Business News Holding

Tag: counterpath

  • Telesphere’s VideoConnect Makes HD Business Videoconferencing a Reality

    Telesphere recently announced the launch of VideoConnect, a cloud-based videoconferencing service for businesses of every size. Today the company announced that VideoConnect is the first worldwide commercial deployment of Broadsoft’s BroadCloud Video, an enterprise-grade videoconferencing and telepresence service that incorporates Polycom’s standards-based HDX systems and VVX 1500 business media phones, along with CounterPath’s Bria softclients.

    In packaging together the combined capabilities of BroadCloud Video, CounterPath and Polycom, Telesphere now offers businesses of any size enterprise-grade videoconferencing that employees can connect to ranging from room telepresence environments, desktops and the rapidly expanding user base of video-ready smartphones and tablet devices.

    By using the BroadCloud Video call-bridging technology that is powered by the Polycom UC Intelligent Core software platform, Telesphere’s VideoConnect offers support for up to 12 simultaneous meeting participants across various videoconferencing platforms, endpoints and protocols during a single HD videoconference. According to the company, this protocol- and vendor-agnostic approach allows participants using a wide variety of room-based videoconferencing systems, videophones and softphones to all see, talk with and hear one another immediately.

    “VideoConnect makes video conferencing easy for every employee to use and extremely cost effective for every size business to deploy,” said Telesphere CEO Clark Peterson. “By working with BroadSoft, CounterPath and Polycom, Telesphere can now deliver enterprise-grade, cloud-based video communications to every conference room, office, business desktop and laptop in the world.”

    In November 2010, Polycom extended its relationship with BroadSoft with the announcement of BroadSoft's BroadCloud Video service. This cloud service is a hosted infrastructure that integrates with Polycom’s UC Intelligent Core software platform to enable leading service providers like Telesphere to lower the cost and complexity of delivering videoconferencing and unified communications services.

    Leslie Ferry, vice president of marketing, BroadSoft, said: “Telesphere VideoConnect is exactly the type of service-provider offering BroadCloud Video was designed to enable – HD videconferencing that supports multiple devices and integrates seamlessly with key unified communications services, and can be offered with a pricing structure compelling to cost-sensitive and underserved mid-market enterprises. We applaud Telesphere’s innovation in bringing a CapEx-free videoconferencing solution to market that we believe can accelerate adoption of video.”

    VideoConnect features an intuitive user interface with a nearly flat learning curve for employees, as its producer claims. For example, when employees place a call from a videophone or a webcam-equipped personal computer using a softphone such as CounterPath’s Bria, Bria for BroadWorks, Telesphere’s infrastructure detects whether the called party also is video-enabled and, if so, automatically sets up a one-to-one video call. This design eliminates the need for employees to maintain separate videophones, additional numbers or special addresses for colleagues, clients and business partners.

    Direct one-to-one video calls are free, while charges for group videoconference calls using the BroadCloud Video bridge are based on minutes and port usage.

    Additional key VideoConnect features and functionality include:

    ·      BroadCloud Video-enabled support for HD video quality at up to 1080p and connection via SIP, H.264, H.263, H.323 and H.320.
    ·      Employees within the same company can use four-digit dialing for video calls.
    ·      BroadCloud Video-enabled seamless integration of videconferencing with additional or existing enterprise and unified communications services such as web collaboration, IM & Presence and HD voice.
    ·      An intuitive UI that automatically displays the video feeds from the six most recent speakers, with the current one in the center pane.
    ·      For videoconferences with more than two parties, a Telesphere-provided video attendant welcomes each participant to the bridge, requests a passcode and places them in a virtual waiting area if the conference hasn’t begun. This feature enables any size business to provide a highly professional, concierge-level user experience.
    ·      Real-time monitoring that automatically moves participants back to the waiting area if the moderator unexpectedly drops.

    You may also want to read:
    Viber 3G VoIP Mobile App Coming to Android
    Ciscos Cius Tablet Coming to Verizon LTE
    Level 3 Delivers SIP Trunking with Nomadic E-911 Solution for Microsoft Lync

  • 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
    CounterPath Releases Network-Based Mobile Mashup Application
    Skype 2.0 Brings 3G Calling to the iPhone
    Mobile VoIP Becomes a Threat to Tradicional Voice Revenues

  • CounterPath Brings Enterprise-Class VoIP Softphone to the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

    CounterPath has released the Bria iPhone Edition for Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Bria iPhone Edition is a VoIP softphone that works over both 3G and Wi-Fi networks.

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

    It is the latest CounterPath solution for mobile platforms and its first standalone mobile SIP application. Earlier this year, the company launched Linux, Mac and Windows versions of Bria. In addition to the Bria-branded version, CounterPath will also be developing customized white-label versions of Bria iPhone Edition for carriers, OEMs and enterprise customers worldwide.

    “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,” as the company claims.

    Apple currently ranks third in smartphone shipments, with 16 percent of all units in the category in Q1 2010, according to several analyst firms. For all handset types – smartphones and feature phones – Apple is No. 6, with more than 8.7 million shipped worldwide in Q1.

    According to CounterPath, Bria iPhone Edition’s 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.
    • 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
    Juniper Research: Mobile VoIP Users to Exceed 100 Million by 2012
    Skype 2.0 Brings 3G Calling to the iPhone
    Mobile VoIP Becomes a Threat to Tradicional Voice Revenues
    CounterPath Releases Network-Based Mobile Mashup Application

  • CounterPath Releases Network-Based Mobile Mashup Application

    CounterPath announced the launch of NomadicPBX, claimed to be the world’s first turnkey platform for enabling converged mobile and broadband SIP voice, messaging and presence services.

    The application is a presence-based, fixed and mobile voice, and instant messaging/short message service (IM/SMS) technology mashup with a select set of enterprise-ready features.

    According to the company, NomadicPBX gives wireless carriers and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) a cost-effective way to launch enterprise fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) services.

    It enables wireless operators and other service providers to extend their feature sets into small and medium enterprises, which currently account for one-third of all hosted VoIP deployments, according to a recent Infonetics Research survey.

    “The NomadicPBX’s network-based features let operators push deeper into the business market, creating new revenue streams and differentiating themselves based on innovative services rather than price alone,” says the company.

    Carrier customers that currently deploy CounterPath’s NCG platform and Bria client can use the NomadicPBX configuration to create services relevant to other market segments, too.

    The application uses presence for status updates and real-time management of call and message delivery across a wide variety of endpoint types, from PCs to feature phones to smartphones, all from any vendor. This flexibility means enterprises can integrate standard mobile network services into their enterprise communications architecture by leveraging their existing devices.

    Donovan Jones, President and CEO of CounterPath, said, “NomadicPBX is a game-changer that enables wireless carriers, MVNOs and other service providers to escape voice commoditization by offering a wide range of market-differentiating services that are an ideal fit for today’s increasingly mobile workforces.”