A good VoIP provider ensures seamless online telecommunications services of the highest quality for business of all sizes, making interactions easier and more gratifying for both employees and customers. Plus, the best thing about VoIP services is that they are less expensive than traditional phone systems and much easier to set up. In addition, with cloud VoIP, clients can move direct extensions to new geographic locations with just a few clicks in the provided self-management platform. However, choosing the right service provider is not such an easy task. With so many options, how do you decide which one is right for you? If you are having a hard time choosing one, then you are in the right place. In this article, we discuss the top-rated VoIP systems for 2021. 8×8 Inc. provides cloud communications and customer engagement solutions. This includes voice, contact center, video, mobile and unified communications…
European Commission proposes new AI regulations The European Commission is proposing new rules that would allow it to ban any type or deployment of AI that it considers high-risk. The organization also proposes much stricter rules and limitations on the use of biometric data, such as law enforcement using face recognition. Violation of the rules may result in fines of up to 6% of the offending company’s total global turnover. For the biggest tech companies, that sum could reach billions. The commission’s digital chief, Margrethe Vestager, said: “On artificial intelligence, trust is a must, not a nice-to-have.” Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/5e8wcufu Cisco to invest $100 million to combat climate change Cisco has unveiled plans to invest $100 million over the next 10 years to help fight climate change, using the fund in its name for initiatives aimed at reducing emissions and educating communities. Cisco’s efforts will be global, and funding…
Deutsche Telekom (DT) has announced that it is investing an undisclosed amount in the blockchain payment platform Celo. The company also purchased an unspecified amount of Celo digital tokens to be used on the platform. Deutsche Telekom will be the first telecommunications company to join the Celo Alliance for Prosperity. Celo is an open-source blockchain ecosystem that focuses on making decentralized financial (DeFi) systems and tools accessible via the smartphone. The Celo ecosystem includes a decentralized, proof-of-stake blockchain technology package, a native asset (CELO), two stablecoins (cUSD and cEUR) and the Celo Foundation Alliance of Prosperity. The company was launched in 2017 and has maintained a low profile in the crypto market. However, this has changed in recent months, in part due to the recent $20 million funding raised by blue venture capital firms, including Andreessen Horowitz. This move by DT represents their initial foray into and testing…
Vodafone launches standalone 5G services in Germany Vodafone has announced the launch of its standalone 5G services in Germany. Vodafone Germany, working with Ericsson, Qualcomm, and Oppo, has upgraded around 1000 mobile sites in the 3.5 GHz range, switching them to an independent 5G core network that no longer relies on 4G. Vodafone claims that “latency times of 10 to 15 milliseconds are possible – that’s as fast as the human nervous system.” This initiative will deliver the SA 5G experience to 170 cities and municipalities, including major cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Düsseldorf. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/5dvhudhr Nokia to supply China Mobile with software-defined networking technology Nokia gained a major cloud win when China Mobile chose the vendor to supply software-defined network (SDN) technology for its public cloud service expansion. As part of the transaction, Nokia will provide its Nuage Networks Virtualized Cloud Services, that include…
When a new technology or opportunity is created, it is up to industry verticals to decide how, when, and where to exploit its potential. Communication service providers (CSPs) will find it challenging to adopt and implement technology such as blockchain. We have already discussed the benefits and possibilities of blockchain for telecommunication providers. While the benefits of adopting blockchain in the telecommunications business are clear, putting the theory into practice may not come easily. It is important that Communication Service Providers (CSPs) work in synergy, looking beyond obvious solutions if they are to take full advantage of the potentially huge advantages distributed ledger technology can offer. The following advice on adopting blockchain are based on the onerous experience of early adopters of blockchain. Collaborating and sharing of information Telecommunications companies can substantially improve their services by sharing or joining forces with each other. It is vital that these companies work together…
Spain approves entry for MWC participants The organizers of the Mobile World Congress 2021, which will take place in Barcelona this summer, have received much-needed good news from the Spanish government. Spain currently bans “non-essential” travel to and from non-EU/Schengen countries. But the GCMA, which manages the MWC, has announced that people who have registered for the event will be classified as “highly skilled workers” and therefore will be excused from this restriction. The GSMA intends to provide the Spanish authorities with details of all registrants and registrants will also be provided with a confirmation of participation. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/35z7nub5 Lumen signs a deal with T-Mobile US Lumen Technologies has taken a major step in expanding its latest edge computing service with a new deal with T-Mobile US. This agreement will allow Lumen to receive access to the operator’s 5G network to reach more of the company’s customers. The…
Black Lotus Labs, a division specializing in threat intelligence at Lumen Technologies that focuses on identifying malware and cyber security threats, has announced the discovery of a group of compromised websites that have been used in watering hole attacks in the past. All visitors who browse one of the sites would be unknowingly infected and vulnerable to the attacker stealing a copy of their Windows authentication credentials that could be used to impersonate them. The activity was only recently brought to light and was discovered on several Ukrainian and one Canadian website. These attacks target websites by inserting a malicious function into the website’s code, which is then executed by the victim’s machine. This type of attack has been used for many years, including the high-level compromise that was traced to the San Francisco International Airport website in April 2020. When analyzing the attacks in Ukraine and Canada,…
Enterprise networking and security leader Cisco, has unveiled a new, expanded Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) offering. This is a step for Cisco towards radically simplifying security and networking by helping network operations (NetOps) and security operations (SecOps) teams securely connect users to applications. Cisco delivers the capacity to purchase all of the key components of a SASE product in a one-stop offering, making it easy to transition to a single subscription service in the future. Cisco provides all key elements of the SASE architecture, including best-in-class networking, remote access, cloud security, zero trust network access, and observability. Cisco aims to incorporate these components into a single subscription service and provide seamless, secure access to any application on any network or cloud, wherever end users are located. According to Cisco, the reason for combining all SASE components into one package is that it allows companies a shorter time-to-market.…
IBM and Telefónica Argentina (Movistar) have announced a live, fully operational Open RAN network that will act as a proof of concept (PoC) for the delivery of commercial mobile services to the city of Puerto Madryn, Argentina, covering 81,000 urban residents. The launch allows for the testing of live, commercial traffic and provides an early proof point for the technology as it continues to develop. IBM has led the system integration process, assembling components and systems from a number of software and hardware vendors, including Altiostar, Red Hat, Quanta, Gigatera and Kontron, from pre-integration all the way through to full deployment. Open RAN is a state-of-the-art radio access network technology that enables interoperability for transforming a radio network into an open cloud environment in which multiple vendors can participate to create a better and more efficient service network. When using Open RAN, operators can combine hardware and software…


