In the Orange announcement last week, the two telecommunications companies are establishing a “50/50” joint venture in the fourth quarter of 2011.  After three years, the two expect to save a [...]]]>

Deutsche Telekom (DT) and France Telecom (FT) have formed a joint venture for procurement.  Shouldn’t they just merge and get it over with?

In the Orange announcement last week, the two telecommunications companies are establishing a “50/50” joint venture in the fourth quarter of 2011.  After three years, the two expect to save a combine 1.3 billion Euros due to economies of scale and “technology harmonization.”

The joint procurement activities include customer equipment, network equipment, service platforms and – starting with four pilot projects – IT infrastructure.  Today, the two have a non-binding term sheet which will be the basis for final contracts in the future.

DT/FT are billing this as a “new era of smart industry cooperation” and expect to get “sustained” benefits and savings to their customers and ensuring their businesses will be more competitive.

After three years, the run rate in “potential” global savings to be more than 400 million Euros and below 900 million Euros respectively for the two firms (so DT saves 400M Euros, FT, a little less than 900M Euros).

The jointly owned and operated procurement entity will have two offices in Bonn and Paris, but DT and FT are currently in talks with unions and need board approval. There’s also the tricky matter of antitrust clearance.

DT and FD did some “exploratory talks” in February 2011 to identify cooperation in radio access network sharing in Europe, WiFi roaming, equipment “harmonization” (i.e., using the same gear), M2M services, and a set of new growth business development areas.

At this rate, I’m expected some sort of “still closer” ventures down the road and it wouldn’t surprise me if the two companies tried a merger in the future.  It may sound politically insane on the one hand, but on the other hand, Europe built EADS and Airbus, so it’s not inconceivable for the two to become one…

Interop Las Vegas 2011, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV

Running around the show floor on Tuesday, May 10 and Wednesday, May 11.

TIA 2011, Gaylord Texas, Dallas, TX

Wednesday, May 18  – “HD Voice: Implementing the Advantages” 8:30 am – 9:15 am.

After my [...]]]>

I’ll be at two shows in May. 

Interop Las Vegas 2011, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV

Running around the show floor on Tuesday, May 10 and Wednesday, May 11.

TIA 2011, Gaylord Texas, Dallas, TX

Wednesday, May 18  – “HD Voice: Implementing the Advantages” 8:30 am – 9:15 am.

After my presentation, I’ll be on site through about 2 PM local time before I have to head to the airport.

As usual, if you are seeking a briefing, email me at moo@vegascommando.com.

TMC is preparing its end to distribute and promote the report, so I think it all should come together next week, barring any major difficulties.

Service providers mentioned in the report include: 3, 8×8, [...]]]>

I’m currently going through 88 pages of HD voice report on what should be the best-and-final editing run. 

TMC is preparing its end to distribute and promote the report, so I think it all should come together next week, barring any major difficulties.

Service providers mentioned in the report include: 3, 8×8, Aircel, CSL Limited (Hong Kong), Etihad Atheeb Telecom (GO Telecom), France Telecom/Orange, ERA/T-Mobile Poland, Megafon, SFR, Portugal Telecom, Tata DOCOMO, Telekom Austria, Telecom Italia, Telstra, Verizon Business, Verizon Wireless, Wind Mobile

Residential CPE: AudioCodes, Gigaset (Formerly Siemens), NETGEAR, ooma, Samsung, Technicolor (formerly Thompson), VTech

Business IP desktop phone manufacturers: Nearly all on planet, including Aastra, AudioCodes, Avaya, Cisco, Gigaset, Grandstream, Panasonic, Polycom, ShoreTel, snom

Cellular handsets: HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson

Network gear: Acme Packet, Aculab, Alcatel-Lucent, AudioCodes, BroadSoft, Cisco, Dialogic, Ditech Networks, Ericsson, GENBAND (via acquisition of Cedar Point), Huawei, Metaswitch Networks, Sonus Networks, WYDE Voice.

Looks like I’ll be moderating three (3) panels, one on HD voice, one on mobile VoIP [...]]]>

I’ll be out in Los Angeles next week for IT EXPO West, one of the few remaining games, er events around for IP Communications/VoIP these days. It’s a great channel partners/resellers show and a good vendor/service provider show.

Looks like I’ll be moderating three (3) panels, one on HD voice, one on mobile VoIP and one on voice quality. Specifically–

Meet the HD Handset Vendors – Tuesday, October 5, 8:30-10:15 AM

Roam Free- The Future of Mobile VoIP – Tuesday, October 5, 10:30-11:15 AM

Putting the Quality Back into Voice – Wednesday, October 6, 12:45-1:30 PM

When I’m not moderating panels, I’ll most likely be in the press room, going meeting-to-meeting-to-meeting.  If you’re interested in a formal time to brief me, email todd@firpr.com; he’s handing my on-site time via TMC.

I’ll also be running around at the Avaya reception on Sunday evening, the Andy Abramson dinner on Monday evening, and the Dialogic party on Tuesday evening.  And most likely will look tired and grumpy on Wednesday afternoon…

If you want to track me down during the show, I’ll be using Foursquare to post location updates to my Twitter id DougonIPComm.  Yes, I know it sounds very tweenish, but I figure it might help someone with a smartphone.

The agreement makes Polycom a member of Microsoft’s “key strategic global alliance” for UC; both sides will invest in product development, sales, and marketing.

Polycom will develop a broad [...]]]>

Polycom (www.polycom.com) and Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) have declared their love, er a “global strategic agreement” for developing and marketing “integrated,” standards-based unified communications (UC) solutions.

The agreement makes Polycom a member of Microsoft’s “key strategic global alliance” for UC; both sides will invest in product development, sales, and marketing.

Polycom will develop a broad base of solutions for Microsoft Communications Server “14” and beyond, including lots of new Polycom CX series endpoints featuring HD voice and video, new room-based video systems designed for direct integration with MCS “14” and additional interoperable solutions between Polycom’s existing and future video conferencing solutions.

The biggest hoot out of this announcement is seeing a quote from Microsoft Corporate VP Gurdeep Singh Pall, the go-to guy when it comes to Microsoft’s telephony products. Two years ago at VoiceCon Orlando, he poo-poo’ed the traditional desktop handset, waiving around a cheap $300 netbook and saying one didn’t need all that dedicated hardware.

Today, Pall is singing the praises of one of the biggest phone guys in the business. “Microsoft and Polycom are committed to a roadmap that will deliver interoperable UC solutions with choice and innovation in video conferencing and customer devices that will help transform enterprise communication,” Pall said in a press release.

It’s a VERY different tune from “We don’t need no stinkin’ desktop phones.” Now Microsoft is the new BFF with the best desktop phone and videoconferencing company. Guess they figured out they can’t do everything standalone, especially when it comes to telepresence. Either that or the Acer netbook died…

The latest version of the VoIP soft client includes support for multiple accounts. Users can select on-the-fly which account to use for voice, IM and HD video calling, regardless of the type of network (wired or wireless) in use. Bria 3.1 also includes [...]]]>

CounterPath (www.counterpath.com) has released Bria 3.1 for the Mac and Windows.

The latest version of the VoIP soft client includes support for multiple accounts. Users can select on-the-fly which account to use for voice, IM and HD video calling, regardless of the type of network (wired or wireless) in use. Bria 3.1 also includes an enhanced user interface for a better experience, including supporting expanded conferencing features and server-based conference calling using Bria’s native contact list and call manager.

Other new features include a deskphone mode for using Bria to control the base functions of a desktop handset; SMS support for custom builds; user-configurable favorites lists; additional call management options, including call hold collapse and streamlined steps for tasks such as conferencing and transferring calls; bandwidth-saving features, including the ability to select from three levels of performance and codecs depending on a PC’s capability to display video; improved USB HID support and additional languages supported in the Windows version.

Bria for Linux is already deployed at two Fortune 500 companies and is also available for embedded products ranging from mobile handsets to set-topboxes. The new software supports Ubuntu 9.10 and 10.04, multiple [...]]]>

CounterPath (www.counterpath.com) has launched Bria for Linux, the latest OS the company is supporting; Mac and Windows clients are already available.

Bria for Linux is already deployed at two Fortune 500 companies and is also available for embedded products ranging from mobile handsets to set-topboxes. The new software supports Ubuntu 9.10 and 10.04, multiple VOIP accounts, a “wide variety” of codecs including iLBC and Speex, LDAP, echo cancellation, speakerphone, and a provisioning server.

Over-the-counter (well, via CounterPath’s website), Bria for Linux will be available worldwide in late July at a suggested retail price of $49.95

On May 10, I fly out to Los Angeles for The Cable Show. I’ll be in-city from Monday afternoon through Tuesday evening, including on the floor of The Cable Show on Tuesday from about 3-6 [...]]]>

It’s going to be a busy travel month in May, with destinations including Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, and Nashville.

On May 10, I fly out to Los Angeles for The Cable Show. I’ll be in-city from Monday afternoon through Tuesday evening, including on the floor of The Cable Show on Tuesday from about 3-6 PM. 

May 12 should be at The Computer Museum in Mountain View, California for HD Communications Summit West.

Week after that will be in Nashville on the Gaylord Circuit, more specifically the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville. I expect to arrive late on Monday afternoon, May 17, departing on the afternoon of May 19.

This week I will be out in Las Vegas and will likely be spending most of my Twitter-Time on HDvoicenews, but there will be some DougonIPComm [...]]]>

Most of my time over the past couple of weeks has been spent on HD Voice issues (www.hdvoicenews.com) and preparing for the HD Voice Summit at 2010 CES.

This week I will be out in Las Vegas and will likely be spending most of my Twitter-Time on HDvoicenews, but there will be some DougonIPComm traffic as well.

For instance, DiTech Networks has a tabletop booth at CES. Yes, DiTech Networks of the IP core/voice processing world.   Plus I’ll be talking to Motorola, trying to get face time with Sprint, maybe abusing Belkin over the Gigabit Powerline gizmo, things like that…

Bottom line: You have to look REALLY hard [...]]]>

You’ll find three (3) pieces about HD voice from AstriCon over at the HD Connect Now website (www.hdconnectnow.org)–

• AstriCon 2009: It is all HD voice (handsets)
• AstriCon 2009 – Dialogic talks HD voice media server
• From AstriCon: Rumors of AT&T running HD voice in San Antonio

Bottom line: You have to look REALLY hard to find a VoIP handset that doesn’t have support for the G.722 wideband codec these days.  Even Cisco’s $130 cheap-end VoIP phone has G.722 built in… and yes, I’m sure people are going to start nit-picking about mic quality, speaker quality, does the gear really sample at 16 KHz, etc… we’ll see.

Also very interesting that AT&T is quietly trialing HD voice in its back yard. No details yet on exactly what is going on; I’m hoping the company will be as forthcoming as Verizon Business, but then again, AT&T never rolled out Casabi after playing with it nearly a decade ago..