Here is some other news from the VoiceCon show floor:

Extreme rolls out deployment, provisioning tools
Extreme Networks releases the Handset Provisioning Module and Universal Port software that allow the network to automatically discover and configure phones and provision customer network resources as devices come onto the network.
 
The Handset Provisioning Module, paired with the Universal Port software framework, is an extension of the ExtremeXOS modular operating system. The module is designed to help IT managers improve accuracy and avoid tedious edge-configuration tasks by applying a pre-defined edge port profile whenever a phone is connected to the network. The module can recognise phones from major vendors, including Avaya, Cisco, Mitel, Nortel and Shoretel. Network parameters related to access control, network topology, power and bandwidth allocation, and quality of service can be consistently configured on an event-driven basis, which can help reduce configuration errors and save time when installing or moving devices on the network. The module also configures the handsets themselves if they support the IEEE standard link-layer discovery protocol.

The source code to the Handset Provisioning Module software will also be released, encouraging users to enhance it to support other phone brands, networked devices and other capabilities.

Clarus Systems announces new IP telephony management services
Clarus Systems, which makes IP telephone testing tools, announced Clarus Certification Services, new consulting services to help customers ensure top performance and ROI from their IP telephony systems.

The certification services are part of Clarus` new Flexible Engagement Model, a menu of software and services for IP telephony deployment for enterprises, systems integrators and managed service providers.

According to Clarus, enterprises can use a comprehensive IP telephony testing and documentation solution that is completely managed by Clarus experts using ClarusIPC software, the vendor`s flagship product that tests and validates user functionality in an IP telephony system and enables industry best practices of active, end-to-end testing of every networked phone.

Tandberg extends video functionality
Tandberg announced Entrypoint, a system that allows any videoconference user to connect to a conference via one main number and URL and access information over a video menu system, which lists available resources.

Using Entrypoint, users can connect to a videoconference through:

    * Video menus, through which a welcome screen greets video callers and guides them through various menu options.
    * A 3G gateway for mobile devices, which lets an enterprise add 3G video services to internal communication resources. Employees can call in from a 3G device and participate visually from wherever they are.
    * Audio gateway, through which a user can attend video meetings or use the organisation`s video system as an audio speakerphone.

Adomo releases tools for mobile unified communications
Adomo Inc. announced the latest generation of its advanced messaging solution, Adomo 6.0, which builds on the vendor`s enterprise messaging solution to give users unified communications capabilities and offer IT an easy migration approach for integrating with their existing infrastructure.

Adomo 6.0 integrates with Microsoft Exchange and existing PBXs and includes SmartMobility capabilities that keep mobile users connected. SmartMobility features include:

    * SmartNumber: A "find me/follow me" capability that gives users a single phone number with a priority caller option to ensure that important calls are routed immediately to avoid delays.
    * BlackBerry Play on Phone: Adomo 6.0 lets users select a menu option on the BlackBerry email client to initiate a telephone call from the Adomo system to the user`s phone to play a message.
    * Messaging management: Users can categorise voice messages for easier access.

Citel converts PBX phones to IP phones
Citel released the Portico Telephone VoIP Adapter (TVA), which lets enterprises convert existing PBX phones into IP phones over existing wiring infrastructure, eliminating the need to rip and replace.

The Portico TVA connects legacy PBX handsets to a premise-based IP PBX or to a hosted IP service provider network. VoIP features and services pass through Portico TVA directly into existing PBX handsets over existing wiring, turning them into IP phones.

LiteScape opens unified communications
LiteScape Technologies Inc. made available the OnCast Communications Client, an open source desktop client that unifies access to different business applications and data sources with IP-based communications systems.

The OnCast Communications Client is a standalone desktop client that supports a combination of different communications services such as authentication, presence, remote call control, directory and application integration, collaboration and conferencing, and broadcasting and paging. Users can customise those services and embed them into their own unified communications applications.

By Andrew R. Hickey

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The leading technology conference held in New York City, FutureNet: MPLS, VPLS and Beyond, delivers high quality speakers and cutting edge programming for the entire four-day event. FutureNet Expo features sessions to help enterprises and service providers stay at the forefront of the telecommunication and IP network transformation.

Day one kicks off with three tutorials by the MFA Forum and one by Cisco Systems. The morning focus of day two is MPLS Present & Future featuring the Keynote by Dr. Stuart Elby, VP, Network Architecture, Verizon. Followed by sessions including Branch Office Trends: What Are Enterprises Buying and Why?; Utilizing Cox`s Service Provider Backbone to Migrate the IP VPN; Infrastructure to support Enterprise, VoIP, Data, and Customer Call Center Virtualization; Simplicity of LAN, Flexibility of IP, Reliability of SONET: VPLS a New Way of Networking. The afternoon programs focus on The Great Ethernet Debate. Sessions include: Options to Deliver ELAN Services; Delivering Global VPLS; Evolution of PBB and PBT; PBT Service Gateway Functions; T-MPLS: Is it Really Different from MPLS? and The Great Ethernet Debate: Futures and Technologies.

Day three features New Service Opportunities: Fixed Mobile Convergence Triple and Quadruple+A11 Play with the Keynote presentation Next Generation Multicast in RFC2547 VPNs by Dr. Yakov Rekhter, distinguished engineer, Juniper Networks

Sessions following the keynote include Mobile WIMAX: The Blueprint for Future Wireless Technologies; MPLS/VPLS Integration with Regional Area Networks (RANs); Convergence Gateways: The Obstacles to Practical IMS Realization; Wireless over Pseudo wires -- Ready for Prime Time; The Role, Value and Challenges of GMPLS in Optical Networks.

Afternoon focuses on security, encryption and privacy featuring these sessions: MPLS VPN Security: Best Practices and Emerging Trends; Are They Secure? How to Assess MPLS Providers from a Customer Perspective? Extending MPLS into the Enterprise; a Day in the Life of an IMS-FMC Network: Measuring the New Network Paradigm`s Extreme Security Challenges; and Tunnel Free Encryption Solution for MPLS/IP VPNs

Thursday`s program is divided into two tracks. For service providers sessions include: the keynote, Profiting from Convergence. Defining Growth Paths for Telecom Service Providers by Salvador Arias, strategy partner, IBM; OSS for MPLS -- Delivering on the Promises; IPv6 -- Design, Deployment and Challenges; Carrier Class TV Broadcast with Point-to-Multipoint MPLS; Route-Flow Fusion -- Routing-Aware Traffic Analysis for Accurate Traffic Engineering; A Zero-Packet-Loss-Network-Layer IP Protocol, With MPLS Internetworking; Latest Developments in Techniques for Computing Interarea and Interdomain paths for traffic Engineered MPLS; MPLS Deployment Experience and Perspective on Developing Countries

And for the enterprise sessions include the keynote, Shifting the Network Paradigm with Brett Theiss, Director of Product Management, New Edge Networks, an Earthlink Company; followed by sessions including MPLS: Why and How? Optimizing Performance and Meeting the Challenges with MPLS Deployments; Application-Centric Performance SLAs for MPLS VPNs; Performance Management Lifecycle of an MPLS Deployment; What Enterprise Customers Should Know About Service Assurance; Maximizing Q0E with Intelligent & Integrated Network & Applications Performance Monitoring; and Enterprise Case Studies.

About FutureNet

FutureNet is the evolution of MPLScon from a standalone conference on MPLS and VPN technology to an enhanced and expanded conference and expo focusing on next generation networks and technologies. FutureNet is simply the premier industry event focusing on the next generation of networks. FutureNet consists of tutorials, standards discussions, case studies and vendor presentations to provide a single place where those involved in developing, deploying, managing and marketing business data and voice services can converge.

About Conference Director

Irwin Lazar is a Principal Analyst & Program Director, Convergence & Collaboration at Nemertes Research, where he develops and manages research projects, conducts strategic seminars and advises key clients. His background is in network operations, engineering, voice-data convergence and IP telephony. A Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Mr. Lazar is responsible for benchmarking the adoption and use of emerging technologies in the enterprise.

About Nemertes

Nemertes specializes in analyzing and quantifying the business value of emerging technologies. Nemertes selects technical and business issues to research based on input from our clients and benchmarks participants.

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Frost & Sullivan Mobile & Wireless Enterprise 2007 Conference will be held March 5-7, 2007 at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort Indian Wells, CA. The conference is designed for enterprise IT Market participants to see the latest and greatest mobile computing and wireless data communications products and services live on stage. Get an inside look at current strategies and solutions of mobile and wireless vendors.

This two and half day, conference will have live technology demonstrations, keynote speakers, panels, vendor showcase and break-out sessions. Topics that will be discussed during the conference include wide area wireless, wireless LANs, mobile VoIP and convergence, Mobile Resource Management (MRM), mobile office and corporate application integration.

Mobile & Wireless Enterprise 2007 Conference is filled with networking opportunities including a golf outing, cocktail reception, one-on-one meetings with mobile vendors on products and services and end with a Gala Mobility Awards Dinner on Wednesday, March 7, 2007.

The prominent speaker and panel roster includes:

  * Abhi Ingle, Vice President, Data Solutions Consulting, AT&T (formerly Cingular)
  * Tom Libretto, Director, Product Marketing and Management, Nokia
  * Eileen Bridges, Senior Vice President Strategic Planning and Technical Architecture, Bank of America
  * Tom Colby, Vice President, Strategic Alliances, @Road

The conference is a forum for leading IT decision makers to learn about the latest mobile and wireless technologies, including live onstage demos of products designed for the enterprise. Panel sessions will focus on how today`s business environment requires real time mobile access to mission-critical data in order to ensure success in a competitive marketplace. Attendees to the conference will learn:

  * How to develop a framework to analyze business needs and identify where mobility can add value
  * How to evaluate the value-add of mobility solutions and harness them to become best-in-class
  * The ROI benefits of applied mobility solutions and real-world examples of successful mobility solutions deployments

The two and a half day conference culminates with Frost & Sullivan`s annual Mobility Awards banquet will be held on Wed. March 7 announcing the best and finest mobile and wireless products and services in enterprise, consumer and wireless operator networks.

"The 2007 Mobility Awards are the industry awards selected by a committee of distinguished press and analysts in the mobile and wireless industry," said J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D., VP & Chief Analyst, Mobile and Wireless, Frost & Sullivan. "The Mobility Awards recognize the very best and finest products and services produced during the last year. Frost & Sullivan is proud to be a part of this major industry recognition process."

Frost and Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. Its advisory expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities for clients. While serving clientele ranging from virtually every Global 1000 to emerging companies, Frost & Sullivan`s comprehensive industry coverage includes a global perspective of all vertical and horizontal industries. Its unique coverage combines ongoing analyst of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics.

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