News

Voice networking and VoIP

June 22, 2012 22 Jun'12
Could economies of scale spell a unified future for mobile network operators?

Does the creation of Everything Everywhere and network-sharing between Vodafone and O2 point to a unified future for mobile operators?
June 20, 2012 20 Jun'12
Staffordshire County Council saves £1.5m with PSN deployment

Staffordshire County Council’s CIO claims £1.5m has been saved by sharing networking infrastructure with other public sector organisations
June 18, 2012 18 Jun'12
Ofcom announces leased line consultation

Telecoms regulator Ofcom proposes regulation for 1Gbps connections but takes lighter approach to BT wholesale broadband pricing in London
June 14, 2012 14 Jun'12
UK to publish draft internet monitoring law

The government is to publish details of its controversial plans to make it easier for security and police services to spy on e-mails, phone calls and internet activity

May 30, 2012 30 May'12
European Council signs off mobile roaming charge law

Mobile roaming charge rules will take effect from 1 July 2012 as the European Council follows the European Parliament in passing the law
May 28, 2012 28 May'12
Sky mobile network could be on the cards

Reports suggest the TV and Internet provider will buy spectrum from Everything Everywhere to enter the mobile market
May 28, 2012 28 May'12
Cisco kills off Cius tablet

Despite its belief in the BYOD market, Cisco is stopping development of its own tablet device
May 24, 2012 24 May'12
Collaboration: Working smarter, not harder

Collaboration technology can help you work more effectively. Andrew Buss, director of Freeform Dynamics, guides you through the options
May 11, 2012 11 May'12
Can mobile operators take on 'over-the-top' service providers?

With Telefonica launching a rival to Skype, can mobile operators claw back revenues lost to internet start-ups?
May 11, 2012 11 May'12
O2 reveals new roaming rates

The mobile operator launches O2 Travel, one day after the European Parliament ruling to reduce roaming charges

May 10, 2012 10 May'12
EU votes in favour of roaming charge cuts

The European Union passes a new bill to slash the prices of using mobile phones on the continent
May 09, 2012 09 May'12
Telefónica unveils TU Me mobile app

The mobile operator decides if you can’t beat the over-the-top providers like Skype, you may as well join them
May 04, 2012 04 May'12
Case study: Council IP telephony switch about more than just money

When Portsmouth City Council achieved a cut-price deal for an IP telephony infrastructure it quickly realised the technology offered more than just cost savings.
May 02, 2012 02 May'12
Do mobile termination rates rule operator revenues?

Everything Everywhere blamed a 2.5% sales drop on Ofcom's MTR rules, and a £300m annual revenue decrease.
May 01, 2012 01 May'12
Rochdale saves £300,000 with PSN-ready network

Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council has saved £300,000 per year by rolling out a PSN-ready network.
March 16, 2012 16 Mar'12
Janet education network extends BT relationship

UK education network Janet has extended a 20-year relationship with BT after agreeing a procurement framework for the next three years.
March 02, 2012 02 Mar'12
Universities investing in back-office IT systems

Increased competition and the need to cut costs are driving universities to replace archaic processes in the back office with software that automates key processes.
February 23, 2012 23 Feb'12
Optical networking market gets unexpected boost

Global sales of optical networking in 2011 reached $15.59bn with Europe performing stronger than expected.
February 16, 2012 16 Feb'12
Cisco wants EU to reconsider Microsoft Skype deal

Cisco is calling on European Union authorities to reconsider the unconditional approval of Microsoft’s $8.5bn acquisition of Skype.
February 14, 2012 14 Feb'12
Preparing your network for cloud applications

The network is the weakest link in cloud computing as, without network access, staff are unable to connect to applications
February 09, 2012 09 Feb'12
Cisco back on acquisition trail after record quarter

Cisco Systems has reported record revenues of $11.5bn for the second fiscal quarter that ended 28 January 2012, up 11% on the year-ago quarter, and profits of $2.6bn or 47 cents a share, up 27%.
December 21, 2011 21 Dec'11
RWE npower goes live with SAP CRM

RWE npower has rolled out a new SAP customer service system to 600,000 customers.
December 16, 2011 16 Dec'11
Sainsbury's rolls out superfast broadband

Sainsbury’s has signed a deal with BT to deploy network connections of 24Mbps to its 1,000 stores in a move which will enable real-time data sharing.
December 14, 2011 14 Dec'11
Salford University finalises IT revamp

Salford University is finalising a transformational IT project which includes a network link with the BBC’s Media City.
December 13, 2011 13 Dec'11
Network reliability to win over innovation in 2012, says Cisco survey

Cisco’s first TechWatch 2012 report finds network reliability as opposed to innovation or performance is the most important factor for network architects in the new year ahead.
November 29, 2011 29 Nov'11
Standard Life overhauls IT department and cuts jobs

Insurer Standard Life is to axe a number of IT staff following a review of its IT and operations division.
November 01, 2011 01 Nov'11
Government trials voice recognition for Universal Credit benefit claims

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is testing a voice recognition system to authenticate claimants of its flagship Universal Credits system, as part of the department's work on identity assurance (IDA).
October 27, 2011 27 Oct'11
IP network critical to video technology at FA’s St George's Park development

The Football Association (FA) is implementing the latest networking and video technology at its coaching and education centre. The St George's Park centre will be the FA's second major centre alongside Wembley, where operations are currently centred.
October 25, 2011 25 Oct'11
Researchers uncover security flaw in Skype video chat service

A security flaw in the Skype video chat service may be putting millions of users at risk, according to a report by a group of international researchers.
October 10, 2011 10 Oct'11
Government unified communications: Efficiency and security challenges

Unified communications in government agencies can boost productivity, but agencies must take special security precautions.
October 10, 2011 10 Oct'11
Ofcom further delays 4G spectrum auction for extended consultation

Regulatory body Ofcom will further delay the auction of 4G spectrum to late 2012 to allow for an extended consultation period.
October 05, 2011 05 Oct'11
Apple unveils iPhone 4S, iOS 5 and iCloud

Apple has launched its latest smartphone device, iPhone 4S, an updated version of its operating system (OS), iOS 5 and the new iCloud service.
October 05, 2011 05 Oct'11
BT readies 300Mbps downlink

BT Openreach is launching a 110Mbps fibre to the premises (FTTP) service, which it claims will provide downstream speeds of up to 300Mbps from 2012.
October 03, 2011 03 Oct'11
Intel acquires mobile location services firm, Telmap

Intel has announced plans to acquire navigation and location-based services firm, Telmap, as the company drives its business into the smartphone market.
September 28, 2011 28 Sep'11
Making the move to VoIP: Counting the cost

VoIP promises long term savings, but check Ian Yates' advice before you jump in and make a short term blunder.
September 28, 2011 28 Sep'11
Government deploys Wi-Fi for Olympics as mobile networks face capacity crunch

The government is planning to deploy free Wi-Fi around London during the Olympic Games in 2012 amid fears that mobile phone networks could run out of capacity.
September 27, 2011 27 Sep'11
Regulator tightens rules on rogue mobile app charges

Developers could face stricter rules over mobile application charges following changes to the way premium rate services are regulated.
September 20, 2011 20 Sep'11
Google rolls out Mobile Wallet across Sprint Nexus S 4G phones

Google is rolling out its Google Wallet across all Android-operated Sprint Nexus S 4G phones to allow consumers to pay using their handsets.
September 15, 2011 15 Sep'11
Jeremy Hunt warns UK could fall behind other countries in superfast broadband roll-out

Jeremy Hunt, culture secretary, has warned that the UK could fall behind other countries in delivering superfast broadband. Hunt also criticised BT over its provision of broadband access, in a speech to the Royal Television Society.
September 13, 2011 13 Sep'11
Openreach expands fibre to 114 more exchanges

BT Openreach has unveiled 114 exchanges that will be upgraded to deliver fibre broadband as part of its plan to deliver fibre to two-thirds of the UK by the end of 2015.
September 06, 2011 06 Sep'11
SearchVoIP ANZ's greatest hits

Even the great wire walls around Sydney cannot stop us from disseminating VoIP info to you on this day of APEC.
September 06, 2011 06 Sep'11
Ofcom to further delay auction of 4G spectrum

Regulatory body Ofcom is to delay the auction of its 4G spectrum due to a number of technical and competition issues around the sale.
September 06, 2011 06 Sep'11
Betfair increases mobile sales by 78%

Gambling firm Betfair has increased mobile sales by 78% to reach £4.2m in its first quarter of the 2012 financial year.
September 05, 2011 05 Sep'11
Everything Everywhere and Three boost mobile broadband with £100m Virgin deal

Customers of Everything Everywhere and Three will be given access to high-speed mobile broadband with Virgin Media Business. Virgin Media Business will build 14 regional aggregation networks across the UK for MBNL to support 3G functionality, from ...
August 30, 2011 30 Aug'11
Three to give away mobile broadband to rural communities

Mobile operator Three is giving free 3G broadband to rural communities in the UK that are currently unable to access fixed line broadband.
August 19, 2011 19 Aug'11
Twitter, Facebook and Blackberry called to Home Office to discuss role in riots

Twitter, Facebook and Blackberry have been called to the Home Office next week to discuss the role of social media in the recent riots.
August 16, 2011 16 Aug'11
GCHQ to help police catch rioters who used social networks to coordinate violence

The Government Communications Headquarters and MI5 are working with police to hunt rioters by trawling social networks.
August 15, 2011 15 Aug'11
Government allocates £4.4m to improve Northern Ireland broadband capacity

Northern Ireland is to receive £4.4m from the government to improve broadband connectivity. The news comes as culture secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce the allocation of the remaining £530m fund for improving broadband in rural ...
August 15, 2011 15 Aug'11
Telcos offer cloud alternative

Telecommunications companies are providing businesses with a credible alternative to established IT suppliers, according to analyst firm Ovum.
August 09, 2011 09 Aug'11
Blackberry to co-operate with police after youths used BBM to organise riots

Research in Motion has said that it will co-operate with the police after it was revealed that London rioters used Blackberry Messenger rather than Twitter to organise looting sprees across the capital, with violence later spreading to Birmingham, ...
August 08, 2011 08 Aug'11
Who needs MPLS? A dark fibre network saves York Council

The City of York Council set out to rethink its Internet and voice network services and ended up building a dark fibre network that will support city-wide free wireless.
August 04, 2011 04 Aug'11
Mobile data traffic increased 40-fold in three years, says Ofcom report

With over a quarter (27%) of adults and almost half (47%) of teenagers owning a smartphone, the use of mobile data services has accelerated, Ofcom has said in a report.
August 04, 2011 04 Aug'11
Google gears up to challenge Skype by going global with VoIP service

Google is expanding its Google Talk phone call service beyond the US to more than 150 locations around the world in 38 languages in an apparent bid to go head-to-head with Microsoft's Skype service.
July 29, 2011 29 Jul'11
BSkyB wins 174,000 new broadband subscribers

BSkyB has reported a surge in its broadband business in yearly results, taking its subscriber base to 711,000.
July 28, 2011 28 Jul'11
BT reports 38% profit rise as broadband customer base grows

BT's pre-tax profit rose 38% from £375m to £517m in its fiscal first quarter as 251,000 new customers were introduced to its broadband network.
July 28, 2011 28 Jul'11
RIM updates Blackberry Messenger to provide third-party app integration

Blackberry maker Research in Motion (RIM) has made Blackberry Messenger (BBM) available to developers to embed within third-party apps in its update to version 6.
July 27, 2011 27 Jul'11
Virgin Media sees small drop in business sales, and loses 18,000 broadband users

Cable telecoms supplier Virgin Media has reported a small drop in business revenue for its second quarter, while the firm also revealed it has lost 18,000 broadband users...
July 27, 2011 27 Jul'11
BT rolls out higher-speed broadband to additional 2.5 million premises

BT is to extend access to higher-speed 20Mbps copper-based broadband to an additional 2.5 million premises by spring 2013...
July 26, 2011 26 Jul'11
UK fails to make world’s top 10 high-speed broadband countries - but Ireland scrapes in

The UK has failed to make it into the top 10 countries with the highest average broadband speed, but neighbouring Ireland scrapes in...
July 22, 2011 22 Jul'11
Alcatel-Lucent enterprise sale: Who will buy?

What will an Alcatel-Lucent enterprise sale mean to European markets and for competition in networking and collaboration market segments specifically?
July 22, 2011 22 Jul'11
Vodafone increases UK enterprise sales, driven by greater data traffic

Vodafone's latest results reflect increased use of smartphones and data consumption within the workplace.
July 20, 2011 20 Jul'11
Ofcom forces BT to cut rural ISP charges

Ofcom has forced BT to reduce the prices it charges internet service providers (ISPs) in rural areas, in a move expected to benefit three million homes and businesses with cheaper broadband access.
July 19, 2011 19 Jul'11
Carphone Warehouse uses business process management to increase customer satisfaction

Retailer Carphone Warehouse is claiming a 25% jump in its customer satisfaction ratings after investing in BPM software to help staff deal with sales, queries and complaints.
July 19, 2011 19 Jul'11
Everything Everywhere boss Tom Alexander steps down for 'personal reasons'

Tom Alexander will step down as CEO at joint Orange and T-Mobile firm Everything Everywhere at the end of August 2011 for personal reasons.
July 08, 2011 08 Jul'11
Development firm TTP trials white space technology in wireless broadband link

Cambridge-based technology development company TTP says harnessing unused broadcast frequencies could accelerate the roll-out of low-cost wireless broadband in the UK.
July 08, 2011 08 Jul'11
Ofcom moots analogue spectrum for rural mobile broadband devices

Ofcom has proposed using radio spectrum freed up from the switchover from analogue to digital to deliver mobile broadband to rural areas
July 07, 2011 07 Jul'11
Government opens up data on NHS, schools, criminal justice and transport

The government is opening up public data from the National Health Service, schools, criminal courts and transport as part of its transparency drive.
July 07, 2011 07 Jul'11
Facebook partners with Skype to add video calling to social network infrastructure

Facebook has partnered with Skype to add a video-calling facility to the social networking site and open another channel of communication for businesses.
July 06, 2011 06 Jul'11
Citrix CEO hedges cloud bets on customer demand for web collaboration tools

At Citrix's annual Synergy conference in May 2011, the company introduced its "personal cloud" concept to replace traditional desktop computing and cater for IT departments supporting multiple devices, delivering on-demand applications and desktops,...
July 05, 2011 05 Jul'11
Vaizey claims to favour light-touch regulation in the communications sector

Communications minister Ed Vaizey has claimed he favours a light-touch approach to regulation in the communications sector.
July 04, 2011 04 Jul'11
European mobile roaming charges fall as EC executes plan to harmonise rates by 2015

The cost of making and receiving mobile phone calls in Europe has been cut again, as the European Commission executes plans to make roaming rates the same as domestic rates by 2015.
June 28, 2011 28 Jun'11
Telcos increase investment in IT

Mobile and fixed line telecoms companies are stepping up their spending on IT following the downturn, but only slowly, the latest research from analyst group Ovum reveals.
June 27, 2011 27 Jun'11
La Senza cuts fixed-line bills and simplifies IT by switching to O2

Lingerie retailer La Senza has snipped its fixed-line bill by switching to O2. By combining fixed and mobile services, O2 says it has been able to drive efficiency, as well as reduce the complexity of multiple suppliers, helping reduce La Senza's ...
June 21, 2011 21 Jun'11
Everything Everywhere set to profit £290m from sale of government radio spectrum

Mobile phone giant Everything Everywhere stands to make £290m on the sale of part of its radio spectrum, gifted to it by John Major's government 20 years ago.
June 20, 2011 20 Jun'11
Ofcom grants mobile phone operators right to trade radio spectrum to expand capacity

Telecoms regulator Ofcom has given mobile phone operators rights to trade radio spectrum holdings to help increase mobile network capacity for consumers.
June 10, 2011 10 Jun'11
Former T-Mobile employees ordered to pay nearly £80,000 for data theft

The Chester Crown Court has ordered two former employees of UK mobile operator T-Mobile to pay a total of £73,700 after stealing and selling customer data from the company in 2008.
June 10, 2011 10 Jun'11
O2 warns Ofcom's 4G radio spectrum auction rules will delay high-speed mobile network

Mobile network operator O2 has warned the UK could fall further behind in the construction of high-speed mobile networks if Ofcom's plans for a radio spectrum auction in 2012 go ahead.
June 07, 2011 07 Jun'11
Skype suffers second outage as users locked out

Some Skype users have been unable to sign into accounts after the service suffered a second outage in as many weeks.
June 02, 2011 02 Jun'11
Cable&Wireless makes videoconferencing available everywhere

Cable&Wireless Worldwide has introduced a managed videoconferencing (MVC) suite covering video communications on any device.
May 27, 2011 27 May'11
Skype users locked out as internet telephony service works on fix

Skype was forced to issue a workaround for users unable to sign into their accounts while the internet telephony service worked on a permanent fix.
May 25, 2011 25 May'11
BT and Everything Everywhere trial 800MHz 4G LTE broadband in Newquay

BT and mobile operator Everything Everywhere are seeking 200 volunteers in South Newquay, Cornwall to trial a joint high-speed 4G broadband initiative.
May 20, 2011 20 May'11
Mobile operators appeal against Ofcom’s proposed MTR fee cuts

The UK's largest mobile operators are appealing against a decision by telecoms regulator Ofcom to push through severe cuts in mobile termination rates.
May 13, 2011 13 May'11
Analysis: What does Microsoft's Skype acquisition mean for businesses?

Microsoft's planned acquisition of internet telephony services firm Skype for $8.5bn has caused quite a stir in the consumer world, but what will it mean for business?
May 10, 2011 10 May'11
Update: Microsoft buys Skype Technologies

Microsoft is in talks to acquire internet telephony services company Skype, and a deal of between $7bn and $8bn could be announced today, according to US reports.
May 03, 2011 03 May'11
BlackBerry World 2011: RIM allows IT departments to split corporate and personal data

Research in Motion (RIM) has unveiled software to split personal and corporate data on its BlackBerry devices.
May 03, 2011 03 May'11
Small investment in social media can deliver big business benefits, says analyst

Businesses should not be afraid to experiment with social media to reach out to their customers and partners, says analyst firm Ovum.
April 26, 2011 26 Apr'11
Half a billion people set to use mobile ticketing by 2015

The deployment of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology will lead to half a billion people worldwide using their mobile devices as travel tickets by 2015, according to research from Juniper Research.
April 18, 2011 18 Apr'11
EU to investigate telcos’ data traffic management practices

European regulators are to investigate telecoms companies' data traffic management practices to promote transparency and net neutrality.
April 14, 2011 14 Apr'11
Microsoft unveils Windows Phone 7 'Mango'

Microsoft has unveiled its latest Windows 7 phone operating system, code-named Mango, which will include augmented reality and multitasking features.
April 14, 2011 14 Apr'11
Japan’s Fujitsu plans to take high-speed fibre broadband to rural UK

Fujitsu has announced plans to build a high-speed broadband network to reach five million homes in rural parts of the UK that will rival download speeds provided by BT.
April 11, 2011 11 Apr'11
Google halts new Street View imagery in Germany

Google will stop taking photography in Germany for Google Street View despite a court ruling declaring the service legal.
April 07, 2011 07 Apr'11
Android OS set to overtake Apple by next year

Google's Android will command nearly half of the worldwide smartphone operating system Market by 2012, according to research.
April 07, 2011 07 Apr'11
Google reaffirms commitment to open source on Android

Google's head of mobile software, Andy Rubin, reaffirmed the company's commitment to keeping Android an open-source project amid criticism that it is 'locking...
April 06, 2011 06 Apr'11
BT accused of obfuscation over infrastructure prices

BT has been accused of clouding the issues in its reaction to an ISPs' letter to communications minister Ed Vaizey threatening to boycott pilot rural broadband projects over BT's prices for third-party access to its physical infrastructure.
April 05, 2011 05 Apr'11
University of Nottingham saves £60k a year through VoIP migration

The University of Nottingham is saving up to £60,000 a year after moving to a voice over IP (VoIP) system.
April 05, 2011 05 Apr'11
US investigates privacy in smartphone apps

US Federal authorities have begun an investigation into how smartphone applications use personal data, according to US reports.
April 05, 2011 05 Apr'11
Analysis: Is the Epsilon data breach a watershed for the marketing industry?

Thousands – potentially millions – of e-mail addresses have been stolen in a hacker attack on US marketing firm Epsilon, but the firm has downplayed the incident, saying that the data is limited to e-mail addresses and/or customer names.
April 05, 2011 05 Apr'11
BT defends pole and duct pricing as industry criticism spreads

BT has defended itself against criticism of its proposed pricing for access to its poles and ducts, despite further industry support for the concerns raised by a number of its rivals this week.
April 05, 2011 05 Apr'11
New Look expands multi-channel strategy with mobile commerce site

Fashion retailer New Look has launched a new mobile commerce website as part of its multi-channel strategy.
April 05, 2011 05 Apr'11
Broadband boycott threat comes as no surprise

It can hardly have surprised communications minister Ed Vaizey (pictured) and BT CEO Ian Livingston that would-be competitors to BT would find the terms, conditions – and prices – of access to BT's poles, ducts and other infrastructure unacceptable.