Microsoft Unveils Windows Mobile 6 – Google’s Gmail Valentine Surprise

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Feb 142007
 

Microsoft announced the launching of its new smart phone operating system Windows Mobile 6 at the GSM World Congress in Barcelona this week. Featured in the new OS is improved functionality of the Windows Mobile Office applications, including the mobile versions of MS Word, Excel, and Powerpoint as standard in every device.

Outlook Mobile now has better support for HTML, and is programmed with configuration wizards for more user friendly setup of mail accounts for POP3, Exchange, and such popular web based email accounts as Yahoo! and Google.

As a further indication of mobile VoIP coming into the mainstream, the Windows Mobile 6 operating system comes with built in VoIP access that will allow carriers and device manufacturers to add voice over IP functionality to Windows Mobile devices.

On another note, Google announced this Valentines day that it was opening up its popular email application Gmail to the general public. Gmail, which will remain in the beta phase, is a web based email application that provides users with a whopping 2.8 GB of storage. Up until now, Gmail was available by invitation only.

Users of Google Talk, Googles IM chat/VoIP/file sharing app, can gain extra functionality by logging in with Gmail credentials, such as the ability to send voicemail as audio files to other users. Google Talk is also in the beta testing phase and promises to offer more services and functionality in the general release.

Also on this Valentines day, it seems that Google lost it’s L, making it just another Googe.

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 Posted by Jon Paul, VoIP Facts: The Blog at 12:31 pm  Tagged with: , , ,

Cisco and Nokia Provide Fixed Mobile Convergence for Business

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Feb 132007
 

Internet hardware provider Cisco, and cell phone manufacturer Nokia have teamed up to offer users of the Cisco Unified Communications products a handset that can switch between a Cisco WiFi/VoIP network and the cellular GSM networks.

Just announced at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, the Nokia E61i and E65 hand sets are dual mode and can determine which network, cellular or WiFi, is strongest, and will automatically use that network to place calls. They also contain software that essentially makes them an extension of the Cisco Call Manager IP PBX messaging system.

Cisco and Nokia hooked up last year with the integration of Nokia’s E smart phones with the Cisco Unified Call Manager 5.0, providing the interoperability similar to a Cisco IP desk phone or handset.
The Enterprise Mobility Solution as it is called started beta field tests in January by Volvo Trucks France, who plans a rollout for 300 users. An additional trial has been started by Swedish window company Elitfonster at its home office in Vetlanda.

Advantages for businesses that adopt a fixed to mobile convergence solution include the possibility of one phone number for a cellular network and a VoIP wireless 802.11 network, and cutting cell phone minutes by using the company’s VoIP network where possible.

Cisco is not alone as a provider of FMC to the business community. Telecommunications company Avaya recently bought Traverse Networks, who makes FMC software for cellphones, and the Innovative Technology Alliance of Microsoft and Nortel is sure to bring focus on Fixed Mobile Convergence in the future.

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 Posted by Jon Paul, VoIP Facts: The Blog at 1:27 pm  Tagged with: , , ,

Googles VoIP Aspirations

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Feb 122007
 

Google has built its own peer to peer network, called Google Talk, based on the open source XMPP/Jabber protocol. Still in the beta phase, Google Talk at this time resembles a barebones IM chat, voice, and file sharing client, but is reportedly working on adding new services and functionality in the general release. Currently, calls can be made in network or between other Jabber servers only, and since the beta version does not support the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), voice calls are not encrypted end to end.

While voice calls can be made simply through your computers speakers and a microphone, Google recommends using a headset for call clarity. There are also handsets available that support the client for Google Talk.

Just what plans Google has for this new application is the subject of much discussion. Early in 2005 it was reported that Google was buying up mass quantities of “dark fiber”, in essence giving them the ability to build their own fiber optic network, but to date nothing has been done with it. They have also been cuddling up to voice over IP service provider VoIP Inc., a company that could help them go off network to the PSTN, and deliver services such as E911 and virtual phone numbers. Is anyone seeing a pattern here?

Being the search engine that it is, Google says it is also working on the technology to make audio files searchable. If successful, this could open up a Pandora’s Box of legal and regulatory issues.

As a peer to peer VoIP, chat, and file sharing network, Google Talk is no Skype, but to be fair, the app is still in its infancy. What seems to be clear, depending on whom you talk to, is that they see an opportunity in the inevitable IP telephony revolution, and are positioning themselves to become a player in that market.

For more information on Google Talk, read the article Google Enters the Peer to Peer VoIP Arena.

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 Posted by Jon Paul, VoIP Facts: The Blog at 1:11 pm  Tagged with: , , ,

Fixed Mobile Convergence: Bridging the Cellular Landline Divide

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Feb 092007
 

As more and more consumers opt out of traditional telephone services in favor of cellular phones, the undeniable trend in the telecommunications industry is the development of Fixed to Mobile Convergence, or FMC, to allow cell phones to seamlessly switch from the cellular network to a landline network infrastructure, and back again.

The dwindling revenues and loss of market share by the traditional telephone companies, along with the growing use of IP networks to carry data and voice, are spurring a business model that is transitioning from distance calling, to a model based on calling a person. For the consumer this means, for one thing, the inevitable extinction of long distance charges as we know them.

In an FMC environment, users would have the advantage of utilizing the cellular networks outside, never having to sacrifice connectivity for mobility. As the caller enters an indoor environment, a place where many cell calls get dropped, the converged handset would detect the presence of a wireless network and automatically switch to the lower frequency, preserving call quality throughout the transition.

The result of this would be the emergence of one caller, one phone, and one phone number for the transmission of data and voice. In a business environment, the transition could be made wirelessly through the corporate LANs PBX, whereas in a residential situation, the phone would detect wireless access points that connect directly to a broadband Internet connection, or the PSTN.

The key to the success of FMC is the hand set. While there are many models available today that are capable of switching from cellular to WiFi networks, widespread acceptance is presumed to be contingent on the dropping prices of the handsets, and the types of plans offered by the carriers.

With the release of the Apple iPhone, it was announced that Cingular Communications (now at&t wireless) would be the carrier responsible for cellular communication, and presumably, the implementer of cell to WiFi calling plans.

One current example of fixed to mobile convergence is the new at&t unity plan. With the acquisition of the Cingular wireless network and all its subscribers, at&t is offering a community calling plan that allows users to call nationwide to any of at&t’s wireless or wireline numbers free of charge.

It is expected that by the year 2010, the idea of Fixed Mobile Convergence will be well entrenched in the telecommunications industry.

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 Posted by Jon Paul, VoIP Facts: The Blog at 11:26 am  Tagged with: , , ,

FaceTime Provides End to End Security for Skype Business

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Feb 062007
 

California based FaceTime Communications announced a new partnership with Skype, utilizing the FaceTime Internet Security Edition to provide gateway to endpoint security and management of Skypes software for business. Using proprietary APIs made available by Skype, the program will allow administrators to controll the services available to endusers at a granular level, as well as monitor bandwidth in realtime, and to monitor at the gateway for malicious inbound and outbound threats.

Skype claims to have over 171 million registered users around the world, and says that a full 33% of its users in North America are utilizing the Skype software for business purposes. “As a result of our work with FaceTime, network administrators now have centralized management capabilities in addition to the cost savings, simplicity and productivity advantages Skype offers to businesses.”, says Skype’s Chief Security Officer Kurt Sauer.

Through the FaceTime Internet Security Edition, IT and network administrators will be able to set policy at the group level, as well as individualy, determining which users have access to which services. For example, one group or individual may be allowed voice and instant messaging services, but denied the use of Skypes file sharing services, or supernode capabilities.

Surveys have shown that employees will often download a variety IM or P2P applications on their work computer, and that companies will often ignore IM and P2P policies, even if they exist. The new FaceTime management software will allow businesses to benefit from these real time communications applications, and at the same time contoll security, communications costs, and employee productirvity.

FaceTime Communications specializes in providing safe and secure use of real time collaboration applications such as instant messaging, peer to peer networking, and web conferencing, and supports many IM network providers including, Skype, AOL, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and Jabber. The Internet Security Edition is composed of the Greynet Enterprise Manager, and Real-Time Guardian, administrating end user policies, and the network gateway respectively.

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 Posted by Jon Paul, VoIP Facts: The Blog at 12:24 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,

The Reality of VoIP Security Threats

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Feb 052007
 

A lot has been said lately of the security, or lack thereof, of a voice over IP network. Just recently CompTIA put out a report claiming that only 50% of SMBs have any faith in the security measures taken in VoIP. Since most businesses consider telecommunications their lifeline to the outside world, its no wonder the business community looks to converging their networks with a wary eye.

So I decided to delve into the subject to try and find out just what it is everybodys so scared about. As most companies require a 99.999% uptime and availability of their voice networks, their concerns about VoIP security are not just paranoia, but based on real threats that are real technological possibilities.

So too are these threats nothing new to network and security professionals, who have been locking down IP networks from hackers, spoofers, and viruses since the advent of the technology.

From what I’ve been able to find out, most of these threats to the voice network are variations on a theme, disrupting communications in different ways using the same old methods. Of course, a Denial of Service attack can bring a voice network to its knees, rendering communication to an advanced form of gibberish, something most businesses will not tolerate.

Spoofing, man in the middle attacks, and eavesdropping are all threats in a data network that take on new possibilities in VoIP. Intercepting identities and data, converting calls to voice files, all bring up thoughts of corporate espionage, company chaos, stolen identities and unauthorized bank transfers.

It is my conclusion that although the aforementioned attacks are not wide spread at this time, companies and security professionals must prepare for an onslaught as VoIP becomes more widely adopted. Just as securing a data network is top priority in todays world, up to date security precautions are of utmost importance when converging your data and voice networks. It falls to the professionals responsible for the installation, be they in house or contracted out, to put security at the forefront of any migration.

For more information on the security threats facing voice over the Internet, read my full article, VoIP Security Threats Explained.

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 Posted by Jon Paul, VoIP Facts: The Blog at 1:08 pm  Tagged with: , , ,
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