Verizon Global Wholesale just beefed up its call setup security. The company has enabled its product offerings--SIP Gateway Service, Advanced Toll Free IP Termination and Carrier IP Termination Transport--to share a single, secure virtual private network connection called an IP Security (IPSec) tunnel. An industry standard supported by most equipment vendors, IPSec encrypts all data prior to transmission and then authenticates the data upon receipt to make sure it hasn't been altered. In addition, the data source is authenticated to prevent "spoofing" of an IP address which hackers use to pass themselves off as legitimate users to take advantage of a VoIP and data network. The revved up security will hopefully nix any concerns companies might have about switching from legacy TDM to new IP-based communications offerings. Offering secure calls is sure to help convince hesitant companies that the benefits of IP [+]

Business IT solutions company, CSC, launched global videoconferencing services as part of the company's suite of Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) solutions. Along with the video communication features the service will include video end-point management, pre-conference certification and testing, 24-hour customer support, concierge style meeting support, high-definition multi-point bridging services, telepresence, desktop and room-based devices, gateway and hybrid services (ISDN/IP) and enterprise video network consulting. Standard video services will include an interactive web reservation portal to schedule global video calls via phone, email and fax that will inferface with Outlook and Lotus Notes' calendar functions. "By adding video conferencing services to our suite of UCC solutions, CSC is positively contributing to the rapid growth of the enterprise video communications market, as well as our customers' bottom line," said Jason Cory, CSC's vice president of communications and network services in [+]

Sure you can already get Vonage calls on your iPhone and Blackberry, but what about the whole other part of the mobile world owned by Google? Finally, Android phones on T-Mobile and AT&T are getting a Vonage application. The Vonage application provides high-quality, outbound international calling over WiFi and cellular networks in addition to free domestic calls over WiFi. Users can choose between Vonage World Mobile with unlimited international calling to more than 60 countries, or Vonage Mobile Pay-Per-Use. Michael Tempora, senior vice president of product management for Vonage hinted that we'll eventually see VoIP calls over the data networks, but more and more it looks like we really might be waiting until 4G to get the true functionality we want. "We are focused on ensuring that our customers can enjoy all the benefits of their Vonage service from any location using [+]

TruPhone has launched their VoIP over iPad software. The reviewers claim that it works just like it does on the iPod Touch with voice quality and user experience being pretty standard. The Truphone iPad application gives customers free calling to other Truphone and Google Talk users using WiFi as well as international calling to mobile phones and landlines for as low as 5 cents a minute. Truphone provides an unlimited calling plan, free voicemail and instant messaging. Truphone has a history of being first out the door, claiming to 'officially' have beaten most players to the punch with it's iPhone app. [+]

Today Cisco got antitrust approval from two key government bodies to complete its acquisition of TANDBERG. The European Commission approved the transaction while U.S. Department of Justice said it would not challenge the purchase. While the approval from these two bodies was the last real hurdle for the merger to go through, the deal is still under review in Brazil. The two companies plan to complete the purchase in the coming weeks. As part of the approval deal with the European Commission, Cisco had to make a few concessions. For one, Cisco had to divest ownership of its TelePresence Interoperability Protocol (TIP) and the library of open source software useful to implementers of TIP to an independent industry body while providing all other rights necessary to implement TIP and authorize the industry body to license those rights to any interested party, [+]

With an American economy in bad shape many companies are consolidating. Others are for sale, such as Skype. While the Skype deal allows eBay to retain part ownership, Nortel is a different story. Avaya Inc. has won the auction to acquire Nortel Networks (NYSE: NT)' Enterprise Solutions unit and some associated operations, but the firm had to boost its bid from $475 million to $900 to capture the Nortel assets. Avaya staved off a last minute offer from Siemens Enterprise Communication and its private equity partner, Gores Group LLC. The enterprise unit provides landline phone systems to customers on a worldwide basis. In July, Avaya had submitted a $475 million stalking horse offer for the assets and last week that bid was challenged by an undisclosed suitor, which turned out to be the Siemens-Gores offer. The enterprise operation recorded revenues [+]

AT&T wireless service, for which we pay $59 per month, is pathetic in Warsaw Missouri. Lately the service is terrible almost everywhere. iPhone (or, more specifically, iPhone users) are strangling the AT&T network. It’s not a pretty picture for AT&T. AT&T must know what their customers think of their network. If AT&T customers are telling me their tales or woe, they’re telling AT&T. If I were handcuffed to a two-year contract where I was paying big bucks (you can easily end up paying AT&T $150 a month), I’d be pretty emotional if I found out I was lumbered with the appalling levels of service that some folks seem to endure. We started with Cingular wireless and the service was great everywhere in the country. Even back in the old analog phone days (yes, we've been with them quite a while) [+]

The economy is bad and we all know it, but Northern Telecom is not happy. Nortel's Carrier Networks group, which houses its carrier VoIP service and Application Solutions division, saw revenues slip to $737 million, down 32 percent year-over-year and 48 percent from the previous quarter, according to first-quarter financial results released today. While Nortel blamed much of the decline on its wireless segments, it's likely that Nortel's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings impacted the VoIP part of the group's earnings as well, as every division of the company saw a marked revenue decline for the quarter. Company-wide, Nortel reported a net loss of $507 million for the quarter, as its $1.73 billion in revenue was off more than $1 billion from the $2.76 billion it recorded in the first quarter of 2008. The company said it is still in the [+]

Microsoft subsidiary Tellme announced it will offer Global Crossing VoIP service and improved call automation as part of its contact center offering. Tellme claims a customer can save up to 60 percent per minute by using the Global Crossing offering for its contact center, while also eliminating transfer costs and lowering costs additionally with access to local number service. "Our goal is to give enterprises technology that improves the customer experience but also affords them the ultimate financial flexibility when deploying voice services," said Jamie Bertasi, senior director of Business Solutions at Tellme. "From initial deployments we're seeing impressive cost savings and results that we're sure our customers will be excited about." Tellme's automated answering platform also got updated in this release as a result of collaboration with Microsoft's Speech Components Group. [+]

AT&T CallVantage customers are getting an email warning that the telco is discontinuing its VoIP service this year. No surprise, since the company stopped selling the service to new customers in August 2008, but will AT&T come up with an alternative offering? Customers within AT&T's service footprint are being asked to contact AT&T for alternative voice service, be it legacy wireline (probably not going to happen, given the continued decline in that service) or U-Verse voice over AT&T DSL. Out of region customers are being told that they have alternatives available with other service providers. [+]