Voice networking and VoIP

Danish government extends nationwide Tetra network for first responders

Danish subsidiary of technology provider upgrades network with latest digital radio technology including enhanced cyber security and connectivity capabilities Continue Reading

Magdi Yacoub Global Heart Centre completes contact centre upgrade

NGO dedicated to offering free-of-charge medical services to the Egyptian people chooses premise-based advanced comms platform to underpin each layer of communication at new facility Continue Reading

Gitex Global: Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism builds AI engagement platform

Citizens of emirate set to gain access to platform designed to streamline the creation of business licence applications using artificial intelligence to solve the most common pain points in the journey and providing instant digital access to experts on demand Continue Reading

Gitex Global 2023: Motul looks to deliver ‘effortless’ experiences in cloud comms

Global oil and lubricants company adopts suite of cloud-based contact centre and unified communications solutions to improve customer experience and enable global employees to collaborate better across borders Continue Reading

Gitex 2023: Avaya plots generative AI-powered future for customer experience

Leading comms and customer experience technology provider unveils Generative CX concept showing how artificial intelligence can sit at the core of experience transformation Continue Reading

Sowing the seeds of growth through IP communications

One of the largest food processing companies in the US takes to cloud-based communications to bring about agility, mobility, efficiency and productivity gains, as well as cost reductions that are, quite literally, not small potatoes Continue Reading

Isle of Wight NHS Trust gives shot in the arm to unified communications

As part of its mission to help organisations of all sizes drive digital transformation, systems integrator works with NHS Trust to ensure it can achieve improved communications service Continue Reading

BT announces regional roll-out schedule for Digital Voice

Despite its plan for making voice services an add-on to broadband, rather than a service in its own right, UK leading telco asserts that the landline is here to stay as it reveals strategy to change analogue services to digital Continue Reading

Zoom aims for contact centre boost with Workforce Engagement Management suite

Leading communications and collaboration technology provider unveils suite designed to help boost employee engagement and customer satisfaction Continue Reading

Openreach publishes latest full-fibre build plans

Voice and broadband divisions of incumbent telco see expansion across the UK, heralding a full-fibre, full-digital communications future Continue Reading

Openreach marks copper network switch-off milestone

UK telco claims to have marked major milestone on road towards switching off old copper-based phone platform Continue Reading

Teams unbundled in European economic community

Following the European Commission’s antitrust investigation, the tech giant will offer cheaper Office 365 and Microsoft 365 suites without Teams Continue Reading

8x8 adds to AI self-service capabilities with voice interactions for customer assistant

Open beta programme sees launch of service based on conversational artificial intelligence designed to allow contact centre customers to add voice self-service capabilities Continue Reading

More Aussie apartments to get high-speed fibre

NBN will enter into Area Switch Agreements with corporate bodies to deliver high-speed fibre to some 700,000 apartments across Australia Continue Reading

Voxnube, Altigen unite for cloud-based Microsoft Teams phone systems in Europe

Partnership to combine voice offerings with multi-channel intelligent routing expertise to allow European enterprises to use Microsoft service as primary communications and collaboration platform Continue Reading

CTO interview: Gavin Rea, Gulf Bridge International

GBI ensures service continuity of submarine cable networks, which bring high-speed internet to the Gulf states, supporting the region’s ambitious plans to be one of the world’s leading poles for technological innovation Continue Reading

Scotland’s most remote emergency services connected by 4G coverage

Operator reveals role in partnership to deliver hitherto unavailable 4G coverage across the Highlands and Islands to help close signal blackspots and connect emergency services across the most remote areas of Scotland Continue Reading

Subscriptions dip, jobs to be cut, but Virgin Media O2 sees positives in Q2

Second-quarter 2023 results see UK operator increase revenue generation and expand network with particular emphasis on full-fibre, but 2,000 employees set to be axed by the end of the year Continue Reading

Tetra radio users’ comms may have been exposed for years

A number of flaws in the encryption algorithms used in the secure Tetra radio communications standard have potentially left users exposed to snooping Continue Reading

Zoom doubles down on customer experience in UCaaS play

Zoom is going beyond its roots in employee experience as it looks to strengthen its position in the unified communications-as-a-service market Continue Reading

Ofcom opens investigation into Virgin Media contract cancellation

As Ofcom publishes cost-of-living action plan update on range of work to support hard-pressed households, UK watchdog to probe operator’s contract termination and complaints handling Continue Reading

UK comms regulator to probe BT emergency number failure

Investigation to assess source and extent of 25 June technical issue causing lack of access to key first response services, including Metropolitan Police, Bedfordshire Police, Suffolk Police, and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Continue Reading

BT begins roll-out of Digital Voice across UK East Midlands

Latest part of incumbent telco’s strategy to evolve national communications network sees new voice offering deployed Continue Reading

How to keep network costs affordable

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as demands for networking performance and speed increase, we examine how to keep a handle on costs. Chip makers are investing in PLC technology – the next generation of flash storage – but some think it won’t be worth the effort; we investigate. And we listen in as tech industry leaders and politicians discuss the regulation of AI. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Avaya assures future-proof global communications with Enterprise Cloud

Comms tech provider kicks off user group conference proclaiming company is back, and unveils tech for firms to pursue hybrid cloud models by hosting parts of comms infrastructure in dedicated cloud instance Continue Reading

NTT and NARS claim mission-critical comms breakthrough at Narita International Airport

Comms and IT tech giant partners with radio services provider to interconnect 5G service with the wireless infrastructure at Tokyo’s main airport in a move designed to level up integrated mission-critical communications at international travel hubs around the globe Continue Reading

3CX incident may be world’s first double supply chain attack

It’s supply chain attacks all the way down as Mandiant publishes information suggesting that the 3CX software supply chain compromise was initiated via a prior software supply chain compromise Continue Reading

Stemmer Distribution optimises communications infrastructure

Largest distributor of dental products in France standardises communications through UCaaS to help meet all its needs of reachability and mobility, while rationalising costs for the present and future Continue Reading

UK emergency services overcharged by £200m a year for comms network

Tech provider to appeal withering criticism by UK competition watchdog of vast overcharging in emergency services communications network Continue Reading

3CX unified comms users hit by supply chain attacks

Ongoing supply chain attacks against customers of UC firm 3CX appear to be linked to North Korean threat actors Continue Reading

Zoom announces AI-based collaboration smart companion

Conferencing and communications company uses OpenAI technologies to offer what it claims will be a unique federated approach to artificial intelligence based on flexibility Continue Reading

Tata unveils integrated, simplified cloud-based calling service for global enterprises

Global digital ecosystem enabler launches cloud-based application with an integrated and simplified voice-calling offering to enhance employee experience and productivity with accessible collaboration features Continue Reading

Zoom strikes unified communications home run in MLB partnership

Conferencing and communications company claims first-of-its-kind partnership with major US sports league to enhance MLB games and the fan viewership experience based on contact centre and core platform Continue Reading

8x8 aims to transform XCaaS customer engagement with AI

Cloud comms platform provider claims revolutionary AI-driven enhancements to core XCaaS platform, including a platform-wide integration with OpenAI Continue Reading

Vodafone rolls out reliable 4G to nearly 60 rural UK locations 

Vodafone increases access to a reliable 4G connection across the UK, enabling businesses and customers in rural locations to enjoy faster, more reliable speeds and higher quality voice calls Continue Reading

Symbio acquires Intrado Australia’s UCaaS business

The all-cash A$5m deal will expand Symbio’s footprint in the UCaaS market and deepen its reach into enterprises and government entities Continue Reading

UK businesses urged to move away from ISDN in 2023

Research warns that as analogue switch-off approaches, only 15% of SMEs and 20% of large businesses have plans in place to migrate to an alternative technology Continue Reading

Communications runs in his blood

Symbio Connect CEO Giorgio Mihaila has spent more than two decades in a career dotted with roles at major communications technology providers Continue Reading

Profits fall but Zoom maintains revenue momentum in Q3

Breakout collaboration service maintains momentum for rising revenues in third fiscal quarter of 2022 with significant rise in number of customers contributing more than $100,000 Continue Reading

Webex looks to enhance customer experiences for digital era

Leading collaboration technology provider reveals what it claims is a unique functionality that can deliver a fully integrated UCaaS, CCaaS and CPaaS portfolio to improve customer experience Continue Reading

Gitex 2022: Florius takes AI-powered CCaaS speech analytics to transform customer experience

Changed workloads during the pandemic have driven Netherlands-based mortgage lender to use AI and CCaaS technology Continue Reading

UK Atomic Energy Authority makes call on new UC telephony

National nuclear-based research facility replaces inflexible cloud-based system to add agility to enable staff to collaborate more effectively in a hybrid working approach Continue Reading

BSH Home Appliances takes on Twilio to revamp digital customer engagement

Customer engagement platform partners with Deloitte Consulting to support plan by home appliances firm to revamp its entire digital infrastructure within customer service organisation Continue Reading

Continued major customer rise fuels strong second quarter for Zoom

Post-Covid boom may have subsided, but conferencing and comms company keeps on track with increased total revenues in second fiscal quarter, when its product diversification strategy focused on delivering better intelligence Continue Reading

The state of Australia’s national broadband network

Australia’s national broadband network promises to improve broadband connectivity across the country but has been plagued by pricing issues. Here’s a look at where it is today and what lies ahead Continue Reading

Mobile digital transformation – from fast to deep

The first half of 2022 has been a busy time, with much happening in the mobile industry. We consider what the rest of year might hold Continue Reading

UK mobile call performance strong and improving

Research shows that as the UK’s public switched telephone network is upgrading to a fully digital call network, dropped call rates have remained low over the past few years and continue to improve Continue Reading

CPaaS – a technology for the future

There is a received wisdom that as businesses flock towards the cloud, they are looking for a single platform on which to manage all their communication needs, leading to boom times ahead for communications platform as a service Continue Reading

Next generation of collaboration and communication services

Future comms systems may look and feel rather different from what exists today – we look at the journey for communications services Continue Reading

Zoom adds new round of cyber security enhancements

Videoconferencing platform Zoom adds multiple third-party security certifications and service enhancements Continue Reading

Openreach accelerates UK full-fibre build

BT broadband provision division claims significant milestone in its full-fibre build programme, revealing it is more than a quarter of the way to reaching 25 million homes by December 2026 Continue Reading

Telent takes the National Express to transform communications for buses across the West Midlands

Secure digital radio managed service from critical digital infrastructure technology specialist designed to deliver increased flexibility and performance to support leading regional bus provider’s operations Continue Reading

Verizon adds to adapter portfolio to boost 5G fixed wireless access

Leading comms tech provider certifies C-band 5G adapter to provide connectivity across Ultra Wideband Network to give enterprise and business customers speed, capacity, coverage and performance Continue Reading

Verizon Business enriches mobile endpoint for Microsoft Teams

Business solutions provider becomes one of the first operators to join forces with IT giant to enable enterprise customers to experience the full power of communications and collaboration system Continue Reading

SmarTone, Ericsson team to empower businesses with industry-first connectivity boost app

What is said to be a world-first smartphone app will enable 4G and 5G business mobile users to dynamically boost cellular connectivity Continue Reading

Telstra and TPG Telecom strike network sharing deal

Australia’s Telstra and TPG Telecom have joined forces to share their mobile networks and spectrum in a landmark deal that will expand coverage for both telcos Continue Reading

Majority of UK employees prefer hybrid work

Survey reveals the importance of hybrid working and shows a degree of WFH fatigue following Omicron, with firms assessing when it will be possible to return to in-person work Continue Reading

Klaxoon enters US and launches next-gen meetings workshop platform for hybrid work

French teamwork and smart work technology provider unveils its next-generation workshop platform and expands in the US with CEO and key executives Continue Reading

Gitex 2021: Nuuday finds new voice to deliver cognitive customer universe

Upstart Danish telco deploys communications-as-a-service technology and virtual assistant to restructure business, gain differentiation and extend to new touchpoints in highly competitive local market Continue Reading

Calling on communications to address humanitarian crises

Télécoms Sans Frontières responds to the growing number of natural disasters with advanced communications and provides protection and assistance, as well as bridging the digital divide Continue Reading

Need for work equity and total meeting equality in world of hybrid work

Research into the evolution of the workplace in the wake of Covid shows hybrid workers embracing anytime working as office culture ‘changes for ever’, but concerns over discrimination, career progression and noise weigh on employees’ minds Continue Reading

Telstra connects direct to Microsoft Azure and Operator Connect for Microsoft Teams

Australia-based global carrier enhances connectivity to Microsoft cloud services and provides an integrated calling experience via flagship collaboration service Continue Reading

How Zoom is growing its APAC business

Zoom is driving its growth in Asia-Pacific by embedding business processes into video communications, supporting the hybrid workplace and expanding its headcount in the region Continue Reading

Blackpool transport meets tourism boom with digital network

Transport services authority of Blackpool looks to benefit from digital radio system being designed and installed by TES Communication Solutions Continue Reading

Tbaytel wraps new voice communications network with Ribbon

Independently owned telecommunications provider aims to offer its customers premium-quality voice services while reducing power costs and accelerating time to market Continue Reading

Openreach announces 86 new copper network switch-off locations

BT-owned UK broadband provision firm accelerates its plan to stop selling copper-based broadband and traditional voice services across the UK by 2025 Continue Reading

Profits, revenues fall but BT expands 5G, fibre in first quarter

UK incumbent telco sees profits and revenues fall, but increases capital investments in next-generation wireless and extends Microsoft strategic partnership Continue Reading

Openreach warns UK firms to check comms CPE ahead of analogue switch-off

Ahead of current analogue phone network reaching the end of its life by December 2025, UK broadband provider advises firms to start checking digital compatibility of CPE such as alarm services, lifts, payment card readers and medical equipment Continue Reading

Virgin Media O2 uses gigabit voucher scheme to connect rural Sussex homes

Recently merged communications provider announces that it will, for the first time, make use of government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme to help residents in West Sussex benefit from next-generation connectivity Continue Reading

Users’ network expectations change in new normal

Ciena study reveals how sustainability, connected industries and always-on connectivity are shaping the UK’s digital post-Covid landscape Continue Reading

Cisco reveals new Webex to power ‘inclusive’ future of work

Collaboration suite has new look and feel, and supports hybrid work collaboration at what is claimed to be 40% lower cost than à-la-carte systems Continue Reading

Virgin Media O2 launches with mission to transform UK comms industry

Drawn-out merger of Liberty Global and Telefónica UK cable and mobile assets comes to fruition under new working brand aiming to power the UK’s recovery and create ‘unbeatable’ choice for consumers Continue Reading

EE boosts mobile coverage across London’s rail network

As the UK embarks on the great indoor reopening and workers start returning to the office, BT’s mobile division beefs up mobile network capability along capital’s main commuter rail routes Continue Reading

The right tech choices for hybrid workers

Various studies give a mixed reaction to businesses returning to office work, but what is apparent is that support for remote working will continue Continue Reading

Ericsson: 5G already changing smartphone usage behaviour

Largest 5G consumer study to date finds seven in 10 5G users expect more innovative services and apps, while 20% have decreased usage of Wi-Fi on their phones at home and other locations after upgrading Continue Reading

Mildenhall claims digital communications upgrade first for East of England

Openreach focuses on Suffolk market town for the next step towards upgrading to digital services, with properties now unable to buy copper broadband if they are upgrading, regrading or switching provider Continue Reading

Nokia, NewCore Wireless bring 5G, high-end broadband to remote US regions

Global comms tech provider and regional operator bring next-generation broadband to US tribal nations to empower economic opportunity through support for e-learning, telehealth and remote work during the pandemic Continue Reading

Specific and targeted interventions necessary to ensure UK mobile tech diversification

UK comms tech industry report highlights that successful diversification will require specific and targeted interventions to stimulate the supply market, de-risk the integration of new suppliers into operator networks and lay the foundations for long-term market growth and increased competition Continue Reading

Qualcomm, 5G RuralDorset seed partnership to trial farming use cases

Government announces relationship with wireless technology company to work with its DCMS 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme to power smart agriculture for remote farms in the Dorset region Continue Reading

Hybrid working, diversity progress – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

In this episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna discuss hybrid working, progress in diversity and data in healthcare Continue Reading

Zoom fatigue kicks in as working from home becomes working from phone

Research from leading telecoms operator finds over a third of Brits working from home are increasingly switching to mobile data to stay online in lockdown Continue Reading

Collaboration to the fore as ‘staggering’ change predicted for IT in 2021

With 2020 exposing the leaders versus the laggards in enterprise digital transformation, research shows companies intend to invest in SD-WAN and MPLS, UCaaS and CCaaS to stay competitive in 2021 Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: It’s time to secure the collaboration revolution

After a year of unprecedented disruption thanks to Covid-19, it looks like remote working is set to remain with us for now, which means security strategies will change in 2021. What will this change look like, and what tools and services will be selling like hotcakes? Continue Reading

Zoom reveals phone product spike, public offer price

Strong service performance, reliability and enterprise-grade features drive uptake of Zoom Phone as still rapidly growing conferencing firm announces $1.75bn share offering Continue Reading

Telstra International appoints South Asia head

The international arm of Telstra has hired former DXC Technology executive Geraldine Kor as its managing director for South Asia to tap new growth opportunities Continue Reading

Used smartphone sales to dial in near double-digit growth in 2020

Research shows refurbished and used devices continue to provide cost-effective alternatives for businesses looking to save money when buying a smartphone Continue Reading

5G roll-outs to continue apace in 2021

New 5G launches will be led by telcos in forerunner markets, but the industry’s near-term outlook will depend on the timing of an economic recovery Continue Reading

Singapore employees want more support for remote working

Singapore workers faced challenges in accessing internal company resources, spotty connections and had to use their personal devices for business while working remotely Continue Reading

Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5 launches unleash UK network traffic surge

Game console launches show network providers need to upgrade their infrastructure and invest in the latest networking technology to ensure reliable, resilient and robust performance Continue Reading

IT Priorities 2020: ‘Benestrophe’ for networking as UK IT departments come to terms with new normal

As 2020 ends, all traditional bets are off as Covid-19 completely changes the landscape of IT, with secure connectivity and cloud emerging at the core of enterprises’ needs for the foreseeable future Continue Reading

Optus to acquire Amaysim, signals decline of MVNO market

Optus’s A$250m acquisition of Amaysim could signal the decline of the mobile virtual network market, according to Venture Insights Continue Reading

Covid crisis proves tech can replace office space and support cost-cutting at Barclays

Bank says it will continue to look at its use of office space as it targets further cost-cutting measures Continue Reading

Chatbots will not replace call centre agents

Chatbots have not lived up to their promises and are better poised to support call centre agents in the blended realm of customer service and employee collaboration, says a regional Avaya executive Continue Reading

CMA asks for right to probe O2/Virgin merger

Competition and Markets Authority requests right to probe potentially game-changing joint venture that could transform UK’s wired and wireless communications provision Continue Reading

Zoom adds two-factor authentication for all users

Latest enhancements to Zoom security make it easier for organisations to protect users and prevent breaches and unauthorised meeting access Continue Reading

Kudelski IoT Labs authorised as Alexa Voice Services test facility

Internet of things division of cyber security firm brings device testing and certification expertise to implementers of Amazon Voice Services in speakers, headphones, vehicles and other connected devices Continue Reading

Zoom dials into Southeast Asia with Singapore datacentre

Zoom’s new Singapore datacentre is expected to shore up the performance of its conferencing tool and phone service in the city-state Continue Reading

Application monitoring, video games dominate internet traffic in first half of 2020

Increased focus on digital presence during lockdown likely to have prompted companies to invest more in ensuring and measuring application uptime and enhancing customer experience Continue Reading

VMware completes participation in UK contact-tracing app development

The day after UK government announced that its long-awaited and controversial contact-tracing application would be available ‘shortly’, VMware revealed it has completed its role in the development Continue Reading

Nokia launches first commercial enterprise 5G standalone private wireless networking

New technology aims to provide ‘direct to 5G’ entry point for high-spec industrial use case validation and ecosystem development Continue Reading