IP Based Telecoms

Speech recognition company Promptu Systems, which excels in mobile applications, has just announced that its popular speech to text technology is now available for Facebook and Twitter. Rather than type on the virtual keyboard of the iPhone for example, users can now update their Facebook and Twitter statuses by using speech. The Promptu technology then converts the speech into text and updates the social networking sites. The technology can also send speech-to-text messages. Social networking just got even easier.

Virgin Atlantic has moved one step further towards its goal of reducing the cost of its IT systems. How? Why, Virgin Atlantic has signed a multimillion-dollar deal with SITA of course!

The move isn’t actually as foolish as it initially seems. By signing a deal with SITA – an airline voice and data specialist – Virgin Media can consolidate all services into one provider rather than the 40 different providers it currently uses. SITA will provide services at over 100 Virgin Atlantic sites and such services will include IP networks, network support and voice managed LANs among other things. The finalisation of the five year deal should be complete mid-year sources say!

Motorola is to acquire SecureMedia and its subsidiaries in a new deal that will see Motorola significantly add to its content security. Motorola and SecureMedia have both declined to release financial details of the deal which is expected to be finalised in early 2010.

SecureMedia will move to Motorola’s Home and Networks Mobility division, providing software security solutions to customers that use IP video.

2010 heralds a new era of connectivity. LG and Panasonic have announced that they intend to produce television sets embedded with Skype technology, allowing users to make VoIP (voice over internet protocol)  calls via their TV sets. Both companies have stated that users want video and voice calling through Skype on a big screen and they want to do it from somewhere comfortable – what better place to embark on a call than through your TV set?

Panasonic will be releasing the Skype-enable 2010 Viera Cast TVs and LG will be releasing 26 new sets that can connect to the internet. The days of using the internet via a computer are coming to an end it seems.

Like the debacle last July, once again – sigh – O2 is having a lot of trouble with IP addresses. Hold an open session and you should be okay, but if you should lose your IP address then you may not get another one. A lot of people have been left without a connection for a couple of days now. This couldn’t really come at a worse time for O2 what with Vodafone about to launch the iPhone and promising a reliable connection – even Tesco are handling it! Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope they fix it for good this time.

TalkTalk and Channel 4 have joined the Project Canvas venture, presided over by BT, Five, BBC and ITV. Project Canvas is aiming to develop a platform over which they can deliver IPTV (internet protocol television) to consumers along with the regulatory Digital Television Group.

The basic idea is to allow customers to access a range of internet services such as music, Twitter, Google Mail and films through the TV. Linear TV and the internet together? Yes please.

Bankrupt Nortel are having a garage sale of epic proportions it seems as Ericsson and Kpasch CarrierCom announce that they have won the bidding for Nortel’s wireless voice and data network assets – GSM and GSM-R. Ericsson are to have the North America-based GSM business whilst Kpasch CarrierCom will take over the GSM Europe and Taiwan business and GSM-R. Ericsson are planning on the acquisition bagging them some big customers such as AT&T and T-Mobile. The deal is expected to close early next year.

Motorola is to acquire BitBand, the Israel-based video company. The acquisition – expected towards the end of 2009 – will see BitBand incorporated into Motorola’s Home & Networks Mobility business. Motorola already provide Adaptive Media Management for content management and streaming servers for on demand networks – BitBand will add IP video products and IPTV solutions to the mix. As customers demand video more and more, Motorola are hoping to expand their networks to cope with the demands.

Despite the tightening of belts that has been seen since the start of the recession, it seems that the international call centre market is still spending money on VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). Out of 36 countries surveyed, there was a huge increase in VoIP despite a decline in other tools such as CRM (customer relationship management) systems.

Contrary to popular belief, Africa has the most amount of call centres using VoIP – 75% to be exact. The total for UK call centres using VoIP is around 60% and the US is approximately 50%. In the past, call centres have been notoriously known for trying to cut costs but the last few years have seen a change and now call centres are evolving if the increase in VoIP spending is anything to go by!

IP When I Read This

I had a bit of a giggle to myself before, sat at my desk. ECI Telecoms has recently been reported as saying that while Ethernet and IP Based Telecoms may be telecoms latest ‘trends,’ TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) is still popular. Funny that really, seeing as most people have no idea what TDM stands for. I doubt IP has to worry about the crown being stolen quite yet.