News

Voice networking and VoIP

December 17, 2006 17 Dec'06
Top 10 VoIP tips of 2006

Echo and latency issues top the list in 2006, as seen in our top 10 list of most popular tips. If you have missed any of these tips, now is the time to catch up before the end of the year.
December 13, 2006 13 Dec'06
Hosted VoIP eliminates cost, complexity

Hosted VoIP is being adopted at increasing rates as more and more companies look to avoid the excess costs and complexities of on-premise solutions.
December 13, 2006 13 Dec'06
VoIP management tools: Calculating ROI

Before purchasing management tools for VoIP, you may need to calculate the return on investment (ROI) to justify the cost of those tools. In this tip, Gary Audin explains how to calculate ROI and provides specific checklists for calculating the ROI ...
December 13, 2006 13 Dec'06
Hosted VoIP eliminates cost, complexity

Hosted VoIP is being adopted at increasing rates as more and more companies look to avoid the excess costs and complexities of on-premise solutions.

November 29, 2006 29 Nov'06
Video conferencing brings desktop VoIP, app sharing

Voice, video and Web conferencing vendor Genesys adds desktop VoIP and enhanced application sharing to its collaboration lineup.
November 26, 2006 26 Nov'06
Managed and hosted VoIP: muddling through

Managed and Centrex and hosted, oh my! For companies looking for an alternative to a premise-based phone system, there are plenty available, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Get a clearer understanding of exactly what's available so you can ...
November 16, 2006 16 Nov'06
How can a small business achieve high quality VoIP?

As a small trader, I must be able to communicate with my trading partners who are often in other countries. We use IP telephony to keep costs down. Can you suggest how I can have high quality VoIP calls that will exceed PSTN call quality?
November 16, 2006 16 Nov'06
Why do VoIP calls remain active after the phone call is ended?

For our small business needs, we use a Linksys PAP for our IP telephony service. Sometimes though, we noticed that the call will remain active after we have ended the call and hung up. How do we configure the ATA or gateway to avoid this problem?
November 16, 2006 16 Nov'06
Why is UDP used more in VoIP than TCP?

If UDP is unreliable, why is it used more in VoIP rather than TCP?
November 16, 2006 16 Nov'06
What is the difference between VoIP, CTI and IP telephony?

What is the difference between VoIP, CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) and IP telephony?

November 16, 2006 16 Nov'06
Can VoIP work on a GPRS-enabled mobile phone?

Is it possible to use VoIP on GPRS-enabled mobile phones?
November 16, 2006 16 Nov'06
When should a VoIP system be analyzed and with what tools?

We have recently implemented a VoIP network with separate VLANs and QoS. It all seemed to be working fine when it first went in, but recently, certain people have been complaining about sound breakup whilst talking to customers on the phone.
November 16, 2006 16 Nov'06
VoIP news briefs: Verizon Business, TheInfoPro and Ovum

Verizon Business introduces a new management portal; TheInfoPro looks at the rate of VoIP adoption; and Ovum warns of VoIP security threats.
November 15, 2006 15 Nov'06
How is average repair time determined for both a TDM PBX and a VoIP system?

I am trying to find some statistics on average time to repair or troubleshoot VoIP and TDM PBX. We heard PBX takes 30 minutes versus VoIP at 4.5 hours -- is this true?
November 15, 2006 15 Nov'06
How can VoIP be integrated into an existing PBX system?

I am trying to integrate VoIP into my existing PBX system. I have a Talkswitch 48CVA which supports both PSTN and VoIP lines. My main phone number is a landline which forwards calls to my VoIP line when my status is busy or I do not answer.
November 14, 2006 14 Nov'06
SANS: VoIP, zero-day threats surge

Digital miscreants are using VoIP and a growing pile of zero-day flaws to launch a ferocious wave of targeted, financially-motivated attacks, according to the SANS Institute.
November 13, 2006 13 Nov'06
IM, Skype, P2P open security holes: Survey

IM, Skype, Web conferencing and other real-time applications are a major concern to IT, but end users seem to shrug off the risks, a new survey has found.
November 08, 2006 08 Nov'06
VoIP security safeguards -- they may be there already

Protecting your VoIP system may be easier than you think, especially since many of the necessary tools are already there.
November 01, 2006 01 Nov'06
Juniper Networks' enterprise router takes aim at Cisco branches

Juniper's new branch office J-Series routers provide all-in-one security, VoIP, WAN acceleration box to rival Cisco's ISR router.
November 01, 2006 01 Nov'06
VoIP convergence: Managing staffing issues

Companies making the transition to IP telephony must find a way to converge their voice and data networks -- and the employees who work on them.
October 31, 2006 31 Oct'06
Net neutrality: All or nothing, or somewhere in between?

The notion of net neutrality can hinder VoIP QoS guarantees and thus has incited a contentious debate.
October 25, 2006 25 Oct'06
Cisco launches mega videoconferencing system

Cisco Systems Inc. has talked about TelePresence and demonstrated it, and now it's finally something enterprises can buy, but at six figures it's a high price to pay.
October 24, 2006 24 Oct'06
How does the service provider differentiate between data and VoIP as data?

For our mobile devices in trucks, we use GSM/GPRS communication. Our customers are paying for a certain data amount -- depending on the service package to which they subscribe. We use a modem in our device, which can do both data and voice. But as I...
October 23, 2006 23 Oct'06
Comparing VoIP vendors

For many companies, the tough decision isn't whether to use IP telephony or not -- it's which vendor to choose. We've collected some of Carrie Higbie's tips and tricks for vendor selection, garnered from her "Ask-the-Expert" section. Carrie ...
October 23, 2006 23 Oct'06
Comparing VoIP vendors

For many companies, the tough decision isn't whether to use IP telephony or not -- it's which vendor to choose. We've collected some of Carrie Higbie's tips and tricks for vendor selection, garnered from her 'Ask-the-Expert' section. Carrie ...
October 22, 2006 22 Oct'06
EMC plays catch-up with Clariion

Clariion arrays now have support for both Fibre Channel and iSCSI in one box, as well as other features that competitors have been using against EMC for some time.
October 19, 2006 19 Oct'06
Xiotech, Pillar scale down, support iSCSI

Xiotech, Pillar introduce entry-level iSCSI arrays; Overland loses Dell deal; EMC and IBM report earnings.
October 16, 2006 16 Oct'06
Cisco ramps up unified communications tools

Cisco last week released a host of new products to enhance its suite of unified communications tools, including an IP phone that's easier for end users to accept.
October 11, 2006 11 Oct'06
Does Spanning Tree Protocol have an adverse effect on VoIP?

Do you know if Spanning Tree has an adverse effect upon VoIP? If so, what is the best way to provide LAN-based switch redundancy to VoIP gateways?
October 11, 2006 11 Oct'06
Briefs: VoIP management; mobile E911; and Windows 2003 support

Qovia releases its new VoIP management system; 911 Enable made E911 mobile and Codima announced support for Windows 2003 server.
October 01, 2006 01 Oct'06
Column: The myths and realities of VoIP security

Security is often cited as one of the primary reasons organizations have not deployed VoIP. The biggest VoIP security threat is not making headlines. Zeus Kerravala, Yankee Group analyst, cuts through the hype so network managers can maximize the ...
September 26, 2006 26 Sep'06
Voice over IP Fundamentals: Chapter 9, 'Billing and Mediation Services'

Voice over IP Fundamentals: Chapter 9, 'Billing and Mediation Services'
September 25, 2006 25 Sep'06
IP telephony unites New Orleans nonprofit after Katrina

Hurricane Katrina nearly disbanded the Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, until the nonprofit rolled out a hosted voice solution
September 18, 2006 18 Sep'06
VoIP user experience tested

Most VoIP monitoring is focused on quality of service, but one new company is taking a different tack and looking at the quality of experience.
September 14, 2006 14 Sep'06
Calling network management vendors: It's time to get on board with VoIP

Despite the hype, full-scale VoIP deployments are hard to find. According to our research at Yankee Group, over 80% of U.S. enterprises have VoIP deployed somewhere in their organization in some shape or form. This includes departmental trials and ...
September 12, 2006 12 Sep'06
Is there a generic blueprint for an IP-based call center?

Is there a generic blueprint for an IP-based call center? Where could I find one?
September 11, 2006 11 Sep'06
VoIP still a confusing area for SMBs

A study released at today's VON conference in Boston suggests that SMBs -- despite their growing use of VoIP -- are still confused about VoIP technology.
September 06, 2006 06 Sep'06
Fast Guide: VoIP encryption

A guide to encryption within VoIP networks
September 06, 2006 06 Sep'06
VoIP startup untethers would-be mobile workers from wireline office phones

VoIP startup DiVitas Networks has voice-over-WiFi-to-cellular technology in the works that gives endusers access to enterprise apps and puts dual-mode handset management in the hands of network administrators.
September 06, 2006 06 Sep'06
VoIP startup untethers would-be mobile workers from wireline office phones

VoIP startup DiVitas Networks has voice-over-WiFi-to-cellular technology in the works that gives endusers access to enterprise apps and puts dual-mode handset management in the hands of network administrators.
September 05, 2006 05 Sep'06
VoIP outsourcing: Save money and gain flexibility

VoIP outsourcing is the way to go for organisations looking to deploy voice services quickly and flexibly without a major investment in skills and upkeep.
September 05, 2006 05 Sep'06
VoIP outsourcing: Save money and gain flexibility

VoIP outsourcing is the way to go for organizations looking to deploy voice services quickly and flexibly without a major investment in skills and upkeep.
September 04, 2006 04 Sep'06
Revamped Cisco WAFS worth the wait, users say

Months late, Cisco has finally released a combined Wan optimisation and WAFS product, while startups like Riverbed have been snapping up the customers. But some Cisco beta testers say it has been worth the wait.
September 04, 2006 04 Sep'06
Instant messaging boom brings security concerns

Instant messaging (IM) has made significant inroads to the enterprise, but using public IM applications may open up security holes in the network.
August 30, 2006 30 Aug'06
VoIP outsourcing: Save money while gaining flexibility

VoIP outsourcing is the way to go for firms looking to deploy voice services quickly and flexibly without a major investment in skills and upkeep.
August 29, 2006 29 Aug'06
AT&T breach affects 19,000 customers

Online outlaws hacked into an AT&T computer system and stole credit card data on thousands of customers. AT&T has offered to pay for credit monitoring services for those affected.
August 22, 2006 22 Aug'06
Column: VoIP applications fuel the next wave of VoIP innovation

The first phase of VoIP is nearing the end and corporations will soon find a variety of third-party desktop applications that run on VoIP. Has VoIP improved the day-to-day for end users?
August 21, 2006 21 Aug'06
Briefs: VoiceCon in the news

This week at VoiceCon we saw everything from managed VoIP services to IP phones made to make mobile workers right at home, wherever they are.
August 16, 2006 16 Aug'06
Cisco struggles with SIP firewall flaw

Cisco admits it can't reproduce a SIP security flaw in its PIX firewall that was first identified by a researcher at Black Hat.
August 16, 2006 16 Aug'06
Briefs: VoIP in the news

Asterisk maker Digium gets major funding; Quintum's VoIP switch offers backup option for branch office; The Cisco Store makes the case for unified communications.