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  • CounterPath Brings Multitasking and Multi-Account VoIP Softphone to the iPhone

    CounterPath announced the worldwide availability of Bria iPhone Edition Version 1.1 for Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Compatible with Apple’s new iOS 4 operating system, Bria iPhone Edition 1.1 is a standards-based VoIP softphone that works over both 3G and Wi-Fi networks.

    Bria iPhone Edition 1.1 leverages iOS 4 to deliver to Bria users’ their most requested feature: multitasking on the iPhone. This freedom is particularly valuable for iPhone users that need to reference other applications while on a call, enhancing the device’s value as a business tool.

    The company said that when Apple releases iOS 4 for the iPad, Bria iPhone Edition 1.1 will immediately and automatically extend its multitasking features to that device.

    Bria iPhone Edition 1.1 also features support for up to eight accounts and lets users create a separate dialing plan for each account.

    According to CounterPath, the application also fully supports older devices running iPhone 3.0 “and is ideal for the growing number of SMEs, large enterprises and governments that are deploying iPhones, the iPod touch and iPads for mobile workers, many of whom require full access to their communications services while away from their desk or office. Bria iPhone Edition leverages the iPhone’s native address book and its embedded Bluetooth technology to provide a seamless calling experience while on the move.”

    “Bria iPhone Edition 1.1 takes Mobile VoIP to the next level by enabling iPhone users to take one or more of their VoIP accounts mobile.” said Todd Carothers, VP Product Management CounterPath. “Now with full multitasking and multi-account support, Bria liberates iOS 4 users by truly un-tethering them from the desktop. Bria iPhone Edition 1.1 is the latest example of CounterPath’s commitment to the burgeoning Mobile VoIP market.”

    The company also said that Bria integrates seamlessly with other CounterPath desktop and convergence solutions, as well as with enterprise and carrier infrastructure equipment from major vendors such as Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, BroadSoft, Metaswitch, Avaya, Cisco and NEC. Bria iPhone Edition also supports Asterisk-based telephony systems.

    Bria iPhone Edition 1.1’s other key features include:

    • Full SIP compliance, enabling use with any SIP-compliant server and hundreds of ITSPs that currently offer CounterPath-based services.
    o Bria iPhone Edition appears as another endpoint to service providers or PBX equipment, enabling fast, cost-effective deployments.
    • Call quality that’s superior to circuit-switched wireline and wireless voice, and based on the G.711, G.729 and GSM codecs.
    • An intuitive user interface that provides one-touch access to voicemail, call history, speakerphone and other frequently used telephony features such as 4-digit dialing.
    • Support for DTMF, which lets users enter numbers to access an auto attendant.
    • Bluetooth support, enabling hands-free calling for convenience, as well as safety while driving. (iPhone and iPod touch only).
    • Multi-call management options, including the ability to switch between, merge and split calls, all in ways that are already familiar to iPhone users so they can start using these features immediately.
    • Signaling and call encryption via TLS and SRTP, enabling enterprise-class security.
    • Optional customized branding available for enterprises and telephony providers.

    Related articles
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  • Skype Now Available on Verizon Multimedia Phones on the BREW Platform

    Skype is taking another step forward with Verizon and expanding the Skype mobile application onto a variety of Multimedia 3G phones with an app based on the BREW platform, including the LG enV TOUCH, LG Chocolate Touch and Samsung Reality.

    According to Skype, their mobile app for Verizon Wireless 3G Multimedia phones works the same way it does on the carrier’s smartphones, “letting you make free calls to friends and family on Skype, great value calls to landlines and mobile phones overseas, and send IMs to people on Skype anywhere in the world.”

    On Skype blog, Peter Parkes explains how charging works:

    Skype-to-Skype calls, to or from your mobile, computer or TV
    These calls are completely free (you’ll need a data plan in order to use Skype mobile on your Verizon phone.). They don’t count towards your Verizon minutes allowance.

    Calls to another mobile number or landline number in the US
    These calls count towards your Verizon minutes.

    Calls to an international mobile number or landline number
    These calls are great value – pay for these using Skype Credit or one of our subscriptions.

    “Additionally, as the app runs in the background, you’ll never miss a call,” says Parkes.

    Six months ago, Skype announced a strategic relationship between them and Verizon Wireless to create the Skype mobile application and make it available on a variety of Verizon Wireless’ Android and BlackBerry smartphones.

    Skype mobile is also available for DROID and selected BlackBerry smartphones on Verizon Wireless.

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  • Sonus Enables Cable Customers to Make and Receive Calls on Their Smartphone Using Their Home Phone Number

    Sonus Networks has introduced a new solution for cable operators to add value to their existing home line services.

    Dubbed "Fixed – Smartphone Convergence," cable operators can use new capabilities in the company’s ASX Telephony Application Server to allow cable subscribers with home phone service to combine their existing phone line with up to five additional SIP-enabled devices including 3G/Wi-Fi enabled smartphones.

    According to the company, the Sonus Fixed – Smartphone Convergence solution makes it possible for subscribers to receive or place calls using both their home telephone line (using NCS or SIP call control) and nearly any SIP-enabled device connected to the Internet.

    The solution will ring all of the devices simultaneously and allows users to make and receive multiple calls concurrently as well as allow calls to be transferred to other users.

    "Cable operators are looking for ways to add more value for fixed line customers, and also get more involved in offering mobile services," said Greg Zweig, director of access product management at Sonus Networks.

    "With Fixed – Smartphone Convergence powered by the ASX Telephony Application Server, we are giving cable operators a way to make a subscriber’s home number more valuable and more convenient to access, anywhere in the world. The solution gives MSOs a compelling new offering that leverages the explosion in smart mobile phones and tablet computers," he added.

    Sonus is demonstrating this new solution at the CableLabs Summer Conference 2010 taking place August 15-18 at the Keystone Resort and Conference Center, Keystone, Colo. Live calls coming into the booth’s landline phone will ring simultaneously on different devices including a PC softphone and a SIP-enabled smartphone.

  • ”Big Seven” Smartphone Applications to Drive Future Hardware Designs

    Smartphone manufacturers need to accommodate seven core smartphone applications, the “Big Seven”, in their next generation handset designs, according to In-Stat.

    These big seven applications include email, games, social networking, instant messaging, mapping & directions, music & radio, and weather.

    Combined, the big seven will account for 7 billion downloads worldwide in 2014, says the research group.

    “In-Stat tracks 26 different categories of smartphone applications,” said Frank Dickson, VP of Research. “A designer can optimize a handset for any one of those application categories. However, it’s the big seven applications that phone designers need to accommodate in each and every device.”

    Recent research by In-Stat found that the three applications that have the highest compound annual growth rates through 2014 are micro blogging, mobile banking and VoIP.

    The report also says that the number of Android apps downloaded is growing at the fastest rate; however, Apple applications still dominate both free and paid downloads.

    “The tsunami of mobile applications has created a hyper-competitive market putting significant pressure on prices and margins,” said Dickson.

    According to In-Stat, productivity applications such as mapping, business and enterprise applications and phone tools & utilities generate 59% of all smartphone application revenue.

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  • BT, T-Systems, Vodafone Among Top Hosted Business VoIP Services Leaders in EMEA

    There are over 100 service providers offering business VoIP services in EMEA and new ones being added every quarter, according to “EMEA Business VoIP Services Leadership Matri,” a new report recently released by Infonetics Research.

    “In all parts of EMEA, including Africa and the Middle East, we are seeing strong deployments of IP Centrex services. In evaluating the top 10 IP Centrex providers across the region, we found the list dominated by incumbent operators,” said Diane Myers, directing analyst for service provider VoIP and IMS at Infonetics Research

    According to him, this is reflective of the services landscape in EMEA, which consists of providers competing nationally rather than regionally, resulting in few of the top 10 providers competing against each other.

    The most interesting result is the growing success of providers focused on FMC (fixed-mobile convergence) capabilities, capitalizing on the trend of businesses moving more employees to only mobile devices, says the report.

    The analysts also found that providers with IP Centrex service offerings in multiple countries have an edge in terms of total subscribers or seats due to the size of their network footprints.

    According to the report, the top EMEA IP Centrex service providers overall are, in no particular order: T-Systems, BT, and Vodafone. There is a growing list of providers close behind this top 10 across Western and Eastern Europe and also Africa, signalling continuing strength in IP Centrex across the region

    Unlike in North America, where IP Centrex providers are predominantly competitive operators with financial constraints, financial stability is a non-factor in analyzing the top 10 providers in EMEA.

    The report also says that, while in North America only a few providers have broken the 100,000-seat mark, the top providers in EMEA are all close to or exceed 100,000 IP Centrex seats

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  • Vonage Mobile App Provides Free Wi-Fi / 3G Calling For Facebook Users Worldwide

    Vonage has just introduced the Vonage Mobile application for Facebook, a new service that allows users to make free mobile calls to all of their Facebook friends who have the app, anywhere in the world, directly from their friends list.

    The downloadable application is free to get and free to use. According to Vonage, the new service enhances the ability to connect with Facebook friends through the addition of voice calling.

    It is available for iPhone, iPod touch and Android devices and works over Wi-Fi and 3G /4G networks in most countries.

    “The new service is easy to use,” says Vonage. The app works with a user’s existing community of Facebook friends, so there’s no need to remember screen names or to input numbers. The application eliminates dialing – users can just click on a friend and start talking. When placing a call, the friend’s profile picture and status update display on the screen.

    "The Vonage Mobile app for Facebook is a tangible example of our commitment to deliver extraordinary value and a better communications experience for individuals and their social networks, across broadband-enabled devices, around the world," said Marc Lefar, Chief Executive Officer of Vonage.

    "This is just the start. In the future we will expand on this service to include a wide range of integrated voice and messaging services that change the way people communicate," he added.

    The application can be downloaded from the Android Market in 48 countries and from the iTunes Store in 87 countries. Users who don’t have an unlimited data plan should check with their carrier to see if any charges apply.

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  • ABI Research: Mobile Data Usage Grows but Data Revenue Lags

    Mobile data usage continues to grow exponentially as 3G technology spreads globally. According to ABI Research, from 2009 to 2015 data usage in Western Europe and North America is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 42% and 55% respectively.

    In 2010, the average North American user is expected to consume 159 megabytes of data – up from 100 megabytes in 2009.

    “Mobile voice has already been surpassed by mobile data traffic on some networks, and this trend will only accelerate,” says ABI Research wireless analyst Bhavya Khanna.

    “This boom in usage is driven by the rapid adoption of smartphones in these markets,” he added.

    According to analysts, the explosion in data traffic does not mean a corresponding rise in data revenues for operators, as the popularity of unlimited or fixed price plans caps revenue even as usage grows. Mobile data revenues are expected to grow at a CAGR of about 18% in North America, in sharp contrast to the increase in usage. This presents a challenge for operators as they look to manage the demands on their networks without a corresponding increase in income.

    ABI Research claims that the growth in data traffic comes at the cost of voice: minutes of use are on the decline in developed markets in North America and Western Europe.

    "However, in emerging markets there is still room for voice usage growth. Increasing competition in Africa has reduced tariffs, resulting in minutes of use per user growing by 9% between 2009 and 2010. There is still much room for growth on the continent, as average usage per subscriber continues to be half of that of the Asia-Pacific region," said Khanna.

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  • Apple to Rise to No. 2 in Semiconductor Spending by 2011

    The phenomenal success of the iPad and iPhone is expected to make Apple the world’s second-largest semiconductor buyer in 2011, potentially positioning the company to become the world’s top chip purchaser in 2012, according to iSuppli.

    The research group predicts that with projected semiconductor spending in 2011 of $16.2 billion, Apple will leap over Samsung, which will drop to the third spot after finishing with $13.9 billion. Apple’s one-step rise in the rankings will move the company to a close second place behind Hewlett-Packard, which will retain its No. 1 ranking next year thanks to $17.1 billion in spending.

    "Leadership in semiconductor spending represents a position of prestige, and an advancement in the rankings means that a company has been successful in introducing new products and that it is allocating more dollars in research and development—two factors that, as it turns out, feed innovation as well," said Min-Sun Moon, Senior Analyst at iSuppli. 

    According to him, in Apple’s case, the move to second place reflects the company’s triumph in the iPhone 4 and iPad, two flagship products that have captured the public’s imagination—and have garnered tremendous sales—on a scale unequaled by rival devices.

    Apple’s expected rise to No. 2—eclipsing Samsung and putting it within a hair’s breadth of Hewlett-Packard— indicates that the company’s investment in its new smart phone and tablet has paid off—and will do so for some time to come, he believes.

    Apple’s anticipated growth in 2011 continues the extraordinary arc of expansion enjoyed by the company in recent times. In 2009, Apple recorded a surprising 13 percent increase in semiconductor spending—a year when most manufacturers posted negative growth. This year, spending by Apple will rise by a staggering 54.0 percent to reach $12.4 billion—the highest growth rate predicted for any company. Next year, spending levels will be augmented by another 30.4 percent for the company to catapult to its vaunted second-place finish.

    According to the analysts, barring any unforeseen mergers and acquisitions by current champion Hewlett-Packard, Apple could well snag the top spot as soon as 2012, ousting a company that has held the lead since early this millennium.

    iSuppli data show that for 2010, a number of OEM companies are set to join Apple and post rapid growth in semiconductor spending levels.

    The next five companies following Apple, in descending order, are Lenovo at 47.1 percent; SanDisk at 44.3 percent; Research in Motion at 42.9 percent; Cisco at 37.3 percent; and Acer at 29.4 percent.

    "Overall, semiconductor consumption will continue to increase in the Asia-Pacific region, given the rise of manufacturing levels in the region and because of outsourcing activity flowing out from other areas. Major markets contributing to this trend include compute platforms, wireless communications and wired communications," concluded Min-Sun.

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  • Global Crossing Launches Telepresence Solution

    Global Crossing has announced it is launching an immersive telepresence solution and collaboration tools for high-quality virtual meetings with Teliris.

    The solution is provided on Global Crossing’s Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS)–based global Virtual Private Network (VPN) and tier-one global public Internet network, “ensuring a reliable and secure connection for this premiere video communication technology.”

    According to the companies, through these innovative collaboration tools, “customers will experience enhanced decision-making, reduced travel costs, lower carbon footprints and increased productivity.”

    “From single screen personal solutions to fully custom engineered meeting environments, Global Crossing’s telepresence solution is easy to use, schedule and initiate, and is fully interoperable with other telepresence systems and traditional videoconferencing services,” as the company claims.

    As an added benefit, customers using Global Crossing’s telepresence solution will be able to video stream telepresence meetings through ON24’s Webcast Center platform that delivers HQ video.

    According to Gartner, the global market for telepresence systems endpoints is projected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 25.7 percent between 2008 and 2013.

    Global Crossing has informed that the volume of its collaboration services grew by 13 percent in the first half of 2010 compared to the first half of 2009. Increased usage was driven in large part by the rising cost of energy, business travel restrictions and other global economic factors, the company said.

    "Our telepresence offer represents a milestone in our collaboration portfolio," said Dave Carey, Global Crossing’s chief marketing officer. "Customers around the world continue to demand a wide range of collaboration tools to conduct meetings without boundaries. This new capability transforms the video conference into a true-to-life interactive experience, leading to better global communications."

    Marc Trachtenberg, Teliris CEO and co-founder, said: "We are thrilled to extend our market-leading immersive telepresence and collaboration experience to Global Crossing and its customers. This partnership is the latest example of how Teliris is providing companies around the world with maximum flexibility through a broad continuum of affordable telepresence solutions that wrap around any business requirement."

  • VoicePulse Announces SIP Trunking Interoperability with IPitomy PBX Products

    VoicePulse and IPitomy announced that they have successfully completed interoperability testing between SIP products and services. VoicePulse is now interoperable with IPitomy’s Pure IP PBX platform.

    IPitomy designs and manufactures IP telephony equipment for businesses. VoicePulse delivers SIP trunking, worldwide termination, origination, and phone service to residential and business customers.

    According to the companies, IPitomy’s PBX combined with VoicePulse’s SIP origination and termination services “create a complete phone solution for businesses of all sizes.”

    VoicePulse can now provide new customers using IPitomy’s IP PBX with official configuration guides when setting up VoicePulse VoIP services on their PBX. Businesses using IP PBXs such as Digium’s Asterisk, AsteriskNow, Fonality’s PBXtra, trixbox, FreePBX, FreeSwitch, Switchvox.

    “And now IPitomy can benefit from VoicePulse’s competitive international rates, toll-free services, and failover features all on a “Tier 1” back bone network,” as the company claims.

    “We are confident that with this new relationship, we will see an increase of resellers and new customers combining IPitomy’s IP PBX products with VoicePulse VoIP services,” said Monica Haley, Marketing Associate at VoicePulse.

    “IPitomy sets itself apart from its competitors by providing enhanced features beyond the typical key systems and PBXs of the past,” she added.

    Nick Branica, President and CEO of IPitomy, said: “IPitomy is happy to add VoicePulse to our growing list of qualified SIP providers. SIP providers are a very important component to the growth of the IP PBX market and VoicePulse adds value to our total overall product offering. Open Standards SIP based systems are all about choice.”

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