Avaya and Polycom are expanding their relationship to include the development and marketing of new voice and video unified communications solutions. The integrated offerings will be based on Avaya's Aura UC platform and Polycom's Open Collaboration Network strategy. The Avaya-Polycom partnership is the latest move in a quickly changing UC landscape as vendors attempt to take on major players like Cisco Systems.
- Avaya and Polycom are expanding their partnership to include integrated video, voice and collaborations offerings, the latest move in a quickly evolving unified communications market. The two companies March 9 announced plans to jointly develop and market a host of new, tightly integrated UC sol...

Verizon Wireless is on track to deploy LTE in 25 to 30 markets, it has previously announced, after successful testing in Boston and Seattle. The rollout will enable LTE to finally begin catching up to WiMax, which Clearwire and Sprint currently offer in 27 U.S. markets.
- Verizon Wireless officials are saying their plans to roll out 4G Long-Term Evolution networks are coming along swimmingly. LTE trials in Boston and Seattle reportedly saw peak download speeds of 40M to 50M bps and peak upload speeds of 20M to 25M bps quot;significantly faster quot; than cu...

Cisco Systems is integrating its TelePresence video collaboration technology and its unified communications products to create a health care platform designed to improve patient care in virtual physician visits. The platform, which will launch later in March, will allow more collaboration between doctors and patients, Cisco says.
- Cisco Systems is bringing together its TelePresence video collaboration technology and unified communications products to create a platform to enable better patient care in virtual settings. Cisco announced its HealthPresence platform March 1 at the HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management S...

Nortel Networks, just over a year into its bankruptcy, is selling off its last significant business by accepting Genband's $182 million offer for its VOIP business. Nortel over the past few months already had sold off the bulk of its units, including its wireless and enterprise businesses. The deal leaves Nortel with only a handful of assets, such as its multiservice switch business.
- Nortel Networks, which has sold off significant parts of its business since filing for bankruptcy protection in January 2009, is now selling its voice-over-IP unit. Genband, a small company based in Plano, Texas, has agreed to buy Nortel's VOIP business for $182 million, Nortel announced Feb. 2...

Jabra PRO 9470 extends one wireless headset simultaneously to desk, soft and mobile phones.
- Jabras PRO 9470 wireless headset is a fine alternative for heavy callers looking for a single headset that supports every phone in the arsenal, but the gimmicky touch screen on the unit base station enhances the device's cost more than user productivity. With the PRO 9470, Jabr...

VoxOx has baked a Universal Translator directly into is Web communications platform, providing foreign language messaging translation for text messages, instant messaging, e-mail and messaging communications via Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. The neat trick here is that only one person need be using VoxOx to have a conversation that is translated between two parties, making it a boon for efficiency. Such translation capabilities should help VoxOx pick up a number of users, which is important for a product competing with Skype, Google Voice (which will likely offer Web calling capabilities this year) and other VOIP solutions such as BT's Ribbit.
- VoxOx, which fancies itself as an alternative to Skype and Google Voice by letting users make phone calls via the Web, has integrated a language translation capability directly into its service. VoxOx gives users a dedicated number and lets them make calls from PC to PC, as well as from PCs to...

With the expected growth in the housing market and aggressive pricing bundles from service providers, the VOIP market, which has been hammered by the shaky economy over the past two years, should begin to stabilize in 2010, according to DellOro Group. The number of VOIP subscribers should grow, but the equipment market may contract a bit because of price declines, the analyst firm said.
- An improved housing market and aggressive pricing bundles by service providers will help stabilize an IP telephony market that has suffered through two years of deep declines, according to market research firm DellOro Group. In a report Feb. 10, DellOro analysts said they expect that the number...

Building on the Starent ST40, Cisco introduces the ASR 5000, a platform dedicated to the mobile network to create an end-to-end IP next-generation network.
- Cisco's $2.9 billion acquisition of Starent began to pay off Feb. 9, as the company announced it has expanded its ASR Series platforms with the introduction of the Cisco ASR 5000, the rebranded Starent ST40. Cisco has built upon the mobile data platform to create an end-to-end IP NGN (Internet P...

Skype announced that a Skype for iPhone app that can place calls over 3G networks is coming soon, now that Apple has changed its SDK. While iCall already offers one, Skype says its waiting until it can offer CD-quality sound, along with other benefits for customers.
- Skype is close to offering a solution that will let iPhone users place voice over IP calls over 3G networks, the company announced on its site on Feb. 3. Writing that Skype fans have been wondering when such a solution would arrive, Skype answered, “Well, the simple answer is soon.” Skyp...

Enterprises looking to drive down costs and improve communications increasingly are turning to video conferencing, according to a survey done for Global IP Solutions. The survey echoes what other studies are finding, and supports the strategies of such vendors as Cisco, Polycom, Juniper, Tandberg and Radvision.
- Businesspeople are increasingly using video to collaborate with colleagues, partners and customers, according to a survey released Feb. 3. In a survey of 1,200 senior business professionals conducted by Research Now for IP communications company Global IP Solutions, the majority said they have u...

Pepsico taps Cisco and BT for a telepresence initiative that will roll out in the companys major offices worldwide. The project will use Ciscos TelePresence technology and BTs services. The move illustrates the growing enterprise demand for telepresence technologies, and the need for interoperability between vendor systems. Cisco and Polycom differ on the ways to establish interoperability standards.
- A decision by Pepsico to deploy Cisco Systems TelePresence solution illustrates the growing demand for the technology, which can help enterprises improve collaboration and reduce expenses. The giant food company announced Feb. 2 that it will use Ciscos solution and services from BT to improve co...

Businesses will continue expanding their use of such technologies as VOIP and UC over the next few years, according to In-Stat and DellOro. By 2013, 79 percent of U.S. businesses will have deployed a VOIP solution, In-Stat said. By 2014, revenues generated in the UC space will outpace those in the larger enterprise voice market, DellOro group said.
- Analysts are predicting that enterprises will continue to expand their communications capabilities over the next few years. In a report Feb. 2, research firm In-Stat said it expects that by 2013, 79 percent of U.S. businesses will be using VOIP (voice over IP) technology, up from about 42 percent...

iCall announces that Apple has changed its developer SDK and VOIP calls over cellular networks can now be placed on the iPhone, iPod Touch and, theoretically, the iPad.
- The iPad wasn't the only Apple news to emerge on Jan. 27. iCall, a privately held VOIP (voice over IP) calling company, announced on the same day that Apple had updated its SDK (software development kit) to allow VOIP calls over cellular networks, and that iCall's eponymous application was ...

Cisco Systems is releasing a protocol designed to improve interoperability with telepresence systems from other vendors. In addition, Cisco is rolling out applications to expand its TelePresence technology beyond the virtual meeting room and is offering new endpoints that are more energy-efficient and easier to install. The announcements come as VOIP and video conferencing rivals such as Polycom are looking for ways to keep pace with Cisco.
- Cisco Systems is aiming to expand the reach of telepresence capabilities, releasing an interoperability protocol and pushing its own TelePresence product beyond virtual meeting rooms. The networking giant on Jan. 26 also unveiled two new TelePresence endpoints that are designed for easier instal...