Archive for July, 2007

iPhone Problems

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007

 For the record, I do not have an iPhone. I may be the only techie who doesn’t have one at this point. I didn’t stand in line for hours or camp on a sidewalk waiting for this device to arrive. However, I just spoke with Michael Khalilian of the IMS Forum and I apparently was the first caller on his new iPhone. He was telling me the level of complexity to get the device working is incredible. It is a nightmare for a non techie he tells me. He says the iTunes and AT&T servers were not interoperating correctly. He says the AT&T servers were clogged and this was the reason he had to wait 2.5 days to get the phone working. He was on the phone with Apple and AT&T tech support and finally the servers started syncing and the phone display came up and everything got downloaded (iTunes, etc). He says time flew by as he admired the beauty of the new device and tried to fix the problems. He said unless the servers sync, the device is a pure piece of “art,” He also referred to it as a piece of “glass.” “When it works it is amazing,” he exclaimed. I asked about the lack of a keyboard as I figured with would be a deal killer for many. He says there is more flexibility with the device since there is no stylus needed. He says it is totally different than traditional handsets and is a breakthrough in terms of user experience. He wants to figure out how to get it working with the organization’s next IMS plugfest. Michael says the device has amazing capability. He doubts many users will use all of the features of the device. To back up his statement he mentions the user guide is 150 pages. He thinks the hype is justified and in the last couple of hours he has been truly blown away (it has only worked since 4:00 AM this morning). Mike concluded, “Everything Apple claimed is true and more… Once you get past the activation.”



Tags: activation, apple, at&t, ims, ims forum, iphone, michael khalilian, plugfest, problems

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SimulScribe: Real Visual Voicemail

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007

So here I sit on vacation missing the hysteria taking the nation by storm. Of course I am talking about the iPhone lunacy. This device will definitely change the telecom world for the better and moreover it is already a target of other companies looking to capitalize on the Apple marketing machine buzz. Witness the humorous videos being produced by companies like SimulScribe (related entries). As you recall, SimulScribe offers voicemail transcription and allows you to read your voicemail instead of listening to it. As the company says, it is real visual voicemail while the iPhone is “fake” visual voicemail. Take a look at video 1 and 2 for yourself.



Tags: 3g, apple, at&t, cingular, edge, iphone, simulscribe, visual voicemail, voicemail transcription, youtube

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Nokia N800 and Free WiFi

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007

The Nokia N800 tablet is an exciting example of what communications technology can and should be. I was sent one from the company to try and to be honest I didn’t expect to be impressed. When I started using it I was blown away at the fact the device is about the size of my smartphone yet is about as powerful as my laptop. The screen is 640×480 and you appreciate the ability to read full web pages at this resolution. Unlike my laptop it actually has better speakers and surprisingly can stream audio, video, play Flash (including YouTube) and even videoconference via its embedded camera which can rotate. It is truly an ideal device for web surfing and light typing. With a bluetooth keyboard you can use this device as a primary computing platform. But enough on this device… Let’s talk about WiFi as Nokia has teamed with EarthLink to offer free WiFi to N800 users in certain cities for free. If you are lucky enough to have an N800 and live in Philadelphia, New Orleans, Corpus Christi, TX or Milpitas or Anaheim, Calif. you can take advantage of this offer. Enjoy!



Tags: earthlink, flash, n800, nokia, wifi, youtube

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Whats new in Technology Lately?

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007

Here is some interesting news worth reading about and it spans from consumer electronics to wireless to IP communications. What may be most interesting is the rapid rise of the internet — it is rivaling TV as a communications medium. I would imagine the two-way nature of the Internet should allow it to leapfrog TV as a communications vehicle shortly. Hope these stories keep you satisfied while I am away. Enjoy! Oh and no sightings of Dick Cheney yet. 

  • PacificNet iMobile, TiVo Greater China Team on PVR/DVR
  • Prince of Wales Reduces Carbon Footprint
  • Internet Edges Closer to TV as Prime Communications Medium: Report
  • CEA Study: HDTV Popular in U.S. Households
  • IperiaVX Leverages VoIP Investments While Reducing Time to Market
  • Five9 and BayanTel Team on Offer Hosted Contact Center Solution
  • Green Technology Initiative Releases Survey Results
  • Alltel Rolls out New ‘MyEconoday’ Wireless Service




Tags: carbon footprint, green technology, hdtv, iperia, technology

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Where Did Rich Go?

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007

OK, Rich has not abandoned his loyal readers. He really values these people as without his readers he would stop blogging and at that point he would have to find a hobby or two. Thankfully, dear readers, I am still with you and in fact this week my family decided I work hard enough to take some time off. So I am at an undisclosed location which has plenty of sand and beach chairs. This doesn’t explain how I got locked in my hotel room by myself however. Due to this hotel’s awesome WiFi I decided I needed to videoconference with TMC using Microsoft’s new RoundTable conferencing unit. The conference was great and I felt like I was in the room. I was told I sound better than when I am there in person which makes me wonder if I should ever leave this secret location. But alas, sooner or later I will have to come back so be sure to stay tuned as any moment now, I may run into Dick Cheney.






Tags: ip communications, microsoft, roundtable, skype, videoconference, voip

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Where the VoIP Resellers Are

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007

Sometimes I read marketing pieces that really make me scratch my head. This morning, while catching up on industry news I may have missed while at NXTComm, I came across a competitive site promoting a new event that was going to “fill a void in the industry”. Right away it grabbed my attention, because I could not figure out what void existed in IP Communications trade shows. Sure enough, a new show has been launched that claims it will bring together resellers and VARs with vendors. That immediately brought a smile to my face. Not because there is an actual void in the industry, but because you have to appreciate marketing speak. Here the marketers are solving a problem that has never existed outside of their own event. TMC’s Internet Telephony Conference and Expo has attracted tens of thousands of resellers, VARs, agents and system integrators over the years and we have seen this audience become one of the most dominant features of our event. We have been offering these valuable attendees unparalleled conference sessions at no charge and they have rewarded our efforts by becoming the de-facto event for IP communications resellers to attend. The marketing for this new event should have stated that they were “hoping to fill a void in their event that has existed for years”, since Internet Telephony Conference and Expo has been filling the void in the industry since 1999. Sorry, sometimes I get fired up and have to de-bunk myths….



Tags: itexpo, nxtcomm, voip reseller

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E-Mail and News Junkies

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007

One thing I do not miss about travel is the e-mail avalanche which ensues the moment you turn on a computer to get back to work. It is quite amazing. I think e-mail is what makes us more productive and also does not let us relax. In addition the thirst for knowledge many of us have, coupled with access to information in various ways such as RSS, news alerts, etc. has enabled those who can’t get enough information to at least try. I would imagine those people who are really pushing the envelope in terms of being e-mail and news junkies will get farther ahead in life than others. Of course this doesn’t equate to work ethic or interpersonal skills but my experience is the truly successful people really have trouble turning off e-mail and news absorption. I would love your opinions.



Tags: e-mail, junkies, news, productivity

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Enabling Technology Acquisitions

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007

Some of the rumors from last night’s party at NXTComm are that many of the enabling technology companies in communications are for sale. I know of one of these companies who is having some financial problems but I can’t say who. Expect consolidation.



Tags: enabling technology, nxtcomm

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Cox Selects BroadWorks VoIP

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007

BroadSoft just announced they will be providing their BroadWorks platform to enable Cox Business Services – a hosted IP communications offering aimed at corporate customers. This a huge win for Broadsoft and should also be of great concern to the incumbent phone companies. The cable companies have been very aggressive in the residential VoIP market and SMBs are next.



Tags: broadsoft, broadworks, cox, hosted voip

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No Logon with Skypee

Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007

So I got up this morning at 4:30 am which is a bit earlier than I would have liked (this is really 5:30 EST). I was hoping to get lots of work done but last night and this morning I could not get onto the hotel broadband connection. I would get the login screen but when I put in my room number it would time out. I rebooted and played with settings for a long time and then I decided to call tech support. The person who answered asked me to turn of the firewall and a whole bunch of other things like changing my proxy server. Nothing worked. He then asked if I have “Skypee” which I inferred was Skype (I also inferred the tech support team may be based in Italy). I told him indeed I do have “Skypee.” When I disabled “Skypeee” it solved the problem and I can now join the internet community once again. Happy day.






Tags: hotel, logon, skype

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