Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Initiative Charts Future Wireless Course

A new Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) initiative has been established by China Mobile, KPN, NTT DoCoMo, Orange, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile and Vodafone to develop a common vision for mobile networks and technology that will take the industry beyond the HSPA & EVDO roadmaps.The Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) initiative has created a set of requirements for a future wide area mobile broadband network that is designed to offer enhanced customer benefits by delivering competitive broadband performance alongside high levels of interoperability.The...

Occam Supplies Broadband Loop Carrier to Michigan IOC

Westphalia Telephone Company, which provides local telephone and voice mail services throughout Michigan, has selected Occam Networks' Broadband Loop Carrier (BLC) 6000 to replace an existing broadband access solution installed in its network.Westphalia offers triple play services via ADSL2+ and realized it needed to replace its existing broadband access switch to ensure service quality. Occam is also providing active fiber to Westphalia's CLEC operations.The full deployment includes Occam's BLC 6312 for active ADSL2+ subscribers, the BLC 6314...

Intel and Siemens Enter VoIP Alliance

Intel and Siemens Communications announced an agreement to work collaboratively to create open unified communications solutions.The companies will conduct research focused on secure wireless networks and real-time open unified communications in the short term as well as work together longer term to create comprehensive vertical industry collaboration solutions.Additional components of the agreement call for the two companies to establish joint market development efforts focused on the enterprise and service provider sectors. The joint effort will...

BigBand Supplies Digital Simulcasting for RCN

RCN, a leading MSO, has selected BigBand Networks' BMR (Broadband Multimedia-Service Router) to implement digital simulcasting in its markets. Digital simulcasting introduces digital services by replicating digital versions of analog programs. RCN's digital simulcast implementation utilizes the BigBand BMR to manage program line-ups, control video quality and bandwidth efficiency, insert local advertising, and transport video content between facilities. RCN has launched digital simulcast in Chicago and New York, and is collaborating with BigBand...

SFR Deploys Nokia MSC Server Mobile Softswitch in France

SFR, the second largest mobile telecommunications operator in France, plans to deploy the Nokia MSC Server (MSS) mobile softswitch to enhance its network coverage and capacity. The network modernization deal upgrades SFR's current circuit switched core with a packet solution that fully enables fixed mobile convergence and the rapid growth of 3G-traffic.The Nokia MSC Server System, including the Nokia Multimedia Gateway, will enable SFR to manage the demands of its growing traffic while reducing its operational expenditure (OPEX). The turnkey nature...

Tundra Semiconductor Signs Distribution Deal with Nu Horizons

Tundra Semiconductor announced a distribution agreement with its new partner Nu Horizons Electronics Asia Pte Ltd., a leading global distributor of advanced technology active components and systems. Nu Horizons Asia will promote and distribute Tundra's full range of System Interconnect products throughout the region, with the exception of Japan. http://www.nuhorizons.com...

S5 Wireless Secures $11.5 Million for Wireless Location

S5 Wireless, a start-up based in Draper, Utah raised $11.5 million for its next-generation wireless location technologies.The Series B funding was led by Eagle River Holdings, Craig McCaw's investment company, and included existing investors vSpring Capital and Wasatch Venture Fund.S5 is building solutions for tracking and monitoring across a variety of industries, including E-911 location for VoIP services, companion animals/pets, homeland security, medical devices, shipping containers, telecommunications, tools, and others.S5 offers an extremely...

Microsoft Zune Features Built-in WiFi

Microsoft unveiled its first "Zune" product -- a 30GB digital media player, featuring Wi-Fi and a built-in FM tuner. "The digital music entertainment revolution is just beginning. With Zune, we are not simply delivering a portable device, we are introducing a new platform that helps bring artists closer to their audiences and helps people find new music and develop new social connections," said J Allard, vice president, design and development, at...

Unilever Selects BT for Global Managed Firewall Service

Unilever has awarded BT a contract for the provision of a managed firewall service. BT is taking over full management responsibilities for Unilever's existing estate of 256 firewalls spread across 68 countries. BT will transform Unilever's regionally managed firewall model into a single, consolidated global management structure in line with the rest of its networked IT services. BT will remotely manage the consolidated system, enhancing security against virus and other network-based attacks by applying a standard set of processes and reporting...

NETGEAR Hires HP Exec as Chief Marketing Officer

NETGEAR announced the appointment of Deborah Williams as chief marketing officer. Ms. Williams comes to NETGEAR after a 21-year career with Hewlett-Packard where she held various executive-level marketing positions. Most recently, Ms. Williams served as vice president of marketing of HP's Business Imaging and Printing Global Business Unit.http://www.netgear....

SoftBank BB Takes 10% Stake in asknet AG

Japan's SoftBank BB acquired a ten percent share in asknet AG, a supplier of outsourcing solutions for global software distribution via the Internet. SoftBank BB is Japan's largest distributor of software and IT-related products.In mid-August, asknet had announced the establishment of a joint venture with SoftBank BB in electronic software distribution to cover the world's second biggest software market, Japan. http://www.softbankbb.co.jphttp://www.asknet....

James Morgan to Step Down from Cisco's Board

James C. Morgan has decided to retire from Cisco Systems' board of directors and will not stand for re-election. Morgan, 68, will continue to serve as a Director until the company's Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held November 15, 2006.James C. Morgan, who also serves as chairman of Applied Materials, has been a member of the Cisco board of directors since January 1998. http://www.cisco....

BT to Launch Enterprise Fixed-Mobile Service

BT is preparing to launch a premise-based fixed-mobile convergence service for large organizations.BT Corporate Fusion is a fixed-mobile convergence service that leverages enterprise IP telephony and WiFi coverage to potentially deliver greater productivity, the possibility of reduced GSM call costs and to result in improved quality of service..The first customer to trial the service in the UK is Leeds City Council (LCC), the second largest local authority in the UK. The Council, which has the largest in-house ICT provision of any local authority,...

BT Outlines Global Plans

BT outlined its global ambitions -- predicting that it will more than double its revenues in the US, Japan, India and China over the next three years. BT Global Services, which provides enterprise services over the BT backbone, employs 27,500 staff in 53 countries and supplies services in more than 170 countries. The division currently generates most of its revenues from the UK and Western Europe. The company expects both its German and Italian operations to generate revenues of 1 billion EURs by 2008/9 and for there to be double- digit growth...

Verizon and DIRECTV Target MDU Market

Verizon reached an agreement to market DIRECTV satellite service in multidwelling-unit buildings where it does not offer its own entertainment services. The multi-year agreement will enable Verizon to serve as the single point of contact for a bundle of offerings that includes Verizon's broadband and telephony services in addition to DIRECTV's content and services.To further provide DIRECTV and Verizon services in a bundle throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, Verizon and MDU Communications International (MDUC), a long-time partner and provider...