The American multinational technology conglomerate, Cisco, has announced its intention to acquire IMImobile, a provider of cloud communications software and services that manages business-critical interoperability on a large scale. The deal is valued at nearly $730 million, assuming full dilution of the shares, net of cash and debt. The acquisition will be Cisco’s largest in the UK in about three years. The company will pay IMImobile shareholders £5.95 per share and the acquisition of the software vendor is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021, following regulatory approval. The American company said the procurement will provide its consumers with an end-to-end customer interaction management solution and the ability to promote quicker and much improved communications and interactions through a selected customer channel. Cisco’s Webex Contact Center solution, along with IMImobile software and services, will offer a solution that leverages artificial intelligence throughout the customer’s…
Ericsson has once again raised its year-end estimate for global 5G subscriptions to 220 million, while predicting that more than 1 billion people will have access to next-generation coverage over the same period. The company foresees that four out of ten mobile subscribers will be using 5G services by 2026. In their November 2020 Mobility Report, Ericsson predicted real 5G traction, as well as the progress in the deployment of new features in network and device areas, regardless of the concerns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Ericsson believes that 15% of the world’s population, or more than 1 billion people, will live in an area with 5G coverage by the end of 2020. They expect that number to grow to 60% or 3.5 billion consumers by 2026. Ericsson has also added another 30 million to the end-of-year estimate of the number of 5G subscribers, having previously announced the…
Zoom and Lumen advance their partnership The telecommunications company Lumen is already a partner of Zoom, but Lumen has recently announced that it has advanced the partnership further to introduce Zoom delivered by Lumen. Zoom delivered by Lumen combines the embedded network security capabilities of Lumen with Zoom’s integrated security features to actively protect businesses using their combined services. Shaun Andrews, CMO at Lumen, said: “We’re happy to take this partnership a step further by combining our platforms and our strengths to create Zoom delivered by Lumen. Together, we will help keep families, businesses, schools and hospitals securely connected to the world, and thriving in the fourth industrial revolution.” Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y4luab48 BT to deploy their global network cloud next year BT has been working on their BT Network Cloud for some time now, since deciding to focus on this cloud-native platform. BT has Network Cloud nodes in the…
European Commission staying out of O2 UK and Virgin Media UK merger Typically, the European Commission, or one of the myriad other state-owned organizations that are a part of the EU, would be involved in the proposed merger between O2 UK and Virgin Media UK. However, in this case, these organizations are steering clear of this deal. The theory is this: because the UK will no longer be part of the EU from the beginning of next year, the EU will no longer be interested in what UK companies do. Even if the EU had not made this decision now, it is likely that they would have just waited until 2021, when its jurisdiction over UK matters comes to an end. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y2n84cgn Telia Carrier expands its connectivity in US Telia Carrier is expanding its coverage in the US, while increasing the diversity and range of its routes.…
SK Telecom, the South Korean wireless telecommunications giant, with the approval of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, has announced the launch of a new blockchain-based wallet for digital document storage. This major step could prompt South Korea to rapidly digitize state-issued documents. As claimed by SK Telecom, the wallet will be driven by blockchain technology and will work together with the Government24 Digital Initiative program, which endorses the issuing and distribution of certificates digitally. This initiative is especially relevant as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread worldwide. The company’s blockchain-powered wallet will work in conjunction with the Government24 app, sharing documents seamlessly between these endpoints, as well as with local and government institutions, banks and insurance providers. Citizens will be able share documents such as immigration certificates, copies of resident registration cards, health insurance documents using the mobile app managed by the blockchain. As reported by…
NEC Corp., a major Japanese information technology company, has agreed to support the development of the UK’s fifth-generation wireless networks across the country, as reported by the British government. The announcement came after Japan and the United Kingdom signed a bilateral free trade agreement following Brexit. Details of the deal are currently unavailable. Since the UK has banned Huawei from deploying its 5G network and has decided to fully remove Huawei’s equipment altogether by 2027 because of potential security issues, the question of who can intervene to fill the empty space left by the Chinese seller has remained open. While European giants Ericsson and Nokia were obvious choices, other candidates also made an appearance. The UK government asked Japan to help deploy 5G networks in the country back in July. British officials then told colleagues in Tokyo that the Japanese technology companies NEC and Fujitsu could be the…
Maintaining an edge over competition, staying on track with ever-shifting customer needs and seeing steady revenue growth, can be hard in the fiercely competitive environment of telecoms. That is why the telecom industry needs to consider introducing new technologies into their business practices. One such promising technology that can give telecommunications business owners leverage in the industry is blockchain. Blockchain was created as a technology that brings trust where it does not exist. Currently, the telecommunications blockchain market is in its early stages, with only a few vendors having launched telecommunications blockchain solutions. Given the complex nature of blockchain and distributed ledger technology, it is clear that in order for it to succeed in the telecommunications industry, vendors will need to pool their knowledge of blockchain technology and the telecommunications industry. Bringing blockchain into play can create significant benefits and opportunities for a variety of telecommunications sectors. Some of these…
Apple reveals 5G iPhones Apple waited a little longer than other manufacturers to introduce 5G phones, probably because they wanted to be certain their first 5G iPhones are top class. The company unveiled its new iPhone 12 phones on Tuesday. All new iPhones are built around the fast Apple A14 Bionic chip, they support 5G wireless connectivity, and are protected by a ceramic shield to make the phones more damage resistant. Bringing 5G to the iPhone is a huge step forward for the company, as it will provide a new level of performance for downloads and uploads, video streaming, games, real-time interactivity and more. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y6mum7wh Masergy launches Work From Anywhere solutions Masergy, a software-defined network and cloud platform for the digital enterprise, announced two new SD-WAN Work From Anywhere solutions. Masergy’s SD-WAN Secure Home is a lightweight Fortinet Secure SD-WAN device for fast connection via the residential…
SIPTrunk Inc announces SIPTRUNK Platform SIPTrunk Inc. has announced the launch of managed IP telephony services through its SIP trunking reseller platform, SIPTRUNK. The SIPTRUNK platform allows service providers to manage multiple customers and service delivery via a practical interface based on cloud support and Tier-1 networks. SIPTRUNK meets the market’s need for a SIP trunk management and provisioning platform in order to support businesses, governmental agencies, telecommunications providers and telephone companies. According to the company, it is expected that by 2025, expenditure in the SIP trunking market will reach $28.8 billion. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y835ctxf UK’s fiber startup Lumenisity enters the market The UK start-up company Lumenisity has entered the market and released its first commercial products. Lumenisity was created to promote breakthroughs in the creation of hollowcore optical fiber. According to the company, data moves 50% faster in a hollowcore fiber, as the light travels through the air…
Zoom Video Communications, a provider of video telephony and online chat services, and Lumen, a global enterprise technology platform, have announced that the companies will work together to allow Lumen to offer Zoom as part of its Unified Communications and Collaboration Suite. Lumen will deliver improved services based on Zoom’s video-first UC platform to its global customer base. The partnership will provide greater delivery, customer success and managed services to companies using Zoom, in order to provide a unique business experience when using the services. Lumen will also combine the security of its embedded network with Zoom’s built-in security features to actively protect customers that are using bundled services. This collaboration will give Zoom access to Lumen’s customer base, while Lumen will be able to update its UCC offering with a leading video conferencing platform. In addition, this partnership should help Lumen to better compete with Verizon, which…