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Acquisitions
Avaya
IP
Leasing
Market
Nortel
SIP
Storage
Virtualization
Wireless

Acquisitions

Ifbyphone acquires Cloudvox
Ifbyphone, Inc. entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Cloudvox. In addition to its suite of self-service Web configured and highly customizable phone applications, the acquisition positions Ifbyphone as an industry-leading application developer platform. The addition of Cloudvox positions Ifbyphone as the only cloud telephony provider that enables customers to rent a phone-based application, integrate with an existing Ifbyphone app, or build a custom app. Cloudvox lets developers automate phone calls using their own software - code they write and control. Cloudvox leverages the industry-leading Asterisk open-source phone server, and is similar to “Asterisk in the cloud.” Cloudvox is compatible with existing Asterisk applications and software libraries; further, it is scalable, deployed in a carrier-grade environment and simple for developers to use.
Visit www.ifbyphone.com or www.cloudvox.com.
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Avaya

Avaya collaborates with LifeSize Communications
Avaya announced an agreement with LifeSize Communications to establish interoperability between the Avaya Aura unified communications (UC) platform and LifeSize HD video conferencing systems. The combined solutions will enable broad-scale deployment of HD video conferencing with the high-quality and flexibility of LifeSize video systems and the centralized management and control capabilities of Avaya Aura. Using the SIP-based Avaya Aura, enterprises will be able to distribute video conferencing capabilities over multiple locations in businesses with multi-vendor environments. Employees will be able to easily collaborate with each other by video regardless of the communications system which serves their specific location. IT will enjoy low bandwidth utilization, streamlined management and lower costs by routing video over their internal network. LifeSize is a Platinum member of the Avaya DevConnect program, an initiative to develop, market and sell innovative third-party products that interoperate with Avaya technology and extend the value of a company's investment in its network.
Visit www.avaya.com or www.lifesize.com.
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IP

CommPartners Connect announces enhancements to its wholesale IP communications reseller program
CommPartners Connect announced enhancements to its “private label” reseller program for Service Providers, VARs and System Integrators providing communications solutions to the SMB/E market.  The enhanced program features the addition of a “National Account” program, the establishment of an “Elite” level in its Partner Success Program (adding deeper discounts and co-op advertising benefits), an expanded list of inter-operable and certified devices for use on the carrier’s network, distribution alliances for pre-provisioning CPE along with other enhancements. CommPartners Connect has also announced a transition program with incentives for IP communications service providers who seek an alternative to their current wholesale services vendor. CommPartners Connect delivers reliable, high quality and competitively-priced carrier and wholesale hosted IP services for business customers including Hosted PBX, SIP Trunking, Hosted Call Center, Call Recording and other enhanced IP communications services. 
Visit www.commpartnersconnect.com.
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Leasing

CIT's Arrington outlines benefits of IT leasing
Technology leasing is a growing trend among companies seeking to maintain a competitive advantage through access to the latest equipment and services without making large capital investments, according to Ron Arrington, president of Vendor Finance for CIT Group.  This is just one of the insights Arrington offers in "The Benefits of Leasing Technology in a Market Downturn," the latest in a series of in-depth executive Q&As featured in CIT's "Executive Spotlight" series. Arrington explains the numerous benefits leasing provides and why it is an increasingly attractive solution for organizations looking to upgrade their technology infrastructure amid a challenging market. He goes on to reveal why organizations are gravitating toward the leasing model, noting that: "While leasing can be beneficial to virtually any private or public organization in most any industry, the most fertile area for growth is in information technology, where the fast pace of innovation results in an accelerated product lifecycle. Organizations are shifting toward leasing to free up capital and shift costs between capital and expense budgets."
Visit www.cit.com.
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Market

VoIP penetration forecast to reach 79% of US businesses
by 2013
VoIP penetration among US businesses will increase rapidly over the next few years, reaching 79% by 2013, compared to 42% at the end of 2009, reports In-Stat. This penetration reflects companies having a VoIP solution deployed in at least one location. Recent research by In-Stat found the following: hosted IP Centrex has now surpassed broadband IP telephony as the leading revenue-generating, carrier-based business VoIP solution; 33% of businesses that have already deployed VoIP solutions report that recent economic conditions have caused them to slow additional deployment plans, compared to 30% reporting no change in plans; and broadband IP telephony revenues continue to grow and will more than double by 2013, compared to 2008. This growth will be fueled by single-user applications among increasingly distributed and mobile workforces.
Visit www.in-stat.com.
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Nortel

Bankrupt Nortel's sales fall as customers cut spending
Bankrupt Nortel Networks Corp. posted a 62 per cent drop in quarterly revenue, as customers cut spending in the face of uncertainty about its bankruptcy proceedings and the shaky economy. Fourth-quarter revenue dropped to $794 million from $2.1 billion in the year ago period. It said sales fell across all of its business segments and regions. Once North America's biggest telecommunications equipment maker, Nortel filed for bankruptcy protection in January 2009. It is auctioning off its assets in an effort to pay back debtholders, rather than restructuring the business. Nortel has already sold its fiber optic and ethernet businesses to Ciena and wireless assets to Ericsson. Net income for the quarter totaled $1.78 billion, compared with a loss of $2.14 billion in the period a year ago. Both periods included a raft of one-time items related to sales, job cuts and goodwill impairments.
Visit www.nortel.com.
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SIP

Interact Incorporated announces interoperability with the BroadvoxGO! SIP Trunking product line
Interact Incorporated announced that Broadvox has certified version 6.14 of Interact’s SPOT Media Platform for interoperability with the BroadvoxGO! SIP Trunking product line.  The SPOT VoiceXML/CCXML Media Platform completed extensive testing and proved to be successful in all aspects. Deployable in VoIP, SIP, TDM or PSTN environments or on a variety of hardware platforms, Interact’s VoiceXML/CCXML Media Platform, SPOT, provides feature rich and high density media processing with call control signaling, IP and PSTN connectivity. This allows operators worldwide to introduce and deliver new and innovative voice and data service offerings, including interactive voice response (IVR), voice portals, conferencing services, voicemail, unified messaging platforms and prepaid services to meet ever changing market demands.  Broadvox performs the certification process under rigorous conditions encompassing key elements of interoperability to ensure “real world” system operation.
Visit www.broadvox.com or www.iivip.com.
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Storage

Integra Telecom unveils online data storage for businesses
Integra Telecom Inc. has released a new online data storage product intended to help growing businesses accommodate for increasing data storage needs. Integra’s Online Data Storage utilizes File Transfer Protocol (FTP) technology, enabling customers to upload files to Integra’s secure data centers where the information is backed-up every four hours. The offsite data protection safeguards critical business information as well as providing secure, password protected, remote access to files from any Internet connection. Integra’s Online Data Storage product also offers customers file restoration with 30-day storage history and live, local customer support 24 hours a day. Additionally, customers enjoy secure and remote access from anywhere they’re able to access the Internet.
Visit www.integratelecom.com.
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Virtualization

Positron achieves VMware partner listing
Positron Telecommunication Systems has achieved a solutions listing on the VMware partner portal. Positron is the first and only hardware PBX solution for VMware which is certified for its entire V-Series product range. VMware delivers solutions for business infrastructure virtualization that enable IT organizations to energize businesses of all sizes. With the industry leading virtualization platform – VMware vSphere – customers rely on VMware to reduce capital and operating expenses, improve agility, ensure business continuity, strengthen security and go green. The V-Series from Positron is the only PCI card to offer Gateway and PBX functionality inside the Host PC. The V-Series cards install as Ethernet adapters and allow the shortest distance, lowest latency and terminate the RTP on the card itself, creating the best solution for VMware sessions. The V-Series has low power, small form factor, zero load CPU, easy configuration through web browser and can be shared by multiple VMware sessions.
Visit www.positrontelecom.com or www.VMware.com.
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Wireless

Meru Networks announces new 802.11n i-Series class of enterprise wireless access points
Meru Networks, Inc. unveiled a new series of high performance 802.11n wireless access points featuring a new Orthogonal Array Beam Forming (OABF) antenna system. The new i-Series, Meru’s most technologically advanced 802.11n access points to date, extend the high performance of Meru’s virtualized Wireless LAN (WLAN) solutions, designed to provide 99.99% wireless network availability, toll quality VoIP services, HD Video support, and wired-like reliability into a compact design. The first model in the i-Series, the AP320i, was developed for environments that demand the most from products’ aesthetics yet expect the highest performance and best end-user experience. It features a new OABF antenna system in a low-profile, tool-free product enclosure designed to meet enterprises’ aesthetic demands, while exceeding performance expectations.
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