SEN Group updates OpenScape Voice; Cisco plans iPhone app

Cisco will add voice-over-Wi-Fi capabilities to its existing iPhone application as is expands integration of UC into the mobile space

VoIP, unified messaging, products and services

Recent convergence news includes new OpenScape features from Siemens Enterprise Communications Group; an expanded fixed-mobile convergence offer from Sprint; Cisco's plans for an iPhone application; and a market update on Comcast' progress with VoIP.

20 cool third-party iPhone apps

Siemens Enterprise Communications Group has announced a new release with OpenScape Voice V4, which features some new capabilities with OpenScape Branch and OpenScape Concierge. The OpenScape Branch upgrades extend a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy and a built-in Session Border Controller (SBC) for local SIP trunking connections, improving survivability in the branch office. The OpenScape Concierge application uses unified communications (UC) to support an attendant console, extending "the benefits of UC beyond desktop users to also support telephone attendants," according to the company.

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Recent convergence news includes new OpenScape features from Siemens Enterprise Communications Group; an expanded fixed-mobile convergence offer from Sprint; Cisco's plans for an iPhone application; and a market update on Comcast' progress with VoIP.

20 cool third-party iPhone apps

Siemens Enterprise Communications Group has announced a new release with OpenScape Voice V4, which features some new capabilities with OpenScape Branch and OpenScape Concierge. The OpenScape Branch upgrades extend a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) proxy and a built-in Session Border Controller (SBC) for local SIP trunking connections, improving survivability in the branch office. The OpenScape Concierge application uses unified communications (UC) to support an attendant console, extending "the benefits of UC beyond desktop users to also support telephone attendants," according to the company.

In other FMC news, Sprint has expanded its PBX and UC portfolio with support from Tango Networks' Mobile UC solution, Abrazo. Abrazo extends UC to the enterprise user's Sprint mobile phone from a Cisco Unified Communications Manager or Avaya Communications Manager. Capabilities include single number, single voice mail and a common dialing plan. Sprint mobile integration sales and support if is available from the company's Business Markets Group.

Also relevant to FMC developments, Computerworld has reported that Cisco plans to add voice-over-Wi-Fi capabilities to its existing iPhone application as is expands integration of UC into the mobile space. Cisco already supports some mobile features such as visual voice mail and "Mobile Connect" on the iPhone, using a premise-based Cisco Unified Mobility Advantage server.

And in its most recent earnings announcement, Comcast revealed that it had acquired over 7.6 million voice subscribers by the end of 2009. Comcast, using VoIP, became the third largest wireline voice provider with over 6 million voice customers by beating out Qwest for primary voice subscriber market share one year ago.

Read more about voip & convergence in Network World's VoIP & Convergence section.

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