SUNNYVALE, USA: Cortina Systems Inc., delivering innovative technologies that link people and networks worldwide, announced its 4th generation EPON ONU, CS803x. The CS803x Integrated Access Platform supports a high performance embedded CPU and a flexible memory configuration for common ONU types. In addition, the CS803x is also compliant with SIEPON's power saving feature and supports the new IEEE Energy Efficient Ethernet standard, which will enable users and carriers to save energy.
“Carriers are implementing PON as a way to deliver fast optical connections to support end users demand for both high speed bandwidth and advance services,” said Rick Li, VP Marketing, Cortina Systems. “Not only does the CS803x reduce BOM costs by embedding the memory, it supports IPv4/IPv6 co-existence for seamless migration from IPv4 to advanced IPv6 services and a powerful processor for VoIP service. The CS803x provides a solution for the FTTx industry with leading benchmark of performance over power and cost.”
“The CS803x from Cortina is one of the first high-performance EPON chips to support the IEEE’s SIEPON standard, which aims to facilitate interoperability,” said Jeff Heynen, Directing Analyst, Broadband Access, Infonetics. “The CS803x is already one of the most versatile EPON chips on the market, with applications ranging from low-end ONT to multi-play residential gateways. Adding SIEPON support increases its versatility by guaranteeing interoperability.”
The CS803x, a low power single chip EPON ONU with a 500MHz CPU and multiple embedded memory options, has a flexible architecture that allows it to be used as a SFU (Single Family Unit), IP Voice and Video, HGU (Home Gateway Unit), and MDU (Multi-dwelling Unit). It features a VoIP interface that can support up to 4 instants of conversation. It also supports the IEEE802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet as well as the SIEPON’s power saving mode.
For mobile backhaul and business connectivity applications, the CS803x supports 1PPS/ToD timing synchronization based on China Telecom V2.1 EPON Specification and IEEE 802.1AS. The rich feature set and the low BOM cost make the chip an ideal candidate for a single platform solution for a one-port ONU to a full featured triple play home gateway.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Next-generation Bbox from Bouygues Telecom to incorporate Celeno’s video-grade Wi-Fi module
PARIS, FRANCE & RA’ANANA, ISRAEL: Bouygues Telecom announced that its next-generation Bbox will incorporate a concurrent dual band video-grade Wi-Fi module from Celeno. The Celeno module is powered by its OptimizAIR technology, which improves connectivity speed and robustness to set-top boxes, tablets, iPads and portable displays to enable Bbox subscribers to consume broadcast video, VoD and DVR content on additional screens anywhere in the home while ensuring a perfect, flicker-free experience of the content.
"This partnership with Celeno confirms our commitment to innovation for the next-generation of Bbox devices, integrating the best technologies the market has to offer and giving our customers a whole new digital experience in the home. Combined with the power of Intel Groveland, Celeno’s revolutionary wireless technology will enable our customers to enjoy their HD content on multiple displays, without compromising on image quality and sound. We are also proud to host Celeno within the Bouygues Telecom Initiatives structure and hope to support future developments with them,” said Olivier Roussat, CEO of Bouygues Telecom.
“Our collaboration with Bouygues Telecom, a leading player in the French market, is an important one as France is one of Europe's key markets for telecom convergence. We are currently witnessing the convergence of two mega trends; the proliferation of portable display devices and the increased consumption of IP-based content and video in the home. With France having such high adoption rates of IPTV and triple-play services, Bouygues Telecom is now able to offer their next-generation Bbox, meeting the need for high-quality wireless home distribution of video, voice and data while maintaining quality of service. We are proud to a part of this offering,” says Gilad Rozen, CEO of Celeno.
Celeno’s technology
Celeno’s field-proven OptimizAIR technology, which builds on and optimizes standards-based 802.11n for HD video streaming, is embedded in the concurrent dual band module and integrated with the Bbox to deliver best-in-class video-over-Wi-Fi performance. The technology combines digital beam forming with channel aware rate selection and TDM scheduled MAC which increases available bandwidth at a longer range and improves signal stability.
"This partnership with Celeno confirms our commitment to innovation for the next-generation of Bbox devices, integrating the best technologies the market has to offer and giving our customers a whole new digital experience in the home. Combined with the power of Intel Groveland, Celeno’s revolutionary wireless technology will enable our customers to enjoy their HD content on multiple displays, without compromising on image quality and sound. We are also proud to host Celeno within the Bouygues Telecom Initiatives structure and hope to support future developments with them,” said Olivier Roussat, CEO of Bouygues Telecom.
“Our collaboration with Bouygues Telecom, a leading player in the French market, is an important one as France is one of Europe's key markets for telecom convergence. We are currently witnessing the convergence of two mega trends; the proliferation of portable display devices and the increased consumption of IP-based content and video in the home. With France having such high adoption rates of IPTV and triple-play services, Bouygues Telecom is now able to offer their next-generation Bbox, meeting the need for high-quality wireless home distribution of video, voice and data while maintaining quality of service. We are proud to a part of this offering,” says Gilad Rozen, CEO of Celeno.
Celeno’s technology
Celeno’s field-proven OptimizAIR technology, which builds on and optimizes standards-based 802.11n for HD video streaming, is embedded in the concurrent dual band module and integrated with the Bbox to deliver best-in-class video-over-Wi-Fi performance. The technology combines digital beam forming with channel aware rate selection and TDM scheduled MAC which increases available bandwidth at a longer range and improves signal stability.
POSEDGE announces multi-port Gigabit Ethernet switch IP with IEEE 1588 and AV bridging support
HYDERABAD, INDIA: PosedgeInc, a leading supplier of Wired/Wireless Secure Networking Semiconductor Intellectual Property solutions provider has announced the availability of next generation Multi-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch Sub-System IP to integrate to ASICs and FPGAs.
The Multi-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch Sub-System IP is based on Wire-speed Secure Packet Processor (WSP) architecture that is scalable from 2-port 10/100 Mbps Switch to 8-Port 10/100/1000 Mbps Switch.
The field proven L2+ Switch from Posedge is enhanced to the next level to support the new features such as:
IEEE-1588 Support for time stamping
A/V Bridging
EEE Support for Gigabit Ethernet
Priority based Flow Control
Enhanced VLAN Support
The firmware is also enhanced to support L3 Extensions, Advanced Filtering, Snooping, and enhanced API for additional programming and configuration. Similar to the previous version, the Software is backed by a tool chain capable of Multi-Core debug and validation.
“Our next generation Multi-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch IP is best suited for WLAN access points, gateways, STBs, etc., in residential and SMB markets. It delivers blistering Gigabit performance, saves energy and provides reliability in one cost-effective, space-saving design,” said Chakra Parvathaneni, VP Marketing, PosedgeInc.
In addition the architecture is scalable from few 100 Mbps to 16 Gigabits per sec with flexibility in deployment with options like CAM based or SRAM based MAC Tables. The new features supported by the L2+ Ethernet Switch are essential for Audio / Video distribution, Power Optimization, and end-to-end performance in adverse environments.
“WSP Architecture provides very high levels of adaptation with programmable processors for classification, packet editing and functions like QoS in hardware,” he added.
Posedge provides, as part of the IP licensing package reference drivers, Management Processor code, and extensive customer support. The IP package consists of Verilog RTL code; self-checking OVM based test bench/test cases and elaborate documentation with functional coverage results. Posedge also offers a suite of design services for customization and integration of the IP cores into customer’s ICs or FPGAs for prototyping.
The L2+ Switch is a completely self-contained IP with proprietary bus for optimal throughput and can operate in Un-Managed Switch or Managed Switch modes. It provides flexible performance that scales with internal memory and processors and is optimal when silicon area and throughput are important and offers exceptional security and flexibility for your business' network.
The Multi-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch Sub-System IP is based on Wire-speed Secure Packet Processor (WSP) architecture that is scalable from 2-port 10/100 Mbps Switch to 8-Port 10/100/1000 Mbps Switch.
The field proven L2+ Switch from Posedge is enhanced to the next level to support the new features such as:
IEEE-1588 Support for time stamping
A/V Bridging
EEE Support for Gigabit Ethernet
Priority based Flow Control
Enhanced VLAN Support
The firmware is also enhanced to support L3 Extensions, Advanced Filtering, Snooping, and enhanced API for additional programming and configuration. Similar to the previous version, the Software is backed by a tool chain capable of Multi-Core debug and validation.
“Our next generation Multi-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch IP is best suited for WLAN access points, gateways, STBs, etc., in residential and SMB markets. It delivers blistering Gigabit performance, saves energy and provides reliability in one cost-effective, space-saving design,” said Chakra Parvathaneni, VP Marketing, PosedgeInc.
In addition the architecture is scalable from few 100 Mbps to 16 Gigabits per sec with flexibility in deployment with options like CAM based or SRAM based MAC Tables. The new features supported by the L2+ Ethernet Switch are essential for Audio / Video distribution, Power Optimization, and end-to-end performance in adverse environments.
“WSP Architecture provides very high levels of adaptation with programmable processors for classification, packet editing and functions like QoS in hardware,” he added.
Posedge provides, as part of the IP licensing package reference drivers, Management Processor code, and extensive customer support. The IP package consists of Verilog RTL code; self-checking OVM based test bench/test cases and elaborate documentation with functional coverage results. Posedge also offers a suite of design services for customization and integration of the IP cores into customer’s ICs or FPGAs for prototyping.
The L2+ Switch is a completely self-contained IP with proprietary bus for optimal throughput and can operate in Un-Managed Switch or Managed Switch modes. It provides flexible performance that scales with internal memory and processors and is optimal when silicon area and throughput are important and offers exceptional security and flexibility for your business' network.
Monday, May 30, 2011
HD-PLC launches certification of IEEE standard devices
FUKUOKA, JAPAN: HD-PLC Alliance has begun certification of PLC-related devices that conform to a new standard (IEEE 1901, Broadband over Power Lines, PHY/MAC) for power line communication (PLC) that was announced late last year by the IEEE Standards Association.
Having received recommendations on the necessity of coexistence for in-home broadband PLC from the United States' National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which was currently formulating guidelines on smart grids and interoperability, globally we were the first to publish in April of 2011 certification test guidelines that made IEEE 1901 a requirement.
Furthermore, Panasonic, an Alliance member company, has already completed research and design of an LSI that completely conforms to IEEE 1901, and is beginning to provide licensing of that LSI design to promote the spread of standard PLC products in the market.
With these development environment strategies in place, the use of LSIs that have received HD-PLC's certification for the IEEE 1901 international standard is expected to spread to various fields around the world, as there are plans for several businesses to introduce it to the market in the form of network routers and smart TVs, consumer devices, transport devices, smart grid systems, etc.
Moreover, the Alliance has also entered into an agreement with China's IGRS (note 4), to open the IGRS-PLC Certification Center in complete compatibility with HD-PLC within the National Engineering Lab recognized by the government of the Chinese city of Shenzhen, with plans to begin device certification by the second quarter of 2011.
IGRS and HD-PLC Alliance are working together to reach the markets of the world, starting with China.
Having received recommendations on the necessity of coexistence for in-home broadband PLC from the United States' National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which was currently formulating guidelines on smart grids and interoperability, globally we were the first to publish in April of 2011 certification test guidelines that made IEEE 1901 a requirement.
Furthermore, Panasonic, an Alliance member company, has already completed research and design of an LSI that completely conforms to IEEE 1901, and is beginning to provide licensing of that LSI design to promote the spread of standard PLC products in the market.
With these development environment strategies in place, the use of LSIs that have received HD-PLC's certification for the IEEE 1901 international standard is expected to spread to various fields around the world, as there are plans for several businesses to introduce it to the market in the form of network routers and smart TVs, consumer devices, transport devices, smart grid systems, etc.
Moreover, the Alliance has also entered into an agreement with China's IGRS (note 4), to open the IGRS-PLC Certification Center in complete compatibility with HD-PLC within the National Engineering Lab recognized by the government of the Chinese city of Shenzhen, with plans to begin device certification by the second quarter of 2011.
IGRS and HD-PLC Alliance are working together to reach the markets of the world, starting with China.
Business video solutions on the rise in Australia and New Zealand
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: In a recent survey, Ovum identified a number of opportunities for providers of unified communication (UC) and business video services for large enterprises in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ).
The quantity of video solutions has considerably increased over the last few years and this momentum is expected to continue. Although there is growing demand for greater interoperability across multiple devices and different access technologies, there is enormous customer acceptance of high-definition (HD) video conferencing.
With the life-sized images found in telepresence offerings (or near life-sized images found in other video conferencing offerings), superior audio and visual quality, and a strengthening business case built around travel cost and time savings, room-based video conferencing is the most popular video solution among large enterprises. These solutions are also playing a key role in increasing awareness about the benefits of video collaboration, which is now expected to spread across the enterprise through more economical low-end solutions (e.g. PC-based).
Claudio Castelli, Ovum senior analyst, commented: "Not surprisingly, desktop video is expected to show the greatest growth, with 21% of survey respondents expecting to deploy it in the coming year. This percentage is greater than in other developed regions and can be explained by the fact that sites of enterprises in ANZ are more likely to be located in remote areas that are not served by MPLS or Ethernet nodes that would support high-end video services."
Castelli added: “Local and national SIs are the most trusted providers of managed HD video conferencing services for large enterprises in ANZ (29 percent), but this preference is not as high as in Europe or the US. Telcos come next with 26 percent of the preference.
"This is good news for telcos in the region, whose ability to provide this service is well perceived by customers compared to other developed regions. We expect this preference to grow as we see telcos increasing their SI capabilities in video by either investing in existing divisions or by acquisitions. Telstra, for example, has recently acquired the video integrator iVision in an attempt to lead the video conferencing market in Australia."
"Telcos should explore the lack of relatively strong local and national SIs specialized in this market to develop a sound customer base. Combining HD video conferencing with network services in an integrated managed proposition with end-to-end SLAs will provide an additional strong differentiator against other types of providers," concluded Castelli.
The quantity of video solutions has considerably increased over the last few years and this momentum is expected to continue. Although there is growing demand for greater interoperability across multiple devices and different access technologies, there is enormous customer acceptance of high-definition (HD) video conferencing.
With the life-sized images found in telepresence offerings (or near life-sized images found in other video conferencing offerings), superior audio and visual quality, and a strengthening business case built around travel cost and time savings, room-based video conferencing is the most popular video solution among large enterprises. These solutions are also playing a key role in increasing awareness about the benefits of video collaboration, which is now expected to spread across the enterprise through more economical low-end solutions (e.g. PC-based).
Claudio Castelli, Ovum senior analyst, commented: "Not surprisingly, desktop video is expected to show the greatest growth, with 21% of survey respondents expecting to deploy it in the coming year. This percentage is greater than in other developed regions and can be explained by the fact that sites of enterprises in ANZ are more likely to be located in remote areas that are not served by MPLS or Ethernet nodes that would support high-end video services."
Castelli added: “Local and national SIs are the most trusted providers of managed HD video conferencing services for large enterprises in ANZ (29 percent), but this preference is not as high as in Europe or the US. Telcos come next with 26 percent of the preference.
"This is good news for telcos in the region, whose ability to provide this service is well perceived by customers compared to other developed regions. We expect this preference to grow as we see telcos increasing their SI capabilities in video by either investing in existing divisions or by acquisitions. Telstra, for example, has recently acquired the video integrator iVision in an attempt to lead the video conferencing market in Australia."
"Telcos should explore the lack of relatively strong local and national SIs specialized in this market to develop a sound customer base. Combining HD video conferencing with network services in an integrated managed proposition with end-to-end SLAs will provide an additional strong differentiator against other types of providers," concluded Castelli.
Smoothstone ranked as leader in Infonetics’ North American business VOIP market survey
LOUISVILLE, USA: =Smoothstone IP Communications, a leading provider of cloud-based enterprise unified communications applications and services, was ranked among the leaders in Infonetics’ third annual North America Business Voice over IP (VOIP) Services Leadership Scorecard, the company announced today.
Infonetics, an international market research and consulting firm, surveyed service providers and ranked those best positioned to succeed over the long term based on a blend of factors, including financial stability, market strategy, service capabilities and support options.
Smoothstone enjoys a unique position among the companies ranked in the study as the only industry player focused on the enterprise market. For companies looking to lower the costs and speed the deployment of enterprise VOIP, Smoothstone’s cloud-based voice services deliver enterprise-class functionality with unlimited scale of users and calling capacity. Smoothstone’s execution also was noted as a key differentiator in the marketplace.
Smoothstone’s continued growth has been fueled “due to a strong focus on execution and its success in driving new customers onto its hosted VOIP platform, resulting in the second largest installed base of seats in 2010,” the report concluded.
The company also was acknowledged for bundling hosted VOIP and unified communication services with data offerings to ensure high levels of Quality of Service. Moreover, Infonetics singled out Smoothstone’s management platform, the IT Command Console (ITC), for putting Smoothstone customers in control. ITC is a next-generation Web-based portal that lets customers monitor and manage their IP communication infrastructures and services, from network configuration and call flow settings to service and security protocols. It gives customers full visibility into Smoothstone’s network tools, analysis and ticketing systems to keep them informed – in real-time – on the status of the entire infrastructure and communication services.
“Smoothstone is one of the few service providers that focus on serving the needs of the large-scale enterprise,” said James Whitemore, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Smoothstone. “We are proud to be among the leaders in the Infonetics survey and believe that our unique blend of application-aware network services coupled with a full portfolio of cloud-based enterprise voice applications will continue to differentiate us from the rest of the pack. Our market position will be strengthened as we become part of InterCall in an acquisition that is expected to close within Q2.”
Infonetics, an international market research and consulting firm, surveyed service providers and ranked those best positioned to succeed over the long term based on a blend of factors, including financial stability, market strategy, service capabilities and support options.
Smoothstone enjoys a unique position among the companies ranked in the study as the only industry player focused on the enterprise market. For companies looking to lower the costs and speed the deployment of enterprise VOIP, Smoothstone’s cloud-based voice services deliver enterprise-class functionality with unlimited scale of users and calling capacity. Smoothstone’s execution also was noted as a key differentiator in the marketplace.
Smoothstone’s continued growth has been fueled “due to a strong focus on execution and its success in driving new customers onto its hosted VOIP platform, resulting in the second largest installed base of seats in 2010,” the report concluded.
The company also was acknowledged for bundling hosted VOIP and unified communication services with data offerings to ensure high levels of Quality of Service. Moreover, Infonetics singled out Smoothstone’s management platform, the IT Command Console (ITC), for putting Smoothstone customers in control. ITC is a next-generation Web-based portal that lets customers monitor and manage their IP communication infrastructures and services, from network configuration and call flow settings to service and security protocols. It gives customers full visibility into Smoothstone’s network tools, analysis and ticketing systems to keep them informed – in real-time – on the status of the entire infrastructure and communication services.
“Smoothstone is one of the few service providers that focus on serving the needs of the large-scale enterprise,” said James Whitemore, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Smoothstone. “We are proud to be among the leaders in the Infonetics survey and believe that our unique blend of application-aware network services coupled with a full portfolio of cloud-based enterprise voice applications will continue to differentiate us from the rest of the pack. Our market position will be strengthened as we become part of InterCall in an acquisition that is expected to close within Q2.”
Friday, May 27, 2011
Qualcomm completes $3.1 billion acquisition of Atheros Communications
SAN DIEGO, USA: Qualcomm Inc. completed its acquisition of Atheros Communications, Inc. The Atheros team will operate as Qualcomm Atheros, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm.
In addition, the Qualcomm connectivity team will shift over to Qualcomm Atheros to combine resources and roadmaps. This creates one of the industry’s most robust portfolios of connectivity, networking and location solutions for mobile, computing, enterprise and consumer electronic devices. Together, the two companies will be able to utilize their technology leadership positions, relationships and assets to more effectively address promising new business opportunities.
The acquisition, which was completed at an enterprise value of approximately $3.1 billion, enables Qualcomm to expand its presence in existing businesses and grow into a variety of adjacent businesses including home, enterprise and carrier networking. Going forward, we plan to continue to invest in, support and grow Qualcomm Atheros’ robust portfolio of businesses and technologies.
While the accounting for the transaction is not yet finalized, Qualcomm estimates that on a Non-GAAP basis the acquisition will be modestly dilutive to earnings per share in fiscal 2011 and modestly accretive in fiscal 2012, consistent with our previous forecasts. In addition, based on preliminary estimates, we expect the transaction to be further dilutive to GAAP earnings by approximately $0.09 to $0.13 per share for the remainder of fiscal 2011 driven primarily by certain near-term purchase accounting charges and secondarily by ongoing share-based compensation expense.
These near-term purchase accounting charges result from the requirement in ASC 805 to record acquired inventory and backlog at fair value at the time of acquisition, which will result in reduced margin contribution as inventory and backlog as of the acquisition date are converted to revenues over the remainder of fiscal 2011.
“Today marks another milestone in Qualcomm’s mission to provide our customers with the best-in-class connectivity and networking solutions needed to capitalize on expanding business opportunities beyond handsets and tablets,” said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. “We believe that the complementary cultures, product portfolios, sales channels and leadership in our respective fields will help make Qualcomm a leading force in the networking, computing and consumer electronics industries for years to come.”
Dr. Craig Barratt, formerly CEO and president of Atheros, is now president of Qualcomm Atheros and reports directly to Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president and group president of Qualcomm.
In addition, the Qualcomm connectivity team will shift over to Qualcomm Atheros to combine resources and roadmaps. This creates one of the industry’s most robust portfolios of connectivity, networking and location solutions for mobile, computing, enterprise and consumer electronic devices. Together, the two companies will be able to utilize their technology leadership positions, relationships and assets to more effectively address promising new business opportunities.
The acquisition, which was completed at an enterprise value of approximately $3.1 billion, enables Qualcomm to expand its presence in existing businesses and grow into a variety of adjacent businesses including home, enterprise and carrier networking. Going forward, we plan to continue to invest in, support and grow Qualcomm Atheros’ robust portfolio of businesses and technologies.
While the accounting for the transaction is not yet finalized, Qualcomm estimates that on a Non-GAAP basis the acquisition will be modestly dilutive to earnings per share in fiscal 2011 and modestly accretive in fiscal 2012, consistent with our previous forecasts. In addition, based on preliminary estimates, we expect the transaction to be further dilutive to GAAP earnings by approximately $0.09 to $0.13 per share for the remainder of fiscal 2011 driven primarily by certain near-term purchase accounting charges and secondarily by ongoing share-based compensation expense.
These near-term purchase accounting charges result from the requirement in ASC 805 to record acquired inventory and backlog at fair value at the time of acquisition, which will result in reduced margin contribution as inventory and backlog as of the acquisition date are converted to revenues over the remainder of fiscal 2011.
“Today marks another milestone in Qualcomm’s mission to provide our customers with the best-in-class connectivity and networking solutions needed to capitalize on expanding business opportunities beyond handsets and tablets,” said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. “We believe that the complementary cultures, product portfolios, sales channels and leadership in our respective fields will help make Qualcomm a leading force in the networking, computing and consumer electronics industries for years to come.”
Dr. Craig Barratt, formerly CEO and president of Atheros, is now president of Qualcomm Atheros and reports directly to Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president and group president of Qualcomm.
Red-hot switching and routing growth cools in Q1 of 2011
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: The red-hot growth that the service provider switching and routing market has experienced over the last year cooled in the first quarter of 2011, according to Ovum.
In a new market analysis, the independent telecoms analyst states that although global spending grew by 9 percent compared to the first quarter of 2010, this was the least positive result in more than a year.
Nonetheless Ovum’s research shows that Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei, Juniper and ZTE all posted double-digit revenue gains compared with the first quarter of 2010. However, market leader Cisco and Tellabs both posted declines.
Market leader Cisco’s revenues of $1.25 billion for the first quarter of 2011 were down six per cent compared to the first quarter of 2010 and down 12 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2010. This led to the company losing the most annualised market share.
Second-ranked Juniper enjoyed the biggest gain in sales versus the first quarter of 2010, increasing its revenues by a massive 28 percent. This meant it also had the largest share gain for the annualised period ending in the first quarter of 2011.
Dana Cooperson, Ovum network infrastructure practice leader and author of the market report, commented: “While the market still experienced healthy growth, it was more modest than we have seen in previous quarters and an indication that this red-hot growth is cooling.
“All the global regions grew compared with the first quarter of 2010. In Europe, the Middle East and Africa and in South and Central America the growth was particularly strong, more than the nine per cent global average. However, growth in North America and Asia-Pacific fell short of this average.
“In terms of vendor strategy, mobility, the cloud, and the mobile cloud continue to be a focus of attention for vendors and are causing them to hone their value propositions. Meanwhile network operators are taking a more holistic approach when it comes to their needs.”
In a new market analysis, the independent telecoms analyst states that although global spending grew by 9 percent compared to the first quarter of 2010, this was the least positive result in more than a year.
Nonetheless Ovum’s research shows that Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei, Juniper and ZTE all posted double-digit revenue gains compared with the first quarter of 2010. However, market leader Cisco and Tellabs both posted declines.
Market leader Cisco’s revenues of $1.25 billion for the first quarter of 2011 were down six per cent compared to the first quarter of 2010 and down 12 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2010. This led to the company losing the most annualised market share.
Second-ranked Juniper enjoyed the biggest gain in sales versus the first quarter of 2010, increasing its revenues by a massive 28 percent. This meant it also had the largest share gain for the annualised period ending in the first quarter of 2011.
Dana Cooperson, Ovum network infrastructure practice leader and author of the market report, commented: “While the market still experienced healthy growth, it was more modest than we have seen in previous quarters and an indication that this red-hot growth is cooling.
“All the global regions grew compared with the first quarter of 2010. In Europe, the Middle East and Africa and in South and Central America the growth was particularly strong, more than the nine per cent global average. However, growth in North America and Asia-Pacific fell short of this average.
“In terms of vendor strategy, mobility, the cloud, and the mobile cloud continue to be a focus of attention for vendors and are causing them to hone their value propositions. Meanwhile network operators are taking a more holistic approach when it comes to their needs.”
Optical networking market continues to bounce back with 7 percent growth
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: The global optical networking (ON) market is continuing to bounce back and reached revenues of $3.5 billion in the first quarter of 2011, up 7 percent on the same period in 2010, according to Ovum.
In a new market analysis, the independent telecoms analyst states that Alcatel-Lucent was the top-performing vendor in the first quarter of 2011 and hit revenues of $645 million. This was an increase of 17 percent compared to quarter one 2010 and saw it achieve a market share of 18.4 percent. It was the first quarter in two years that Alcatel-Lucent has posted number-one market revenues.
Importantly, Ovum found that annualised spending in the optical networking market appears to have crawled out of the red and into the black in the first quarter of 2011, albeit barely, with growth of 1 per cent to reach more than $14.6 billion. The annualised share figures tend to give the best indicator of longer-term market trends.
Dana Cooperson, Ovum network infrastructure practice leader and author of the market report, commented: “The optical networking market continued to improve as we turned the page on a new year. Although spending was seasonally down on the previous quarter, the growth compared to the same quarter last year is very encouraging.
“Even more important is the small increase in annualised spending, which has been driven by strong growth in dense wavelength division multiplexing market and a shift to optical products more fully optimised for continued strong growth in IP-based traffic.
“The market growth has also been propelled by the Americas and annualised spending has continued to improve sequentially and year-on-year in both North America and South and Central America.
“In contrast, in Asia-Pacific and Europe, Middle East and Africa spending continued to stagnate when compared to the same period last year. Asia-Pacific trends were particularly bleak in the first quarter of 2011.”
Of the top 10 vendors, Ciena posted the most gain in annualised share, over the period from the second quarter of 2010 to the first quarter of 2011, while Huawei lost the most.
Other vendors that improved their annualised share position, in decreasing order of gains, were Ericsson, Fujitsu, Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, and NEC. Rounding out the top 10, Tellabs and NSN lost share and ZTE neither gained nor lost.
In a new market analysis, the independent telecoms analyst states that Alcatel-Lucent was the top-performing vendor in the first quarter of 2011 and hit revenues of $645 million. This was an increase of 17 percent compared to quarter one 2010 and saw it achieve a market share of 18.4 percent. It was the first quarter in two years that Alcatel-Lucent has posted number-one market revenues.
Importantly, Ovum found that annualised spending in the optical networking market appears to have crawled out of the red and into the black in the first quarter of 2011, albeit barely, with growth of 1 per cent to reach more than $14.6 billion. The annualised share figures tend to give the best indicator of longer-term market trends.
Dana Cooperson, Ovum network infrastructure practice leader and author of the market report, commented: “The optical networking market continued to improve as we turned the page on a new year. Although spending was seasonally down on the previous quarter, the growth compared to the same quarter last year is very encouraging.
“Even more important is the small increase in annualised spending, which has been driven by strong growth in dense wavelength division multiplexing market and a shift to optical products more fully optimised for continued strong growth in IP-based traffic.
“The market growth has also been propelled by the Americas and annualised spending has continued to improve sequentially and year-on-year in both North America and South and Central America.
“In contrast, in Asia-Pacific and Europe, Middle East and Africa spending continued to stagnate when compared to the same period last year. Asia-Pacific trends were particularly bleak in the first quarter of 2011.”
Of the top 10 vendors, Ciena posted the most gain in annualised share, over the period from the second quarter of 2010 to the first quarter of 2011, while Huawei lost the most.
Other vendors that improved their annualised share position, in decreasing order of gains, were Ericsson, Fujitsu, Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, and NEC. Rounding out the top 10, Tellabs and NSN lost share and ZTE neither gained nor lost.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Growth for European mobile operators continued in 2010, 9.5 million new subscribers in eight European countries
UK: The latest edition of Tariff Consultancy Ltd’s (TCL’s) Mobile Pricing Trends 2010 service highlights that most of the key MNOs continue to see significant subscriber growth even as markets reach maturity.
By the end of 2010, the Mobile Network Operator (MNO) penetration rate across eight key European countries had reached 125 per cent of the population. Out of the 28 MNOs surveyed only 4 had seen a year-on-year decline in subscriber numbers.
The Mobile Pricing Trends analyses the performance of each MNO based on Subscriber Numbers, blended monthly ARPU and blended annualised Churn rates from the end of 2009 compared against the end of 2010. For each country TCL highlights the main new pricing and product initiatives being introduced in each market.
From the latest Mobile Pricing Trends report, TCL highlights the following changes:
* MNO penetration rates across the eight countries have increased by 3 percentage points year on year – from 122 per cent at the end of 2009 to 125 percent at the end of 2010.
* Individual MNOs have reported a full in subscriber numbers, mainly due to managing out sections of their Pre Pay user base – with Telekom (Germany) losing 4.4 million subscribers
* MNO penetration rates are highest in Sweden, with a 159 per cent rate as of the end of 2010, with France having the lowest rate.
* Selected MNOs – particularly in Germany – saw an increase of over 1 million net subscribers (Vodafone and E-Plus in Germany).
* Pre Pay users continued to decline over the period as a proportion of total subscribers. The proportion of Pay Monthly customers increased by 3 percentage points overall to almost 50 percent - an increase of around 17 million users.
* Average blended annualised ARPU for the MNO declined by 2 percent (for the year to the end of 2010) to 26.5 Euro per month. Germany and the UK had the lowest ARPU rates and France and Swiss MNOs had the highest at the end of 2010. Eleven out of the 28 surveyed MNOs increased the ARPU by an average of 3.28 percent.
* Annualised average MNO rates increased over the year, but by less than 2 percent. Some MNOs reduced churn by significant amounts during the period, with Vodafone UK reducing churn by 4.2 percentage points year on year.
Key pricing trends across all of the countries include the focus on smartphones and tablet PCs with the introduction of mobile internet tariffs, mobile broadband tariffs (for USB modem use) based on fixed line broadband tariff structure – as introduced by KPN - and the re-emergence of “all you can eat” data allowances – as introduced by H3G UK for Pay Monthly users in December 2010 as part of its One Plan.
“Although levels of competition for the MNO continue to be severe,” commented Margrit Sessions, MD of Tariff Consultancy Ltd. “MNOs are proving that the mobile sector in Europe is still a growth market with healthy overall subscriber growth for those operators that can differentiate their offers, and take advantage of the boom in smartphones and Pay Monthly contracts.”
“Although individual operators are experiencing contrasting fortunes, particularly in churn rates, where there have been examples of large year on year increases, the most important requirement is for MNOs to actively manage their churn and seek to differentiate their offers based on customer value rather than the cheapest price or chase subscriber numbers,” she added.
By the end of 2010, the Mobile Network Operator (MNO) penetration rate across eight key European countries had reached 125 per cent of the population. Out of the 28 MNOs surveyed only 4 had seen a year-on-year decline in subscriber numbers.
The Mobile Pricing Trends analyses the performance of each MNO based on Subscriber Numbers, blended monthly ARPU and blended annualised Churn rates from the end of 2009 compared against the end of 2010. For each country TCL highlights the main new pricing and product initiatives being introduced in each market.
From the latest Mobile Pricing Trends report, TCL highlights the following changes:
* MNO penetration rates across the eight countries have increased by 3 percentage points year on year – from 122 per cent at the end of 2009 to 125 percent at the end of 2010.
* Individual MNOs have reported a full in subscriber numbers, mainly due to managing out sections of their Pre Pay user base – with Telekom (Germany) losing 4.4 million subscribers
* MNO penetration rates are highest in Sweden, with a 159 per cent rate as of the end of 2010, with France having the lowest rate.
* Selected MNOs – particularly in Germany – saw an increase of over 1 million net subscribers (Vodafone and E-Plus in Germany).
* Pre Pay users continued to decline over the period as a proportion of total subscribers. The proportion of Pay Monthly customers increased by 3 percentage points overall to almost 50 percent - an increase of around 17 million users.
* Average blended annualised ARPU for the MNO declined by 2 percent (for the year to the end of 2010) to 26.5 Euro per month. Germany and the UK had the lowest ARPU rates and France and Swiss MNOs had the highest at the end of 2010. Eleven out of the 28 surveyed MNOs increased the ARPU by an average of 3.28 percent.
* Annualised average MNO rates increased over the year, but by less than 2 percent. Some MNOs reduced churn by significant amounts during the period, with Vodafone UK reducing churn by 4.2 percentage points year on year.
Key pricing trends across all of the countries include the focus on smartphones and tablet PCs with the introduction of mobile internet tariffs, mobile broadband tariffs (for USB modem use) based on fixed line broadband tariff structure – as introduced by KPN - and the re-emergence of “all you can eat” data allowances – as introduced by H3G UK for Pay Monthly users in December 2010 as part of its One Plan.
“Although levels of competition for the MNO continue to be severe,” commented Margrit Sessions, MD of Tariff Consultancy Ltd. “MNOs are proving that the mobile sector in Europe is still a growth market with healthy overall subscriber growth for those operators that can differentiate their offers, and take advantage of the boom in smartphones and Pay Monthly contracts.”
“Although individual operators are experiencing contrasting fortunes, particularly in churn rates, where there have been examples of large year on year increases, the most important requirement is for MNOs to actively manage their churn and seek to differentiate their offers based on customer value rather than the cheapest price or chase subscriber numbers,” she added.
ITU Secretary-General to deliver keynote on next generation broadband at CommunicAsia2011
SINGAPORE: Dr. Hamadoun Touré, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), is the latest high-profile luminary to confirm their attendance at Asia’s flagship information and communication technology (ICT) event – CommunicAsia2011.
Dr. Touré will deliver a keynote address on 22 June at the CommunicAsia2011 Summit. In his track titled, ‘Next Generation Broadband Infrastructure,’ he will urge the industry to harness the unique power of broadband access to the Internet in order to unleash the full potential of individuals and communities everywhere.
He will also articulate ITU’s perspective of how broadband access to the Internet holds the promise of breaking infrastructure bottlenecks globally and short-circuiting the traditional development cycle. Success, however, is dependent on global collaboration in establishing broadband networks, and Dr. Touré’s will elaborate on how public and private sector organisations can work together to achieve this goal.
“Broadband is the next big challenge,” said Dr. Touré. “As high-speed networks become the rule in advanced markets, those without broadband will quickly find themselves as marginalised as those who lacked basic phone service 20 years ago. We need to find partnership models that will help us repeat the ‘mobile miracle’ so that access to broadband is simple, equitable, and affordable for all.”
As the leading United Nations agency for ICT issues, ITU is the global focal point for governments and the private sector in developing networks and services. Dr. Toure’s keynote will come as the countdown to 2015 approaches – a deadline set by world leaders at the United Nations’ Millennium Summit in 2000 for broadband to be one of the critical Millennium Development Goals in ending poverty around the globe.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have Dr. Touré with us at the CommunicAsia2011 Summit. His presence is not only a testament to the continued relevance of our conference to the industry, but also shows support for Asia’s efforts to contribute towards the realisation of the United Nations’ goal,” said Ms. Lindy Wee, director of PR and Conferences from show organiser, Singapore Exhibition Services (SES).
Other topics that will be discussed as part of the ‘Next Generation Broadband Infrastructure’ track include ‘Broadband in Asia’, ‘Broadband Challenges and Trends’, and ‘Broadband Access Technology Options’. Notable speakers also include Robin Mersh, CEO of Broadband Forum; Jonathan Dharmapalan, Global Telecommunications Leader of Ernst & Young; Rohan Samarajiva, CEO of LIRNEasia; and Bill Barney, CEO of Pacnet, among others.
Dr. Touré will deliver a keynote address on 22 June at the CommunicAsia2011 Summit. In his track titled, ‘Next Generation Broadband Infrastructure,’ he will urge the industry to harness the unique power of broadband access to the Internet in order to unleash the full potential of individuals and communities everywhere.
He will also articulate ITU’s perspective of how broadband access to the Internet holds the promise of breaking infrastructure bottlenecks globally and short-circuiting the traditional development cycle. Success, however, is dependent on global collaboration in establishing broadband networks, and Dr. Touré’s will elaborate on how public and private sector organisations can work together to achieve this goal.
“Broadband is the next big challenge,” said Dr. Touré. “As high-speed networks become the rule in advanced markets, those without broadband will quickly find themselves as marginalised as those who lacked basic phone service 20 years ago. We need to find partnership models that will help us repeat the ‘mobile miracle’ so that access to broadband is simple, equitable, and affordable for all.”
As the leading United Nations agency for ICT issues, ITU is the global focal point for governments and the private sector in developing networks and services. Dr. Toure’s keynote will come as the countdown to 2015 approaches – a deadline set by world leaders at the United Nations’ Millennium Summit in 2000 for broadband to be one of the critical Millennium Development Goals in ending poverty around the globe.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have Dr. Touré with us at the CommunicAsia2011 Summit. His presence is not only a testament to the continued relevance of our conference to the industry, but also shows support for Asia’s efforts to contribute towards the realisation of the United Nations’ goal,” said Ms. Lindy Wee, director of PR and Conferences from show organiser, Singapore Exhibition Services (SES).
Other topics that will be discussed as part of the ‘Next Generation Broadband Infrastructure’ track include ‘Broadband in Asia’, ‘Broadband Challenges and Trends’, and ‘Broadband Access Technology Options’. Notable speakers also include Robin Mersh, CEO of Broadband Forum; Jonathan Dharmapalan, Global Telecommunications Leader of Ernst & Young; Rohan Samarajiva, CEO of LIRNEasia; and Bill Barney, CEO of Pacnet, among others.
Mitsubishi Electric's new GaN HEMT amplifier for C-band satellites achieves world's top PAE rating of 67 percent
IMS2011, TOKYO, JAPAN: Mitsubishi Electric Corp. announced that it has developed a gallium nitride high-electron mobility transistor (GaN HEMT) power amplifier for C-band satellites featuring the world's highest power-added efficiency (PAE) rating, 67 percent, an increase of more than seven points compared to conventional amplifiers.
The amplifier is expected to lead to smaller and lighter transmitter devices to help microwave communication satellites save power. Mitsubishi Electric will present its breakthrough at the International Microwave Symposium for 2011 (IMS 2011) at the Baltimore Convention Center in the U.S. city of Baltimore, Maryland from June 5–10.
The new amplifier's record of 67 percent PAE, more than seven points higher than conventional amplifiers, is enabled by the world's first harmonic tuning circuit placed in front of each GaN HEMT cell on the substrate.
The PAE was improved by second harmonic impedance of GaN HEMT with highly accurate input control. The harmonic tuning circuit comprises a MIM capacitor and a spiral inductor.
It has a high output power of 107W (50.3dBm). The unit is small and lightweight, measuring 17.4 x 24.0 x 4.3 mm and weighing 7.1g. It also features an internally impedance-matched GaN HEMT amplifier.
As more satellites complete their operational lifespan, the demand is increasing for new microwave communication satellites with smaller, lighter and more efficient satellite transponders. Conventional transponder devices use traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) because solid-state power amplifiers with GaAs HEMTs, which lack sufficient output power and efficiency, require an additional amplifier to gain high output power. More efficient GaN HEMT amplifiers with high output power, high-field electron velocity and high-breakdown fields are expected to replace TWTAs in communication satellites.
Going forward, Mitsubishi Electric intends to further enhance the efficiency and power performance of GaN HEMT amplifiers for satellites and wireless communication systems.
The amplifier is expected to lead to smaller and lighter transmitter devices to help microwave communication satellites save power. Mitsubishi Electric will present its breakthrough at the International Microwave Symposium for 2011 (IMS 2011) at the Baltimore Convention Center in the U.S. city of Baltimore, Maryland from June 5–10.
The new amplifier's record of 67 percent PAE, more than seven points higher than conventional amplifiers, is enabled by the world's first harmonic tuning circuit placed in front of each GaN HEMT cell on the substrate.
The PAE was improved by second harmonic impedance of GaN HEMT with highly accurate input control. The harmonic tuning circuit comprises a MIM capacitor and a spiral inductor.
It has a high output power of 107W (50.3dBm). The unit is small and lightweight, measuring 17.4 x 24.0 x 4.3 mm and weighing 7.1g. It also features an internally impedance-matched GaN HEMT amplifier.
As more satellites complete their operational lifespan, the demand is increasing for new microwave communication satellites with smaller, lighter and more efficient satellite transponders. Conventional transponder devices use traveling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) because solid-state power amplifiers with GaAs HEMTs, which lack sufficient output power and efficiency, require an additional amplifier to gain high output power. More efficient GaN HEMT amplifiers with high output power, high-field electron velocity and high-breakdown fields are expected to replace TWTAs in communication satellites.
Going forward, Mitsubishi Electric intends to further enhance the efficiency and power performance of GaN HEMT amplifiers for satellites and wireless communication systems.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Airtel Africa signs landmark deal for managed VAS services with Comviva
NEW DELHI, INDIA: Bharti Airtel, a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 19 countries across Asia and Africa, announced a major deal for Managed VAS Services with Comviva, the global leader in providing mobile solutions beyond VAS for its Africa operations. As part of the five-year deal, Comviva will manage all VAS nodes and provide services across Airtel’s 16 operations in Africa.
With the signing of this deal, Airtel Africa becomes the first telecom services operator in Africa to have a managed services agreement for its complete value added services portfolio. In addition to managing all the VAS nodes, Comviva will also manage the complexities associated with the emergence of multiple technologies, different standards, myriad applications and content. With Managed VAS Services, which will be launched commercially this month, Comviva aims to help grow Airtel’s value added service business in Africa.
Announcing the deal, Manoj Kohli CEO (International) and joint MD, Airtel Africa, said: “As we expand our operations and service portfolio in Africa, we aim to deliver a broad portfolio of services and a superior experience for our customers. By handing over management of operations to Comviva, we can enhance efficiencies in our operations and bring a closer focus on marketing initiatives that will help drive usage and engagement levels across our customer base. We expect this move to further support brand differentiation by enabling faster time to market, enhanced service performance and greater innovation – all of which will benefit our customers.”
Airtel is a pioneer in adopting managed services. Airtel Africa has outsourced its core customer service functions, including call centres and back office operations to IBM, Tech Mahindra and Spanco. In September 2010, the company also selected IBM to manage its IT systems to power the mobile communications network across the continent.
Manoranjan Mohapatra, CEO, Comviva, said: “This is a landmark deal for Comviva, as we will manage all VAS nodes across Airtel operations in 16 countries in Africa. As the operator portfolio has grown in breadth and complexity, there is a growing need to create greater operational simplicity and enhance efficiencies whilst enabling improved service performance. The Managed VAS approach will enable formulation of a clear end-to-end product strategy founded on a customer-driven roadmap, which will drive service uptake and satisfaction levels, whilst optimizing cost structures.”
“Our success with Airtel Sri Lanka and in Airtel India, where we manage over 2,100 VAS nodes against stringent SLAs, has given Airtel the confidence to outsource the management of its entire Africa VAS operations to Comviva.” added Mohapatra.
With the signing of this deal, Airtel Africa becomes the first telecom services operator in Africa to have a managed services agreement for its complete value added services portfolio. In addition to managing all the VAS nodes, Comviva will also manage the complexities associated with the emergence of multiple technologies, different standards, myriad applications and content. With Managed VAS Services, which will be launched commercially this month, Comviva aims to help grow Airtel’s value added service business in Africa.
Announcing the deal, Manoj Kohli CEO (International) and joint MD, Airtel Africa, said: “As we expand our operations and service portfolio in Africa, we aim to deliver a broad portfolio of services and a superior experience for our customers. By handing over management of operations to Comviva, we can enhance efficiencies in our operations and bring a closer focus on marketing initiatives that will help drive usage and engagement levels across our customer base. We expect this move to further support brand differentiation by enabling faster time to market, enhanced service performance and greater innovation – all of which will benefit our customers.”
Airtel is a pioneer in adopting managed services. Airtel Africa has outsourced its core customer service functions, including call centres and back office operations to IBM, Tech Mahindra and Spanco. In September 2010, the company also selected IBM to manage its IT systems to power the mobile communications network across the continent.
Manoranjan Mohapatra, CEO, Comviva, said: “This is a landmark deal for Comviva, as we will manage all VAS nodes across Airtel operations in 16 countries in Africa. As the operator portfolio has grown in breadth and complexity, there is a growing need to create greater operational simplicity and enhance efficiencies whilst enabling improved service performance. The Managed VAS approach will enable formulation of a clear end-to-end product strategy founded on a customer-driven roadmap, which will drive service uptake and satisfaction levels, whilst optimizing cost structures.”
“Our success with Airtel Sri Lanka and in Airtel India, where we manage over 2,100 VAS nodes against stringent SLAs, has given Airtel the confidence to outsource the management of its entire Africa VAS operations to Comviva.” added Mohapatra.
Microsoft announces Windows Phone 'Mango' update
Ovum principal analyst Tony Cripps
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: “Mango will provide a worthwhile upgrade for both existing and new users of Windows Phone devices once it arrives in the marketplace. However, Microsoft needs to do better if it is to persuade the market that it has the most user friendly - and desirable - mobile platform in the market today.
“New features such as Groups and Threads look set to deliver a deeper level of integration between different communication apps (and other apps on the device) than users are so far accustomed to. But integration is a tough concept to sell to consumers even if they may benefit enormously once they've adopted it. Cracking this conundrum may well be key to Windows Phone's future success.
“That doesn’t appear to have put off new manufacturers from licensing the platform, however, with Acer, Fujitsu and ZTE now also joining the fray. ZTE in particular can be expected to take advantage of the more achievable hardware specs now being touted by Microsoft - plus carriers' desire for low cost alternatives to Android smartphones.
“That said, Mango still lacks the potential for customisation and brand differentiation that some manufacturers are looking for. With Nokia likely to dominate Windows Phone shipments once that relationship is fully up and running that may need addressing if other high-end OEMs are to stay on board.
“Elsewhere, backwards compatibility of Mango with existing hardware is a sensible decision by Microsoft, while the intelligent multitasking feature promises a noticeable benefit in device batter life. The new business oriented collaboration features work well but remain a largely unproven use case at this time.”
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: “Mango will provide a worthwhile upgrade for both existing and new users of Windows Phone devices once it arrives in the marketplace. However, Microsoft needs to do better if it is to persuade the market that it has the most user friendly - and desirable - mobile platform in the market today.
“New features such as Groups and Threads look set to deliver a deeper level of integration between different communication apps (and other apps on the device) than users are so far accustomed to. But integration is a tough concept to sell to consumers even if they may benefit enormously once they've adopted it. Cracking this conundrum may well be key to Windows Phone's future success.
“That doesn’t appear to have put off new manufacturers from licensing the platform, however, with Acer, Fujitsu and ZTE now also joining the fray. ZTE in particular can be expected to take advantage of the more achievable hardware specs now being touted by Microsoft - plus carriers' desire for low cost alternatives to Android smartphones.
“That said, Mango still lacks the potential for customisation and brand differentiation that some manufacturers are looking for. With Nokia likely to dominate Windows Phone shipments once that relationship is fully up and running that may need addressing if other high-end OEMs are to stay on board.
“Elsewhere, backwards compatibility of Mango with existing hardware is a sensible decision by Microsoft, while the intelligent multitasking feature promises a noticeable benefit in device batter life. The new business oriented collaboration features work well but remain a largely unproven use case at this time.”
FCIA continues to validate Fibre Channel advancements in multi-vendor testing
SAN FRANCISCO, USA: The Fibre Channel Industry Association (FCIA), a non-profit international organization of manufacturers, systems integrators and vendors, announced the completion of the FCoE (Fibre Channel over Ethernet) Plugfest, which was held during the week of May 16th at the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Lab (UNH-IOL).
Sponsored by the FCIA, the Plugfest provided an environment where leading Fibre Channel and Ethernet vendors came together to work in partnership on their respective FCoE products to ensure both interoperability and configurability between vendors. This Plugfest also focused on end-to-end tests that included FCoE with multiple FCFs (Fibre Channel Forwarders) and high availability configurations.
Participating companies in the Plugfest included ATTO Technology, Broadcom, Brocade, Chelsio, Cisco, Emulex, Extreme Networks, Hewlett-Packard, Ixia, JDSU, Mellanox Technologies, NetApp, QLogic and SANBlaze Technology.
"This FCoE Plugfest allowed numerous vendors to increase interoperability between 8Gb/s Fibre Channel products with FCoE products including FCoE Converged Network Adapters (CNAs), FCoE switches, FCoE bridges, Data Center Bridges (DCBs), DCB switches, FCoE storage systems, and blade-server offerings of Mezzanine cards and DCB switches. The Plugfest included new FCoE functionality that allowed multiple FCoE and DCB switches in the infrastructure," said Bill Martin, FCoE Plugfest chair and engineer consultant for the Office of Technology at Emulex. "This additional functionality allows the expansion of the FCoE infrastructure including high availability as well as insuring that Fibre Channel investments are protected with existing storage systems."
"The amount of commitment behind this week's Plugfest was exceptional," said Mark Jones, FCIA vice chairman. "As the Fibre Channel market continues to advance with new functionality – it will be mandatory that vendors provide solutions that are interoperable and compatible with existing installations. Fibre Channel products and solutions that are interoperable today will insure current investments into the future."
Sponsored by the FCIA, the Plugfest provided an environment where leading Fibre Channel and Ethernet vendors came together to work in partnership on their respective FCoE products to ensure both interoperability and configurability between vendors. This Plugfest also focused on end-to-end tests that included FCoE with multiple FCFs (Fibre Channel Forwarders) and high availability configurations.
Participating companies in the Plugfest included ATTO Technology, Broadcom, Brocade, Chelsio, Cisco, Emulex, Extreme Networks, Hewlett-Packard, Ixia, JDSU, Mellanox Technologies, NetApp, QLogic and SANBlaze Technology.
"This FCoE Plugfest allowed numerous vendors to increase interoperability between 8Gb/s Fibre Channel products with FCoE products including FCoE Converged Network Adapters (CNAs), FCoE switches, FCoE bridges, Data Center Bridges (DCBs), DCB switches, FCoE storage systems, and blade-server offerings of Mezzanine cards and DCB switches. The Plugfest included new FCoE functionality that allowed multiple FCoE and DCB switches in the infrastructure," said Bill Martin, FCoE Plugfest chair and engineer consultant for the Office of Technology at Emulex. "This additional functionality allows the expansion of the FCoE infrastructure including high availability as well as insuring that Fibre Channel investments are protected with existing storage systems."
"The amount of commitment behind this week's Plugfest was exceptional," said Mark Jones, FCIA vice chairman. "As the Fibre Channel market continues to advance with new functionality – it will be mandatory that vendors provide solutions that are interoperable and compatible with existing installations. Fibre Channel products and solutions that are interoperable today will insure current investments into the future."
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Samsung selects Ethertronics' IMD antenna technology for Infuse 4G smartphone
SAN DIEGO, USA: Ethertronics, a leading technology company enabling the future direction of mobile communications via its portfolio of antenna and RF solutions, announced that its Isolated Magnetic Dipole (IMD) antenna technology is enabling broadband connectivity for Samsung’s new Infuse 4G smartphone, which is being dubbed as the world’s thinnest 4G smartphone. The selection underscores Ethertronics’ reputation as a leading provider of innovative antenna systems solutions for wireless devices.
In today’s smartphones and the Infuse 4G in particular, designing an antenna solution that will support competitive form factor design, yet meet stringent RF specifications is challenging. Ethertronics has been dedicated to providing custom engineered solutions to meet the marketplace demands.
“Mobile operators and their smartphone suppliers are increasingly focusing on the role that antenna systems play in delivering 3G and 4G performance that’s noticeably superior to rival products,” said Laurent Desclos, Ethertronics’ president and CEO. “The inclusion of IMD technology in the Samsung Infuse is a testament to our focus on providing the highest performance antenna solutions to Samsung’s mobile products.”
Ethertronics has additionally provided antenna systems for a variety of other Samsung products, including the Ultra Edition and Ultra Edition II handset lines.
Ethertronics’ patented IMD technology enables smaller size, design implementation flexibility, shortened design cycle and higher overall performance.
In today’s smartphones and the Infuse 4G in particular, designing an antenna solution that will support competitive form factor design, yet meet stringent RF specifications is challenging. Ethertronics has been dedicated to providing custom engineered solutions to meet the marketplace demands.
“Mobile operators and their smartphone suppliers are increasingly focusing on the role that antenna systems play in delivering 3G and 4G performance that’s noticeably superior to rival products,” said Laurent Desclos, Ethertronics’ president and CEO. “The inclusion of IMD technology in the Samsung Infuse is a testament to our focus on providing the highest performance antenna solutions to Samsung’s mobile products.”
Ethertronics has additionally provided antenna systems for a variety of other Samsung products, including the Ultra Edition and Ultra Edition II handset lines.
Ethertronics’ patented IMD technology enables smaller size, design implementation flexibility, shortened design cycle and higher overall performance.
Digital mobile TV leader Siano raises $20 million in growth round led by JVP
NETANYA, ISRAEL: Siano Mobile Silicon, the leading supplier of mobile digital TV receiver chips, has completed a $20 million expansion capital financing round.
The round was led by leading Israeli venture capital fund, Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP). The proceeds of the current round will be used for expanding the Company's innovative product line as it extends its geographic presence in the emerging North American mobile ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) market.
With approximately 50 percent market share in China and Latin America for chipsets that allow the reception of digital TV on mobile, portable and hand-held devices, Siano is the de-facto leader of the digital mobile TV market in these regions.
JVP, an investor in Siano since its inception, is a leading Israeli venture capital fund, managing over $850 million in assets. JVP was recently voted best venture capital firm in Israel and one of the top three in Europe by Private Equity Magazine.
“The whole concept of TV viewing is evolving,” said Alon Ironi, CEO of Siano. "Today, TV consumers seek constant access to their favorite TV content – irrespective of the medium, their location or device. As more and more consumers use smartphones and tablets to watch their favorite content, our technology is going to become increasingly important."
"North American broadcasters are now preparing to deploy mobile ATSC, and, with market experts estimating an installed base of roughly 70 million tablets in the US within two years, the US market serves as a natural extension to our strong position in other markets. Over the last few weeks, we have been finalizing our new line of innovative solutions to meet the unique needs of the US market, and the new funds will be used to implement these plans,” added Ironi.
Gadi Tirosh, a General Partner at JVP, will be joining Siano's Board of Directors as part of the round. "JVP has been an investor in Siano from its inception through its present rapid growth phase," said Tirosh.
"The current round is directly in line with our strategy of actively supporting our most promising companies, as we build them into prominent international entities. Over the last four years, Siano has evolved into a major force in the digital mobile TV space, taking the lead in both China and Latin America, and we view the company's expansion into the North American market as a major step in its ongoing growth and diversification strategy."
The round was led by leading Israeli venture capital fund, Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP). The proceeds of the current round will be used for expanding the Company's innovative product line as it extends its geographic presence in the emerging North American mobile ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) market.
With approximately 50 percent market share in China and Latin America for chipsets that allow the reception of digital TV on mobile, portable and hand-held devices, Siano is the de-facto leader of the digital mobile TV market in these regions.
JVP, an investor in Siano since its inception, is a leading Israeli venture capital fund, managing over $850 million in assets. JVP was recently voted best venture capital firm in Israel and one of the top three in Europe by Private Equity Magazine.
“The whole concept of TV viewing is evolving,” said Alon Ironi, CEO of Siano. "Today, TV consumers seek constant access to their favorite TV content – irrespective of the medium, their location or device. As more and more consumers use smartphones and tablets to watch their favorite content, our technology is going to become increasingly important."
"North American broadcasters are now preparing to deploy mobile ATSC, and, with market experts estimating an installed base of roughly 70 million tablets in the US within two years, the US market serves as a natural extension to our strong position in other markets. Over the last few weeks, we have been finalizing our new line of innovative solutions to meet the unique needs of the US market, and the new funds will be used to implement these plans,” added Ironi.
Gadi Tirosh, a General Partner at JVP, will be joining Siano's Board of Directors as part of the round. "JVP has been an investor in Siano from its inception through its present rapid growth phase," said Tirosh.
"The current round is directly in line with our strategy of actively supporting our most promising companies, as we build them into prominent international entities. Over the last four years, Siano has evolved into a major force in the digital mobile TV space, taking the lead in both China and Latin America, and we view the company's expansion into the North American market as a major step in its ongoing growth and diversification strategy."
Skyworks unveils family of broadband quadrature modulators for cellular infrastructure market
WOBURN, USA: Skyworks Solutions Inc., an innovator of high reliability analog and mixed signal semiconductors enabling a broad range of end markets, introduced three wideband quadrature modulators for cellular infrastructure and high performance radio link applications. Skyworks’ modulators are the latest additions to its wireless infrastructure portfolio and designed to support the world's leading 3G and 4G base station providers.
These new, fixed gain quadrature modulators deliver excellent phase accuracy and amplitude balance enabling high performance for a variety of multi-carrier communication systems. In addition, Skyworks’ new modulators have greater than 500 megahertz (MHz) 3dB modulation bandwidth, a low noise floor, and a wide operating frequency range that support multiband designs and network requirements.
According to a recent In-Stat Mobile Internet Group research report, infrastructure expenditures by mobile operators will need to scale up by more than 40 percent in the coming years to meet fast approaching network demand. As a result, mobile operators will not only need to install new base stations, routers and backhaul network equipment, but will need to upgrade and expand existing infrastructure to avoid network traffic jams and preserve their highly profitable data service revenue, all of which will require increased analog and mixed signal content.
“With the addition of these new modulators, Skyworks continues to capitalize on the network infrastructure side of the mobile Internet phenomenon,” said Liam K. Griffin, Skyworks’ executive vice president and general manager of high performance analog. “Skyworks is pleased to offer our customers a multitude of high performance, cost effective solutions as they build out their networks to support the staggering increase in mobile data traffic.”
These new, fixed gain quadrature modulators deliver excellent phase accuracy and amplitude balance enabling high performance for a variety of multi-carrier communication systems. In addition, Skyworks’ new modulators have greater than 500 megahertz (MHz) 3dB modulation bandwidth, a low noise floor, and a wide operating frequency range that support multiband designs and network requirements.
According to a recent In-Stat Mobile Internet Group research report, infrastructure expenditures by mobile operators will need to scale up by more than 40 percent in the coming years to meet fast approaching network demand. As a result, mobile operators will not only need to install new base stations, routers and backhaul network equipment, but will need to upgrade and expand existing infrastructure to avoid network traffic jams and preserve their highly profitable data service revenue, all of which will require increased analog and mixed signal content.
“With the addition of these new modulators, Skyworks continues to capitalize on the network infrastructure side of the mobile Internet phenomenon,” said Liam K. Griffin, Skyworks’ executive vice president and general manager of high performance analog. “Skyworks is pleased to offer our customers a multitude of high performance, cost effective solutions as they build out their networks to support the staggering increase in mobile data traffic.”
CMAI delegation to CommunicAsia 2011
NEW DELHI, INDIA: CMAI is pleased to announce CMAI Delegation to CommunicAsia 2011, scheduled to be held from 21-24 June, 2011 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.
CommunicAsia2011 will feature a comprehensive myriad of key and emerging technologies from backhaul network, systems integration to software and applications to the end users. Highlighting the newest technology innovations, latest industry updates from the ICT industry and featuring thought-provoking sessions by prominent industry players in the Summit. The event is scheduled to witness over 3000 exhibitors from over 100 countries with over 70,000 international visitors.
Delegation members would be provide the following services:
1. Express Group Registration.
2. Free copy of the Show Directory worth S$120.
3. 20 percent discount on delegate fee if interested to attend any concurrent seminar.
4. Guided tour around the exhibition.
5. Special networking meetings with exhibitors.
6. Invitation to concurrent networking events.
CommunicAsia2011 will feature a comprehensive myriad of key and emerging technologies from backhaul network, systems integration to software and applications to the end users. Highlighting the newest technology innovations, latest industry updates from the ICT industry and featuring thought-provoking sessions by prominent industry players in the Summit. The event is scheduled to witness over 3000 exhibitors from over 100 countries with over 70,000 international visitors.
Delegation members would be provide the following services:
1. Express Group Registration.
2. Free copy of the Show Directory worth S$120.
3. 20 percent discount on delegate fee if interested to attend any concurrent seminar.
4. Guided tour around the exhibition.
5. Special networking meetings with exhibitors.
6. Invitation to concurrent networking events.
SkyCross raises $11 million in series E funding to ramp 4G/LTE antenna solutions
VIERA, USA: SkyCross, a global developer and manufacturer of advanced antenna and RF solutions that are powering the emergence of 4G networks including LTE, has closed on $11 million in financing, the first tranche of Series E, expected to be the company’s final round of equity financing. SkyCross intends to close the second tranche of the round, up to $15 million, by the end of June. The capital raised will be used to support the company’s rapidly increasing business in Asia and the United States.
Significantly, the round includes new equity from DOCOMO Capital as a strategic investor. DOCOMO Capital is a corporate venture arm of NTT DOCOMO, the world’s leading mobile operator. Existing investors including TL Ventures, Investor Growth Capital, Gabriel Venture Partners, Intel Capital, and a group of long standing individual investors also participated in the round.
SkyCross continues to grow due to strong global demand for the company’s unique RF technology and design expertise for wireless products, such as tablets, smartphones, and multiband USB modems. Increasingly, these devices require multiple antennas, creative 3D design and manufacturing techniques, and 4G MIMO functionality for LTE. SkyCross specializes in each of these capabilities to address worldwide customer needs from its regional design centers in China, Taiwan, Korea, and the United States. Proceeds from the current funding round will help accelerate rollout of 4G/LTE technology in consumer electronics devices.
“SkyCross technology and expertise are key factors in meeting the growing, worldwide demand for 4G/LTE wireless devices,” said Tomoya Hemmi, president and CEO of DOCOMO Capital, Inc. “MIMO antenna technology is a key enabler of LTE performance, and SkyCross solutions address this global market need. We are pleased to participate in this round as a new strategic investor.”
“SkyCross already has an existing relationship with NTT DOCOMO, a leading Tier 1 network operator focused on the success of 4G/LTE,” said Ben Naskar, SkyCross CEO and Chairman. “We are pleased to strengthen this relationship by welcoming DOCOMO Capital as a strategic investor. Our outlook for continued growth in 2011 is solid, and the current financing round will facilitate the successful achievement of key operational milestones.”
Significantly, the round includes new equity from DOCOMO Capital as a strategic investor. DOCOMO Capital is a corporate venture arm of NTT DOCOMO, the world’s leading mobile operator. Existing investors including TL Ventures, Investor Growth Capital, Gabriel Venture Partners, Intel Capital, and a group of long standing individual investors also participated in the round.
SkyCross continues to grow due to strong global demand for the company’s unique RF technology and design expertise for wireless products, such as tablets, smartphones, and multiband USB modems. Increasingly, these devices require multiple antennas, creative 3D design and manufacturing techniques, and 4G MIMO functionality for LTE. SkyCross specializes in each of these capabilities to address worldwide customer needs from its regional design centers in China, Taiwan, Korea, and the United States. Proceeds from the current funding round will help accelerate rollout of 4G/LTE technology in consumer electronics devices.
“SkyCross technology and expertise are key factors in meeting the growing, worldwide demand for 4G/LTE wireless devices,” said Tomoya Hemmi, president and CEO of DOCOMO Capital, Inc. “MIMO antenna technology is a key enabler of LTE performance, and SkyCross solutions address this global market need. We are pleased to participate in this round as a new strategic investor.”
“SkyCross already has an existing relationship with NTT DOCOMO, a leading Tier 1 network operator focused on the success of 4G/LTE,” said Ben Naskar, SkyCross CEO and Chairman. “We are pleased to strengthen this relationship by welcoming DOCOMO Capital as a strategic investor. Our outlook for continued growth in 2011 is solid, and the current financing round will facilitate the successful achievement of key operational milestones.”
FCI expands industrial market presence by acquiring majority stake in Anytek
SINGAPORE: FCI, a leading manufacturer of connectors for the Data, Communications, Consumer, Automotive and Industrial markets has acquired a majority stake in Anytek, a Taiwanese manufacturer of terminal blocks.
The alliance between the two companies is the outcome of a partnership that started in 2009. Saint Yeh, founder and GM of the company, will remain a significant shareholder alongside FCI. Saint will continue to lead Anytek’s successful strategy, business model and teams.
With this transaction, FCI leverages Anytek’s prominent position in the growing terminal blocks market.
“We are very happy to welcome Anytek to the FCI family,” said Pete Curwen, corporate VP and GM of FCI – Electronics Division. “We are very impressed by the achievements of Saint Yeh and his team and look forward to supporting them to achieve their outstanding growth potential”.
“In the past two years of continuous development of our commercial relationship, we have been impressed by the scale and reach of FCI, but also and more importantly by their success in mixing a global culture with a decentralized and entrepreneurial spirit”, concludes Saint Yeh.
The transaction signing took place on May 20, 2011. Expected closing of the transaction is June 2011 subject to customary regulatory clearance.
The alliance between the two companies is the outcome of a partnership that started in 2009. Saint Yeh, founder and GM of the company, will remain a significant shareholder alongside FCI. Saint will continue to lead Anytek’s successful strategy, business model and teams.
With this transaction, FCI leverages Anytek’s prominent position in the growing terminal blocks market.
“We are very happy to welcome Anytek to the FCI family,” said Pete Curwen, corporate VP and GM of FCI – Electronics Division. “We are very impressed by the achievements of Saint Yeh and his team and look forward to supporting them to achieve their outstanding growth potential”.
“In the past two years of continuous development of our commercial relationship, we have been impressed by the scale and reach of FCI, but also and more importantly by their success in mixing a global culture with a decentralized and entrepreneurial spirit”, concludes Saint Yeh.
The transaction signing took place on May 20, 2011. Expected closing of the transaction is June 2011 subject to customary regulatory clearance.
Qualcomm enhances mobile location performance by utilizing GPS and GLONASS satellite networks for greater location accuracy
SAN DIEGO, USA: Qualcomm Inc. announced the company's product support for the Russian GLONASS satellite system and the unique capability to utilize both the GPS and GLONASS networks simultaneously for greater location performance.
The additional signals from this expanded satellite network provide more accurate location information for the growing number of location based applications and services. The first GLONASS capable phone is the MTS 945 from ZTE, powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon MSM7x30 chipset. The Snapdragon MSM7x30 chipset and software solution allows this smartphone to take advantage of both the GPS and GLONASS (a worldwide satellite positioning system developed by the Russian government) satellite systems.
Support for both satellite networks is currently integrated into Qualcomm's Snapdragon MSM7x30 chipset and software solution and will be supported moving forward on select Snapdragon and feature phone chipsets with Qualcomm's latest GPS engine.
"ZTE is first to market with a smartphone that supports both the GPS and GLONASS satellite systems, taking full advantage of the functionality which has been integrated into our Snapdragon MSM7x30 chipset and software," said Raj Talluri, VP of product management for Qualcomm.
"Supporting both positioning technologies gives users of ZTE's latest smartphone the benefit of up to 55 different satellites when calculating their global position for navigation or any location-based application. The result is more accurate location performance, all over the world, particularly in challenging urban environments where the combination of narrow streets and tall buildings can degrade accuracy."
"The GLONASS satellite system provides consumers with accurate and highly responsive location information," said Sergey Boev, vice president of Sistema. "We are proud to be working with Qualcomm, ZTE and MTS to deliver the first GLONASS capable device to the Russian market and look forward to future devices utilizing GLONASS."
"According to our estimates, the market of GLONASS-enabled devices will grow at high rates," said MTS VP and chief commercial officer, Mikhail Gerchuk. "Support of the Russian satellite navigation system provides extra reliability and precision for users and we are delighted to offer the first GLONASS-enabled device, powered by Qualcomm's chipset, to consumers."
The additional signals from this expanded satellite network provide more accurate location information for the growing number of location based applications and services. The first GLONASS capable phone is the MTS 945 from ZTE, powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon MSM7x30 chipset. The Snapdragon MSM7x30 chipset and software solution allows this smartphone to take advantage of both the GPS and GLONASS (a worldwide satellite positioning system developed by the Russian government) satellite systems.
Support for both satellite networks is currently integrated into Qualcomm's Snapdragon MSM7x30 chipset and software solution and will be supported moving forward on select Snapdragon and feature phone chipsets with Qualcomm's latest GPS engine.
"ZTE is first to market with a smartphone that supports both the GPS and GLONASS satellite systems, taking full advantage of the functionality which has been integrated into our Snapdragon MSM7x30 chipset and software," said Raj Talluri, VP of product management for Qualcomm.
"Supporting both positioning technologies gives users of ZTE's latest smartphone the benefit of up to 55 different satellites when calculating their global position for navigation or any location-based application. The result is more accurate location performance, all over the world, particularly in challenging urban environments where the combination of narrow streets and tall buildings can degrade accuracy."
"The GLONASS satellite system provides consumers with accurate and highly responsive location information," said Sergey Boev, vice president of Sistema. "We are proud to be working with Qualcomm, ZTE and MTS to deliver the first GLONASS capable device to the Russian market and look forward to future devices utilizing GLONASS."
"According to our estimates, the market of GLONASS-enabled devices will grow at high rates," said MTS VP and chief commercial officer, Mikhail Gerchuk. "Support of the Russian satellite navigation system provides extra reliability and precision for users and we are delighted to offer the first GLONASS-enabled device, powered by Qualcomm's chipset, to consumers."
Monday, May 23, 2011
PLX achieves 300 meter reach with 10GBase-T transceivers
SUNNYVALE, USA: PLX Technology Inc., the leader in high-speed connectivity solutions for the enterprise and the home, has successfully demonstrated 10Gbps Ethernet data and electrical transfer, in full compliance with the IEEE 802.3an standard, over a distance of 300 meters using typical, widely installed Cat6A unshielded twisted pair copper cable.
The unique networking demonstration, enabled by PLX®-designed Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) repeaters, utilizes a PLX 40nm-based TN8022 dual-port 10GBase-T PHY transceiver. This breakthrough distance achievement with low-cost Ethernet cabling brings new capabilities to IT managers seeking high-performance networking between multiple server rooms, which, for example, may be located on different floors of a high-rise building or in a campus environment.
PLX 10GBase-T leadership
PLX enabled the industry’s first 10GBase-T equipment via its Teranetics acquisition, and today owns more than 60 percent market share for 10GBase-T physical layer (PHY) devices. With the market’s broadest PHY portfolio, which includes 40nm quad, dual and single port configurations that are now sampling, PLX is providing significant advantages of designing with its 10GBase-T PHYs including:
* GrEEEn Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) support per the IEEE 802.3az specification. PLX GrEEEn features a 50 percent reduction in power dissipation for typical long term traffic patterns.
* Integrated MACsec per IEEE 802.1ae featuring encrypted data for privacy (confidential data exchange) and enhanced filtering for “denial of service” attacks.
* Electromagnetic immunity (EMI) with high performance using a common mode sense, which improves electromagnetic cancellation, EMI robustness and system speed.
* On-chip monitor and ADC for thermal management, featuring die junction temperature via MDIO register and alarm capabilities.
* Analog return loss cancellation, pair and polarity swap, loopback, media dependent interface (MDI) tests, link health / fault monitoring.
With its low-power leadership, PLX’s third-generation PHY, the 40nm TN8000 family dissipates less than four watts per port at a full 100 meters, and as little as two watts per port in short-reach mode. Additionally, TN8000 devices support triple-rate Ethernet (100M/1G/10G), which not only extends the shelf life of existing designs through backward compatibility, but also future-proofs new architectures.
“Extending 10GBase-T links to cover room-to-room and floor-to-floor distances, and providing power over existing Ethernet cables, should help accelerate adoption of the technology by equipment makers and IT managers who were previously forced to use optical fiber for these applications,” said Bob Wheeler, senior analyst at The Linley Group and co-author of the report A Guide to Ethernet Switch and PHY Chips. “PLX’s demonstration of 10GBase-T surpassing 300 meters while providing Power over Ethernet cabling points to a technology that’s poised to advance high-speed networking to the next level and drive market demand for 10G systems.”
“Although PoE technology has long been available for 1Gbps or slower Ethernet transceivers, the key take-away from this 10G PoE demonstration is that PLX 10GBase-T technology has reduced power dissipation to the point where it is now capable of PoE repeater utilization and, therefore, penetrating mainstream applications in ultra-long distance cabling environments,” said Ron Cates, PLX vice president of marketing, networking products. “PLX is working closely with all key networking market leaders to rapidly bring to fruition the inevitable evolution of 10 Gigabit Ethernet in the datacenter.”
PoE technology is an IEEE standard that defines a system safely carrying electrical power, as well as data, over Ethernet cabling. Typical structured wiring rules limit Ethernet cable distances to 100 meters. The 300-meter reach of the TN8022 is a testament to its robust DSP algorithm and superior analog front-end performance.
The unique networking demonstration, enabled by PLX®-designed Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) repeaters, utilizes a PLX 40nm-based TN8022 dual-port 10GBase-T PHY transceiver. This breakthrough distance achievement with low-cost Ethernet cabling brings new capabilities to IT managers seeking high-performance networking between multiple server rooms, which, for example, may be located on different floors of a high-rise building or in a campus environment.
PLX 10GBase-T leadership
PLX enabled the industry’s first 10GBase-T equipment via its Teranetics acquisition, and today owns more than 60 percent market share for 10GBase-T physical layer (PHY) devices. With the market’s broadest PHY portfolio, which includes 40nm quad, dual and single port configurations that are now sampling, PLX is providing significant advantages of designing with its 10GBase-T PHYs including:
* GrEEEn Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE) support per the IEEE 802.3az specification. PLX GrEEEn features a 50 percent reduction in power dissipation for typical long term traffic patterns.
* Integrated MACsec per IEEE 802.1ae featuring encrypted data for privacy (confidential data exchange) and enhanced filtering for “denial of service” attacks.
* Electromagnetic immunity (EMI) with high performance using a common mode sense, which improves electromagnetic cancellation, EMI robustness and system speed.
* On-chip monitor and ADC for thermal management, featuring die junction temperature via MDIO register and alarm capabilities.
* Analog return loss cancellation, pair and polarity swap, loopback, media dependent interface (MDI) tests, link health / fault monitoring.
With its low-power leadership, PLX’s third-generation PHY, the 40nm TN8000 family dissipates less than four watts per port at a full 100 meters, and as little as two watts per port in short-reach mode. Additionally, TN8000 devices support triple-rate Ethernet (100M/1G/10G), which not only extends the shelf life of existing designs through backward compatibility, but also future-proofs new architectures.
“Extending 10GBase-T links to cover room-to-room and floor-to-floor distances, and providing power over existing Ethernet cables, should help accelerate adoption of the technology by equipment makers and IT managers who were previously forced to use optical fiber for these applications,” said Bob Wheeler, senior analyst at The Linley Group and co-author of the report A Guide to Ethernet Switch and PHY Chips. “PLX’s demonstration of 10GBase-T surpassing 300 meters while providing Power over Ethernet cabling points to a technology that’s poised to advance high-speed networking to the next level and drive market demand for 10G systems.”
“Although PoE technology has long been available for 1Gbps or slower Ethernet transceivers, the key take-away from this 10G PoE demonstration is that PLX 10GBase-T technology has reduced power dissipation to the point where it is now capable of PoE repeater utilization and, therefore, penetrating mainstream applications in ultra-long distance cabling environments,” said Ron Cates, PLX vice president of marketing, networking products. “PLX is working closely with all key networking market leaders to rapidly bring to fruition the inevitable evolution of 10 Gigabit Ethernet in the datacenter.”
PoE technology is an IEEE standard that defines a system safely carrying electrical power, as well as data, over Ethernet cabling. Typical structured wiring rules limit Ethernet cable distances to 100 meters. The 300-meter reach of the TN8022 is a testament to its robust DSP algorithm and superior analog front-end performance.
PTGi ICS launches thexchangeSM 2.0 enhanced platform for fixed and mobile network operators to trade wholesale minutes
HERNDON, USA: Primus Telecommunications Group Inc., PTGi (Primus Telecommunications Group Inc.), through its wholesale operations PTGi International Carrier Services (ICS), announced the launch of thexchangeSM version 2.0, the new and improved exchange platform for trading wholesale minutes. The new platform leverages market data and feedback collected by thexchange users, as well as data collected from observing general day-to-day issues associated with how companies buy and sell wholesale traffic on thexchange.
thexchange 2.0 provides an enhanced, easy-to-navigate, user interface that guides members through the buying and selling process by prioritizing activities. Starting with a new home page, members of thexchange will be able to see new revenue-making opportunities for their buying and selling trading activities.
Users of thexchange can then use the new “MyRoutes” tool that consolidates MarketViewSM, order history and the legacy trading floor into one interface with shopping cart functionality. By creating an intuitive, consolidated user interface, the thexchange 2.0 platform provides one view for its users to access the trading floor, place orders and look at real-time MarketView data.
“We have spent the better part of the past year creating an updated and more user-friendly interface to the platform to ensure not only a better look and feel, but to enhance and leverage the cutting edge technology of thexchange to optimize our users’ experience,” says John Melick, President of PTGi International Carrier Services.
“Our development team has consolidated existing features, and added new functions like our shopping cart, while bringing it all together in a refreshed UI that allows users to more easily see what orders they have, create new orders, compare against real-time data and make changes in an effort to increase revenue and margin opportunities.”
thexchange 2.0 provides two main views for its users: a traditional A-Z carrier rate list with search capabilities, based on quality statistics such as Answer Seizure Ratio (ASR) and Answer Call Duration (ACD); and a view, which provides specific trunk group and active rate data. Users can select the routes and associated rates, regardless of a specific code definition, through an added ‘shopping cart’ feature and then ‘check-out’ all selections simultaneously for ease of use.
The platform enables users to update and cancel rates with ‘one-click’ and launches an alert window with associated default rates to ensure accurate selection. The enhanced features and rate selection process guarantees a more streamlined activity log that helps to eliminate disputes and enables defensive pricing strategies.
thexchange 2.0 provides an enhanced, easy-to-navigate, user interface that guides members through the buying and selling process by prioritizing activities. Starting with a new home page, members of thexchange will be able to see new revenue-making opportunities for their buying and selling trading activities.
Users of thexchange can then use the new “MyRoutes” tool that consolidates MarketViewSM, order history and the legacy trading floor into one interface with shopping cart functionality. By creating an intuitive, consolidated user interface, the thexchange 2.0 platform provides one view for its users to access the trading floor, place orders and look at real-time MarketView data.
“We have spent the better part of the past year creating an updated and more user-friendly interface to the platform to ensure not only a better look and feel, but to enhance and leverage the cutting edge technology of thexchange to optimize our users’ experience,” says John Melick, President of PTGi International Carrier Services.
“Our development team has consolidated existing features, and added new functions like our shopping cart, while bringing it all together in a refreshed UI that allows users to more easily see what orders they have, create new orders, compare against real-time data and make changes in an effort to increase revenue and margin opportunities.”
thexchange 2.0 provides two main views for its users: a traditional A-Z carrier rate list with search capabilities, based on quality statistics such as Answer Seizure Ratio (ASR) and Answer Call Duration (ACD); and a view, which provides specific trunk group and active rate data. Users can select the routes and associated rates, regardless of a specific code definition, through an added ‘shopping cart’ feature and then ‘check-out’ all selections simultaneously for ease of use.
The platform enables users to update and cancel rates with ‘one-click’ and launches an alert window with associated default rates to ensure accurate selection. The enhanced features and rate selection process guarantees a more streamlined activity log that helps to eliminate disputes and enables defensive pricing strategies.
Coming soon: iBUZZ Mobiles i4242 Video Buzz phones
NEW DELHI, INDIA: iBUZZ Mobiles announced the coming soon i4242 (Video BUZZ). This stylish dual SIM phone is designed to provide unmatched functionality at affordable prices.
Ideally dubbed the Video BUZZ, the i4242 is equipped with a big battery of 1500mAh, big sound speaker with 20*30mm audio amplifier, opera mini browser, stereo Bluetooth, privacy protection, 1.3 MP camera, auto call recording and a lots of other features that make it a must buy. What makes it so special is its entertainment value as it supports MP3/MP4 and 3GP @ 30 frames per second. Apart from its incredible internal features, its attractive layout with a 2.2 inch QCIF and 262K color display surely makes a perfect style statement too.
For people on the move, the i4242 (Video BUZZ) offers various exceptional features including mobile tracking facility. This phone not only has wireless telescopic FM but also offers schedule FM recording for song lovers which enable them to record their favorite songs while playing live on FM.
This phone comes pre loaded with Java applications and supports popular social networking sites like Facebook and messaging service Nimbuzz. It also offers dual external memory support of upto 16 GB, which will give you enough space to store your pictures, songs and videos and a special privacy protector to lock phonebook/SMS/call log and file manager to keep your personal information intact. The i4242 Video BUZZ, comes with an Indian touch. Also, it includes Indian calendar with Tithi’s and Festivals and also supports the Hindi language.
All iBUZZ mobiles are compliant to international quality benchmarks and safety standards with its battery and chargers CE and SAR certified.
Key features
• Video Player (MP4/3gp @30frames per second).
• 1.3 MP Camera.
• 2.2 inch, Big Screen (262K colors, QCIF).
• Telescopic FM (Schedule FM Recording).
• Big Sound (Big speaker 20*30mm).
• External Memory Support (upto 16GB).
• Dual Sim.
• Big Battery 1500mAh.
• Stereo Bluetooth.
• Java Applications.
Value-added features
• Facebook.
• Nimbuzz.
• Opera Mini Browser.
• Regional Languages.
• Privacy Protection.
• Mobile Tracker.
• Indian Calendar.
Priced at Rs. 2,999, it will be available in all leading Outlets in June 2011.
Ideally dubbed the Video BUZZ, the i4242 is equipped with a big battery of 1500mAh, big sound speaker with 20*30mm audio amplifier, opera mini browser, stereo Bluetooth, privacy protection, 1.3 MP camera, auto call recording and a lots of other features that make it a must buy. What makes it so special is its entertainment value as it supports MP3/MP4 and 3GP @ 30 frames per second. Apart from its incredible internal features, its attractive layout with a 2.2 inch QCIF and 262K color display surely makes a perfect style statement too.
For people on the move, the i4242 (Video BUZZ) offers various exceptional features including mobile tracking facility. This phone not only has wireless telescopic FM but also offers schedule FM recording for song lovers which enable them to record their favorite songs while playing live on FM.
This phone comes pre loaded with Java applications and supports popular social networking sites like Facebook and messaging service Nimbuzz. It also offers dual external memory support of upto 16 GB, which will give you enough space to store your pictures, songs and videos and a special privacy protector to lock phonebook/SMS/call log and file manager to keep your personal information intact. The i4242 Video BUZZ, comes with an Indian touch. Also, it includes Indian calendar with Tithi’s and Festivals and also supports the Hindi language.
All iBUZZ mobiles are compliant to international quality benchmarks and safety standards with its battery and chargers CE and SAR certified.
Key features
• Video Player (MP4/3gp @30frames per second).
• 1.3 MP Camera.
• 2.2 inch, Big Screen (262K colors, QCIF).
• Telescopic FM (Schedule FM Recording).
• Big Sound (Big speaker 20*30mm).
• External Memory Support (upto 16GB).
• Dual Sim.
• Big Battery 1500mAh.
• Stereo Bluetooth.
• Java Applications.
Value-added features
• Facebook.
• Nimbuzz.
• Opera Mini Browser.
• Regional Languages.
• Privacy Protection.
• Mobile Tracker.
• Indian Calendar.
Priced at Rs. 2,999, it will be available in all leading Outlets in June 2011.
Airtel digital TV customers can now watch all channels in HD like quality
NEW DELHI, INDIA: Airtel digital TV has enabled all its high definition (HD) and HD recorder STBs to upscale its complete array of Standard Definition (SD) channels to HD like quality (resolution -1080) with a 16:9 wide aspect ratio. Customers can view all their favorite programs with enhanced contrast with sharper, brighter and more vivid picture quality. This feature is available at no extra charge for all Airtel digital TV HD, HD Recorder customers.
The effort is consistent to Airtel digital TV’s efforts of driving innovation to bring in propositions that make technology both useful and future ready for customers. Features like India’s first Universal Remote or the innovative Remote Recording facility or introducing the Dolby Digital Plus experience to HD have helped raise the benchmarks for TV viewing experience in India. The move to enable both its existing and new HD customers to be able to view 3D content has been another step in Airtel digital TV’s efforts in progressively enhancing customer experience.
Sugato Banerji, CMO-Airtel digital TV, Bharti Airtel, said: “We believe that these initiatives will help build category awareness in the HD market that has an increasing number of customers trying out various options that can help enhance their Standard Definition viewing experience. The journey towards True High Definition has but just begun for the Indian DTH customer and will get further impetus with the entire production, storage and distribution chain moving to HD over the next few years.”
The effort is consistent to Airtel digital TV’s efforts of driving innovation to bring in propositions that make technology both useful and future ready for customers. Features like India’s first Universal Remote or the innovative Remote Recording facility or introducing the Dolby Digital Plus experience to HD have helped raise the benchmarks for TV viewing experience in India. The move to enable both its existing and new HD customers to be able to view 3D content has been another step in Airtel digital TV’s efforts in progressively enhancing customer experience.
Sugato Banerji, CMO-Airtel digital TV, Bharti Airtel, said: “We believe that these initiatives will help build category awareness in the HD market that has an increasing number of customers trying out various options that can help enhance their Standard Definition viewing experience. The journey towards True High Definition has but just begun for the Indian DTH customer and will get further impetus with the entire production, storage and distribution chain moving to HD over the next few years.”
Business use of ‘big-screen’ mobile broadband to increase considerably in Asia-Pacific
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: The number of connections for ‘big-screen’ mobile Internet devices used for business in Asia-Pacific will increase five times over the next five years as the workforce becomes increasingly mobile, predicts Ovum.
According to a new forecast by the independent telecoms analyst, the number of big-screen broadband connections for devices such as laptops and tablets on enterprise contracts in Asia-Pacific will grow faster than the global average and will hit 32 million by 2015 – up from 5.9 million in 2010 and a CAGR of 40 percent.
Use of mobile handsets will continue to dominate the enterprise market with connections on enterprise contracts in Asia-Pacific predicted to hit 83 million by 2015 – a CAGR of 10 percent from 2010 to 2015. Underlying this trend is a major shift to the use of smartphones in businesses.
Meanwhile, total revenues for the enterprise mobile market in the region will reach $29 billion in 2015, with the majority of growth coming from the use of data services as mobile voice prices commoditise.
Claudio Castelli, Ovum senior analyst, commented: “An increasingly mobile workforce and the intensifying need for them to be able to access data wherever they are is driving the strong predicted growth in the number of enterprise broadband connections. However, we see that many enterprises find mobility increasingly difficult to manage, particularly as employees increasingly want to bring their own devices, including iPads, iPhones and Android devices, into the workplace and connect these to the company network.
“In Asia-Pacific, more than in other regions enterprises allow employees with business need for mobility to provide equipment themselves and claim reimbursement for usage from the business. This gives user greater flexibility but puts pressure on IT departments who have to manage the associated risk as well as additional costs to the enterprise.”
According to a new forecast by the independent telecoms analyst, the number of big-screen broadband connections for devices such as laptops and tablets on enterprise contracts in Asia-Pacific will grow faster than the global average and will hit 32 million by 2015 – up from 5.9 million in 2010 and a CAGR of 40 percent.
Use of mobile handsets will continue to dominate the enterprise market with connections on enterprise contracts in Asia-Pacific predicted to hit 83 million by 2015 – a CAGR of 10 percent from 2010 to 2015. Underlying this trend is a major shift to the use of smartphones in businesses.
Meanwhile, total revenues for the enterprise mobile market in the region will reach $29 billion in 2015, with the majority of growth coming from the use of data services as mobile voice prices commoditise.
Claudio Castelli, Ovum senior analyst, commented: “An increasingly mobile workforce and the intensifying need for them to be able to access data wherever they are is driving the strong predicted growth in the number of enterprise broadband connections. However, we see that many enterprises find mobility increasingly difficult to manage, particularly as employees increasingly want to bring their own devices, including iPads, iPhones and Android devices, into the workplace and connect these to the company network.
“In Asia-Pacific, more than in other regions enterprises allow employees with business need for mobility to provide equipment themselves and claim reimbursement for usage from the business. This gives user greater flexibility but puts pressure on IT departments who have to manage the associated risk as well as additional costs to the enterprise.”
Friday, May 20, 2011
Spreadtrum announces low cost multimedia mobile phone solution
SHENZHEN, CHINA: Spreadtrum Communications Inc., a leading fabless semiconductor provider in China with advanced technology in both 2G and 3G wireless communications standards, announced the introduction of two low-cost multimedia chipsets, the SC6610 and the SC6620, for the low-end multimedia handset market.
These products feature a higher integration level of design that allows for a more economic cost structure for the GSM/GPRS multimedia handsets, which meet the growing demand for low-end mobile phones in both domestic and overseas emerging markets.
The SC6610 and SC6620 possess Spreadtrum's highly integrated design, and also combine PMU, multimedia accelerator, touch screen controller, backlight controller, 16M/32M pSRAM, and up to four SIM card interfaces into one chip. These solutions allow for significantly reduced handset design complexity, yet still offer customers rich multimedia features.
The SC6610 and SC6620 also integrate multi-SIM card engine and controllers, thus providing customers with the freedom to choose between multi-SIM card options, such as Dual-SIM standby, Triple-SIM standby, and Quad-SIM standby solutions in a set of baseband and RF chip.
In addition to MP3 and MP4 features, the SC6610 and SC6620 support a variety of peripheral device interfaces, including serial/parallel LCD, serial/parallel digital camera sensor and serial nor-flash, which make the PCB design easier. They also enable PCB through-hole double-layer design, which helps to significantly reduce PCB layout components and the number of PCB layers, thus minimizing manufacturing costs. The serial nor-flash interfaces support both 1.8V and 3V products and provide customers with more flexibility in sourcing and security in component supply.
"The SC6610 and SC6620 chipsets are the result of our unwavering focus on innovation," Dr. Leo Li, Spreadtrum's president and CEO said, "Our continuous efforts within R&D and market expansion have provided us with cutting-edge technology and a loyal and growing customer base. We intend to build on this trend in order to accelerate our pace to provide more innovative products for customers that will help them reduce handset development cost, shorten time-to-market, and ultimately enhance their competitive edge."
These products feature a higher integration level of design that allows for a more economic cost structure for the GSM/GPRS multimedia handsets, which meet the growing demand for low-end mobile phones in both domestic and overseas emerging markets.
The SC6610 and SC6620 possess Spreadtrum's highly integrated design, and also combine PMU, multimedia accelerator, touch screen controller, backlight controller, 16M/32M pSRAM, and up to four SIM card interfaces into one chip. These solutions allow for significantly reduced handset design complexity, yet still offer customers rich multimedia features.
The SC6610 and SC6620 also integrate multi-SIM card engine and controllers, thus providing customers with the freedom to choose between multi-SIM card options, such as Dual-SIM standby, Triple-SIM standby, and Quad-SIM standby solutions in a set of baseband and RF chip.
In addition to MP3 and MP4 features, the SC6610 and SC6620 support a variety of peripheral device interfaces, including serial/parallel LCD, serial/parallel digital camera sensor and serial nor-flash, which make the PCB design easier. They also enable PCB through-hole double-layer design, which helps to significantly reduce PCB layout components and the number of PCB layers, thus minimizing manufacturing costs. The serial nor-flash interfaces support both 1.8V and 3V products and provide customers with more flexibility in sourcing and security in component supply.
"The SC6610 and SC6620 chipsets are the result of our unwavering focus on innovation," Dr. Leo Li, Spreadtrum's president and CEO said, "Our continuous efforts within R&D and market expansion have provided us with cutting-edge technology and a loyal and growing customer base. We intend to build on this trend in order to accelerate our pace to provide more innovative products for customers that will help them reduce handset development cost, shorten time-to-market, and ultimately enhance their competitive edge."
Rittal and CommScope develop integrated server enclosure solution
URBANA, USA: CommScope Inc., a global leader in infrastructure solutions for communications networks, and Rittal Corp., the industry leader in IT enclosure design, have created and unveiled a unique integrated enclosure concept that is the first pre-terminated server enclosure solution on the market.
The InstaPATCH ZERO server cabinet solution from CommScope is built on a modular 600mm-wide server enclosure equipped with pre-terminated cabling cassettes that require zero space in vertical racks—enabling full server deployment. Coupled with a 4U mini rack mounted above the cabinet, it provides copper and fiber connectivity in an integrated, modular system. The unique "roll-in" and "plug-in" server enclosure deployment facilitates best practices in intra-cabinet cable management.
This, the latest in the InstaPATCH product line from CommScope, helps to provide complete end-to-end pre-terminated structured cable solutions to make server cabinet deployment quicker, more efficient and readily adaptable to the expanding needs as a data center evolves.
"Working with another world-class company to provide unique solutions to the IT industry's enclosure needs gives Rittal a larger stage on which to demonstrate the quality and versatility of its rack and cabinet technology," says Jim Nichols, VP of Marketing and Service for Rittal.
"By developing this integrated solution with industry leader Rittal Corporation, we provide customers the advantages of the latest technology in enclosure design and configuration along with the latest in cabling technology," explains George Brooks, senior VP of Data Center Business Unit for CommScope. "The InstaPATCH ZERO solution allows customers to select a turn-key option designed for rapid server deployment and change management, regardless of the server equipment selected. By helping our customers deploy a high value solution today, we can also help them save time, money, space, plan for the growth of tomorrow and realize a higher investment value."
"Combining the two technologies will allow organizations to adopt pre-terminated and flexible cabling solutions for easier and faster server deployments in installations where space is at a real premium," adds Nichols.
The InstaPATCH ZERO server cabinet solution will be available in the North, Central and South America regions in mid-May.
The InstaPATCH ZERO server cabinet solution from CommScope is built on a modular 600mm-wide server enclosure equipped with pre-terminated cabling cassettes that require zero space in vertical racks—enabling full server deployment. Coupled with a 4U mini rack mounted above the cabinet, it provides copper and fiber connectivity in an integrated, modular system. The unique "roll-in" and "plug-in" server enclosure deployment facilitates best practices in intra-cabinet cable management.
This, the latest in the InstaPATCH product line from CommScope, helps to provide complete end-to-end pre-terminated structured cable solutions to make server cabinet deployment quicker, more efficient and readily adaptable to the expanding needs as a data center evolves.
"Working with another world-class company to provide unique solutions to the IT industry's enclosure needs gives Rittal a larger stage on which to demonstrate the quality and versatility of its rack and cabinet technology," says Jim Nichols, VP of Marketing and Service for Rittal.
"By developing this integrated solution with industry leader Rittal Corporation, we provide customers the advantages of the latest technology in enclosure design and configuration along with the latest in cabling technology," explains George Brooks, senior VP of Data Center Business Unit for CommScope. "The InstaPATCH ZERO solution allows customers to select a turn-key option designed for rapid server deployment and change management, regardless of the server equipment selected. By helping our customers deploy a high value solution today, we can also help them save time, money, space, plan for the growth of tomorrow and realize a higher investment value."
"Combining the two technologies will allow organizations to adopt pre-terminated and flexible cabling solutions for easier and faster server deployments in installations where space is at a real premium," adds Nichols.
The InstaPATCH ZERO server cabinet solution will be available in the North, Central and South America regions in mid-May.
Tesacom first business to have Iridium license in Panama
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA: Tesacom, the leader in telecommunication solutions for remote locations within Latin America, announced that the company was granted licenses in the Republic of Panama under which Tesacom can provide and sell Iridium voice and data communications in the country. Tesacom is the first company to have a license for use of Iridium in Panama.
This license enables Tesacom the ability to better address the growing commercial enterprise market and government demand for Iridium products, services and applications within Panama.
Iridium is the only communication company to offer truly global, mobile coverage. As an Iridium distributor, Tesacom is now able to offer the complete Iridium voice and data solutions and services portfolio within Panama, including: the Iridium 9555 satellite phone; the Iridium OpenPort broadband maritime service that provides three separate phone lines and a high-speed data line; and two-way machine-to-machine (M2M) data transceivers for remote data monitoring and asset tracking and management.
In addition, Tesacom recently developed and certified VKI Tesacom for use on the Iridium global network. The VKI Tesacom system provides integrated voice, data, email and vessel monitoring solutions for the maritime sector with attractive pricing for the Panamanian market.
"This announcement reinforces the strong relationship we have maintained with Iridium since 2007, as well as our commitment to the region," affirmed Jose Sanchez Elia, CEO of Tesacom. "Acquiring this license enables us to expand the Iridium footprint, bringing advanced voice and data communications into Panama. Tesacom's first-rate customer service and after-sales service in Spanish, Portuguese and English, makes us uniquely qualified to serve end-customers within the region."
"Tesacom's innovative approach and deep market knowledge is an example of how our ever-expanding ecosystem of partners is extending the reach of Iridium around the globe and to an even broader distribution," said Ted O'Brien, vice president and general manager, the Americas, Iridium. "Together we are advancing business communications in Panama, where there is a demand for reliable, effective and continuous communications in the maritime sector, along with agriculture and the country's many other burgeoning industries."
Iridium voice and data communications provided through Tesacom will serve Panama's shipping, agriculture, manufacturing and mining industries. The Iridium network will continue to serve Panama well into the future with Iridium NEXT, its next-generation network expected to begin launching in 2015.
This license enables Tesacom the ability to better address the growing commercial enterprise market and government demand for Iridium products, services and applications within Panama.
Iridium is the only communication company to offer truly global, mobile coverage. As an Iridium distributor, Tesacom is now able to offer the complete Iridium voice and data solutions and services portfolio within Panama, including: the Iridium 9555 satellite phone; the Iridium OpenPort broadband maritime service that provides three separate phone lines and a high-speed data line; and two-way machine-to-machine (M2M) data transceivers for remote data monitoring and asset tracking and management.
In addition, Tesacom recently developed and certified VKI Tesacom for use on the Iridium global network. The VKI Tesacom system provides integrated voice, data, email and vessel monitoring solutions for the maritime sector with attractive pricing for the Panamanian market.
"This announcement reinforces the strong relationship we have maintained with Iridium since 2007, as well as our commitment to the region," affirmed Jose Sanchez Elia, CEO of Tesacom. "Acquiring this license enables us to expand the Iridium footprint, bringing advanced voice and data communications into Panama. Tesacom's first-rate customer service and after-sales service in Spanish, Portuguese and English, makes us uniquely qualified to serve end-customers within the region."
"Tesacom's innovative approach and deep market knowledge is an example of how our ever-expanding ecosystem of partners is extending the reach of Iridium around the globe and to an even broader distribution," said Ted O'Brien, vice president and general manager, the Americas, Iridium. "Together we are advancing business communications in Panama, where there is a demand for reliable, effective and continuous communications in the maritime sector, along with agriculture and the country's many other burgeoning industries."
Iridium voice and data communications provided through Tesacom will serve Panama's shipping, agriculture, manufacturing and mining industries. The Iridium network will continue to serve Panama well into the future with Iridium NEXT, its next-generation network expected to begin launching in 2015.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
CreditCards.com launches mobile site to serve smartphone market
NEW YORK, USA: Bankrate Inc.'s CreditCards.com, the Internet's leading credit card comparison and information Website, launched a mobile-device optimized site today to enhance the user experience for those using Web-enabled cell phones and smartphones.
The mobile site displays major credit card categories, the most popular cards in each category and several convenient application options, including, tap to call via toll-free number, link to an online credit application or an option to email the application to the consumer for later completion and submission.
"While the full Website is functional on a Web-enabled mobile device, the new site will greatly enhance the ease of comparison, selection and application of credit cards on a smartphone," said Vandana Nayak, CreditCards.com's Director of Product Management. "Having a fully optimized mobile site designed for search, comparison and application process on the small screen is a unique capability within the credit card space and will render the process as seamless as if using a laptop or desktop computer," added Ms. Nayak.
When a user accesses the CreditCards.com Website using a smartphone or a Web-enabled mobile device, the Website automatically detects the device and delivers an experience optimized for the mobile device.
"We are incredibly excited about the launch of our mobile site," said Jody Farmer, CreditCard.com's VP of Strategic Marketing. "The percentage of our traffic that comes from mobile devices has been growing steadily in the past few months and we look forward to providing our customers with an optimal experience," Farmer added.
The mobile site displays major credit card categories, the most popular cards in each category and several convenient application options, including, tap to call via toll-free number, link to an online credit application or an option to email the application to the consumer for later completion and submission.
"While the full Website is functional on a Web-enabled mobile device, the new site will greatly enhance the ease of comparison, selection and application of credit cards on a smartphone," said Vandana Nayak, CreditCards.com's Director of Product Management. "Having a fully optimized mobile site designed for search, comparison and application process on the small screen is a unique capability within the credit card space and will render the process as seamless as if using a laptop or desktop computer," added Ms. Nayak.
When a user accesses the CreditCards.com Website using a smartphone or a Web-enabled mobile device, the Website automatically detects the device and delivers an experience optimized for the mobile device.
"We are incredibly excited about the launch of our mobile site," said Jody Farmer, CreditCard.com's VP of Strategic Marketing. "The percentage of our traffic that comes from mobile devices has been growing steadily in the past few months and we look forward to providing our customers with an optimal experience," Farmer added.
CSR brings benefits of HD voice with first fully qualified wideband speech enabled Bluetooth audio platform
BANGALORE, INDIA: CSR has announced wide-ranging platform support for the freshly-ratified HFP 1.6 Bluetooth profile which includes Wideband Speech – often referred to as High Definition voice or HD voice. Its BC6145 is the first mass-market mono headset solution to support this new hands-free profile, enabling OEMs to begin producing high-quality HD voice-ready products immediately.
CSR has designed HD voice support into multiple products for handset, headset and automotive-specific applications and it plans to qualify the new profile across a broad range of platforms.
Various mobile network operators are now rolling out HD voice services to bring new levels of speech clarity to their users. At the network level HD voice will be able to support a wider speech spectrum than was previously available to consumers. With the increase in speech spectrum from 300Hz – 3.4kHz to 50Hz – 7kHz consumers should benefit from significantly improved intelligibility, even in the presence of noise. Other expected benefits include more accurate voice control of peripheral, better speech-to-text, and a brighter audio quality that makes the caller seem nearer.
The presence of the Bluetooth HFP 1.6 profile in both the cellular device and Bluetooth accessory therefore should allow the extension of the networks’ HD voice services across Bluetooth. This is intended to eliminate the constraint of low 8kHz sample rates and the resulting loss of high and low speech frequencies. Instead, users may enjoy 16kHz clarity with calls sounding more natural, while voice dialling and many other functions will be improved.
Anthony Murray, VP of the Audio and Consumer Business Unit in CSR, commented: “Today marks two significant developments which together combine to help drive HD voice to mainstream adoption – the long-awaited debut of the Bluetooth SIG’s new HFP 1.6 supporting Wideband Speech, and the immediate availability of HFP 1.6 compliant audio platforms from CSR in volume quantities.
“With numerous mobile network operators moving to offer HD voice technology, subscribers making hands-free calls using Bluetooth headsets and car-kits incorporating the BC6145 for example, should continue to derive all the compelling benefits that HD voice delivers.”
CSR’s BC6145 is aimed at single-microphone mono headsets, speakerphones, car-kits and other mass-market wireless audio accessories. As well as HD voice, BC6145 will support a highly compelling set of consumer-centric features including A2DP music streaming, advanced intelligibility enhancements and extended talk time. BC6145 also supports bi-directional noise reduction and ultra low-power Wind Noise Reduction (WNR), which are expected to greatly enhance the user experience.
As well as the immediately-qualified BC6145, CSR also has several other platforms ready to support HD voice including its CSR8000 connectivity platform and BlueCore5-Multimedia for headsets and other applications. CSR's automotive and PND business units are also preparing automotive-grade solutions to enable the advantages of HD voice throughout today’s ecosystem of mobile communications devices, from handsets and headsets to factory-fit automotive applications and aftermarket automotive applications.
BC6145 with HD voice is available immediately in mass production quantities.
CSR has designed HD voice support into multiple products for handset, headset and automotive-specific applications and it plans to qualify the new profile across a broad range of platforms.
Various mobile network operators are now rolling out HD voice services to bring new levels of speech clarity to their users. At the network level HD voice will be able to support a wider speech spectrum than was previously available to consumers. With the increase in speech spectrum from 300Hz – 3.4kHz to 50Hz – 7kHz consumers should benefit from significantly improved intelligibility, even in the presence of noise. Other expected benefits include more accurate voice control of peripheral, better speech-to-text, and a brighter audio quality that makes the caller seem nearer.
The presence of the Bluetooth HFP 1.6 profile in both the cellular device and Bluetooth accessory therefore should allow the extension of the networks’ HD voice services across Bluetooth. This is intended to eliminate the constraint of low 8kHz sample rates and the resulting loss of high and low speech frequencies. Instead, users may enjoy 16kHz clarity with calls sounding more natural, while voice dialling and many other functions will be improved.
Anthony Murray, VP of the Audio and Consumer Business Unit in CSR, commented: “Today marks two significant developments which together combine to help drive HD voice to mainstream adoption – the long-awaited debut of the Bluetooth SIG’s new HFP 1.6 supporting Wideband Speech, and the immediate availability of HFP 1.6 compliant audio platforms from CSR in volume quantities.
“With numerous mobile network operators moving to offer HD voice technology, subscribers making hands-free calls using Bluetooth headsets and car-kits incorporating the BC6145 for example, should continue to derive all the compelling benefits that HD voice delivers.”
CSR’s BC6145 is aimed at single-microphone mono headsets, speakerphones, car-kits and other mass-market wireless audio accessories. As well as HD voice, BC6145 will support a highly compelling set of consumer-centric features including A2DP music streaming, advanced intelligibility enhancements and extended talk time. BC6145 also supports bi-directional noise reduction and ultra low-power Wind Noise Reduction (WNR), which are expected to greatly enhance the user experience.
As well as the immediately-qualified BC6145, CSR also has several other platforms ready to support HD voice including its CSR8000 connectivity platform and BlueCore5-Multimedia for headsets and other applications. CSR's automotive and PND business units are also preparing automotive-grade solutions to enable the advantages of HD voice throughout today’s ecosystem of mobile communications devices, from handsets and headsets to factory-fit automotive applications and aftermarket automotive applications.
BC6145 with HD voice is available immediately in mass production quantities.
D-Link strengthens its 3G product portfolio
MUMBAI, INDIA: Off late 3G has become the new buzz word in Indian technology space. Further the growing popularity of smartphones, tablet computers and other Internet-ready devices is driving the demand for anytime, anywhere Internet access. In view of the above D-Link, the end-to-end network solutions provider for consumers and business decided to roll out its wide range of 3G devices for Indian consumers & thereby strengthen its 3G product portfolio.
D-Link launched a gamut of 3G products that include an exclusive range of portable Wi-Fi devices namely - D-Link Le Petit Mini USB Router (DWR-510), D-Link DWR-131 Ethernet Router & D-Link myPocket DIR-456U 3.75G HSUPA Router.
Jayesh Kotak, VP-Product Marketing, D-Link (India), said: "Globally D-Link has been operating for over 25 years in networking industry. All these years we have ensured that our customers get to experience the best in technology space through our products that aim at building strong & reliable networks for people. Hence, D-Link has always been in the forefront when it comes to offering the latest & best in technology space. With our new 3G range of devices, we are confident that our consumers will be enthralled in a never before Wi-Fi Internet experience."
D-Link launched a gamut of 3G products that include an exclusive range of portable Wi-Fi devices namely - D-Link Le Petit Mini USB Router (DWR-510), D-Link DWR-131 Ethernet Router & D-Link myPocket DIR-456U 3.75G HSUPA Router.
Jayesh Kotak, VP-Product Marketing, D-Link (India), said: "Globally D-Link has been operating for over 25 years in networking industry. All these years we have ensured that our customers get to experience the best in technology space through our products that aim at building strong & reliable networks for people. Hence, D-Link has always been in the forefront when it comes to offering the latest & best in technology space. With our new 3G range of devices, we are confident that our consumers will be enthralled in a never before Wi-Fi Internet experience."
Clearwire selects Ericsson for managed services
KIRKLAND, USA & STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN: Clearwire Corp., a leading provider of 4G wireless broadband services in the US, and Ericsson announced a seven-year, managed services partnership that will transfer the day-to-day management of Clearwire's 4G network to Ericsson and allow Clearwire to realize operational efficiencies and reduce operating costs.
"Clearwire's effort to reduce costs and maximize efficiency while delivering a high quality mobile broadband service to our customers extends to all parts of our business," said Erik Prusch, Clearwire's chief operating officer. "By engaging Ericsson, a proven leader in managed network services, we can achieve those objectives, and benefit from their extensive global expertise and best-practices developed while serving clients around the world."
"We greatly appreciate the tireless contributions the talented people on our network services team have made in building Clearwire's 4G network and laying the foundation for our success," Prusch continued. "We are pleased they will have new opportunities within Ericsson to support our customers, and further position Clearwire as the leader in mobile broadband."
Key aspects of the partnership include:
* Clearwire retains ownership of all network assets and full responsibility for future technology and strategy decisions.
* Ericsson will be responsible for network engineering, operations and maintenance, including field services, 24X7 network monitoring, end-to-end engineering, provisioning and routine maintenance.
* Clearwire will remain the primary point of contact for all interactions with customers, wholesale partners and equipment vendors.
* Approximately 700 Clearwire employees are expected to begin performing their network functions as Ericsson employees in locations around the United States before mid-year 2011.
"Clearwire's effort to reduce costs and maximize efficiency while delivering a high quality mobile broadband service to our customers extends to all parts of our business," said Erik Prusch, Clearwire's chief operating officer. "By engaging Ericsson, a proven leader in managed network services, we can achieve those objectives, and benefit from their extensive global expertise and best-practices developed while serving clients around the world."
"We greatly appreciate the tireless contributions the talented people on our network services team have made in building Clearwire's 4G network and laying the foundation for our success," Prusch continued. "We are pleased they will have new opportunities within Ericsson to support our customers, and further position Clearwire as the leader in mobile broadband."
Key aspects of the partnership include:
* Clearwire retains ownership of all network assets and full responsibility for future technology and strategy decisions.
* Ericsson will be responsible for network engineering, operations and maintenance, including field services, 24X7 network monitoring, end-to-end engineering, provisioning and routine maintenance.
* Clearwire will remain the primary point of contact for all interactions with customers, wholesale partners and equipment vendors.
* Approximately 700 Clearwire employees are expected to begin performing their network functions as Ericsson employees in locations around the United States before mid-year 2011.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Czech Republic to dominate IPTV market in future
LONDON, UK: Bundled services provision has become one of the most successful ways to prevent customers from churning in telecoms world in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). One of their main components is often IPTV. Although the IPTV market is in the early stage of development, changes in media consumption are likely to ensure the market stable growth.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan finds that the market earned revenues of €90 million in 2010 and estimates this to reach €270 million in 2017.
“IPTV growth in CEE will be relatively stable, driven by both ARPU and subscriber base increases. However, revenues from IPTV services are likely to remain a small part of total telecoms revenues in the short to medium terms,” says Edyta Kosowska, Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst, ICT Europe. “In the long term, market participants can count on much higher incomes from upsale of the premium content and value added services.”
Currently, the most important challenge for IPTV operators is competition with other pay TV providers. Established pay TV operators, with strong market knowledge and experience have the edge over new IPTV providers. Limited coverage of the relevant infrastructure for high-quality services provision also restrains growth.
“Currently, the highest number of IPTV subscribers as well as the highest penetration of the services is in the Czech Republic, where around 5 percent of the households use IPTV services, “ adds Edyta Kosowska. “The Czech Republic is likely to dominate the IPTV market in the foreseeable future.”
The least developed IPTV markets in the region remain Bulgaria and Romania. Market participants face the challenge of very high penetration of pay TV services and relatively low penetration of broadband. However, in the near future IPTV is likely to take up in these markets stimulated by growing interest of the main telecom market participants and increasing broadband penetration in fibre to the building (FTTB) technology.
To succeed on the market, IPTV providers must differentiate their offerings in terms of quality, content, additional services and adjusted pricing models. At this stage of the market development, educational efforts are still required. Clear messages showing the advantages of IPTV have to be sent to the end-users. Going forward, due to its qualities, IPTV in CEE is likely to become a target technology not only for telecom operators and ISPs but also for cable TV providers.
“In Poland some of the cable TV operators are already providing video on demand (VoD) services via IP technologies,” says Kosowska. “On the other hand, Magyar Telekom, Hungarian incumbent introduced the IPTV service over cable television network using EuroDOCSIS 3.0 technology.”
Nonetheless, the simple economic calculation indicates that IPTV will be rolled-out mainly in the urban areas. The rural territories are likely to be dominated by satellite technology.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan finds that the market earned revenues of €90 million in 2010 and estimates this to reach €270 million in 2017.
“IPTV growth in CEE will be relatively stable, driven by both ARPU and subscriber base increases. However, revenues from IPTV services are likely to remain a small part of total telecoms revenues in the short to medium terms,” says Edyta Kosowska, Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst, ICT Europe. “In the long term, market participants can count on much higher incomes from upsale of the premium content and value added services.”
Currently, the most important challenge for IPTV operators is competition with other pay TV providers. Established pay TV operators, with strong market knowledge and experience have the edge over new IPTV providers. Limited coverage of the relevant infrastructure for high-quality services provision also restrains growth.
“Currently, the highest number of IPTV subscribers as well as the highest penetration of the services is in the Czech Republic, where around 5 percent of the households use IPTV services, “ adds Edyta Kosowska. “The Czech Republic is likely to dominate the IPTV market in the foreseeable future.”
The least developed IPTV markets in the region remain Bulgaria and Romania. Market participants face the challenge of very high penetration of pay TV services and relatively low penetration of broadband. However, in the near future IPTV is likely to take up in these markets stimulated by growing interest of the main telecom market participants and increasing broadband penetration in fibre to the building (FTTB) technology.
To succeed on the market, IPTV providers must differentiate their offerings in terms of quality, content, additional services and adjusted pricing models. At this stage of the market development, educational efforts are still required. Clear messages showing the advantages of IPTV have to be sent to the end-users. Going forward, due to its qualities, IPTV in CEE is likely to become a target technology not only for telecom operators and ISPs but also for cable TV providers.
“In Poland some of the cable TV operators are already providing video on demand (VoD) services via IP technologies,” says Kosowska. “On the other hand, Magyar Telekom, Hungarian incumbent introduced the IPTV service over cable television network using EuroDOCSIS 3.0 technology.”
Nonetheless, the simple economic calculation indicates that IPTV will be rolled-out mainly in the urban areas. The rural territories are likely to be dominated by satellite technology.
Future of Wireless international conference puts spotlight on growing demand for mobile broadband
UK: With the phenomenal growth in smartphones, tablets and other data-rich devices driving demand for mobile broadband services, wireless networks are coming under increasing stress, says Cambridge Wireless, the leading independent wireless business and technology community. And, with no clear match in the willingness by users to fund their mobile data habits, there is an urgent need to restructure value chains and business models and to invest in next generation wireless infrastructures and spectrum availability.
These are some of the issues that will be addressed at the third Future of Wireless International Conference on June 27-28 with speakers from major industry players including Qualcomm, BBC, Broadcom, Deutsche Telekom, Huawei, Iridium, Nokia, Microsoft, Ofcom, Reliance and Three.
“It is clear that everyone in the wireless value chain including hardware manufacturers, content owners and network operators all have a part to play in shaping the new mobile ecosystem to deal with networks under stress,” says Soraya Jones, CEO at Cambridge Wireless. “By bringing together both established companies and new players, Cambridge Wireless can help to facilitate discussion, cooperation and innovation to meet the challenges ahead and deliver the services and experience users will expect.”
Roberto Di Pietro, VP Marketing for Qualcomm QCT Europe adds: “By providing better mobile networks we can create new opportunities for growth. By having a greater availability of mobile broadband and providing more capacity and coverage, users will get a better quality of experience and service; therefore more people will use the services available to them such as gaming and augmented reality – this is essential for industry development and growth.”
While new technologies are emerging such as LTE and Femtocells, it is not a given that all demand has to be met, suggests William Webb, from the Ofcom Spectrum Advisory Board and CTO of Neul: “Congestion happens in many other areas – on our roads for example – and either congestion or price rationing is likely to be necessary otherwise demand for a ‘free’ resource will become unbounded.”
One of the topics to be discussed at the Future of Wireless International Conference will be the potential roll of a Big ‘Wireless’ Society. “The only way that the forecast demand for wireless broadband can be met is with smaller cells and as with WiFi, a mechanism will be needed to bring these independent cells into a consolidated network; effectively a way of selling capacity ‘micro-generation’ into a large telecoms network,” suggests Webb.
“As demand for mobile broadband continues to rocket upwards, conventional modes of delivering mobile service simply aren’t going to hold up. Real, breakthrough innovation is an imperative if we’re going to overcome network congestion in urban centres and provide better access in rural areas,” says Houston Spencer, VP Marketing, Alcatel-Lucent. “The historical dependence on heavy, macro radio networks will give way to a mixed approach with small cells that can be deployed anywhere, in a tiny footprint and at much lower capital and environmental cost.”
“While mobile technology is creating many opportunities to enhance people’s lives in profound ways it is critical that we understand and successfully manage key stress points emerging from this rapid growth and continue to focus on innovation and investment to expand access to mobile broadband services globally,” said Peter Whale, board member of Cambridge Wireless and director of Product Management for Qualcomm.
The 2011 Future of Wireless International Conference at St John’s College Cambridge will build on the success of last year’s event that attracted over 300 delegates, sponsors and exhibitors representing every part of the wireless value chain. “The conference is designed to provide a dynamic environment for delegates to share and gain insight into the future of the mobile and wireless marketplace, as well as shaping an integrated view of the industry as a whole,” said David Cleevely, chairman of Cambridge Wireless.
These are some of the issues that will be addressed at the third Future of Wireless International Conference on June 27-28 with speakers from major industry players including Qualcomm, BBC, Broadcom, Deutsche Telekom, Huawei, Iridium, Nokia, Microsoft, Ofcom, Reliance and Three.
“It is clear that everyone in the wireless value chain including hardware manufacturers, content owners and network operators all have a part to play in shaping the new mobile ecosystem to deal with networks under stress,” says Soraya Jones, CEO at Cambridge Wireless. “By bringing together both established companies and new players, Cambridge Wireless can help to facilitate discussion, cooperation and innovation to meet the challenges ahead and deliver the services and experience users will expect.”
Roberto Di Pietro, VP Marketing for Qualcomm QCT Europe adds: “By providing better mobile networks we can create new opportunities for growth. By having a greater availability of mobile broadband and providing more capacity and coverage, users will get a better quality of experience and service; therefore more people will use the services available to them such as gaming and augmented reality – this is essential for industry development and growth.”
While new technologies are emerging such as LTE and Femtocells, it is not a given that all demand has to be met, suggests William Webb, from the Ofcom Spectrum Advisory Board and CTO of Neul: “Congestion happens in many other areas – on our roads for example – and either congestion or price rationing is likely to be necessary otherwise demand for a ‘free’ resource will become unbounded.”
One of the topics to be discussed at the Future of Wireless International Conference will be the potential roll of a Big ‘Wireless’ Society. “The only way that the forecast demand for wireless broadband can be met is with smaller cells and as with WiFi, a mechanism will be needed to bring these independent cells into a consolidated network; effectively a way of selling capacity ‘micro-generation’ into a large telecoms network,” suggests Webb.
“As demand for mobile broadband continues to rocket upwards, conventional modes of delivering mobile service simply aren’t going to hold up. Real, breakthrough innovation is an imperative if we’re going to overcome network congestion in urban centres and provide better access in rural areas,” says Houston Spencer, VP Marketing, Alcatel-Lucent. “The historical dependence on heavy, macro radio networks will give way to a mixed approach with small cells that can be deployed anywhere, in a tiny footprint and at much lower capital and environmental cost.”
“While mobile technology is creating many opportunities to enhance people’s lives in profound ways it is critical that we understand and successfully manage key stress points emerging from this rapid growth and continue to focus on innovation and investment to expand access to mobile broadband services globally,” said Peter Whale, board member of Cambridge Wireless and director of Product Management for Qualcomm.
The 2011 Future of Wireless International Conference at St John’s College Cambridge will build on the success of last year’s event that attracted over 300 delegates, sponsors and exhibitors representing every part of the wireless value chain. “The conference is designed to provide a dynamic environment for delegates to share and gain insight into the future of the mobile and wireless marketplace, as well as shaping an integrated view of the industry as a whole,” said David Cleevely, chairman of Cambridge Wireless.
Docea Power appoints Saline as its distributor in Korea
GRENOBLE, FRANCE & SEOUL, KOREA: Docea Power, the design-for-low-power company that delivers software solutions for power and thermal analysis at the architectural level, announced that the company has signed an agreement with Saline Co. Ltd to distribute Docea Power solutions in Korea.
Korea is home to major manufacturers of mobile consumer devices from wireless handsets to tablet PC. Power management and saving is on the top list of their concerns. Docea Power’s solutions are currently used by major wireless chipsets and handsets manufacturers to allow for power optimization from the very start of projects at both the SoC and platform level.
“Saline has an in-depth knowledge of the Korean market with regards to offering solutions for low power design and we see currently a strong demand for EDA tools allowing system architects of complex SoCs and platforms to model and simulate power at the system level,” says Ghislain Kaiser, CEO, Docea Power. “Working with Saline allows us to help our customers scale up their methodologies for power estimation and optimization at the architectural level”.
“Docea Power’s Aceplorer is the only dedicated solution for power modeling and simulation at the architectural level, where many of our customers are currently using limited methodologies for limited output and with high maintenance costs,” said HS Lim, VP of Sales and Marketing, Saline. “Docea Power’s solutions will help them overcome these limitations and achieve the power and thermal constraints their projects require.”
Korea is home to major manufacturers of mobile consumer devices from wireless handsets to tablet PC. Power management and saving is on the top list of their concerns. Docea Power’s solutions are currently used by major wireless chipsets and handsets manufacturers to allow for power optimization from the very start of projects at both the SoC and platform level.
“Saline has an in-depth knowledge of the Korean market with regards to offering solutions for low power design and we see currently a strong demand for EDA tools allowing system architects of complex SoCs and platforms to model and simulate power at the system level,” says Ghislain Kaiser, CEO, Docea Power. “Working with Saline allows us to help our customers scale up their methodologies for power estimation and optimization at the architectural level”.
“Docea Power’s Aceplorer is the only dedicated solution for power modeling and simulation at the architectural level, where many of our customers are currently using limited methodologies for limited output and with high maintenance costs,” said HS Lim, VP of Sales and Marketing, Saline. “Docea Power’s solutions will help them overcome these limitations and achieve the power and thermal constraints their projects require.”
Kingfisher and ZipDial launch world’s first mobile game based on missed calls
BANGALORE, INDIA: With two back-to-back cricketing events, the cricket fever in India has been at all time high. Kingfisher, India’s most popular beverage brand, has called upon ZipDial to launch Book Cricket through missed calls. The game is developed and promoted by ZipDial, a Bangalore-based technology startup that has patented various marketing and engagement services around the simplicity of dialing numbers or ZipDialling.
Book Cricket is a popular game that most Indians play as kids. The players take turns to flip pages of a book and depending on the page number you score runs, or get out. ZipDial has enabled the same game on mobile where the page flipping is replaced with ZipDialling. The game can be played by ZipDialling 080 300 500 77, toll-free.
Within the first 24 hours of launch the Kingfisher Book Cricket on ZipDial was played by 2811 unique users, out of which over 60 percent played again the same day. From there on the game’s popularity has grown virally through word of mouth. At the time of reporting the Kingfisher Book Cricket on ZipDial was played a total of 84,931 times in about 15 days.
This rate of adoption is nearly kept up with Kingfisher’s Facebook fan page which has averaged approximately 1,500 new fans per day since launch. With a toll-free and simple experience like ZipDialing, it is possible for adoption to grow much faster than on the web.
“This cricket season, Kingfisher brings the Good Times to all of India, whether or not they are connected online, and ZipDial is the ideal way to allow all of our customers to experience the Good Times and celebrate cricket in a way that is toll-free and as simple as dialing,” said Samar Sheikhawat, senior VP of Marketing for United Breweries Ltd. “We have been very happy with the participation from customers and the rate of growth of Kingfisher ZipDial Book Cricket.”
Valerie Rozycki, CEO of ZipDial, said: “We are excited to see the results and more happy about the fact that we could add value to Kingfisher’s campaigns. The fact that ZipDial works for any consumer today on an handset and any operator while being toll-free makes it ubiquitous. A 100 percent of Indian mobile audience can participate in interactive brand campaigns through ZipDialing.”
Book Cricket is a popular game that most Indians play as kids. The players take turns to flip pages of a book and depending on the page number you score runs, or get out. ZipDial has enabled the same game on mobile where the page flipping is replaced with ZipDialling. The game can be played by ZipDialling 080 300 500 77, toll-free.
Within the first 24 hours of launch the Kingfisher Book Cricket on ZipDial was played by 2811 unique users, out of which over 60 percent played again the same day. From there on the game’s popularity has grown virally through word of mouth. At the time of reporting the Kingfisher Book Cricket on ZipDial was played a total of 84,931 times in about 15 days.
This rate of adoption is nearly kept up with Kingfisher’s Facebook fan page which has averaged approximately 1,500 new fans per day since launch. With a toll-free and simple experience like ZipDialing, it is possible for adoption to grow much faster than on the web.
“This cricket season, Kingfisher brings the Good Times to all of India, whether or not they are connected online, and ZipDial is the ideal way to allow all of our customers to experience the Good Times and celebrate cricket in a way that is toll-free and as simple as dialing,” said Samar Sheikhawat, senior VP of Marketing for United Breweries Ltd. “We have been very happy with the participation from customers and the rate of growth of Kingfisher ZipDial Book Cricket.”
Valerie Rozycki, CEO of ZipDial, said: “We are excited to see the results and more happy about the fact that we could add value to Kingfisher’s campaigns. The fact that ZipDial works for any consumer today on an handset and any operator while being toll-free makes it ubiquitous. A 100 percent of Indian mobile audience can participate in interactive brand campaigns through ZipDialing.”
Broader 4G wireless access to accelerate economic development
INDIA: Broader access to fast 4G wireless technologies promises to give a boost to rural and developing parts of the world where landline Internet is less developed, say experts from IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association.
In March, the IEEE-SA Standards Board approved IEEE 802.16m, an advanced 4G wireless standard. High-speed wireless would improve education through more sophisticated distance learning, give farmers better access to agronomic and market information, and extend the reach of high-quality healthcare through telemedicine.
“Better life in rural communities with information and communication technologies” is this year’s theme for World Telecommunication Day, a recognition created by the UN International Telecommunication Union and celebrated annually on May 17 since 1969.
While current wireless services marketed as “4G,” such as first-release LTE and Mobile WiMAX, represent an incremental advance over existing networks, advanced 4G wireless as defined by the IEEE Standards Association would bring important additional speed and ease-of-implementation to less developed parts of the world.
“Increased bandwidth through 4G will open many doors for rural areas of the world that do not currently have easy access to advanced data networks,” said Dr. Shuzo Kato, IEEE Fellow and inventor of the TDMA chipset in 1986.
“For example, medical doctors could instantly and remotely connect via video to rural areas to guide emergency workers in treating the sick or injured. And greater access to educational materials could not only enrich the learning experience in the classroom, but it could also help farmers improve agricultural practices and increase productivity.”
Dr. Kato, who is also a professor at the Research Institute of Electrical Communications, Tohoku University in Japan, notes that with peak data transfer speeds between 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps – faster than most consumers’ landline Internet access today – 4G wireless will reduce the digital divide between major urban centers and rural and developing parts of the world.
In addition, because 4G operates on a greater number of frequency bands than previous wireless generations, operators can employ lower-frequency signals that travel much further from transmitter stations using the same amount of power. This broadens geographic coverage at lower cost than existing generations of wireless technology.
According to the United Nations Population Fund, nearly half of the world – more than 3 billion people – resides in rural regions. With relatively low population densities, the cost-effectiveness of laying fiber optic cable to deliver telecommunications services in these areas has traditionally been prohibitive.
Similarly, the bandwidth and coverage constraints of previous wireless generations made it challenging for operators in some countries, such as Brazil and India, to offer the types of services required to make the investment worthwhile.
However, in recent years, the rate of adoption of wireless in rural and developing regions has increased. In fact, according to recent data from industry research firm Wireless Intelligence, developing markets accounted for nearly 80 percent of the world’s total mobile connections. China and India, categorized as developing economies by the World Bank, together account for almost 30 percent (1.5 billion) of the world's total mobile connections.
“As subscriber volume for wireless services grows in rural and developing areas, it is expected that reduced infrastructure costs will translate into more robust services and the ability for everyone, regardless of location, to more effectively participate in growing industries and economies,” said Dr. Carlos Cordeiro, IEEE Senior Member and chief standards architect for Intel’s Mobile Wireless Group.
Since 2001, the IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access Standards has developed and approved a number of advanced wireless network standards including Mobile WirelessMAN, commercially known as WiMAX. These technologies are already being deployed in more than 140 countries worldwide.
In March, the IEEE-SA Standards Board approved IEEE 802.16m, an advanced 4G wireless standard. High-speed wireless would improve education through more sophisticated distance learning, give farmers better access to agronomic and market information, and extend the reach of high-quality healthcare through telemedicine.
“Better life in rural communities with information and communication technologies” is this year’s theme for World Telecommunication Day, a recognition created by the UN International Telecommunication Union and celebrated annually on May 17 since 1969.
While current wireless services marketed as “4G,” such as first-release LTE and Mobile WiMAX, represent an incremental advance over existing networks, advanced 4G wireless as defined by the IEEE Standards Association would bring important additional speed and ease-of-implementation to less developed parts of the world.
“Increased bandwidth through 4G will open many doors for rural areas of the world that do not currently have easy access to advanced data networks,” said Dr. Shuzo Kato, IEEE Fellow and inventor of the TDMA chipset in 1986.
“For example, medical doctors could instantly and remotely connect via video to rural areas to guide emergency workers in treating the sick or injured. And greater access to educational materials could not only enrich the learning experience in the classroom, but it could also help farmers improve agricultural practices and increase productivity.”
Dr. Kato, who is also a professor at the Research Institute of Electrical Communications, Tohoku University in Japan, notes that with peak data transfer speeds between 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps – faster than most consumers’ landline Internet access today – 4G wireless will reduce the digital divide between major urban centers and rural and developing parts of the world.
In addition, because 4G operates on a greater number of frequency bands than previous wireless generations, operators can employ lower-frequency signals that travel much further from transmitter stations using the same amount of power. This broadens geographic coverage at lower cost than existing generations of wireless technology.
According to the United Nations Population Fund, nearly half of the world – more than 3 billion people – resides in rural regions. With relatively low population densities, the cost-effectiveness of laying fiber optic cable to deliver telecommunications services in these areas has traditionally been prohibitive.
Similarly, the bandwidth and coverage constraints of previous wireless generations made it challenging for operators in some countries, such as Brazil and India, to offer the types of services required to make the investment worthwhile.
However, in recent years, the rate of adoption of wireless in rural and developing regions has increased. In fact, according to recent data from industry research firm Wireless Intelligence, developing markets accounted for nearly 80 percent of the world’s total mobile connections. China and India, categorized as developing economies by the World Bank, together account for almost 30 percent (1.5 billion) of the world's total mobile connections.
“As subscriber volume for wireless services grows in rural and developing areas, it is expected that reduced infrastructure costs will translate into more robust services and the ability for everyone, regardless of location, to more effectively participate in growing industries and economies,” said Dr. Carlos Cordeiro, IEEE Senior Member and chief standards architect for Intel’s Mobile Wireless Group.
Since 2001, the IEEE 802.16 Working Group on Broadband Wireless Access Standards has developed and approved a number of advanced wireless network standards including Mobile WirelessMAN, commercially known as WiMAX. These technologies are already being deployed in more than 140 countries worldwide.
SIP Forum announces ratification of v1.1 of the SIPconnect technical recommendation
NORTH ANDOVER, USA: The SIP Forum announced that it has ratified Version 1.1 of the SIPconnect Technical Recommendation, with the unanimous approval of the SIP Forum Board of Directors. The new version of the recommendation, developed by the SIP Forum’s SIPconnect Task Group, is a follow-on to Version 1.0 ratified in 2008, and provides a more definitive and standardized set of guidelines for seamless, end-to-end interoperability between SIP-enabled IP-PBXs and service provider networks.
The SIPconnect Technical Recommendation, which represents the consensus of a broad cross section of the global telecom community, is one of the most important initiatives of the SIP Forum, aimed at providing an up-to-date, international framework for direct IP peering between SIP-enabled enterprises and service provider networks, ensuring the interoperability of network elements across the IP environment and providing a level playing field for vendors and service providers as they develop new equipment and IP applications for deployment.
“There should be no question that enterprises and service providers are well along the path to all IP-based real-time communications, especially for voice,” said Richard Shockey, SIP Forum chairman of the Board and chairman of the SIPconnect Task Group. “The industry at large will not be able to fulfill the promise of Unified Communications unless the global conversion from TDM/Class 5 to SIP-based services shifts into high gear. High Definition Voice and point-to-point Video Calling, among other advanced services, are technically feasible today. SIP Trunking is the fastest-growing offering in the North American telecom market. Even the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has observed that interconnected VoIP is growing at 20 percent per year.”
He continued: “The SIP Forum’s SIPconnect initiative is a substantial advance in providing a consistent and implementable framework for both enterprises and service providers to deploy advanced SIP-based communications. SIPconnect offers enterprises and whole industries such as manufacturing, finance and healthcare real value by promoting – and enabling -- interoperability.”
The SIPconnect 1.1 Technical Recommendation features an array of enhancements from Version 1.0 such as more comprehensive guidelines about security and SIP end-point and media endpoint functionality. Highlights include:
* Standards-based support for both Static (DNS-based) and Registration (SIP REGISTER-based) modes of operation incorporating the newly approved RFC 6140.
* Description of SIP endpoint functionality required for interworking, with detailed discussion of various error conditions and appropriate responses to those errors.
* Description of media endpoint functionality required for interworking.
* Focus on Phone number (i.e., E-164) based SIP Address of Record.
* Additional voice services using SIP techniques.
* A detailed description of transaction layer security (TLS) usage.
* A roadmap on what implementers can expect in subsequent SIPconnect revisions (IPv6, emergency services, etc.).
SIPconnect puts forth a technical profile based on IETF standards aimed at putting all networks and service providers on the same playing field. The formal adoption by the SIP Forum Board of the SIPconnect Technical Recommendation Version 1.1 is based on recognition that the document has been through comprehensive peer review by known technical experts, including broad membership and significant community review, that it is stable and is well-understood, and that it is believed to have resolved known design choices.
“Because of the SIP Forum’s consensus-oriented approach to developing technical specifications, this updated SIPconnect recommendation drew a wide swath of participation from leading companies in the IP communications industry,” said Marc Robins, president and MD of the SIP Forum. “These participants have been very active in the SIPconnect Task Group effort, and submitted comments, suggested edits and other useful information as the work progressed. The SIP Forum also owes a debt of gratitude for the work and commitment to the project from Spencer Dawkins, Senior Standards Manager at Huawei Technologies USA and the primary document editor of the SIPconnect 1.1 specification.”
SIPconnect 1.1 contributing companies included Acme Packet, AT&T, Avaya, Bandwidth.com, Boeing, Broadsoft, CableLabs, Cablevision, Cbeyond, Cisco, Columbia University, Comcast Cable, Cox Communications, Digium, Encore Software, GENBAND, Global Crossing, Huawei, Ingate Systems, MetaSwitch, Microsoft, NeuStar, Nokia, Nortel, PAETEC, Panasonic, Pbxnsip, Polycom, Radvision, Samsung, Siemens Enterprise Communications, Sonus Networks, Tekelec, Tele2 Nederland, Voxeo, and XO Communications.
The SIPconnect Technical Recommendation, which represents the consensus of a broad cross section of the global telecom community, is one of the most important initiatives of the SIP Forum, aimed at providing an up-to-date, international framework for direct IP peering between SIP-enabled enterprises and service provider networks, ensuring the interoperability of network elements across the IP environment and providing a level playing field for vendors and service providers as they develop new equipment and IP applications for deployment.
“There should be no question that enterprises and service providers are well along the path to all IP-based real-time communications, especially for voice,” said Richard Shockey, SIP Forum chairman of the Board and chairman of the SIPconnect Task Group. “The industry at large will not be able to fulfill the promise of Unified Communications unless the global conversion from TDM/Class 5 to SIP-based services shifts into high gear. High Definition Voice and point-to-point Video Calling, among other advanced services, are technically feasible today. SIP Trunking is the fastest-growing offering in the North American telecom market. Even the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has observed that interconnected VoIP is growing at 20 percent per year.”
He continued: “The SIP Forum’s SIPconnect initiative is a substantial advance in providing a consistent and implementable framework for both enterprises and service providers to deploy advanced SIP-based communications. SIPconnect offers enterprises and whole industries such as manufacturing, finance and healthcare real value by promoting – and enabling -- interoperability.”
The SIPconnect 1.1 Technical Recommendation features an array of enhancements from Version 1.0 such as more comprehensive guidelines about security and SIP end-point and media endpoint functionality. Highlights include:
* Standards-based support for both Static (DNS-based) and Registration (SIP REGISTER-based) modes of operation incorporating the newly approved RFC 6140.
* Description of SIP endpoint functionality required for interworking, with detailed discussion of various error conditions and appropriate responses to those errors.
* Description of media endpoint functionality required for interworking.
* Focus on Phone number (i.e., E-164) based SIP Address of Record.
* Additional voice services using SIP techniques.
* A detailed description of transaction layer security (TLS) usage.
* A roadmap on what implementers can expect in subsequent SIPconnect revisions (IPv6, emergency services, etc.).
SIPconnect puts forth a technical profile based on IETF standards aimed at putting all networks and service providers on the same playing field. The formal adoption by the SIP Forum Board of the SIPconnect Technical Recommendation Version 1.1 is based on recognition that the document has been through comprehensive peer review by known technical experts, including broad membership and significant community review, that it is stable and is well-understood, and that it is believed to have resolved known design choices.
“Because of the SIP Forum’s consensus-oriented approach to developing technical specifications, this updated SIPconnect recommendation drew a wide swath of participation from leading companies in the IP communications industry,” said Marc Robins, president and MD of the SIP Forum. “These participants have been very active in the SIPconnect Task Group effort, and submitted comments, suggested edits and other useful information as the work progressed. The SIP Forum also owes a debt of gratitude for the work and commitment to the project from Spencer Dawkins, Senior Standards Manager at Huawei Technologies USA and the primary document editor of the SIPconnect 1.1 specification.”
SIPconnect 1.1 contributing companies included Acme Packet, AT&T, Avaya, Bandwidth.com, Boeing, Broadsoft, CableLabs, Cablevision, Cbeyond, Cisco, Columbia University, Comcast Cable, Cox Communications, Digium, Encore Software, GENBAND, Global Crossing, Huawei, Ingate Systems, MetaSwitch, Microsoft, NeuStar, Nokia, Nortel, PAETEC, Panasonic, Pbxnsip, Polycom, Radvision, Samsung, Siemens Enterprise Communications, Sonus Networks, Tekelec, Tele2 Nederland, Voxeo, and XO Communications.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
LAVA awarded as "Fastest Growing Mobile Phone Indian Brand" in 5th National Telecom Awards 2011
NEW DELHI, INDIA: LAVA Mobile, one of the fast growing brands in Indian mobile industry, has been awarded as “Fastest Growing Mobile Phone Indian Brand” by CMAI (Communications Multimedia and Infrastructure) Association of India during National Telecom Awards ceremony 2011. This award ceremony was organized by CMAI, an apex non-profit trade promotion organization based in India.
LAVA received this prestigious award for its significant contribution to the Indian Mobile industry. On the occasion, S.N. Rai, co founder and director, LAVA International Ltd, said: “It’s a praiseworthy recognition for our brand and we are thankful to CMAI for conferring us with this award. The core philosophy of our brand is to empower people with mobile devices that fulfill unmet needs of Indian consumers. In a short span of time LAVA has achieved fast growth through strong customer understanding and providing relevant and superior quality products and services to its customers.”
LAVA has many unique customer focused innovations to its credit. Be it its unique Sales & Service Distribution model, its product innovations like Alpha keypad or latest technology based products like IPS screen, etc., are some of the examples of LAVA’s customer centric approach of the company to serve customers.
LAVA received this prestigious award for its significant contribution to the Indian Mobile industry. On the occasion, S.N. Rai, co founder and director, LAVA International Ltd, said: “It’s a praiseworthy recognition for our brand and we are thankful to CMAI for conferring us with this award. The core philosophy of our brand is to empower people with mobile devices that fulfill unmet needs of Indian consumers. In a short span of time LAVA has achieved fast growth through strong customer understanding and providing relevant and superior quality products and services to its customers.”
LAVA has many unique customer focused innovations to its credit. Be it its unique Sales & Service Distribution model, its product innovations like Alpha keypad or latest technology based products like IPS screen, etc., are some of the examples of LAVA’s customer centric approach of the company to serve customers.
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