Convergence & VoIP Breaking News

VON trade shows may be in trouble
The founder of Pulvermedia - the producer of VON trade shows - has resigned, leaving in doubt the future of the shows, which were among the earliest venues for Internet voice and video. More..

XO expands Ethernet footprint
XO Communications announced today that it has expanded the reach of its Ethernet services to include more than 500,000 businesses in 75 major metropolitan markets. More..

Skype claims improved voice quality for version 3.8 software
Skype has released an upgraded version of its VoIP software client for Windows PCs that cuts out more background noise and drops fewer calls, the eBay subsidiary said. More..

Adtran announces stand-alone IP PBX
Adtran is introducing at Interop a stand-alone IP PBX and new IP phones. More..

Siemens offers contact-center software for its unified communications server
Siemens is introducing a version of its contact-center software that plugs into the company’s Unified Communications Server. More..

HD videoconferencing for less
LifeSize Communications has a new high-definition IP audio/video package that drops the previous lowest price of its gear for one site by $1,000. More..

XO adds roaming features to its IP-Flex service
XO Communications announced Monday that it has added roaming features to its IP Flex service that are tailored toward remote office work.  More..

Top trend at Gartner conference may be budget cutting
The cost-cutting phase of this economic downturn is coming, and when it does it may arrive like a thunderbolt, with force and immediacy, Gartner Inc. analysts warned at a conference in Las Vegas. More..

5 Essential RIM BlackBerry Keyboard Tips and Tricks
We're always learning new BlackBerry tips and tricks. This week we bring you five advanced keyboard tricks for your smartphone that enable you to switch directly from one active application to another without returning to your home screen, reboot your device without removing your battery and more. More..

How Cisco lost out in networking Battlestar Galactica
The Sci-Fi Network series Battlestar Galactica starts its fourth and final season tonight and Network World has obtained a document written by a Cisco sales trainee describing his sales meeting with senior Galactica officials about upgrading the Galactica network. The author of this story would like to give special thanks to the devoted Battlestar Galactica fans at Battlestar Wiki, without whom this piece would not have been possible.  More..

Laptop makers go for single adapter, both 3G cell standards
The U.S. has a cell data standards problem that Qualcomm aims to bridge for business travelers who want mobile broadband around the U.S. and around the world. The three 3G (third-generation) cell carriers in the U.S. use two different standards. AT&T backs the GSM-evolved UMTS and HSPA; Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel use EVDO, which comes out of Qualcomm's labs as an evolution of CDMA. (T-Mobile has no 3G service deployed yet, but it's coming soon, and will be GSM-flavored.) More..

Taking a cautious approach to convergence
Lessons learned from a VoIP foot-dragger include keeping an eye on phone costs and making sure you have enough network capacity to support converged traffic. More..

11-year-old takes school network by the horns
Preteen steps in to install security gateway, grudgingly agrees to MySpace blocking. More..

Unified communications early adopters tout benefits
ORLANDO -- Businesses presenting their stories at this week’s VoiceCon Orlando 2008 are finding that unified communications can increase productivity, reduce costs, speed up customer service and even do good things for the environment. More..

Microsoft buys its way into call centers
Microsoft and Aspect Software are working on a unified communications-based contact center that integrates with Microsoft's Office Communications Server 2007, potentially pushing the joint products into use in Fortune 100 companies that are already Aspect customers. More..

IBM says traditional e-mail, phones and desktops will go away
IBM foresees the demise of e-mail, phones and desktops as unified communications makes it possible to replace them with laptops and other mobile devices. More..

Al Gore and Cisco's John Chambers get green together
Cisco CEO John Chambers and former Vice President Al Gore teamed to discuss environmental issues and possible technological solutions during the session, speaking from Cisco telepresence rooms in San Jose, and Nashville, Tenn., respectively. More..

Bidding on VoIP systems is all about the details
VoIP systems vary in so many ways that businesses need to comb through the gory details of what vendors offer to make sure they get the features and functions they need, attendees were told at VoiceCon Orlando 2008. More..

Avaya CEO calls for democratization of unified communications
Unified Communications needs to be brought to the masses, and in the process that can help solve the country's current economic woes, VoiceCon Orlando 2008 attendees were told Tuesday. More..

Microsoft calls $300 high-def cam videoconferencing for masses
ORLANDO -- Microsoft is working with Tandberg to deliver a $300 high-definition video camera by next year that it said will bring high-quality video conferencing to the masses. More..

Unified communications to dominate VoiceCon
Unified communications will be the rage at the VoiceCon Orlando conference this week with big-name vendors such as IBM, Microsoft and Nortel announcing products and alliances while others charge in with UC products they announced last week in order to generate pre-show buzz. More..

Avaya creates unified communications bundles
Avaya is introducing four bundles of its gear at VoiceCon Orlando that are designed to address specific business needs: teleworkers, mobile workers, home call-center agents, small businesses. The company is also offering a bundle for branch offices for chain stores and banks. More..

Peeling the layers off the UC onion
The fire has been lit, and the frequency with which the term 'unified communications' appears in discussions concerning enterprise technology today only adds fuel to the flames. To ignore it would be akin to closing an eye on a smoking kitchen stove." More..

Extreme Networks, HP boost VoIP security
Extreme Networks is coming out with more secure VoIP technology and fellow LAN switch maker HP ProCurve is announcing a partnership with Mitel at VoiceCon Orlando this week. More..

BT partners on software-based SMB phone system
BT has partnered with a U.S. company, RingCentral, to offer an Internet-based phone system in the U.K. that's easy for small and medium-size businesses to configure and maintain. More..