Sunday, November 02, 2008

Sprint Plans to Keep and `Rejuvenate' Nextel Network

By Crayton Harrison
Oct. 30 (Bloomberg)

Sprint Nextel Corp., the third- largest U.S. mobile-phone company, scrapped the idea of selling its Nextel wireless network, opting to ``rejuvenate'' the business instead.

Sprint, which bought Nextel Communications Inc. in 2005, extended a long-term partnership with Motorola Inc., the provider of equipment and support for the network. Boost Mobile, Sprint's prepaid phone service, will offer unlimited calling plans on the Nextel system in 2009, the company said today in a statement.

The decision puts pressure on Chief Executive Officer Dan Hesse to reverse customer losses on the network, which had 14.6 million subscribers at the end of June. Hesse, who joined Sprint in December, aims to address subscriber complaints by improving customer service and reducing the number of dropped calls.

``I've always thought there was more value internally for those assets, given the amount of integration work they've done to date,'' said Steve Clement, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities in Portland, Oregon. He expects the shares to perform in line with the rest of the industry.

Sprint gained 31 cents, or 9.8 percent, to $3.49 at 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The shares have fallen 73 percent this year.

Losing Customers

Sprint, based in Overland Park, Kansas, trails AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless in U.S. mobile-phone customers. The number of Nextel customers dropped 16 percent between the end of last year and June, while subscribers on the original Sprint network held steady at 35.5 million. About 1.7 million customers have phones that can make calls on both networks.

Hesse, trying to reverse a four-quarter streak of declining sales, has introduced new phones such as Samsung Electronics Co.'s Instinct to keep customers from switching to AT&T and Verizon. The company plans to report third-quarter earnings on Nov. 7.

Hesse, 55, said as recently as August that ``every option'' would be considered for the Nextel network. Hesse put Keith Cowan, president of strategy and corporate development, in charge of developing a plan for the unit. Cowan was offered a $1 million bonus for a board-approved plan, according to an August regulatory filing.

Sprint weighed a sale, additional investments and strategic partnerships before deciding to keep the network, spokesman James Fisher said today. Hesse and Cowan were unavailable for interviews, Fisher said. He declined to say whether Cowan had received his bonus.

Next Steps

Sprint is still determining its long-range plans for the Nextel network, including how much it will need to invest, Fisher said.

``We've announced immediate actions, and we are continuing to look at longer-term actions to support the network,'' he said.

The company introduced phones in June for the traditional Sprint network that can function as walkie-talkies, just as phones on the Nextel network do. That should make it easier to persuade Nextel users to come over to the Sprint network, allowing the company to eventually shut off the Nextel airwaves, Clement said.

``They need to be working toward shutting it down and realizing whatever cost savings they can by doing that,'' he said.

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Limit Your Cell Phone Risk To Your Health

By Elizabeth Cohen
CNN Medical Correspondent

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- "I hope you're talking to me on a speakerphone," Devra Davis barks at me when I call her on my cell phone. "You'd better not be holding that phone up to your head."

Cell phones do emit radiation. No one knows definitively whether it's enough to worry about.

Indeed, I'm not. This is a good thing, because you don't want to get into an argument with Davis on this subject. She's the director of the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Environmental Oncology, and her group recently put out recommendations that we should be using a speakerphone or ear piece. The report says children, who have thinner skulls and developing brains, should use cell phones only in case of emergency.

And heaven forbid anyone should carry a cell phone in a pocket or clipped to a belt. "You're just roasting your bone marrow," Davis said.

Oh, boy. Another thing to worry about. Or maybe Davis is an alarmist. It's so hard to tell. Although there are many large studies showing no connection between mobile phones and cancer, there are a few that do. As Davis puts it, do you really want to play Russian roulette with your head? Explainer: Radiation fields and the brain»

But if you do buy the cellphones-cause-cancer argument, you have to figure out the best way to talk on a cell phone, seeing as how most of us can't live without them. Should you use the wired headset that came with your phone? A Bluetooth earpiece?

Cell phones have been wildly popular for only a matter of years, and it can take at least a decade for cancers to show up. Studies contradict each other, and scientists bicker: Some will tell you with great conviction that there's nothing to worry about. Others will tell you with equal conviction that an epidemic of brain tumors may be just around the corner.

The cell phone industry itself says "the overwhelming majority of studies that have been published in scientific journals around the globe show that wireless phones do not pose a health risk."

You can watch the experts go at it on "Larry King Live" »


So what are we all to do until they figure it out? After enough interviews with physicists, engineers and doctors to make me want to stick my head in a microwave oven, one common line of reasoning emerged. Cell phones do emit radiation. No one knows definitively whether it's enough to worry about. Mobile phones meet federal safety limits, but if you're still worried, there are some simple steps you can take to lower your exposure to radiation. Watch more on limiting your risk »

1. Use the speakerphone

This was, without question, the favorite alternative of the experts I talked to. Nothing is near your head. "Hold it away from a minimum of a few inches. A foot or two is ideal," said Magda Havas, an associate professor with the Institute for Health Studies at Trent University in Ontario, Canada.

Havas gives me a little math lesson. Every inch you can get away from your body, the radiation reduces very quickly. "Hold it out two inches, and the radiation drops by a factor of four. Hold it out four inches, and it drops by a factor of 16," she says.

In other words, said Louis Slesin, editor of Microwave News, "every millimeter counts."

2. Use a wired headset with a ferrite bead

No, this is not a piece of jewelry. A ferrite bead is a clip you put on the wire of a headset. The concern is that the wire itself emits radiation into your ear. The bead is designed to absorb the radiation so you don't. They're inexpensive and available at stores or online.

These clips are a favorite of Slesin's. "It's the way to go," he said.

Another fan: Lawrie Challis, physicist and former chair of the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme, a government panel in Britain. "They did tests at the University of York and found that under even the worst conditions, if you use a ferrite bead, you can't even measure the radiation coming off the wire. This common device kills the radiation."

Of course, if the phone is in your pocket or clipped to your belt, all bets are off, because the phone itself will be radiating into your body. So if you're worried about radiation, keep the phone as far away as possible, and Challis adds to do your best to make sure the wire isn't touching your body.

3. Use a Bluetooth earpiece

A Bluetooth earpiece still has radiation, but it's at least 100 times less than the radiation you get when you hold a cell phone to your head, Havas says.

Our experts were split on which was better: a Bluetooth headset or a wired one. Israeli government recommendations issued this week specifically suggest a wire; Havas likes the Bluetooth. But even she says not to wear it when you're not talking; it still sends out a signal.

"Bluetooth is only whispering radiation into your ear. The problem is, some people wear it all the time," she says. "At the very least, switch it from ear to ear so you don't have too much exposure on one side."

Michael Foley, Ph.D., executive director of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, says Bluetooth earpieces radiate 200 times less energy than cell phones. "There is no evidence that a Bluetooth headset has any adverse effects on its users," he said.

4. Use a "hollow tube" earpiece

It's just like a regular wired earpiece, except the last six inches or so -- the part next to your ear -- is a hollow tube. There's no wire under the plastic.

Hollow tube earpieces can be purchased on several Web sites.

5. Get a phone with less radiation

Phone radiation is measured in specific absorption rate, or SAR. To look up the SAR for your phone, check the list on www.fcc.gov.

You might think the experts mentioned above all use earpieces or a speakerphone. Not so. Several said they hold it right up to their heads because they use their cells so infrequently, they're not worried about radiation.

"I use it maybe once or twice a week, no more than 10 minutes," said Challis, the former head of the British committee that studied cell phones and radiation. "I use a land line whenever I can."

It's the exposure, day after day, year after year, that matters. As Challis, who's retired, puts it, "If I were younger, I'd take this much more seriously."

Monday, September 29, 2008

T-Mobile USA Enters Home Phone Market with New VoIP Service

America’s fourth largest wireless carrier, T-Mobile USA, has started selling its own VoIP home phone service in Dallas, Texas and Seattle, Washington, directly challenging incumbent landline carriers for the first time.

The new service, which is available exclusively to T-Mobile wireless customers, allows subscribers to connect any home phone to a special device which routes calls over the internet. It costs just $10 per month for unlimited calling, and customers can keep their existing home phone numbers, the company said in a statement.

This should make T-Mobile more appealing to customers who want to bundle multiple services with a single provider, and aren’t ready to cut off their landline phone subscriptions.

T-Mobile’s VoIP router is now available for $49.99, after a rebate, and an optional cordless phone is available for $59.99.

T-Mobile is challenging both AT&T and Verizon, which provide fixed-line service in different parts of the Dallas area, as well as Qwest Communications International, Seattle’s incumbent telecom.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

It's Now Easier To Buy A Cheap Cell Phone

Cellular phones being merely luxurious toys is fast becoming an old concept and now dismissed by the growing need for it. Cellular phones now became a very essential tool for everyone including parents who want to know where their kids are on a real time basis. Business executives do business more effectively with a multi-functional cellular phone. Eve teenagers need cellular phones. Gone are the days when cellular phones are toys to show off, now cellular phones evolve to be a necessity. Thus, cellular phones of various models and designs now flood the market. There are those cellular phones that can perform many different functions but there are also those basic telephones that come in cheap.

Because of this great need and want for cellular phones, manufacturers flood the market from cheap cellular phones to high-tech cellular phones. If you are one of those who are lucky and that you can afford high-tech cellular phones, then that is good for you, however, if you want or need a cellular phone but cannot afford high-tech cellular phones, then you may acquire a cheap cellular phone. Knowing what you need and how you need it may help you find a cellular phone with reasonable and useful features. If you are to buy a cheap cellular phone, you should never expect it to perform tasks a high tech cellular phone can give. Merely being able to send and receive calls may be enough for you to expect from your cheap cellular phone. Because you cannot afford the high definition performance of high tech cellular phone, having reasonable expectation may help you avoid throwing your cellular phone out of your window. Cellular phones especially cheap cellular phones may only give you basic communication capabilities.

Having to send and receive call which is the basic function of a cellular phone may be the only functions if can offer. Thus, you need to check the reception of your cheap cellular phone, since this is the only thing it is good for, it has to perform well enough for this basic function. Sending and receiving text messages may be available for cheap cellular phone however, only on a limited basis. If your can find a cheap cellular phone that has text messaging capacity, it will be better for you. Sending and receiving internet communication may not be available for cheap cellular phone; you do not need it as much anyway. However, if you do need to be able to send and receive message in your cellular phone from internet sites, cheap cellular phone is not going to be any good.

Cheap cell phones notwithstanding, if you can afford cellular phone plan that provide free cellular phones, you may choose a cellular phone plan that will provide free cellular phone with reasonable and advanced features. Not the high-tech cellular phone but definitely not very limited features like what you will find in cheap cellular phones. Various network companies offer this wonderful promotion and thus you may take advantage of owning a good quality cellular phone. If you can find a neat deal from a cellular phone plan, you may not need to content yourself with cheap cellular phones.

When you go to buy new cell phone, one need to research a bit in order to get enough and reasonable benefit even form a meager budget, thus you may not need to settle for a cheap cellular phone.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Charter Launches Disney Video-On-Demand Service

The Capital Times
8/11/2008 9:35 pm

Charter Communications announced Monday that it has reached a deal with Disney to launch a subscription video-on-demand service for Disney movies and cartoons

Charter, the dominant cable provider in the Madison area, said the Disney Family Movies service can be added by digital customers for $4.99 per month.

St. Louis-based Charter said titles will remain in rotation for about a month, with new titles added weekly. The initial offerings include "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," "Air Buddies," "Disney Princess Enchanted Tales," "Follow Your Dreams," "Tarzan & Jane" and "Geppetto."

The companies said the service is the first of its kind.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Choosing Cell Phones And Plans

It seems that these days, nearly everyone has a cell phone. There are so many manufacturers and so many new models, it's hard to keep up on the latest trends. But choosing cell phones is about more than picking the hottest new model; it's about comparing plans and accessories. It's also about finding the best deal, and manufacturers are offering great deals to make sure that you choose theirs.

When comparing cell phones, you'll notice that the manufacturers create their phones and other wireless products so that they can be used with different service plan providers. For example, if you choose T-Mobile and sign up with their camera phone plan, you're free to choose your preference of phones made by Motorola and Sony Ericsson. Shop around, because not every company makes products that are compatible with all plans and deals.

Before choosing a new phone that appeals to you and meets your needs, make sure that it will work with a suitable plan. The best way to accomplish this is to find the service plan you want first, and then shop around for the cell phones and wireless products that can work with that plan. When you find the plan and the phone you want, you can then purchase both. Many of the best wireless phone plans also offer bundled packages that include the service plan and the phone for one low price.

When the time comes for choosing cell phones, make a shortlist of the manufacturers you're interested in, and check out some of the reviews and consumer reports that are available. The ratings and comments are available in magazines and online, and reading them can certainly help you to narrow down your choices. There is a wealth of information regarding cell phone companies on the Internet, just ready for you to take advantage of the information.

Like any task, choosing cell phones can be easier if you have the right information at hand. Compare prices and products to find the cell phone that best suits your needs and you budget.

Monday, June 30, 2008

How Does VoIP Work?

by: Michael Lemm

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. By using a VoIP phone and VoIP technology you can effectively use the internet to make phone calls. VoIP does this by placing the voice calls on network which encrypts the voice in data packets at one end and encrypts it in voice calls at the other end. In VoIP, encryption and decryption is from a analog signal (i.e. your voice call) into digital signal (data packets) and again into the analog signal.

You can make VOIP calls by a regular phone with VOIP adapter or even from your computer using a simple microphone. VoIP applications can generally be used with a simple microphone and computer speakers, but IP telephones or VoIP boxes can also be used, providing an experience identical to normal telephoning. Many VOIP manufacturers are designing phones which are specially meant to work with this technology, called SIP phone, and now extensively used by growing VoIP users.

In the past year, the quality and reliability of VoIP technology has improved to the point that vast numbers of users have abandoned their standard telephone contracts entirely, in favor of VoIP. Local as well as long distance calling is available for VoIP. Rates and plans can vary from one VoIP service provider to another VoIP service provider.

Advantages of using VOIP

Using VOIP you can effectively cut down your phone bills, since you just pay to your regular internet connection and small fees to your VOIP service provider. Setting up conference calls with VOIP is very easy.

You can even set up your own VoIP network and don't need any special equipment like PBX etc. You can call to any local telephone, mobile, long distance number or any international number through VoIP phones. More importantly, the person you are calling by using VoIP technology does not need any special equipment; just a regular telephone.

Many additional features like call forwarding, call tracing, reminders, caller ID are readily available in VoIP Phones. You can even assign a local telephone number to your VOIP phone set, and just need a fast internet connection to use your VOIP service anywhere in the world.

VoIP Dilemma

VoIP applications and services require data transfer in real time. During a call an interactive data voice exchange takes place. Unfortunately, TCP/IP is not well suited for this purpose. Sometimes you have to wait for a few seconds, to hear the other side answering. But with recent developments streaming the flow of voice signals has improved. PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone calling quality is still not as sharp as regular PSTN calls. However, with SIP phones and a reliable high speed internet connection there is little or no difference....and sometimes the quality is even better.

SIP Phones

SIP Phones are the phones which are specifically designed to work as VOIP phones. SIP phone can be considered as a network endpoint routing voice via its IP address. This allows a DID (direct inward dialing) number to move with a user. With SIP phones you can use advanced features like voice mail to email etc. Using a SIP phone also closely resembles a regular analog phone in look, feel, function, and ease of use.

FCC and VoIP

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates VOIP Services in the USA. They are in charge to create and promote telecommunication regulations....such as VOIP services....to benefit consumers. In November, 2004 FCC ruled that individual States do not have the jurisdiction to impose taxes on VoIP services, which made the cost of VOIP services even more attractive in relation to standard PSTN phone services.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Get The Best Service And The Most Options From Comcast

by: Julia Hall

If you are looking to receive the best digital cable TV deals, the quickest Internet service and most convenient phone service, you don't need to look any further than Comcast. Comcast is the only cable provider that offers fully bundled services to let you get the best telecommunications services at the lowest cost. If you want to know what makes Comcast Cable Service such a highly respected company, just look at their cable television service. Their digital TV packages contain 100s of channels of the best quality digital entertainment. Plenty of different programming packages are intended to offer a variety of options to meet every budget and situation. Plus, every package also includes value added features such as dozens of digital music channels, all of your local channels, and a digital receiver.

You even get access to the new On Demand Pay Per View service, which will revolutionize the way you watch current movies. On Demand is a great new way of watching movies where you get to control when and how you watch them. Comcast also gives you more control over your television viewing by offering the opportunity to use a digital video recorder, or DVR. This device is an ingenious innovation that makes it possible for you to quickly record programming and to even pause and rewind live television. With a DVR, you never again will miss a show because you were away from home or otherwise occupied.

Comcast's digital cable television service also provides other advantages such as options like the electronic program guide and parental controls. You can also choose specialty programming such as seasonal sports subscriptions or even high definition television (HDTV).

If you want to extend your entertainment and information choices even further, Comcast's high speed Internet service is the perfect choice. This is a really advanced way of accessing the Internet that allows you to download information at a rate of up to 8Mbs per second. Imagine a connection that works seventy times as fast as dial up and you can get an idea of just how quick this connection is! Of course, having such an incredible connection will make it easier to do everything from use virtual world websites to downloading full length movies.

Comcast's high speed Internet is special because it uses the same cable connections that are used with your cable TV. This means the connection is always on and ready for you to use and that it doesn't preclude you using your telephone. You can spend as long as you like surfing the web without having to worry about missing any telephone calls. The company also gives each of its customers a wireless router that expands your options for getting online. With a wireless router, you can gain access to the Internet throughout your home. Whether you want to use your laptop on the couch or use a smart phone, this wireless router makes it possible.

Comcast also gives you the opportunity to upgrade your telephone service and save money at the same time. Comcast's digital voice service works on the premise that you should not have to pay extra for your domestic long distance. That is why all of your domestic calls (including to Canada) are included in the set monthly fee. Even if you spend 100s of hours on the phone each month, you will never pay an extra dime.

If you want the best service, Comcast Triple Play is the apparent choice.


How To Secure Your Cable Internet Connection

by: Jon T Norwood

Broadband Internet access is now available to most users and web sites are developing into complex constructs that a short time ago few would believe possible. Cable Internet service is one of the prime drivers in this fast paced growth. With an existing network in place, it was a simple matter to configure the network to handle Internet packets and get users flying down the information superhighway.

The new blazing speeds come with new dangers as well. With "always on" cable internet connections, intruders have more opportunity to access or damage your computer. This means your address is always the same, and you are easier to find. With this in mind, we will look at three products that can make your cable Internet experience a much safer one; NAT, Firewalls, and Anti-Virus Software.

Anti-Virus Software:

Anti-virus software is an application that runs on an individual computer that scans files for threats. How this scanning process works depends on the software you are using, but most can be set to check every file as it arrives on your computer, allowing possible threats to be stopped before they infect your computer.

This software can also be used to scan existing files, as well as boot disks and memory. It is s good idea to schedule your software to check your system periodically in case something got through.

NAT (Network Address Translation):

NAT offers an elegant solution to cable Internet's static IP issue. Network Address Translation is a process in which IP addresses on a private network are kept hidden. Home users frequently use a method referred to as "masquerading", and it is an effective method of protecting yourself from anyone attempting to access your computer.

Masquerading allows more than one device to share an IP on a network, and has several uses. Multiple computers can share an Internet connection without purchasing multiple IP addresses from your provider, individual firewalls can be set up in series, and this also keeps the IP of your computer hidden behind the IP of another device such as a modem or router.

Firewalls:

A firewall is a system that imposes access controls between two networks. The purpose of this is too keep out hackers, worms, viruses and other harmful traffic. The name is derived from a very literal process that prevents the spread of actual fires. When a fire begins to spread through a forest area, firefighters dig trenches and saturate areas with water. These areas are called firewalls.

Firewalls that protect computers work in much the same fashion. They sit between the computer and the Internet and monitor activity that crosses them. They can be configured in many different ways, offering very little to iron clad protection. The two types of firewalls readily available to home users are software firewalls and hardware firewalls.

Software firewalls run on individual computers in a network, and only protect the computer that it is installed on. An example is the firewall that comes with Windows XP. Although it is an extremely simplistic firewall, it offers a general protection with ease of use.

Hardware firewalls are devices that sit on your network between all computers and the Internet. These firewalls are very diverse, and offer a myriad of configurations. Though more complicated than traditional software firewalls, it is generally understood that hardware firewalls afford a greater level of protection.

The three security measures discussed here are not the only methods available to secure your cable connection, and nothing is totally secure. Hackers are finding new ways to exploit weaknesses in security everyday; therefore new measure must be used daily to defend against this. When deciding on what security measures to take, it is usually best to use more than one. A firewall and anti-virus software used together is greatly more effective than if just one or the other is alone. When it comes to security as with many things, more is better.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Carrier Ethernet Need To Increase Availability

by Doug Allen
Fri. April 25, 2008

Carrier Ethernet Services is arguably the hottest sector for telcos these days. New switched metro and long-haul Virtual Private Line Services (VPLS) services from Verizon Business and AT&T are the latest indication that next-gen Ethernet services are here, and are poised for rapid growth.

But the industry remains constrained by a number of factors, not the least of which is market awareness. Even with simple service definitions from the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) to fall back on, many potential customers are still having a tough time sorting out all the flavors to choose from, and where to deploy them. David Hold, a senior analyst in Business Network Services at Current Analysis, sat down recently with Telecommunications’ Senior Editor Doug Allen to talk about carrier offerings and their applications.

Telecommunications: What are the primary Ethernet services carriers are offering business customers, and how are they targeting them at different types of business (i.e., small-to-medium-business or enterprise)?

Hold: In terms of general topology, carrier Ethernet services can be divided up into three main categories: Connecting a single building or data center to another (point-to-point); connecting a single building to a cloud type service like the Internet or Private IP VPN services (access), and connecting one or more locations to each other (multipoint). Most Ethernet today is metro area point-to-point. Switched multipoint services, formerly known as Transparent LAN, have been almost exclusively deployed in the metro area, although the new VPLS services are both metro and long-haul, and will soon go international.

Traditionally, Ethernet required fiber to the premises, which limited it to high bandwidth applications for medium to large enterprises. A typical example is connecting data centers at gigabit rates. Another would be connecting regional medical center facilities for high bandwidth medical imaging and off-site storage applications. However, with the advent of Ethernet over copper solutions, branch offices are now candidates for Ethernet access up to about 10Mbps.

On the access side, Ethernet is a promising alternative to TDM for local access circuits. Check out Verizon Business’ Ethernet-based Converged Packet Access service, which is designed to combine multiple access types over a single Ethernet connection.

Telecommunications: How do you segment the market? Do you distinguish between types of services—by application, by transport layer (Layer 2/Layer), SONET or WDM used, speed, dedicated vs. shared, long- haul vs. switched intra-metro, etc.?

Hold: All of the above, depending on the situation. Ethernet is most commonly classified by transport type—at the physical/optical layer it is native fiber, SONET/SDH (more expensive), DWDM (high bandwidth but unprotected) and copper (SHDSL or NxT1); and at L2/L3 it used to be transported over ATM and still is in some places. Today, Ethernet is increasingly running over MPLS in the case of Virtual Private Wire Services (point-point pseudowires) or VPLS (multipoint pseudowire mesh). By geography, you can also easily segment services by metro, wide area inter-city and cross-border/international.

Telecommunications: What kinds of important QoS and security parameters are carriers including with these services? Other attractive incentives could include service and/or applications bundles or special pricing incentives.

Hold: This is an area for further development and exploration. There has been little QoS in traditional Ethernet services, although some services use VLAN tags to separate traffic for prioritization; VPLS services can make use of VLAN tags, and can also support QoS the same as in MPLS using DiffServ codepoint (DSCP) or IP Precedence bit marketing.

Telecommunications: Strategically, where are providers trying to go in terms of business models and service deployment/ technology development (maybe inter-city switched Ethernet service)?

Hold: Ethernet is evolving from its roots as mainly a lower cost interface to a metro-optical transport service, to an any-to-any switched data service on a par with frame, ATM or IP/MPLS-VPN. As a Layer 2 VPN, Ethernet still has a ways to go to be fully competitive with IP/MPLS services, mainly in terms of scalability in large networks, but it can be an attractive migration alternative from legacy frame/ATM or TDM services for those end-user organizations that are unwilling to turn control of IP routing over to a carrier.

Telecommunications: When you evaluate carriers’ business models and service deployment plans discussed in question four above, from a customer perspective, what are the likely implications for customers six to twelve months out if carriers follow through on their plans? How will they impact customer’s network usage patterns and buying habits further out?

Hold: It has been interesting to watch AT&T and Verizon Business as they deploy Ethernet Access and VPLS services. The two carriers tend to mirror each other, with one pulling ahead and the other playing catch up. Some of AT&T’s largest customers have been demanding VPLS for several years, and some have defected to alternative carriers over that issue. In the end, the customers are begging their service providers to offer more than just IP-based services, so there is clearly a role for wide area networking services at Layer 2 beyond frame relay and ATM.

Telecommunications:
What are business customers’ primary concerns when adopting carrier Ethernet services and how do you see carriers today and in the future addressing them? Where are they getting the most pushback or having the most real-world trouble developing adequate solutions for these concerns?

Hold: I would say that [the first concern] is getting it in the first place, because availability of fiber can be spotty, especially outside of downtown urban cores, and fiber extension can incur sizable costs and lengthy delays.

[The second issue] is the fact that there are so many different types of services that go under the name Ethernet that it can be confusing to know exactly what you are buying if you are not a networking expert. If you think about frame relay, which was the most successful wide area network service since T1, you did not have to worry about distance charges for example, except for the access circuit, and it ran over T1 so you could get it just about anywhere.

[The third issue] is scalability for wide area multipoint networking services such as VPLS. Many experts recommend keeping the numbers of end-points connected to a VPLS in multiples of a few dozen, which poses challenges for 1000 site networks. Beyond that, you may have to segment the network with routers, which is do-able, but in some ways that can defeat the purpose trying to build a pure Layer 2 VPN.

Hierarchical VPLS services could help, but are not yet in commercial deployment. Scalability of VPLS to large networks, in my opinion, is an issue that has not yet been adequately addressed by the carriers. See which major telecom carriers offer gigabit ethernet in your area.

Vonnage Headed In New Direction

by Jim Barthold
Tues. May 13, 2008

Vonage Holdings has withstood a flurry of patent infringement and other legal action which pretty much brought the company to its knees. Now it’s trying to re-energize itself as it transforms from a VoIP provider focused on cheaper voice services to a VoIP provider with a package of broadband capabilities.

When Vonage started, people needed a cheap voice alternative that voice-over-IP provided. That vision was changing before the company was distracted by a series of devastating lawsuits. Now it’s coming around again to recognize that today’s consumers can get cheap phone almost anywhere; they want features and services that make that voice more attractive, said Jeffrey Citron, Vonage chairman.

Vonage cut a wholesale DSL partnership deal with Covad and is preparing to launch a “prosumer” offering, Vonage-Pro, that takes the VoIP provider’s base products into the commercial space for business users.

“We have quire a few customers who call up … looking to buy the Vonage voice solution but they don’t have broadband. This led us to talk to Covad about wholesaling their platform and then putting together a Vonage bundled with allowed these customers to buy both digital voice and the broadband they’re asking for (and need for VoIP),” Citron said.

The partnership with Covad gives Vonage a nationwide broadband footprint so it’s no longer dependent on marketing to customers who already have DSL service, generally attached as part of a phone bundle, or cable modem service, which increasingly is bundled with digital voice. It also opens up a market of satellite subscribers who have no high-speed Internet or voice bundle.

“We’ve been talking to them about it for quite some time and we’re thrilled they’re finally ready to go to market with broadband,” said Lisa Graham, senior vice president and general manager of Covad’s wholesale division.

To be fair, Vonage has been a bit preoccupied. The company was hammered by multiple copyright infringement lawsuits from the likes of Verizon, AT&T and Sprint and took a beating in court. For a time, it appeared it was over for Vonage, but about this time last year the company developed a new strategy on which to focus and start anew. Since then Vonage has recorded three straight quarter of operating cash flow and positive EBITDA for two quarters said Citron and is working on a proposal to refinance its debt.

The company announced what Citron believed are good first quarter results.

“There was a point when I first took over after the loss of the Verizon (patent) case and there was a lot of uncertainty in our future and there were a ton of things we had to fix,” he said. Those were not minor fixes: “Fix the fundamentals of the business, fix marketing, fix cost management, fix customer care then strengthen the core relationship with the customers and grow from that core. Today’s announcements with Covad and Vonnage-Pro (demonstrate) we’re starting to get good traction in the marketplace and that’s going to lead to accelerated growth in the second half of the year. At this point we have a lot of the historic problems behind us.”

Vonage-Pro is ahead, providing a package that bundles most residentially oriented Vonnage services and features into packages for business consumers.

The company is also going to spend money, he promised.

“This past quarter we spend about 27 percent of our revenue on marketing (and) we expect at the end of the year we’ll be spending between 30 and 32 percent. The company has $150 million in the bank and we’re going to use that money,” he said.

Compare Vonnage to other providers to get the best deal for your home or business.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Key To Saving Money On Business Telecom Services

Finding cost effective business telecom services is a challenge that your business may not be able to undertake because it is not your core business. However, most business owner's can save money with a little research into which business telecom services are best for their situation.

A competent and informed business telecommunications consultant is vital to assist your business make the right decision every time. Whether you are an existing business, a franchise, or a new business you need to ensure that your telecommunication needs are not only met, but met at a cost effective rate. There are many business telecommunications sales representatives out there who will only try to sell you the plan that gives them the highest commission. A wrong decision will see your business locked into expensive contracts for mobile, fixed line and data services that do not meet your needs.

Many businesses purchase telecommunications on the phone from an unknown sales person and are pressured to sign by way of a recorded verbal contract. Not surprisingly when this decision is pressured the end result is often less than ideal, it could be expensive, and it could cripple your business. The quality of the service provided and the quality of the telecommunications management team is imperative to your success.

Whilst many business decisions need to be made quickly, your telecommunications need to be right, they need to be suitable for your business now and throughout the consequential contracted period. You need to find a telecommunications consultant you can trust and ask them the following questions to ensure that they have the best interests of your organization at heart and are capable of supporting your telecommunications needs.

1. Can the business telecommunications consultant provide you with an independent analysis of your current bills against the plan they recommend, and other comparable plans in the marketplace?

Many times the customer has been "sold" a service which has not been quantified in an analytical manner. We know that communication costs are an ever increasing cost to doing business and we respect that it is difficult for any organisation to employ or train a staff member to work though this minefield.

The key to having complete understanding of your telephone bills and your telephone spending patterns is in the professional telephone bill analysis

2. Can the business telecommunications consultant provide you with testimonials from companies that are of comparable size to your organisation?

Testimonials are vital. You need to be sure that the business telecommunications consultant you are dealing with is from a reputable company with many happy clients.

3. Can the business telecommunications consultant arrange for the seamless transfer of your services should you need to change carriers?

Once your business telecommunications consultant has identified the business telecommunication rates and services that are best for you and these are accepted by your business can they arrange for the transfer of your telecommunication services to the contract selected by yourselves? Professional business telecommunications consultants should ensure that you are not inconvenienced.

4. What kind of ongoing support does your business telecommunications consultant provide?

A good business telecommunications consultant will not only sign you up to a long term contract, but will keep you advised of better deals available in the market place, and proactively and constantly negotiate better deals for you, the customer.

Finding cost effective business telecommunications services is a challenge that your business may not be able to undertake because it is not your core business. However, most business owner's can save money with a little research into what business telecommunication services are on offer. By searching out an excellent business telecommunications consultant, and ensuring the above questions are answered before you sign your next business telecommunications contract, you should find that business telecommunications become a less stressful cost on your business.

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Top Reasons to Use and Trust VAR Network

by Patrick Oborn, CIO

If there is one thing the internet is good for, it's networking - finding the people who have the skills and expertise that can give you the help you need. Aside from rocket science, there really isn't anything more technical on this planet than communications, specifically computer networks, telephone systems, and voice over internet phone systems. Not only do most manufacturers of this equipment not have direct sales outlets, they do not even pick up the phone if you haven't be certified and trained in their product set. That is where the VAR (Value Added Reseller) Network comes in - to act as your conduit to these telephone and network equipment companies (such as Cisco, Avaya, Lucent, Mitel, Nortel, PolyCom, ShoreTel, and 3Com just to name a few). They can sell you the networking gear and IP PBX phone system equipment you need and, more importantly, set up the system for you exactly the way you want it.

Finding the VARs who do a good job and have the required products and certifications is not an easy proposition. From the yellow pages you can find all of the bigger dealers who can afford to pay the thousands of dollars per year to take out advertisements there, but what about the highly skilled smaller companies? How can you find trusted, reliable VARs that aren't adept at manipulating mass media? The answer is VARSearch, featured exclusively on this web site!

Experience Matters
Telarus, Inc., the parent company of VARNetwork.com, has been in the telecommunication search business since 2002, when we created and patented GeoQuote - the worlds' first and only real-time T1 price comparison shopping tool. Telarus works with some of the largest companies in the world in order to bring the simple, easy-to-understand search tool to life; vendors like AT&T, Level3, Qwest, and XO just to name a few. The amount of research, programming, and negotiation was enormous, but we successfully reached the finish line. Now, we have set our sites on VARSearch, the world's first (free) interactive tool that allows the general public to find VARs in their local areas, sorted by proximity, product type match, past performance, customer feedback, and more.

We Are Experts in Telecommunications
When we launched ShopforT1.com in July 2003 and ShopforEthernet.com in August 2007, our presence was immediately felt. The real-time pricing software which forms the basis for GeoQuote reduced the turn-around time for customers looking for commercial telecommunication quotes from 2 weeks to 2 seconds. Since then, we have continued to pour resources into keeping GeoQuote up-to-date and filling our web site with useful information. Now, over 3,000 customers later, we still continue to strive for excellence in both telecommunications and in VAR search.

Real-time Search is Our Specialty
As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, Telarus has specialized in real-time T1 and gigabit ethernet price and availability research. The experience and knowledge that we have gained from the development of this technology form the foundation for the VAR Search platform. Instead of matching up customers with the best high-speed internet carrier, now we are matching up customers with the best PBX phone system and network equipment dealers - and what you see now is just the beginning.

We Listen to Our Users
The real secret to our success is that we create software designed by people who use it. What you see here is the end result of taking feedback from hundreds of users, VARs, and others. This feedback is invaluable to our program, and the best ideas are added to our web design team's list of features for future versions of the site. We pride ourselves in being humble enough to recognize that we don't know it all. We are expert marketers and programmers who are here to serve our clients. They need it, we do it.

We are Privately Owned
Miraculously, Telarus has been able to build the VAR network without any venture capital of any kind. This means that decisions can be made quickly and site changes can be implemented without any red tape. The lack of big investors means that VAR Network is not beholden to any outside party with its own self interests. VAR Network's mission is to provide a valuable service to its users, not just to put more money into a Board of Directors' pockets.

Friday, May 02, 2008

VOIP Service, A Good Solution

When you are looking for affordable and quality VOIP service it is sometimes hard to know which VOIP carrier to choose. They all claim to be the best thing since sliced bread or canned beer, but how do you separate the marketing hype from reality?

The first thing you need to look at is your high speed Internet connection at home. Be fully aware that the VOIP provider has absolutely no control over the quality or reliability of your high speed Internet connection, despite the fact that any VOIP service relies heavily on the stability and reliability of that connection. If your home DSL or cable service is not rock solid, stable and reliable, you are not going to be happy with any VOIP service you get at any price, regardless of the brand name.

When comparing different VOIP service providers, you need to look at the features they offer with the service. Features is another category where VOIP providers come out on top by a wide margin over traditional telephone services. VOIP providers offer many features that regular land line phone companies either charge extra for or are not able to offer at all. Standard features include things like make unlimited calls to other users of the same VOIP provider, to make unlimited calls locally and in the domestic US, caller ID, and voicemail. They may also offer other features as well, but make sure that you are not paying extra for features that you will only use once in a blue moon.

VOIP service providers have been rolling out “Enhanced 911” or E911 where calls are sent to a 911 network which then connects to a local 911 dispatching center. With E911, emergency dispatchers are able to see the caller’s location and call back numbers. If you are considering a VOIP service that does not offer the Enhanced 911 services, run in the other direction, since this is now a requirement in the US.

VOIP service can be very cost effective for your home or small business. It uses your high speed Internet connection to make and receive phone calls. But that comes with its own set of problems. For example, remember we talked earlier about the reliability of your high speed Internet connection? That becomes even more important because if your high speed Internet connection goes down, so does your ability to make and receive phone calls. Again, this is not the VOIP provider's problem since they assume that you already have a very reliable and stable Internet connection.

If you live off the beaten track and the only high speed Internet connection available to you is satellite, don't even think about VOIP service. You are not going to be happy because with today's residential satellite technology, it is simply not fast enough to provide reliable VOIP service.

The cost effectiveness of VOIP service cannot be argued. With a traditional phone line from the local telephone company, you are paying about $25 a month just for dial tone. Now compare that to VOIP service, where for less than that, you also get unlimited long distance, voice mail, caller ID, and perhaps other features as well.

Visit this Voip-Digital Home Phone Service site for more information about the providers that are the most cost effective option for reliable VOIP service when compared against the other leading contenders.


Wireless or Ethernet Networks?

In recent years, Ethernet hasn't exactly been fashionable. People are sick of running long wires all over the place, making holes in their walls, and being restricted when it comes to where they can use their computer. Wireless networking has become all the rage - and some predict that it will have killed off Ethernet altogether within a few years.

Wireless networking works by transmitting radio waves through the air. While it isn't yet strong enough to provide networking for a large area, it is quite possible and cheap to set up a cheap wireless networking system large enough to cover an entire house, using nothing more than a wireless router and a wireless card in each computer you want to use on the network. Newer laptops even come with wireless capabilities completely integrated in the form of Intel Centrino, so you can easily connect to wireless networks wherever you go.

Of course, wireless also has its fair share of downsides. Sure, Ethernet requires ugly wires strewn all over the place, but it's also much faster, more stable and more reliable. For large businesses or small businesses that have already had all the wires hidden away in their walls, there is little reason to change over to wireless now. Ethernet is also often more secure - wireless networks are often left unsecured, meaning that anyone can drive past and connect to them. While Ethernet networks can be insecure as well, the network intruder at least has to be inside the building in most cases, not sitting in a car outside.

In turn, wireless networking removes a lot of niggles from Ethernet. The best thing is that you no longer have to worry about wires getting damaged somehow and needing to be tracked down for replacement. Ultimately, which one you use will depend on how adventurous you are, and exactly what you plan to do with your network.

See which option is best for your organization at T1 Dedicated.

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