Colombia Móvil Selects Huawei for GSM Expansion

Colombia Móvil, Colombia's the third biggest mobile operator, awarded a GSM expansion contract to Huawei Technologies. The deployment will extend services to over 560,000 users across Colombia's five biggest cities of Medellin, Cali, Bucaramanga, Barranquilla, as well as its capital Bogotá. Financial terms were not disclosed.






Colombia Móvil, a leading mobile operator in Colombia, created by Bogotá Telecommunication Enterprise (ETB) ahttp://www.huawei.comhttp://www.ola.com.co/

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Taiwan's Asia Pacific Online Chooses Caspian

Asia Pacific Online (APOL), a leading ISP in Taiwan, has deployed Caspian Media Controllers to enforce multimedia peering service level agreements (SLAs) and improve IP multimedia service performance. The Caspian Media Controllers will be used to provide improved quality to the peering fabric in APOL's network using Caspian's IP QoS flow control.



Caspian said its Media Controller functions like "traffic metering lights" in peering networks -- identifying, controlling, and balancing IP multimedia traffic flows. The unique traffic management capabilities ensure the highest quality experience for the largest number of users, eliminating situations where a few offending users monopolize bandwidth and affect the quality of experience for the majority.



Asia Pacific Online (APOL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Eastern Broadband Telecom (EBT), one of the four licensed fixed line type 1 telecommunications service providers in Taiwan.

http://www.caspian.comhttp://www.apol.com.tw/english/index.html

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Siemens Supplies IPTV Middleware for SES AMERICOM's IP-PRIME

Siemens Communications has supplied its Myrio IPTV middleware for integration with SES AMERICOM's IP-PRIME content distribution service.



As part of the PRIME IPTV distribution system, Siemens open, standards-based IPTV middleware has been integrated with content protection technology and MPEG-4 video, including high-definition (HD) video support to provide an end-to-end certified solution.



IP-PRIME, scheduled for U.S. commercial launch later this year, provides rural and independent telephone operators with hundreds of standard and high-definition (HD) IPTV channels. SES AMERICOM's IP-PRIME IPTV Broadcast Distribution Center, based in Vernon Valley, N.J., is the processing hub where content is aggregated and prepared for satellite delivery to telephone company headends.

http://www.usa.siemens.com/communicationshttp://www.ses-americom.com

• Other IP-PRIME partners include Scientific-Atlanta, which was selected to provide an MPEG-4 encoding system and its ROSA Network Management System. Globecomm Systems is providing the overall design and integration services as well as the major components for the IPTV broadcast distribution center. NDS is provide end-to-end IPTV content protection.

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Nokia Delivers 3.6 Mbps HSDPA to Hong Kong's CSL

CSL, the leading mobile operator in Hong Kong, and Nokia successfully completed the first 16QAM call supporting 3.6 Mbps HSDPA in the CSL network. Nokia and CSL have been working together since 1991, providing GSM, GPRS, EDGE and WCDMA infrastructure for the CSL's network. http://www.nokia.comhttp://www.hkcsl.com

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Kodiak Networks Signs Brightstar for Global Distribution

Kodiak Networks, a supplier of advanced Push to Talk (PTT) wireless systems, announced a distribution deal with Brightstar, a global wireless distribution and supply chain solutions company. Under the deal, Brightstar will procure original equipment manufacturer (OEM) devices for wireless operators that are PTT-capable and include the Kodiak AVS applications including real-time availability, group conferencing, instant voice messaging and the ability to convert a PTT conversation to a full-duplex, cellular call. http://www.kodiaknetworks.com

• Kodiak carrier customers include Orange S.A. (Europe); Alltel, Amp'd Mobile, Bluegrass Cellular, Cellcom, Cellular South, Cingular Wireless, Carolina West, East Kentucky Network, MTS Allstream and 3Rivers Wireless (North America); Airtel and Idea (India); and IT&E (Guam).

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Cisco and SAP Partner on Network-based Application Intelligence

Cisco System and SAP AG announced a joint marketing agreement for the United States and Canada that will address governance, risk and compliance (GRC) business processes and IT control issues across the entire IT infrastructure -- from the network layer all the way through the application layer. The partnership will encompass sales and marketing activities as well as advanced service offerings.



The joint effort aims to leverage the access and identity intelligence resident across Cisco's Service Oriented Architected Network Architecture (SONA). Specifically, SAP and Cisco offer new levels of IT management and controls between Cisco SONA and the three new applications in the portfolio of SAP solutions for GRC: SAP GRC Repository, SAP GRC Process Control and SAP GRC Risk Management.



"Cisco is working closely with SAP to deliver more network-based intelligence and bring more business value to our enterprise customers through integrated network services. We are partnering with SAP because we recognize the value of converging business and IT controls into a single GRC environment based on two industry-leading, complementary architectures -- enterprise service-oriented architecture and Cisco SONA," said Charles H. Giancarlo, chief development officer for Cisco Systems.

http://www.cisco.comhttp://www.sap.com

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Global Crossing Introduces Carrier VoIP Community Peering Service

Global Crossing introduced a carrier customers VoIP Community Peering service that gives carriers the ability to more easily offer their business customers high-quality, end-to-end IP connectivity.



Global Crossing's VoIP Community Peering, which has been available to enterprise customers since June 2006, applies to all VoIP Local Service numbers on the Global Crossing network, including numbers provisioned within a carrier's network, to other carriers, and to any Global Crossing enterprise customer. This delivers the end-to-end quality of an all-IP connection and enables a lower, more predictable cost structure.



Global Crossing said its service is unique because it lets carrier customers consolidate all the incoming voice traffic from their own customers and send all VoIP outbound calls to the Global Crossing network. Global Crossing does not apply per- minute charges on calls that are served by Global Crossing's VoIP Local Service, but rather a flat-rate monthly recurring charge for bandwidth to support a designated number of simultaneous calls. Those calls originate and terminate on Global Crossing's network and do not rely on the PSTN for completion.



The end-to-end, all-IP call flow also allows carriers to support more SIP-based features by eliminating "islands of VoIP" that can occur in a VoIP-over-PSTN solution.



In addition, carrier customers can benefit from a combination of Global Crossing VoIP Outbound and VoIP Local Services to create alternative routing plans for traditional national or international PSTN off-net calling connections.

http://www.globalcrossing.com

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Modulus Ships HD/SD Switchable MPEG-4 AVC Encoding Platform

Modulus Video began shipping a new line of MPEG-4 AVC video encoders -- a 1RU encoding platform that can be switched between high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) video. Modulus said its new ME2000 offers more than 25 percent reduction in bit rates while significantly enhancing video quality.



The ME2000 platform shares the features of the Modulus Video ME6000, am HD IPTV encoding system, and includes:

• support for full resolution 1080i and 720P


• low resolution proxy for program guide, monitoring and Microsoft TV
  Picture in Picture (PIP)


• support for ad insertion triggers to streamline revenue generating
  operations


• interoperability with leading system management tools
  
• support for 60Hz & 50Hz applications

http://www.modulusvideo.com

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AT&T Adds Network-based Cybersecurity Services for SMBs

AT&T introduced two network-based security services for small and midsize businesses -- AT&T Internet Protect and AT&T Intrusion Prevention Service.



AT&T Internet Protect uses the company's IP backbone as a proxy of general Internet traffic to help predict and profile known and developing malicious activities. It provides network managers with security information, such as immediate network threats, recent patch releases and other security "need-to-know" facts. Additionally, AT&T Internet Protect's security portal not only notifies customers of critical malicious activity, but also recommends an immediate course of action.



AT&T Internet Protect customers also receive access to AT&T Internet Security News Network (AT&T ISNN), a 24/7 video webcast that provides businesses with critical security news and information. The news network delivers up-to-date information from security experts and forensic analysts directly to subscribers' desktops. AT&T ISNN also provides live emergency broadcasts as security attacks occur, keeping customers informed.



AT&T Intrusion Prevention Service is a fully managed security solution featuring tools to defend internal networks. It can help detect, contain, and neutralize known or developing threats from hackers, viruses and worms that attack a company's network.



AT&T Intrusion Prevention Service uses a security device designed to internally monitor and defend a company's network. When installed on a local area network, this device can monitor the behavior of IP traffic on the business's network rather than searching a database for known signatures of worms and viruses. The device is designed to verify whether traffic packets are malicious and then to block the suspect traffic from the origination points to help prevent the spread of the worm or virus to the customer's network.

http://www.att.com

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Cisco and Microsoft Outline Architecture for NAC-NAP Interoperability

Cisco Systems and Microsoft outlined their plans for how Cisco Network Admission Control (NAC) and Microsoft Network Access Protection (NAP) will interoperate. A technical whitepaper released by the two companies describes how Cisco NAC and Microsoft NAP interoperate for security policy enforcement and health assessment. The white paper describes the architecture and provides details on how to integrate the embedded security capabilities of Cisco's network infrastructure with those of Microsoft Windows Vista and the future version of Windows Server, code-named "Longhorn."



In addition, the two companies have revealed a general road map for bringing Cisco NAC and Microsoft NAP interoperability to market, including a limited beta program set to start later this calendar year. Customers will be able to start deploying the Cisco NAC-Microsoft NAP interoperable solution oncehttp://www.microsoft.comhttp://www.cisco.com/

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Hibernia Atlantic Adds North American POPs

Hibernia Atlantic has doubled its fiber-optic network in North America to now include the following seven new network Points of Presence (PoPs): 151 Front Street in Toronto, Canada, 194 Washington Street and 11 North Pearl in Albany, New York, 1351 Washington in Stamford, Connecticut, 111 8th Avenue, New York City, 165 Halsey Street, Newark, New Jersey and Equinix in Ashburn, Virginia.



Other cities in Hibernia Atlantic's North American network include Halifax, Montreal, Boston, Albany and New York. Hibernia's Ireland and UK cites include Dublin, Waterford, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Southport, Manchester and London. Currently, the Hibernia route is the only direct link between Canada and Ireland/IMEA.
http://www.hiberniaatlantic.com

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SunRocket Joins Stealth's Voice Peering Fabric

SunRocket has joined Stealth Communications' Voice Peering Fabric (VPF), enabling SunRocket to exchange voice traffic directly with other VoIP providers instead of accruing per-minute charges associated with routing customer calls through the PSTN. As a VPF member, SunRocket will be able to facilitate secure, high-quality voice communications directly with other Member providers and access the VPF's expanding Telephone Number Mapping (ENUM) registry to determine which calls can route directly to other VPF Members.

http://www.sunrocket.com

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Sonus Signs Distribution Agreement with EMBARQ Logistics

EMBARQ Logistics will resell the entire suite of Sonus Networks' IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)-ready solutions throughout North America. EMBARQ Logistics, Embarq's deployment, distribution and logistics division, will now include in its product portfolio Sonus' products for the local and core IP telephony market.

http://www.sonusnet.comhttp://www.embarq.com

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KPN Selects Lucent for IMS Transition

KPN has selected Lucent to deploy an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) solution that will replace its legacy public switched telephone network (PSTN). Under the agreement with KPN, Lucent will deliver a standards-based IMS solution that enables cost-effective and seamless transition of KPN's network assets, including the support for number portability, carrier selection, carrier pre-selection, legal intercept, billing and operations support systems.



Lucent's IMS based-solution for KPN includes the Lucent Feature Server for telephony applications, Lucent Session Manager for call session management and application blending, Lucent Unified Subscriber Data Server that offers the home subscriber server function, Lucent Network Gateway, Lucent Network Controller for gateway control, Lucent Real-time Rating and Charging Suite (SurePay solution), and Lucent VitalSuite Performance Management Software to identify IP addresses.



"The agreement with KPN is one of the first IMS contracts in the world for a legacy voice network replacement and proof of Lucent's continuing leadership in IMS solutions," said Roger Heinz, vice president, Lucent Technologies converged core solutions.

http://www.lucent.com

• Last month, KPN, the incumbent operator in the Netherlands, selected Lucent Technologies to manage the deployment and integration of KPN's All IP Next Generation Network (NGN), based on IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) service architecture.



• Lucent will serve as prime integrator in the migration of KPN's existing services and customers to the new All IP network, which will support multimedia services across the nation. KPN has earlier announced that it will be spending between EUR 1 to 1.5 billion on its All IP program. Following the successful migration of customers and services, the legacy networks and buildings will be phased out.



• KPN has also selected Alcatel to provide the network equipment to extend its nationwide Ethernet Virtual Private Network (VPN) services for business customers and Ethernet aggregation for residential services. The contract is part of a substantial IP network transformation project that will give KPN one of the largest MPLS-enabled networks in the world, which in turn forms part of its All IP program.

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Germany's Arcor Selects Italtel for NGN

Arcor, the second largest wireline operator in Germany, has selected Italtel to supply VoIP services and solutions. Specifically, Italtel will supply both a Next Generation Networks (NGN) Class 4 VoIP solution, to expand the current transit network, and a Next Generation Networks Class 5 VoIP solution to develop new IP telephony and multimedia services for residential and business customers. Financial terms were not disclosed.



Arcor's network is based on the Italtel NGN architecture featuring the i-SSW (Italtel iMSS based Softswitch solution) and i-UDB (Italtel Universal Data Base) platforms developed by Italtel. Italtel will also act as overall system integrator of the NGN solution into Arcor's network and of the management systems in Arcor's Operation and Business Support Systems (OSS/BSS), thus assuming a key partner role.

http://www.italtel.com/

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ROK Launches Free Mobile VoIP Calling via Bluetooth

ROK Mobile, mobile applications developer based in the UK, launched a free mobile-to-mobile VoIP application and service that connects compatible handsets wirelessly to broadband via Bluetooth on their handset and computer.



Initially compatible with several Bluetooth-enabled Nokia handsets, ROK aims to add more than 100 mobile handsets to include Java-powered handsets and Windows devices over the next 3 months. For those people without Bluetooth on their computers, ROK will be offering a turn-key 'auto-install' Bluetooth adaptor and application-loaded CD-ROM for sale online.


ROK Viper provides presence-capability to see buddies online.

http://www.rokviper.com/

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Verizon Appoints Executive for Interactive TV Programming

Verizon has hired Rachelle Zoffer to manage interactive programming for its FiOS TV subscribers. She has held management positions at Softel-USA, ShadowTV and Disney, where she managed early interactive-TV advertising experiments.

http://www.verizon.com

• In June 2006, Verizon introduced an interactive weather and traffic widget to complement its fiber-optic FiOS TV service.
  
  
  
  FiOS TV Widgets are available at no additional cost to customers with a set-top box. The widget provides one-touch, on-demand access to real-time local weather and traffic information. Subscribers use their remote control to display text-based weather and traffic on their TV screens without interrupting the program they are watching.
  
  
  
  Future Widgets may include personalized news, sports scores and fantasy-league sports results or community information.

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