Archive for the ‘VoIP’ Category

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1st Edition launch for O2.

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

O2 has unveiled a brand new platform which will allow customers to test products before they are released for general sale.

Called 1st Edition, the platform encourages customers to sign up and give feedback in order to improve overall levels of customer experience and satisfaction.

The mobile phone operator has also highlighted the fact that the service could help to bring future products to market in a shorter space of time.

O2 CEO Ronan Dunne has announced the first product to be tested via the service will be its eagerly-awaited VoIP offering, O2 Connect, which will allow smartphone users to make calls over the internet using their mobile phone Wi-Fi connection.

O2 Connect will be rolled out to 1,000 1st Edition customers who will be able to test the service free of charge.

It is understood that feedback and information on the latest releases will be accessible via the 1st Edition website.

Selected customers will be able to test O2 applications which run on Android, BlackBerry and Apple operating systems.

Related blog post – O2 launches trial of O2 Connect

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

Posted in Mobile Apps Review, VoIP, WiFi | No Comments »

O2 launches trial of O2 Connect.

Friday, October 14th, 2011

This week O2 announced plans to offer VoIP technology to customers via the launch of O2 Connect.

O2 Connect is a trial mobile service which will allow smartphone users to use voice and text services over WiFi networks using their mobile number to any UK mobile or landline number.

Initially available on iOS and Android operated devices, it is expected that O2 Connect will subsequently be rolled out across other smartphones.

It is understood that the trial will commence this month with O2 consumer and business users both participating and offering advice in the development stage of new features.

Reports have suggested that this trial will also be extended to attendees of Wired 2011.

It remains to be seen whether O2 Connect is hailed as a success.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

Posted in VoIP, WiFi | No Comments »

Skype is taken over by Microsoft.

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011

Following a time of speculation, Microsoft has officially confirmed that it has agreed to buy internet phone service Skype.

Skype will now become Microsoft’s largest acquisition, with the computing giant set to pay $8.5bn (£5.2bn).

Founded in 2003, Luxembourg-based Skype has 663 million users worldwide.  Last August, Skype announced plans for a share flotation, but this has subsequently been put on hold.

In 2006, eBay purchased Skype for $2.6bn before selling a 70% in 2009 for $2bn.

A group of investors led by private equity firms Silver Lake and Andreessen Horowit purchased this majority stake with other major shareholders including tech-firm Joltid and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

Some critics have said that in buying Skype, Microsoft aims to improve its video conferencing services, whilst others have mentioned that placing Skype on Windows 8 may provide a necessary boost to the tablet market.

However, it remains to be seen if the acquisition of Skype will directly benefit Microsoft going forward.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

Posted in Internet, Social Networking, VoIP | No Comments »

Wi-Fi speeds ‘30% slower’ than home broadband.

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

Recent research suggests that home Wi-Fi users are seeing significantly slower speeds when compared to their fixed broadband.

Network measurement firm Epitiro conducted one million trials across 14,000 Wi-Fi connections in the UK, US, Spain and Italy.

The results revealed that there is a 30% drop in speed standards when compared to the speed offered by fixed line broadband.

Interestingly, the study also revealed that many people were prepared to put up with slower speeds in return for the flexibility that Wi-Fi offers.

Those surfing the web and e-mailing via Wi-Fi are unlikely to notice a dramatic speed change due to the low levels of data that are passed on average.

However, if a user was to download video, stream television programmes or use a service such as Skype, there is likely to be a more noticeable difference in speed.

In order to alleviate this potential problem, users are advised to change channel on their Wi-Fi router and check that devices such as baby monitors, TV remotes and cordless phones are not causing interference.

Jamie Stokes is Marketing Assistant at Total Ltd – a business to business service provider, delivering genuine solutions across all core telecommunication services, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Total Ltd is a business that brings together and unifies all the component parts. For up to the minute business telecommunications news, please view the Total Ltd blog

Posted in Business Broadband, Cloud computing, VoIP, WiFi | No Comments »

PrivateWave launch mobile phone encryption service.

Tuesday, November 9th, 2010

According to IntResearch, secure voice communications specialist PrivateWave has launched an anti-tapping solution designed to ensure the safe transfer of information between mobile phones.

Alongside this, the PrivateGSM software known as Enterprise VoIP Security Suite (EVSS) also protects phone conversations between landline VoIP phones and mobile devices as well as protecting businesses from the loss of confidential information.

The software is said to be compatible with Nokia, Apple and BlackBerry mobile devices and will soon be able to support Android devices too.

The development of the EVSS is the result of the encryption of mobile communications and the development of secure VoIP solutions. The system is said to guarantee full protection of voice communications from hacking, securing all PBX conversations from landline phones to mobile devices and vice versa. This results in maximum privacy for all employees concerned.

It is thought that the product will be a success in the UK market.

Posted in VoIP | No Comments »

Facebook brings Skype to friends and family.

Friday, October 15th, 2010

Luxembourg-based Skype has agreed a deal with Facebook to integrate VoIP calls and video conversations via the social network.

It has been revealed that the latest version of Skype will include a Facebook tab which will allow users to interact with their Facebook news feeds.

Alongside this, the Facebook phonebook in Skype will allow users to call and text their Facebook friends via their mobile phones and landlines.

If a user’s Facebook friends also have a Skype account, then they will have access to free Skype-to-Skype telephone conversations.

The move comes as Facebook furthers its ambitions to be the central communications and messaging platform for its users across a variety of media.

With Skype currently boasting 560 million registered users and Facebook housing 500 million users it is understood that this bridge will combine a total of around one billion users.

It remains to be seen whether rumours surrounding Facebook and its desire to launch a branded phone are true.

Posted in Business Mobiles, Internet, Social Networking, VoIP | 1 Comment »

Research in Motion answer Apple’s iPad by releasing the BlackBerry Playbook.

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

This week BlackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM) unveiled the much anticipated tablet computer at its developer conference, Devcon, in San Francisco.

Currently, BlackBerry smartphones are dominant in the business arena and the move by RIM to develop a business centric tablet computer is hailed to be very clever by analysts.

It is hoped that the Playbook will allow RIM to dominate in a familiar market; the business one where RIM currently enjoys a large amount of success.

The Playbook, said to be the BlackBerry answer to the iPad, is equipped with a 7 inch (18cm) screen and boasts both front and rear facing cameras which will allow the business user to hold video conferences with ease.

In place of the new BlackBerry OS 6, the Playbook will run on QNX software. This particular software, recently acquired by RIM, is designed specifically for the Playbook and has been built to avoid the difficulties that arise when adjusting a smartphone OS to a tablet platform.

Whilst the Playbook will come equipped with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, it will not have 3G capabilities but will allow for data connection via a tethered BlackBerry smartphone.

It is thought that the Playbook will become available to the commercial market in early 2011.

Posted in BlackBerry, Business Telecommunications, VoIP, WiFi | 2 Comments »

Glovico.org offers ‘fair trade’ solution to learning foreign languages.

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

In the past it was thought that the best way to learn a foreign language was to travel to a country and surround yourself in the relevant culture.

Now, with the help of the internet, the ability to learn a foreign language is just a few clicks away.

‘Fair trade’ language learning website Glovico.org allows people in the developing world to offer language learning opportunities to students in more developed countries.

The initiative, supported by the Sainsbury Management Fellows’ Society, sources vetted and reliable language teachers in places such as Peru and the Ivory Coast and then uses Skype to unite teacher and student.

A one-on-one video tuition session costs an average of 8 Euros per hour and as Glovico is a non-profit organisation, it only takes 2 Euros worth of the fee in order to cover administration costs.

The rest of the fee is then sent straight to the teacher by international money transfer and is considered to be a large part of a teacher’s monthly income.

Currently, the site has 600 active and paying members but this figure is set to rise and corporate customers begin to show interest and word of mouth is passed on.

So, if you have always fancied learning a foreign language, now is your chance.

Posted in Social Networking, VoIP | 4 Comments »

Indian data curbs may also affect Google and Skype.

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

India has demanded “access to everything” across a whole host of telecoms firms whilst it tightens its reigns on security.

Last week an Indian Home Ministry Official told the BBC that “any company with a telecoms network should be accessible”.

This means that companies such as Google and Skype, known to use encryption services, are likely to be asked to provide data, alongside virtual private networks which are often used by employees to gain secure access to their working documents whilst at home.

This call follows the well documented talks between BlackBerry smartphone manufacturer Research in Motion and the Indian Government to allow Indian security forces to monitor data.

It is thought that the increased security measures being enforced by India stem from increased fears of terrorism.

Alternatively, other sources have speculated that it may just be that the Government now wish to focus on enforcing the ICT Act of 2000 which was revised in 2008 but has yet to be adhered to in full.

It would appear that there is still a long way to go before the issues are satisfactorily resolved.

Posted in BlackBerry, Business Telecommunications, Email, VoIP | No Comments »

Google has launched free voice calls for its Gmail users.

Friday, August 27th, 2010

The search giant is set to compete with other internet telephone companies such as Skype by giving its users the option to make calls from its free web-based email service.

Up until now, Google offered computer-to-computer voice and video chat services. Users are now able to call landline and mobile numbers from inside their Gmail account.

Phone calls made to the US and Canada will be free until the end of the year but, in contrast, calls to the UK, France, China and Germany will cost 2 cents a minute.

This places the service in direct competition with Skype and its offering of free Skype-to-Skype calls to any country in the world.

Users will see the product link appear on the left hand side of the Gmail page within the ‘chat’ window. A ‘call phone’ option will pop up alongside a number pad which allows the user to dial the number of the contact they wish to speak to.

It is thought that this new service will be a more efficient and low-cost communication method for Gmail users.

Posted in Email, VoIP | 3 Comments »

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