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November 30, 2006

Paradial announces Firewall/NAT traversal product for SIP

 
 
Paradial today announced the general availability of Paradial's RealTunnel 2.0. In addition to making it simple for customers to deliver guaranteed and secure connections across networks, geographical areas and organizational boundaries, the new version enhances the award winning product with new features and standards-based provisioning capabilities on a significantly reduced footprint.

"RealTunnel 2.0 continues to deliver the best possible voice and video quality by automatic and intelligent discovery and use of optimal transport mechanisms for the call at hand. Using the RealTunnel SDK allows customers and partners to focus on delivering communication and collaboration solutions without compromising security or having to solve the complex challenges of connecting calls over firewalls and NATs", said Espen Skjæran, CTO, Paradial.

New features and capabilities include:

Support for ICE/STUN/TURN, UDP, TCP and HTTPS relay support including HTTP proxy and authentication schemes. Small client footprint. Available as SDK for softphones and hardphones, and as a stand-alone enterprise proxy for corporate networks. SOAP provisioning interface. "The new RealTunnel release demonstrates Paradial's continued investment and commitment in making it simple and secure to build, deploy and operate standards-based IP-communication and collaboration solutions", said Ingvar Aaberg, CEO, Paradial.

Availability and Platforms

RealTunnel SDK is available on Windows and Linux.  Support for additional platforms is planned.

Key Product Facts:
• The only truly open solution on the market supporting any SIP client and any SIP Registrar.
• Small footprint SDK.
• Most comprehensive FW/NAT product available. RealTunnel supports voice, video and T.120 application sharing across any firewall.
• The customers can use existing network infrastructure firewalls.
• No network or firewall modification is required.
• Excellent voice and video quality.

Supported network protocols:
• UDP
• TCP
• HTTPS
• RTP
• RTCP

Supported standards:
• SIP (RFC3261)
• STUN (RFC3489)
• TURN
• ICE
• Symmetric Response (RFC3581)
• Extension Header Field for Registering Non-Adjacent Contacts (RFC 3327)
• Locating SIP Server (SIP DNS)

The most common HTTP proxy authentication schemes are supported:
• Basic authentication
• Digest authentication
• NTLM authentication
• Proxy pac scripts

Source: WebIT PR 

November 29, 2006

Tektronix Announces WiMAX Spectrum Analyzer

 
 
Tektronix has announced RSA-IQWIMAX demodulation and analysis software, part of a comprehensive test set to find and solve WiMAX design problems. RSA-IQWIMAX software is a new application specific test tool for characterising and troubleshooting WiMAX device designs using a Tektronix RSA3408A real-time spectrum analyser and is the result of a partnership between Tektronix and LitePoint.

With RSA-IQWIMAX and the RSA3408A, engineering teams will be able to more quickly detect, diagnose and resolve design issues improving time to market for WiMAX end-user products, including consumer electronics, computers and handheld devices.

RSA-IQWIMAX provides spectrum and modulation measurements on OFDM and OFDMA signals in accordance with IEEE802.16-2004 (fixed) and IEEE802.16e-2005 (mobile) WiMAX standards.

The RSA3408A captures intermittent or random events that other solutions will miss enabling engineering teams to detect, diagnose and resolve design issues more quickly.

The combination of RSA3408A real-time spectrum analyser with RSA-IQWIMAX software is the world's most powerful WiMAX R and D test solution, enabling engineers to perform needed time-, frequency- and modulation-domain measurements to decompose signals and uncover anomalies, and generate in-depth analysis for troubleshooting WiMAX devices at the design stage.

'With digital RF technology accelerating the move to packet oriented network technologies like WiMAX, packet collisions and spurious signal detection becomes much more complex'.

'In addition, WiMAX services may be sharing spectrum with other services operating asynchronously making interference detection very difficult but critical to proper operation'.

'The RSA3408A with its unique ability to trigger, capture, and analyse transient RF phenomenon is an ideal tool for WiMAX designers', said Rick King, Vice President, Real-Time Spectrum analyser product line, Tektronix.

'The RSA3408A combined with the spectrum and modulation measurement capabilities provided by RSA-IQWIMAX software creates a highly-efficient and effective test set, providing WiMAX research and development engineers the world's fastest time to market for new component and module designs'.

RSA-IQWIMAX analysis software is used on an external PC connected to the RSA3408A by Ethernet or GPIB.  Optionally, an engineer may load captured data and analyse the results offline.

Test results from the RSA3408A and RSA-IQWIMAX software can be tightly integrated with LitePoint's IQmax WiMAX test system to form an integrated end-to end test solution from R and D through manufacturing test.

Click Here to Continue Reading About "Tektronix's WiMAX Spectrum Analyzer"

 

Skype Blockers Scramble to Detect New Version

Note: I wonder where we will be taken with this high-tech version of Cat and Mouse?  Your Thoughts? 
 
IPS and filtering vendors are rushing to find ways to detect a new version of Skype that is more stealthy than previous iterations. The beta of version 3.0 was made available only two weeks ago and, as expected, the client has been re-engineered to make its presence on network traffic tougher to spot, according to leading Skype-blocking outfit iPoque.
There have been a number of subtle but important alterations in 3.0, including a change to the way the client opens encrypted UDP channel to other clients, as well as to the packet lengths themselves. Since the software was already extremely hard to detect, and uses an encrypted channel once calls have been started, blocking filters have depended on tracing small but telltale patterns such as this.

The software also appeared to have been overhauled to make it less likely that intrusion prevention systems (IPSs) unable to properly identify Skype would classify its traffic as "bad" by lowering the number of TCP connections the client attempts to open. This would avoid triggering TCP thresholds set on such systems, said iPoque CEO Klaus Mochalski.

Some of the changes only work if clients at both end of the connection are using version 3.0. The need to maintain backwards compatibility meant that a new client connecting to an older version would make the connection using older and blockable patterns.

The company had now revised its detection algorithms to take account of the changes, he said. The problem was now less detecting Skype as avoiding mis-identification, which could create problems of its own.

"This time we had a hard time to find a pattern and not create false positives [at the same time]," said Mochalski. Despite this, the changes from version 2.5 to 3.0 had not been as significant as those from version 2.0 to 2.5, he indicated. In the longer run, it would be difficult for Skype to change so as to hide completely because it always had to release new software that maintained backwards compatibility.

Germany-based iPoque markets hardware-based systems for detecting and blocking a range of unauthorized software from use on corporate networks, including Skype and notorious P2P systems such as BitTorrent.

There are other ways to block Skype, the simplest being to detect the presence of the client executable on the PC and stop it running in the first place. The tool offered by Sophos does this for nothing but needs the presence of the Sophos antivirus client--into which its plugs--to work.

This mini-war has been raging for some time with previous versions of the software using increasing levels of stealthiness to hide themselves from detection systems, mostly used by rival ISPs and governments. Many corporates, sensitive of data leakage, also have an urgent need to stop it.
 
Source: CSO Online

InspiAir Releases Case Study on Metropolitan Wi-Fi Network

Helsinki, the capital city of Finland, is considered to be one of Europe's most technologically advanced cities. Until recently, the residents of Helsinki only enjoyed partial area wide Wi-Fi connectivity through an assortment of in-building hotspots that were located in cafes, libraries, hotels and private homes. This ad hoc and decentralized approach offered residents and visitors a limited level of access and afforded them spotty Wi-Fi coverage.

To be connected wirelessly to the Internet around Helsinki required the user to subscribe to multiple Wi-Fi service providers. Unfortunately this well intended group of independent providers delivered service levels that were regarded as nothing greater than "best effort" grade. This also meant that Wi-Fi in Helsinki lacked true ubiquitous access, failing to deliver greater mobility to users as they moved around the city, in cars or via public transportation.

Enter OCP, a Metropolitan Internet access provider. OCP took a hard look at the market and set out to change the way Helsinki residents and visitors could connect to the Internet. They postulated that by deploying a Wi-Fi network in the city center, providing continuous coverage to both the stationary and mobile user, a richer overall user experience could be achieved at a far more reasonable cost.

Initially, OCP considered deploying a wireless mesh system, but after conducting in-depth financial analysis it was determined that a mesh network’s overall costs of deployment and upkeep would be extremely high. In effect, the cost benefit analysis revealed if OCP deployed a mesh network it would mean risking both the business and the rapid deployment model OCP had developed due to three key factors:

  • The Capital Expense (CAPEX) costs to deploy were greater than necessary due to the coverage requirements for installation and deployment of a large number of nodes and access points that were needed to effectively cover Helsinki's densely populated and high concentration of buildings in the city center.
  • Ongoing Operating Expenses (OPEX) of these nodes and access points, including the ongoing RF tuning to avoid interference, would cause added complexity and ongoing costs.
  • OCP was looking for a full "Broadband over IP” solution that would provide full triple play: data, Voice and video over IP as well as deliver a mobile environment for its planned expansion to mobile users in cars and those riding public transportation. The Mesh system would be limited to stationary "data over IP," in effect providing only a partial solution to subscribers.

As a result of these three issues OCP began looking at other more fiscally prudent and technologically advanced options to the planned mesh network architecture in order to meet their deployment budget and schedule.

Click Here to Continue Reading "InspiAir Releases Case Study on Metropolitan Wi-Fi Network" 

VoIP 911 for Enterprises Now Available via RedBox

Note: I might have to look into getting more information on this device.  Very useful in certain situations when CLECs don't support full e911 support. 
 
911 Enable will be unveiling its RedBOX at the upcoming VON Enterprise, December 4-6, in Atlanta, GA. The 911 Enable RedBOX combines fast and secure VoIP 911 call delivery to Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) with a hardware interface that automatically manages inter-branch enterprise phone moves. Typically, enterprises would juggle multi vendor solutions in order to achieve this same result.

“Our goal was to simplify VoIP 911 for enterprises,” said Lev Deich, Director of 911 Enable. “When employees move their phones within and between branches, the RedBOX works in the background to automatically make the appropriate location updates. Then, if a 911 call is placed, the RedBOX routes the call to the closest PSAP and displays the precise location of the caller on the dispatcher's screen. We're proud to be able to bundle location discovery with our turn-key VoIP 911 service, and at a price accessible to all enterprises.”

The RedBOX features and benefits:

* Automatically detects phone moves using discovery protocols such as CDP and LLDP-MED
* Allows users to move within and between enterprise locations without performing manual updates
* Performs rapid, call delivery to PSAPs in the US and Canada
* A complete, turnkey solution

Today's challenge of VoIP 911 is to integrate VoIP, which is by nature nomadic, with the existing PSTN emergency network. 911 Enable captures the location information of a VoIP 911 caller and uses it to automatically route the call to the closest Public Safety Answering Point.

Source: 911 Enable 

November 28, 2006

FirstHand Granted Patent for Multi-protocol Data Communications Supporting Wireless Telephony and Content Delivery

FirstHand Technologies, an innovator in transforming smartphones and PDAs into full-featured business telephones, today announced that it has been granted a patent for a multi-protocol data communication system supporting wireless telephony and content delivery.

This patent is licensed from Columbia University, along with several pending applications on which Prof. Henning Schulzrinne of Columbia University is an inventor. Patents pending include inventions for reducing MAC layer handoff latency in wireless networks; for call routing in an IP telephony network; for unified messaging in inter/intranet telephony; for an Ethernet-based telephone and system for inter/intranet telephony; for internet telephony based on SIP; and for a system and method for cooperative roaming.

In addition to his role as chief scientific advisor for FirstHand Technologies, Prof. Schulzrinne is the department chair of computer science at Columbia University and is one of the world's leading authorities on Internet Protocol (IP) technologies. Protocols co-developed by him are now Internet standards, used by almost all Internet telephony and multimedia applications.

“We are driven to create ongoing critical innovations for our market and are excited to work closely with Prof. Schulzrinne and Columbia University to do so,” said David Hattey, president & CEO of FirstHand Technologies. “The granted patent and the other patent applications serve to protect the enormous investments we’ve made in earning our reputation as the leader in extending enterprise IP PBX functionality onto mobile devices.”

For enterprises needing to mobilize their employees, FirstHand Technologies delivers the FirstHand Mobile Console and FirstHand Mobile Assistant. Both products extend the functionality of various IP PBXs to a variety of mobile devices. Using Mobile Console, enterprise workers can place and receive a call over the best available network – WiFi or cellular – optimizing for lowest cost, highest call quality or user preference.

The Mobile Console delivers personal command and control of communications services over WiFi or WiFi and GSM or WiFi and CDMA network interfaces. Using Mobile Assistant, activities normally confined to the office can now be performed on a mobile device such as making and answering enterprise calls, checking and reviewing voice mail, looking up colleague availability and connecting with one or more of them with the click of a phone button.

About FirstHand Technologies

FirstHand Technologies mobilizes the enterprise by extending the functionality of numerous IP PBXs to a variety of smartphones and PDAs. FirstHand Technologies empowers an enterprise’s workforce to go mobile with the same functionality as their office desktop. The FirstHand Technologies advanced fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) solution delivers enterprise features and “single number” seamless connectivity over cellular networks and/or WiFi enabling organizations to achieve “enterprise communications everywhere.” The enterprise benefits from faster communication abilities, increased productivity, and significant cost savings.

Multi-Tech Uses GSM Gateway to Connect Cellular Wireless to PBXs

Adding cellular to a PBX can allow toll-free calls to other cellular phones, provide back-up for PSTN failure including emergency 911 service, become a primary voice network for remote locations, and provide a primary voice network during disaster situations. The new CallFinder GSM cellular gateway from Multi-Tech Systems, Inc., a data communications and telecommunications technology company based in suburban Minneapolis, can do all these things and more.
Now shipping, the CallFinder GSM cellular gateway is an answer for companies that need their current phone systems to connect to cellular wireless networks. It connects to a standard telephone system analog port, which then allows sending and receiving of phone calls via any contracted cellular wireless network. It is an excellent way to bring to businesses the cost efficiencies of lower priced, long distance cellular wireless communications for a variety of tasks.

"Cellular technology and the productivity gains enjoyed by businesses using it now can be further enhanced by integrating this capability into office telephony systems," states Chip Harleman, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Multi-Tech Systems, Inc. "Connecting a CallFinder GSM to the company's telephony system creates a gateway to the cellular networks that can save money and provide emergency communications in the event of a service interruption. The attractive pricing for long distance charges on cellular service plans makes them advantageous to use for everyday business communications when those mobile accounts are shared via any telephony system utilizing a CallFinder GSM. In addition, multiple CallFinder GSMs can be used if a business needs more than one cellular line. The CallFinder GSM can bring both cost savings and communications security to businesses of any size."

The cellular wireless CallFinder GSM CF100 cellular gateway can interface to most call-processing systems utilizing the system's analog FXS (Foreign eXchange Subscriber) or FXO (Foreign eXchange Office) interface. The CallFinder GSM cellular gateway is managed and controlled using AT commands entered via the unit's serial port. The CF100 is programmable and can operate with either an FXS or FXO interface.

Multi-Tech Systems is an ISO 9001:2000 certified global manufacturer of award-winning telephony, Internet and device networking products that connect voice and data over IP networks, add connectivity to equipment using embedded technologies, and provide the latest in cellular wireless technologies. With a 36-year history of inventing products known for their reliability and performance, Multi-Tech Systems still employs the same mission on which the company was founded: To provide solutions that solve real business problems. To reinforce this philosophy, Multi-Tech Systems prides itself on developing and fostering mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with its worldwide network of technology partners, sales channels and customers.

Wireless provider Fortress Technologies lands Navy contract

Fortress Technologies has been awarded a contract by General Dynamics NASSCO to implement secure wireless communications for the U.S. Navy. The work will be on the next generation replenishment ships under the Navy's Dry Cargo/Ammunition Ship program. This contract serves as one of the first major wireless awards since the Navy lifted its ban on wireless networking, a release said. No financial details of the contract were disclosed.

General Dynamics NASSCO, a unit of Falls Church, Va.-based General Dynamics, currently is under contract to the Naval Sea Systems Command to build eight T-AKE class ships. Each T-AKE ship is 689 feet long and has a capacity for about 6,700 metric tons of dry cargo weight and nearly 2,400 metric tons of fuel.

The ships are designed to provide ammunition, food, fuel, repair parts and other necessities to ships at sea and to contribute to the Navy's ability to maintain a forward presence.

Fortress is providing a product that enables a secure wireless link between the Navy's warehouse management system and the end users.

Securing more than 12,000 wireless government networks, Tampa-based Fortress specializes in deployable networking, mobile edge applications, fixed wireless and office wireless LANs, it said in the release.

Source: Tampa Biz Journal 

November 27, 2006

Vonage Gives Children the Chance to Call Santa

Note:  Glad to see VoIP get involved for the holidays. 
 
Vonage America Inc., a leading broadband telephony provider, today announced that throughout the Christmas season children will be able to dial 1-(700) CALLSANTA (225-5726) from a Vonage line and hear a recording from Santa Claus. After hearing the recorded message, they will be able to leave Santa a message and tell him what they want for Christmas.
All the good boys and girls messages will be forwarded to the account holder's email address. This way they can listen in via Vonage's online voicemail feature, so they know what to put under the tree. Vonage customers can also visit Santa's website at http://www.vonage.com/santa and post a Vonage jingle as well as play a holiday game.

Polycom Opens Quality Lab in Tokyo

 
 
Polycom, provider of unified collaborative communications solutions, today announced it has opened a third testing site and state of the art facility in Tokyo. Known as the Quality Lab, this site occupies prime real estate in Tokyo's central business district and was established to do four types of testing including release readiness reviews, interoperability testing, scalability testing across local and wide area networks, and comparative testing.

In addition, the Tokyo Quality Lab is expected to achieve interlock working with the other Polycom testing facilities in the Unities States located in Andover, Massachusetts and Austin, Texas. The new Interoperability Quality Lab ensures Polycom solutions are easy to use and will integrate into a wide variety of third party systems and all Polycom products seamlessly.

Polycom's Interoperability testing staff consists of a mix of dedicated engineers and several partners. The testing staff and function report to Susan Davies, Vice President of Corporate Quality and Customer Success at Polycom in the company's Pleasanton, Calif. headquarters office.

"The Polycom labs were designed to recreate both the typical customer configurations as well as custom environments," said Susan Davies. "Our customers face complex challenges ensuring the systems they have selected for conferencing and collaboration interface with each other and with the IP telephony-based or presence-based infrastructures they have as their enterprise communications backbone architectures. I selected Tokyo for the Quality Lab because of the country's meticulous reputation for ensuring very high quality in all they do. I felt if we could satisfy Japanese demand for quality, we would be positioned well to address the needs of the rest of the world."

Within the 3 Quality Labs there are a number of tests being run. Interoperability testing verifies new products and releases against existing Polycom products, and new code is tested during development phase against networks, bridges, and video endpoints. Scalability testing involves the Polycom MGC bridge in LAN and WAN scenarios where they are stress tested to see how many endpoints they scale to support. Certification testing uses all business collaboration systems, as well as IP telephony and IM/presence based systems from alliance partners such as Microsoft and Alcatel, and in the future it will contain the systems of all other alliance partners. These solutions are re-certified when new versions of Polycom solutions are ready for global availability. All tests are conducted with market competitiveness in mind.

The Quality Lab is also available to Polycom engineers who wish to test individual voice or video endpoints and applications, or infrastructure hardware and software in specific environments. Polycom customers working with members of Polycom's service staff may use the Quality Lab to replicate an issue a customer may be experiencing.

Source: Polycom 

ORtek 2 in 1 Skypad SKP-3300 Voip Phone

 
Note:  For a Skype phone I actually like the design. 
 
While I am all for multi-functional gadgets (hey the more, the merrier) sometimes one does crave simplicity! Take a look at the ORtek 2 in 1 Skypad SKP-3300 which is both a Skype phone and a numeric keyboard! Not bad actually if you get use to the keyboard !

The Skypad SKP-3300 (crafty title!) can be plugged into any USB Port to indulge in some good old Skype calling ! The Skypad is 100% Skype compatible and one can access Skype directly from the Skypad itself. One also comes across Volume Control Buttons on the Skypad itself and two LED Indicators for Num Lock and phone ringer status. This one is not Mac compatible and works only with Windows2000, WindowsXP. For more info visit the Product Page

 

Source: Mobile Whack 

Nokia Launches VoIP Blocker

Note: Bad Bad Bad, I can't stress this enough.  If a consumer pays for an unlimited data plan on a respective network the user should be able to run whatever traffic they want on it as long as it is legal.  The "Internet" is the greatest gift that has been given to future generations.  We need to preserve some the best aspects of the Internet like Net Neutrality, decentralized control and basic privacy.
 
Nokia is launching a platform which defies the so-called Net-Neutrality by enabling operators to block specific types of data services, namely peer to peer file sharing and VoIP calls. The centralized solution is implemented as a software upgrade to the Nokia Flexi Intelligent Service Node (ISN) and will be commercially available during the first half of 2007.

"With the explosion of affordable high-speed mobile data access, operators are now being challenged to make the best possible use of their networks, especially when peer-to-peer applications increase their traffic load and compete with their own services," says Roberto Loiola, Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Networks, Nokia.

"The Nokia Peer-to-peer Traffic Control solution now gives operators the means to analyse and manage such traffic. It allows them to apply their business models by prioritizing the traffic of preferred services and partners, maximize their return on network investment, and avoid becoming only bit pipes for other content providers."

The Nokia Peer-to-peer Traffic Control solution enhances the service, subscriber, and access awareness capabilities of the Nokia Flexi ISN to identify data traffic according to the type of service, for example file sharing, so that operators can treat that traffic in a way that best optimizes the use of network resources according to the operators' business strategy.

Source: Cellular News 

When Wi-Fi goes too far

Gary Schaffer looked out his window here last week to discover a reporter standing on his lawn, pirating his wireless Internet access to test a new cellphone.

The phone, made by Belkin, is one of several new mobile devices that allow users to make free or low-cost phone calls over the Internet. They are designed to take advantage of the hundreds of thousands of wireless access points deployed in cafés, parks, businesses and, most important, homes.

The technology's advocates say that as long as people are paying for high- speed Wi-Fi access in their homes, they should be able to use it as a conduit for inexpensive calls and an alternative to traditional phone service.

But in a twist that raises some tricky ethical and legal questions, the phones can also be used on the go, piggybacking on whatever access points happen to be open and available, like that of Schaffer.

Schaffer, a retired business teacher, seemed affably cautious about the idea of having his bandwidth borrowed.

"If you're a friend, I'd say, 'Let's give it a try.' If you're a stranger, probably not, unless you had to make an emergency call," he said.

The call made from Schaffer's lawn went through but was quickly disconnected, apparently because of a weak signal. Schaffer did not seem to feel he owed any apology for the spotty coverage, though he did express concern for the person on the other end of the line.

"I know what it's like to have a call dropped," he said.

For all its limitations, the technology is starting to emerge commercially, with companies like Vonage, Skype and T-Mobile now selling or supporting mobile devices that use Wi-Fi networks.

In some cases, the voice service is free. A Belkin phone that works with the Skype calling service costs about $180; calls to Skype users on computers are free, as are outgoing calls to domestic phone numbers, at least through the end of the year. Incoming calls from phones cost extra. Vonage charges $90 for a phone and $15 a month for 500 minutes of talk time.

One big hurdle is that the Wi-Fi radio frequency spectrum is unlicensed and not maintained by any one company, so call quality can be unreliable. Moving a few yards can require finding a new network to connect to. In other words, when you place free or low-cost calls - especially on a stranger's network - you sometimes get what you pay for.

Click Here to Continue Reading "When Wi-Fi goes too far" 

November 25, 2006

Google slams mobile operators that block its content

Note: For the record I do not think that any network operator should be able to block or de-prioritize any packet that transverse its network.  Not to say that the operators should not get compensated for  relaying abnormal amounts of one kind of traffic. 
 
A Google senior executive has laid into mobile operators around the world, accusing some of them of blocking access to certain Internet applications (yes, including Google's own) Chris Sacca, head of special initiatives at Google, said on Monday that certain mobile operators had lobbied the search giant, asking it to stop people accessing Google Mobile Maps. Oh yeah, that's going to happen.

"They're inserting themselves in between you and an application that you want. I think that has scary, scary implications," said Sacca.

He also hit out at operators claiming to provide unlimited Net access but then blocking hungry applications like VoIP and streaming video. I'm sure they'll just claim some 'fair use' policy.

"VoIP is not a service. It's a technology which provides only one thing — cheaper calls — and we can provide cheaper calls very easily by cutting prices,” Bobby Rao, Vodafone corporate strategy director, told journalists and analysts on Wednesday.“We think the best way to offer people cheaper calling plans is to offer them cheaper calling plans... The value customers are looking for is not VoIP,” Rao added.

Source: Tech Digest 

Wardriving 'geek' is on the wireless beat

Note: I like informative information like this.  Personally I know of alot of open unsecure wireless networks around my area.  People need to know what it means to operate a wireless networks and step they can take to reduce risk to your sensitive computers and data. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

He stands out from the crowd of government workers, techies and managers at the annual ICE ("Inspire. Connect. Educate.") Technology Conference here.  Dressed mostly in black, and a bit younger than the average delegate, he lurks near the entrance of the conference room as several hundred delegates file in, fiddling with his computer gear.

Then, when it's his turn to speak, Brad Haines shocks many with what he's discovered about their wireless devices. People throughout the room reach for their laptops, cellphones and PDAs to turn them off. "I've personally discovered over 140,000 devices in North America, about 70,000 in the Edmonton area alone," he boasts. "In fact, I've stopped counting."

Haines calls himself "Edmonton's local wardriving geek," a reference to his favorite hobby of looking for networks and devices that are broadcasting their presence to the world.

He directs the audience to the website www.wigle.net which, at last count, had tracked 7,910,944 access points around the world, complete with their exact locations. Sure enough, zooming in on the interactive map of Edmonton produces a dense cloud of access points with names such as poohbutt, Zeus and Henry the Network, but also, ominously, Accounting and Epcor, an Alberta utility company.

Not that anyone is saying major corporations have their networks sitting out there ripe for the picking, but at least they're discoverable by anyone who cares to look.

While Haines may look out of place at a mainstream computer conference, he fits right in at the notorious "hacker cons" such as Defcon and ShmooCon.

Click Here to Continue Reading 

 

November 22, 2006

Critical Links' edgeBOX - Asterisk Based

To examine our next product architecture, we take another trip across the Atlantic to visit Critical Links and their edgeBOX product. Critical Links is a wholly owned subsidiary of Critical Software SA. Established in 1998, it has over 100 employees and headquarters in Portugal, plus subsidiary offices in the UK and USA.

The company has a reputation for producing mission- and business-critical networking and telecommunication solutions for the telecoms, public sector, industry, aerospace, and defense markets. Its customers include Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Infineon Technologies, NASA, the European Agency for Defense and Aerospace (EADS), and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Critical Links’ edgeBOX product is a fully integrated network device that includes an IP PBX, with comprehensive security features and integrated Quality of Service (QoS) functions that are designed to support small and medium-size business enterprises (SMBs). One of the interesting aspects of the edgeBOX is that in addition to its IP PBX functions, it typically replaces between four and seven single-function devices, such as a router, security appliance, network access server, file, web, and email servers, VoIP gateway and Wi-Fi access points, but with a fully remotely managed system, and a significantly lower total cost of ownership.

The product’s name, edgeBOX, is thus indicative of the comprehensive suite of functions it performs. Network integrators market edgeBOX to enterprises for deployment at their branch offices, while telecom service providers (TSPs) and managed services providers (MSPs) offer it as a service to their SMB customers. The edgeBOX runs on a Linux-based system, and is therefore compatible with standard servers that are available from a number of hardware vendors, including Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and IBM. Depending upon the hardware platform deployed, the edgeBOX system can support up to 500 end users.

Click Here to get a Full List of Features

Symbol Technologies unveils RF switch to help enterprise mobility

The RFS7000 RF Switch leverages Symbol's Wireless Next Generation (Wi-NG) architecture, and is designed to support and consolidate Wi-Fi and emerging RF technologies such as RFID, 802.11n, mesh, Voice over Wireless LAN (VoWLAN) and WiMAX. Businesses will now be able to efficiently and cost-effectively deploy and centrally manage wireless voice, data and infrastructure devices throughout the RF spectrum.
'Businesses are driving the convergence of voice, video and data, effectively pushing the new mobile edge from the wired to the wireless touch point, and requiring the network to adapt to the changing needs of new mobile devices and applications,' said Tarek Hassaniyeh, sales manager, Symbol Technologies Middle East. 'The industry's first RF switch will provide the platform to integrate and manage current and future mobile devices and wireless technologies.'

The RFS7000 RF Switch provides robust, highly scalable support for enterprise mobility, and is ideal for manufacturing facilities, hospitals, warehouse and supply chain industries, educational and government institutions, and service providers with high-bandwidth requirements and mission-critical applications.

'Businesses want to move away from 'piecemeal RF technology' installs, and be able to leverage their wireless network investment on an ongoing basis rather than rip and replace hardware to keep up with technology changes,' added Hassaniyeh. 'Designed to evolve and mature as requirements continue to change, the RFS7000 RF Switch will enable simultaneous, centralized management of RFID readers and Wi-Fi network infrastructure, creating a streamlined connection to business logic and back-end application systems.'

The innovative RFS7000 RF Switch leverages a modular Wi-NG-based architecture, running on a Linux operating system that provides separation between infrastructure, services, application and management layers. This engineering conceptual leap takes advantage of multiple hardware platforms and multiple-processor systems to enable scalable, high-performance wireless solutions required by the next generation of enterprise mobility.

Integration with Symbol's RF Management software provides monitoring and management of wireless devices throughout the spectrum to help ensure maximum up-time and peak performance of the network system, as well as the ability to plan, evaluate and monitor the network. Symbol's RF Management software suite includes a location engine and Wireless Intrusion Protection System (Wireless IPS) that enables businesses to securely deploy applications, and track assets.
 
Source: Symbol Tech 

November 21, 2006

Man sues Tokyo firm over flaky IP phone investment

Note:  I thought this was kinda of an interesting read.  I am not sure how they do things in Japan but it sounds like the "relay station" they speak of sounds almost like a Central Office (CO) type setup with some sort of local loop. 

A 61-year-old man who invested millions of yen in an IP telephone business but failed to receive the returns he expected has filed a lawsuit against a company in the Maebashi District Court, demanding 27 million yen in damages and the annulment of his contract, it has been learned.

The plaintiff, Tokyo-based Kinmirai Tsuushin Inc, solicited funds from investors to set up IP telephone facilities. In his lawsuit, the man claims the company did not provide sufficient explanations when soliciting investors, and that the firm failed to inform investors that the business could be unprofitable.

The man attended a meeting on the firm's business in December 2004, according to his lawsuit. At the meeting, he heard about the company's "relay station owner" system, under which investors who covered the cost of setting up new relay stations would continue to receive payments from subscribers for the use of lines going through those stations.

The company told the attendees that relay station owners could recover their investment within three years.

In January 2005 he formed a contract with the firm, and by July this year he had paid 23.65 million yen in setup costs, and 9.57 million yen towards the rental of IP telephone consoles in China.

Between August 2005 and September 2006, he received 8.2 million yen in dividends, but since October the payments have stopped.

"The condition of the relay station is unclear, and if the company can't secure a certain number of users of the station's lines, there'll be no foreseeable way of getting the initial investment back -- but the company neglected to explain that," the man said in his claim.

Lawyers for the firms said they couldn't comment on the case.

"We need to examine the claims in detail, and we cannot comment at this stage," a legal representative for Kinmirai Tsuushin said.

Kinmirai Tsuushin is believed to have collected money from about 1,000 investors under its relay station owner system. Similar lawsuits against the firm have been filed in the Tokyo District Court.
 
Source: Click Here 

Bank of America rolling out VoIP

Craig Hinkley, senior vice president of network services for Bank of America Corp., is overseeing an enormous voice-over-IP (VoIP) project with Electronic Data Services Inc. (EDS) that will bring 180,000 IP phones to the bank's U.S. operations. Although the massive project isn't expected to be completed for another two years or so, Hinkley talked this week about how the effort is going.

In 2005, the first order of business was to get the consumer retail program up and running. Of 180,000 total phones, we have roughly 60,000 in retail, 60,000 in enterprise and 60,000 in a number of contact centers. We first focused on retail, with 6,000 branches, and had to get that program up and running. It's doing well, with 800 out of 6,000 branches completed. We are doing this with EDS, our outsourcer that we contracted with in 2003, which will deploy and manage it.

What about enterprise and contact centers? Enterprise is started, and we've completed 50 enterprise locations. We're kicking off the contact center effort before the end of the year, and the first location will be a medium-size contact center for internal operations used to serve bank associates in the Charlotte, N.C., area. We're adopting the Microsoft methodology to eat your own dog food, working with our people first.

So, today, you have how many phones installed? We are north of 20,000. It's going very well. From a technology perspective, it's going well, with the processes and the program. I would say that what we've done in the last 18 months is focus on establishing the program, processes and standards of what we're deploying. What we've had to do is take heritage PBX switches that have been out there 10 to 15 years and peel back the layers of the onion to understand things and determine the standard telephony interaction model to support the business. We're realizing we can now deploy ubiquitous features and functions with IP. It translates to the business, so I can have now a common telephony interaction model in the U.S. We've had lot of conversations with divisional executives about how we want VOIP nationally to support business processes. It's not just been a technology transformation, but a business process transformation.

Click Here to Read More about the BofA VoIP Deployment

November 20, 2006

AsterFax 1.1 beta 3 Released

Asterisk IT have released beta 3 of AsterFax 1.1. Beta 3 is likely to be the last beta before AsterFax 1.1 is released. The key feature of AsterFax 1.1 is that in conjuction with SpanDSP 0.3 Asterisk finally has a reliable Faxing service which will operate on all Digium hardware for both inbound outbound faxing.
Asterisk IT have released beta 3 of AsterFax 1.1. Beta 3 is likely to be the last beta before AsterFax 1.1 is released. The key feature of AsterFax 1.1 is that in conjuction with SpanDSP 0.3 Asterisk finally has a reliable Faxing service which will operate on all Digium hardware for both inbound outbound faxing.
 
It should be noted that the SpanDSP libraries still have some compatability problems with a small number of fax machines. For 100% compatiability with all fax devices Asterisk IT recommends using AsterFax with a hardware based fax system such as the Eicon Diva range of boards or any linux compatible TTY fax card. AsterFax provides an Email to Fax gateway for Asterisk. AsterFax lets you send an email by Fax.
 
Enter the phone no. in the 'To' address, compose your email message and click send. You can also fax an attachment or directly from Word and OpenOffice. AsterFax also provides Unified messaging by delivering inbound faxes directly to a users mailbox. With AsterFax each staff member of an organization can have their own private fax number.
 
You can download the beta from here. A single fax line version of AsterFax is available freely.
 
If you wish to purchase a commercial license for us with more than a single fax line then details are available from the purchasing page.

Send Word Now Partners With Wallace Wireless to Enable BlackBerry as Mass Notification Tool

Send Word Now, provider of on-demand alerting and response services, today announced that it has partnered with Wallace Wireless, the world's leading supplier of wireless crisis communication software for BlackBerry. Together the companies have redefined how the BlackBerry can be used for rapid two-way communications in time-sensitive situations with PIN-to-PIN messaging.

The joint distribution and integration agreement between the two companies integrates PIN-to-PIN messaging, sometimes called "PIN blasting," with Wallace Wireless' Mass Notification service and Send Word Now's Smart Notification Service. These services allow organizations to reliably communicate with mobile users anytime, anywhere, in real-time, and respond with decisive action.

"Mobile devices are increasingly being relied upon as essential tools for communication during emergencies," said Rob Moffat, president of Wallace Wireless. "It is critical that when time is of the essence, access and management capabilities be as accessible and as easy to activate as possible. This integrated offering does just that -- it leverages Send Word Now's notification engine and our incident management tools for Blackberry users to provide a seamless easy-to-use service."

Send Word Now's CEO and President Mitchell Orlowsky added, "Our customers can now initiate PIN messages from their computer, phone or BlackBerry. With pre-arranged workflows, they can quickly and easily push out stored response information on how to handle a certain situation, enabling faster response in critical situations."

PIN-to-PIN messaging lets BlackBerry users communicate directly with other BlackBerry users in both emergency and everyday situations. PIN-to-PIN messaging serves as a backup communication mode when email networks are down or voice networks are clogged. Because PIN messages are not routed through an email server, BlackBerry users can still send and receive text messages in event of email network failure. In addition, during crisis situations when call volumes inundate landline and wireless voice networks, BlackBerry PIN networks have proven to be resilient. PIN-to-PIN messaging takes up much less bandwidth than a voice call, so these messages are still able to get through on the wireless network even when voice calls cannot.

Companies such as large banks and real estate companies are using Wallace Wireless and Send Word Now services for business continuity and emergency notification. In the event of critical business disruptions, a major bank uses the service to locate a team of high level management personnel and automatically join them onto a conference call. This helps them to streamline response time during incidents and bridge communication gaps.

A prominent real estate company uses mass notification to alert over 100 tenants of critical issues. Tenants manage their own contact information (via web interface) minimizing property management intervention and allowing greater flexibility. In times of crisis, tenants are notified quickly and effectively. Most importantly, all communication is tracked and recorded to ensure the correct information has been effectively relayed.

Source: Send Word Now 

Fonality Expands trixbox Team, Hires Open Source Telephony Expert and Industry Author

Fonality, today announced that Asterisk and trixbox expert, Kerry Garrison, has joined the company as senior product manager for trixbox. Garrison has spent more than 20 years in the information technology industry and is an authority on Asterisk and telephony systems. He recently authored “TrixBox Made Easy” a step-by-step guide to installing and running your home and office VoIP system. At Fonality, Garrison will be responsible for the advancement of the trixbox application and trixbox community infrastructure.

“Kerry is a huge addition to our trixbox project. He represents the trixbox community and will insure that the Asterisk ecosystem has an open, stable and easy to use application platform on which to build their businesses,” said Chris Lyman, founder and CEO of Fonality. “I’m very pleased to have him as a part of our organization, and his hire shows our continued commitment to supporting the trixbox project.”

“Kerry is a well-respected Asterisk expert and well-known within the trixbox community. His background brings real-world knowledge of the Asterisk market to the trixbox team,” said Andrew Gillis, founder of trixbox and director of community development at Fonality. “His insider knowledge and technical understanding will help with our goal of making trixbox the number one application platform for open source telephony.”

Garrison has spent more than two decades as an IT professional and entrepreneur who has worked with the Asterisk open source platform since its inception and has been a speaker at the AstriCon Asterisk conference and exhibition. Garrison is the founder of VOIPSpeak.net, an online portal designed to share VoIP-related news, reviews and tutorials, as well as AsteriskTutorials.com, which provides highly educational video training tutorials to help individuals gain additional instruction on setting up their Asterisk-based telephony applications.

Source: Fonality 

Cellphone as Tracker: X Marks Your Doubts

Note: I saw this coming for some time.  My buddy told me about how to use Boost Mobile and a java applet to create a low cost version the the "Lo Jack" vehicle tracking system.

The diminutive cellphone is turning out to be the most clever of devices. As it connects to more networks, stores more kinds of data, delivers more kinds of entertainment wherever we happen to be it effectively becomes the most personal computer we own.

Now, as more of the handsets are equipped to use the Global Positioning System, the satellite-based navigation network, we are on the verge of enjoying services made possible only when information is matched automatically to location. Maps on our phones will always know where we are. Our children can’t go missing. Movie listings will always be for the closest theaters; restaurant suggestions, organized by proximity. We will even have the option of choosing free cellphone service if we agree to accept ads focused on nearby businesses.

None of this entails anything exotic. The technology has been ready for a while, but not the customers. Prospective benefits have seemed paltry when placed against privacy concerns. Who will have access to our location information — present and past? Can carriers assure us that their systems are impervious to threats from stalkers and other malicious intruders or neglectful employees — or from government snoops without search warrants? Contemplating worst-case scenarios, our hands holding these very mobile devices have been frozen, hesitant to turn the location beacon on. Are we finally ready to flip the switch?

Click Here to Continue Reading 

NewSat and Linowave partner to deliver new 4G WiFi comms

NewSat Limited, a satellite communications provider and Linowave, a global provider of next generation 4G wireless communications, announced the signing today in Dubai of a strategic partnership to deliver leading-edge WiFi and communication solutions to customers globally.
As the Middle East and global markets come to grip with 3G technology, both Newsat and Linowave are charting the future of telecommunications in 4G technology.

4G technology is positioned to be the future standard of communication over wireless devices and provides users with on-demand, high quality video as well as audio connectivity. The advent of quality video and substantially enhanced manageability of bandwidth are considered by analysts to be key drivers in the move to the emerging 4G.

'Combining Linowave 4G technology with NewSat's broadband satellites services will bring a revolution to the telecommunication industry' said Linowave's VP Engineering, Mr Louay Sakka, from its Dubai head office.

'We can deliver bleeding edge technology such as OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), and also OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access) to better allocate network resources to multiple users with 4G over NewSat's satellite access.
'Plus, the use of SDR (software-defined radio) receivers allows for better use of available bandwidth as well as making use of multiple channels simultaneously,' he said.

'To provide these benefits to customers globally Linowave needed a strategic partner with its own technical capabilities, reliability, and well established support functions. These critieria pushed us to choose NewSat as our satellite internet partner of choice for our new 4G projects,' Mr Sakka said.
 

Case study: VoIP implementation - Gold's Gym

Facing frequent outages in the DSL (digital subscriber line) network serving 50-plus corporate-owned Gold's Gyms, Bobby Badugu knew it was time for a significant upgrade. After looking into the various options – including satellite, frame relay and a different DSL provider – he opted for a carrier-provided voice VoIP (voice over IP) service. That's when the trouble began.

In the months that followed, the vice-president of IT for Gold's Gym, based in Dallas, learned some valuable lessons about not only VoIP, but any major network project that involves upgrades to numerous, far-flung sites. Badugu shared his insights in a presentation at the recent Network World IT Roadmap Conference in Dallas. He said the lessons include using a phased implementation process; establishing clear SLAs (service-level agreements), including penalties; and conducting a thorough technology assessment to identify potential problems.

When the rollout began in June, it was scheduled to take eight weeks. As of mid-November, the data portion of the rollout is complete, but only about 20 percent of the voice lines have been ported to the VoIP network. Badugu remains bullish, expects benefits including 35 to 40 percent savings in voice and data service costs, and already is saving $6,000 to $10,000 on his conference calling. But if he had it to do again, he'd do more than a few things differently.

Click Here to Continue Reading 

November 17, 2006

The good, bad and ugly of a VoIP implementation

Facing frequent outages in the DSL lines serving 50-plus corporate-owned Gold's gyms, Bobby Badugu knew it was time for a significant network upgrade. After conducting due diligence in April into the various options including satellite, frame relay and a different DSL provider, he opted for a carrier-provided voice-over-IP (VoIP) service. That's when the trouble began.

In the months that followed, the vice president of IT for Gold's Gym, based in Dallas, learned some valuable lessons about not only VoIP, but any major network project that involves upgrades to numerous, far-flung sites. Badugu shared his insights in a presentation at the recent Network World IT Roadmap Conference in Dallas. He said the lessons include using a phased implementation process; establishing clear service-level agreements (SLA), including penalties; and conducting a thorough technology assessment to identify potential problems.

When the rollout began in June, it was scheduled to take eight weeks. As of mid-November, the data portion of the rollout is complete, but only about 20% of the voice lines have been ported to the VoIP network. Badugu remains bullish on VoIP, expects benefits including a 35% to 40% savings in voice and data service costs, and already is saving $6,000 to $10,000 on his conference calling. But if he had it to do over, he'd do more than a few things differently.

Click Here to Continue Reading "The good, bad and ugly of a VoIP implementation"

Avaya buys Traverse Networks

Avaya has bought Traverse Networks for $15 million and simplified pricing for its various VoIP software platforms. Avaya acquired Traverse for its fixed-mobile convergence software, which allows users to access corporate IP PBX features, voicemail, email, and other resources over a secure mobile phone data connection.Timed with the acquisition, Avaya announced a repackaging of its unified communications products, including a new four-level product structure that the vendor says will make it simpler and less expensive for customers to buy and install the technology.

Traverse is a five-year-old start-up based in California which makes mobile phone applications Visual Voicemail and CallConnect that let users access office telephone features and IP PBX/voicemail remotely.

Visual Voicemail aggregates a user's office voicemail messages and displays them on a mobile similar to an email inbox. It shows data including co-workers' names, caller ID, and message time and date. Users can listen to, delete and forward messages on the office voicemail system from the cellphone interface.

CallConnect extends control of a desktop IP phone to a mobile device. A user can program a simultaneous-ring feature so an incoming call to an office phone extension or cellphone will ring both devices at the same time, for example. Number forwarding and other call-handling options are also part of the software.

PDAs and smart phones running Java 2 Micro Edition, as well as RIM's Blackberry devices, can run the Traverse client software.

 

The server-based component of Traverse's product sits in front of a corporate IP PBX or IP-enabled phone, behind a corporate firewall . Called Mobility Server, the application communicates with IP PBX and messaging systems and connects these internal servers, via an encrypted data tunnel, to external cellphones running the Traverse client.

Avaya's Traverse acquisition is most likely a counter-move to Cisco's purchase of Orative in October. Cisco paid $31 million for the start-up, which makes software that ties together mobile phones with corporate IP PBX and messaging systems.

Avaya says it will integrate Traverse into its IP PBX and messaging products in 2007, and still continue to support Traverse on Cisco CallManager.

Source: TechWorld

Zabady - A portable WiFi TV to carry around the house

The Zabady from Twinbird is coming out in Japan and is a portable WiFi home TV. Comprising of a 7-inch screen and 480x234-pixel resolution, this mini TV receives video streamed via a docking station from sources like your TV, PVR or DVD player.

 

However this device only works over a short distance and if you tread too far away from your home the signal will diminish.

Simply put this is a short range Slingbox, but I'm not sure anyone is that addicted to TV to need to carry one around the house with them.

Source: PVR Wire 

November 16, 2006

Celliax LiveCD 0.0.32 released (let Asterisk manage GSM to CDMA cellular phones, from Skype calls to/from cellphones, via chan_celliax)

Celliax is a channel driver for the Asterisk Free PBX that manages GSM and CDMA cellular phones through an adapter, composed by a datacable (for commands) and an audiocable (for the voice) interfacing the computer soundcard. Runs on Linux and Windows (click below for more).

What's New in 0.0.32:

    * LiveCD:
          o Now you can save all your configuration between reboots
(Celliax, Skype, Language, etc). You can save all of them on a regular file on your hard disk (or on a USB key) and have all of it automatically reloaded at next boot. No more need to "retrain" Skype
at each reboot!
          o Linux support for all kind of datacables in the Celliax Devkits
          o New kernel 2.6.17.14 with ark3116 and working wireless
ipw2200 modules
          o Headless Celliax, cellphones, Asterisk and Skype (without X)! Booting in console mode you find a script
(/usr/local/asterisk/usr/sbin/celliax_server) that automatically launch Xvfb (the fake X11 server), Skype and Celliax. Also via ssh! Isn't that cute?
          o Graphic configuration for Celliax
          o Automatically download the latest sources with an svn script (/usr/local/asterisk/usr/sbin/svn_celliax, now's working)
          o Contains the Windows XP drivers for the Celliax DevKit datacables

    * Celliax (both Linux and Windows):
          o Asterisk 1.2.13
          o New configuration file format
          o Better interaction with Skype (no more stuck in skype_dir, much faster skype_dir on Windows)
          o Source code is more readable (but will be much cleaned, refactored and polished in the future ;) ) and beginning of Doxygen documentation
    * And many more minor things...

 

Celliax development and download site: www.celliax.org
 

Ericsson launches the third release of its MX-ONE- a unified platform for enterprise communications

Ericsson's new MX-ONE Version 3 optimizes business communications by introducing unique mobility features that increase efficiency and reduce total cost of ownership. MX-ONE seamlessly handles voice and data applications and combines mobile and fixed functionalities across private and public networks.

The solution enables enterprises to control and reduce total cost of ownership by delivering high accessibility and flexibility. It provides smooth and safe migration to a future-proof IP network at a pace appropriate to individual enterprises' needs.

The latest version of the MX-ONE IP-PBX maximizes business communications with extended system capacity for up to 50,000 end-users, standardized management and web-based tools.

One key enhancement in this version is the introduction of support for the session initiation protoco