Nokia and Deutsche Telekom Pilot Fixed Mobile Convergence

Deutsche Telekom announced T-One, an integrated dual-mode telephony solution combining fixed line and mobile communications. The service is being piloted on Nokia N80 and Nokia E60 devices.



T-One will offer customers a simple and convenient way to access both fixed line and mobile data services using WLAN-enabled Nokia N80 and Nokia E60 devices. Customers will be able to use the same data and voice services from home or on the go through a T-Com HotSpot.



"The Internet and mobile communications are coming together faster than anyone expected. We're delighted to work with Germany's leading operator, the Deutsche Telekom Group, in the mobile and Internet space to offer new possibilities for people to communicate in a flexible way with the T-One solution," said Ilkka Raiskinen, senior vice president of Multimedia Experiences at Nokia.

http://www.nokia.com

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Global Crossing Launches Applications Performance Management with Fluke

Global Crossing is adding an Applications Performance Management (APM) service to its portfolio of fully managed, converged IP services.



The service provides end-to-end, real-time performance monitoring, robust troubleshooting and one-second increment data gathering at every site throughout a converged IP network.



Enabled through a strategic partnership with Fluke Networks that incorporates its Visual UpTime Select solution, APM provides network managers the ability to identify performance issues and determine if they are application specific or network based, resulting in faster resolutions.



Global Crossing Applications Performance Management Services are now available worldwide.

http://www.globalcrossing.com

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SupportSoft's CEO to Step Down

Radha R. Basu will step down as CEO of SupportSoft to focus her efforts on non-profit work. Ms. Basu has been CEO since she joined SupportSoft in July, 1999. She will remain in her current role as CEO until her successor is on board and will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

http://www.supportsoft.com

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Linksys Launches SIP-Based Multi-Line Phone System

Cisco Systems' Linksys division introduced a new line of SIP-based telephony products targeting SOHO and very small business customers. The new line of IP telephony solutions called the Linksys Voice System 9000 (LVS 9000) includes an IP PBX/Key system, a wide range of IP desktop phones, an Analog Gateway for connection to the Public Switched Telephone Network and a selection of authorized Internet Telephone Service Provider (ITSP) offerings for the Value Added Reseller (VAR) or small business to choose from.

The Linksys Voice System 9000, a fully-featured multi-line Internet phone system for up to 16 lines, includes the following components:

• Configuration Server


• SIP Proxy and Registrar - Up to 16 Users


• Application Server


• Music on Hold Server


• Media Proxy


• Web Server - For Local Management


• ATA via 2 Onboard RJ11 FXS Ports


• Two Phone Ports for analog telephone and fax


• IP PBX features including Automated Attendant, Automatic Call Distribution / Routing, Bridged / Shared Line Call Appearance, Call Transfe, Call Forwarding, Local and Corporate Directory, Call Pickup, Group Paging, Intercom, etc.

Pricing starts at $400.




The new line of Linksys phones includes models with one or two Ethernet ports, 1, 2, or 4 extensions, optional Power over Ethernet functionality, or a durable no-display model. Pricing starts at $89.

http://www.linksys.com

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MobiTV Hires Sprint Exec to Drive Content Acquisition

MobiTV, which provides television and digital radio services for mobile devices, named Dale Knoop as Sr. Director of Business Development. Knoop previously served as Sprint's General Manager of Multimedia.



MobiTV recently expanding its MobiTV service with version for the Palm TX and other WiFi enabled devices. Dozens of channels are offered through MobiTV's WiFi service, including ABC News Now, Bloomberg, C-SPAN, Comedy Time, ESPN 3GTV, Fox News, Fox Sports, The Weather Channel and ToonWorld TV. Additional channels will be added throughout the year.

http://www.mobitv.com

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AudioCodes Collaborates on Microsoft's Next Unified Messaging System

AudioCodes announced that its Mediant and MediaPack SIP VoIP Gateways provide key interoperability solutions that enable Microsoft Exchange "12" Unified Messaging to connect to an enterprise's existing voice network.



Microsoft Exchange "12" is the code name for Microsoft's next version of its server for e-mail, calendaring and unified messaging.



Microsoft and AudioCodes have been working closely to develop and test the AudioCodes gateways to help ensure they will be market ready along with the Exchange "12". Microsoft announced its "Beta 1" program for Exchange "12" late last year, and Exchange "12" is expected to be generally available in late 2006 or early 2007.

http://www.audiocodes.com

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KDDI Selects Sonus for Converged Packet Voice Network

KDDI awarded a multi-million dollar contract to Sonus Networks, naming Sonus as its exclusive vendor for their convergence-enabled packet voice network in Japan. In the first phase, KDDI is deploying Sonus' GSX9000 Open Services Switch, PSX Call Routing Server and Insight Element Management System to deliver long distance functionality for their consumer voice service plans -- Metal Plus, MYLINE and Hikari Plus. In future phases of the deployment, KDDI will expand its ubiquitous network to deliver triple-play services to customers nationwide.



"By 2008, KDDI plans to have 100 percent of its long-distance traffic on a Sonus-based VoIP network," said Yukio Takahashi, General Manager, IP Network Engineering Division, Corporate Technology Sector, KDDI Corporation.

http://www.sonusnet.com

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BT Exact Benchmarks the Alcatel 7450 Ethernet Service Switch

BT Exact has verified the non-stop routing functionality on the Alcatel 7450 Ethernet Service Switch (ESS). Alcatel engaged the professional services of BT Exact to assist in the test and evaluation of the Alcatel 7450 Ethernet Service Switch (ESS-7) for high-availability features.



The BT Exact tests were designed to stretch the challenging conditions at the edge of large IP/MPLS networks by simulating hundreds of peers, thousands of routes and SLA-based services. Tests verified non-stop services during a control plane switchover, which demonstrated the Alcatel 7450 ESS's service awareness and routing protocol reconvergence performance. Another test verified the platform's ability to continue processing topology routing updates during a control plane switchover, thereby ensuring customer traffic was always forwarded over a valid route. In addition, the tests demonstrated that Alcatel's non-stop routing implementation is transparent to and fully interoperable with adjacent routers from other vendors.

http://www.alcatel.com

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Atreus Launches IMS Service Provisioning OSS

Atreus Systems announced the launch of its IMS Service Provisioning Solution for wireless and wireline service providers. Atreus is currently working with several leading carriers to launch offerings that include IP Telephony, Conferencing, Hosted Call Center, Unified Messaging, and Voice Networking.



Atreus said its "xAuthority" solution gives service providers the ability to seamlessly extend their current bundles to include the incremental features made possible with IMS.



Key IMS provisioning functions include support for multi-service, multi-vendor solutions; dynamic self-service registration; real-time portal driven employee configuration; and controlled migration from legacy to IMS-based networks.

http://www.atreus-systems.com

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NeuStar's Global SIP-IX Initiative Signs HKG and Japan Internet Exchanges

NeuStar has secured relationships with Hong Kong Internet Exchange (HKIX) and Japan Internet Exchange Co. Ltd. (JPIX) for its Global SIP-IX Initiative, which will offer a suite of services designed to enable direct network-to-network peering between trading partners for voice, video and content services using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based technologies such as IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) and VoIP.

NeuStar also announced that it has completed deployment of SIP-IX infrastructure in facilities operated by its previously announced partners, Equinix and TELEHOUSE. In addition, as part of ongoing trials and broader vendor interoperability testing efforts, NeuStar successfully tested the provisioning interfaces for its SIP-IX service with Ceon, Incognito, NetNumber, and Nominum. The SIP-IX provisioning interface is a standards- based mechanism which enables numbering and IP routing information to be uploaded into the SIP-IX registry infrastructure, where it is synchronized with the SIP-IX global query infrastructure, or downloaded to the network operator's own service infrastructure to facilitate SIP interoperability and call routing.



AMS-IX, Equinix, HKIX, JPIX, and TELEHOUSE will each integrate SIP-IX with their IP peering infrastructures, creating a service delivery platform at the IXP locations that enable network operators to peer SIP-based traffic, in addition to existing peering and collocation services that the providers will continue to offer using current infrastructure and technologies.

http://www.neustar.biz/

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DSL Forum Expands Scope to include FTTP and FTTN

The DSL Forum is expanding its scope to other broadband access technologies, including FTTP and FTTN (PON). Technical work is underway to address common CPE and architecture requirements for various types of access methods to deliver video, voice and data services. Interoperability and qualification work has also been expanded to address higher layer functions as well as the physical layer testing of ADSL2plus and the newly standardized VDSL2.



Michael Brusca, chairman and president of the DSL Forum, said: "We have built on our end to end architecture, broadening Layer 3 specifications that are applicable to FTTP and FTTN (PON) in addition to DSLAM based platforms. Our DSLHome work has been expanded to cover management of common CPE and devices for all types of Wide Area Networks (WANs) and consumer electronics (CE) networking requirements."



In a progress report following its annual meeting help recently in Vienna, The DSL Forum also announced that nine new Technical Reports (TR) were completed in 2005.

• MCM Specific Managed Objects in VDSL Network Element



• Operations & Network Mgmt



• DSLHome Applying TR-069 to Remote Management of Home Networking Devices



• Service Interface Requirements for TR-058 Architectures



• DSLHome TR-064 Extensions for Service Differentiation



• DSLHome Reference Models for VoIP Configurations in the DSL Home



• DSLHome Data Model Template for TR-069 Enabled Devices



• DSLHome Provisioning Parameters for VoIP CPE



• DSLHome Gateway Device Version 1.1 Data Model for TR-069



• Multi-Service Delivery Framework for Home Networks




• Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS) Requirements Document




• Protocol Independent Object Model for Managing Next Generation ADSL Technologies



• SCM Specific Managed Objects In VDSL Network Element



• CPE WAN Mgmt Protocol



• Base Requirements for an ADSL Modem with Routing

In addition, in its 2006 elections, DSL Forum members elected two new directors, re-elected five directors and marked the retirement of one of its founders, David Greggains. Having served as a director of the DSL Forum for all of its 11 years in various roles including chief operating officer, vice president, secretary and treasurer, David received the Forum's Lifetime Achievement Award.



New members elected to the board are Lisa Garza, broadband market manager of Cisco Systems and Heather Kirksey, senior manager, standards and emerging technologies of Motive, Inc. Both have previously been awarded the Forum's Circle of Excellence award for their active participation in its work over several years. Directors who were re-elected are: Frank Van der Putten of Alcatel; Peter LeBlanc of Aware, Inc.; Steve Plume of BT; Phil Skeba of Intel and Greg Bathrick of Texas Instruments.



Gavin Young, chief architect of Bulldog Communications, was re-elected as technical committee chair. Vincenzo Gulla, vertical application marketing manager of Aethra was elected marketing committee chair after Jay Fausch of Alcatel, who served in this position for five years, stood down from the role.

http://www.dslforum.org

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