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  • Kroll Survey: Employees Are "Wildcard" In Data Storage Practices


    While implementing data storage policies that mandate where company files are to be stored is a popular data-protection measure, employees are not necessarily complying.

    This is leaving organizations vulnerable to data loss, according to a survey.

    Kroll Ontrack found that 40 per cent of individuals surveyed said their companies had a policy regarding where data should be stored.

    However, the survey results also revealed that 61 per cent of respondents "usually" save to a local drive instead of a company network.

    While the risks associated with saving to a local drive could be minimized with an external backup drive or backup software, 44 per cent of respondents said that their preferred storage location was not backed up.

    Jeff Pederson, manager of operations for Ontrack Data Recovery, said saving to a local hard drive on a desktop or laptop more often than not contradicts data storage policies.

    He said regulations usually require employees to save to a network folder.

    "With the majority of employees saving to unprotected, local drives, companies could be at risk for losing anything from project plans and spreadsheets to customer data and financial information," he said.

    Pederson added that having guidelines to save documents to a network better ensures employee data is regularly backed up in accordance with company data retention procedures – and reduces the chance of data loss.

    Brian Lapidus, chief operating officer of Kroll’s Fraud Solutions, a practice of the Background Screening division, said the survey results confirmed its findings.

    "Employees are the wild cards in policies and procedures, he said.

    "Companies must ensure that employees receive ongoing education to understand the risk of actions that do not follow the plan."

    To help businesses avoid losing critical data, Ontrack Data Recovery specialists recommend that companies have a clear, well communicated data storage policy in place for their employees.

    Companies should also ensure that data recovery is included in their overall disaster recovery or business continuity plan.

    To this end, they should identify and partner with a data recovery provider that is able to quickly respond to any type of data loss scenario.

    Pederson said the survey showed that data storage polices do not necessarily safeguard a vast quantity of critical company data.

    "This fact, coupled with the vast number of information-oriented regulations that have been enacted reinforces that companies need to be prepared to respond to data loss at the individual-employee level," he said.

  • MyGlobalTalk Prepares Single-SIM Mobile VoIP Solution

    INTERVIEW: Larry Stessel, CMO of i2Telecom, talks to voip.biz-news about a new mobile VoIP solution being readied for launch.
    The new technology will allow users to make low-cost international calls from anywhere in the world using one SIM card.

    i2Telecom’s MyGlobalTalk was the winner of voip.biz-news’ Product of the Year Award 2008.

    i2Telecom’s MyGlobalTalk (MGT) launched in the US last June as a Beta version for BlackBerry and non-smartphones.

    It allows users to bypass their current phone providers’ high international rates and use i2Telecom’s low VOIP Digital Service rates for international calls.

    Since then, support for MGT has expanded and now works on most smartphones – Blackberry, Android, Symbian or Windows devices, with the iPhone expected shortly – plus any cell phone, land line or computer.

    Larry Stessel, CMO of i2Telecom, told voip.biz-news that the current version of MGT worked "perfectly" for international calls made from the US.

    But he said that within the next few months new technology is to be introduced that allows users to call from anywhere in the world using one SIM card.

    Larry Stessel, CMO i2Telecom

    MGT’s goal has been to duplicate the ease with which callers’ were able to phone anywhere within the US – regardless of which state they were in – simply by dialling the number and not worrying about high call rates or complicated call-back systems.

    i2Telecom is also preparing a widgets launch which will allow MGT to be used from Outlook, iGoogle or Facebook.

    "A lot of companies offer the ability to call from overseas for reduced rates," said Stessel.

    "But the technology is often based on call-back systems. We wanted to create something simple.

    "We don’t want people to be carrying a pack of SIM cards when they travel overseas.

    "What we wanted to do was figure out a way to duplicate the American system.

    "In the next couple of months we will be offering a single SIM card that allows users to make calls abroad at the lowest price."

    iPhone Support Soon

    When using a smartphone the application auto detects any international call being made and instantly reroutes it over the MyGlobalTalk Digital Network.

    Stessel, a 30-year veteran of the music industry, said they were still awaiting approval of their application to Apple’s app store.

    But he said the beta worked "phenomenally" on the iPhone, with really fast connection times and crystal clear call quality.

    When the solution is used on home or business lines, callers have to dial an access number, then the international number before being connected.

    Stessel said the seed for MGT came from another of i2Telecom’s products, a flash drive Internet phone service called VoiceStick.

    He said when users sign up for that service they receive a 10-digit DID number as part of the package.

    "We realised that we were missing out a bit on the DID number and over the course of one day we started talking about its possibilities," he said.

    "We realised we could give customers the ability to call from any phone to any number at reduced rates.

    "The more we talked about it, the more excited we became and by the end of the day we had come up with MyGlobalTalk."

    That was in October 2007. Stessel said that over the next year i2Telecom’s technicians created the code that enabled MGT to be a one-touch call on smartphones.

    Users simply go into their contacts, select the one to call and the call goes through.

    By the beginning of September 2008, the Blackberry and Windows versions were completed.

    "We wanted to remove the step of dialling 10-digit numbers and then an international number," said Stessel.

    Aggressive Marketing Campaign

    Marketing of the product has so far been low-key, largely because resources have been used to create the server system and customer services. Everything is housed in a technology park in Atlanta, Georgia.

    That is about to change, according to Stessel, who said an aggressive marketing campaign is being prepared for the roll-out of the new technology, which he forecast would be by the end of June.

    "We have been very careful not to rush out a product overseas that is not ready," he said. "We wanted to get it right first time."

    Key markets for MGT are:

    • SMBs – companies ranging from 1 up to 2000 employees
    • Immigrants
    • Military

    Stessel said the i2Telecom team really understood business users’ needs.

    He said MGT could drastically reduce the cost of communications for enterprises – whether it was for calls abroad from the US or for employees who had to use their mobiles outside the US.

    "I don’t think we have a competitor," he said. "You can talk about Fring all day long, but there are complications with it. I think we are the best app on the market."

  • Visualon Integrates On2 VP6 Video Into Mobile Apps


    On2 Technologies has licensed its On2 VP6 video format and software to VisualOn Inc.

    VisualOn is to integrate VP6 decoding software into its multimedia application suite for mobile platforms.

    These software applications allow consumers to play rich multimedia content on mobile devices without expensive dedicated hardware.

    The power-efficient software codecs and multimedia applications offer everything needed to enable video, audio, and still image applications on a range of devices.

    Last month, On2 Technologies announced a 1080p video encoder aimed at improving image quality and compression performance in battery operated devices and consumer electronics.

    The new hardware design, the Hantro 8270, supports H.264 Baseline, Main and High Profile video along with 16Mpixel JPEG still images.

    Yang Cai, CEO of VisualOn, said the widespread presence of On2 VP6 content on the web makes it an essential format for VisualOn’s product portfolio.

    "Adding VP6 to our application suite will enable mobile users to watch high-quality VP6 without requiring a bleeding-edge processor or a pocketful of batteries," he said.

    "Our customers as well as consumers ultimately benefit from the high quality, lower power, and reduced cost achieved through VisualOn’s partnership with On2."

    On2 VP6, through its inclusion in the Adobe Flash and Sun JavaFX application platforms, has become the de facto format for web video and a fundamental requirement for Internet-connected mobile devices.

    Matt Frost, COO and interim CEO of On2 Technologies, said that when compared to H.264 Baseline profile (a video format used in wireless applications) On2 VP6 content offers 10-20 per cent better video compression performance while requiring less computing power to play.

    He said that as a result, VP6 enables a wider range of mobile devices to play high-quality content without sacrificing battery life.

    "We are pleased to have VisualOn optimize and integrate On2 VP6 to their application suite," he said.

    "They have exceptional skill and experience in delivering highly optimized multimedia software for mobile devices, and we look forward to seeing high-performance playback of our codec as an integral part of their solutions."

  • Gizmo5 CEO Challenges Skype For SIP


    The CEO of Gizmo5 Michael Robertson has responded to last week’s announcement of Skype for SIP by posting a comparison (see below) of the new service and his own company’s OpenSky.

    While welcoming Skype’s initiative, he described it as a "vaporware announcement" with "murky pricing details".

    Writing on his blog, Robertson said he has been a vocal advocate for open standards, both in music with my company MP3.com and in VOIP with Gizmo5.

    He said open standards have always give consumers more choices and ultimately better value.

    "V0IP standards got a huge boost this week with two announcements," he said.

    Roberston said these were Gizmo5’s launch of its SIP for Skype service called OpenSky, which lets any SIP device call Skype and receive their Skype calls, and Ebay’s announcement of Skype for SIP.

    "These announcements are a huge boost for SIP as the open standard which will let calls move freely from any calling device or network," he said.

    "It’s great to see Skype inching towards a more interoperable world. Even if this is a vaporware announcement at least their heart is in the right direction."

    Robertson compared Skype For SIP with Skype for Asterisk, announced last year, saying that Skype’s business offering is not yet available and pricing details are murky.

    In response to Robertson’s blog comments, Skype said its SIP offering is available now.

    While there are other details that will undoubtedly be challenged by Skype, Robertson’s riposte will certainly give any enterprise pondering the services something to chew over.

  • HD Voice Has Potential To Reverse Decline in Landlines


    Deploying HD voice services on both landline and mobile systems would provide carriers with a service differentiator and a product with a price premium people are willing to pay for.

    That’s the opinion of VoIP industry expert Jeff Pulver, who says HD voice has the potential to reverse the trend of declining landline sales.

    "People will start to purchase home lines again because it sounds so damn good," he told FierceVoIP.

    Pulver is organizing the HD VoIP Summit, an event which will explore issues associated with the widespread deployment of HD VoIP.

    It is being held in New York on 21 May and will include vendors demonstrating products and platforms, as well as discussions on the issues and challenges in transforming the existing communications infrastructure into one which supports HD.

    "I believe HD voice holds the same promise for the telecom industry as format changes in the entertainment industry," he wrote on his blog.

    "With enough interest, together we can trigger a replacement cycle like the one observed currently with HDTV."

    Pulver said failure to change the communications infrastructure would put traditional communication networks at risk of becoming disintermediated as better sounding means of communication naturally evolve.

    He said the purpose of the event is to bring together a leadership team, built around vision and change, and to bring together telecom catalysts to effect this change.

  • IP Players Create Recession Strategies As 2008 Revenues Fall


    Customer spending on new IP lines and desktop gear declined significantly last year in North America compared with 2007.

    Much of the downturn during 2H08 can be attributed to fewer orders from three key verticals devastated by the recession: financial services, manufacturing and retail, according to research from T3i Group LLC.

    The report confirms all sectors of the telecommunications manufacturing industry have been affected negatively by the global economic situation.

    However, it says the major North American networking suppliers – Cisco, Avaya, Nortel, Mitel and NEC – have crafted ways to survive the downturn.

    According to report "InfoTrack for Enterprise Communications Full Year 2008 Report", the decline led to US manufacturer revenues in 2008 totalling USD $3.7 billion, down 11 per cent from 2007, while Canadian revenues for 2008 totaled USD $289 million, down 8 per cent from 2007.

    The InfoTrack report also found total average selling prices (ASP) were down 1 per cent in 2008, with IP platform prices dropping 4 per cent due to reduced demand resulting from capex cutbacks and the shutdowns of unprofitable business locations.

    IP revenues in total fell 7 per cent during the 12-month period, although smaller key system pricing remained stable (down less than 1 per cent) due to the addition of embedded IP, wireless and applications functionality.

    Bob Olson, Voice Technologies Analyst at T3i Group, said there could be a near-term solution to slowed IP telephony spending: monies promised in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (also known as the stimulus package).

    "Fortuitously, the biggest winner for the telecom sector in the appropriations portion of the final 2009 stimulus bill is infrastructure, with nearly USD $137 billion targeted for miscellaneous improvements, including USD $9 billion to expand broadband Internet access," he said.

    "The justification for the USD $9 billion is based on building a level playing field for rural programs, including schools, libraries and hospitals. All that translates into new software and hardware sales."

  • Skype Taking Larger Share of International Voice Traffic


    International voice traffic continues to rise – despite the availability of an ever-broader range of substitutes for standard telephone calls.

    Cross-border telephone traffic grew 14 per cent in 2007 and is estimated to have grown 12 per cent in 2008, to 384 billion minutes, according to data from TeleGeography.

    Due to declining call prices, however, revenues have largely been flat.

    But if international telephone traffic is increasing at a modest pace, Skype’s international traffic has soared.

    TeleGeography estimates that Skype’s cross-border traffic grew approximately 41 per cent in 2008, to 33 billion minutes.

    This is equivalent to 8 per cent of combined international telephone plus Skype traffic.

    TeleGeography analyst Stephan Beckert said Skype’s traffic growth has been remarkable.

    "Only five years after its launch, Skype has emerged as the largest provider of cross-border voice communications in the world," he said.

    Not all of Skype’s traffic is a net loss for international carriers.

    Skype’s paid-for ‘Skype Out’ service, which lets users make calls to standard telephones, generated 8.4 billion minutes of calls in 2008.

    Skype relies on wholesale carriers, such as iBasis and Level 3, to connect this traffic to the telephone network.

  • GE Delays Launch of HDTVs


    General Electric is to delay its re-entry into the television market after a 20-year gap as a result of "marketing issues".

    The company announced in September that it was to offer GE-branded HDTVs in partnership with a Taiwanese company.

    Now it has emerged that the company is pushing everything back by around three months, according to Engadget.

    It reports that the setback isn’t due to "operational or manufacturing issues", but suggests it may have more to do with a desire to better implement connected HDTV features.

    Whatever the reason, GE hasn’t picked the time to be re-entering the market – and its pre-launch jitters certainly don’t inspire great hope in the as-yet unseen product.

  • Europe's HDTVs "Starved of HD Content"


    FutureSource Consulting has produced an interesting chart (see below) that highlights the gulf between HDTV ownership and the penetration of Blu-ray disc players in Europe.

    It shows that there are 69 million HD-ready TV sets but just 8 million Blu-ray players,including PS3 consoles – prompting the title: "61 million TVs starved of HD content".

    While HD content is obviously available from other sources – such as VOD and HD broadcasting TV stations – the chart clearly shows how much work remains for backers of Blu-ray to get the high-def format into the mainstream.

    The UK tops the chart with 42 per cent of households owning a HDTV and 9 per cent a Blu-ray player.

    Germany comes bottom with 24 per cent with HDTVs and 3 per cent with a Blu-ray player.

    FutureSource is bullish that the numbers of HDTVs seemingly devoid of HD content will soon be reduced.

    It forecasts a strong rise in Blu-ray Player sales – up to 19 million in Western Europe for 2009 and 45 million players by the end of 2011.

  • Canon Offers First Entry-Level DSLR With HD Video


    Canon today launched its Rebel T1i DSLR – its first-ever entry-level DSLR with 1080p HD video recording.

    The 15.1-megapixel camera uses the DIGIC 4 imaging processor to record either full 1080p video at 20 frames per second or 30 frames per second at 720p.

    Other notable specs include a 3.0-inch Live View screen, a Digic IV processor, ISO 12.8k sensitivity, and the same 18-55 IS EF-S kit lens as the XSi.

    Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon USA, described the latest addition to Canon’s Rebel lineup as "an entry-level juggernaut".

    "We are witnessing the emergence of a new phase in digital imaging history, as high-resolution still images and HD video can now both be produced in a hand-held device, for under USD $1,000," he said.

    The EOS Rebel T1i DSLR is scheduled for delivery by early May at an estimated retail price of USD $799.99.