The problems for the social networking giant Facebook continue to mount as yet another data-sharing scandal has exploded. The New York Times (NYT) has published a thorough investigation detailing Facebook’s data sharing practices, and reported that the social network provided some well-known tech companies with access to hundreds of millions of users’ data without their consent. Interviews with former Facebook employees and its corporate partners, as well as hundreds of pages of documents obtained by the NYT, confirmed that Facebook made the questionable arrangements with partners such as Amazon, Spotify, Netflix and Microsoft. These alliances enabled the companies to “read, write and delete users’ private messages, and to see all participants on a thread”. The records revealed, that “Facebook allowed Microsoft’s Bing search engine to see the names of virtually all Facebook users’ friends without consent. The social network permitted Amazon to obtain users’ names and contact information…
To improve emergency services and to better locate callers, The European Commission has approved a regulation that will require new smartphones to include satellite and Wi-Fi location. The integrated chipset with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) must deliver access to the EU’s satellite system Galileo, which provides accurate positioning and timing information. Currently, most emergency services are faced with the challenge of only being able to locate troubled mobile callers within an area of several kilometers. However, the proposed use of satellite and Wi-Fi systems will enable 112 emergency number callers to be located within a range of less than 100 meters. Galileo-enabled devices receive signals for positioning, navigation and timing. This satellite system has been servicing around 400 million users, and this summer the system was supplemented by four more satellites, which were successfully launched from the European spaceport. Every additional satellite steadily improves Galileo’s performance, and,…
The abbreviation API stands for Application Programming Interface, a phrase which is not particularly self-explanatory to those who have not yet had the chance to delve into the world of APIs. voip.review will provide a concise and easy to understand explanation of APIs for you. Basically, an API is a software-to-software interface that allows different computer systems and applications to communicate and share information, according to a set of rules embedded in the API. To put it another way, the API is a Programming Interface for developing Applications. The provider of the API publishes a set of rules defining how third party software programs should interact with their piece of software, listing a bunch of operations that developers can use, along with a description of what each operation will achieve. APIs deliver tremendous advantages to the technology industry, mainly because they allow for the rapid development of software products using…
The Nordic telecom companies Telia and Ericsson have made important progress towards implementing 5G innovations for commercial use across Sweden in 2020, by launching their 5G development platform at KTH, the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Their hopes are for the network to play a vital role in developing innovative new solutions and services. The KTH campus was chosen as the host venue due to the research such as remote VR, Internet of Things (IoT) and industry automation being conducted at that facility. Professor Jan Gulliksen, the Vice President for Digitalization at KTH, appreciates this amazing opportunity “to have access to Sweden’s first 5G network here on campus.” He claims that it “gives our researchers, teachers and students a head start when it comes to understanding and developing this new technology ahead of its wider launch. This is exactly the kind of partnership we believe helps stimulate research-driven…
A cloud-hosted, VoIP-powered PBX is an attractive and preferred option for a modern business telephone service. It is extremely cost effective, available for use anytime and almost anywhere, and requires none of the hardware investment that traditional on-premises systems needed in the past. With maturing technology and the desired convenience in business communication, now is the right time for change. Switching to a hosted private branch exchange (PBX) may sound complicated, however a well-thought-out transformational process can be smooth and hassle-free. Let’s discuss the main points to consider when moving from a traditional voice system to a cloud PBX. PBX systems – traditional vs virtual To begin with, it is important to understand the main differences between a traditional PBX and a cloud PBX. A legacy PBX is an enterprise phone system stored and hosted on the customer’s premises, and consists of specialized hardware, generally connected using circuit switched networks.…
Telecommunication industry, and especially the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies, are on a constant move and unceasingly generate new ideas and set evolutionary trends. If you are new in or just keen on VoIP, it is good to know someone, who can give valued opinion and helpful guidance. With this in mind, we have compiled a list of bloggers posting efficient VoIP content. These thought leaders are keeping their fingers on the pulse and provide updates and analysis on the latest innovations related to the telecoms world. Jon Arnold Jon Arnold is an independent research analyst focusing on unified communications, Internet of Things, cloud services, contact centers, SIP trunking, VoIP security and social media. Jon’s valued opinion and expertise can be followed on his widely-read Analyst 2.0 Blog, which has been recognized and awarded for the best tech reviews. According to Jon, his blog focuses on “trends that matter…
We are rapidly evolving into a digital and decentralized society, where private keys on mobile devices will play a critical and indispensable role in ensuring the safety of our daily transactions and securing our digital identities. FIX Network are aiming to revolutionize the blockchain and cellular industries by providing mobile device users with innovative key holder and transaction security, coupled with a practical user experience. The underlying technology for securing the user’s private keys are the SIM cards used by mobile operators, enabled by the FIX Network open-source STK residing on those SIM cards. This standard SIM hardware, together with blockchain- powered, distributed policy engines that govern end-user transactions, form the architectural backbone of the FIX Network security solution. This solution introduces the concept of a pool of SIM cards, enhancing security, and at the same time, eliminating the possibility of a single point of failure. Multiple SIM…
Ecosmob Technologies, a leading company in the VoIP industry, has announced the launch of a wholesale softswitch with cutting edge solutions in its open source technology. The company pays special attention to the development of high-quality and cost-efficient VoIP applications for telecom industries worldwide. With the upcoming 5G and other technology-related cutting-edge developments, it is obvious that the VoIP service providers and wholesale carriers will face the challenges with their growing business volumes. The anticipated success greatly depends on the choice of software and hardware integration, and cross-functional softswitches above all. Ecosmob’s Class 4 and Class 5 SoftSwitches open up more possibilities for wholesale carriers to make the necessary adjustments and offer consistent integration with other systems, like call center software and CRMs. The Class 4 SoftSwitch is employed for routing VoIP calls to international locations using an IP network. Key features of the custom development services…
As a whole, the telecommunications industry has been traditionally male-dominated. However, the trend is rapidly changing as this business sector becomes increasingly augmented with talented women having profound knowledge and skills, and influencing an industry where high-ranking female officials were a rarity until recently. Here is the list of the top ten women in the telecommunications industry, selected for their technical and business know-how, extensive experience, leadership and most significantly, their influence. Michelle Bourque Michelle Bourque is Senior Vice President, Product, Marketing and Access Strategy for BCE Nexxia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bell Canada. The company provides wholesale services, including voice, broadband, hosting and co-location, and IP connectivity. As the leader of a team of product and marketing professionals, Michelle has introduced innovation and fresh perspectives to the wholesale marketing and product divisions. According to Michelle, women already have a significant presence in the telecoms sector, and…
The global telecom giants are increasingly acknowledging the benefits of blockchain technology. Telefonica, a Spanish multinational telecommunications company, has signed a partnership with IBM, a leader in open-source blockchain solutions, to employ IBM blockchain technology for superior administration of international call traffic. Telefonica expects that the usage of the cloud-based IBM Blockchain Platform will help to improve the traceability of international call data, such as the origin of the call, its destination and duration. They will be able to detect fraud and address other challenges caused by the use of different networks and operators when routing international calls. Operators will have permissioned access to a decentralized platform, and perform real-time tracing of calls to achieve accurate billing processes. “This project is one of our first initiatives to secure real benefits from the adoption of blockchain in our core business. We believe that the new paradigm of process decentralization…