Telefonica offers IoT, blockchain and AI technology to support start-ups in Spain, Germany and the UK Telefonica has launched its ‘Activation Programme’, a new initiative designed to help start-ups and SMEs in Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom to accelerate their business via IoT, blockchain and AI technologies. The global telecom giant said it will provide selected start-ups with access to its proprietary technology platforms free of charge for a period of six months. Irene Gomez, director of Connected Open Innovation at Telefonica, said, “Collaboration is more important than ever, which is why at Connected Open Innovation we want to help start-ups scale by giving them access to our technology platforms through the use of APIs, which are free, agile and simple.” Read more at https://tinyurl.com/y7n5f9cp T-Mobile customers can send RCS messages to Android users worldwide T-Mobile US, one of the largest providers of wireless voice and data communications services…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF4PTgh6eUY Communications is the cornerstone that affects every aspect of our society; web browsing, cell phone calls and instant messaging have become increasingly integrated into the way we live and work. The range and complexity of available products and technologies are evolving rapidly, so business-wise, it is extremely valuable to have someone on your side who is able to guide you to success and make your business prosper. The world of telecommunications is all about helping people to connect, and this is the driving force behind Laura Pakamaniene, Key Account Manager at DIDWW. “Not many account representatives are as efficient and reliable as Laura,” said Karishma Mirpuri from Itelbpo Smart Solutions. “We met when I was looking for new DID providers. She had my team and I sold from the onset with her sales and communications skills, as well as her knowledge of the VoIP industry. Since…
US-based Reinvent Telecom, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saddleback Communications operating a private-label communications platform as a service (CPaaS), has enhanced the security for its real-time business VoIP, video, unified communications (UC) and collaboration services. The company has now deployed carrier-grade VoIP/SIP security, threat intelligence analytics and fraud-detection technology in cooperation with RedShift Networks, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions for communications service providers. Reinvent Telecom provides the ability for its wholesale partners to deliver secure, reliable and high-quality Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), conferencing and collaboration, Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) and SIP trunking services. Bill Bryant, President at Reinvent Telecom, said, “At Reinvent, we understand that today’s VoIP networks are as vulnerable to cyberattacks as data networks. That’s why we’re doubling down on network security to give our partners and their customers the protection – and peace of mind – they deserve.” The wholesale UCaaS provider…
Openreach adopts Nokia’s 10Gbps FTTP broadband kit for the UK The Finnish telecom equipment manufacturer Nokia has announced that Openreach will deploy its next-generation fiber solutions. This will help meet Openreach’s target to bring ultra-fast and reliable broadband access to 20 million homes across the UK by the mid-to-late 2020s. Clive Selley, CEO of Openreach, said, “This new digital platform will help our economy to bounce back more quickly from the COVID-19 pandemic – enabling people to continue work from home, and millions of businesses to operate seamlessly online for decades to come.” This supplier agreement also marks a shift away from reliance on Huawei equipment for the UK’s largest broadband networks. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/yb6cj6jn Google and Apple’s joint COVID-19 contact tracing API now available to health authorities Apple and Google have released the first public version of their jointly developed API for COVID-19 tracing apps. This software will enable public health authorities to…
The Chinese tech company OPPO, currently the second-largest smartphone manufacturer in its home country after Huawei, has announced a comprehensive partnership agreement with the UK-based telecom giant Vodafone. Under the deal, Vodafone will become an OPPO partner and bring its full-range of 4G and 5G smartphones to retail and online channels in Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Turkey and the Netherlands. According to the announcement, the collaboration between the two companies will give customers more choice and accelerate 5G adoption in Vodafone’s international markets. Driven by strong growth ambitions, an innovative product portfolio and advanced 5G technology expertise, the leading Chinese smartphone brand has been very successful in its domestic market. With annual handset shipments of more than 100 million units, OPPO believes that it is “a natural partner for Vodafone’s leading gigabit network”. Alen Wu, Vice President and President of Global Sales at OPPO, said, “OPPO…
Facebook, telcos to build a huge subsea cable for Africa and the Middle East Facebook, together with a group of telecom companies, including Vodafone, Orange, STC, China Mobile International, MTN GlobalConnect, Telecom Egypt, and WIOCC, will build a subsea cable system that is claimed to be one of the largest in the world. The project is called 2Africa and will cover 37,000 km of cables interconnecting Europe (eastward via Egypt), the Middle East (via Saudi Arabia), and 21 landings in 16 countries in Africa. The system is expected to go live in 2023/4, delivering more than the total combined capacity of all subsea cables serving Africa today, with a design capacity of up to 180 Tbps. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/yahgfe8g Workvivo raises $16 million to reinvent the intranet in the age of Slack and Zoom The Irish startup Workvivo, an employee communications platform, has raised USD 16 million in a Series A…
The Philippine telecommunications operator PLDT Inc. and Orange International Carriers, a division within Orange’s wholesale arm, have announced a partnership agreement for international voice aggregation services. According to the terms of the agreement, Orange will handle all international inbound traffic terminating on the networks of PLDT and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. Emmanuel Rochas, Chief Executive Officer of International Carriers at Orange, said, “Orange is proud that PLDT has selected Orange to provide support and protect market value for the future and we are delighted to enter into this partnership. I look forward to working alongside PLDT to embrace the market evolution and I am confident that this partnership will develop to our mutual benefit.” In a statement to the press, Orange said that its expertise will help PLDT manage the operator’s global partner portfolio, and its sales team will support PLDT during the implementation of various voice…
The US-based RingLeader, Inc., a leading internet phone service provider specializing in SIP trunking communications technology, has extended free subscription to its North American calling services. The company is pledging 25,000 months of free service on its CrowdVoice Americas platform that offers secure mobile social communications in Mexico, Canada and the United States. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, RingLeader is committed to helping families, small businesses and organizations that need reliable and affordable means to stay connected. The company will provide free messaging and VoIP services to each user, including unlimited inbound international calling and 500 minutes of free outbound calling per month, where services are available. Moreover, new customers will also be allocated a US phone number and an international phone number in Canada or Mexico, ensuring high-quality calls between the CrowdVoice app and landlines. RingLeader’s CEO Neil Darling said, “COVID-19 is severely impacting families around the world…
Liberty Global and Telefonica to merge their U.K. operations creating the leading fixed-mobile provider in the country Virgin Media, Liberty Global’s cable operator, and Telefonica’s mobile carrier O2 have announced an agreement to merge their UK operations in a 50-50 joint venture between the two companies. This mega-deal is valued at GBP 31.4 billion, with O2 worth GBP 12.7 billion and Virgin Media valued at GBP 18.7 billion. According to the announcement, this combination will create a stronger fixed and mobile competitor in the UK market, supporting the expansion of Virgin Media’s giga-ready network and O2’s 5G mobile deployment for the benefit of consumers, businesses and the public sector. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2021. Read more at https://tinyurl.com/yc42j66f Ericsson ‘talking to advisers’ about selling $1.2bn number portability unit Ericsson’s largest shareholder Cevian Capital has advised the communications equipment supplier to sell its 83.3% stake in the US number portability company Iconectiv, formerly known as Telcordia. For the past several years,…
In its quest to deliver more comprehensive next-generation enterprise networks, the UK-based Colt Technology Services has launched two new features underpinned by its SD-WAN platform, VoIP optimization and support for IPv6. The company is an innovator and pioneer in Software Defined Networks (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV), running its Colt IQ Network that now connects more than 900 data centers across Europe, Asia and North America’s largest business hubs with over 29,000 on-net locations. In a statement, the operator said that these new features address the shift in network demand that businesses around the world are currently experiencing, as many have to adapt to the new standards of mass remote working and having additional devices connecting to their already stretched networks. This coronavirus-induced shift to remote working means that enterprises now have a significantly increased demand for VoIP-enabled networking products. Peter Coppens, Vice President of Product Portfolio…