| This week's sponsor is Acme Packet. |  | eBook: Benefits and Challenges of SIP Trunking Migration One-third of 300 enterprises surveyed by Webtorials have deployed SIP trunking, with an average cost savings of 33 percent. Fred Donovan, editor of FierceEntepriseCommunications explores the developments that have fueled this migration to SIP trunking services and more in this eBook. Download for free today. |
Today's Top Stories
1. FCC mulls allowing VoIP providers to directly access numbers pool
2. Microsoft to plug 'critical' holes in Windows, IE, Office and SharePoint
3. IBM shakes up the private cloud world
4. Google ends patent dispute with MPEG LA over VP8 video codec
5. Cisco's stock gets bump due to Wall Street optimism Also Noted: Absolute Software
Spotlight On... Icahn threatens 'years of litigation' if Dell follows through on going private
Why SIP is the future; UCaaS market worth $7.6 billion by 2018 and much more...
This week's sponsor is Yorktel, the Worldwide Leader in Video Managed Services. |  | Enterprise-grade video conferencing, BYOD, mobility, and VideoCloud EnterpriseConnect BOOTH 737
Click here for the solution to interoperability, secure connectivity and UCC Integration. |
Sponsor: Quest Software, now a part of Dell FierceLive! Webinars > Wi-Fi Optimization: Achieving Improved Performance from Wireless Networks - March 13, 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT
> Harnessing the Mobile Workforce - Thursday, March 28th, 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT Events > SIP Migration Made Easy - Webcast - March 26, 2013
> Fierce Innovation Awards 2012 Live Announcement of this Year's Winners - Now Available On-Demand Marketplace > Research: M-commerce in the UK 2012 | Verdict Channel Reports
> Research: Software: Global Industry Guide
> Research: Enterprise Applications Market Forecast in the US to 2014
> eBook: Knowledge Management: 5 Steps to Getting it Right the First Time
> Whitepaper: Forrester: Defining the Next-Generation Workspace
> Whitepaper: Content and the Next Generation Portal Experience Jobs > Public Safety DAS Engineer - Houston, TX - Connectivity Wireless Solutions
> Manager Business Process II - Business Intake - Denver, CO - Cricket Communications
> Construction Manager II Job - Nashville, TN, USA – Yoh
> Senior Linux Systems Administrator / Project Manager Job - Richardson, TX, USA – Yoh
> Technical Writer / Software Development Job - Falls Church, VA, USA – Yoh
> Project Manager II Job - Overland Park, KS, USA - Yoh
> Need a job? Need to hire? Visit FierceWirelessJobs * Post a classified ad: Click here.
* General ad info: Click here | Today's Top News 1. FCC mulls allowing VoIP providers to directly access numbers pool
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering cutting out the middleman when it comes to VoIP providers getting phone numbers for their subscribers. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski began circulating proposals last week among commissioners to make it easier for VoIP providers to tap into the national numbers pool, thereby severing the relationship between an area code and a geographic location, according to a report by Politico. The proposals are in response to VoIP providers, who no longer want to go through competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) to get phone numbers for customers. Genachowski thinks that modifying the phone number rule would create more VoIP service and increased competition, commission aides told Politico. "Allowing VoIP providers to obtain telephone numbers directly, and not through intermediate providers, as is generally the case today, has the potential to fuel innovation and promote competition, at the same time we ensure calls are routed reliably and efficiently, protect public safety, and guard against exhaust of limited numbers," a commission official wrote in an email obtained by Politico. The FCC chairman wants to set up a pilot program that would test VoIP providers' having direct access to the numbers pool and launch a probe into how phone numbers are currently managed. In 2005, Vonage petition the FCC to get direct access to numbers instead of going through CLECs, who opposed the petition. In a letter sent last year to the FCC, Vonage reiterated its request for a waiver to its rules about phone number access. Vonage said it wanted direct access to numbers issued by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator. "With direct access to numbers, Vonage hopes to reduce the number of hand-offs involved in a Vonage call, thereby improving call quality, reducing delay, and eliminating opportunities for routing errors," Brita Strandberg, counsel to Vonage Holdings, wrote to the commission. Executives with one of the CLECs told the FCC last month that there are "no 'special circumstances' to support Vonage's or any other provider's waiver request, and granting such a waiver would tear at the fabric of ongoing and future rule-makings to establish the baseline ground rules for that transition," according to Politico. For more:
- see Politico's report
- check out Vonage's 2012 letter to the FCC Related articles:
Embracing VoIP amid a regulatory minefield
Vonage presses its case for direct access to numbering resources for VoIP services Read more about: voip providers
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| This week's sponsor is Quest Software, now a part of Dell. | 
| Whitepaper: The Importance of Managing Privileged Accounts Organizations can benefit greatly from a methodical process for the proper use, management and enforcement of administrative privileges. Read this whitepaper to learn how to develop and enforce a strategy for managing privileged accounts. |
2. Microsoft to plug 'critical' holes in Windows, IE, Office and SharePoint
As part of its monthly Patch Tuesday security update, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is fixing "critical" security holes in Windows, Internet Explorer (IE), Office, SharePoint Server, Visio Viewer and its Silverlight web plug-in. A number of the critical vulnerabilities could enable a remote attacker to gain control of a computer, while others could allow a hacker to acquire the same privileges as the user on the server. The vulnerability to SharePoint, Microsoft's enterprise content management and collaboration software, is of the latter type. "This one in particular could allow an attacker to elevate from an anonymous user to ownership of the SharePoint site, which could be very damaging. Fortunately, this is not under active attack," commented Paul Henry, security and forensic analyst with security firm Lumension. Henry advised IT administrators to make plugging the IE holes a priority. "What's particularly concerning to me is that this is a remote code execution issue that critically affects the latest version of IE (IE 10) and in the two newest versions of Windows: Windows 8 and Windows RT. Fortunately, this issue has no known attacks in the wild. However, you should still plan to patch this immediately," Henry wrote in comments emailed to FierceEnterpriseCommunications. Wolfgang Kandek, chief technology officer with Qualys, agreed that fixing the IE holes should be a priority. The IE patch "fixes critical vulnerabilities that could be used for machine takeover in all versions of Internet Explorer from 6 to 10, on all platforms including Windows 8 and Windows RT," Kandek wrote in a blog. Andrew Storms, director of security operations with security firm nCircle, wrote in emailed comments: "Microsoft is clearly delivering on their commitment to release more frequent IE patches. They're never going to get the IE bug backlog down to zero, but you have to admire their determination to try." Henry stressed that Bulletin 3 "will likely impact business users much more strongly than consumers, since it is a remote code execution [RCE] issue for Microsoft Visio Viewer. I never like to see RCE issues, so if this is a program you're using, patch this quickly." For more:
- see Microsoft's Patch Tuesday notice
- read Kandek's blog Related articles:
Has Microsoft lost its touch?
Microsoft fixes 'critical' Exchange server security hole Read more about: security update
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3. IBM shakes up the private cloud world
Last week, IBM (NYSE: IBM) shook up the private cloud world by announcing that all of its cloud services and software will be based on the Rackspace-backed OpenStack open source cloud architecture. By backing OpenStack, IBM is likely to become the de facto leader of the OpenStack Foundation, observed Eric Knorr with InfoWorld. "We dreamed that one day IBM might get involved and do for OpenStack what they've done for Linux and other open source communities in the past. They're actually committed fully to OpenStack for being the basis for every single cloud solution they have going forward," Mark Collier, chief operating officer of the OpenStack Foundation, told Knorr. Unlike Rackspace (NYSE: RAX), IBM will not offer its own version of OpenStack. "We want this to be like the Apache HTTP Server was for WebSphere. Every modern day application server has Apache HTTP code in it. So that's what we want [OpenStack] to be for cloud," Angel Diaz, IBM's vice president of software standards, open source and cloud labs, told Knorr. IBM is currently testing its first product to include OpenStack, the IBM SmartCloud Orchestrator, which will enable enterprises to compose cloud services using a drag and drop interface. Rackspace is not waiting around to congratulate IBM on its decision. The private cloud provider announced last week the addition of a number of features to its OpenStack software. One new feature is OpenCenter, a single interface for deploying, configuring and operating a private cloud in the enterprise data center. OpenCenter provides a centralized graphical user interface and application programming interface (API) to deploy, manage and maintain private clouds. OpenCenter provides API or point-and-click deployment and management of high-availability environments for the OpenStack controller nodes. Rackspace customers can now select Ubuntu, Red Hat Enterprise Linux or CentOS for the host operating system for private cloud deployments. "Rackspace Private Cloud's powerful new OpenCenter platform is a user interface and orchestration tool built to deploy, operate and scale on-premise private clouds. This paves the way for Rackspace to bring its continuous integration and deployment expertise from the public cloud arena into private enterprise data centers," said Jim Curry, senior vice president and general manager of Rackspace Private Cloud. In addition, research firm IDC predicted that private cloud offerings would be one of the forces fueling deployment of more software-centric enterprise networks. Hyperscale networked data centers, such as those built by Rackspace, Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN), Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), will drive deployment of software-defined networking (SDN) and network virtualization, said IDC. Communications service providers (CSP) such as Verizon (NYSE: VZ), AT&T (NYSE: T) and BT will also generate demand for hyperscale networking data centers. These CSPs' ability to support disruptive software platforms will enable multivendor network virtualization, IDC observed. For more:
- see IBM's release
- read Knorr's article
- check out Rackspace's announcement
- see IDC's predictions Related articles:
IBM's Watson takes on big data analytics
Private cloud market to grow 9 percent annually through 2016, says TechNavio
Beware of OpenStack 'hype', says Gartner Read more about: SDN
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4. Google ends patent dispute with MPEG LA over VP8 video codec
Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) has ended its patent dispute with MPEG LA, a manager of patent pools, over Google's open VP8 video codec by signing a licensing deal that clears the way for wider adoption of the VP8 codec and the WebM video format. The agreement grants Google a license to video comprehension techniques essential to VP8 and earlier VPx video compression technologies under patents held by 11 patent holders. Google is also able to sublicense the technologies to any user of VP8, whether the implementation is by Google or another firm, and to sublicense the same technology in one next-generation version of the VPx video codec. As a result of the agreement, MPEG LA is dropping its effort to form a patent pool among the 11 patent holders to challenge Google. "This is a significant milestone in Google's efforts to establish VP8 as a widely deployed web video format," said Allen Lo, Google's deputy general counsel for patents. The deal could have far-reaching implications for a range of applications, including premium video services, videoconferencing and Web real-time communication (WebRTC), according to a report by GigaOM. Back in May 2010, Google announced that it was open-sourcing its VP8 video codec, acquired from On2, as part of its WebM Project set up to develop an open video format for the Web. Google was then attacked by patent holders for violating video compression patents that are part of the competing H.264 video codec, according to the report. MPEG LA threatened to bring H.264 patent holders together to form a patent pool against VP8. The patent dispute discouraged Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), for one, from supporting the WebM Project, according to the GigaOM report. The H.264 video codec is backed by Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) and others, according to Apple Insider. The publication characterized the agreement as a concession by Google that it infringed the H.264 patents. The settlement should help industry efforts to develop a common standard for real-time video communications, like video chat, as well as ease concerns of Microsoft and others about incorporating the open technology into their products. For more:
- see the Google-MPEG LA release
- read the GigaOM report
- check out the Apple Insider article Related articles:
Cloud wars: Google and Amazon battle over prices
Google, Mozilla, Opera team to develop common WebRTC platform Read more about: MPEG LA
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5. Cisco's stock gets bump due to Wall Street optimism
Cisco's (Nasdaq: CSCO) stock has recently gotten the thumbs-up from CNBC analyst Jim Cramer as well as Motley Fool Senior Technology Analyst Eric Bleeker. In a March 8 episode of Mad Money, Cramer said that "overlooked unloved technology" stocks such as Cisco are good investment opportunities. He said that Cisco and other telecom equipment firms are getting attention from fund managers as well as individual investors. "We are seeing life from telecommunications companies, such as JDSU, Ciena (Nasdaq: CIEN) and Cisco. Companies that have not spent much on technology as of late, such as the giant telcos Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and AT&T (NYSE: T), are starting to spend again" on telecom equipment, said Cramer. "It's out with the old, in with the new. The new in this case is overlooked, unloved technology from yesteryear. It's beginning to work, and I suspect it will keep working as long as the stocks don't go so high they are no longer considered cheap. The move into old tech is in its infancy, and those left-behind stocks are now ready to run," Cramer said. Bleeker agreed, noting that Cisco is trading cheaply at roughly 12 times earnings. He said that Cisco's efforts to diversify its revenue outside of its core switches and routers into services make the stock an attractive investment prospect. "So if you are looking at Cisco, valuation, and where its story line is going, you want to look at services. Look at Cisco becoming a more diversified company. If it follows the same script as other tech firms like IBM (NYSE: IBM), that could lead to higher multiples and gains for investors," Bleeker said in a video. Last week, Cisco's stock jumped from $20.78 at the opening bell on Monday to $21.81 at the closing bell on Friday. In its most recent quarter, Cisco posted total revenue of $12.1 billion, a 5 percent year-over-year increase, and net income of $3.1 billion, a 44 percent year-over-year increase. Earlier in the year, RBC Capital Managing Director Mark Sue raised his rating on Cisco's stock from "sector perform" to "outperform" and set a share price target of $24, up from $21. Also, MKM Partners named Cisco as a top stock pick for 2013 because the firm is "well positioned to define the next generation of holistic intelligent networks." Under the stewardship of its visionary leader John Chambers, Cisco is actively diversifying outside its core business and is a leading firm in many of the sectors it is now pursuing. Chambers is credited with having turned a struggling $1.2 billion router and switch business into a $46 billion IT giant. For more:
- check out Cramer's commentary
- view Bleeker's video Related articles:
Cisco's stock gets bump from positive analyst assessments
Cisco's success is Chambers-made Read more about: The Motley Fool
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Also Noted | This week's sponsor is Absolute Software. |  | Building The Business Case For A Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) Program This Forrester report will provide you with a comprehensive list of benefits and costs associated with deploying a BYOD program. Download now! |
SPOTLIGHT ON... Icahn threatens 'years of litigation' if Dell follows through on going private U.S. business magnate Carl Icahn, who reportedly purchased up to a 6 percent stake in Dell (Nasdaq: DELL), is threatening "years of litigation" if the board goes through with a plan proposed by founder Michael Dell and other investors to take the computer firm private, according to a report by CNET. In a letter to the special committee set up to evaluate the plan to go private and alternative proposals, Icahn said he and other investors are opposed to Michael Dell's plan because the offer of $13.65 per share "substantially undervalues the company." Instead, Icahn wants the company to issue a special dividend of $9 per share, which would give shareholders a total value of $22.81 per share, a 67 percent premium over Dell's offer. If the company does not vote down Michael Dell's proposal and issue the dividend, Icahn is threatening to propose his own slate of directors and launch litigation. The special committee has until March 22 to consider alternative proposals. Read more > Why SIP is the future of unified communications and what to look for in your platform. Article (Telecom Reseller) > UCaaS market worth $7.62 billion by 2018. Release (MarketsandMarkets) > Wireless phone carriers and VoIP apps together in an evolving market. Article (TruTower) > NOAH calls for unified communications in the food chain. Article (Stackyard) > Telstra to deliver unified comms from the cloud. Article (CIO) And finally… Apple patents digital trading techniques. Article (EuroGamer.net) > Wi-Fi Optimization: Achieving Improved Performance from Wireless Networks - March 13, 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT With wireless networks typically designed with less than 5% of the capacity of wired networks, enterprise users have come to expect less when they are connected using Wi-Fi. Join Fred Donovan and a panel of experts as they discuss strategies to improve network performance and security. Register Today. > Harnessing the Mobile Workforce - Thursday, March 28th, 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT Join a panel of experts as we examine how mobile devices, applications and services are dramatically reshaping enterprise revenue models, business strategies and collaboration. Register Today!
| > SIP Migration Made Easy - Webcast - March 26, 2013 Free Webcast explores the real-world SIP transition issues with a step-by-step approach to assessing your needs, determining system must-haves, and evaluating providers. Presented by SIP trunking leader, IntelePeer. Register today at http://www.intelepeer.com/home/migrating-to-sip-webinar/ > 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.
| > Research: M-commerce in the UK 2012 | Verdict Channel Reports M-commerce has expanded rapidly in 2011 and 2012, as both retailers and consumers continue to adapt to the potential of mobile devices. Not only are more people making purchases, but also more apps and mobile optimised websites have furthered the possible uses of mobile devices for shoppers. Download Now. > Research: Software: Global Industry Guide Software: Global Industry Guide is an essential resource for top-level data and analysis covering the Software industry. It includes detailed data on market size and segmentation, textual analysis of the key trends and competitive landscape, and profiles of the leading companies. This incisive report provides expert analysis on a global, regional and country basis. Download Now. > Research: Enterprise Applications Market Forecast in the US to 2014 Enterprise Applications Market Forecast in the US to 2014 is a comprehensive resource for the market split by technology (ERP, product lifecycle management, customer relationship management [CRM], human resources [HR] and payroll, financial, supply chain management [SCM], and commerce applications). This Databook also provides data split by nine industry verticals. Download Now. > eBook: Knowledge Management: 5 Steps to Getting it Right the First Time This eBook sets out 5 simple steps for optimizing customer service and support with an effective, best-practice-led knowledge management initiative. Download today! > Whitepaper: Forrester: Defining the Next-Generation Workspace How will you meet the needs of a mobile workforce? In this Forrester study, discover approaches to BYOD and desktop virtualization. Learn why Cisco Unified Workspace may be the solution for your mobility, virtualization, and security challenges. Read the study. > Whitepaper: Content and the Next Generation Portal Experience In the latest beacon paper, Content and the Next Generation Portal Experience, Scott Liewehr, Lead Analyst at Gilbane Group, describes this opportunity to deliver a blend of personalized services and relevant content and the reasons organizations cite when they find themselves constrained from doing that. Download this white paper today.
| > 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! > 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. > Construction Manager II Job - Nashville, TN, USA – Yoh Yoh has a contract opportunity for a Construction Manager II to join our client in Nashville, TN. Job responsibilities include to create project tracker in Site Handler and provide any necessary support to Site Acq Lead (i.e. production curves). Bachelor's Degree preferred or equivalent work experience of three to five (3-5) years in specific industry...Learn more. > Senior Linux Systems Administrator / Project Manager Job - Richardson, TX, USA – Yoh Yoh has a contract opportunity for a Senior Linux Systems Administrator / Project Manager to join our client in Richardson, TX. Responsible for the installation, configuration, patching, upgrades, maintenance, and troubleshooting of server hardware, operating systems, storage, software and utilities in a large enterprise environment. Extensive experience with Red Hat Linux 5.6. required...Learn more. > Technical Writer / Software Development Job - Falls Church, VA, USA – Yoh Yoh has a three (3) month plus contract opportunity available for a Technical Writer with Software Development experience in Falls Church, VA. Job responsibilities include to review, edit, and write end-user documentation (SRN, IG, UM, Online Help, Readme, Navigation Tips) for 31 software applications. Five to seven (5-7) years of technical writing experience in a software development environment required...Learn more. > Project Manager II Job - Overland Park, KS, USA - Yoh Yoh has a contract opportunity for a Project Manager II to join our client in Overland Park, KS. PMII will be responsible for Network deployments of new technology, capacity additions, optimization, and preventative maintenance across CORE, RF, and Access. Bachelor's Degree preferred or extensive telecommunications experience required...Learn more. > Need a job? Need to hire? Visit FierceWirelessJobs | |
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