Union Ratifies Contract for AT&T Mobility Southeast

AT&T Mobility announced that wireless employees in its Southeast Region (CWA District 3) have voted to ratify a four-year agreement with the Communications Workers of America.


The agreement covers about 11,200 CWA members in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. http://www.att.com

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Intel's 22nm "Knights Corner" CPU to Scale to 50 Cores

Intel unveiled plans for new supercomputing silicon based on a Many Integrated Core (MIC) architecture that will create platforms running at trillions of calculations per second while retaining the benefits of standard Intel processors.



The first product, codenamed "Knights Corner," will be made on Intel's 22-nanometer manufacturing (nm) process and will use Moore's Law to scale to more than 50 Intel processing cores on a single chip. The CPU is aimed at highly parallel applications.


"Intel's Xeon processors, and now our new Intel® Many Integrated Core architecture products, will further push the boundaries of science and discovery as Intel accelerates solutions to some of humanity's most challenging problems," said Kirk Skaugen, vice president and general manager of Intel's Data Center Group. "The Intel® MIC architecture will extend Intel's leading HPC products and solutions that are already in nearly 82 percent of the world's top supercomputers. Today's investments are indicative of Intel's growing commitment to the global HPC community."http://www.intel.com

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GENBAND Completes Acquisition of Nortel's Carrier VoIP Division

GENBAND completed its acquisition of substantially all assets of the Nortel Carrier VoIP and Application Solutions Business (CVAS). The deal combines GENBAND's next-generation media, session and security gateway technologies and Nortel's softswitch, media gateway and application technologies. The combined company will have products deployed with over two-thirds of the world's top 100 service providers and will cover broad markets including fixed, mobile, cable and broadband operators.


GENBAND will remain headquartered in the Dallas area, with strategic product and support facilities in Ottawa, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Maidenhead, Shanghai and Beijing, as well as strategic partners in India and Turkey.


"We are pleased to further our vision of fueling next generation network migration and IMS deployment through our successful acquisition of Nortel CVAS technology and talent," said Charles D. Vogt, president and chief executive officer of GENBAND. "By creating one of the most comprehensive, standards-based, interoperable switching portfolios in the world, we will facilitate the industry's massive and ongoing efforts to modernize networks, maximize existing investments and converge fixed and mobile infrastructures across disparate networks."http://www.genband.com

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Skype's iPhone App Runs over 3G

Skype released a new version of its iPhone application that enable calling using the 3G connection. Skype-to-Skype calls are free until the end of 2010, after which the company plans to introduced a monthly fee. Pricing details have not been disclosed. Operator data charges still apply.


Skype said is able to achieve near CD-quality sound for Skype-to-Skype calls over 3G using the iPhone because it leverages a wideband audio (SILK) codec. This is also on the iPad as well as 2nd and 3rd generation iTouches. The new app also promises faster start-up times.


"Using Skype on 3G has been the number one request among our iPhone customers. This new version is a great step towards enabling our customers to take and use Skype everywhere they go", said Russ Shaw General Manager for Mobile, Skype. "Using Skype on iPhone without being restricted to the availability of a WiFi network will open up new ways for Skype customers to stay connected and make free or low-cost calls whenever they want, wherever they are in the world."http://www.skype.com

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NSN and Partners Test Smart Grid in Helsinki

Helsingin Energia - a public utility of the City of Helsinki, ABB - and Nokia Siemens Networks will jointly develop, test and install a smart grid in the new Kalasatama district of Helsinki. The project will create sustainable, high efficiency electric power distribution and services based on modern communication, information and energy technologies. The consortium partners envision a smart grid based on industry-wide standards supporting a stable, secure, efficient and environmentally sustainable power system. It will also accommodate customer demand response management systems that allow local producers and consumers to interact with the network operator and the energy market to reduce peak loads and increase efficiency.


The project aims to enable excess power generated from renewable energy sources in the district - including sources such as solar panels or wind turbines - can be fed into the market; to enable electric vehicles to draw electricity from the grid or feed it back in; to store energy; to create easy-to-use services and to provide more flexibility and transparency in the distribution grid, all helping to lower electricity consumption and emissions.
http://www.nsn.com
http://www.helen.fi/

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Avaya to Sell Stake in AGC Networks to Essar

Avaya has agree to sell its approximate 59% ownership interest in AGC Networks Ltd. (formerly Avaya GlobalConnect) to affiliates of the Essar Group for approximately US$44.5 million.


AGC Networks, established in 1986, is a converged communication solutions provider focused on the India and Australia markets. The Essar Group is a multinational conglomerate spanning steel, oil & gas, power, communications, shipping ports & logistics, construction and minerals. Its communications group is focused on the customer care and acquisition market and has a track record of introducing process and technology innovation.


The sale of its AGC Networks stake will enable Avaya to drive additional focus on two of its strategic imperatives: the development of the Avaya business in India and the growth and extension of its channel coverage model through Avaya's global channel program, Avaya Connect. AGC Networks remains a key channel partner of Avaya serving customers in the India market, one of the fastest growing enterprise communications markets in the world, and in Australia.
http://www.agcnetworks.com
http://www.avaya.com

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TD-LTE Call Completed from Shanghai to Taipei

A high resolution live video call has been completed between TD-LTE devices connected to separate TD.-LTE networks. The call occurred between China Mobile's pre-commercial TD-LTE network for the Shanghai World Expo and National Chiao Tung University's (NCTU) TD-LTE trial network in Taipei, set up by Nokia Siemens Networks.
The company provided all the necessary TD-LTE equipment including core network and multiple base stations, along with the corresponding services. Nokia Siemens Networks is also providing TD-LTE indoor coverage for the Finland Pavilion during the World Expo in Shanghai.
http://www.nsn.com

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