ECI Telecom Names New COO

ECI Telecom announced the appointment of Rafi Maor to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer of the company, where he will have overall responsibility for current operations (including the product divisions and the distribution organization). Prior to joining the company, he spent nine years at Indigo N.V., where he served as President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company. Following the acquisition of Indigo by Hewlett Packard in 2002, he served as General Manager of HP/Indigo Division and Vice President at HP Corporate with worldwide responsibility for the product line. http://www.ecitele.com

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Leucadia Seeks Controlling Interest in MCI

Leucadia National Corporation, a holding company involved in a variety of businesses, is seeking clearance from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DoJ) to acquire at least 50% of MCI's common stock. Last year, Leucadia National Corporation acquired full control of WilTel Communications following its emergence from bankruptcy protection.



Under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act, the waiting period would expire on or about August 9, 2004, unless the FTC grants early termination or requests additional information. http://www.mci.com/

• In May 2004, MCI reported Q1 revenue of $6.3 billion, down from $7.2 billion a year earlier, including the consolidated results of Embratel. The decline reflects the adverse industry environment, as excess capacity and new technology adoption continue to pressure pricing. To address the issues, MCI outlined several initiatives aimed at lowering its cost structure and helping it to return to profitability in the second half of 2004.



• On 20-Apr-04, MCI emerged from Chapter 11 protection nearly two years after the resignation of WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers and the discovery of one of the largest accounting frauds in U.S. history. The company emerged from bankruptcy with about $5.7 billion in debt and $6 billion in cash.



• In August 2003, Leucadia National Corporation announced a deal to acquire all outstanding shares in WilTel Communications that it did not already hold at a 13.3% premium to WilTel's stock price, based on the respective closing prices of the common stock of Leucadia ($37.56 per share) and WilTel ($14.06 per share) on 11-August-2003. Leucadia previously held a 47.4% interest in WilTel. Following the acquisition, WilTel became a wholly owned subsidiary of Leucadia.

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FCC to Host Global Discussion on IP Services

The FCC's Internet Policy Working Group (IPWG) will hold a roundtable discussion to address international issues associated with the migration of communications services and applications to IP-based technologies. The event will be held on 30-July-2004 at the FCC's headquarters in Washington, D.C. and is open to the public. http://www.fcc.gov

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Agere Proposes 500 Mbps, 802.11n Wi-Fi Specification

Agere Systems announced a 802.11n proposal that would push raw Wi-Fi link rates to 500 Mbps while retaining backwards compatibility with existing Wi-Fi specifications. Agere said its proposal, to be submitted to the IEEE this summer, incorporates continued innovations in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) techniques, as well as wide bandwidth channels, 5 GHz transmissions and numerous operating modes to ensure robust data throughput, increased network capacity and legacy protocol compatibility. MIMO increases data throughput on a single channel by creating more "air paths" for the data to be transmitted. Using multiple transmit and receive antennas, each path can carry a different set of data at the same frequency.



Higher data rates are also achieved using 40/20 megahertz (MHz) channel widths. Agere's proposal supports both 20 and 40 MHz channel widths, allowing for worldwide operation and increased data capacity. The 40 MHz channels, consisting of two adjacent 20 MHz channels, will more than double the current 54 Mbps data rates to approximately 125 Mbps per transmission. In 2002, Agere demonstrated a 3x3 (three transmitter/three receiver) MIMO system supporting 162 Mbps wireless networking speeds.



Finalization of the 802.11n specification is expected to be completed by the IEEE in 2006.



Agere predicts that target applications for the proposed 802.11n standard would fall into two basic groups -- those requiring high-speed data transmissions plus strong QoS, and those that need the equivalent of wired network performance for such high-density environments as a large enterprise or apartment complex. http://www.agere.com

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AT&T Extends CallVantage VoIP to 100 Markets

AT&T expanded the availability of its CallVantage Service to an additional 28 new markets and 7 states. AT&T CallVantage VoIP service is now offered in 100 markets across the U.S. http://www.callvantage.com/

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OneAccess Networks Raises EUR 7.5Million for CPE Routers

OneAccess Networks, a start-up based in France, completed a EUR 7.5M round of financing for its access routers for telecommunications carriers and corporate networks. OneAccess designs, manufactures and markets business-class CPE-routers for numerous access technologies (xDSL, Ethernet, ATM, ISDN, FR), telephony services (VoIP and Voice over DSL) and migration solutions for non-IP data. In 2001, the company acquired equipment developed by CS Telecom, another French manufacturer of integrated access devices.



CDC Ixis Innovation led the latest financial round, with additional investment coming from the current investors, namely VPSA (formerly Viventures Partners), AGF Private Equity and CIC Capital Prive. http://www.oneaccess-net.com

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Israel's HOT Telecom Selects Lucent for VoIP Integration

HOT Telecom, an Israeli-based cable telephony consortium formed by Golden Channels, Tevel and Matav-Cable Systems Media, awarded a three-year, $35 million agreement to Lucent Technologies to provide multi-vendor network integration services for HOT Telecom's VoIP network. Lucent Worldwide Services will provide end-to-end network integration and security services, including network design, engineering, deployment maintenance, and the overall integration of operations support and billing systems. Lucent Worldwide Services is working with Enterasys Networks, Sun Microsystems, and other Lucent Business Partners in the region to provide security services and infrastructure products to HOT Telecom. Bell Labs is also providing network planning, architecture, design, and analysis tools. http://www.lucent.com

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BT and Microsoft Partner to Deliver Real-Time Communication

BT and Microsoft announced a global strategic alliance to deliver a next-generation, integrated real-time communication and collaboration using Microsoft's Live Meeting solution to customers worldwide. BT is now offering the service in the U.K. and U.S, making it the first telecommunications company to simultaneously launch this type of service in multiple global markets.



BT said it has used Microsoft Office Live Meeting in an internal pilot program for much of the past year. Based on its own usage, BT said Live Meeting had led to a decrease in business travel. BT is further deploying Live Meeting across its organization, including its current internal MeetMe audio conferencing users.



Available immediately, this joint BT-Microsoft offering is priced on a per-minute, named-user or per-seat basis. http://www.conferencing.bt.com/

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QUALCOMM Begins Sampling of Enhanced Platform Chipsets

QUALCOMM has begun sampling of its first Enhanced Multimedia Platform chipsets, which integrate modem and multimedia processor functionality and are optimized for data-intensive wireless multimedia. QUALCOMM said its new Mobile Station Modem (MSM6150) chipset for CDMA2000 1X and its new MSM6550 chipset for CDMA2000 1X, 1xEV-DO and GSM/GPRS deliver significantly increased processing capacity and optimized audio, video, camera and graphics capabilities. Both chipsets are integrated with advanced capabilities, including up to 4.0 megapixel digital camera support; video record at 15 frames per second (fps) Common Intermediate Format
CIF) for camcorder-quality movies and playback at 30 fps CIF; graphics at 100k triangles/second, 7M pixels/second graphics functionality for console-quality gaming and graphics; 3D sound and MP3/AAC/aacPlus audio support for portable CD-quality listening; and a 225 MHz ARM9 processor. http://www.qualcomm.com

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Artimi Secures $14 Million for UWB Chips

Artimi., a start-up based in Burlingame, California with R&D in Cambridge, UK, announced $14 million in Series A funding for its development of Ultra Wideband (UWB) silicon solutions. Artimi is developing a low cost, single chip solution that aims to extend the range and boost the performance of UWB connectivity. Artimi's UWB chips could be used for applications such as interconnecting flat panel displays, DVD, DVR and other multimedia devices. The company participates in standard-setting industry bodies, including IEEE 802.15 working groups and the Multi-Band OFDM Alliance (MBOA).



Index Ventures co-led the round with Accel Partners and Amadeus Capital Partners Ltd and investment from Oak Investment Partners. http://www.artimi.com

• Artimi was co-founded by Mark Moore and David Baker. Moore was most recently Principal Architect with GlobespanVirata, having been a member from the company's early days as ATM Ltd, to its subsequent re-branding as Virata and flotation on NASDAQ. Baker previously was Principal ASIC Engineer at GlobespanVirata and Technical Director of RWA.

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VocalTec Builds Out its VoIP Suite

VocalTec Communications, which launched its first VoIP products in 1995, announced a major expansion of its Essentra product suite for next generation network (NGN) operators and service providers. The new products include:

• a broadband VoIP access platform -- a SIP-based platform for providing subscriber features and Web-based management for broadband VoIP access networks for SOHO and residential markets. The new Essentra BAX is an out-of-the-box hosted platform that resides in the service provider's network facility. End users connect to the service through a SIP-based integrated Access Device (IAD) or SIP Phone. It supports traditional subscriber calling features, such as call waiting, call forward, etc., as well as new features, including conferencing, do-not-disturb, etc. A web-based self-provisioning interface allows end-users to manage their subscription services.



• a multiprotocol, core control softswitch featuring intelligent routing, control of 3rd party gateways, and seamless migration of H.323 networks to NGN.



• a network peering manager -- an edge network device enabling interconnection and peering of VoIP networks, featuring dynamic call routing, security, QoS, internetworking, and other border functions. The new Essentra EX Peering Manager is aimed at wholesale operators, clearinghouses and bilateral traffic exchange. VocalTec has integrated the Essentra EX product with Acme Packet's Net-Net session border controller. Together these products meet the security, interworking, service assurance and regulatory requirements of service providers at the borders of IP networks. Firewall and Network Address Translation (NAT) support guarantee secure interconnection to both carrier and enterprise networks.



• a signaling and traffic gateway -- a multi-purpose VoIP gateway, providing SS7 signaling and standards-based integration with any softswitch or H.323 gatekeeper. It enables connections between SS7 telephony and SIP VoIP networks. The platform is designed for small to medium-sized service providers, and scales with high granularity from 48 to 960 voice channels and supports up to four signaling links and TDM traffic.

Vocaltec said its new product set is designed for quickly rolling out Voice-over- Broadband and Long Distance VoIP services. In terms of architecture, the Essentra Product Suite is based on a clear division between the transport (media) and control (softswitch) layers. Multiple protocol support and interworking for SIP, SIP-T, Q.1912.5, MGCP, MEGACO, H.248, H.323, SS7-ISUP, PRI, and SIGTRAN enable new services and facilitate peering. In addition, VocalTec supports more than 60 SS7 country variants. http://www.vocaltec.com/

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