Vodia Networks, maker of cutting-edge software-based telephone systems, is pleased to announce it will provide comprehensive support to all former Panasonic partners in response to the electronics giant’s recent decision to discontinue its Panasonic PBX and SIP telephone systems. Panasonic users will need to source alternative communications solutions once these items are no longer supported, before the year 2023, and Vodia is ready to provide comprehensive, best-in-class cloud-based and on-premise multi-tenant systems to Panasonic customers. “Not only can we match the functionality of existing systems, we have also added important features that will improve the productivity of the users,” said Dr. Christian Stredicke, Founder and CEO of Vodia. “The ability to work from home, and from other locations with Internet connectivity, will play a major role in upgrading existing customers. We have a cloud solution ready for our partners, but for those who prefer to continue running their systems on their own, we also offer on-premise…
Verizon Business announces a new bundle Verizon Business has announced a new bundle offer for small businesses covering security, broadband and LTE services. As more small businesses are moving to virtual settings, Verizon Business now offers the Complete Business Bundle. With this new offering, small businesses receive a 15% discount on monthly service fees with a 50 Mbps tier. LTE Business Internet, which includes a router as part of the package, is giving businesses the ability to connect to 4G LTE using a plug-and-play installation. The Complete Business Bundle also includes One Talk desk phones with more than 50 business-class features and dedicated 24/7 technical support. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y4xy7nyw DT and Samsung succeed in standalone 5G Deutsche Telekom and Samsung have successfully completed the SA 5G test in Pilsen, Czech Republic. Together the companies have tested the efficiency of Samsung’s MU-MIMO technology on Deutsche Telekom’s network and recorded excellent…
Telecommunications giant Telefónica has expanded its long-standing technology partnership with IBM and announced the release of Cloud Garden 2.0, the next step in Telefonica’s cloud services platform to accelerate application modernization. Cloud Garden 2.0 is supported on IBM Cloud Pak and Red Hat OpenShift. The first iteration of Cloud Garden, launched in 2019, was originally based on IBM Cloud Private technology. However, Cloud Garden 2.0 switched to the hybrid Red Hat OpenShift cloud Kubernetes platform and the IBM Cloud Pak for Application. Telefónica customers can now run their applications on containers on premises or in the cloud environment of their choice, along with the simplification and speeding up when launching new solutions. Cloud Garden 2.0 is hosted through Telefonica’s Virtual Data Center in Spain, helping its customers experience low latency and better uptime for managing their applications. Andrés López Hedoire, de Enterprise Product Marketing Director, Telefónica España, commented:…
The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that, in reference to the recommendations of the Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA), the Secure Telephone Identity Governance Authority (STI-GA), a group supporting the timely deployment of STIR/SHAKEN protocol, has altered the requirements in their robocall prevention policy. Initially, the STI-GA policy required that only an entity with direct access to telephone numbers could partake in the framework, that must be implemented by all voice service providers. However, the CCA claimed that this specification puts service providers at a significant disadvantage. Therefore, the FCC has announced that the policy change will allow CCA members to take advantage of STIR/SHAKEN through the FCC’s Robocall Mitigation Database. Until then, the current Service Provider Code (SPC access key) access policy will remain in effect, said the FCC. This important reconsideration will allow all CCA members to implement the STIR/SHAKEN protocol and make sure…
Amdocs enters an agreement with Amazon Web Services Amdocs has announced a multi-year agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to offer integrated cloud-based business support systems (BSS) to communications service providers. Under the terms of the deal, AWS is now an Amdocs cloud provider for Amdocs’ internal IT transformation. Working together, Amdocs and AWS will offer telecom providers access to a portfolio of digital services that shortens the time it takes for service providers to enter the market and gives them more flexibility to meet the needs of their end customers. The companies are also collaborating to develop and promote a variety of services that will help Amdocs customers migrate and upgrade their systems using a range of cloud solutions. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y5q64mbe Apple’s new Macs powered by iPhone chips Apple is introducing new Macs that use the same type of chips that run iPhones and iPads. This step…
The South Korean wireless telecommunications operator, SK Telecom, and Germany’s telecommunications leader, Deutsche Telekom, recently signed an agreement to set up a joint venture to innovate 5G technology. This venture will incorporate advanced 5G building expertise and leverage the growth in the global demand for 5G repeaters. Both companies said their partnership will help complete the development of an advanced 5G/LTE dual-mode repeater that will give them an advantage in capturing a global market estimated, according to studies cited by the companies, to exceed $10 billion over the next three years. The JV is headquartered in Germany, and as a result, the work will begin in the European market. As stated in the announcement, each operator will manage 50% of the JV and will appoint an appropriate representative to manage the organization. Tim Höttges, CEO of Deutsche Telekom commented: “Together with SKT we are able to develop new…
Orange Romania, the largest provider of broadband Internet and mobile services in Romania, has entered into an agreement to acquire a controlling stake in the fixed operator Telekom Romania Communications (TKR) in order to strengthen its position in the country and increase its market share in the sector. The reason given for Orange paying over $268 million for TKR, is that it is aiming to become the popular choice among customers for combined services in the Romanian market. Orange will gain a controlling 54% stake from the Greek company OTE, most of which is owned by Deutsche Telekom. According to Orange, the deal gives TKR a value exceeding $590.5 million. The transaction is subject to normal regulatory scrutiny and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2021. TKR, being the second largest fixed line provider in the country, achieved revenues of over $739 million in…
Two Japanese telecommunications providers, SoftBank and KDDI, have drawn up a plan to invest a total of $38 billion in fifth-generation wireless networks in Japan over the next 10 years. The country is seeking to close the gap between itself and its neighbors, China and South Korea, who have taken the lead in rolling out this ultra-fast technology. The 5G technology is expected to provide a large-scale boost to the country’s economy, benefiting a variety of industries, from Internet services to the automotive industry. Currently, 5G coverage across Japan remains very limited, mainly focused on Tokyo and other major population centers. Both operators plan to invest $19 billion each. For Japan’s 5G network, SoftBank plans to build 350,00 base stations nationwide, of which 50,000 are expected to be completed by March of 2022, and 200,000 more by 2025. Meanwhile, KDDI, which currently has less than 10,000 base stations,…
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…
8×8 partners up with Pax8 8×8, the provider of a leading integrated cloud communications platform, announced that Pax8, a cloud solutions platform, has become a strategic partner and has joined the 8×8 Open Channel Program. In accordance with the agreement, Pax8 is now offering their US partners an 8×8 Open Communications Platform that combines voice, team chat, meetings and a contact center in one solution, allowing organizations to move to the cloud. According to Pax8, the two companies will work together to support their partners as they help customers accelerate their digital transformation efforts, ensure business resilience, and improve employee experience and engagement. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y3xg4fu4 Telefónica aims at partnership with Allianz According to Spanish media reports, the telecommunications giant Telefonica is seeking to partner with a private equity subsidiary of the German insurance company Allianz, to launch a fiber-optic joint venture worth about $5.8 billion. The joint venture,…


