* Nortel’s statement on SIP
* Few survey respondents work directly with applications providers
* Cisco responds to questions about its commitment to open standards
* Metro Ethernet MAN services redefining the notion of "fast"
* Avaya responds to questions about its commitment to open standards
* Metropolitan-area networks return with sophistication
* Commenting on a reader's challenge of vendors' commitment to open standard VoIP
* Rounding out our reader discussion of the future of user groups
* Reader questions why IP telephony vendors tout proprietary protocols
* What value does Avaya and IBM's SOA-based contact center announcement hold?
