AT&T CallVantage Stopped Taking New Customers - The End Or A Revamp?
Wednesday August 20, 2008
Anyone going to the CallVantage page is, since last week, greeted with a "Currently we are not accepting new orders for AT&T CallVantage service." Now what? Is CallVantage dying or is there something new and better cooking up? Om Malik is categorical about it - he says AT&T shuts CallVantage, and that was quite a while back, in early July.
But then, going back to the CallVantage page, I thought about the "We will continue to evaluate our AT&T CallVantage service and remain committed to providing leading, next generation voice services" part, suggesting there might be some new service in store. Many people believe AT&T is paving the way for U-Verse Voice, sacrificing CallVantage. If you are a CallVantage user, you must be liking the good call quality. How do you see things developing?
But then, going back to the CallVantage page, I thought about the "We will continue to evaluate our AT&T CallVantage service and remain committed to providing leading, next generation voice services" part, suggesting there might be some new service in store. Many people believe AT&T is paving the way for U-Verse Voice, sacrificing CallVantage. If you are a CallVantage user, you must be liking the good call quality. How do you see things developing?
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Advanced VoIP Bandwidth Stats With Free VoIP-Calculator
Monday August 18, 2008
This is the most advanced VoIP calculator I have seen so far, so much so that it can freak normal users away... which is natural since it is primarily intended for professional VoIP deployment. There are of course more advanced tools of the like around, but unlike others, this one (or rather a version of it) is available free online.
The site offers four free calculators for technically assisting and analyzing VoIP, treating bandwidth, voice paths, traffic volume etc. The company also has, among others, a paid lite version, that can be downloaded and installed on Windows for $100; and an expert version called VoIP Select that allows users to design and use their own VoIP calculators using drag and drop techniques. The free bandwidth calculators can be found there.
The site offers four free calculators for technically assisting and analyzing VoIP, treating bandwidth, voice paths, traffic volume etc. The company also has, among others, a paid lite version, that can be downloaded and installed on Windows for $100; and an expert version called VoIP Select that allows users to design and use their own VoIP calculators using drag and drop techniques. The free bandwidth calculators can be found there.
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Intel Wakes Your PC Up On A Phone Call, And Jajah Connects You
Thursday August 14, 2008
Having to use the computer with phone calls can be a hindrance to fluid calling because the computer is not always on, and leaving it permanently on is pure energy wastage. Intel is unveiling a new technology motherboard that wakes a computer up from energy-saving sleep upon receiving phone calls. The technology is called Remote Wake-up, and the first motherboard will be launched in September. This will work only on new-generation computers, and will also require an Internet connection through Ethernet, as Wi-Fi does not work in sleep mode. Intel details here the Remote Wake-up technology.
The first VoIP company that gets to take the phone side of the new venture is Jajah, which has been partnering quite a lot lately. With Jajah’s telephony support, the computer has direct access to Jajah’s IP telephony network, enabling the PC to both make and receive phone calls.
The first VoIP company that gets to take the phone side of the new venture is Jajah, which has been partnering quite a lot lately. With Jajah’s telephony support, the computer has direct access to Jajah’s IP telephony network, enabling the PC to both make and receive phone calls.
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Adtran Netvanta - "Office In A Box" VoIP Solution For SMBs
Tuesday August 12, 2008
I had a talk with Chris from Adtran the other day on the Netvanta 7100 VoIP solution for SMBs. As a result I wrote a review of the system. Two things struck me, and I believe these will make it a very successful system, seriously challenging Avaya and Cisco and Nortel systems. First, the functionalities of a PBX, router and switch are all bundled in a single box, and second, the price. Read more on Adtran Netvanta 7100.
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Verizon Designs Emergency Communications Solution
Friday August 8, 2008
On Sept 11 2001, the police and fire departments in New York could not properly communicate with each other for rescue operations because their radio devices operated on different frequencies. Verizon has designed an IP-based system that allows emergency service officers to communicate effectively during crisis situations. The service is designed to enable police, fire and other safety personnel to communicate directly through radio, phone or email, even if their communication systems are incompatible. Read more
Student Hacks Into School Computer And Eavesdrop VoIP Calls
Tuesday August 5, 2008
19-year-old Christopher stole his Maths teacher's ID to hack into his school's computer and change his grades. He also hacked into the college's VoIP system to listen to phone calls. Christopher is behind bars and deep in trouble with the justice, but this might also remind of potential trouble for VoIP systems as well. Remember this analysis on VoIP security. Story
Worrisome Security Analysis: Hacking VoIP, As Easy As 1-2-3
Saturday August 2, 2008
"This is the state of VoIP security today. Most of the 300,000 privately owned IP-PBX systems deployed throughout the US are wide open to anyone that wants to hack them. And that's only the tip of the iceberg," goes one paragraph of that analysis.
The analysis is likely to freak VoIP users out with, among others, the Google searches that allow anyone to find Cisco's CallManager wide open to the web or to find VoIP phones exposed to an external network, the added vulnerability that Unified Communications bring around, utilities that allow hackers to jump between voice and data LANs etc. And finally this, "...if banks can be extorted, anyone is vulnerable." Read the analysis here.
The analysis is likely to freak VoIP users out with, among others, the Google searches that allow anyone to find Cisco's CallManager wide open to the web or to find VoIP phones exposed to an external network, the added vulnerability that Unified Communications bring around, utilities that allow hackers to jump between voice and data LANs etc. And finally this, "...if banks can be extorted, anyone is vulnerable." Read the analysis here.
Vonage Accompanies Users Out Of Home With Vonage Pro
Thursday July 31, 2008
If you are subscribed to Vonage or any of the other subscription and hardware-based VoIP services, you are somewhat glued to one location when you have to make and receive phone calls. Vonage opened a door out of that location-dependency with its new plan called Vonage Pro. It allows users to still make and receive calls while being away from home, using any computer with an Internet connection. A softphone application, called the Vonage Companion. Read more
Vonage Gets Its First Patent
Wednesday July 30, 2008
Remember the patent war starring Vonage, that could cost the company its very existence? Well, Vonage moved out of that tunnel improved and matured. This month, its very first internally developed patent was approved. It is called "Method and Apparatus for Placing a Long Distance Call Based on a Virtual Phone Number" and bears patent No. 7,386,111. In plain English, it allows callers to make long distance calls without paying for long distance charges through the use of virtual numbers.
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Teleworking and VoIP - Staying At Home and Being Green
Saturday July 26, 2008
Many people dream of working from home, while many already enjoy it. Teleworking means working from home (not necessarily 'at' home, but certainly not at the office), while remaining tuned in with the office for updates, reports, discussions etc. It is interesting for both employers and employees. Surveys show that if only 10 percent of North America's human resource telework on just one day, 5 million gallons of fuel will be saved. This is consequent, especially at a time when people are trying even kitchen-made juice for running cars, so as to avoid using expensive gas. 40 percent of employees would rather be able to work from home a few days a week than having a pay increase.
VoIP helps enormously in addressing the main problem with teleworking - lack of communication. VoIP phones, voice networks, IP PBXs, virtual numbers etc. make teleworking systems more transparent, in the sense that remote workforce feel being within the corporate environment. This article says more on the advantages of teleworking with VoIP.
VoIP helps enormously in addressing the main problem with teleworking - lack of communication. VoIP phones, voice networks, IP PBXs, virtual numbers etc. make teleworking systems more transparent, in the sense that remote workforce feel being within the corporate environment. This article says more on the advantages of teleworking with VoIP.