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Thursday, February 14, 2 pm ET / 11 am PT
In this webcast, Acme Packet will examine the migration of enterprise communications to an all-IP infrastructure using SIP trunking and Enterprise Session Border controllers (E-SBCs) to enable next generation all-IP communications networks. Register Today! |
Today's Top Stories
1. Cisco extends Jabber unified communications to virtual desktops
2. Enterprise use of digital technologies reaches 'tipping point,' says Gartner
3. IDC: Economic uncertainty, Windows 8, tablets blamed for PC chip drop
4. magicJack faces allegations of accounting irregularities
5. AT&T and Polycom ink deal on cloud-based videoconferencing Editor's Corner: Technology challenges threaten to overwhelm CIOs Also Noted: CVx ChannelVision Expo 2013
Spotlight On... Spotlight: Alcatel-Lucent, India's Reliance ink billion dollar network performance contract
Facebook rolls out free VoIP in U.S.; Nice VoIP upgrade! and much more... On the Hot Seat
 Rob Shanahan, CEO and president of Lightower Fiber Networks, isn't afraid of transitions. The 25-year telecom industry veteran is now leading the company through a merger with fellow competitive provider Sidera Networks. In late December, Berkshire Partners, a Boston-based investment firm, signed a deal to acquire Lightower Fiber Networks and Sidera Networks for $2 billion. Sean Buckley, Senior Editor of FierceTelecom, caught up with Shanahan to talk about the pending merger with Sidera and the value it will create for Lightower's customer base. Read more  Follow @FierceEntComm on Twitter!
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Technology challenges threaten to overwhelm CIOs
 For chief information officers (CIOs), mobile, cloud and analytics technologies are priorities for the coming year, according to a recent Gartner survey of 2,000 CIOs (see related story).
As implementation of these technologies proceeds, they will transform the way enterprises communicate. In particular, as mobile and cloud converge, the traditional communications infrastructure will be transformed beyond recognition. Legacy systems will no longer be able to serve the needs of enterprises. In addition, the flood of data now coming into the enterprise, through machine-to-machine communications as well as other data communications technologies, will require enterprises to implement advanced analytics to make sense of that data. Otherwise, the data flood will be of little business value. If managed properly, these new technologies can benefit enterprises and boost productivity. Handled poorly, they can be highly disruptive. A full 70 percent of CIOs cited mobile technologies as the most disruptive force in the enterprise. The survey also found that the role of CIOs is changing, from their traditional IT roles to digital "scouts" looking for digital opportunities and harvesting value... Continued  Read more
Read more about: mobile technology
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Sponsor: Aricent FierceLive! Webinars > Globalstar's New "Wi-Fi" Super Highway - Tuesday, January 22nd, 11:00am EST/8:00 am PST
> Capitalizing SON – How to Implement SON for LTE to reduce OPEX and Increase Revenue - Tuesday, January 29th, 11am ET / 8am PT
> Webinar: Moving Beyond Connectivity: Driving Business Value with SIP Trunking Thursday, February 14, 2 pm ET / 11 am PT
> Webinar: OTT Voice and Messaging: The future of Telecom - Thursday, February 21st, 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT Events > Key Contact Center Trends and Priorities for the Upcoming Year - Tuesday, January 29 - 11:30 AM EST, 16:30 GMT
> Fierce Innovation Awards 2012 Live Announcement of this Year's Winners - Now Available On-Demand Marketplace > Whitepaper: Who's Using My Directory - And For What?
> Whitepaper: Protecting Unstructured Data on File Servers, NetApp, EMC and SharePoint
> Brief: Secure Android Capability
> eBook: How Cloud Communications Reduce Costs and Increase Productivity
> eBook: Knowledge Management: 5 Steps to Getting it Right the First Time Jobs > Public Safety DAS Engineer - Houston, TX - Connectivity Wireless Solutions
> RF Engineer Job - Beaverton, OR, USA – Yoh
> Test Engineer Job - Overland Park, KS, USA – Yoh
> Implementation Manager II Job - Bellevue, WA, USA – Yoh
> Transport Engineer Job - Gardner, KS, USA – Yoh
> Manager Business Process II - Business Intake - Denver, CO - Cricket Communications
> Need a job? Need to hire? Visit FierceWirelessJobs * Post a classified ad: Click here.
* General ad info: Click here | Today's Top News 1. Cisco extends Jabber unified communications to virtual desktops
Cisco's (Nasdaq: CSCO) Jabber unified communications (UC) product is now available on virtual desktops, the firm announced Thursday. Through software called the Virtualization Experience Media Engine, Cisco is now able to offer Jabber on Cisco thin clients and eventually will also be able to offer Jabber for virtual desktops on other thin clients as well as Windows PCs and mobile devices. Jabber offers enterprise customers voice, high-definition video, web conferencing, presence and instant messaging. Cisco said it currently has 1.4 million Jabber seats. Gartner estimates there will be 77 million users on virtual desktops by 2016, according to Cisco. "With Cisco Jabber now available for virtual environments, we are enabling our customers to deliver a complete 'anywhere' desktop to their employees without sacrificing the exceptional enterprise capabilities they have come to expect," Phil Sherburne, vice president of engineering in Cisco's Enterprise Smart Solutions unit, was quoted as saying by PC Magazine. The advantages for enterprises to opt for virtual desktops instead of physical desktops include scalability, increased security, simplified deployment and management and lower cost, according to Cisco. "When you do it right, [desktop virtualization] can lead to lower costs," Grace Kim, marketing manager for collaboration platforms, told FierceEnterpriseCommunications. What enterprises need to do is develop a clear virtualization roadmap, she explained. Cisco is also integrating Jabra handsets and speakers as well as Logitech's (Nasdaq: LOGI) keyboards, mouse and webcam into the Jabber virtual desktop offering. Logitech explained that its UC Keyboard K725-C interoperates directly with Cisco Jabber, so it can manage calls for any user who is signed in to the system. This makes the Logitech product well suited for "hot desking" work environments, where users do not have a permanently assigned desk or cubicle. "With Cisco thin clients as part of an end to end architecture, we are able to give our sales representatives the capability to work remotely and securely from any location. Now, our IT organization is able to equally support Citrix (Nasdaq: CTXS) and VMware (NYSE: VMW) desktops and easily create a sales office and back office with full functionality with only a monitor," commented Hiroki Aramaki, technical specialist for collaboration technology at NetOne Systems. For more:
- see the Cisco release
- check out PC Magazine's article
- see Logitech's release Related articles:
Cisco, Citrix expand desktop virtualization partnership into mobile cloud
Cisco rolls out new UC solution Read more about: Cisco, Enterprise Customers
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| This week's sponsor is Aricent. | 
 | Webinar: Capitalizing SON – How to Implement SON for LTE to reduce OPEX and Increase Revenue
Tuesday, January 29th, 11am ET / 8am PT LTE is the fastest growing communication technology of all time. In this webinar our experts will discuss how Network Equipment Manufacturers can leverage the concept of Self Organizing Networks (SON) to not only manage highly complex LTE networks but also reduce operational expenditures and enhance customer satisfaction. Register Today! |
2. Enterprise use of digital technologies reaches 'tipping point,' says Gartner
Enterprise use of digital technologies including mobile, analytics, big data, social and cloud have reached a "tipping point," requiring chief information officers (CIOs) to develop new IT strategies, priorities and plans, judged research firm Gartner. "Digital technologies provide a platform to achieve results, but only if CIOs adopt new roles and behaviors to find digital value. CIOs require a new agenda that incorporates hunting for new digital innovations and opportunities, and harvesting value from products, services and operations," said Mark McDonald, group vice president and Gartner fellow. Currently, enterprises realize on average only 43 percent of technology's business potential, according to a survey of more than 2,000 CIOs conducted by Gartner in the fourth quarter of 2012. "IT needs new tools if it hopes to hunt for technology-intensive innovation and harvest raised business performance from transformed IT infrastructure, operations and applications. Without change, CIOs and IT consign themselves to tending a garden of legacy assets and responsibilities," said McDonald. In terms of technology priorities, CIOs picked analytics and business intelligence as their top priority, followed by mobile technology and cloud computing. The CIOs surveyed controlled total IT budgets of $230 billion and were located in 41 countries. Gartner's survey reflects similar CIO technological priorities as a survey of 269 CIOs conducted by CIO Magazine last year, which found that increased investment in mobile, cloud computing and business intelligence and analytics were CIO priorities. Although the CIO Magazine survey identified similar priorities, they were ranked in a different order. Mobile was the top priority, garnering 58 percent of the respondents' vote, followed by public cloud computing with 52 percent and business intelligence and analytics with 51 percent. While the ranking might be different, the message is clear: Mobile, cloud and business intelligence and analytics are the top enterprise technological priorities for CIOs. These technologies will determine the future of enterprise communications in the coming years. For more:
- see Gartner's release
- check out CIO Magazine's poll Related articles:
Spotlight: CIOs at large enterprises enjoy healthy 6 percent growth in salary
CIOs rethink role, future of enterprise IT Read more about: analytics
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3. IDC: Economic uncertainty, Windows 8, tablets blamed for PC chip drop
Economic uncertainty, delays in PC purchases caused by the Windows 8 launch and the tablet's displacement of low-end PCs all contributed to a 2.4 percent drop in PC microprocessor revenues last year, according to the latest figures from research firm IDC. These factors will contribute to a continued market slowdown through the first half of 2013, predicted Shane Rau, vice president for PC and server semiconductor and enabling technologies research at IDC. However, the PC microprocessor market is expected to rebound in the latter half of 2013, contributing to a 1.6 percent increase in overall revenues and a 3.2 percent increase in shipments, Rau observed. Microprocessors for mobile PCs, desktop PCs and PC servers are projected to generate $40.7 billion in revenue this year, with 384 million units expected to be shipped, according to Rau. Over the long haul, IDC expects the PC microprocessor market to increase at a 3.4 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2016 and unit shipments to increase at a 3.2 percent CAGR for the same period. Reflecting the weakness in the PC market, chip giant Intel (Nasdaq: INTL) is expected to post weak results in the fourth quarter, according to an analysis by Trefis published by Forbes. At the same time, Trefis believes Intel has strong fundamentals that will ultimately lead to a high value for its stock, which currently hovers around $22 per share. Intel is struggling to make the transition from PC chip maker to smartphone chip maker, a market currently lead by Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM). According to the latest stats from Strategy Analytics, Intel has a meager 0.2 percent of the smartphone processor market. For more:
- see IDC's stats
- read the Forbes article about the Trefis analysis
- check out the Strategy Analytics figures Related articles:
Intel threatening to enter set-top box business
Intel CEO Otellini to retire in May, with mobile chipsets still a source of weakness Read more about: Intel, Qualcomm
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4. magicJack faces allegations of accounting irregularities
Frost & Sullivan's naming of magicJack VocalTec (Nasdaq: CALL) as the best VoIP service provider based on a survey of North American VoIP users has apparently not been able to stem the decline in the company's stock. The stock dropped from a high of $18.50 per share earlier in the month to below $14.65 in late afternoon trading on Wednesday. The stock took a steep drop on Jan. 9 following allegations by a blogger that the company used accounting gimmicks to boost profits and that the former CEO, Daniel Borislow, used company stock for collateral as debt, charges Borislow called "clear and utter lies," according a report by Bloomberg. In addition, the Shareholders Foundation, a portfolio monitoring service, announced Wednesday an investigation by an undisclosed law firm on behalf of magicJack investors over potential securities laws violations. The probe is examining investor claims that the firm made "materially false and misleading" statements about its business, prospects and operations. magicJack has declined to comment on the allegations. On the good news front, a Frost & Sullivan survey of North American VoIP users found that magicJack received the highest ratings on overall quality, ease of use, billing practices, value and pricing for VoIP services. The firm received the top score in each category as well as the highest overall score. "Consumers rate magicJack higher than its major competitors. For overall quality, magicJack is rated 5.8 on a seven-point scale, while its major competitors much lower," commented Joerg Dittmer, senior analyst at Frost & Sullivan. In the U.S. market, magicJack ranks fourth among VoIP customers, behind Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA), AT&T (NYSE: T) and Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC), according to a company release. If magicJack can weather this legal storm over alleged dodgy accounting practices, its performance in the market bodes well for continued growth for the VoIP provider. For more:
- check out the Bloomberg story
- read the Shareholders Foundation release
- see Frost & Sullivan's release
- check out magicJack's statement about the Frost survey Related articles:
Strong financials, patent deal boost magicJack stock
MagicJack stock up 6% on higher earnings projection for Q1 Read more about: accounting problems
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5. AT&T and Polycom ink deal on cloud-based videoconferencing
AT&T (NYSE: T) is teaming with Polycom (Nasdaq: PLCM) to offer cloud-based videoconferencing services, the firms announced Tuesday. As part of the agreement, AT&T will incorporate the Polycom RealPresence platform into its AT&T Telepresence Solution service, enabling the telecom giant to offer on-demand virtual meeting room capabilities and collaboration with business customers, partners and suppliers through AT&T Business Exchange. The AT&T Telepresence Solution creates an immersive "in-person" video conferencing experience. The service enables multipoint intercompany connectivity, so businesses are able to interact and collaborate via high-definition video and spatial audio, AT&T explained. Prior to this agreement, AT&T had been working exclusively with Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) for its Telepresence Solution service, according to Tim Stone, vice president of European marketing for Polycom. "Being one of the world's largest service providers, AT&T historically only used Cisco, so this is a strategic win," Stone told V3.co.uk. Polycom and Cisco have been battling for top position in the declining immersive telepresence market. Research firm IDC found that the immersive telepresence market has posted declining revenues over the last couple of years. As part of the partnership agreement, customers who use the AT&T Telepresence Solution will have access to the RealPresence video platform in 40 countries. This platform will include immersive and multipurpose rooms and personal video conferencing systems as part of a managed service bundle that includes equipment for a monthly fee. Polycom has selected AT&T to become its preferred wide area network service provider using AT&T's multiprotocol label switching VPN service. Reflecting a growing move toward mobile videoconferencing, the partnership will also enable AT&T to offer mobile access to its Telepresence Solution customers. According to Wainhouse Research, mobile applications will soon outpace other offerings in the videoconferencing market. For more:
- see the AT&T/Polycom release
- read the V3.co.uk article Related articles:
Cisco and Polycom dominate declining immersive telepresence market, says IDC
Videoconferencing market moves away from telepresence, toward mobile Read more about: immersive telepresence, Cisco
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Also Noted | This week's sponsor is CVx ChannelVision Expo 2013. |  |
SPOTLIGHT ON... Spotlight: Alcatel-Lucent, India's Reliance ink billion dollar network performance contract Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) and Indian telecom service provider Reliance Communications have signed a billion dollar contract for the telecom equipment giant to integrate Reliance's wireline and wireless teams into a single network management organization. Alcatel-Lucent will run operations support systems, introduce network optimization tools and standardize tools, process and best practices for Reliance. Punit Garg, chief executive officer for Reliance's global and enterprise business, said the agreement will help improve the delivery of data services to its enterprise customers. Read more More news from across the World Wide Web... > Facebook Messenger rolls out free VoIP calling to U.S. users. Article > Nice VoIP upgrade! Too bad you killed the sales lines. Article > Viber overhauls BlackBerry app to v2.3, promises VoIP calls are coming in April. Video > How to avoid the unified communications pilot trap. Article > Smiths Group selects Polycom for unified communications. Article Telecom News > ADTRAN on Tuesday reported that Q4 2012 sales dropped to $139.7 million year-over-year from $175.2 million as service providers and businesses kept a tight rein on spending. Article > Jim Ousley, the CEO of CenturyLink's cloud computing and data center unit Savvis, received a one-year extension to his employment contract. Article Cable News > While Time Warner Cable is expected to post increased basic video subscriber losses from the fourth quarter, Comcast, Charter Communications and Cablevision will likely reduce video subscriber losses compared to the fourth quarter of 2011, Jefferies & Co. said Thursday. Article > Lobbyists representing major cable operators and programmers, broadcasters and Hollywood studios said they support proposals President Obama released Wednesday aimed at reducing gun violence. Article And finally… Security software pioneer (and murder suspect) John McAfee chills in Portland. Article > Globalstar's New "Wi-Fi" Super Highway - Tuesday, January 22nd, 11:00am EST/8:00 am PST This webinar will discuss the innovative technology, public benefits, and regulatory outlook of providing a new 22 MHz channel under the existing 802.11 IEEE standard. Join to learn technical aspects of TLPS deployment and the outlook for near-term relief from the FCC. Register Now! > Capitalizing SON – How to Implement SON for LTE to reduce OPEX and Increase Revenue - Tuesday, January 29th, 11am ET / 8am PT LTE is the fastest growing communication technology of all time. In this webinar our experts will discuss how Network Equipment Manufacturers can leverage the concept of Self Organizing Networks (SON) to not only manage highly complex LTE networks but also reduce operational expenditures and enhance customer satisfaction. Register Today! > Webinar: Moving Beyond Connectivity: Driving Business Value with SIP Trunking Thursday, February 14, 2 pm ET / 11 am PT In this webcast, Acme Packet will examine the migration of enterprise communications to an all-IP infrastructure using SIP trunking and Enterprise Session Border controllers (E-SBCs) to enable next generation all-IP communications networks. Register Today! > Webinar: OTT Voice and Messaging: The future of Telecom - Thursday, February 21st, 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT When there is an app for everything and a phone becomes less of a "thing" and more of a capability embedded in something else, what does the future hold for providers of traditional telecom services? Please join a panel of VoIP experts, to learn about what you need to know to not get hamstrung in the regulatory morass. Register Today!
| > Key Contact Center Trends and Priorities for the Upcoming Year - Tuesday, January 29 - 11:30 AM EST, 16:30 GMT Join us for this live web event where we will discuss the rapid change of pace in contact center technology, and how to deliver great customer experience through the adoption of cloud-based solutions, social media as well as new methods of measuring agent effectiveness. Click here to register. > Fierce Innovation Awards 2012 Live Announcement of this Year's Winners - Now Available On-Demand Please join Jason Nelson, Publisher of FierceWireless, FierceTelecom, and FierceCable as we announce the winners of the Fierce Innovation Awards 2012. Click here to RSVP today.
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| > Public Safety DAS Engineer - Houston, TX - Connectivity Wireless Solutions Connectivity Wireless Solutions delivers best in class consulting, engineering, project management, installation, and staffing services to wireless carrier and enterprise customers. The Public Safety DAS Engineer is tasked with collecting and analyzing RF data typically with tools such as test phones and needs analysis equipment such as ZK Celltest and spectrum analyzers. Learn More! > RF Engineer Job - Beaverton, OR, USA – Yoh Yoh has a (12) months contract opportunity for a RF Engineer to join our client in Beaverton, OR. Job responsibilities include designing RF system block, creating specifications and characterizing subsystem from antenna through digital conversion. Minimum three (3) plus years RF engineer experience...Learn more. > Test Engineer Job - Overland Park, KS, USA – Yoh Yoh has an exciting contract opportunity for a Test Engineer II to join our client in Overland Park, KS. The Test Engineer II to provide technical support in the execution and maintenance of the production network. The Test Engineer II candidate should have a thorough understanding of IP routing, switching and the OSI model...Learn more. > Implementation Manager II Job - Bellevue, WA, USA – Yoh Yoh has a contract opportunity for an Implementation Manager II to join our client in Bellevue, WA. Responsibilties include to manage all aspects of telecom equipment deployment from: customer relationship, project plan of record, project schedule, cost, and inventory. Minimum of five (5) years of experience...Learn more. > Transport Engineer Job - Gardner, KS, USA – Yoh Yoh has an exciting contract opportunity for a Transport Operations NOC to join our client in Gardner, KS. This position understands in-depth equipment specific maintenance procedures and can assist field operations in card swaps and equipment restoration. Ability to manage multiple tasks on time, including ticket administration, communications, and follow up activities required...Learn more. > Manager Business Process II - Business Intake - Denver, CO - Cricket Communications Cricket Communications, a subsidiary of Leap Wireless, is the pioneer and leader in delivering innovative value-rich prepaid wireless services with no long-term contracts serving approximately 6 million customers. The Business Intake Manager will provide oversight and management of the Business Readiness Board and delivery of a consolidated calendar of system & commercial launch dates. Bachelor's Degree - business, marketing or related field; or equivalent experience required...Learn more. > Need a job? Need to hire? Visit FierceWirelessJobs | |
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