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Covers the latest news, insight, analysis, blogs and product reviews of unified communications equipment and software. Topics include transmission of voice communications over a wired or wireless network using technologies such as VoIP, IP Telephony, IP PBX, press-to-talk and computer-based voice.
Top VOIP & Telephony News
All iPhones and some Nokia handsets will be able to place free video calls via Skype, thanks to an app called Fring, which mashes together online friends and social networking apps such as AIM, Facebook, Twitter and Google Talk.
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Aptela and Velaro join forces to offer Aptela's hosted phone service for Velaro's Click-to-Call feature, aimed at cost-conscious businesses.
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Gizmodo Nov. 30 cited a trusted source "who's seen it with their own eyes, the "it" being a Google-branded smartphone running a new flavor of Google's Android mobile operating system. Either there is a conspiracy afoot to dupe leading online publications into writing stories to create some sort of fear, uncertainty and doubt about current Android phones, such as the Motorola Droid, or the Google Phone is real. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Droid, that muscular, masculine smartphone with free Google Maps Navigation GPS software is apparently smashing all sorts of Android sales records and could top 1 million units shipped for the year.
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News Analysis: The idea of a Google Phone is quickly becoming the talk of the town. Will Google release such a device? It's possible, but it's not an ideal market move for the search and Web services giant. There are lots of reasons why Google shouldn't venture into the hardware business. Here are 10 of them.
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Despite numerous protests that a phone created and sold by Google would upset wireless carriers, Times Online reports that Google in 2010 will launch an advanced smartphone with a larger-than-usual touch screen and a speedy Qualcomm processor that trumps the one powering the iPhone 3GS. Analysts and phone experts eWEEK spoke to are divided on the matter. VOIP consultant Andy Abramson says if Google were to release its own phone with Google Voice it would democratize mobile calling. Enderle Group analyst Rob Enderle says the idea of such a Google Phone would be an affront to carriers and handset makers.
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Bankrupt Nortel Networks is selling off another piece of its business, this time its GSM/GSM-R unit to Telefon AB and Kapsch CarrierCom. The announcement comes days after Nortel sold its optical networking and carrier Ethernet businesses to Ciena. Nortel, which declared bankruptcy earlier this year, is looking to sell off all of its assets.
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Spotify, the popular Internet music application, has announced that it is now available on Symbian mobile phones, powered by TAT (The Astonishing Tribe) technology.
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Consumers interested in buying phones based on the Android open source operating system may feel some hesitation with the emerging rumors of a Google phone. Such a phone would likely provide a more fully integrated user experience, similar to Apple's iPhone. Ultimately, this could hurt sales of the Motorola Droid, HTC Eris and other Android devices based on hardware from manufacturers and software from Google and application developers. EWEEK looks at the buyer's dilemma here.
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BroadPoint AmTech analyst Mark McKechnie said a Google smartphone made by one vendor would be preferable to devices that pair hardware from Motorola, HTC and others with software and services from Google. The analyst said a Google phone would be a fine growth opportunity for the search engine as it seeks to extend its tendrils on the mobile Internet. Apple, by virtue of its singular choke point for hardware, applications and services, is best positioned to weather any Google phone attack. McKechnie expects 37.3 million iPhones will be sold worldwide in 2010, and said Apple could double its market share within a few years.
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Polycom is unveiling its ATX 300 offering, designed to enable businesses to work with audiovisual integrators to create customized telepresence environments based on Polycom technology. Polycom officials say this differentiates ATX 300 from the turnkey solutions rivals like Cisco and Tandberg offer.
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I read something yesterday that rankled me. In an interview with the New York Times, Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein knocked the Motorola Droid, questioning its mainstream market appeal and dismissing the device as a techie phone. The Droid gracefully enabled me to use the same applications I use on my laptop for work and personal use, with little drop off in user experience. How is that not a sign of a great consumer device? Isn't Apple's iPhone touted for the same? What is a techie phone? Meanwhile, Google is reportedly building the Google Phone we've all been reading about for two years.
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News Analysis: The iPhone might be the leader in the mobile phone market, but that success won't be enough to stop Android's rise. Google's platform is simply too compelling and too appealing to consumers not to capture significant market share.
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Texting, e-mailing, Web surfing, searching, Facebooking and video watching are all increasing pursuits of mobile phone users, says the third in a series of studies. Since the first, mobile phone users have doubled their “non-voice communications.”
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Verizon Wireless and Motorola sold 250,000 units of the Motorola Droid smartphone in its first week, compared to the 1.6 million units of the iPhone 3GS Apple and AT&T sold in its first week, according to mobile analytics firm Flurry.
Apple launched its handset in eight countries at the same time; the Droid launched in the United States only. Flurry said Verizon's aggressive campaign coupled with its 3G network advantage positions the Droid as a legitimate challenger to the iPhone.
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News Analysis: Instead of retelling the Google Android-based Droid versus Apple iPhone grudge match, I'm putting the Motorola Droid and HTC Droid Eris in the steel cage. My ground rule for testing and comparing the phones was that I wanted to turn them on and begin using them without looking at the tip guides. Call it an intuitiveness test. The Eris runs Android 1.5, the Droid runs Android 2.0. The Android operating system was a breeze to navigate on both smartphones, allowing me to flit from one application or phone feature to the next with virtually no time spent on learning how to use the devices. And the winner is ...
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The current economy, business climate and technology trends have combined to make this a perfect time for hosted IP PBX systems. 8x8's Virtual Office is a turnkey system that provides all of the functionality of full-featured corporate PBX systems, without the upfront implementation and management costs. However, much of Virtual Office's Web-based interface is unintuitive, making ongoing management chores more difficult than they need to be.
Despite current iPhone limitations, Skype 1.0.1 for Apple iPhone performed well in eWEEK Labs' tests, providing most of Skype’s functionality--including instant message chats, presence and profile editing--on Wi-Fi, EDGE or (most likely) 3G. Voice calls are limited to Wi-Fi, but that can be a plus, depending on AT&T network coverage in your area. Next up is Skype support for (some) BlackBerry devices.
Savi Office, from Plantronics, offers more than a wireless headset solution with simultaneous connection to both a desk phone and PC. Savi Office also offers the PerSono software suite for controlling device behavior and for bridging content between communications channel. However, the flexible solution comes at a steep price and is not yet enterprise-ready. And it can only be used with Microsoft Windows-based PCs, though Plantronics says users of Apple Macs will be able to use the Savi Office devices as headsets.
With the recession raging and IT budgets contracting, enterprises looking to deploy unified communications solutions need to ensure that they're focused on the business objectives behind the plan. Even in this troubled economy, enterprises need to resist the urge to cut corners, which could hamper UC projects at the onset. IT administrators also must be careful with UC products that are on the market. Some UC solutions, like the ones from Unison, come up short on features that address all an enterprise's UC needs. Others, like those from Microsoft, fill most of a business's UC needs, but come at a high price.
Scopia Conferencing Platform manages to coax disparate conference room and desktop videoconferencing solutions into relative harmony.
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VOIP & Telephony 
