 20 per cent threshold. Last month, Tom Astle, an analyst with National Bank Financial, looked at nine business lines where Nortel is a laggard, and concluded the company had the potential to become a major player in only three or four of them. He suggests Nortel should probably be selling or shutting down the rest.

Zafirovski has also indicated he wants to improve Nortel's operating profit margin enough to wring an additional US$1.5 billion in profit by 2008. Analysts estimate this means an operating profit margin of close to 15 per cent. To put that in perspective, Nortel's operating profit margin in the last quarter of 2005 was 6.4 per cent. Nortel's main competitors, Lucent Technologies and Alcatel, both have operating margins of around eight to 10 per cent. In short, Zafirovski has set for himself a monumental hurdle. What's more, analysts say current forecasts for the company do not include the $2.7-billion settlement offered recently to shareholders to resolve allegations of executive malfeasance under the previous regime. That could carve about three cents a share from profits this year and next.

The whole strategy hinges on the CEO's ability to cut costs and jettison weak business units without reducing profits. It's tantamount to trying to get a canoe to move faster by throwing paddlers overboard. Not impossible, but tricky, to say the least. As Merrill Lynch's Arya said in a report to clients last week, "if the new CEO can cut costs aggressively, enter new growth areas through mergers and acquisitions, or win a marquee contract, investor attention could rekindle." And if he could pull a rabbit or two out of his hat while he's at it, then we'd really be impressed.
Yes, a name change is a desperate move, but it has worked in the past. WorldCom broke ties with its scandalous past by reverting back to the name MCI. Tobacco giant Philip Morris put a happier face on its business by adopting the name Altria. Suzy Shier changed its name to La Senza when its focus shifted to lingerie.

It's not a panacea. It won't get the profit margins up. But it'll send a message that the past is the past. And if Zafirovski plays his cards just perfectly, he can dream of a day when people forget about Nortel, for all the right reasons.M

To contact the writer, email steve.maich@macleans.rogers.com
To comment, email letters@macleans.ca

Pressing interplay

2006-03-23T15:39:00.000-08:00

By: Mark ElsNetwork World Canada (17 Mar 2006)

Security for the enterprise comes in all shapes and sizes. Its moving parts are coordinated by a mechanism known as network access control, facilitating dialogue between network-based security devices and client anti-virus software.

Appliances from Cisco, Juniper and Nortel communicate with McAfee, Symantec and CA, for example, to check whether distributed desktops, laptops and mobile devices that connect to the network are compliant with corporate security regulations.

Nortel Networks Corp. last month announced a switch aimed at extending its Secure Network Access from remote virtual private network connections to the LAN. The Secure Network Access Switch targets the endpoint as an added layer that brings client security in line with existing network protection policies.

Nortel’s new switch is both a credible and more heterogeneous alternative to Cisco’s Network Admission Control, according to Robert Whiteley, an analyst with Forrester Research Inc.

“Nortel provides all the same parts that Cisco can,” he says. “And Nortel tends to be more standards-based in its approaches, so when you plan to tie in multiple vendors, Nortel makes a friendlier foundation.”

The Toronto-based company is partnering with Juniper, Symantec, McAfee, IBM and Check Point to push interoperability standards with Trusted Network Connect, a task force of more than 70 vendors, including Microsoft, but not Cisco, within Trusted Computing Group.

The latest boxes are brimming with intelligence that’s engineered to keep security self-sufficient and simple. But managing the many layers between the network and its applications can be unwieldy, complex and costly.

While endpoint security may be technically feasible, Whiteley says it’s not economically viable. Vendors must scale the walls of interoperability for the technology to become cost-effective.
“We’re talking about integrating several back-end technologies to make endpoint security work,” says Whiteley. “The operational costs quickly escalate to the point where it’s not economically feasible.”

While endpoint security ties network protection and client security together, the appliance must also tap into the back-end to collect user information in Microsoft Active Directory, says Whiteley, as well as configuration or patch management software from vendors such as Altiris, Shavlik, PatchLink and BigFix.

“For this stuff to work together in multi-vendor environments, we need to get aggressive, we need to get behind [Trusted Network Connect standards], and we need to get visible,” says Peter Cellarius, Nortel’s head of enterprise security, wireless and routing.

Independently, Cisco and Nortel are also working to integrate their products with Microsoft’s Network Access Protection (NAP), server-based endpoint security software that will ship with Vista next year.

Cellarius says Nortel’s Network-Assured NAP hopes to integrate NAP inspection into the endpoint compliance methods of the Secure Network Access Switch. Similarly, if NAP discovers the Nortel switch, it can use Nortel’s port-based mechanism to enforce access rules.

Philadelphia-based law firm Duane Morris LLP has an array of security products that watches over its distributed information systems. CIO John Sroka supports 1,500 users across 20 offices, including 625 lawyers who often work on the fly. He admits it’s a complex environment to manage.

The company — which makes use of both a systems integrator and a managed security services provider — operates off a Nortel-based infrastructure, with McAfee virus scanning on the network, intrusion detection systems from Cisco (data) and Nortel (voice), and dual firewalls from Check Point. A managed security services provider takes care of the firewalls and monitors the network for intrusion detection.

At the client level, Sroka runs Microsoft’s firewall capabilities in Windows XP SP2. He also relies on Microsoft’s SUS (Software Update Services) for patch management and has implemented Symantec virus scanning for the desktop, ControlGuard Endpoint Access Manager, which locks down and controls USB ports and CD-ROM drives, as well as Postini and WebSense for e-mail filtering and Web blocking.

“We have a pretty locked down and standardized environment as far as our desktops are concerned,” says Sroka. “A lot of the security products are really independent, but they complement each other to work as a comprehensive solution. For example, if we look at virus scanning, it’s deliberate that we have one vendor on the desktop and a different vendor on the network.”

With its employees becoming more mobile, Duane Morris needs to be more flexible in the services it provides, says Sroka. “We want people to be able to bring their laptops into the office without compromising the network.”

To this end, Sroka has installed Nortel’s Secure Network Access Switch and is currently in an evaluation process. “One of the reasons we actually went to Nortel for endpoint security is they take that security to a switch-port level,” says Sroka, who is looking for as much integration as he can get with his current infrastructure.

“Our biggest concern right now is the laptops because they would be network-attached,” he says, adding that voice over IP is making the network that much more critical. Duane Morris is in the midst of what Sroka calls an aggressive rollout of VoIP. “Endpoints are of that much more concern,” he says.

Why Enterprises Aren't Signing Up For Fiber Access Less than 12% of enterprises have fiber access to their offices.

2006-03-23T12:33:00.000-08:00

By Preston Gralla
March 23, 2006
Networking Pipeline

Conventional wisdom says that with converged networks spanning branch offices or divisional headquarters, enterprises are signing up for broadband fiber optic access in droves.

But the conventional wisdom is thoroughly wrong, according to a new survey from the research firm Vertical Systems Group. The group found that only 11.7 percent of medium-to-large U.S. business sites (those with 20 or more employees) are connected to a service provider's network via optical fiber.

And that access is growing at a snail's pace. Erin Dunne, director of Research Services for the Vertical Systems Group, says that 10.2 percent of medium-to-large U.S. businesses were connected by fiber two years ago, which translates into growth of only 15% over two years.
If broadband has become a must-have for enterprises, especially those building converged networks, why isn't fiber access growing more quickly?

What's Holding Back Fiber
According to Dunne, four things are holding back fiber access: economics, local politics, the growth of alternatives to fiber, and business inertia.

She says that it can cost $250,000 to run fiber to an existing building, and many building owners simply aren't willing to pay the costs. New buildings, especially in booming locations across the Sun Belt, include fiber access, because it's relatively inexpensive to provide it in new construction. But for existing offices, the $250,000 is often more than owners are willing to pay.

Politics, especially in older, congested cities in U.S. Northeast, plays a role as well, she says. Running fiber to a building in a city requires that the fiber be buried in trenches --- and that means digging up city streets, often causing serious traffic delays and disruption. Because of that, many cities make it difficult to get permits to do the required work, she says.

"With all the digging and problems they've had in Boston over the last several years because of the Big Dig (a multi-billion-dollar public works project), do you really think the politicians want to have the streets dug up again?" she asks rhetorically. New technologies are giving businesses less-expensive alternatives to fiber. Low-cost wireless mesh networks are being built in cities across the country, such as Philadelphia, for example. Big service providers are also looking at providing broadband wireless access via Wi-Max. BellSouth recently announced it will be testing a large-scale Wi-Max rollout.

Finally, business inertia plays a role as well, she says. Most companies already have T-1 lines running over TDM offering 1.5-megabit access. For their current uses, she says, that bandwidth is adequate, and so many companies simply don't want to have to deal with the cost and headaches associated with running fiber.

What The Future Holds
But the lack of fiber access may come back to haunt companies in the future, and may be harming the networking industry as well. Emerging network services such as IP VPNs, VoIP and IP video require connectivity at up to gigabit speeds, and purchasing decisions for these services are being put off because so few enterprises have fiber connections. Faster fiber deployment, and new developments in Ethernet over copper, will be required to overcome the obstacles to growth.

Ten Top VoIP Certification Courses

2006-03-21T14:12:00.000-08:00

The Top Ten VoIP Certification Courses for engineering and management certifications that can help advance your career.

CTP certification Course Description

VoIP - Convergence Technologies SeriesCourse Description

Technical CertificateNetwork Communications (VoIP)Course Description

Certificate Program – VoIPDePaul UniversityCourse Description

Convergence Technologies Professional (CTP)Computer PrepCourse Description

CCNT Web-Based Training ProgramCourse Description

PL 501 Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Certificate ProgramCourse Description

Voice over Internet ProtocolCertificate ProgramCourse Description

CCNT Certificate Program TrainingCourse Description

Certified in Convergent Network Technologies (CCNT) Course Description

Top 10 Telecommunications and VoIP Degree Courses

2006-03-21T14:01:00.000-08:00

Top Masters, Bachelor's and Associates Degree programs that offer intensive
courses and instruction in telecommunications and VoIP.

Boston University - MS in Telecommunication
Course
Description

UMUC - MS in in Telecommunications Management
Course
Description

DePaul University
Master of Science in
Telecommunication Systems
Course
Description

University of Colorado at Boulder
Master of
Science in Telecommunications
Course
Description

Master's Programme in
Telecommunication
Engineering
University of Vaasa, Finland
Course
Description

M.S. in Telecommunication Systems
Cal State
Hayward
Course
Description

AAS Telecommunications Degree
Weber State
University, Utah
Course
Description

Telecommunications and Networking (TCOM) Program
(Masters)
University of Pennsylvania
Course
Description

Telecommunication Technology
Associate in Applied
Science Degree
Kansas City Community College
Course
Description

MAS Dual Degree In Computer Information Systems &
Telecommunication
University of Denver University
Course
Description

Nortel Provides Clear Choice for End-to-End Convergence Solutions for the Enterprise

2006-03-21T13:47:00.000-08:00

Market New Router Portfolio Extends Network Capabilities to Branch Offices

TORONTO, March 20 /CNW/ - Nortel(*) (NYSE/TSX: NT) has strengthened itsend-to-end converged networks portfolio with the general availability of theNortel Secure Router portfolio, extending the power of convergence from mainoffice locations to branch offices. The new products enhance Nortel'scommitment to provide seamless, feature-rich enterprise networks that supportcritical real-time applications including data, voice, video and streamingmedia applications.

The Nortel Secure Router 1000 portfolio is comprised of the 1001, 1002and 1004 for small office and branch office deployments. It also includes theSecure Router 3120 for mid-range branch deployments. In addition to ease ofimplementation and interoperability, Nortel Secure Routers deliver more thandouble the performance throughput at 25% less cost than equivalent router fromthe leading competitor.

"This product line brings feature-rich services and security for ourcustomers, and delivers the power of the headquarters environment in a branchoffice," said Aziz Khadbai, general manager, Converged Data Networks. "Theserouters offer IP capabilities beyond layer 3 routing, including the provisionof firewalls, VPN and Quality of Service capabilities designed to support IPtelephony and other latency-sensitive applications."

"We've been using the Nortel Secure Router 1004 in a branch locationalong with the Business Communication Manager," said Lisa J. Harris seniorvice president and chief information officer, Gevity. Gevity, headquartered inBradenton, Florida with branch locations throughout the United States,provides comprehensive insourced employment management solutions for small andmedium-sized businesses. "The installation and implementation was easy andinteroperability has been seamless. Nortel's solution provides a completepackage of price, performance, reduced administrative costs, and world-classsupport, providing Gevity with a competitive advantage."

Nortel Secure Routers are being made available direct through Nortel andthrough Nortel's extensive partner distribution channel. Several have beentesting the routers in preparation for the launch.

"We have a large customer base searching for integrated branch officenetwork solutions," said Stuart Chandler, president and CEO, OptivorTechnologies. "Nortel Secure Routers combined with Nortel's extensiveenterprise portfolio clearly provide that solution. Optivor has been bundlingthe secure routers with the Business Communication Manager, Power overEthernet routing switches, WLAN access points, and IP Phones for a complete,secure end-to-end converged solution. Integrating the secure router was quickand seamless. Now our customers have a clear choice when selecting oneprovider for voice and data networking."

"The need for consolidated branch-office devices is compelling. Theaverage branch has six networking devices, with the number of locationsincreasing by 6.5 percent a year. That adds up to more devices and more timemanaging them," said Robin Gareiss, executive vice president and seniorfounding partner, Nemertes. "IT staffs want products that combine routing,optimization, and security, making it easier to manage an end-to-end convergedinfrastructure."

Nortel purchased Tasman Networks for $99.5 million to provide acomprehensive end-to-end convergence solution and to round out the company'ssecure router portfolio for branch office environments. The deal closedFebruary 24, 2006.

Nortel combines carrier and enterprise data units under Aziz Khadbai

2006-03-21T07:53:00.000-08:00

Canadian Press
Tuesday, March 21, 2006

TORONTO (CP) - Nortel Networks Corp. (TSX:NT) is uniting its data network units serving telecommunications carriers and corporate users.

The change comes as voice and data networks converge into a single multi-service Internet-protocol network and the lines blur between telecom and enterprise customers.
Combining the carrier data and enterprise data teams will "strengthen its end-to-end convergence solutions and increase R&D effectiveness," Nortel said Monday.
Aziz Khadbai, a 16-year Nortel veteran, has been named general manager of the new organization, to be known as converged data networks.

Khadbai, formerly general manager of local premise solutions and network management, reports to Steve Slattery, president of enterprise solutions and packet networks.

The move "furthers our ability to provide feature-rich converged networks that support critical real-time applications including voice, video and multimedia applications," Slattery stated.

Nortel Phone System Administration Made Easy with MerAssistant 2.0

2006-03-21T07:49:00.000-08:00

PBXInfo.com, a free IT community for telecom professionals, is introducing a new GUI-based pbx solution designed to help businesses increase productivity by more efficiently administering their Nortel phone systems.

Rowlett, TX, March 20, 2006 --(PR.COM)-- MerAssistant 2.0 is a powerful new GUI program for your Nortel phone system. It allows administrators to perform many of the daily tasks of programming with simple drop down menus and point and click access rather then a command line interface. MerAssistant 2.0 is so user friendly that it can even let non-technical users be able to make safe system changes with ease.

“I've never even logged into a switch before - but with this program, I feel comfortable interacting with our switch. I use it on a daily basis and it works like a charm." - J. Jackson, Pbx Supervisor.

MerAssistant 2.0 boasts task automation, over 100 pre-defined reports, over 50 pre-defined programming commands, global set changes, dial up capability and much more. MerAssistant 2.0 was designed to save Nortel administrators time and frustration when performing many of the complex programming tasks needed to maintain a Pbx system.

Many Nortel administrators are finding MerAssistant 2.0 an invaluable tool, "Straight forward and easy to use. I've changed names of directory numbers, class of service of telephone sets and enabled sets that were unplugged. All actions that I would normally have to wait for the technician to arrive to complete. MerAssistant is a nice program to have." - R. Kessell, Pbx Department Manager.

MerAssistant is perfect for onsite or traveling technicians as well because it allows global and on the fly changes. It also supports direct connect or dial up access to the Pbx. MerAssistant 2.0 gives you the power to perform moves, adds or changes easily, effectively and efficiently.

Contact Information PBXInfo LLCRick Cruz972-322-6728rick@pbxinfo.com http://www.pbxinfo.comCharles Cartercharlescarter@pbxinfo.com

First VoIP Retail Offering for SMB Market Introduced by CompUSA, Bandwidth.com and Sylantro Systems

2006-03-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

Companies Address Telecom Needs of Small Businesses with One-Stop-Shop Service for Hosted VoIP Solution

March 15th, 2006

CompUSA today announced its partnership with Bandwidth.com and Sylantro Systems to offer the first full-featured hosted VoIP service for small and medium-sized businesses in the retail industry. Businesses in need of 10 to 200 lines across a single or multiple locations can now purchase a comprehensive VoIP service solution at CompUSA.

Designed to deliver the highest levels of call clarity and reliability, as well as the most advanced features available for SMB's today, the service features Bandwidth.com's premier VoIP offering, incorporating Sylantro's Synergy VoIP platform. The combined product and service offering will be available beginning in April at CompUSA's more than 240 stores, and supported by CompUSA Techknowledgists with more than 20,000 service professionals nationwide.

"With this partnership, we're offering small and mid-size business owners a solution never available to them before: the ability to select and purchase a comprehensive VoIP system from a trusted national retailer, knowledgeable about their needs and ready to provide the services to get it done right," said Brian Woods, executive vice president of merchandising for CompUSA. "We're excited to offer this new service and product, and also to partner with two world-class organizations like Sylantro and Bandwidth.com. Combined with CompUSA's national presence and Techknowledgist services, we're confident we have every angle covered.

"The Bandwidth.com service includes support for four-digit dialing across multiple locations, automated attendant and fully featured voicemail software, Microsoft Office integration, browser-based system administration and many more business applications. Sylantro's Synergy platform also supports a full portfolio of business IP phones from a variety of leading phone vendors including Vodavi, Mitel, Thomson and Grandstream.

"Partnering with CompUSA to deliver Bandwidth’s hosted VoIP solution is a tremendous accomplishment for our company," said Henry Kaestner, CEO of Bandwidth.com. "We set out to find a top retail partner that not only understands the benefits of offering VoIP to the SMB community but also has the technical knowledge and expertise to market such a service."

"We're pleased to work with CompUSA and Bandwidth.com to provide a full featured hosted VoIP solution for the SMB market. Combining Bandwidth.com's advanced business class VoIP services with CompUSA's excellent retail distribution for the nationwide launch represents a significant industry milestone. This is an indicator of how hosted VoIP services have become mainstream," said Pete Bonee, chairman of Sylantro Systems.

Privacy, Please

2006-03-20T08:28:00.000-08:00

This is an intresting device for today's increasingly security conscious open cubicle environments.

Cubicles rarely afford discretion, but the Babble can help. The $400 device from Sonare Technologies plugs into phones (only those with modular cables) and disguises conversations by scrambling words and projecting them from a pair of speakers. What's heard isn't white noise but a muffled string of unrecognizable speech. Ideal for cubicle dwellers with nosy neighbors.

http://www.sonaretechnologies.com

Polycom VoIP Desktop and Conference Phones Certified Compatible With Nortel IP Telephony Platform

2006-03-15T15:14:00.000-08:00

[March 15, 2006]

SAN JOSE, Calif., VON Conference and Expo, March 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Polycom, Inc. , the world's leading provider of unified collaborative communications solutions, today announced that it has completed interoperability testing with the Nortel Multimedia Communication Server (MCS) 5100 (release 3.5) and 5200 (release 3.0) and received certificates of compatibility for its standards-based SoundPoint(R) IP desktop phones and the SoundStation(R) IP 4000 conference phone. The successful completion of the compatibility test audit demonstrates interoperability between Polycom VoIP phones and Nortel MCS platforms.

Polycom will demonstrate its full line of IP desktop and conference phones at the VON Conference and Expo (Polycom Booth #317), taking place March 15-17, 2006 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, Calif.

"We are pleased to expand our longstanding relationship with Nortel to add certified interoperability between our high-quality, standards-based VoIP desktop and conference phones and the Nortel Multimedia Communications Server," said Sunil Bhalla, senior vice president and general manager of voice communications at Polycom. "This certification demonstrates support for important telephony features of MCS on the Polycom phones and simple deployment and effective management within a Nortel MCS environment. This interoperability gives customers choice of additional phones that feature Polycom's renowned voice quality and programmable hard and soft keys that provide an intuitive user experience and an easy transition to VoIP."
"Combining the conference capabilities and wide reach of Polycom in enterprise environments with our advanced MCS platform provides choices for customers that want collaborative capabilities that allow their employees to share information in a meaningful fashion. We are pleased to simplify doing business with Nortel by offering increased confidence to our customers who choose jointly tested Nortel Compatible Products to deploy alongside their Nortel MCS solution," said Alex Pierson, vice president and general manager, Enterprise and SMB Communication Systems, Nortel. "Nortel is committed to offering open, standards-based interfaces, including a strong focus on SIP, enabling customer choice and flexibility when implementing VoIP."

The scope of compatibility testing included important features such as conference, transfer, call redirect/forward, caller ID, message waiting indication, codec negotiation, DTMF, firewall traversal, and hold/retrieve.

About Polycom VoIP Phones
Polycom's line of SoundPoint and SoundStation SIP phones offer standards- based flexibility with renowned Polycom voice quality and clarity. The phones are upgradeable via the network and offer rich feature support through a combination of intuitive hard and soft keys with a large graphical display, making it easy for users to transition to a VoIP environment. Several Polycom SIP desktop phones are available, including the SoundPoint IP 301, the SoundPoint IP 501 and the SoundPoint IP 601, which received a coveted Editor's Choice Award from Network Computing Magazine in a head-to-head test against other SIP desktop phones. Also available, the SoundPoint IP Attendant Console Solution consists of the SoundPoint IP 601 and up to three SoundPoint IP Expansion Modules for assistants who manage and monitor multiple simultaneous calls. The Polycom SoundStation IP 4000 is a full-featured SIP conference phone delivering Polycom's renowned Acoustic Clarity Technology for clear, natural, two-way communication.

How To Build The Ultimate Network

2006-03-14T11:06:00.000-08:00

Looking to build the fastest, most efficient, most reliable network? Follow these tips from the pros and you'll be well on your way.

By Matthew Friedman, Networking Pipeline
March 2, 2006

What organizations would want their networks to be, if only they had all the money, time and expertise in the world, is hardly a mystery. Indeed, in a way, the ultimate network is really about nothing more than the Olympics' motto "citius, altius, fortius" rephrased as "faster, more efficient, more reliable." Just how you go about building this network, however, is another thing entirely.

"It exists in utopia," says Info-Tech Research analyst Carmi Levy. "In reality, there's no such things as the 'ultimate' anything. The only way to achieve it is in the lab, and even then, that's probably not even realistic."

Although the ultimate network exists only in theory, what is realistic is to make it a target, Levy says. The best thing any organization can do is to take a tip from Friedrich Nietzsche's superman, whose "reach forever exceeds his grasp."

That's good advice, perhaps, but it begs the question of how you actually go about planning for the ultimate network, even if it's a goal you can approach without ever actually achieving it. Is it a question of spending bundles of money -- just like in the days before the dot-com bubble burst -- on the hottest equipment, infrastructure and software?

Well, top-end technology never works but Levy says that focusing on technology obscures the real paths to the ultimate network. "It really isn't a technology issue," he says. "These things never are. We're always throwing things onto the network without thinking about how they affect the network."

The key is to make sure that the architecture and the network roadmap are planned from the ground up. "Instead of a hodge-podge of processes, things have to be there for a reason," Levy says. "If they aren't, then they have no business being connected to everything else. You don't build a building without blueprints, and you shouldn't build a network without a roadmap." The problem, of course, is that organizations seeking the ultimate network are probably already dependent on a network that is decidedly un-ultimate. Building the best is a whole lot easier when you start from scratch, and it's easier to build a house from blueprints when there is nothing already there, but only start-ups have the benefit of a technology greenfield. On the other hand, Levy says, you can only pin your problems on legacy technology for so long.

"At some point, you have to stop blaming legacy technology," he says. "You have to integrate the good and the bad in you plans and move forward. No one can divine the future, but you can prepare for it by planning from where you are and building with open standards. If you have a clean, modular network, even if it's old, you can upgrade."

Standards, in fact, are a key component of any network that claims the title "ultimate." With the growth in server virtualization and storage networking, for example, many organizations have found themselves running up against compatibility and performance issues that can bring core processes to their knees. EMC director of technology and analysis Ken Steinhardt says "The new thing, and 'first to market' aren't necessarily good things if the standards aren't finalized. Standards that provide interoperability are key."

With that all in mind, the first step is to assess what you've got in terms of hardware, cabling -- even the physical plant where your network assets are installed. "If nothing else, you should do an inventory," Levy says. "Then you can identify your points of pain -- where are you constrained, performance-wise, and how can you change that?"

Ultimately, the quest for the ultimate network should lead up to a short list of business impacts fro insufficiently or inefficiently deployed technologies and processes. Make no mistake, a bigger network pipe and faster hardware could well be in your future but, Steinhardt says, "the key is to have the full chain; you're never going to be better than the weakest link in the chain."

Indeed, the mistake that most organizations make, according to Levy, is that they go shopping too soon. "All the technology in the world isn't going to help you -- and it'll probably hurt you by wasting money -- if you don't know what you need and how you're going to deploy it," Levy says. "Again with the architectural metaphor, you don't build your house if you don't know what kind of land you're on. You need to know your topology and re-arrange it if necessary; if you need to segment then segment properly."

Building the ultimate network, then, is about planning the ultimate network. It is, above all, about doing your homework, knowing what you have, what you need, and what you can afford to spend. "Then you go shopping," Levy says. "Bring in the vendors that you need to get things done, and show them the plan."

Philadelphia To Offer Wi-Fi For Under $20 Per Month

2006-03-14T11:04:00.000-08:00

The finalized agreement will create a 135-square-mile hotspot covering the entire city supplied largely by 700 discounted T-1 links.

Mar 2, 2006 10:59 AM
By W. David Gardner

Cable and DSL broadband providers in Philadelphia are breathing easier Thursday after the city announced its final Wi-Fi contract with EarthLink that seeks to keep retail prices under $20 a month for individual customers. Verizon Communications, which had resisted the citywide wireless broadband deployment, currently offers DSL at $14.95 a month, for instance.

The agreement will create a huge 135-square-mile hotspot covering the entire city supplied largely by 700 discounted T-1 links.

"We must prepare our citizens and businesses to face the challenges of the 21st Century," said Mayor John F. Street in an announcement Wednesday. "Just as roads and transportation were keys to our past, wireless technology and digital infrastructure are keys to our future."

The deal appears to be win-win for all concerned. EarthLink, which is building the Wi-Fi infrastructure, said it will make a profit from the project. The city will get 22 free neighborhood hotspots, low-income users will be able to use broadband Wi-Fi for $9.95 a month, and some monies derived from the project will be used to fund educational and social programs.

The Wi-Fi speed is planned to be at least 1 Mbps -- fast, but not so fast as to impact cable and DSL broadband offered by private providers. The Mayor's Office anticipates most retail connections can be offered at less than $20 a month.

Donald Berryman, executive vice president of EarthLink and vice president of the firm's municipal networks unit, said he expects 50,000 to 80,000 subscribers to sign up for the project in its early stages. The deployment is scheduled for completion early in 2007.

VoIP Enabled for Blackbery Users

2006-03-14T11:02:00.000-08:00

BLACKBERRY WLAN SOLUTION ENHANCES PRODUCTIVITY FOR ON-CAMPUS MOBILE WORKERS THROUGH WIRELESS DATA ACCESS AND WIRELESS VOIP
March 7, 2006

Organizations looking to enable greater mobile productivity for the estimated 50 million on-campus mobile workers in the U.S. can now do so through their existing WLAN (wireless LAN) deployments using the BlackBerry WLAN solution. Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) is showcasing the BlackBerry WLAN solution, including the 802.11-enabled BlackBerry 7270 handheld, at VoiceCon this week.

The BlackBerry 7270 wireless handheld connects through BlackBerry Enterprise Server to provide support for secure, push-based email, instant messaging (IM), organizer, Internet and intranet applications and to make and receive wireless VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) calls through enterprise telephone systems (ie. IP-PBXs) via the industry-standard SIP (session initiation protocol).

Extending desktop productivity to mobile professionals is one of the central value propositions that made BlackBerry successful in the enterprise and similar productivity benefits can be provided to on-campus workers who spend significant time away from a desk. The BlackBerry WLAN solution lets organizations drive productivity benefits to a growing number of on-campus mobile workers by leveraging their existing investments in WLAN and IP-PBX infrastructure,said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. "BlackBerry WLAN addresses a new market segment within areas such as healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, education, retail and distribution where campus-wide access to voice and data is beneficial."

In addition to providing secure, push-based integration with Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino and Novell GroupWise and support for VoIP telephony through SIP, BlackBerry Enterprise Server is a robust wireless application platform that has been embraced by Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and developers. Hundreds of line-of-business applications have already been developed for BlackBerry. Examples of applications for the BlackBerry WLAN solution that can enhance productivity and customer service include:

Healthcare: Timely and convenient access to patient and drug information can reduce the risk of misdiagnosis or the improper prescription of medications that may conflict with each other.

Manufacturing: Inventory systems can automatically update new levels and push information to various stakeholders in the production process. Wireless VoIP can improve workflow for individuals and workgroups.

Hospitality: Guest information can be accessed at a glance by service and facilities staff; up-to-date information and alerts can be pushed to security personnel; wireless VoIP can enable faster collaboration and problem resolution.

Contact Center: Time-sensitive information can be pushed to mobile supervisors in place of reader boards that are often out of view, allowing faster action on alerts.

Mobile IT Staff: Phone calls can be handled on the go and helpdesk tickets can be received, updated and closed on the handheld device without running back to a desk.

Retail: Managers can access schedules and reports and front line staff can quickly access information for customers.

The BlackBerry 7270 handheld conforms to the 802.11b WLAN standard and provides VoIP capabilities through the SIP standard. In order to enable seamless integration with WLAN and IP-PBX systems, RIM has worked with industry standard protocols and leading WLAN and IP-PBX vendors to allow product interoperability and certification. The BlackBerry 7270 also supports most WLAN authentication and encryption standards and includes client software for many leading enterprise VPN gateways. Device provisioning of the BlackBerry 7270 is provided through the BlackBerry Enterprise Server in the same manner as cellular based BlackBerry devices, with added IT policy controls for setting specific smart dialing, VoIP, VPN and WLAN rules.

Bell Labs Test Reaches 100 Gigabits Per Second

2006-03-14T10:51:00.000-08:00

March 08, 200
By W. David Gardner Courtesy of TechWeb News

The goal of 100 Gigabits per second is within reach but not ready for commercial deployment, according to Lucent Technologies' Bell Labs, which reported Wednesday that it has successfully tested the super high speed data transmission.

Bell Labs scientists, in a paper presented to the Optical Fiber Communication Conference & Exposition, reported what they said was the first notice of optical transport of electronically multiplexed 107Gbps.

"We feel 100 Gigabit Ethernet is a particularly important technology as carriers look to deploy multimedia IP services, such as IPTV, which requires networks that efficiently multiplex and transmit high amounts of IP-based data in its native Ethernet format," Martin Zirngibl, Bell Labs director, said in a statement.

Today, data transmitted over the Internet often achieves speed of 10Gbps, although it occasionally can reach 40Gbps over SONET links. The Bell Labs technology reached speeds of 107 Gbps (7 percent of the throughput is represented as overhead for error correction.)

Bell Labs said its researchers transmitted 10 channels of 107-Gbps traffic optically modulated through electrical multiplexing. The transmission covered 400 kilometers. An integrated optical equalizer, functioning as a single-chip photonic integrated circuit, played an important role in the deployment.

WLAN Sales Grow 10%, Led By Enterprises: Report

2006-03-14T10:47:00.000-08:00

March 13, 2006

By Matthew Friedman Networking Pipeline

Despite a small drop in the at the end of last year, revenues from worldwide sales of local area network (WLAN) equipment showed healthy growth in 2005, according to a new report from Infonetics Research.

Revenues were up 10% overall in 2005, though there was a 5% quarterly dip in the fourth quarter. Unit shipments were up 39% in the same period, to top 25 million. WLAN switch and controller revenues grew 93% and shipments jumped 154%, Though WLAN switch and controller sales currently account for 19% of revenues, compared to 81% for access points, the report notes that that proportion will rise to 44% by 2009.

Infonetics expects the growth trend to continue, with WLAN equipment revenues reaching $3.8 billion by 2009. Much of the growth will be driven by the enterprise market, which the firm says will expand 120% between 2005 and 2009.

"The enterprise segment is where the action is," Infonetics Research analyst Richard Webb said in a statement. "Organizations of all sizes are increasingly mobile and data-reliant, so the need for network access while on the move is crucial, driving growth of WLAN switches and controllers in particular, which achieve double-digit annual revenue growth through 2009."

Cisco was the overall WLAN equipment revenue leader last year, followed by Symbol and 3Com. The company also held a comfortable lead in WLAN switch and controller revenues, also ahead of Symbol.

Analysis: Avaya's Peer-to-Peer Toothache

2006-03-14T10:37:00.000-08:00

Avaya's new peer-to-peer SIP solution, dubbed one-X Quick Edition, certainly grabbed headlines this week, but users could end up drilling their own teeth if they're not careful. Quick Edition's predictability and availability could suffer because of its unique P2P networking.

One-X Quick Edition was part of Avaya's telecom blitzkrieg announced this week at the VoiceCon show. The technology provides Avaya with a valuable opportunity to expand beyond its enterprise base and address the burgeoning small-business market, the weakest of Avaya's three major technology sectors. The VoiceCon blitz saw Avaya fill critical holes in Communication Manager with version 3.1, while also setting the groundwork for a new approach to application integration, not to mention meeting the needs of the small office.

Communication Manager 3.1 improves Avaya's telephony server resiliency on two fronts. Avaya eliminated the need for a fiber link between two servers in a redundant configuration, relying on Ethernet instead. This move reduces hardware configuration costs and expands architecture choice. Instead of locating both servers within the same premises, the Communication Manager server can now be located on separate sites for higher availability. Cisco has long offered such a capability.

Avaya has also improved Communication Manager's ability to fail over active calls to a backup server by duplicating the IP Media Resource boards in each server. Security has also been improved through the support for Tripwire for Enterprise Linux 4.0, which will now be shipped with all Linux-based Avaya Media Servers.

Vendors are looking to embed VoIP within their enterprise applications to help change the way businesses use communications, and Avaya is no different. To those ends, Avaya upgraded its Avaya SIP Enablement Services, which exposes Avaya's presence server to the rest of presence-based communications over SIP. It also added the new Avaya Application Enablement Services, which delivers a Web services interface for developers to design new applications for a service-oriented architecture. Cisco has released its own SOA interface as well.

Avaya uses SIP Enablement Services to integrate Cisco's SIP phones into Communication Manager. SIP also extends to Avaya's 3.0 release of Modular Messaging, its unified messaging product, to eliminate hardware interface costs while simplifying integration. Avaya has also doubled its SIP capacity to 5,000 trunks. The additional $25-per-seat SIP licensing costs have also been removed.

QUICK EDITION
But it was Avaya's one-X Quick Edition that grabbed most of the attention. The P2P SIP technology was acquired last year in the Nimcat Networks deal and allows consumers to purchase specially equipped Avaya phones through e-tailors, plug up to 20 of them into their Ethernet switches, and have the phones locate and configure themselves, providing an easy-to-install telephony network. Call control and voicemail are distributed across the Avaya telephones, with the only other hardware requirement being a small gateway to access the PSTN. Should a phone fail, the user can recover voicemail and other features from backed up images distributed across the other phones in the network. Growth is possible by using the same phones with Communication Manager. Phones are currently available through retail channels and list for $485 to $585.

One-X Quick Edition is currently limited to a single site, but according to Jorge Blanco, vice president of strategic marketing at Avaya, customers can expect Avaya to provide those capabilities across sites.

IMPACT

Yet while Quick Edition may make smart business sense for Avaya, it may not make as much sense for its target audience. While IT will appropriately configure QoS and VLAN settings for VoIP on their networks, that's not likely to be the case with small-business owners. For one thing, they're bound to have networks without either technology deployed. And although most QoS problems will be addressed by the sheer capacity of the 100Mbps switched LAN, given voice's importance to a company, neither SMBs nor Avaya would be wise to rely on sheer bandwidth alone to ensure voice quality and continuity. It's too simple for a combination of file transfers, P2P applications, or other technologies to consume enough bandwidth to compromise VoIP's sound quality. Appropriate measures must be taken to ensure the network's suitability for VoIP, whether through technology or, more likely, through documentation, which would work against Quick Edition's message of easy deployment.

What's more, 3Com product manager Greg Zweig suggests that by updating one another, the Quick Edition phones may propagate software errors across the P2P transactions. This might just be the usual vendor FUD, but Tom Petsche, senior product manager in Avaya's converged appliances division, does say all system parameters are shared amongst the phones, not just media files. He was unable to comment at the time as to the security measures Avaya is taking to prevent the corruption of software files.

The Six Gotchas Of Skype For Business

2006-03-14T10:29:00.000-08:00

March 13, 2006

By David Greenfield Networking Pipeline

Skype updated its business offering this week, making the service more suitable than ever for small businesses. Why pay $50 or $60 dollars per line for Centrex or buy a small PBX when Skype for Business seems to offer almost the same capabilities anywhere in the world nearly for free?
Well, not exactly. Skype for Business allows businesses to centralize the purchase of credits needed for purchasing SkypeIn, SkypeOut, voicemail, personalization, and third-party conference calling. Administrators can then distribute Skype credits, topping off all customer accounts. Skype also says its added account codes for knowing who spent those credits. The acquisition and distribution of credits and other functions are managed in a Web console called the Skype for Business Control Panel.

But Skype for Business still comes up short in six areas:

1. Skype for Business still doesn't provide centralized reporting, so business won't be able to monitor how users spend Skype credits. There's no way to monitor or prevent, for example, users from calling 900 numbers and the like.

2. Skype for Business doesn't provide hunt groups where multiple extensions ring when a phone is dialed. Skype was expected to deliver that function in this release.

3. Call transfers still aren't provided.

4. There's no attendant or IVR function, which would redirect calls to other Skype numbers based on user selection. Many IVR functions can be provided through a Web page, but that won't help users who might be calling in from the PSTN.

5. Calls are still encrypted, preventing businesses from ensuring that employees aren't passing information that might violate regulatory restrictions.

6. Forget about E-911 compliance. There is none.

Without those capabilities, don't expect Skype for Business to replace your telephony system any time soon.

Vantis Credit Union Improves Member Services with Nortel SIP Solution

2006-03-10T09:43:00.000-08:00

Nortel
3/6/2006 12:40:03 PM

Expert Anywhere Solution Enables Video-Based Communications

MARCH 06, 2006, ORLANDO - Vantis Credit Union has deployed the Expert Anywhere Contact Solution from Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT], to allow members to interact with service representatives through video kiosks at ATM sites. This allows members to complete transactions which previously required a branch visit. This new solution is designed to make Vantis more competitive by allowing representatives to be more readily accessible regardless of location via a SIP-based multimedia system that allows video, instant messaging and web collaboration.

Expert Anywhere also allows subject matter experts such as loan and investment advisors to be available to the contact center across branch locations to minimize wait times that might otherwise result in abandoned calls.

Vantis is based in Winnipeg, Canada and serves 22,000 members through six branches in Winnipeg with two rural branches in Manitoba.

As a result of this new technology, we are restructuring our internal processes for easy accessibility of our members files from any branch or outlet to provide excellent service at any given time all while reducing our cost base," said Michel Audette, president and CEO, Vantis. "This isn’t about cutting our highly-skilled member service reps, that’s not the effective way. We are focusing on profitable growth and providing superior service. It’s about bringing in new tools that will improve communications with our members."

"We completed a detailed technical analysis to see who has the leading solution. Nortel has the best technology and most importantly, the support required in going forward. Nortel has the capacity to support our project encompassing a call center environment and ongoing application development. The MSC5100 offered a mature platform unparalleled by any competitor. We were very comfortable that Nortel could provide the level of service we need today and as we grow," Audette said.

"Vantis’ innovative roadmap for improving member services with SIP-based applications like video-based services is a typical example of how Nortel is helping its customers maximize their resources through advanced communication solutions," said Roxann Swanson, vice president and general manager, Multimedia Applications, Nortel.

The Expert Anywhere Contact Solution is an integral element of the Nortel Application Center, a SIP-based integrated suite of multimedia applications, consisting of Contact Center 6.0, Multimedia Communication Server (MCS) 5100 and the Communication Server (CS) 1000 IP PBX platforms. Nortel’s Expert Anywhere solution makes agents, no matter where they are, more accessible to customers so that organizations can build better and longer lasting customer relationships.

Nortel Contact Centre Suite Supports IKEA To Improve Performance

2006-03-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

/noticias.info/ IKEA in the UK has deployed state-of-the-art contact center technology from Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT] to speed the resolution of customer requests seamlessly across telephone, email and Web multimedia applications.

The multimedia capabilities of the Nortel solution allow IKEA to resolve more inquiries in less time than with a traditional system, extending its service and reducing costs through increased productivity of IKEA contact centre resources.

In addition, IKEA now has the capability to run outbound campaigns to deliver an improved service to its existing customers. The goal is to provide meaningful information to help customers via the most effective communications medium, regardless of how customers want to access that information.

"Nortel is committed to helping customers like IKEA deliver unparalleled levels of customer service through next-generation contact center technology," said Roxann Swanson, vice president and general manager, Multimedia Applications, Nortel. "To remain competitive, it's essential for organizations like IKEA to raise service levels and adapt to how customers may want to communicate with them. Nortel's contact center solution allows IKEA to meet this challenge head on and remove barriers of distance by giving agents the flexibility and agility to handle customer requests anytime, anywhere."

Nortel's Contact Center 6.0, a key component of the Expert Anywhere Contact solutions, is a next generation SIP-based multimedia contact center which offers a single architecture that enables managers to quickly adapt any contact center to meet diverse customer needs and accelerates customer resolution, often in a single transaction.

In addition to the Contact Center 6.0 solution IKEA is also deploying Nortel's Communication Server (CS) 1000 IP PBX platform, another component of the Expert Anywhere Solution.

Don't Let the Sun Go Down on TDM

2006-03-06T14:41:00.000-08:00

3/6/2006 -- The sun wasn't ever supposed to set on the Spanish or British empires, but, of course, it did. In the same way, optimists have heralded the longevity of Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM), which was first productized more than 40 years ago.

Don't look now, but after several false starts, the sun may finally be setting on the longtime digital voice transmission champ -- if new research from market watcher Infonetics Research is to be believed, that is.

According to Infonetics researchers, the enterprise telephony market is in the midst of a move away from TDM-based circuit switching technology toward packet switching. Between 2004 and 2005, for example, worldwide TDM system revenue fell by 15 percent and IP PBX revenue rose by 23 percent, according to Infonetics Research's latest Enterprise Telephony report.

Taken together, worldwide TDM and IP PBX systems revenue amounted to $8.1 billion last year, a 12 percent increase over 2004's total.

That's just the beginning. Between 2005 and 2009, aggregate telephony revenues will grow by as much as 43 percent (reaching approximately $11.6 billion), even though TDM-related revenues are expected to plunge. During that period, for example, IP PBX revenues could grow by up to 82 percent while TDM revenues could plunge by even more -- 88 percent.

"The PBX market came in at our expectations in 2005, and from a global perspective is doing very well," said Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst at Infonetics Research, in a statement. "Worldwide revenue growth accelerated in 2005, although it's mostly coming from EMEA, Asia Pacific and CALA. North America lost revenue share in 2005 as things slowed down here, showing just 4 percent revenue growth for the year."

In the overall PBX/KTS systems market, Nortel, Avaya, Siemens, Alcatel and NEC (in succession) were tops last year in worldwide line shipments. Nortel led in North America, followed by Avaya and Cisco -- although the North American race, in particular, is still very close, Infonetics said.

Elsewhere, last year Cisco dominated the market for IP phones with 42 percent unit market share.

Avaya and Samsung Form VoIP Alliance

2006-03-03T11:05:00.000-08:00

Avaya and Samsung work together to offer IP solutions to businesses

February 28, 2006
By Ian Elwood

Avaya and Samsung have formed an alliance to create IP communications solutions for businesses. Using the triple-play model, Samsung and Avaya aim to create IP applications that would utilize VoIP, video and data for use in offices. Their goal is to offer converged solutions to businesses with a need for more unified communications.

Korea is slated to be the first market for this new venture, with Samsung reselling Avaya's contact center solution. Both companies will also be developing new technologies in cooperation with one another, drawing on the strengths of Avaya for IP based technologies and the sterngth of Samsung in its ability to market to a global clientele.

This is not the first time the two companies have worked together. In the past Samsung has provided services to Avaya in the form of automation of call centers, e-commerce support, network solutions and a variety of other operations.

If this trend continues we will see a greater increase in alliances between technology makers and service providers. This type of symbiotic relationship is essential for survial in a fiercely competetive market, and companies need to realize the benefit of such partnerships in order to stay in business. Strategically utilizing the advantages of another business that has dominance in a particular market niche is one way to assure that both companies will benefit from such alliances.

Mobile Phone Sales Up 21% In 2005: Gartner

2006-02-28T11:19:00.000-08:00

The top six vendors accounted for 79%of worldwide mobile phone sales in 2005, to the detriment of smaller providers.

By Peter Clarke
EE Times

Feb 28, 2006 06:47 AM

LONDON — Worldwide mobile phone sales totaled 816.6 million units in 2005, a 21 percent increase from 2004, as the leading six vendors increased their share of the market at the detriment of smaller vendors, according to market research company Gartner Inc.

The fourth quarter was strong at 235.1 million units shipped. “Based on preliminary data for the first two months we expect to see a similar trend as in the first quarter of 2005 with a drop over the previous quarter in the region of five to eight percent,” said Carolina Milanesi, principal analyst for mobile terminals research at Gartner, in a statement.

Nokia remained the top vendor in 2005 with 32.5 percent of all mobile phone sales, followed by Motorola on 17.7 percent, Samsung on 12.7 percent, LG on 6.7 percent, Sony Ericsson on 6.3 percent and Siemens on 3.5 percent. Other makers captured 20.6 percent of 2005 unit sales but saw their market share eroded to 16.3 percent by Q4 2005.

The top six vendors accounted for 79.4 percent of worldwide mobile phone sales in 2005. The leaders’ market share increased from 78 percent in the first quarter to 84 percent in the fourth quarter of 2005. However, Siemens was beaten out of sixth place by a fast rising BenQ, which had 4.7 percent of unit shipments in Q4, according to Gartner.

“As competition continues to drive price pressure in the low-end, and a design and technology ‘arms race’ in the high-end, the survival of the fittest depends more and more on economies of scale, or very carefully cut out niche markets,” said Milanesi.

“The industry experienced record sales due to continued strong growth in emerging markets, where falling prices for cellular connectivity — phones and subscriptions — resulted in higher-than-expected sales. In more mature markets, such as Western Europe and North America, replacement sales were driven by users that gave into the charm of highly fashionable devices,” Milanesi said in the same statement.

Market leader Nokia has a market share that is more than double that of its nearest competitor in Europe and Asia, and more than three times its nearest competitor in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. After a difficult 2004, Nokia was able to introduce popular products and bounce back. It took the lead in the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) market with products such as the n70.

Samsung’s static performance in third place was because it preferred to favor margins over market share and a decision not to enter price wars in the emerging markets, Gartner said.

In Western Europe, sales of mobile phones totaled 49.1 million units in the fourth quarter of 2005 and 164 million units in 2005.

In Central Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (CEMEA), as first time subscribers continued to join networks, mobile phone sales for the year reached 153.5 million units. In North America fourth quarter mobile phone sales reached 41.3 million units and 2005 sales reached 148.4 million units. Sales of mobile phones in Latin America reached nearly 102 million units in 2005, a 40 percent increase from 2004.

In Asia/Pacific, mobile phone sales reached 56.4 million units in the fourth quarter of 2005 and 204 million units in 2005. Sales in the region were fuelled by key markets such as China and India. Mobile phone sales in Japan totaled 11.7 million units in the fourth quarter of 2005, and totaled 45 million units for the year. Music player functionality fuelled replacement sales especially by young users.

Looking ahead to results for the first quarter of 2006 Ms Milanesi said, “Chinese New Year, prolonged Christmas and New Year sales promotions in Western Europe and North America, as well as continued growth in emerging markets, will all contribute to strong sales in the first quarter of 2006.

IP PBX Revenues Up 23%, TDM Down 15%

2006-02-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

02.27.06
Doug Mohney

Worldwide IP PBX revenue has risen 23 percent over the last year, while TDM system revenues are down 15 percent, according to the latest Enterprise Telephony report by Infonetics Research (www.infonetics.com).

Together, worldwide TDM and IP PBX system revenue totaled $8.1 billion in 2005, a 12 percent increase over 2004. Over the next five years, revenues are expected to increase at a rate of 43 percent, reaching $11.6 billion as organizations continue to migrate to VoIP. IP PBX revenue will jump up 82 percent while TDM revenue will drop 88 percent.

According to the report, Nortel, Avaya, Siemens, Alcatel, and NEC lead in worldwide 2005 line shipments of PBX/KTS systems. Nortel leads the North American IP PBX market in line shipments for 2005, followed by Avaya and Cisco, but it's a "very close race." Cisco dominates the market for enterprise IP phones with 42 percent market share in 2005. "Hybrid" PBXes accounted for 65 percent of 2005 PBX/KTS revenue, TDM 23 percent, and pure IP 12 percent. Hybrids and pure IP will continue to increase through 2009 while TDM continues to decline.

802.11n: Giant Leap for Wireless

2006-02-28T10:20:00.000-08:00

February 24, 2006

By Dave Molta
Courtesy of Network Computing

The IEEE recently approved a draft of its most significant new standard in the past 10 years: 802.11n, which specifies the means for running wireless LANs at speeds in excess of 100 Mbps. Based on a specification developed by the EWC (Enhanced Wireless Consortium), an association of leading 802.11 silicon developers, the draft was approved unanimously. Even Airgo Networks, whose business might suffer from the standardization of its proprietary MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) technology, voted yes.

Broadcom and Atheros--which, along with Intel, currently dominate the market for enterprise notebook and AP wireless modules--quickly proclaimed the standard a victory for the industry. They congratulated themselves for driving 802.11n, then for announcing products based on the draft, and then for suggesting that the new chips will be compatible with the final standard, which isn't likely to be approved for another 12 months. Still, it's great to see heavyweights Atheros and Broadcom--not to mention Marvel, Intel and Airgo--getting ready to slug it out in the wireless silicon and network reference designs market, where competition is the key to its long-term success.

Products based on the 802.11n draft will first appear in the consumer wireless router market, then in the enterprise, where the standard's speed will favor making wireless the default LAN. It could take three years for 802.11n to become the dominant WLAN standard, but get ready: You could be doing pilots as early as next year.

Why Your Network Needs VoIP Over Wireless

2006-02-28T10:15:00.000-08:00

February 27, 2006

Combining VoIP with Wi-Fi is a natural for most networks. Here's why you should make the move --- now.
By Matthew Friedman

Voice over wireless local area networks (VoWLAN) might just be one of those technologies whose time has come. Combining voice over IP (VoIP) and wireless networking -- the two headline network technologies of the last couple of years, VoWLAN is, quite simply a natural.

"There's a lot of pent-up demand for VoWLAN, and particularly for dual-mode cellular and wireless VoIP phones," Forrester Research principal analyst Ellen Daley says. "There's a pent-up demand because of a fear and concern of wireless phone costs. Companies are saying that 'we see people using their cell phones on office hallways,' and they're interested in reducing those costs."

Indeed, at one level, the equation is quite simple in a carpeted office environment. If you have a wireless network anyway, and your employees are using their company cell-phones to talk as they move from desk to desk and from conference room to cubicle, then you might as well see if you can put it all together and save airtime charges. With the imminent market availability of reasonably affordable dual-mode phones, it's a no-brainer.

However, Daley is quick to point out that company executives who think that it will all simply be a question of giving everyone a new phone will be sadly mistaken. The one thing you can count on, in fact, is that most companies that are thinking seriously about VoWLAN are probably underestimating the complexity involved in actually deploying the technology.

"Just look at wireless LANs," Daley says. "Most are deployed casually, providing guest-access. They're not integrated in the network infrastructure as a whole or scaled-up to be able to support voice. There will be a rude awakening. A lot more of a design process goes in to supporting VoWLAN."

The main issue with mobile phones, at least as far as IP networking is concerned, is that they're, well, mobile. People invariably use their laptops sitting in one place, but the whole benefit of a mobile phone is that you can make a call while walking through a corridor, or standing in some place other than an office. "We might know where mobile data users are -- they're usually sitting at a desk," Daley says. "But with voice, we really can be mobile."

That means that a telephone conversation can move from one access point (AP) to another. If there's a dead zone, because of a wall, or because the radius of one AP doesn't quite overlap the next, calls can be rudely interrupted as the caller strolls between them. Moreover, APs have to be configured to quickly and efficiently hand-off the connection as the caller moves.

It's not so much that hand-offs are such a massive technological hurdle, Daley says. It's just that no one has actually proved its feasibility in a real-world situation. "Vendors are proving this out," she says. "But there has been no high-capacity deployment yet. I think it's going to work, but it's going to need some working-out first."

Indeed, voice is a synchronous form of communication. A connection hiccup when you're downloading e-mail, even to a handheld, might be a minor annoyance, but if you're making a deal on the phone and the connection goes dead, you have a big problem. The connection has to be seamless.

It also has to be smooth and trouble-free. One thing that VoWLAN absolutely demands is reliable quality of service (QoS). "When you're running VoWLAN, you really have to make sure that you have QoS on your wireless LAN infrastructure," Daley says. "Though many products do have the old wireless QoS standard, many don't have 802.11E."

Many of the potential problems associated with voice quality and network pervasiveness can be avoided with careful planning, Daley says. Wireless networks that were set up for convenience and grew organically from there have to be examined for holes and optimized to deal with the special demands of voice.

"You don't necessarily have to invest in new infrastructure," Daley says. "A lot of wireless vendors support voice, but you might need to add some new access points. You have to be much more serious about design and deployment and use tools to plan for high capacity usage instead of just data usage."

The bottom line is that, although its is carried as packets along an IP network, VoIP is not just data. That means that organizations eager to surf the coming VoWLAN wave have to consider carefully how they will move to the new technology and, perhaps more importantly, how dependent they will be on it.

"It's not rocket science," Daley says. "But there is a big difference between what works in the lab and works in the real world. We still have to see how well it will work out."

Will Open Source Kill Cisco?

2006-02-28T10:09:00.000-08:00

February 24, 2006

Cisco enjoys fat-and-happy profit margins for its routers and other networking gear, but an open source startup may sound the death knell for such high-profit hardware. Vyatta is building routers and other net gear using open source software, and has its sights set squarely on Cisco.
So reports Om Malik in this Business 2.0 piece. Malik says that the company's routers, based on open source software, will go into beta this summer, and that prices for them may only be a fifth of what Cisco charges.

The article says that the routers are state of the art, and will handle video on demand and VoIP.
The routers are based on XORP -- extensible open router platform. What makes XORP a potential Cisco killer, Malik note, is that "The versatile open-source application can direct data traffic for a giant corporation as easily as it can manage a home Wi-Fi network."
So it can run not just routers, but any kind of networking gear, to home routers, firewalls and beyond.

The bottom line? Cisco, Juniper, Nortel and other high-margin networking hardware makers may be in for trouble.

Posted by Preston Gralla

IP convergence gathering momentum (Nortel leads)

2006-02-23T13:13:00.000-08:00

Good to see Nortel coming out ontop of the pile for IP line sales. They have in my opinion one of the best Converged IP PBX's available on the market. Every line that Cisco sells is IP. Nortel sells IP where it makes sense. Never discount TDM. TDM makes alot of sense to have in your arsenal when deploying a new Greenfield PBX or upgrading an existing PBX.

Dell'Oro Group sees the writing on the wall for TDM lines

Robert Jaques, vnunet.com 23 Feb 2006

Voice and data convergence is speeding up, according to newly published research from Dell'Oro Group.

The analyst firm reported that sales of PBX IP lines increased 42 per cent year-over-year during the fourth quarter of 2005, while sales of traditional circuit-switched TDM lines decreased by two per cent.

"The momentum is building for IP line sales. For example, the rate of growth in the fourth quarter 2005 was about 50 per cent higher than the past several quarters," said Steve Raab, director of IP telephony research at Dell'Oro Group.

"This new level of growth is sustainable because manufacturers have enhanced the feature richness of their IP products, and users are more familiar and comfortable with voice over IP."

The Dell'Oro Group's IP Telephony Enterprise Quarterly Report showed that Nortel edged out Cisco as the number one supplier of PBX IP lines, with Avaya in third position.

The report also predicted that Nortel is on track to generate more PBX sales from IP lines than TDM lines in the next two quarters.

Blog: Cisco Adds SIP to Call Manager, Finally

2006-02-21T14:34:00.000-08:00

It is interesting to see that people still buy CISCO voice...nobody disputes they are dominant in data, but that does not mean they know anything about voice. Cisco has many years of catch up ahead before it can even begin to compete with the feature richness of a Nortel or Avaya IP/PBX. It is a testament to Ciscos ability to market and sell Ice to their Eskimos.

February 17, 2006
By David Greenfield Courtesy of TechWeb.com

Next month, Cisco will introduce the next release of Call Manager, version 5.0, at the VoiceCon show in Orlando. Lots of changes are to be expected, including support for Linux in addition to Windows Server, and finally support for SIP clients.
That last fact is a big deal. Unless you've been comatose for the past few years or otherwise blissfully ignorant of the VoIP industry, you know Call Manager is the only major IP PBX to not offer SIP client support. Cisco has offered SIP trunking and offers a SIP server for the carrier market, but has no such offering for the enterprise.

The official reason, according to Cisco, is that SIP isn't mature enough for the enterprise. But the scuttlebutt says that 18 months ago internal politics at Cisco killed the SIP efforts to produce an enterprise-class SIP server. Fingers pointed to Marthin DeBeer, then Cisco’s vice president and general manager, and Richard Platt, then Cisco’s vice president of engineering, for eliminating Dreadnaught, a prototype enterprise SIP server. The two were responsible for Call Manager's development and supposedly were threatened by the Dreadnaught team’s ability to add 80 percent of Call Manager's ability within six months, or so the rumors go.

Adding features to CCM has been cumbersome. It took two years to add Music on Hold, for example. Even today, CCM uses its own Skinny Client Control Protocol (SCCP), which lacks presence and isn't well suited for a distributed architecture.
Cisco's SIP adoption may well address at least some of those problems. With SIP support, clients will be able to carry rich presence, reflecting various states and not just whether they’re online. Mobility will also be enhanced as next generation mobile services use IMS, which is based on SIP

What's more, SIP will help IT reduce upfront telephony costs because companies can purchase low-cost SIP phones—at least that's the theory. Enterprise IT will want to look carefully at whether it’ll receive the same level of telephony functionality from a third-party phone that it would receive from Cisco phone.
I
T also must look at how much money can be saved by choosing a third-party telephone. The different interfaces and functions on the phones may save a few dollars upfront, but could well carry higher operational costs over the long run.
Posted by David Greenfield February 17, 2006 05:35 AM

(BCM) Support for Windows NT Embedded Extended

2006-01-06T07:54:00.000-08:00

Microsoft's official position to the general marketplace, is that they will continue to offer support for Windows NT Embedded until June 30, 2006. Nortel would like to inform our distribution partners that Microsoft has recently made available to Nortel, extended support for Windows NT Embedded covering the period from July 1 to December 31, 2006...

The introduction of the BCM 4.0 software release will allow customers adequate time to migrate the balance of the BCM portfolio to Linux through a software upgrade , thereby benefiting from the new Linux operating system, superior management capabilities, enhanced VoIP features and extensive security benefits.

Nortel's New IP 1100 Series Phones

2005-12-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

Well these new phones have me thinking…thinking that for the first time since IP has rolled out from a line-side perspective, these phones are more capable and powerful than the M39XX digital phones, which arguably their IP Phones were never able to match until recently.

The new 1100 series phones offer 10/100/1000 MB layer 2 switch’s in the back of the phone so you can now utilize your Gig to the desktop closet switching and one drop to the desktop environment.

Below are pictures of the new phones. Nortel is also going to be offering up 24 Key based expansion modules as well. The 1140E has Bluetooth built into the handset which can be turned on by the system administrator. Nice option because we all know what Bluetooth does to a business Wireless Data Environment.

Nortel IP Phone 1110 (Standard)

Single line phone

Vertical design for smaller footprint

High-resolution backlit graphical pixel-based display

Adjustable five-position tilt-stand from (-5 to + 55°)

Eight fixed keys and four soft-label keys

Key features:

Integrated 10/100 Base-T switch with PC and LAN Port

Visual Ringing Alerter / Message Waiting LED

Handsfree (listen-only)

Active ethernet link LED indication

Secure Tools Menu to facilitate access to preferences & administration

XAS supports data applications and web browsing

802.3af PoE (Class 2) or local power option

Global character sets*

Wall Mountable

Nortel suite of rich and reliable telephony features

Color: Graphite with Silver Metallic Bezel

Nortel IP Phone 1120E (Intermediate)

Multi-line phone

Four programmable line/feature key appearances

High-resolution backlit graphical pixel-based display

Adjustable five-position tilt-stand (-5 to + 55°)

Vertical design for smaller desktop footprint

Fourteen fixed keys and four soft keys

Key Functional Attributes:

10/100/1000 Base-T with integrated PC & LAN Ports

Integrated headset port for optional wired Headset

USB port for keyboard, mouse and powered hubs

Expansion Module/Console Port

Visual ringing alerter / Message Waiting LED

Active ethernet link LED indication

Secure Tools Menu facilitates access to preferences & administration

XAS/G-XAS supports data applications and web browsing

802.3af PoE (Class 3) or local power options

Global character sets*

Wall or Desk Mountable

Nortel suite of rich and reliable telephony features

Color: Graphite with Silver Metallic Bezel

Nortel IP Phone 1140E (Professional)

Multi-line phone

Up to twelve programmable line/feature keys*

High-resolution backlit graphical pixel-based display

Adjustable five-position tilt-stand (-5 to +55°)

Fourteen fixed keys and four soft keys

Key Functional Attributes:

Integrated Bluetooth radio for office and home-based mobility

10/100/1000 Base-T with integrated PC & LAN Ports

Integrated headset port for optional wired Headset

USB port for keyboard, mouse and powered hubs

Expansion Module/Console Port

Visual ringing alerter / Message Waiting LED

Active ethernet link LED indication

Secure Tools Menu facilitates preferences & administration

XAS/G-XAS supports data applications and web browsing

Global Character Sets**

802.3af PoE or local power option

Nortel suite of rich and reliable telephony features

Wall or Desk Mountable

Color: Graphite with Silver Metallic Bezel

Good job Nortel.

VoIP Is Killing Traditional Telephony

2005-12-28T10:33:00.000-08:00

May 5, 2005
The rapid adoption of Voice over IP (VoIP) is killing off traditional telephony, with 50% of small- to mid-sized enterprises expected to rely on VoIP by 2008, according to a new study by Info-Tech Research. The study found that 23% of small- to mid-sized enterprises are already using VoIP technology and the firm expects the number to grow to 50% by 2008.

Government Report Tackles VoIP Security

2005-12-28T10:07:00.000-08:00

May 23, 2005 While noting the potential of the technology, such as lower costs and greater flexibility, the report states that those deploying VoIP must do more than just plug VoIP components into existing IP networks. The integration of a VoIP system into an already congested or overburdened network could create serious problems. A key pitfall is the assumption that because digitized voice travels in packets just like other data, existing network architectures and security measures can be used as is.

TDM and VOIP

Analysts: Nortel wise to walk away from Avaya

New Microsoft-compatible VoIP phones to compete with Avaya, Cisco

Can Skype Make Friends With the Enterprise?

Fibre is back in demand, says Nortel

Microsoft VoIP Move Creates Dilemma for Enterprise IP PBX Buyers

Report: VoIP Sounds Better than PSTN

Nortel takes another step toward clarity

Nortel to use Followap presence server

The Economist Group Chooses Nortel to Make Communication Simple

IP Desktop Phones go Microsoft

Cisco Details Wireless LAN Vulnerabilities

Cisco Details Wireless LAN Vulnerabilities

VoIP Eats Into Traditional Voice Service Revenue

Six Reasons Not to Deploy VoIP

Nortel, Qualcomm claim speed record

Merger talk keeps Nortel on the line

Australia: St. George Bank deploys Nortel network

Nortel, Sierra make EV-DO test calls

Nortel? Never heard of it.

Pressing interplay

Why Enterprises Aren't Signing Up For Fiber Access Less than 12% of enterprises have fiber access to their offices.

Ten Top VoIP Certification Courses

Top 10 Telecommunications and VoIP Degree Courses

Top Masters, Bachelor's and Associates Degree programs that offer intensivecourses and instruction in telecommunications and VoIP.

Nortel Provides Clear Choice for End-to-End Convergence Solutions for the Enterprise

Nortel combines carrier and enterprise data units under Aziz Khadbai

Nortel Phone System Administration Made Easy with MerAssistant 2.0

First VoIP Retail Offering for SMB Market Introduced by CompUSA, Bandwidth.com and Sylantro Systems

Privacy, Please

Polycom VoIP Desktop and Conference Phones Certified Compatible With Nortel IP Telephony Platform

How To Build The Ultimate Network

Philadelphia To Offer Wi-Fi For Under $20 Per Month

VoIP Enabled for Blackbery Users

Bell Labs Test Reaches 100 Gigabits Per Second

WLAN Sales Grow 10%, Led By Enterprises: Report

Analysis: Avaya's Peer-to-Peer Toothache

The Six Gotchas Of Skype For Business

Vantis Credit Union Improves Member Services with Nortel SIP Solution

Nortel Contact Centre Suite Supports IKEA To Improve Performance

Don't Let the Sun Go Down on TDM

Avaya and Samsung Form VoIP Alliance

Mobile Phone Sales Up 21% In 2005: Gartner

IP PBX Revenues Up 23%, TDM Down 15%

802.11n: Giant Leap for Wireless

Why Your Network Needs VoIP Over Wireless

Will Open Source Kill Cisco?

IP convergence gathering momentum (Nortel leads)

Blog: Cisco Adds SIP to Call Manager, Finally

(BCM) Support for Windows NT Embedded Extended

Nortel's New IP 1100 Series Phones

VoIP Is Killing Traditional Telephony

Government Report Tackles VoIP Security

Top Masters, Bachelor's and Associates Degree programs that offer intensive
courses and instruction in telecommunications and VoIP.