NATD in the news
ACUTA
Avaya
Call center
Cisco
Market
Mitel
Nortel
Training
Unified communications

NATD in the news

Multi-Tech CallFinder wins award
Multi-Tech Systems, Inc. announced that its CallFinder GSM or CDMA Cellular Gateway received an Eos Excellence of Achievement Award at the NXTComm trade exposition. The award, from within the Technology Innovation Group of submissions, was for Wireless/ Mobile Technologies.  A judging panel of 16 consultants, technical journalists and service providers from the communications industry selected the award winners. Connected to a company’s PBX, the CallFinder GSM or CDMA Cellular Gateway routes incoming and outgoing fixed line calls through lower cost wireless networks providing a substantial savings in overall telephone costs. Equipped with both FXS and FXO interfaces, the gateways offer a wide range of potential applications.  When connected to a PBX or key telephone system, they convert an expensive PSTN-to-cellular call into a direct mobile-to-mobile call.  When connected to an analog telephone, they can serve as the primary voice network for small remote offices or other locations that don’t have a fixed line infrastructure.  In addition they can be used for temporary line needs in emergency situations.  
Visit www.multitech.com.
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ACUTA

Join your colleagues for ACUTA seminars in Minneapolis
We are pleased to announce the on-line availability of information and registration for ACUTA's 2007 Fall Seminars, October 14-17, in Minneapolis, MN.  Topics are “Track 1: Supporting Converged Mobile Communications” and “Track 2: Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery.”  ACUTA seminars provide unequalled networking opportunities - both formal and informal, valuable educational sessions, and an exhibit hall filled with the latest technologies and services.  
Visit www.acuta.org/events/seminars/fse07.cfm.
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Avaya

Avaya makes it easy for small firms and branches to transact business efficiently
A multi-faceted web design studio and a full-service construction firm are among the small companies worldwide who rely on Avaya Quick Edition, an innovative converged communication system that enables small businesses and branch offices to convey a professional image, improve customer service and drive down costs. Avaya Quick Edition is an innovative Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based peer to peer telephony solution that is ideally targeted to very small sites or small branches offices such as small medical or legal offices and other professional services firms, retail outlets and chain restaurants.  The system is simple to set up and use, with all the software in the phone and no need for a communications server or advanced installation skills.  When the Quick Edition IP phones are plugged into the local area network, they automatically “discover” each other.  In minimal time, users have access to commonly used telephony applications, including voice mail, conferencing and auto attendant.  Avaya announced the new 3.1 release of Quick Edition, with additional software that delivers a range of new features and two new hardware components designed to enhance customer service, reduce expenses and simplify maintenance and administration of the system.  Among the new software-enabled features, which can be uploaded to existing Quick Edition systems free of charge, are: presence and status monitoring; one-touch, alternate auto attendant greetings; call detail recording; and programmable softkeys.
Visit www.avaya.com.
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Call center

Speech technology alliance for the automated analysis of calls in call centers
The companies ASC telecom AG, D+S solutions GmbH, European Media Laboratory GmbH (EML) and Xtramind Technologies GmbH are combining their skills in the field of speech technology in order to develop new approaches for the automatic filtering and classifying of telephone calls in call-center environments and to facilitate the target-oriented analysis of spoken content. The group will present prototypes of their research and development work in the fall of 2007. Each individual partner contributes to the project with its specific focus and skills. The European Media Laboratory GmbH (EML) researches key technologies in order to effectively transfer spoken language on any topic into machine-analyzable format. An innovative method from Xtramind Technologies GmbH analyzes the transliterated calls using artificial intelligence and modern language technologies proven for years with e-mails and other documents. ASC provides comprehensive quality management software for voice recording and screen activities. To provide this leading-edge technology scenario efficiently and cost effectively to the call center industry as a target market, D+S solutions GmbH contributes its ASP know-how and hosting infrastructure.
Visit www.ascamerica.com, www.dssolutions.de, www.eml-development.de or www.xtramind.com. ^Back To Top

Cisco

Is your network ready for TelePresence?
A new application, Cisco TelePresence, makes high demands on the network for quality of service, availability and security. Cisco TelePresence, introduced in late 2006, recreates the "in person" experience: it feels like being there, even from opposite ends of the globe. People who meet using this application are virtually in the same room. They see each other life-size with life-like realism, with the ability to catch all the nuances of expression and body language which they would see by being physically in the same room. They speak naturally face to face, looking at each other. Sitting around a virtual conference table, they hear sound coming from where the person speaking is sitting in the room. Cisco TelePresence can run on your enterprise's existing converged network and does not require a dedicated and separately managed infrastructure. It uses an intelligent network, allowing it to coexist with other applications. This means real savings to your business in capital and operating expenses.
Visit www.cisco.com.
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Market

Mobile operators risk losing the enterprise mobility market, says Analysys
Mobile operators must not neglect enterprises’ mobility solution needs or they will be marginalized, according to a new report, Seizing the Opportunities from Enterprise Mobility, published by Analysys, the global advisers on telecoms, IT and media.  Enterprises account for a large proportion of total mobile service revenue, their share reaching 37% in Western Europe and 39% in the USA in 2006. However, mobile operators put most of their effort into the mass market, where they can sell the same set of services to a very large number of consumers. Key findings from the new report include:

• Mobile services and applications can bring major benefits to enterprises, including cost savings, productivity gains and strategic advantages. However, the take-up of enterprise mobility solutions is still relatively restricted, being limited to, for example, senior executives and mobile workers that are critically dependent on mobile communications.

• A battle to seize control of critical parts of the enterprise mobility market has developed between cellular and WLAN communities.

• A number of technological breakthroughs – such as indoor base stations (picocells and femtocells) and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) – will enable mobile operators to substantially improve their enterprise mobility solutions.

Visit www.analysys.com. ^Back To Top

Mitel

Mitel accredits eleven channel partners as Hospitality specialistPARTNERs
Mitel announced it has selected its top-tier hospitality-focused partners to be awarded the Mitel Hospitality specialistPARTNER designation. This designation symbolizes that Mitel has recognized these partners for their high level of technical skill, sales success, and commitment to deploying Mitel unified communications solutions tailored specifically for the hospitality industry. “Mitel has always been recognized as a leader in the hospitality space and this is in direct correlation with the skill and knowledge of our channel base,” said Mitel’s director of channel and field marketing, Perry McDonald. “The channel partners selected for this program are among the top North American solution providers. Together we leverage our strength and experience to deliver solutions that enhance the guest experience, improve business processes, and drive new revenue streams. Customers can have confidence that their Hospitality specialistPARTNER can add value to their investment by providing a solution to meet the unique requirements of each individual property.” Mitel Hospitality specialistPARTNERs are:  Active Telephones; Allen Corporation of America; Combest; DCI – Design Communications Inc.; Mid-America Telephone Systems Inc.; MIS Associates, Inc.; Delphi Solutions, MTS Allstream company; Pinnacle Communications Corporation; Redsky IT, a subsidiary of MICROS Systems, Inc.; TelNet; and Tharaldson Communications.
Visit www.mitel.com.
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Nortel

President Bush to appoint Nortel CEO to Security Advisory Committee
President George W. Bush has announced his intent to nominate Nortel President and CEO Mike Zafirovski to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC). In its advisory role to the president, the NSTAC provides industry-based analysis and recommendations on a wide range of policy and technical issues related to telecommunications, information systems, information assurance, infrastructure protection, and other national security and emergency preparedness concerns. As a presidential appointee to NSTAC, Zafirovski would serve as a resource for the President and his national security team in efforts to safeguard critical U.S. infrastructure and telecommunications networks. In this capacity, Zafirovski would participate in discussions on a broad range of policy and technical issues related to telecommunications, critical infrastructure protection, homeland security, and other security concerns.  “I am very proud of this honor, and look forward to contributing to this important committee and serving the President during what will be a critical new era for technology and communications,” said Zafirovski. “The rate of technology innovation promises to surpass that of any other time in recent history. We are entering a hyperconnected era that will not only transform the way people interact, but enable work, education and social interaction across all corners of the planet.”
Visit www.nortel.com.
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Training

The Business Continuity Institute launches certificate exam and e-learning training courses
The Business Continuity Institute (BCI), a leader in setting and validating standards of professional competence and ethics in business continuity management, announced its first certificate examination and e-learning program for business continuity professionals at the 17th Annual World Conference on Disaster Management in Toronto, Canada. Based on its Good Practice Guidelines, the BCI Certificate examination is part of a rigorous process for business continuity professionals who wish to acquire one of three BCI credential grades – Associate, Specialist and Member.  The first exam is set for October 2007 and additional exam dates will occur quarterly. In addition, BCI is introducing an e-learning program for business continuity professionals in August.  The e-learning program will be available in chapters based on the six elements of the Good Practice Guidelines, developed by BCI and which incorporate the British Standard BS25999.
Visit www.thebci.org.

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Unified communications

Business end-users still need convincing on benefits of unified communications
Although there are significant time-saving benefits and increased efficiencies that knowledge workers can enjoy with unified messaging (UM) and unified communication (UC), the roll out of these services is slow, reports In-Stat. IT managers and business decision makers want to hear about these benefits loudly and clearly from end-users before they dedicate resources to make them available, the high-tech market research firm says. To date, those voices have been rather muted. UM and UC promise business customers solutions that deliver voice and data to them wherever they are, over the most convenient device at their disposal. Recent research by In-Stat found the following:

• Worldwide UM and UM-capable client shipments will reach nearly 19.5 million in 2011.

• Traditional voice mail port shipments will shrink to zero by the end of 2009.

• Current use of Web access to both email and voice mail significantly out-strips current use of other unified messaging applications based upon results from In-Stat's Technology Adoption Panel of business users.

Visit www.instat.com.
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