PointOne to Acquire Assets from Callipso

PointOne agreed to acquire certain assets from of Callipso, a nationwide carrier of VoIP traffic. Callipso filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month. PointOne said it will provide strategic network elements in the migration of customer support and services, as well as provide facilities, personnel and expertise to the existing VoIP customers of Callipso for the rapid integration of services onto the PointOne managed network. Financial terms were not disclosed.



PointOne was established in 1998, is a privately held company headquartered in Austin, Texas. http://www.pointone.com

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Siemens Invests in Chantry for Routed Wireless

Siemens Venture Capital has made an equity investment in Chantry Networks, a Boston-based start-up that provides secure integrated mobility management solutions for WLANs. Unlike traditional Layer 2 switch-based offerings, Chantry Networks' BeaconWorks provides wireless connectivity directly over IP. Intelligent wireless subnets enable differentiated provisioning and policing between different types of user groups, over one physical network.



The investment brings the company's Series "B" round of funding to $17 million. http://chantrynetworks.com

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Vivato Launches 802.11g Extended Range Wi-Fi Base Station

Vivato introduced an 802.11g Outdoor Wi-Fi base station that it claims can provide coverage over distances up to 12 times farther than traditional 802.11g products. Vivato leverages a unique phased array antenna design to extend the reach of 802.11b and 802.11g signals. http://www.vivato.com

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Juniper Tunes NetScreen OS for VoIP, IM

Juniper Networks announced enhancements to its NetScreen ScreenOS operating system to help enterprises and service providers deploy VoIP, peer-to-peer (P2P) and instant messaging (IM) applications. Juniper said the software enhanced help protect against hijacked calls as well as VoIP-specific Denial of Service attacks. These new capabilities include:

• Support for VoIP traffic across security zones - enabling secure and uninterrupted VoIP communications between users inside and outside the corporate firewall or across separate network security zones with distinct security policies;



• VoIP-specific DoS protection - protecting VoIP resources from network-level attacks; and



• Network Address Translation (NAT) support for both SIP and H.323 - facilitating distributed, end-to-end communication in enterprise deployments, while concealing network topologies.



• Additionally, Juniper enables traffic encryption via support for the VoIP protocol in its integrated IPSec VPN function, further protecting calls from eavesdropping and tampering. Inherent stateful High Availability enables secure and uninterrupted communications between users inside and outside the corporate firewall.



• Both SIP and H.323 have been implemented according to their respective standards and RFCs. SIP interoperability testing has been performed against more than 20 vendors' offerings.

http://www.juniper.net

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U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Review Internet Privacy Ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a lower court ruling on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA) and whether ISPs could be compelled to reveal the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of thousands of Internet subscribers suspected of copyright violations by the recording industry. In December 2003, the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA) did not authorize copyright holders and their agents to obtain a subpoena requiring the release of the name, address and telephone number of any Internet user based upon the filing of a one-page form with the clerk of the district court .



Verizon Communications declared a victory in the case saying the personal privacy, free expression rights and safety of the more than 100 million Internet users in the U.S. have been protected. http://www.verizon.com

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Shanghai Netcom Deploys Nortel Networks NGN

Shanghai Netcom, China Netcom's subsidiary in Shanghai, has launched new and advanced voice, data and multimedia services to both residential and business customers in Shanghai based on a next generation network (NGN) solution from Nortel Networks. The deployment includes Nortel Networks' Succession Communication Server (CS) 2000-Compact superclass softswitches, Multimedia Communication Server 5200, Integrated Access Devices, Access Gateways and video phones. Financial terms were not disclosed.



Shanghai Netcom has launched a range of advanced new services, including broadband telephony; IP Centrex for business customers, point-to-point video calling; 'meet me' audio conferencing; Web 'push services, file transfer, chat room, instant messaging and other collaborative Web tools; and Universal Personal Telecommunications (UPT), a personalized service that includes a single UPT number regardless of the terminal, network or basis telecommunications service used. http://www.nortelnetworks.com

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Harmonic Trims Q3 Expectations, Results Reflect Timing of Major Orders

Harmonic expects to report Q3 net sales of approximately $50 million to $51 million. The company said the lower than anticipated revenues primarily reflected the timing of two significant customer orders received by its Convergent Systems division. The company believes that it is still on track to meet previously stated revenue guidance of $125-$130 million for the second half of 2004.



"Our third quarter bookings were very strong, a trend we expect to see continue in the fourth quarter," said Anthony J. Ley, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our business continues to be driven by the intensifying competition between cable, satellite and telco operators."http://www.harmonicinc.com

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NDS to Provide IPTV Content Protection System to Intelsat

Intelsat plans to use the NDS system to test operational and performance aspects of IPTV delivered via satellite. The "Synamedia" system, which is based on NDS VideoGuard security, provides encryption and secure key management system for broadband content delivery. NDS' solution for Intelsat's test includes Alcatel's Open Media Suite IPTV software solution. Amino set-top boxes will also be part of the Intelsat installation, integrating with the open architecture of the Alcatel solution. Alcatel's OMS enables service providers to create, deliver and manage broadcast TV, VOD, personal video recording, electronic program guides, web browsing and email. http://www.nds.com

• In August 2004, a consortium of investment funds announced plans to acquire Intelsat in a transaction valued at approximately $5 billion, including approximately $2 billion of existing net debt. Intelsat operates a fleet of 28 geostationary satellites serving over 200 countries and territories. The company was established in 1964 as the first commercial satellite provider

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Polycom and BroadSoft Announce Feature-Rich VoIP Solution

Polycom announced an end-to-end SIP-based VoIP solution that combines BroadSoft's BroadWorks platform and Polycom's line of SoundPoint IP desktop phones. The companies said their combined solution offers users access to BroadWorks features including instant messaging and presence through the SoundPoint IP desktop phones. Using the BroadWorks web-based CommPilot, users can identify and call colleagues and self-manage advanced features such as find-me-follow-me, shared call appearance, and voice-to-email. http://www.polycom.comhttp://www.broadsoft.com

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Cablevision Boosts Downstream Cable Modem Speed by 40% to 5 Mbps

Cablevision has boosted the downstream rate of its Optimum Online cable modem service to 5 Mbps, a 40% performance increase from two years ago, at no additional cost. The maximum possible downstream speed through the service is being maintained at 10 Mbps. Cablevision said its service is now more than triple the speed of its DSL competitor. http://www.cablevision.com

• The Cablevision Optimum Online customer base has nearly doubled over the past two years, from 610,000 in June, 2002 to nearly 1.2 million on June 30, 2004. Average customer penetration of homes-passed across Cablevision's service area is nearly 27%, with penetration rates exceeding 50% in mature markets including areas of Long Island, Connecticut, New Jersey and Westchester. Across Cablevision's service area, 75% of all broadband customers choose Optimum Online.

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Cedar Point Selected by Comcast as Primary Partner for Voice Switching

Comcast has selected Cedar Point Communications as its primary vendor of VoIP services equipment. Under the multi-year agreement, Comcast will expand its deployment of Cedar Point's integrated SAFARI C(Cubed) Media Switching System to multiple new phone markets. Financial terms were not disclosed.



SAFARI C(Cubed) combines all of the elements of distributed softswitching architecture into a single packet-based unit with the security, quality and reliability of Class 5 circuit switches. http://www.cedarpointcom.com

• In May 2004, Charter Communications selected Cedar Point Communications' SAFARI C³ Media Switching System for use in the strategic deployment of VoIP in select markets.



• In April 2004, Cedar Point secured $20 million in additional funding for its integrated packet-based voice and multimedia switching platform for cable operators. The new funding was led by JP Morgan Partners and included earlier investors Ascent Venture Partners, Battery Ventures, Charles River Ventures, Comcast Interactive Capital and STAR Ventures.



• In February 2004, Cedar Point Communications and Motorola Broadband Communications Sector announced a strategic collaboration agreement to advance the deployment of packet-based cable telephony services. Specifically, Motorola will support the combined end-to-end voice- over-cable solution that includes Cedar Point's SAFARI C(3) integrated switching system, the Motorola Broadband Services Router (BSR) 64000 CMTS, Motorola SURFboard multi-terminal adapters (MTA), and the Motorola Advanced Provisioning System (MAPS).

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Redback Introduces Dynamic Subscriber Identification Technology

Redback Networks unveiled a new "Dynamic Subscriber Identification" technology to enable identification and authentication of individual subscribers and devices built for broadband Internet access. The technology, which is included in the latest software release for Redback's SmartEdge Service Gateway platform, enables the service provider to offer customized bandwidth, QoS and other services on a device-by-device basis, while preserving the interaction with back office billing systems.



Dynamic Subscriber Identification accommodates Internet-enabled devices, such as set-top boxes, gaming consoles, IP telephones, handheld communicators and computers with WiFi connectivity, over multiple types of broadband access modes, including xDSL, Ethernet, fiber, wireless etc. For instance, a service provider can supply an overall Internet bandwidth and then apply a specific bandwidth for specific devices or subscribers, such as a minimum guaranteed bandwidth for a VoIP telephone or Video on Demand session to a set-top box. Traditional xDSL access requires a Point-to-Point (PPP) protocol to initiate a session. Now, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) requests can be integrated with a RADIUS Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) and applied to a specific subscriber.



Redback said some of the Dynamic Subscriber Identification capabilities include:

• Support for both client- and clientless-Internet devices



• Full support for all PPP and DHCP protocol implementations



• Integration of an EAP client for login on a wireless network



• Ability to support web browser-based logins in conjunction with Redback's NetOp Policy Manager and a RADIUS database



• Accommodation of devices with static IP addresses



• Support for multiple devices within a single Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) and NAS Port connection



• Identification by a Media Access Control (MAC) address

http://www.redback.com

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Akimbo to Play on Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005

Akimbo Systems is making its video-on-demand service will be available on the Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. The Akimbo Service will automatically deliver an onscreen program guide filled with channels, video previews, editorial information and viewer options. From the Akimbo Guide, Akimbo subscribers can choose from thousands of programs available for download and later viewing. http://www.akimbo.com

• Akimbo is based in San Mateo, California and is funded by Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Sprout Group and Zone Ventures.

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CinemaNow Begins High-Definition Movie Downloads

CinemaNow began offering downloadable High-Definition Movies in Windows Media High-Definition format for playback on Windows XP-based PCs, including the Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 PC. Windows Media Video HD delivers video resolution of 720p. All CinemaNow HD movies are encoded at up to 10 Mbps and feature 5.1 surround sound.



The first titles released on CinemaNow in Windows Media Video HD are MacGillivray Freeman Films' giant screen IMAX films through a deal with Image Entertainment. http://www.cinemanow.com

• CinemaNow's film suppliers include Disney, Fox, Lions Gate, MGM, Miramax, Sony and Warner Bros., and hundreds of independent studios. More than 2,000 motion pictures are currently available on CinemaNow.com.

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Supreme Court Lets Stand Court Ruling that Overturned UNE Rules

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear three separate cases related to the FCC's UNE-p rules. By declining the cases, the Supreme Court lets stand a lower court's rulings, which effectively overturned the FCC's network unbundling rules. The FCC is working to quickly write and implement new rules.



Some Reaction:

• USTA: "Today's action by the Supreme Court should be the final chapter in this tortured saga of instability for the industry. It's time for the Commission to set clear, lawful unbundling rules to bring certainty and clarity to telecom." Walter B. McCormick, Jr., President and CEO of USTA.



• Qwest: "On behalf of the millions of customers who are already seeing the benefits from true, facilities-based competition, we're pleased that the Court will not continue litigation on an issue that has dragged on for nearly ten years. Commercially negotiated wholesale agreements are not only possible, but preferable to further litigation and uncertainty. Qwest was the first to forge historic wholesale services agreements with MCI and COVAD. We've since signed business-to-business negotiated, wholesale agreements with more than a dozen companies." Steve Davis, senior vice president of public policy, Qwest Communications



• BellSouth: "We continue to urge the FCC to meet the commitment of having new permanent rules in place by the end of the year and to ensure that the rules are consistent with the decision of the Appeals Court. After 8-1/2 years of working under unlawful rules, BellSouth believes the quick adoption and implementation of permanent rules is essential to economic recovery and job creation in America's technology sector." Herschel Abbott, BellSouth Vice President Governmental Affairs.

• In March 2004, a three-judge panel in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the FCC's Triennial Review Order with regard to network unbundling rules. The FCC rules, which were announced in February 2003 but actually issued in August 2003, empowered state public utility commissions as the decision makers on issues regarding UNE-P unbundling and local competition. The Court of Appeals said the FCC erred by not providing unified, federal guidelines and by pushing many FCC decisions to the states. The court also upheld the Triennial Review Order's exemption provided to incumbent carriers from unbundling for certain fiber-fed loops and for line sharing.

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Bill Gates Pushes Ahead Toward Digital Audio/Video Services

Vowing to revolutionize digital entertainment by making the PC central
to the Digital Home, Bill Gates publicly unveiled Windows XP
Media Center Edition 2005. Microsoft is working with leading
manufacturers to offer a range of digital entertainment devices
designed for the living room. Key capabilities in Windows XP
Media Center Edition 2005 include:

• the ability to pause and record up to three live TV shows
  simultaneously
  
• a Movie Finder feature for locating online content
  
• Windows Media Player 10 integration
  
• Windows Messenger integration
  
• CD and DVD burning for music mixes, archive recorded
  television programs, etc. Microsoft has integrated Sonic
  AuthorScript software.
  
• Digital photo archiving

Microsoft also announced a number of content partners for Media
Center Edition 2005, including:

• the new MSN Music store, which Microsoft describes as
  "the largest global resource for legal music
  downloads."
  
• AOL Music on Demand
  
• Kodak and Ofoto for digital photography services
  
• National Public Radio (NPR)
  
• Reuters, for full screen news video

Microsoft also introduced a "PlaysForSure" logo and
testing program to ensure compatibility among the digital home
products and services. http://www.windows-experience.com

• Last week, Microsoft unveiled its MSN TV 2, a broadband-home-network-enabled device manufactured by Thomson under the RCA brand. The device is powered by an Intel 733 MHz Celeron processor and the Windows CE operating system. It includes 128 MB of RAM and 64 MB of flash memory. It has an Ethernet port and two USB ports for accessories such as digital media card readers, wireless network adapters and printers. The unit also ships with a wireless keyboard and remote control and has an MSRP of $199.95 plus a subscription fee of $9.95 monthly (or $99.95 annually) for users who connect through their own broadband service. Microsoft expects the device to be in major retailers by mid-October.

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Magnolia Broadband Closes $11 Million for RF Chipsets

Magnolia Broadband, a start-up based in Clinton, New Jersey, raised $11 million in new funding for its "DiversityPlus" - based radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) chipset. Magnolia Broadband provides an antenna diversity solution for the wireless industry. The company said its design incorporates a novel way of combining RF signals from two antennae for both transmit and receive signals in the mobile terminal, enabling carriers to serve twice as many subscribers within the same wireless infrastructure while boosting phone coverage, data rates and battery performance.



The round was co-led by SCP Private Equity Partners, ECentury Capital and DFJ Gotham Ventures. This financing brings the total equity investment in Magnolia to approximately $28.5 million since its founding in late 2000. http://www.magnoliabroadband.com

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Cisco Systems Completes Acquisition of dynamicsoft

Cisco Systems completed its acquisition of privately held dynamicsoft. The deal was first announced on September 13, 2004. dynamicsoft's product set includes three main components:

• a "Presence Engine" that creates "subscriber awareness" by collecting, managing and distributing real-time user and device status to applications and users on an as-needed basis.



• an "AppEngine" for integrating voice, video, web, presence, instant messaging and email capabilities - over packet-based wireline and wireless networks. It uses SIP and Java.



• a "Service Engine" that integrates capabilities such as authentication, authorization, call routing, compression, application failover, and data management to be leveraged by multiple applications simultaneously.

http://www.cisco.com

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