Upfront
NATD in the news
Aastra
At the conferences
Avaya
Call center
Market
Partnerships
Power
Publications
snom

Upfront

NEC stepping into the software IP PBX space with Sphere acquisition
Sphere Communications and NEC have been working out the details of a $42 million deal that will make Sphere part of NEC Corporation. In the North American PBX space, NEC has long been a strong player - but consistently failing to crack the top three.  Certainly, bringing on Sphere and its IP PBX expertise can only serve to strengthen NEC’s market presence. The question, though, is how will the software-based product line from Sphere be integrated into the NEC hardware-based solution set? Sphere’s expertise in application development could be a tremendous asset, complementing NEC’s IP-based telephony systems with next generation Web-based features and applications. Of course, providing applications support to NEC’s IP PBX products would mean a deviation from Sphere’s existing product strategy. However, given the growing focus on software solutions, the Sphericall software-based solution might provide NEC with a new market strategy.  Either way, the acquisition certainly provides instant growth for NEC, particularly in North America, where Sphere boasts a strong network of channel partners. And either way, the software and market expertise NEC gains from Sphere will allow it to increase the value of its overall product line.
Visit www.nec.com or www.spherecom.com.
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NATD in the news

VoSKY adds another major telecom distributor
VoSKY Technologies announced a distribution agreement for its VoSKY Exchange PBX-to-Skype gateways with White Radio, one of the leading telecommunications and technology distributors in Canada.  The agreement will equip White Radio’s large network of value-added resellers with a low-cost, highly versatile VoIP alternative for small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs), with no need to replace the existing PBX. VoSKY Exchange gateways enhance business communications and dramatically lower communications costs by optimizing Skype, the world’s largest free VoIP community, for use in the business environment.  The Exchange platform maximizes VoIP savings by enabling free calling between company offices in different cities and/or countries, low-cost long distance and international calls to outside phones, remote PBX access for free calls from remote or mobile users, and Web Click-to-Call for free customer calls from corporate websites.  Each of the five Exchange models can seamlessly integrate with any TDM or IP PBX phone system through analog trunk or station ports. The VoSKY Exchange line will complement and extend White Radio's telecom product portfolio, which spans a full range of products from Avaya and nearly 20 other manufacturers. 
Visit www.vosky.com or www.whiteradio.com.
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Aastra

Clearspan from Aastra delivers next-generation IP-PBX solution
Aastra Intecom introduces Clearspan, a new Unified Communications solution based on state-of-the-art design, open industry standards and proven carrier-grade technology for large and very large enterprises. Aastra Intecom launches Clearspan in the U.S. and Canada for enterprises that require VoIP in a mission-critical environment. Expanding on the announcement of its alliance with BroadSoft, Clearspan will give enterprises access to familiar PBX calling features plus advanced Unified Communications features, such as Microsoft Outlook and Office Communicator integration, click-to-call dialing, simultaneous ring, and the extension of VoIP services to mobile devices. Clearspan also offers the most extensive and complete portfolio of standards-based IP telephone products in the marketplace today, including a highly scalable and flexible SIP-DECT solution well suited for high-quality, secure wireless voice applications. The premises-based platform allows delivery of VoIP applications over multiple types of networks and can be used with enterprises’ existing applications for a complete distributed solution.
Visit www.aastraintecom.com.
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At the conferences

University of New Mexico and St. John’s University speak at annual ACUTA conference
NEC Unified Solutions, Inc. announced that two NEC customers - the University of New Mexico and St. John’s University - presented case studies at the 36th Annual Association for Communication Professionals in Higher Education (ACUTA) Conference & Exposition.  Paula Loendorf, director of information technology services (ITS), and Mark S. Reynolds, associate director of ITS, discussed the University of New Mexico’s recent upgrade of its voice and IT infrastructure while mitigating the effects of construction taking place on campus. Together with NEC, the university and adjoined University of New Mexico Hospital, the state’s only Level 1 trauma center, planned and executed a multi-phase project that resulted in a more robust and efficient network with IP capabilities.   Roger So, director of network services at St. John’s University, discussed the school’s innovative visual communications network, which delivers powerful and dynamic images and live broadcasts to students and faculty. The university uses NEC Digital Signage solutions at a number of locations on its campus in Queens, New York.  In addition to displaying campus information and reminders, St. John’s has found innovative uses for its Digital Signage network, including the distribution of special information on Student Acceptance Day and the broadcast of the campus’ Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremonies.
Visit www.necunified.com.
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Avaya

Avaya: no other buyers step up
Avaya Inc., which recently agreed to be bought by two private equity groups, said the deal is on track since the company received no other offers. In a filing with federal regulators, Avaya said no other buyers had emerged during the "go-shop period" that ran from June 5 through July 24. Such periods are standard to assure shareholders there are no better deals in the offing. Avaya's financial adviser, Credit Suisse Securities, contacted 36 parties, 17 with businesses in the telecommunications and technology sector and 19 potential financial sponsor buyers, according to the SEC filing. None submitted an acquisition proposal. Avaya agreed to a buyout by Silver Lake and TPG Capital, two private equity groups with significant technology holdings that have formed a new company called Sierra Holdings Corp. to handle the deal. Avaya shareholders would receive $17.50 per share, but Avaya would be saddled with more debt afterward. After the federal Securities and Exchange Commission finishes reviewing the preliminary proxy statement Avaya filed, a final proxy will be sent to shareholders and a meeting date set for their vote. The Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department have approved the deal, but other closing conditions must be met, including approval from European Union regulators.
Visit www.avaya.com.
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Call center

8x8 introduces Packet8 Virtual Office call center solution for SMBs
8x8, Inc., provider of Packet8 residential, business and video VoIP phone services, expanded the market for its Packet8 Virtual Office hosted iPBX phone service with the introduction of a new, fully integrated hosted call center solution designed specifically for small to medium sized businesses with call center operations consisting of less than 100 seats. The Packet8 Complete Contact Center is a multimedia distribution and management platform that works with any broadband Internet service and provides enterprise class contact center functionality combined with Virtual Office hosted iPBX calling features and Packet8's cost efficient business VoIP calling plans.  Developed in partnership with Contactual, Inc., a global leader in on demand contact center technology solutions, the Packet8 Complete Contact Center lets companies quickly deploy and operate multi-channel contact centers within Packet8's hosted iPBX infrastructure without the time and expense of purchasing, installing and maintaining costly, specialized equipment.
Visit www.8x8.com.
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Market

NGN and IMS equipment to boost IP telephony carrier market
Dell’Oro Group recently reported that worldwide IP telephony carrier equipment revenues are projected to grow by an average of 14 percent through 2011, as the PSTN continues to gradually migrate to Next Generation Network (NGN) and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) equipment.  “While migration from the PSTN will remain the largest market opportunity for IP Telephony Carrier equipment, there are other significant demand factors that will also continue to drive growth in this market,” said Greg Collins, Vice President at Dell’Oro Group. “Voice-over-Broadband subscribers are expected to grow in excess of 30 percent per year though 2011. Future demand for NGN equipment should also be driven by service providers in developing regions, as these service providers elect to deliver POTS services via VoIP network,” he added. The report also forecasts dramatic sales growth of Session Border Controllers (SBCs), which act as interconnects for routing VoIP traffic between service providers. The SBC market is forecasted to grow from less than $200 million in 2006 to nearly $1 billion in 2011.
Visit www.DellOro.com.
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Partnerships

Broadvox and ABP Technology announce SIP telephony marketing partnership
Broadvox and ABP Technology have entered into a marketing and sales partnership to offer Broadvox SIP Trunking and VoIP services in conjunction with ABP’s national reseller network. Broadvox GO! SIP Trunking products meet the growing telecommunications needs of the SMB marketplace by providing immediate cost savings with free local calling and significantly reduced toll and international calls while also providing a platform for next-generation SIP services including IP PBX equipment, Unified Messaging and Presence-based applications. The ABP Technology national reseller network will use its knowledge and experience to combine the Broadvox GO! SIP Trunking products with the equipment, network analysis and service best suited for their customer’s environment. ABP Technology’s reseller network can choose from a wide range of IP telephony and networking products to meet the business need. Broadvox and ABP have announced the immediate availability of their IP solutions and services nationwide. The offering includes E911, DIDs, disaster recovery and local number portability allowing businesses to keep their current phone numbers. Delivering unlimited local, toll free, nationwide and international calling, Broadvox’s network covers 90% of the US and Canada markets.
Visit www.broadvox.net or www.abptech.com.
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Power

SmartPro UPS series is award winner
Tripp Lite announced that its SmartPro Intelligent, Line-Interactive UPS Series was named as a winner of the “Community Choice Award” in the Essential UPS category by Penton Media's Windows IT Pro.  Windows IT Pro forums and several Windows user groups were asked to vote on their product preferences in 12 broad technology categories. Tripp Lite's award-winning line of SmartPro UPS Systems provide intelligent, line-interactive operation specially designed to protect servers, data centers and other mission-critical equipment from potentially damaging power irregularities and line interference. The Advanced Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) supplies consistent power without draining batteries by constantly monitoring incoming voltage and trimming or boosting voltage accordingly. All SmartPro models also feature intelligent communication ports and PowerAlert Power Management Software. Together they allow administrators to view utility and system operating conditions, reboot devices and guarantee unattended operating system auto-shutdowns.
Visit www.tripplite.com.
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Publications

Telecom Gear, The Mart goes out of print
Telecom Gear, once the largest magazine for advertising used equipment, has been discontinued. The Mart, which for a while eclipsed the Gear, has also gone out of print. The Mart’s parent company has been dissolved in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Founded in 1985 as a derivative of Teleconnect Magazine, Telecom Gear was credited by many for creating a national secondary market. In the pre-Internet age, it sewed together dealers, resellers and repair companies into what emerged as an international secondary market for telecom equipment. The publication was originally conceived as a “job’s” gazette, which would list work orders for on-site work. But after a California company called SPOC began running multiple full-page ads, other resellers quickly joined in, making the publication viable.  In the early nineties a number of Gear employees went to work for Mike Story and formed The Mart, whose format was very similar to The Gear. The Gear passed ownership a number of times, finally ending up as a part of Dominion Enterprises. Dominion made no public announcement of the closure. The Mart’s owner, Story Publications, declared bankruptcy in 2006, but continued to publish The Mart into early 2007. No public announcement was made in The Mart’s closure, but people familiar with the matter said that the company simply ran out of funds to publish.
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snom

snom technology announces launch of international partner program
snom technology announced the launch of its partner program for distributors and value-added resellers (VARs). The purpose of this program is to give snom and its partners the necessary tools to provide snom customers worldwide with an optimal level of service. With this program, snom distributors will be classified into three categories (distributors, gold distributors, platinum distributors) dependent upon their capabilities in selling snom VoIP phones in various system configurations:

• Distributors will receive a Web page listing and second level support.

• Gold distributors will receive the same benefits as distributors and will also take part in special annual training sessions and receive industry-specific marketing support.

• Platinum partners will receive the same benefits as gold distributors and also have access to direct technical support.

All partners will have access to firmware updates before their official release and to new products while they are still in the beta phase. VARs will be classified as either registered or certified.
Visit http://www.snom.com/web/en/snom_partner.html.

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