| Next-Gen
Services News
Voice
Mobility Enters Wireless ASP Market Through Mobilitylink
Voice Mobility International
announced a three-year agreement to provide its Unified
Communications software suite to Mobilitylink, a Florida-based
wireless applications service provider (WASP). Mobilitylink plans to
make Unified Communications a key element in its Virtual Office
suite, which is aimed at providing wireless unified messaging to
mobile workers at small and medium-sized enterprises across the
United States.
Virtualplus
Launches Hyper-Rebranding
Virtualplus announced a new
feature to its range of outsourced messaging services. The feature,
called Hyper-Rebranding, uses an XML-based API, which allows ISPs,
portals, telecommunications providers, and corporations to control
details of the Web-based, end-user messaging interface.
Hyper-Rebranding defines
each message, piece of text, language, or graphic in the user's
interface as an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) object. Through the
Virtualplus API, partners will be able to control these objects,
linking or inserting freely within their Web site or application.
This capability lets the
partner concentrate on the front-end visual look, while Virtualplus
takes care of servicing the back-end -- delivering, sending, and
collecting the messages. For example, a partner might choose to drop
a voice mail number in Stockholm into a Web-based B2B ordering
system, embed a fax send control feature into a Windows application,
or add wireless SMS alerts to a real-time monitoring system.
Deployment
In China Of iPlanet/blue-silicon Solution
iPlanet E-Commerce Solutions, a Sun/Netscape alliance, and blue-silicon
announced Shanghai Guomai's initial deployment of b2, a globally
accessible messaging solution that combines voice mail, fax,
wireless, and e-mail messaging. The solution has been deployed on
the iPlanet Messaging Server 5.0, a key component of the iPlanet
Intelligent Communications Platform.
Shanghai Guomai, a
wireless carrier recently spun-off from China Telecom, will register
and deploy 10,000 mailboxes for its initial trial, with expectations
of 250,000 paid subscribers within the coming year. With the b2
solution, the carrier may offer integrated unified messaging
services without duplicating the message store.
Voice
Mobility Standardizes On NMS Boards
Natural MicroSystems announced
that its Alliance Generation 4000 telephony interface boards have
been selected by Voice
Mobility, the developer of the Unified Communications software
suite. Voice Mobility's solution, which the company supplies to
telcos, ISPs, and wireless ASPs, brings together voice and fax calls
into a single number, and all messages (voice, fax, and e-mail) into
one mailbox. Service subscribers may choose when, how (touchtone
phone, mobile phone, pager, e-mail), and from whom they will receive
calls and messages.
By choosing NMS's AG
4000 hardware for its telephony interface, Voice Mobility leverages
NMS's DSP technology to power real-time communications capabilities,
including find-me/follow-me calling services that improve
accessibility for users and increase call completion rates for
providers. Also, the hardware's hot-swap capabilities enhance
reliability and availability for carrier and enhanced service
provider environments. The single-slot configuration and high port
density of the AG 4000 contribute to system expandability and
decrease hardware costs.
HotVoice
Launches Integrated Communications Suite
HotVoice Communications
International launched a new service integrating IP telephony,
Web talk, instant messaging, and unified messaging as a single
package capable of spanning multiple platforms. The service, called
HotVoice Communications Suite, emphasizes both global communications
and find/follow capabilities. Its features are available through Web
browsers, telephones, wireless devices, and the company's desktop
product, HotVoice Communicator. The suite is offered as a private
label to increase revenues for IPSs, telcos, small to medium-sized
businesses, and Web sites.
Tornado
Development Intros Wireless, Video-Enabled Unified Messaging
Solution
Tornado Development
announced a wireless video messaging solution, Tornado Vidmail.
Powered by GEO Interactive Group's Emblaze streaming media
technology, Tornado Vidmail is, according to Tornado Development, an
example of the speed with which new services may be added to
Tornado's carrier-grade unified messaging platform, Tornado
Messenger.
Vidmail, an early
deployment of video messaging within a unified messaging platform,
enables end users to record and send streaming audio/video messages
to any e-mail address in the world. Vidmail messages are recorded in
real-time with any PC-based camera and arrive in the recipient's
mailbox as a normal e-mail message, requiring no special client
software for viewing.
iBasis,
Convergys to Enhance VoCoreS
iBasis and Convergys
Corporation announced that they have signed an agreement to
enhance customer care for iBasis's VoCore solution. Under the terms
of the agreement, iBasis's service provider customers will now have
the option to extend the professional support service of Convergys
to their VoCore subscribers.
The new support option
features Catalys, Convergys's carrier-class subscriber billing,
collection, and customer care service. The solution also offers a
dedicated contact center staffed 24X7 by trained customer care
representatives prepared to handle subscriber interactions and
transactions. Key features include e-commerce support, real-time
processing capabilities, and pre- and post-pay support. Self-care
features include PDA support, support for multiple ISPs on a single
implementation, and international capabilities, including
multi-currency and multi-language functionality.
ADC's
Web-Based Management Of Unified Communications
ADC introduced EasyAdmin Web, which
extends the company's line of Web-enabled enhanced services
products. EasyAdmin Web is a suite of self-administration tools that
telecommunications subscribers can use to manage their phone and
Internet services.
The company's rationale
for the new product is as follows: as communications devices have
proliferated and service options have become more numerous and
complex, subscribers to multiple services find it increasingly
difficult to exert control. But what if subscribers could take
advantage of a user-friendly environment to create and configure
voice mailboxes, assign forwarding numbers and e-mail addresses, and
initiate new services? According to ADC, EasyAdmin Web is one such
product, and it is designed to facilitate the administration and
configuration of all the elements of ADC's enhanced services
portfolio.
mediagate
Announces Web, WAP Customization For Internet UM
mediagate introduced
quicksilver, which the company characterizes as a dynamically
distributed interfacing server that gives users of Internet unified
messaging solutions (UMSs) control over the way they choose to
interact with the Internet. mediagate president Farooq Hussain
noted, "quicksilver allows the customer to integrate unified
messaging solutions into any existing environment -- whether that
customer is a Web portal, an ISP, a voice-over-IP telephony
provider, or an enterprise."
Software.com
Unveils New Version Of InterMail Kx
Software.com announced
the general availability of its InterMail Kx 4.3 platform. According
to the company, growing service providers with up to 400,000
subscribers can deploy the new version of its platform, which is
designed to support next-generation business and consumer Internet
services including e-mail, IP voice mai l, unified messaging, and
wireless messaging.
Ptek
Launches Web-Based Communications And Messaging Service
Voicecom, a business unit of Ptek Holdings, announced the
launch of its Orchestrate 2000
service. According to Voicecom, Orchestrate 2000 allows users to do
everything from making phone calls, participating in conference
calls, and updating or checking their calendar, to receiving
critical information such as stock quotes, news stories, and all of
their messages including voice, fax, and e-mail.
Orchestrate 2000
subscribers are given a local phone number in their own city,
allowing them to access the service without incurring additional
phone charges. Local telephone access is currently available in more
than 50 major metropolitan areas, with plans to significantly
increase the number of markets during the next several months. When
outside their local calling area, Orchestrate 2000 users can access
the service with a personal 800 number.
iPlanet
Unveils Intelligent Communications Platform
iPlanet E-Commerce
Solutions, a Sun/Netscape alliance, announced the iPlanet
Intelligent Communciations Platform, which the companies describe as
an open, extensible software platform designed to enable the rapid
delivery of communication and collaboration services over converged
voice, wireline, and wireless networks. The platform begins with the
latest versions of iPlanet's Messaging Server, Calendar Server,
Wireless Server, and Directory Server. It then exposes, iPlanet
claims, a range of open, extensible interfaces allowing service
providers, telecommunication companies, and enterprises to create
innovative services.
Key extensible platform
services offered through the iPlanet platform include: wireless
access services (with support for multiple protocols -- WML, HDML,
HTML -- as well as support for multiple devices -- browser clients,
WAP-enabled devices -- and networking technologies -- GSM, CDMA,
G3); notification services; community services (provides access to
LDAP directories, enabling the delivery of customized and branded
services targed to specific user communities); multiple media access
services; and message routing services (integration of virus
checking and document conversion, as well as user-level-sensitive
service delivery); and media conversion services (convering e-mail
to fax, e-mail to SMS, Word to HTML).
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