Upcoming Meeting Notice


SAVE THE DATE:

TAMPA REGIONAL RECEPTION
OCTOBER 21, 2010
Columbia Restaurant at Ybor City - Tampa, FL

ANNUAL WINTER CONFERENCE
MARCH 9 - 11, 2011
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Hollywood, FL

(Click here for more information.)

NATD in the news
Cloud
Conferences
Data center
In the news
Mitel
Nortel
Phones
Toshiba

NATD in the news

Catalyst Telecom to carry new Avaya video line
Catalyst Telecom, a sales unit of ScanSource Inc., is pleased to announce that it will be carrying the new Avaya video collaboration solutions including the Avaya Flare Experience with the Avaya Desktop Video Device, which will be released later in the year. With the launch of Avaya’s video collaboration products, Catalyst reseller partners can begin growing their business and enhancing their solution offering with minimal investment in time and training, as all Avaya Unified Communications (UC) authorized partners will be able to sell Avaya video collaboration solutions immediately.  Avaya’s video solutions make high-definition, low-bandwidth video collaboration more accessible thanks to enhanced performance and cost savings achieved through Avaya Aura, the company’s IP communications platform that simplifies complex communications networks. In addition to offering the full product line, including all related accessories such as displays and brackets, Catalyst will also provide professional services in support of the solution. 
Visit www.catalysttelecom.com.
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Cloud

Cloud computing momentum builds despite uncertainties
Investments in cloud computing solutions and services are poised to increase in the next 12 months as opportunities for IT channel companies and their customers come into clearer focus, new research from CompTIA reveals. The CompTIA study “Cloud Computing: Pulling Back the Curtain” finds that 72 percent of end-user organizations surveyed plan to expand the number and types of cloud computing services they use over the next 12 months. Nearly two-thirds of end users (64 percent) plan to increase their investment in cloud solutions by more than 5 percent in the coming year. Similarly, more than half of IT channel organizations surveyed plan to boost their investment in cloud computing by 10 percent or more in the next 12 months. From the customer perspective, the transition to cloud computing is accelerating because of a desire to reduce capital expenditures (cited by 85 percent of end user respondents) and to drive down costs (84 percent). Customers also expressed a desire to add new capabilities not available in current IT models as a reason to move to cloud computing. It was cited by 81 percent of end users surveyed and offers up a compelling reason for channel providers to sell cloud services as a value-added solution, not simply a way to cut customer IT costs.
Visit www.comptia.org.
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Conferences

Illinois Institute of Technology conference to explore the world of VoIP
The Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) announced that its sixth annual VoIP Conference and Expo, with the overall theme “Where Industry Meets Academia,” will take place October 12-14, 2010 in Chicago. This conference, where industry and academia meet, brings together technical professionals and executives from the data and telecommunications industry, standards bodies, government agencies, as well as the business community. The presentations, exhibits, social events and session breaks provide opportunities to discover different aspects of this rapidly evolving field. Jeffrey Scott Cohen, Sr. Legal Counsel with the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau will present on "Policy and Technology: The FCC's goals for Broadband Technology, 911 Alerting and Cyber Security.”  Christopher Mayer, Vice-President, Systems Integration and Testing, Verizon Communications will chair a panel session on "Carriers View of VoIP and the Future.”  Eric Burger, Georgetown University will address "Interoperability - We Can Achieve It - IETF Can Help" in a keynote discussion.
Visit www.cpd.iit.edu/voipconference/.


FCC Commissioner McDowell to speak at ACUTA Fall Seminar
The opening session of the ACUTA Fall Seminar will be A Conversation with FCC Commissioner Rob McDowell. In this session, the commissioner will discuss telecommunications issues of concern to ACUTA members, who direct and manage voice, data and video technology on college campuses across North America. Questions will focus on universal service reform and contribution methodology, net neutrality, broadband deployment, wireless deployment on campus and privacy. The question-and-answer session will take place on Monday, October 25, at 8:30 a.m. at the Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner in Vienna, Virginia.
Visit www.acuta.org.
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Data center

Westcon Group unveils inaugural LEAP Center
Westcon Group, Inc. announced it has unveiled the first of its global LEAP (Learn, Experience, Architect and Plan) Centers, dedicated "centers of excellence" for resellers to capitalize on data center opportunities related to next-generation technologies -- including the Cisco Unified Computing System. The Brussels-based facility is the first of several world-class facilities Westcon Group will be launching around the world. Next month, a LEAP Center will open in Denver, U.S.A. and other LEAP Centers will follow in Sydney, Australia and Singapore in the coming months.  LEAP Centers offer resellers a major competitive differentiator in their pursuit of data center opportunities and are engineered to replicate real-world scenarios faced in deploying virtualized servers with their customers. Resellers can test and experience a wide array of complementary solutions, such the Cisco Unified Computing System, storage offerings from NetApp, EMC, and virtualized applications from VMware, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP and other manufacturers. Resellers are able to access these capabilities both on-site and via remote access.
Visit www.westcongroup.com/leapcenter. 
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In the news

Tough Times for Independent IT Dealers
By EMILY MALTBY

Sales at XS International Inc., a 10-employee company that sells refurbished electronics like computers, disk drives and servers, have shrunk 50% in the past two years. The problem, the company says, is that it no longer qualifies for roughly half the government contracts it once did. XS International is an independent seller whose business, while legitimate and legal, doesn't follow certain requirements set up by large manufacturers like Cisco Systems Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co. to qualify as an "authorized" dealer of those companies' equipment.

Authorized companies, in most cases, receive inventory directly from the manufacturers and set prices based on manufacturer's suggested retail price. Independent resellers sell used, refurbished or "gray market" equipment—factory-sealed equipment purchased on the open market—and set the prices for those products.

Independent dealers say large manufacturers in recent years have encouraged customers, including the government, to buy goods through authorized channels only, which the manufacturers say helps ensure the merchandise isn't counterfeit. The global information-technology industry loses about $100 billion a year to counterfeiters, according to the Alliance for Gray Market and Counterfeit Abatement, a group formed in 2001 that now represents more than a dozen manufacturers including Cisco, H-P, Oracle Corp. and International Business Machines Corp.
Read entire article.
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Mitel

Mitel and Arrow ECS sign distribution agreement in France
Mitel and Arrow Enterprise Computing Solutions (ECS), a business segment of Arrow Electronics Inc. and a leading IT distributor and provider of VMware solutions in Europe, have announced a distribution agreement that will continue the expansion of Mitel’s IT software distribution network. Mitel continues to focus on developing channel networks, such as IT distributors and software solution providers, with a strong focus on business software integration, virtualization, cloud computing competencies and associated service capabilities. The agreement with Arrow ECS will help in the recruitment and development of new Mitel authorizedPARTNERs in France supporting this evolution. Arrow ECS’s resellers who are already VMware partners will be able to take advantage of a specific European certification,  “Mitel Virtual Solutions Specialist Partner.”
Visit www.mitel.com and http://ecs.arrow.com/.
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Nortel

Nortel settlement agreement with former and disabled Canadian employees
Nortel Networks Corporation reconfirmed that as of October 1st, 2010, the administration of the Nortel Networks Negotiated Pension Plan and the Nortel Networks Limited Managerial and Non-Negotiated Pension Plan (the “Pension Plans”) will be transitioned to Morneau Sobeco Limited Partnership, the replacement administrator appointed by the Ontario Superintendent of Financial Services (the “Superintendent”). This transition is pursuant to the court approved Settlement Agreement with former and disabled Canadian employee representatives initially announced on February 8, 2010, and is in accordance with the Ontario Pension Benefits Act.  Effective October 1, 2010, all inquiries regarding the Pension Plans should be directed to the replacement plan administrator, Morneau Sobeco Limited Partnership at 1-877-392-2074 with regards to the Managerial Plan and 1-877-392-2073 with regards to the Negotiated Plan or at the dedicated email address at [email protected]. The replacement administrator has advised Nortel that current monthly pension payments will continue unchanged until it notifies pensioners that a change will be made and that this is not expected to occur before the end of 2010.
Visit www.pensionwindups.morneausobeco.com.
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Phones

Grandstream introduces new HD enterprise SIP telephone
Grandstream Networks announced it has extended the portfolio of its popular GXP series enterprise SIP telephones with the introduction of the new GXP2110. Based on Grandstream’s broadly interoperable SIP stack, the GXP2110 SIP telephone delivers superior HD audio quality for crystal clear voice communications, packed IP telephony features and integrated Web applications, as well as support for highly flexible XML customization and strong security protection. In the near future, more advanced Web applications will continue to be integrated via FREE firmware upgrade and an open Web service API will also be provided for advanced custom enterprise/Web application development. Grandstream plans to continue to expand the GXP phone series with new models during the rest of this year.
Visit www.grandstream.com.
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Toshiba

Toshiba and Newroads Telecom certify interoperability
Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Telecommunication Systems Division (Toshiba) and Newroads Telecom announced the certification of interoperability of Newroads Business SIP Trunking with Toshiba’s family of Strata CIX IP business communication systems.  Newroads Business SIP Trunking is now available nationwide from Authorized Toshiba Dealers. Newroads Telecom delivers personal, one-on-one services focused on small businesses.  Its cost-effective solutions include SIP Trunking and traditional TDM services of POTS lines, Channelized T1 and PRI. Newroads provides customized and innovative services over its own facilities, or the customer may elect to use its existing broadband connection to deliver the services.
Visit www.telecom.toshiba.com and www.newroadstelecom.com.

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