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Dell cancels WebPC Dell cancels WebPC Dell Computer has officially ended its "experiment" with the WebPC, the company said on July 10th. Dell will sell out its remaining WebPC inventory through its online factory store, although certain features will live on in successive generations of notebook and desktop models. Dell also announced a new model in its Dimension line, based upon the new Intel 815 chip set. Instead of designing future WebPC models, Dell will take an "e-support" button included on the WebPC keyboard and add it to Dell's future desktop and notebook models. The button performs a self-diagnostic program, making technical support easier. Forthcoming PCs will also continue to use the WebPC's color-coded wiring to identify which peripherals should plug into which expansion connector.
Big Blue's big plans for wireless Big Blue's effort is largely a back-end play on the network, but it needs to own the front end to guarantee its position -- a lesson it learned all too well when Sun Microsystems Inc. stole the top spot in the Web-server arena. As a result, IBM currently is in talks with companies ranging from Nokia Corp. and Palm Inc. to Sprint Corp. and BellSouth Corp. If it's successful, IBM's business partners would be able to
sell end-to-end solutions with fewer integration migraines. It's far easier to
work with one application on multiple platforms.
IBM is offering its software free of charge to vendors and service providers in
return for them preloading it or offering it through service contracts. IBM
intends to make its profits from synchronization software and back-end hardware
and software, company executives say.
JDS and SDL plan $41 bil merger JDS and SDL are two of the largest makers of optical
components, the chips, amplifiers, lasers and other assorted parts that go into
the manufacturing of optical networking gear such as Dense Wavelength Division
Multiplexing (DWDM) equipment. Both companies, as well as Corning, the third
major competitor in the space, have been making acquisitions at a torrid pace
for the past year in order to meet the demands of optical system makers, such as
Alcatel, Lucent Technologies, Nortel Networks and others. The purchase is also the first following the departure of
JDS's chief executive Kevin Kalkhoven, who retired in May. True to his word upon
taking over the reigns of leadership at that time, incoming CEO Jozef Straus has
continued Kakhoven's aggressive acquisition strategy.
W3C proposed XML linking technology
The real next-gen VoDSL Stratecast Partners believe such a network would enable household members to receive calls aimed solely at them while accessing the Internet over a single link. Integrated voice and data services are especially popular for price-weary customers, since it is cheaper to provide multiple services over a single circuit. Such customers previously had to purchase several phone lines for voice and additional dial-up connections for Internet or remote access. However, incorporating voice services into a DSL offering can be difficult because voice signaling must be routed between the access equipment and the voice gateway over the DSL loop and DSL access multiplexers. In addition, placing voice on top of data forces carriers to install several new types of equipment and make substantial investments in circuit-switched technology. But an ATM-based strategy allows carriers to take advantage of existing technologies; if a carrier selects a non-ATM protocol, interoperability hurdles may develop, considering that existing VoDSL solutions consist of equipment from different vendors. ATM also enables bandwidth in the local loop to be managed for toll-quality voice. Besides interoperability and bandwidth management, the employment of ATM as a DSL transport offers the benefit of economy.
AT&T launches streaming video plan Everybody's been expecting streaming media over the Internet
to grow up this year, but so far it's still acting like an adolescent. Adulthood
could be around the corner, though, now that a wealthy patron has taken up its
cause. AT&T threw its weight behind streaming media in a wide
range of ways by launching a digital media platform that it says will eventually
serve 10 million simultaneous streaming media Internet users. The digital platform, which is supposed to be used for
streaming entertainment, distance learning or other more TV-like applications,
is in controlled introduction now. AT&T plans to offer general commercial
availability in the first quarter of next year. Joining the company in the
vision is a long list of companies with a large stake in a developing streaming
market. AT&T's ecosystem concept is intended to provide business
and consumer customers with a variety of ways to distribute rich media
efficiently. For its streaming media services, AT&T plans to use Microsoft's
Windows Media and RealNetworks' RealSystem 8 as its initial media formats for
streaming-media applications.
Clinton places digital stamp on electronic signature law Clinton officially signed the bill (which takes effect on 1 October) into law with a felt-tip pen. But he also signed the bill electronically using an encrypted smart card, choosing Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed with quill pens, as the place for this symbolic act.
Nexbell offers flat rate local access service Nexbell has introduced the program offering flat-rate, Internet-based local access origination for enhanced telephony service providers in major metropolitan markets. The ability to offer customers local access numbers minimizes costs and maximizes the provider's marketing muscle. The flat-rate pricing structure will ensure predictable monthly costs regardless of utilization and geographic call distribution. Nexbell's Multi-Exchange Transport Service (METS) enables providers to reduce their monthly access charges by up to 70 percent according to the company. Customers can provide local voice services in cities throughout the U.S. and receive calls from those cities into their local data centers. Utilizing Nexbell's IP infrastructure and local Points of Presence (POPs), the METS service delivers aggregated voice services from multiple local calling areas to a single or distributed customer interconnect, with the option of single or multi-site call aggregation. A DS1, DS3 or OC3 circuit is provisioned between the Nexbell voice network and the customer's interconnect location, offering a broad range of scale and bandwidth options. The program is designed for companies offering prepaid calling cards, unified messaging, fax services, one-number toll-free solutions and similar products.
AT&T Canada provides solutions for Westjet Airlines AT&T Canada has signed a three-year, multi-million dollar, multi-service communications services agreement with WestJet Airlines of Calgary, Alberta. One of Canada's airlines, WestJet has selected AT&T Canada as its primary supplier for local and long distance voice, data and Internet communications services. The contract calls for AT&T Canada to provide WestJet Airlines with a range of communications services including high-speed Internet access, and local and long distance voice and data services. AT&T Canada will support WestJet's call centres to ensure optimum performance of its PBX equipment, CTI technology, VoIP and web-based booking systems. Through its Advanced Network Solutions group, AT&T Canada will also be involved in conducting evaluations and recommendations for WestJet's operational and customer support systems.
Seven European carriers connect to ITXC in London ITXC has reported that seven European carriers have connected to its new London PoP which opened at the end of May. European carriers with a London presence connect their switches to the ITXC Super PoP through Fibernet, one of the providers of London's local carrier loop, which many carriers access. Gateway equipment from multiple vendors in the Super PoP converts the calls to IP format for transmission over ITXC network. The current connections between ITXC's carrier customers and the Super Pop are capable of handling up to 720 simultaneous phone calls. The Super PoP has capacity for nearly 3000 simultaneous calls and can be expanded. ITXC reports that the PoP is already operating at a runrate of over 5m minutes/month. The company says that overall non US-originated phone-to-phone traffic grew 264% between the third Sunday of December 1999 and the third Sunday of June 2000. Typically, calls originating outside the US cost more and have higher profit margins than calls that originate in the US. Moreover, since this traffic peaks at different times than calls originated in the US, it increases network utilization and efficiency.
It really stands for 'What a Pain' When you look at this plethora of incompatible devices, your
first instinct may be to lock all the vendors into a room until they hammer out
a standard. It's a sensible idea and they've tried that. The only problem is
that WAP, is losing
support in many quarters. As a speaker at a recent WAP conference said, "I used to be head of WAP marketing for a major telephone company,
but I have concluded that it doesn't work." So now what? Even Nokia officials acknowledge that the
current WAP implementation works in a mediocre fashion on some devices and not
at all on many others. A second version is on its way, and early reports suggest
that the WAP Forum companies are beginning to work more closely with legitimate
standard organizations. Yet most of the WAP action revolves around phone, which
begs the question: If you're working with a phone, why don't you just call?
STMicroelectronics opens optical R&D centre
Sycamore strikes $420 million pact with 360networks Optical equipment maker Sycamore Networks saw its stock surge after the company disclosed a new pact to supply telecommunications network operator 360networks with up to $420 million worth of gear over the next several years, its largest contract to date. Shares of the company were up $16.75, or 15 percent, to close at $126.94. The deal is significant for Sycamore as it looks to expand its customer base in competition with larger firms such as Nortel Networks, Lucent Technologies, Ciena and Cisco Systems, among others. Sycamore is one of several firms reaping the spoils of a telecommunications industry in flux. New network operator entrants, such as 360networks, Global Crossing and Level 3 Communications, among others, are building networks based on new technology. As a result, they are expected to eat at the market share of entrenched players such as AT&T and WorldCom and to take advantage of the growth in communications traffic from the Internet and voice calls. 360networks plans to use Sycamore's 16000 hardware and software technology across all of its 100 "nodes," or network connection points, which are scheduled to be completed by March of next year, according to Harminder Gill, director of engineering and planning for the company.
UK firm develops breakthrough web speech technology Tangozebra, a startup Internet company created by a group of musicians, claims to have developed an interactive, human voice for the Internet. James Booth, a co-founder of the firm, and the developer of the N-Xec (net executable) technology, said that the Java-based system allows small voice files to be called sequentially across the Web, stepping through the various files as each is downloaded and played. "This means that, although the calling script is small, there is no (loss) in terms of the executable's ability to handle different responses from the user," he said. Booth went on to say that interest in bringing live voice communications to the Internet has expanded at an astronomic rate. The implications for its use, he said, are far-reaching, with education, government and health sectors all benefiting from the technology. Using the strength of human interaction, Tangozebra says that the patented Talking Forms technology overcomes these problems by delivering a vocal message quicker and with greater impact than a text message. This, the firm says, provides a medium where users are able to read and listen simultaneously. This enables sites to guide, reassure and entertain while allowing new marketing channels to be developed - all without the need for Internet plug-ins or streaming. Talking Forms technology, he added, goes beyond the "one-size-fits- all" approach to a diverse multilingual, European market and will significantly impact the future of e-commerce and avoid potential loss of sales opportunities by appropriating the technology regionally.
Personalized wireless portals readied Combining unified messaging with wireless access to corporate
systems and applications, Cisco Systems Inc., and NHancement Technologies Inc.
are creating a "personalized communications hub, or PCH, a portal that will
connect users with the information they need via audio or data devices.
Cisco acquires Netiverse to speed web content Cisco Systems Inc. will buy
Netiverse Inc., a Web content
acceleration switch maker, in a stock deal the companies announced last Friday.
Cisco will trade US$210 million of its common stock for all of Netiverse's
outstanding shares and options. The sale is expected to be complete by Cisco's
first business quarter of 2001. Cisco currently holds a 20 per cent stake in the
11-month-old company. |
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