VoIP Now

Cisco lands DoD contract

Cisco has been selected by the DOD to provide it with networking equipment for IP conferencing. The voice and video conferencing project will have the Cisco IP Video Conferencing 3540 Multipoint Control Unit for managing video conferencing and MeetingPlace for video, voice and Web conferencing. voipplanet.com reports:

The DoD award is the second major video-related announcement from Cisco this month. Earlier, it said it would pay $6.9 billion for set-top box maker and video networker Scientific-Atlanta.

Read More: Cisco Enlisted For DoD IP Conferencing

Click to call

Google is in the process of testing a click-to-call feature for Adwords. This will allow advertisers to connect with prospects on the net and on the phone. Select ads on Google are now carrying a small green icon of a phone, which upon clicking prompts the user to enter a telephone number. A “Connect For Free” button then links the advertiser and the searcher. At present the vendor providing the click-to-call functionality is not known Google is picking the tab for the phone call.

Skype announces GM for North America

Henry Gomez, who has been one of the foremost corporate communications and government relations executive at eBay, has been designated general manager of Skype North America. The job responsibilities will involve marketing, PR, business development, product integration, government relations, etc. voipplanet.com reports:

"Skype is tremendously successful around the world, and we now plan to bring greater focus to North America," Zennstrom said in a statement. "Henry's deep knowledge of the market and its consumers, as well as his expertise in building brands like eBay, makes him uniquely suited to lead our North American business."

Read More: Skype Takes Another EBay Exec

Vonage to continue marketing VoIP

Vonage intends to keep marketing its services even though it has failed to comply with the FCC deadline of November 28 regarding provision of E911 services. In its compliance report, Vonage has mentioned its capability to provide a callback number and a fixed location for 911 operations for all its users. However, only around 26% of Vonage’s one million customers have access to nomadic E911 service. Vonage has filed for a waiver of the ruling and has stated that by the first half of 2006, 97% of its subscribers will have E911.

Vonage has mentioned that it has 125 employees working toward E911 deployment and stated that it has put in more than $ 50 million in the project. In its waiver filing, Vonage claims that its efforts to provide nation-wide E911 services in such a short timeframe have been slowed down by the lack of precedent and insufficient resources to turn to for guidance.

VoIP to grow in 2006

The research firm Gartner has identified telephony as one of the six sectors that will influence business and drive growth in 2006. By 2010, VoIP and cellular phones could be the only type of telephony used by close to one-third of the homes in America. POTS, which has been around for nearly 125 years is witnessing regression and IP-telephony appears to be the way forward. voipplanet.com reports:

"To catch the waves of change at their early stages, vendors, users and investors in technology will need to look outside their industries to find early adopters that provide inspiration for how these trends translate into business value," said Daryl Plummer, group vice president and chief Gartner Fellow in a statement.

Read More: Gartner Predicts Key Tech Trends for 2006

Cable VoIP could flourish in 2006

The competition between cable companies, telecom companies, and other types of providers is increasing and VoIP could well turn out to be the deciding factor. Experts feel that in 2006 there could be a shift in advantage toward cable companies; currently independent hosted service providers have the upper hand in the VoIP market. Cable companies offering VoIP are mostly providing only voice service. However, the quality of voice service is high because they are using their own network and can promote voice packets over other data streams.

Hosted operators on the other hand are ahead in terms of innovation and are trying to integrate their service with other programs. Since they use a third party’s network, cannot prioritize their voice packets. Telecom companies are in a slightly tricky situation because if they go full-steam ahead with VoIP, they do so at the risk of eating into their existing POTS services. The advantage in the VoIP market will swing with the ability to offer packaged services for triple and quadruple play. The move by cable companies to tie up with Sprint Nextel is viewed by experts as a move to acquire capabilities to provide voice, video, and data services in a single package. voipplanet.com reports:

One example of the future of such offerings, Arden says, is Japan's SoftBank, which has had a broadband-focused business model from the beginning. "SoftBank really built everything on leveraging that broadband customer base, and that's why they've been really successful with VoIP," he says. "I think that's the business model that a lot of the cable guys have looked at."

Read More: Cable Providers Grab VoIP Advantage

Image problems for Skype

eBay’s acquisition of Skype has put the free P2P service in the limelight. However, not all this attention has been of the positive kind. According to the Canada-based Info-Tech Research Group big enterprises should refrain from using Skype as the service has some serious security and compliance shortcomings such that even a rookie hacker can pose a serious threat to a company’s network.

Butler Group, which is a UK-based analyst firm, has stated that computers on the Skype P2P network can be used as virtual PBXs. This will affect their speed, performance, and bandwidth consumption. voipplanet.com reports:

Recent releases do make it possible for network managers to turn off the instant messaging (IM) and file transfer functions in Windows Registry as a way to reduce peer-to-peer traffic over a company's Internet connection. But that's as far as it goes.

Read More: Skype: Big Bad Wolf?

The IP Multimedia Subsystem

VoIP systems can be integrated with the circuit-switched networks and with cellular networks. VoIP integration with cellular networks is achieved with the help of softswitches and the idea is referred to as the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). Several softswitch vendors have begun to incorporate IMS into their products.

The objective of IMS is to provide Internet connectivity to cell phone users. This opens the doors for a host of IP-dependent services such as VoIP, video-conferencing, etc. This requires that the carriers being used by two communicators be IMS-compliant. Thus, IMS opens up new opportunities for revenue for the vendors. IMS uses SIP. IETF has done valuable work in the development of IMS. For using IMS in cellular networks, the SIP servers such as registration and authentication servers have to be deployed inside the home network.

CAP from Converged Access Inc.

Converged Access Inc., which provides application performance management solutions for converged enterprise WANs, will be using its expertise in advanced traffic management and security for SMBs and remote offices that look to mobilize their workforce. The Converged Access Point (CAP) product can be integrated with the 802.11 b/g wireless LAN (WLAN). This allows SMBs and remote offices to provide business-class security and guaranteed performance to those who access VoIP, data, and other applications through either a wired or wireless network. CAP is a business class solution that simplifies management by integrating VoIP gateway, security, and critical routing functions.

An increase in the number of voice and data users should not come at a cost of application and security performance. VoIP and Voice over Wi-Fi should achieve toll quality performance standards. CAP provides a package that consists of a VoIP gateway, precise traffic management, firewall and VPN security, and an intuitive policy management solution. CAP provides business-class security and its connectivity to wireless devices such as PDAs, Wi-Fi phones, laptops, etc ensures that productivity does not get compromised due to worker mobility. CAP provides toll quality VoIP and bandwidth utilization in excess of 95%.

Cablemas to use ARRIS products

Cablemas, which is a Mexican Multiple System Cable Operator (MSO) will be using the ARRIS Cadant C4 CMTS, which will enable it to provide advanced voice (VoIP) and high-speed data service to its clients. Cablemas reaches more than 1.5 million homes in Tijuana, where the installation and activation of several C4 CMTS chassis has already taken place. The CMTS platform has an all-component redundancy and provides hitless sparing. Cablemas will also be using the ARRIS Touchstone(R) TM402G Embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapter (E-MTA).

VoiceEngine embedded technology from GIPS

Gemtek technology, which provides wireless broadband systems, is using the VoiceEngine Embedded technology developed by GIPS for its FreePP VoIP service. The VoiceEngine technology provides support for managing voice quality across the different platforms used for the FreePP service. Jitter, packet loss, delay, and echo are some of the problems that will be sorted with the help of the VoiceEngine Embedded technology. Different systems and platforms are used to provide global P2P VoIP services.

PMC-Sierra, VoIP device provider, uses the GIPS NetEQ for its MSP VoIP Processor family in order to obtain better sound quality and minimize jitter buffer delay.

VoiceConX ro use Edgewater products

VoiceConX, which is a hosted VoIP service provider, will be using VoIP products from Edgewater Networks for its business VoIP customers. Edgewater Networks will provide VoiceConX with customer premises products, network-based session border controllers and a VoIP-specific network management platform.

VoiceConX will be using the EdgeMarc device and EdgeView VoIP Support Systems for quality management at both the customer’s end and at the core network. EdgeView VoIP Support System will facilitate remote management of the ConX-IP subscribers. EdgeMarc improves VoIP service quality for real-time media. tmcnet.com reports:

Edgewater made news last month when it partnered with VoIP software supplier Atreus Systems to combine the EdgeView network management system, EdgeMarc converged network appliances, and EdgeConnect managed PoE switch with Atreus’ Multi-Service Provisioning Solution.

Read More: Edgewater Delivers ConX-IP

Level 3 and Acme to come together

Level 3 has selected Acme Packet as a participant in its (3) VoIP Technology Alliance Program (TAP). The objective of the program is to institute a formal relationship between Level 3 and selected vendors in order to facilitate speedy deployment of services that are interconnected with the Level 3 network. tmcnet.com reports:

Acme Packet's Net-Net family of session border controllers (SBCs) satisfies critical security, service assurance and regulatory requirements for voice, video and multimedia sessions crossing IP network borders.

Read More: Acme Packet Joins Level 3's (3)VoIP Technology Alliance Program

E911 availability not easy to achieve

According to Stephen Meer, co-founder of Intrado, it is not going to be easy for VoIP providers to achieve seamless E911 service delivery. One reason for this is the high service level currently available to the American public. tmcnet.com reports:

One of the critical issues relating to the deployment of VoIP E911 is the need to develop standardized coverage criteria. In discussions with the FCC, Meer has provided guidance regarding the elements required for nationwide VoIP 911 coverage.

Read More: E911 Expert Warns of VoIP E911 Issues

Report from Wainhouse Research

The quarterly WebMetrics research program from Wainhouse Research has found that of its panelists, 70% were of the opinion that Skype was acceptable for business calls. According to Andy Nilssen, Wainhouse Research, the consistent high quality of VoIP service delivered by Skype has resulted in increased acceptance of VoIP. tmcnet.com reports:

"While we're not likely to see enterprises adopt Skype per se, Skype will lead to VoIP adoption among both enterprise and small-medium business markets sooner rather than later."

Read More: Skype Showing Newfound Acceptance for Business

VoIP steals a march over legacy telephony

The commercial VoIP market is presumably stealing a march over the enterprise market. Enterprises are still at the stage of evaluating the market and readying themselves for deployment by first getting the network ready.

According to In-Stat, with the growth of integrated VoIP functionality in CPE such as modems, routers, and gateways, the market for VoIP ICs will grow to $ 1.3 billion by 2009. Another opportunity in the VoIP market is that of security products. A VoIP solution has to include traffic management and security solutions.

Security threats for wireless networks

Wireless networks are also exposed to the same security hazards as conventional wired networks. Sophisticated mobile devices can compromise wireless networks by exposing them to DoS attacks and interception attempts. The increase in adoption of wireless networks within enterprises and the use of mobile technology to aid business and personal work will lead to greater security concerns. This could result in infrastructure security becoming a key point in distinguishing service providers.

Since the nature of threats is diverse, it is not possible to cover all security angles with a single strategy. Service providers adopt a multi-layered approach to secure wireless networks. Aspects of security such as user authentication, encryption, policy controls, etc need to be managed in such a way that user experience is not compromised. The multiservice security gateway is a platform that enables security of wireless networks without compromising on the scalability and availability. securitypipeline.com reports:

To ensure data integrity and confidentiality for their wireless services, mobile operators must protect and secure the wireless transmissions to their network, and, more importantly, insulate and secure the core network infrastructure from potential security threats.

Read More: Three Security Perimeters Needed For Secure Wireless

Network elements for security

A network element forwards packets according to a network layer address for routers and a datalink layer address in the case of a LAN switch. The content of the packets is processed by the end systems. As a convention, the network elements have operated at Layer 3 and below. However, the network elements too can inspect content, which can even be dropped for reasons of security or traffic control. Content-based network security and monitoring carried out by the network elements is important as the security provided by firewalls using Access Control Lists is not sufficient against attacks that target vulnerabilities at the application layer.

Network elements allow IT administrators to quickly add a signature update if a new security threat occurs. The content processing abilities of the network elements provide the necessary time to update servers, mobile computing devices, etc against the threats. Content processing also facilitates traffic control as it enables the server load balancer to allocate a server for a request more effectively. XML routers and switches and P2P traffic managers manage traffic based on the content in the application layer headers and the payload. Content-based traffic control also helps to curtail costs by managing the bandwidth more efficiently.

Checking the content of the network traffic is also useful in IP service applications and billing. IP addresses are not a sufficient pointer for billing in the case of wireless networks. This is because several wireless boundaries are crossed while providing wireless services. The billing has to consider the bandwidth consumption and the applications used. securitypipeline.com reports:

The enterprise environment is not alone in its vulnerability to viruses and other attacks. User and network equipment in IP-based telecom networks, such as VoIP and wireless networks, face similar problems.

Read More: Maximize IP-based VoIP And Wireless Network Security

VoIP sales outstrip legacy system sales

According to a report by Merrill Lynch, the sale of VoIP systems, for the year ended in June 2005, were higher than those for traditional systems. Traditional voice systems registered a drop of 20% whereas VoIP systems sales grew by 31% for the year. The drop in sales of legacy systems has meant that the overall growth in the telecom market was just 2% year-over-year and amounted to $ 2.24 billion.

The two top VoIP vendors, Cisco and Avaya are adopting different product strategies in order to gain market share. The solution offered by Avaya allows a company to replace its existing telephony infrastructure in a gradual manner; the slow migration to IP enables companies to get a feel of IP telephony at every step of the deployment. Cisco deployments consist of new IP deployments and new IP telephones. For the quarter ending June 2005, Cisco’s market share for pure-play VoIP products increased 15% and that of Avaya’s hybrid VoIP products grew by 14%. VoIP vendors like Alcatel, Siemens, and Nortel are actively exploring the IP-telephony option.

Verso offers Skype-blocking software

Verso Technologies, which is based in Atlanta, has announced that it will be demonstrating its products at the GSM Africa Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, to be held this week. The company is looking to market its NetSpective M-Class content management solution in the African telecom market. Verso will be partnering Taide Networks, which is a Norwegian company and has a presence in Africa. Interest in Verso’s products has grown ever since the company made an announcement regarding a trial of its Skype-blocking solution in China.

Verso is targeting enterprises and carriers for NetSpective, which blocks P2P traffic. There are approximately 150 enterprise customers for NetSpective in the US. The device assiduously filters network traffic and is compliant with the federal mandates regarding filtering. The phenomenal success of Skype has led several existing telecom carriers to take steps against it in order to protect their own business interests, particularly the revenue generated from long distance calls. Carriers in Oman and the UAE have banned Skype and other VoIP products and Costa Rica plans to do the same.

The market for NGN networks

The market for NGN equipment continues to grow as carriers and service providers seek to increase the deployment of advanced network services. Sales of NGN equipment saw a rise of 70% in the last quarter. Media gateways, VoIP ports, and softswitches saw a major boost in sales and added up to 27.3 million pieces of equipment. Globally, the revenues increased by 49%. Revenues from VoIP touched $ 609 million in the third quarter. Apparently, the trend will continue as carriers look to upgrade their packet networks.

Huawei Technologies from China, Nortel, and Siemens continue to be the dominant players in the field. The Asia Pacific market grew by 202%, the Caribbean and Latin American market registered a growth of 81%; however, the American market reduced in size by 12% due to network consolidation.

VoIP for the contact center

VoIP makes the implementation of a single, integrated voice and data network a far cheaper proposition than implementing separate networks. This also reduces the complications that would otherwise arise if separate networks to be integrated.

A major advantage that VoIP offers is the integration of separate functions and the range of functionalities that it offers. IVR in a VoIP environment is less expensive to implement, voice to text translation, multimedia queuing and routing, and IM make VoIP an attractive enterprise application, particularly for contact centers.

The true scope of VoIP will be leveraged when it starts getting used as a platform for supporting a virtual contact center. This will enable the distribution of the contact handling to anywhere in the organization; thereby ensuring that the right person with the right skill set handles the calls. Experts feel that even though having a central point of contact has its advantages, a distributed point of contact could lead to efficient and effective call handling. It may however lead to increased training costs.

Even though VoIP has existed for around 10 years, it has managed to make an impact on the contact center industry fairly recently. Adoption of VoIP has resulted due to the drop in systems prices, sophisticated voice recording and analytics enable contact centers to learn from each call, these features are further boosted by a reporting function.

VoIP market in America

JupiterResearch has released a study of the market for VoIP in America. The study is titled U.S. Broadband Telephony Forecast 2005 to 2010 and is available for $ 750. The report states that VoIP subscriptions will grow to 20.4 million by 2010.

VoIP security solution from Juniper Networks

Dynamic Threat Mitigation is a VoIP security solution developed by Juniper Networks. It consists of routers, IDP systems, and SDX software. The solution offers security against SIP attacks, worms, and DoS attacks that can harm SIP-based voice services.

The solution will enable service providers to tackle attacks as they occur on an application. Attack prevention is achieved by enforcing policies and exercising dynamic policy control. The solution identifies the intrusive traffic and intimates the IDP Manager.

Upon being informed by the IDP manager the SDX system implements the policy defined by the service provider in order to control the flow of traffic. A VoIP subscriber infected with a worm can be quarantined to a captive Web-page and is provided with links that help in remedying the situation.

Solution from MetaSwitch

MetaSwitch has introduced the VP2510 softswitch, the MG2510 media gateway, and the SG2510 signaling gateway. The solution is meant to be deployed in large networks and can be used while migrating to IMS networks.

The softswitch which also supports up to 15,000 subscribers can be configured with an integrated call agent, media gateway, media server, etc. The price of the solution will vary with the configuration.

iPhone from Teledex

iPhone IP is an SIP-based phone released by Teledex. The company has also released iPhone Hybrid, which is an analog phone that can be converted to IP by means of an upgrade. The phones are meant for the hospitality industry and are similar in looks. Both models have an interactive color touch screen. The phones are expected to hit the market in the second quarter of 2006.

The J7844A

Agilent Technologies has launched the J7844A, which is a VoIP call trace signaling analyzer. It is used for identifying signaling inconsistencies between ends. It can be used with voice technologies such as VoIP, 2G, 2.5G, 3G, etc. It facilitates quick detection and resolution of issues because of its real-time call trace functionality. The J7844A will cost $ 11,000 and will be in the market in December.

The Wildcard TDM2400P

The Wildcard TDM2400P is a 32-bit 33 MHZ card that is PCI 2.2 compliant. It has been released by Digium. The card can be scaled to support up to 48 ports. The card makes a separate channel bank and T1 interface cards redundant. The Wildcard is meant for use by SMBs and SOHOs. It will be available in the month of December.

Connection Central in North America

Connection Central, which is a networking device developed by Lake Communications, will be distributed by Sprint North Supply in North America. The device is aimed at the SOHO market and can integrate a DSL modem, router, PBX, VoIP, voicemail, etc. Connection Central consists of 2 POTS lines and 2 VoIP lines. It also has four wire extension ports and can support up to four wired extension LAN ports.

CRTC directive

The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has stated that all local VoIP service providers in Canada have to inform their existing and prospective customers of the status of 911 and e911 services as provided by them. The providers can use radio, television, print, internet, etc to communicate with the people regarding the status of e911 and 911, by January 18, 2006.

Signaling gateway from Stratus

The Inter-Network Services Signaling Gateway, which has been developed by Stratus Technologies, is used for allowing traffic to pass between SIP, legacy, and 3G networks.

TR1000 media processing board

A quad density T1/E1 version of the TR1000 media processing board developed by Brooktrout Technology is now available. TR100 is also available in versions for analog, BRI, and single/dual T1/E1. This latest board release is compliant with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive.

Phreaking on VoIP

Experts feel that hackers or phreakers may succeed in making free calls by manipulating the data that is switched through hybrid TDM-VoIP networks. The hacking can be carried out by tricking the system into believing that the call is no longer connected whereas the call is still continuing in reality. The billing software logs the call as disconnected and does not charge the call. The incidents of VoIP hacking are on the rise due to increased usage and people getting familiar with the technology.

The term phreaking evolved with the advent of hackers who concentrated on telecom systems to make free calls and gather information on the telecom infrastructure in order to manipulate it. The Asterisk SIP server, which is downloaded close to 1,000 times every day, is not vulnerable to phreaking attacks when the default is implemented.

VoIP in Asia

According to In-Stat, the market for VoIP in Asia is expected to grow at the rate of more than $ 1 billion every year and will be worth more than $ 10 billion by 2009. The number of users will double by then and will be more than 20 million. By the end of 2004, there were 8.7 million local VoIP lines in Asia. The growth of VoIP is being fostered by the discounts that service providers are offering their customers if they shift to IP for their long distance calls.

According to In-Stat, this is the reason that revenue from long distance calls accounts for 85.4% of all VoIP revenue. South Korea and Japan are the two developed VoIP markets in Asia. The growth of local VoIP service has not yet picked steam because of resistance from the existing telecom companies that are invoking regulations to slow down the spread of VoIP. Telecom companies in China are actively seeking to block service such as SkypeOut that offer a cheaper alternative for long distance revenue.

Integrated Research partners T-Systems

Integrated Research has announced a partnership with T-Systems, which is a part of Deutsche Telekom. The partnership is for a VoIP deployment Germany. tmcnet.com reports:

“We had committed to open the new European office in Frankfurt and this new partnership with T-Systems has reinforced our decision,” said Keith Andrews, CEO of Integrated Research.

Read More: Integrated Research, T-Systems VoIP Partnership

Fonix extends services in US states

Fonix Telecom has made available residential and business VoIP services in the states of Georgia, North Carolina, and Utah. tmcnet.com reports:

High-speed Internet subscribers in these three states can purchase Fonix Telecom's Fonix Fone(TM) VoIP service starting at $16.95. Fonix Fone offers local and long distance calling, including features such as call waiting, call forwarding, E-911 and voice mail.

Read More: Fonix Telecom Launches Residential and Business VoIP

Global IP Sound and InterObject

Global IP Sound will be integrating InterObject’s MPEG-4 and H.264 video encoding and decoding technology with its own technology. InterObject undertakes turnkey outsourced software development projects. tmcnet.com reports:

Global IP Sound, whose voice processing tools enable real-time communication over packet networks and are integrated in such VoIP software products as Skype, has chosen to embed InterObject’s technology within the foundation of its VoiceEngine Multimedia.

Read More: InterObject and Global IP Sound

The RTC market report

The report A Market in Transition For Vendors and Users of RTC Technologies by David Coleman has studied market growth and the trends that are prevalent in the RTC market. tmcnet.com reports:

If you are a real-time collaboration (RTC) vendor, selling audio, video, or data conferencing technologies or are an RTC reseller, you are probably aware of the profound changes that have occurred in this market place over the last two years.

Read More: Market for RTC Almost Makes the $13 Billion Mark

MEGACO/H.28

The MEGACO/H.28 standard was developed by the IETF and the ITU-T. It is used for facilitating communication between the media gateway and the media gateway controller. It has a distributed gateway architecture and it assumes that the intelligence for processing calls is present in the media gateway controller and that access to the media streams is managed by the media gateway. As against MGCP in which the commands are applicable to the connections, in MEGACO the commands are applicable to the Terminations that are related to a Context.

The Termination, which can also be multimedia, sources and/or sinks either single or multiple media streams. The Add, Subtract, and Modify commands can be used to alter the Contexts. A Connection is required when two or more than two Terminations are placed in a common Context. The MEGACO commands include Add, Modify, Subtract, Move, AuditValue, AuditCapabilities, Notify, and ServiceChange. Unlike MGCP that is defined specifically for UDP/IP transport MEGACO supports UDP/IP, TCP/IP, or ATM.

SessionSuite Architecture

A major concern for traditional PBXs employed in an enterprise is the development of products developed by companies such as Skype and BlueNote Networks. Skype has not targeted the enterprise market and it does not support the SIP and SOA. The application developed by BlueNote is called the SessionSuite Architecture and does not require any hardware to be installed. It was a result of interest shown by the company as well as a prospective customer.

The SessionSuite Architecture consists of seven software modules that execute functions such as delivering the GUI. It supports SOA and could well enable the integration of enterprise applications with telephony. Industry watchers feel that if Skype has to grow in telephony it has to start supporting the SIP protocol soon.

D-Link to launch solution for SMBs

D-Link is launching a VoIP solution for the SMBs. The solution will have an IP PBX, trunk gateway, and a VoIP phone. The solution is called the D-Link xStack IP Telephony Solution for Small Business. The DVX-1000 is an SIP-based device offering functionalities such as voicemail, call hold, call forwarding, etc, it can support 25 extensions.

Conferencing is enabled by a web-based interface. Security is provided by an integrated firewall and an MD5 SIP authentication encryption coder software. The DVG-3004S SIP Analog Trunk Gateway connects to the PSTN and it has one LAN port and four RJ-11 ports.

The company feels that a pay-as-you-grow pricing structure is ideally suited to foster adoption by SMBs. The solution can be upgraded to a 25-user license. Another driver for adoption by SMBs is easy implementation, maintenance, and ideally round-the-clock support from the vendor.

Unlicensed mobile access

Sweden-based TeliaSonera has stated that it has successfully executed the first phase of its pilot of the unlicensed mobile access (UMA). The pilot was carried out in Denmark. The UMA consists of mobile and IP calls in a single solution. tmcnet.com reports:

Technical testing of the UMA concept is now also being carried out in Sweden in cooperation with Ericsson, the company said.

Read More: TeliaSonera says Danish IP telephony successful

NTC ruling in Philippines unwelcome

The NTC Philippines has released the rules to be implemented for VoIP. Leading telecom companies have threatened to take the regulator to court over the rules. tmcnet.com reports:

The NTC ruling requires non-telco providers and resellers to ride on the infrastructure of telcos in providing VoIP, as mandated by Republic Act 7925. The order is set to take effect immediately.

Read More: Telcos threaten to sue over voice over internet protocol rules

VoIP vendor profile

In the early years, getting started with a VoIP business required little more than some capital, a website, and customers with an Internet connection. However, federal regulations and the entry of large companies has altered the profile of VoIP vendors.

Verizon, which is the largest local phone operator in America, should not face any problems from the FCC regulations regarding E911 implementation. However, most startup VoIP vendors will face problems in complying with the November 28 deadline and will not be allowed to canvas for new customers.

Quality management software from Xelor

Xelor Software Inc. has introduced an automatic service quality management software that identifies the voice-enabled devices on a network and manages network traffic to ensure call reliability. It jettisons packets when the network bandwidth is exceeded and does not let the service level go down. eweek.com reports:

Citizens in remote parts of the countryside will be able to present documents or seek help with tax forms or benefits applications via video phone.

Read More: Xelor Rolls Out QOS Tool for IP

Wi-Fi phones releasing shortly

Even as there is an increasing excitement regarding phones that will be able to roam between wireless LANs and cellular networks, there are several developers who are concentrating on improving the quality of voice over Wi-Fi.

SpectraLink will soon launch a handset that will support the IEEE 802.11a standard. Currently, the Wi-Fi phones supplied by SpectraLink work on 802.11b and operate on the 2.4GHz radio band. Appliances such as microwaves also operate in the same band. The chances of interference are reduced with 802.11a as the 5 GHz band in which it operates is less crowded.

Symbol Technologies Inc. is working on a PDA/phone, the MC70, which will support 802.11a, b, and g. The instrument is due in the first quarter of 2006 and will be equipped with a quad-band radio. This will enable it to function with GSM networks around the world. The MC70 is an improvement in terms of greater radio support and durability.

Categorizing VoIP security threats

VoIP security threats can be categorized on the basis of their objectives. Attacks can either aim to compromise service availability, impact the integrity, and to eavesdrop on the conversation.

Service availability is critical for maintaining the QoS as VoIP conversations are carried out in real-time. Thus, a DoS attack will have serious repercussions on a voice network. Virus- and worm-based threats usually target applications like end-user phones, call managers, and billing applications. Buffer overflow attacks concentrate on SIP servers. Service availability can also be compromised by threats such as zero-day VoIP worms. If the service availability is compromised, it can disrupt vital services such as E911 and also result in production loss, system downtime, and increased maintenance costs.

Attacks that concentrate on undermining the integrity of the network usually occur in the form of toll fraud, identity theft, etc. Service providers need to be particularly wary of such threats as they can undermine the confidence of the user in the network and inaccurate billing can invite court cases. VoIP features such as caller ID, three-way calling, etc can be used for executing phishing and SPIT attacks. The increased mingling of the PSTN and VoIP networks may open up further avenues for attackers.

Eavesdropping is employed by attackers to alter information by engineering man-in-the-middle attacks. The signaling and media paths are eavesdropped upon and the attacker can gain access to sensitive information by using the SIP messages and RTP packets. Activities such as registration hijacking, impersonation, and replay are similar to eavesdropping and are a source of worry for banks and government organizations.

Product partnerships to further growth

The recent product partnerships that Skype has entered into confirm the company’s objectives to move into embedded services. eweek.com reports:

This is Skype's second partnership, coming on the heels of the announcement last month that it had teamed with IPEVO, a Silicon Valley-based subsidiary of PCHome Online, to offer Skype devices in the United States through IPEVOs Web site.

Read More: Skype Thinks Outside the PC Box with Partner Push

Security concerns regarding P2P communication

The rise in security concerns regarding peer-to-peer communication has prompted IT administrators to block services such as Skype while vendors are beginning to focus on the security issues. The Cisco Security Agent is just one of the many applications that companies are deploying in order to detect and block the use of Skype. Further information regarding security with Skype is available here.

Skype has made it clear that its VoIP tool is not enterprise grade. Its proprietary technology used for traversing NAT is not considered safe by experts. However, Skype maintains that it does not have any immediate plans of changing the technology which has facilitates easy VoIP communication without having to reconfigure routers and firewalls. Even though Skype offers few monitoring and auditing options for businesses, it can be used for reducing long-distance communication costs, especially to places where the IT infrastructure is better than the telecom infrastructure.

An alternative to Skype’s proprietary solution is the ICE method which employs Simple Traversal of UDP through NATs (STUN) and Traversal Using Relay NAT (TURN) protocols. ICE is being considered by IETF and has found favor with Microsoft Corp and Cisco.

Skype Faces Legislative Issues in China

Skype's rapid growth throughout the world has been propelled in large part because the platform requires little to no specialized equipment and simultaneously offers users access to both domestic and local calls which are almost always much lower than that over land lines.  This isn't news to anyone.

What is news, however, is the way Skype is affecting the Chinese regulatory state.  China has long been very guarded in the way that they approach internet usage, maintaining strict controls on the flow of information.  It appears that they are now taking a similar stance on internet telephony as evidenced in a recent report on VoIP in China.

Skype-certified Bluetooth headset

Motorola and Skype have announced the release of a Skype-certified Bluetooth headset solution. The solution has been released in America and is called the Motorola Wireless Internet Calling Kit. tmcnet.com reports:

To experience wireless communications, users plug in the Motorola PC850 PC Adapter to equip traditional laptops and PCs with Bluetooth technology, load the required software onto the PC and follow a simple, step- by-step procedure to establish the cordless connection between the PC and Motorola H500 headset.

Read More: Motorola and Skype Bring Mobility to Internet Voice Communications

Carrier VoIP products sell very well

During the third quarter of 2005 more than 27.3 million media gateway, soft switch and integrated VoIP ports were shipped. The market for carrier products grew at a rate of 67.8%. tmcnet.com reports:

Huawei Technologies dominated the quarterly results shipping 12.36 million VoIP ports and displacing Nortel the consistent leader until now. Siemens maintained its second place gaining 16% of global market share. Nortel Networks slipped down to the third place with 13% of market share.

Read More: Carrier VoIP Soars

One IP Voice Hosted VoIP

Farmstead Telephone Group Inc. will be introducing the One IP Voice Hosted VoIP service in Tier 1 cities across the US. The company expects to do so by January 2006. tmcnet.com reports:

The service provides local, long distance and internet service, along with fully bundled hosted solutions, to small and medium sized businesses.

Read More: One IP Voice Completes Build Out in the U.S.

Growth of VoIP ICs

According to the report "VoIP ICs – Building a Foundation for the Future," the market for VoIP ICs has the growth potential to reach a value of $ 1.3 billion by the year 2009. According to In-Stat, wireless and wireline IP phones will represent a major portion of the telephony market by 2009 and the new breed of wireless handsets will have VoIP integrated into it. The main drivers of the growth of IP-telephony will be the dual-mode wireless handsets and IP PBX/hosted PBX phones for businesses.

VoIP adoption rate not impressive

The main benefit of VoIP to businesses is the cost savings resulting from using an IP connection to communicate. VoIP can also enhance business communications by enabling video conferencing, audio conferencing, unified messaging, etc. According to the report "2005 Telecommunications Report," which gathered information from over 300 businesses in the US, 91% of the businesses were familiar with VoIP but only 10% had deployed it in some measure. The report was released by Harris Interactive in October 2005.

Given the interest that VoIP has generated, the 10% adoption rate may appear to be low. One reason is the reluctance of the SMBs to embrace the new technology; these have chosen to adopt a wait-and-watch policy. However, this stance could result in a competitive disadvantage for the SMBs that do not adapt. By the year 2008, more than half the number of contact centers will be using VoIP to avail the competitive advantage that it brings.

Industry experts feel that the decision of deploying VoIP should be taken considering the capacity to implement it successfully over a period of time because the IP-based technology comes with its own set of problems such as jitter and delay. The ability of the phones to communicate with the servers, voice quality, configuration of the switch ports, etc are aspects that require careful consideration. Enterprises should consider deploying VoIP-enabling productivity tools that can result in increased employee efficiency.

Skype targets SMBs

Skype is looking at furthering its presence among SMBs. It states that around 30% of its users are already using the tool for business communications. SMBs in countries such as India and China are adopting networking tools rapidly and Skype wishes to target this market. By the year 2008, these SMBs are expected to spend $ 200 million over networking gear.

According to Skype, regular use of Skype by enterprises can help bring down telephony costs to an appreciable extent. In order to promote its premium services, Skype has launched Skype Groups; this service allows an individual to purchase and sell the premium service to other Skype users.

VoIP checklist

Before deploying VoIP, it is imperative to verify that the wall jack, patch cable, switch ports, etc are working; power should flow from the switch to the phone; communication between the phone and server should be consistent; and baseline metrics should be established.

Once a network is deployed, the conversation between the phone and the network should be monitored; the call setup time should be assessed; QoS scores should be compared with objectives; and the baseline performance should be measured.

Worm in AOL

Malware originating in the Middle East is being used to spread a worm on the AOL IM network. internetweek.com reports:

FaceTime Security Labs, which identified the worm late last month, said it has found a rootkit-linked ster.exe file that contains six additional files that give the attacker the ability to upload, download, and monitor the infected host PC.

Read More: AIM Worm Linked To Middle East Group

EdgeForce M Series

ServGate Technologies has released the EdgeForce M Series, its latest platform for network perimeter defense solutions. tmcnet.com reports:

The M Series comprises five new products in the UTM category that will set new levels of affordability and establish new standards in terms of best-of-breed third-party integration.

Read More: ServGate to Unveil VoIP-Friendly UTM Platform Line

Cisco to acquire Scientific-Atlanta

Cisco will be acquiring Scientific-Atlanta for a sum of $ 5.3 billion. Scientific-Atlanta is one of the largest manufacturers of set-top boxes. The acquisition should help Cisco to further its objective of transmitting data, voice, and video traffic over one network. tmcnet.com reports:

Now the trend is finally making its way into the home, as cable companies and phone companies start offering customers a triple play of services that includes high-speed Internet access, telephony and, finally, video-all over an IP network.

Read More: Cisco's IP vision becomes reality

Mobile Internet calls with Plenware

Plenware, which is a Finland-based company, has developed a Symbian-based application for making mobile Internet calls. The Plenware VoIP application uses Bluetooth for establishing a connection with the Plenware PleNet VoIP server. The application is available with the Nokia 6630 phones.

ADSL VoIP in Italy

Teleunit S.p.A, which provides services such as fixed line telephony, wireless broadband, etc in Italy, has launched GoVoIP. The service is an ADSL VoIP service intended to address communication requirements of residential and SoHo markets. The service is available online and through resellers. GoVoIP enables users to make VoIP calls over an ADSL line without having to purchase extra equipment. The facility covers a range of bandwidths. ccnmatthews.com reports:

"The launch of GoVoIP is another example of our innovation, capitalizing on an existing technology to offer new and exciting services to potential new customers. VoIP now represents a viable alternative for SoHo and residential users to make economic savings by placing voice calls over the Internet."

Read More: Teleunit Launches GoVoIP to Further Strengthen Fixed Line Division

VoIP news round-up

Patriot Media, New Jersey, and Level3 Communications have come together in a multiyear agreement. Patriot Media launched its digital phone service last month and Level3 Communications will provide its (3)VoIP Enhanced Local service.

Intrado Inc. is using the Net-Net session border controllers developed by Acme Packet for routing VoIP 911 calls to the 911 network. tmcnet.com reports:

"Intrado remains focused on helping our customers address the changing demands new technologies are placing on the nation's 9-1-1 system," noted Stephen Meer, Intrado chief technology officer.

Read More: VoIP Big Guns

VoIP Telephony with Asterisk

The second edition of the book VoIP Telephony with Asterisk, written by Paul Mahler is now in the market. Readers can learn about the process of creating a reliable VoIP telephony system by using Asterisk and Linux-based computer hardware.

The open source software, Asterisk is a PBX that is interoperable with all standard telephony devices. Both American and European standards for signaling types are supported by Asterisk.

Skype to retail with RadioShack

Skype Technologies and RadioShack have come together in a partnership under which the consumer electronics chain will offer Skype Starter Kit to customers through its outlets that number more than 3,000. The kit will enable users to use Skype; it comes with a headset, and 30 minutes of SkypeOut. The deal should help Skype in introducing its service to the mass market. Till now, users could obtain the Skype software by downloading it from the Internet.

The success of Skype, which has around 66 million users and adds 180,000 everyday, has led to the entry of several big companies into the VoIP market. Sony has recently announced a Web-based phone service. Yahoo has been offering PC to PC phone service for quite some time.

Skype’s entry into retail should enable it to change customer behavior and introduce them to the benefits of Internet telephony.

Knesset to deploy VoIP

The Israeli parliament, Knesset, will deploy an advanced IP telephony network provided by Nortel. The network will enable users to enjoy services such as long-distance calls, voicemail, and unified messaging. The deployment will also bring down the cost of operations for Knesset. Taldor, which is Nortel’s partner for this project will deploy 400 lines by the end of 2005. 1600 lines will be deployed in all.

The network will also have the Nortel Switched Firewall for protection against worms and viruses. Users will be able to access voicemail, email, and fax messages in a single mailbox by using either their phones, PCs, or any email enabled device. This feature is made possible by the CallPilot unified messaging product.

How Does SMS Service Actually Work?

Short message service (SMS) is a wildly popular feature available on most digital mobile phones. SMS allows users to send short messages to other cell phones. These short messages are called text messages. SMS was invented by a Finnish civil servant named Matti Makkonen. Many people understand what SMS is, but few understand how it actually works.

In SMS, messages are sent with a “store-and-forward” mechanism. The messages are sent to a Short Message Service Center (SMSC), and then relayed to the intended recipient. If the messages do not reach the recipient upon the first attempt, then the SMSC will try again. It is important to understand that SMS delivery is not guaranteed. Many messages cannot be delivered, but the delivery is called “best effort.” The amount of attempts to send a text message varies with the company.

SMS messages are transmitted via SS7 within the standard GSM MAP framework. SMS messages have a certain payload length. The signaling protocol is precisely 140 bytes. In simple terms, SMS messages have very constrained character limits. This is why messages are sent in “txt speak.” Text speak is the practice of shortening words and phrases in order to fit messages into the allowed amount of bandwidth. SMS messages cost different amounts in different countries. In the United States, the average message costs 10 cents.

Text messages do not always have to be sent from mobile phone to mobile phone. AOL Instant Messenger has an option that will send instant messages to a cell phone. Additionally, there is a widget available for Mac OS X Tiger that will allow a user to send text messages to a cell phone from the dashboard. SMS messages can also be utilized to give news alerts. Additionally, SMS messages can be used to give sports updates and statistics. In this way, SMS messages are very versatile.

Technology is constantly evolving. SMS services prove that communication is becoming broader and easier. Technologists predict that SMS service will advance such that the service will be more reliable, and be able to store more data for the purpose of transmission.

Joe Macon writes about a variety of technology topics, with a focus on SMS technology. For mobile SMS he recommends http://www.clickatell.com/

Universal Service Fund

Lawmakers in the US contend that the Universal Service Fund can be utilized for financing broadband access in rural areas. The USF contribution fund was originally created to foster the penetration of telephone service in rural America.

Local and long distance companies, paging companies, wireless providers, and payphone firms have been contributing to the USF since 1996. However, neither cable companies nor VoIP providers contribute to the USF. The payments to the USF are directed to the subsidizing telephone rates in high cost areas.

Gaim

Google has been accused of influencing the development of Gaim and ignoring the inputs of several open source developers. voipplanet.com reports:

The search giant hired Sean Egan, the lead developer of the Gaim open source instant messaging project, several months ago to make it easier for other IM clients to use Google Talk's voice features.

Read More: Is Google Calling Gaim's Shots?

VPF

Very often when VoIP users are connected over different networks, their calls have to use the PSTN. Even though IP trunking is a standard feature with most VoIP equipment, frequently VoIP networks are not connected with each other. One solution that can help VoIP networks to completely bypass the PSTN involves the creation of exchanges that will enable multiple carriers to peer with each other.

Voice Peering Fabric (VPF) was launched by Stealth Communications in June 2005. VPF is an opportunity for VoIP providers to interconnect with each other. VegaStream and XO Communications are two new members of VPF. XO Communications is a major CLEC in the US. It chose VPF in order to gain access to a mature customer base and the opportunity to peer with a large number of carriers and enterprises. The VPF ENUM registry enables members to exchange VoIP calls with other VPF members without having to route calls through the PSTN. This leads to a reduction in operating costs and an increase in revenues. VPF also offers facilities such as the VPF Minutes Market that allows members to transact wholesale voice origination and termination services. Members can access CNAM, LNP, and other TCAP services with the help of the VPF ASP Market.

Organizations can use products from VegaStream to VoIP-enable the legacy PBXs. The companies can work with their existing infrastructure and connect with the VPF. Equinix and NeuStar have come together to initiate a VoIP peering effort. Equinix operates 15 IBX data centers that can be interconnected with every major global network for peering. NeuStar is developing SIP-IX application peering services that will offer addressing directory services and policy-enabled shared routing among other things. voipplanet.com reports:

While most IP-PBX vendors and VoIP services offer SIP peering on their own network or product, the NeuStar effort, like the VPF, is aimed at creating a wider peering capability.

Read More: VoIP Peering Market Pairs Up

Redback Networks

The SmartEdge Service Gateway platform from Redback Networks has been selected by Covad to boost its network capacity and make its IP-based services more resilient. voipplanet.com reports:

San Jose, California-based Redback Networks was founded in 1996 and claims a global customer base of over 500 service providers and carriers. Financial terms of the deal with Covad were not publicly disclosed.

Read More: Redback Provides Covad with Smart VoIP Edge

Security with Skype

Skype offers a range of services that include PC-to-PC calling, voicemail, call forwarding, etc and is highly popular. However, its presence behind the protective firewalls of an enterprise is becoming a cause of concern for IT administrators. voipplanet.com reports:

VoIP packets, the Internet Security Intelligence Briefing (ISIB) noted, lack clearly-recognized signatures that allow administrators to distinguish it from data packets carrying trojans.

Read More: Researchers: Skype, VoIP Are Hot And Risky

VeriSign Wireless Commerce Suite

The VeriSign Wireless Commerce Suite introduced by VeriSign will enable wireless carriers to provide converged services in a quick and efficient manner. tmcnet.com reports:

The VeriSign Wireless Commerce Suite creates an order-to-cash system for provisioning, billing, content delivery and settlement of wireless services. It provides the ability to combine post- and pre-pay functionalities for voice, data and content, which helps carriers offer consumers pay-per-use and pay-in-advance options.

Read More: VeriSign Wireless Commerce Suite

Pingo

Pingo has lowered call rates to Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. tmcnet.com reports:

"Pingo's combination of very competitive rates, great convenience features, and opportunities to earn bonus calling time make it a terrific deal.

Read More: iBasis Lowers Central America Call Fees

IVE

Sony Electronics and Glowpoint Inc. have come together to launch a new version of Sony’s Instant Video Everywhere (IVE) service. Users will be able to access free unlimited video and voice service anywhere in the world. The service will allow an audio or video conversation with up to six participants.

SmartNode

The SmartNode VoIP routers developed by Patton Electronics Company will now be able to offer triple play services by means of IGMP and IP-multicast in SmartWare release 3.20. Operators offering several services can make use of the new SmartWare to incorporate triple-play services to their existing offerings without making any further investments in the Patton customer-premise equipment.

The new SmartWare can be downloaded to the CPEs and will enable carrier-providers to deliver packet-based video-on-demand, IPTV, etc to a set-top box like the Aminet 110. SmartWare also reduces network congestion that operators face with unicast Video-over-IP. A single stream of video packets is transmitted to the hosts that request it, thereby eliminating duplication. tmcnet.com reports:

Because SmartNode offers converged-network solutions for both POTS and ISDN telephony, IGMP multicast in SmartWare makes SmartNode the first and only line of triple-play CPEs for the world's ISDN carriers and networks.

Read More: Patton’s SmartNode VoIP Routers Now Support Triple Play Via SmartWare

FCC deadline not to be extended

A federal appeals court has refused to grant a stay order on the FCC deadline for IP telephony providers to supply E911 services. Internet telephony providers will be barred from providing services in areas where the E911 service has not been fully provisioned after the deadline of November 28. voipplanet.com reports:

Last month, VoIP provider Nuvio of Overland Park, Kan., filed a motion for a temporary stay of the FCC order, contending the mandate is impossible to meet and will be financially disastrous for the emerging industry.

Read More: Court: VoIP E911 Deadline Stands

Network management

In order to deploy VoIP successfully it is important to have a long-term management plan in place. The plan should encompass factors such as tracking, supporting, and maintaining reliability across the network. A management plan should consider technical as well as personnel issues.

VoIP management at a basic level can be achieved by following the standard network management practices. VoIP management is related to successful management of the network resources. VoIP QoS has to measure up to the standards set by traditional telephony over the years. This requires effective monitoring of bandwidth utilization, CPU utilization, memory usage, etc.

SNMP, RMON, and Syslog are tools useful for managing a converged voice and data network. These tools notify in case of errors and yield performance related statistics. Enterprises can maintain network stability by acting upon the information provided by these tools. Adequate change control should be available to prevent voice outages and to resolve the issue should an outage occur. A network running on a single system is easier to manage than one that uses multiple operating systems. Standardized software and hardware also facilitates network documentation management.

In order to maintain a QoS, it is important that the network equipment facilitates traffic distinction. Data packets can be detected and prioritized using marking methods like CoS, port number matching, Differentiated Services code Point, etc. Ideally, the marking configurations should be standard across the network so that the management process does not get too complicated. It is important that the VoIP network be monitored consistently after being deployed successfully. Network traffic analyzers should be deployed to detect and rectify VoIP problems such as call-setup time, jitter, and delay. Products like Observer and Sniffer voice modules enable the capturing of voice data and decoding of voice protocols. Prognosis is an application that is capable of in-depth VoIP monitoring by calculating a MOS for each call.

Although, MOS values are subjective they help to devise baselines for quality standards. The baseline metrics can also be updated based on the information provided by these monitoring devices. Certain products generate simulations of different traffic conditions that can be used to test the readiness of the network before deploying VoIP or adding features to it.

The 2005 Technologically Advanced Family

The 2005 Technologically Advanced Family (TAF) survey by the Yankee Group has shown that the consumer VoIP market has still some way to go before attaining maturity. The average consumer still does not have a clear understanding of VoIP technology. The survey has led the group to conclude that almost 38% of the families that are aware of VoIP believe that VoIP provides a better set of features as compared to traditional telephony. However, almost 35% of the VoIP-aware families in the US did not know that VoIP can be used with a regular telephone. tmcnet.com reports:

"For instance, cable companies are positioning their VoIP telephony service as the same as regular phone service which diminishes the need for awareness as a prerequisite to adoption," noted Yankee Group's news release.

Read More: Yankee Group: Consumers Might be Confused About VoIP

Georgia Aquarium

BellSouth will be providing Georgia Aquarium with all its communications solutions. The aquarium will open on November 23 in Atlanta and will be the world’s largest. tmcnet.com reports:

BellSouth has implemented custom voice, data and Internet solutions as well as a network that supports the advanced life support and security systems at the aquarium facility.

Read More: BellSouth Provides Communications Infrastructure

iGLASS Networks

iGLASS Networks and QoVox Corporation have come together in a strategic partnership that will lead to the integration of the QoVox Network Assurance System and the iGLASS Status Monitoring service. The companies intend to develop a “best in class” QoS product. tmcnet.com reports:

A major issue for service providers is maintaining high-quality services while minimizing the need to dispatch technicians to investigate and troubleshoot problems, commonly called "a truck roll," an often costly proposition.

Read More: iGLASS and QoVox Team to Assure VoIP Service Quality

VoIP security

VoIP users have not been exposed to the kind of security threats that IP networks have encountered and grown wary of over the years. The primary concerns of VoIP end-users are QoS and accuracy of billing. networkworld.com reports:

Historically the endpoints of communications have been dumb. One lesson the IP world has learned is that complexity breeds insecurity; dumber is securer.

Read More: With VoIP, it's déjà vu all over again

Verso Technologies

A Chinese telecom company has begun a paid trial of software, the NetSpective M-Class filter, developed by Verso Technologies, Georgia. The NetSpective M-Class filter will keep out VoIP calls made by using Skype and other such P2P networks.

In China, Skype is not allowed to be used and VoIP usage is strictly regulated. If the trial is successful, the Chinese telecom operator may buy the application before the end of 2005. China Telecom has been blocking Skype calls made by using Skypeout in the city of Shenzhen.

Verso has labeled its solution as “carrier grade Skype filtering technology” Skype has responded to the sensitive situation by making available a version of Skype in Chinese. This version has been made available in partnership with Tom Online and it does not support Skypeout.

VoIP in the enterprise

The selection of a VoIP vendor depends upon the deployment requirements and services offered by the vendor. VoIP deployments can be carried out successfully by referring to layout and design models for integrating VoIP and data networks. Also, by following vendor-neutral protocols voice traffic can be separated for ease of management.

VoIP can be deployed in a centralized or a distributed manner. A centralized model uses one or multiple PBXs for call setup and teardown. Call setup and teardown in a distributed model are performed from multiple locations. A distributed model is useful for sites that are similar in size and have predominantly local traffic. Links are established to ensure connectivity between the sites.

Centralized models offer the advantage of PSTN and hardware consolidation. Usually, more than one VoIP server is used in a centralized model in order to manage the load and to have redundancy in the network. The servers should be backed up with a UPS to counter brownouts and blackouts. Centralized models are appropriate for corporate headquarters or multiple small remote locations that can be connected by a WAN. WANs also enable the administration of the voice communications as well as call setup and teardown. Redundant WAN links are an added cost but they have to be present in order to ensure connectivity with the central site. Failover options help to bring down the cost of redundant WAN links.

Distributed networks can be managed with less redundant capacity. The multiple sites use VoIP servers present on location and communicate with each other by means of trunk lines. However, a distributed model is complex in design and can lead to high hardware costs. The design of the network equipment will have significant bearing on the successful integration of VoIP with another network. VLANs allow enterprises to segregate voice and data traffic and yet have them on the same medium. VLANs also facilitate the monitoring of the different traffic types.

The Layer 2 and Layer 3 headers in the data packets are used for establishing the QoS. With 802.1p, Layer 2 QoS is achieved by enabling multiple levels of prioritization to the traffic that enters the port. WAN links are examples of Layer 3 links in which the QoS is used for matching fields within the IP headers for the purpose of prioritizing traffic. The functioning of QoS processes is affected by the manner in which the bandwidth is distributed for voice traffic, data, and call setup/teardown activities. The quality of communication between sites depends upon the QoS policy implemented.

Compression helps to utilize the available bandwidth in a better manner by shirking redundant information. Usually, in voice packets, the headers are compressed. The choice of codec will affect the number of calls made with acceptable voice quality. G.711 is a high-quality codec that leads to high per second bandwidth rates. G.711 requires bandwidth at the rate of 90 Kbps for a one way call; as against this the G .729 uses 90 Kbps but it has a lesser sampling rate that result in low call quality.

A resilient VoIP network is critical for achieving a reliable service. In order to ensure the success of the deployed solution, the network should have redundant hardware and sufficient UPS backup. In case power over Ethernet (PoE) is used, backup should be provided for the local network switches that transmit the power to the individual telephones.