Singapore’s leading telecommunications company, Singtel, has launched their cutting-edge network automation platform called Liquid Infrastructure. The platform is designed to help enterprises configure their networks, bringing deployment control and agility to the next level. Singtel presents Liquid Infrastructure as the ideal solution to ease the digital transformation process for companies, and at the same time helping to manage their network resources, saving time and money. “With Liquid Infrastructure, Singtel revolutionises the way network services are delivered to enterprises. We have integrated software-based network services to this platform to provide a versatile, robust and scalable solution that delivers critical network services where and when they are needed. By having the control of connectivity in the hands of our customers, we facilitate their transformation to the digital era through a superior and more agile network deployment and management experience,” said the Vice President of Global Products at Singtel’s Group Enterprise,…
EE is the first mobile operator to launch a 5G network trial site in the UK. The BT owned telco has based its testing predominantly using Huawei network equipment, coupled with the 3.4GHz spectrum it bought at the UK communications regulator (Ofcom) auction. The aim of this trial is to evaluate the behavior and performance of 5G technology in real-life settings outside of the testing lab. The initial trial is located in the Montgomery Square area of Canary Wharf, London, where more than 150,000 people pass through on a daily basis. It might seem strange that a practical trial has been started with no commercially available 5G devices, but the end goal is to evaluate the 5G spectrum and to test devices for performance, speed and coverage in areas with traditionally high 4G mobile network usage. “This live trial is a big step forward in making the benefits…
October 1st, 2018 will be remembered as the date when the first 5G broadband network went live, with the telecommunications giant Verizon launching its 5G network in parts of Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Sacramento. The company confirmed that it will be expanding its coverage shortly, pending the installation of new standards-compliant equipment. “The world’s first commercial 5G service is here. We’ve formed incredible partnerships with many of the world’s leading technology companies, the international technical standards bodies, public officials, developers and our own customers to drive the 5G ecosystem forward, faster than most had predicted. And now, actual customers. It’s been an incredible journey…and we’re just at the starting line,” the president of Verizon Wireless, Ronan Dunne, expressed enthusiastically. The very first user on this network, a resident of Houston, Clayton Harris, became one of the early adopters by setting up a “5G Home” service, an ultra-fast…
The Lithuanian mobile operator BITĖ has launched a new Smart call management service oriented towards its business customers, delivering full PBX services to mobile users. While cloud-based PBX services are now generic, BITĖ’s Smart call management service has fulfilled their specific and innovative requirement that the solution must be delivered over the standard mobile voice network, and should not require data services or the use of an app on the mobile device. The result is a seamless, simple-to-use, fully featured and high availability business voice service, accessible from any mobile device and being operating system agnostic. The solution architecture enables instant deployment of phone system extensions without any action required by the end users (business employees), eliminating the time and effort required by the business IT department and BITĖ’s customer service to configure, manage and support the service. “Phone calls constitute an essential and integral component of all…
Vodafone New Zealand recently announced it will be the first telecommunications company to launch an Intelligent Digital Human in cooperation with a Kiwi company, FaceMe. While the identity of the Digital Human should be revealed within the next two months, it is already clear that the AI-based assistant will be of great benefit in improving the self-service experience for Vodafone’s customers, and allow staff to devote time working with more complex customer demands. “Great customer experience happens through meaningful conversations. FaceMe has evolved AI technology to create Intelligent Digital Humans that are human-like in their appearance and interaction. Thanks to machine learning, they are capable of continuously learning how to anticipate our customers’ needs and better serve them,” explained Vodafone’s director of Customer Operations, Helen van Orton. Orton emphasized that this initiative is not a replacement for front-line customer service, but will rather aid in maximizing staff…
The communication and technology giants AT&T, Samsung Electronics America (SEA) and Samsung Austin Semiconductor (SAS) have announced that they will join forces to create America’s first 5G Innovation Zone, focusing on the use of 5G in manufacturing. The Innovation Zone will be located in Samsung Austin Semiconductor’s 160-acre campus in Austin, Texas, one of the most advanced semiconductor facilities in the world. The goal behind this innovative project is to explore the futuristic idea of a Smart Factory, powered by 5G technology. “This is a first. We’ll be testing the real-world impact 5G will have on the manufacturing industry,” commented Mo Katibeh, the CEO at AT&T Business. “Ultimately, we plan to use what we learn from this 5G Innovation Zone to help create better technology experiences and improvements in Samsung Austin Semiconductor’s plant along with creating a future blueprint for people and businesses across all industries.” By…
The IDT owned VoIP communication service provider net2phone has announced the acquisition of the SaaS-based business phone and communication solutions provider Versature. The two companies will join forces and continue to provide Canadian companies with innovative communication services. “This transaction will accelerate Versature’s growth trajectory in Canada through a powerful alignment of values and innovative technology for voice and call analytics combined with ready access to capital. As a result, Versature will scale Canadian operations by attracting top talent while continuing to innovate and aggressively pursue opportunities in the Canadian market,” commented Versature’s President and COO, Jonathon Moody. With the addition of Versature, net2phone has expanded its operational coverage, which now includes Canada, the US, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Spain and Hong Kong. Moreover, the combined revenues of both companies for May, June and July totaled over $5 million. “We continue to be very pleased by the trajectory of net2phone’s…
Earlier this week, a leading IT solutions provider Tech Mahindra, announced its partnership with Microsoft to build a blockchain-based robust ecosystem meant to tackle unsolicited commercial communications in India. This blockchain solution will be developed based on Microsoft Azure, and will comply with the regulations issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). TRAI has been working with both these companies and other stakeholders to curb the profusion of spam calls and messages so widely spread across the country. While the initial step of introducing a “Do Not Disturb” registry in 2010 seems to be a success with 230 million listed subscribers, the telemarketers still manage to find fraudulent workarounds to obtain consent and continue delivering spam calls. “Blockchain as a technology is a powerful tool to combat the issue of spam calls and fraud risks, to protect user information, as well as the integrity of the telecom sector.…
Nokia has signed an agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for a loan of 500 million Euros (572 million US dollars) to accelerate the development of cutting edge 5G technology. This loan, supported by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), will present opportunities for the Finnish telecom equipment manufacturer to invest in the research, development and innovation of the soon-to-be telecommunication standard technology, thereby expanding the market and displaying the potential of 5G in Europe. “We have to understand that China and the US have moved fast with the 5G. It is very important to have European companies going in for this competition,” commented the EIB vice president Alexander Stubb in the online Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. While the specific uses for the funds have not yet been identified, it is clear that Nokia’s end-to-end network will greatly benefit from this loan by ensuring the connectivity and reliability…
The Facebook-owned communications platform WhatsApp has announced the rollout of their WhatsApp Business API, which will enable businesses to manage communications and send notifications and other non-promotional messages, such as appointment reminders, event tickets and more. WhatsApp has emphasized that when using this new platform, the communication must be initiated by customer sending a message or requesting information. Moreover, the communications between the two parties will incorporate end-to-end encryption, despite traffic passing through an API. There is a cost to this service – the businesses can reply to these messages free of charge within 24 hours, while all the replies sent after this period will be charged at a set price. Another useful feature of WhatsApp Business is that it will soon be possible to use the Facebook Ads Manager to add a “click-to-chat” button on Facebook advertisements, with a direct link to WhatsApp Business chat. WhatsApp Business for Android…