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Globalstar on track Globalstar on track
Lucent's Flarion to introduce broadband wireless access
AOL may team with Japan's mobile phone giant
IBM and programmable chip firm team to boost PowerPC Xilinx plans to combine the IBM core with a future version of its Internet reconfigurable logic, chips whose actual structure can be changed remotely via the Internet. With IBM's technology, Xilinx will be able to make its chips smaller and faster. Meanwhile, the move gives IBM a chance to get its PowerPC architecture adopted in more products. Programmable chips, while more costly, allow companies to get products to market quickly, said analyst Richard Doherty of the Envisioneering Group. Currently, communications equipment largely depends on custom-made chips built for a single function, called ASICs. While these types of chips might be cheaper, the fact that they are built to perform a limited range of functions mean the machines that contain them can't be upgraded easily.
Lucent
introduces passive optical networking chips
Nortel set for Mass. expansion The world leader in the red-hot optical networking market is investing $1.9 billion to stay out in front of rivals, and a large part of that investment will be spent in Massachusetts. Canada's Nortel Networks Corp. said on July 24 it will build two major facilities in Wilmington and Billerica and hire about 1,800 workers to staff them. The plants are part of a massive worldwide expansion by Nortel, aimed at locking down its lead in the market for systems that use pulses of light to transmit information much faster than traditional copper wires. The expansion will build upon recent Nortel investments in Massachusetts. Nortel picked up its Billerica site as part of its 1998 acquisition of Bay Networks Inc. for $7.2 billion in stock. And just last month, the company paid out $1.43 billion in stock to acquire CoreTek Inc. of Wilmington.
Net2Phone pushes packetization to the edge Net2Phone has teamed with Rhythms NetConnections, a provider of broadband communication services, to launch residential and business VoIP utilizing high-speed DSL technology. The deal will allow end-user customers in the US to have a functional voice line over their existing DSL connection. The service will enable end users to plug their normal telephones into a Net2Phone IP device. The IP device then plugs directly into the DSL modem. Upon installation, end users can make and receive direct-dial phone calls to any regular or IP telephone. Additionally, end users will be able to call between DSL phones for free, in effect, creating a virtual community of IP voice users. Under terms of the agreement, Net2Phone will provide Rhythms with a complete IP voice package, including hardware, services, billing and customer service. In turn, Rhythms will market the Net2Phone package to its channel partners, which include ISPs, telecommunications carriers and broadband communication services resellers. The companies are conducting technical trials of the integrated offering this summer. Rhythms NetConnections provides DSL-based, broadband communication services currently serving 55 markets, covering 92 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs).
ComGates to integrate RADVision in its softswitch RADVision's H.323 and MGCP software is to be integrated into ComGates' new softswitch, the two companies announced on July 24th. The ComGates Softswitch is scheduled for release in August 2000 and will include a "multi-protocol, on-the-fly" capability, which simultaneously supports H.323, SIP and MGCP. By adding RDVision's call management technology ComGates will be able to address several key issues for IP telephony and streaming media such as scalability, connectivity, interoperability, and QoS. By the term Softswitch, certain companies refer to what used to be called the gatekeeper. However some include the media gateway functionality in the term as well. Some take Softswitch as a component needed for interworking between different protocols. And there are many more versions. ComGates Softswitch provides both gateway and gatekeeper functions compatible with existing and emergent standards in both the telephony and Internet domains.
Clarent receives ISO 9002 certification Clarent has received ISO 9002 certification. The official certification recognizes that Clarent has quality processes in place for production, installation, servicing, inspection and testing of products. The ISO 9002 certification was granted by ABS Quality Evaluation - an organization that has been authorized and accredited by the International Standards Organization to grant ISO quality certifications. ISO 9002 certification completes the first phase of Clarent's multi-step goal of attaining comprehensive ISO 9000 certification. The company has received three ISO 9002 official certification marks: RvA, RAB, and INMETRO.
Court shoots down local telephone price rules On 18 July, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, St. Louis, struck down pricing regulations established by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) governing the charges competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) pay incumbent regional Bell operating companies for access to their networks. Under the FCC rules, meant to foster local telephone competition as required by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the incumbents had to base the interconnection charges on what their costs would be if they used only the most advanced communications equipment available. This, the agency hoped, would make it easier for newcomers to enter local markets and provide a financial incentive for incumbents to upgrade their systems. Several lawsuits brought by incumbents (including Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. and MCI Telecommunications Corp) complained that the discounts to CLECs mandated by the FCC–some as high as 50 percent–brought the price ceiling below the costs of providing access to their present-day networks. The court’s decision–set to take effect on 1 September–argued that by setting prices based on ideal systems, the FCC violated the telecommunications act because, "Congress was dealing with reality, not fantasizing about what might be." Though the court struck down pricing based on future network costs, it also rejected the incumbent phone companies’ argument that connection costs should factor in the historical costs of establishing the telecommunications infrastructure.
360networks’ move to Asia 360networks Inc., Vancouver, announced on 18 July that it had extended its reach into Asia through an $800 million alliance with Singapore Telecommunications Inc. The deal would give it 25 percent of the capacity to be made available by a new Asian regional network SingTel hopes to complete by the end of 2001. The network will link Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, and possibly China. The alliance will thrust 360–which is also considering building a $1.6 billion communications link between Asia and North America–ahead of competitors such as Global Crossing Inc. and Level Three Communications Inc. in the race to build broadband networks in Asia. The Canadian company will benefit from SingTel’s ability to secure landing rights throughout Asia for the network and its relationships with other regional carriers.
Microsoft
looks for appeal first Microsoft wants the appeal to go first to an intermediate court, which ruled for it in 1998 on a related matter. "We believe the Supreme Court would benefit from an initial review by the Court of Appeals because of the wide array of procedural and factual issues that will be raised in our appeal," a Microsoft spokesman said. That is at odds with the views of Solicitor General Seth Waxman, the government's chief advocate before the Supreme Court. At his request, Judge Jackson certified the case to the high court. A special law says government-initiated antitrust cases of "general public importance" in "the administration of justice" should get direct consideration by the Supreme Court. Microsoft recently hired Carter Phillips of Sidley & Austin in Washington, who regularly argues before the Supreme Court, to handle its appeal. Microsoft will not talk about Phillips' 30-page brief due Wednesday, but experts say earlier filings offer a window on the company's thinking. Microsoft argues the Supreme Court should focus on cases that deal with legal questions rather than factual questions. Microsoft says it will challenge many of the judge's factual findings. Legal scholars, however, say the law gives deference to findings of fact and they will be tough to challenge.
Bonding enhances DSL value
Mirror magic ushers in the all-optical network The primary use for MEMS in the optical communications market will be all-optical switching. Component manufacturers and equipment suppliers are rushing to establish MEMS as the preferred platform for next-generation switching systems. MEMS is attractive because it allows carriers to respond quickly to surges in network traffic. MEMS switch arrays also offer optical restoration, enabling wavelengths to be rerouted when network congestion or service disruptions occur.
Qualcomm sees IPO for Spinco by fall
Intel to bring SDRAM to Pentium 4 The chip giant is set to make public its plans to support synchronous dynamic RAM for the Pentium 4, with the chip set shipping sometime next year. The news is important, because it will help PC makers bring the cost of Pentium 4 systems down. The chip maker has added to its roadmap a new chip set that will support 133MHz SDRAM, known as PC133, for the Pentium 4. The chip set will be available next year, Intel. Intel officials feel that Rambus direct RAM (RDRAM) will continue to be the memory of choice for the performance desktop. However, they acknowledge a need for a memory technology that will allow PC makers to deliver Pentium 4 systems at lower, "mainstream" prices. RDRAM continues to command a hefty premium over SDRAM. News of the new chip set may seem like a change of direction for Intel, which had previously only publicly stated support for RDRAM on the Pentium 4. However, the company maintains that it always considers supporting multiple memory technologies for its chip sets.
Wireless mobile notes package from Lotus Lotus Development announced its wireless Mobile Notes package. The product uses Notes and Domino to provide users with mail, calendar functions and business information. The "Getting Started" package includes the latest release of Mobile Notes Access and Mobile Services for Domino 1.1 (MSD) server, which allows access to Lotus Domino mail, calendar andcorporate directories from Web-enabled phones in the North American market. Mobile Notes and MSD support WAP/HDML in North America and EMI/UCP and SMS in Europe. The program also includes Lotus Professional Services (LPS) consulting on integrating mobile technology into Domino infrastructures, device selection, wireless data network protocols and microbrowsers. Tasks will include researching options, consulting on suggested infrastructure models and supervising technical implementation and deployment. The package starts at $45,000 and is expected to be available by the end of August.
Voice recognition applications readied |
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