Business News Holding

Tag: hardware-and-technology

  • InterAct First to Validate Next Generation 9-1-1 Architecture

    InterAct, a provider of software for enterprises and government agencies, announced the successful integration with proposed Next Generation 9-1-1 architecture.

    The company is one of the first two nationwide U.S. vendors to achieve this integration. It is also the only provider to completely process end-to-end NG9-1-1 calls from the caller to the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Geographic Information mapping systems (GIS) using nothing but IP connections.

    At NENA’s 2009 conference, InterAct showcased its ability to route wireless 9-1-1 calls into the DOT public safety test system and instantly deliver all data associated with the call to a full dispatch position without the use of legacy tone-based caller identification or serial subscriber lookup.

    A wireless 9-1-1 call placed from the NENA 2009 Conference in Ft. Worth, Texas was immediately routed through InterAct’s Next Generation IP-enabled 9-1-1 controller in Ottawa, Canada back to a call-taker position in Ft. Worth. Simultaneously, the automatic location information (ALI) was sent from the controller to an InterActCADtng server in Winston-Salem, NC and transmitted over a low bandwidth wireless network using an air card to a dispatch position in Ft. Worth where the caller location was plotted on the InterActGIS map display, and a call created in the InterActCADtng workstation. With this accomplishment, InterAct demonstrated that it is possible to dispatch incident response personnel from anywhere in the world.

    “9-1-1 centers have a dire need for Next Generation capabilities,” said Brian Fontes, CEO of NENA. “Regardless of whether a caller dials 9-1-1 from a wired, voice-over-IP or wireless phone, the location information should be instantly transmitted to the correct public safety answering point. Next Generation 9-1-1 makes this possible and enables the PSAP to receive and react to multimedia messages that cannot be handled by the current system”.

    Using NG 9-1-1 technology not only will agencies be able to communicate with citizens via text and video messages, but they can also choose to centralize all public safety equipment to drive down costs and collaborate with other agencies, while keeping dispatchers in the local communities they know best.

  • xMax Offers Alternative Path for VoIP Across Mobile Networks

    Resistance by wireless carriers to allowing customers access to VoIP services across their mobile networks has attracted the attention of the regulators, with the US Department of Justice, the Federal Communications Commission and the European Union all looking into the practice.

    xG Technology claims they had developed an alternative path that allows consumers to benefit from much lower cost mobile calls via the internet, avoiding the incumbent carriers’ networks all together.

    The company developed xMax, which is similar to Vonage or Skype, but in the form of a fully mobile handset that doesn’t require the use and extra cost of a computer or broadband internet connection.

    xG Technology claims they can offer consumers the prospect of lower phone bills because xMax transmits over unlicensed spectrum – the same as baby monitors and cordless phones and because xMax was built as a totally internet-based digital system from top to bottom in a extremely cost efficient way.

    The firm recently reported that they had completed more than 20,000 successful wireless pilot network calls using a new approach to mobile telecommunications.

    “There was understandable skepticism when we first announced that we were taking an entirely new approach to launching a mobile, broadband VoIP network,” said Joe Bobier, CTO and president of operations. “Our successful call completion experience proves that we are on the right track and that, with xMax, the future holds the prospect of lower costs for wireless voice and broadband”.

    According to the company, xMax networks can enable communication providers to aggressively compete with national carriers by offering customers unlimited voice and data plans both locally and long distance, extremely low-cost international calling, no contracts, as well as home phone and high-speed internet service.

    xG Technology is a US based company, but development of xMax is an international effort that involves companies in Europe and Asia. They currently have 50 US and 101 international patents.

  • Microsoft Unveils Zune HD Details

    Microsoft announced today that the Zune HD, its long-awaited media player, is available now for pre-order and is set to hit store shelves on Sept. 15.

    The black 16 GB version will sell for $219.99, and the 32 GB "platinum" device for $289.99. Both 16GB and 32GB capacities will be available in five different colors with the option to customize the player with one of 10 new engravings designed by guest artists.

    Pre-order starting Thursday, Aug. 13 at https://www.zune.net/zunehd and purchase in stores on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

    Those who want a sneak peek, can visit select stores in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C., areas on Aug. 22 and 23.

    Zune HD features 3.3-inch glass screen and 16:9 widescreen format display (480 x 272 resolution) and have HD video output to allow video to be played on an HDTV.

    It comes also with built-in HD Radio receiver, an OLED touch screen interface, wi-fi, a multi-touch UI for Internet Explorer and has access to TV, movies and games through the Xbox Live Video Marketplace.

  • Harris Stratex to Supply India’s First Urban Mobile WiMAX Network

    Harris Stratex Networks, a provider of wireless solutions, has signed a contract with ICOMM, one of India’s leading groups in the field of telecom, to supply, install, commission and maintain an IEEE 802.16e mobile WiMAX network for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL).

    Under the multi-year contract, Harris Stratex will supply its StarMAX WiMAX solution to extend BSNL’s public wireless access network to provide high-speed wireless mobility in urban areas across the southern Indian state of Kerala.

    Harris Stratex will supply StarMAX IEEE 802.16e-2005 base stations, along with solutions for access services network (ASN) gateway; home agent; authentication, authorization and accounting; and network management system.

    “We greatly appreciate BSNL’s strategic leadership in India and its efforts to help the government reach its target of 20 million broadband subscribers by 2010, and are extremely proud to be a part of this very important undertaking,” said Harald Braun, president and CEO of Harris Stratex.

    BSNL is the world’s seventh-largest telecommunications company and provides a telecom services to 7,330 cities and towns, and 550,000 villages across India.

    The contract award to ICOMM and Harris Stratex will enable broadband services to be deployed throughout the state of Kerala, India’s fourth largest telecom market by revenue with a population of more than 35 million people in an area of 38,000 square kilometers.

    “This mobile WiMAX rollout by BSNL will represent one of the largest deployments of this technology in the world,” the companies announced.

    The StarMAX platform is the result of the March 2, 2009 acquisition of Telsima Corporation by Harris Stratex Networks and includes a portfolio of IEEE 802.16d-2004 and 16e-2005 compatible base stations, fixed and mobile subscriber devices, ASN gateway solutions, home agent and network management tools.

  • Toshiba Enters Blu-ray Group

    Toshiba announced that the company has applied for membership of the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) and plans to introduce products that support the Blu-ray format.

    Almost seven-year format war is over. Toshiba, the primary backer of the HD DVD format, which has been defeated after a number the largest movie studios (e.g. Warner Brothers) and U.S. rental services and retailers announced the exclusive support for Sony backed Blu-ray products, finally decided to join Blu-ray group.

    “In light of recent growth in digital devices supporting the Blu-ray format, combined with market demand from consumers and retailers alike, Toshiba has decided to join the BDA,” says the company’s brief statement.

    Toshiba aims to introduce digital products that support the Blu-ray format, including BD players and notebook PCs integrating BD drives, in the course of this year.

    The first rumors of the company’s new HD strategy appeared in June this year, when the Toshiba’s president, Atsutoshi Nishida, told shareholders at the annual shareholder meeting in Tokio, that the company is considering making Blu-ray products.

    Later, at the end of July, the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun raported that Toshiba would introduce a Blu-ray player called BD-18 before the end of the year. Thus the latest company’s announcement didn’t surprise anyone at the HD market. The decision to support Blu-ray format is considered a good (and the only logical) business move.
     

  • Nexsan and FalconStor to Deliver New Nexsan DeDupe SG Family

    Nexsan Technologies, the provider of disk-based storage and FalconStor Software, the provider of data protection solutions, announced a strategic venture to deliver a joint solution, which has resulted in the delivery of an integrated deduplication product family for high-performance, power-efficient data storage.

    Based on Nexsan’s storage systems and the FalconStor File-interface Deduplication System (FDS) software, the new, Nexsan DeDupe SG ("Speed with Green") product family will be delivered by Nexsan through its worldwide network of channel partners.

    "The new self-optimizing capability of this product will help companies realize benefits in both power and data efficiency while automating critical storage management processes," said Lauren Whitehouse, senior analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group.

    Storage deduplication systems are primarily used as backup targets, operating only during the backup window. Even though the typical backup window is less than eight hours a day, the deduplication systems spin drives and burn energy for the remaining 16 hours, even while not in use. With Nexsan DeDupe SG, customers are supposed to get higher capacity and better performance during their backups and to save energy and reduce costs every hour that the system is not in use.

    Nexsan DeDupe SG leverages the green efficiencies inherent to its technology components: data reduction through high-speed deduplication, footprint reduction by utilizing space-efficient storage arrays, and substantial energy savings through AutoMAID technology.

    It also maximizes interoperability with all data sources, including disk-to-disk backup and archiving applications. It can be deployed in any physical or virtual infrastructure environment, offering file-level access to a central block-level deduplication repository. The product supports all major backup software, directly accepts Oracle RMAN, Microsoft SQL and other database dumps, and provides integrated data replication and deduplication.

    FalconStor FDS, the deduplication engine for the Nexsan DeDupe SG family, is a block-level deduplication software solution that presents a network share interface as a backup repository, offering space-saving option for writing data to disk.

  • Sky to Launch 3D TV in 2010

    Sky has announced that it will launch the UK’s first 3D channel next year. The channel will offer a broad selection of the available 3D programming, which is expected to include movies, entertainment and sport.

    The service will be broadcast across Sky’s existing HD infrastructure and be available via the current generation of Sky+HD set-top boxes. To watch 3D, customers will also require a new ‘3D Ready’ TV, which are expected to be on sale in the UK next year.

    “3D is a genuinely ‘seeing is believing’ experience, making TV come to life as never before. Just like the launch of digital, Sky+ and HD, this is latest step in our commitment to innovating for customers,” said Brian Sullivan, Managing Director of Sky’s Customer Group.

    Sky became the first TV company in Europe that has successfully broadcasted a live event in 3D TV. On 2nd April 2009 they broadcast a performance by Keane live from Abbey Road Studios via the company’s satellite network to a Sky+HD set-top box and domestic 3D Ready TV.

    Sky has also confirmed the launch of a comprehensive ‘pull’ video-on-demand (VOD) service next year, to provide Sky+HD customers with additional choice and control to complement Sky+ and the current Sky Anytime ‘push’ VOD service. This new service will use the broadband capability of existing Sky+HD boxes.

    The jump from 2D to 3D

    TV has traditionally only been able to deliver a single image to a television screen. For all the innovation that we’ve seen in TV (including the move to colour, the migration to digital, and more recently, the launch of high definition services), all of these developments have only been able to work within the parameters of a single incoming TV feed – a 2D experience.
    So even though HD delivers an intensity and richness which results in exceptional clarity and detail, it is still based on the same underlying picture delivery mechanism as previous TV formats.

    3D TV is possible because of a series of major breakthroughs (principally in camera, post-production, encoding, set-top box and TV set technology) which means that domestic TVs are now capable of processing an image in a way that can deliver the depth information to the brain – much like the human eye – and hence add a further dimension to HD.

    For the first time, two images can now be merged and played out simultaneously on the same domestic TV display. Polarising glasses are currently used to help direct the correct left or right full colour on-screen image to the corresponding eye. The brain then processes each feed to create a single image, providing a level of depth and focus which means that the content is able to move to and from the foreground and therefore becomes three-dimensional.

  • Atlona Announces New AT-HD530 Down-Converter

    Atlona Technologies, solutions based manufacturer of Audio Video connectivity accessories, announced their soon to be released HDMI/DVI to Composite and S-Video Down-Converter, the AT-HD530.

    The device down-converts HDMI or DVI digital signal from PC, Mac, GPS System, Apple TV, Camcorder or Video Game to Analog S-Video or Composite Video with Audio. It is featured with HDMI/DVI loop-out.

    The converter has the ability to support resolutions of up to 1080p for HDTVs and up to UXGA (1600×1200@60Hz) with PC or Mac Computers. It is also able to automatically detect and down convert resolutions to those of to PAL or NTSC formats.

    It comes with HDMI video input and Digital Coaxial audio input ports. Output video format is selectable between Composite Video and S-Video.

    Unfortunately AT-HD530 is NOT-HDCP compatible and will not work with HDCP devices such as Cable/Sat Boxes and DVD players.

    New Atlona’s down-converter will be in stock late August with an MSRP of $299.00.

  • Texas Memory Systems Delivers Record 5-Million IOPS Flash-based SSD System

    Texas Memory Systems launches the RamSan-6200 SSD System that offers up to 100 terabytes of Flash-based storage in a 40U rack configuration that can sustain a record 5 million input/outputs per second (IOPS) with 60 gigabytes per second throughput while using a little over 6 kilowatts of power.

    To achieve the equivalent level of performance with hard disk-based storage arrays would require several thousand of the 15,000 RPM hard disk drives.

    The RamSan-6200 is a scaled up system that combines twenty RamSan-620 solid state disks in a single datacenter rack and uses Texas Memory Systems’ TeraWatch software to provide unified management and monitoring from a single GUI console. The system utilizes enterprise grade Single Level Cell (SLC) Flash as well as multiple levels of RAID and advanced Flash management algorithms.

    A single RamSan-620 unit provides 5TB of Single Level Cell (SLC) Flash with 250,000 sustained IOPS for random reads and random writes. Each RamSan-620 unit can support 2 to 8 Fibre Channel or up to 4 InfiniBand links.

    At the chip level, TMS uses only SLC Flash memory. Each Flash chip incorporates an Error Checking and Correction (ECC) data field within the chip to check and correct single-bit errors.

    At the board level, each set of Flash chips is organized as a board-level RAID, thereby eliminating any single chip failure from corrupting data.

    At the system level, the RamSan-620 allows to designate one of the cards inside the system as an active-spare that works hand-in-hand with the chip level RAID on each of our boards. If one of the cards experiences a failure that degrades its RAID protection, the system will immediately migrate the data on that card to the hot-spare to return to a fully redundant state.

  • Paradial to Deliver Firewall NAT Traversal Solution to Major Asian Telecom Operator

    Paradial, an IP-communications software developer, has signed an agreement with a major Asian telecom operator, a comprehensive provider of communications services in the region.

    The licensing agreement covers Paradial’s RealTunnel standards-based firewall and NAT traversal product, which includes STUN, TURN and ICE support.

    The RealTunnel is designed for solving the connectivity problem from the end user to the operator or ISP, often referred to as far-end NAT traversal.

    It is an open and SIP and H.323-compliant solution which makes SIP and H.323 clients work virtually with any firewall and network. It may be configured and setup as a VoIP SSL VPN. RealTunnel supports STUN, TURN, ICE, H.460 and other traversal technologies for SIP and H.323.

    It uses TCP to deliver the real-time characteristics usually supplied by RTP/UDP to audio and video communications applications.


     

    RealTunnel Firewall/NAT enables real-time audio and video communication applications across organizational and network boundaries, including the Internet and corporate intranets.