The Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has unveiled their brand-new Artificial Intelligence (AI) chipset Ascend 910 at its Shenzhen headquarters, together with the accompanying AI computing framework, MindSpore. The company claims this chip to be the world’s fastest AI processor ever with the greatest computing power available on a single chip, and optimized for AI applications. “We have been making steady progress since we announced our AI strategy in October last year,” said Eric Xu, Huawei’s Rotating Chairman. “Everything is moving forward according to plan, from R&D to product launch. We promised a full-stack, all-scenario AI portfolio. And today we delivered, with the release of Ascend 910 and MindSpore. This also marks a new stage in Huawei’s AI strategy.” Huawei originally announced the processor’s planned specifications last year at its Huawei Connect flagship event in Shanghai. After a year of intense development, test results reveal that the Ascend 910…
VvAA Groep B.V to transform service experience and performance with Vonage’s NewVoiceMedia solution Vonage’s NewVoiceMedia contact centre platform has been chosen by Dutch insurance provider VvAA to enhance its members’ customer experience. After conducting a market evaluation, the company implemented Vonage’s NVM solution for its Salesforce integration and rich functionality. VvAA Groep’s advisors will have immediate access to entire history of customers interactions, also, inbound calls will be dynamically managed and routed, improving handling time and customer satisfaction. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y5l2maho Telenor completes acquisition of majority stake in DNA Norwegian telecommunications company Telenor Group has completed the acquisition of Finland’s third-largest mobile operator DNA. Telenor has acquired 54 percent of the shares in DNA for EUR 20.90 each in cash, or a total of EUR 1.5 billion after the deal approval by DNA shareholders, Finda Telecoms and PHP Holding, and Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Helsinki-based…
Angola Cables and rest of Angolan telecoms industry to be privatised Angola’s official journal, the Diario da Republica has announced that under the Privatisation Programme, the Angolan government is to sell stakes in 195 companies. The telecommunication companies that will be included in the Privatisation Programme are Unitel (in which MSTelecom has a 20% stake), MS Telecom itself, Net One, Multitel, Angola Telecom, TV Cabo Angola, Angola Cables, Angolan postal company ENCTA, Angola Comunicacoes e Sistemas (ACS) and telephone directory company ELTA. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y5aw5r9y Google Accounts now let Android web users authenticate themselves with their fingerprint Google now allows Android phone users to sign into some of its services without a password. The users will verify their identity with a fingerprint only, which makes authentication more secure and easier. This feature is built by using open authentication standards FIDO2, FIDO CTAP and WebAuthn. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yy272mwn Verizon…
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced the adoption of new rules banning malicious caller ID spoofing of text messages and foreign robocalls. The new regulations will allow the US federal government to carry out enforcement action against foreign businesses involved in deliberate spoofing, thus closing “a loophole in the law that prevented the agency from pursuing scammers sending spoofed text messages and international fraudsters making spoofed calls to Americans.” According to the announcement, this resolution is the further implementation of amendments to the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 that “prohibits anyone from causing a caller ID service to knowingly transmit misleading or inaccurate caller ID information (“spoofing”) with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongly obtain anything of value.” These rules have been put in place to counteract scammers operating in overseas call centers who often pretend to be calling from reliable companies. They use…
The second Payment Services Directive, or so-called PSD2 requirements will come into force on September 14th, 2019. With this deadline approaching, we have decided to examine this matter from the merchandiser’s perspective. In brief, PSD2 is an initiative from the EU aimed at regulating the e-payment environment where banks and fintechs (Third Party Service Providers – TPSPs) currently operate in a largely disorganized manner. There is no consistent, standardized or regulated framework that defines the cooperation between banks and TPSPs. The bank may refuse access by a TPSP to its client’s bank account, preventing the same client or merchandiser from using the TPSP’s services, which may be more convenient or less costly than banking services. To regulate the e-payment market, PSD2 will force banks to grant third-party access to their clients’ bank accounts. Equally important, TPSPs will be regulated – they will have to obtain a license and…
The Japanese telecommunications company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT Corporation) has set up a new global technology services provider, NTT Ltd. The new NTT enterprise combines the capabilities of 28 companies, with NTT Communications, Dimension Data and NTT Security amongst others, into a single entity worth USD 11 billion. Headquartered in London, NTT Ltd. will have about 40000 employees in offices spread across 70 countries and regions. According to Jun Sawada, President and CEO for NTT Corporation, combining the new capabilities of NTT Ltd. along with NTT Data creates a global technology and business solutions provider outside Japan, with revenues of USD 20 billion. “Going forward, we will accelerate our execution as one NTT in order to contribute to a smarter and better world through digital transformation,” said Sawada. The collaboration of all these companies and the increased investment in innovation and R&D will allow NTT Ltd.…
Telecommunications giant AT&T and Colt Technology Services, a provider of network, voice, data centre and managed cloud services, have successfully completed the integration of MEF’s Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) Sonata Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that allow business customers to virtually seamlessly order services across multiple carriers. The two companies claim to be the first in the telecom industry to use MEF’s LSO Sonata APIs to automate the ordering of Ethernet services. Roman Pacewicz, Chief product officer, AT&T Business, said, “There’s no doubt this will change how carriers interact and operate in the industry. Our interactions are now more cost-efficient, flexible and error-free. We kicked off interoperability discussions and trials three years ago and gained important insights that will help create and refine industry standards under the guidance of MEF. The transformation of networks to a dynamic, on-demand, software-centric, cloud-based model opens up opportunities for everyone.” The implementation of the…
Ufinet, one of the leading international telecom operators in Latin America and a provider of fibre infrastructure and transmission services, has acquired a majority stake in the Brazilian wholesale carrier Netell Telecom, which offers connectivity services to local and international enterprises, network operators and service providers. With Netell’s network coverage in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo and a broader regional reach, Ufinet will be able to better serve its global customers in Latin America. Inigo Garcia del Cerro Prieto, Chief Executive Office of Ufinet Telecom, said, “This transaction represents an important milestone for our group. Netell has always delivered an impressive service, with great human resources and long experience in the market, which makes it a perfect match for us. This will definitely leverage our growth in Latin America.” The companies signed the agreement during the International Telecommunications Week (ITW), thus allowing Ufinet to enter the Brazilian…
EllaLink Ireland Ltd (EllaLink) has announced the appointment of the former Sparkle CEO Alessandro Talotta, and Alberto Horcajo, who has held senior positions at Telefonica’s Telxius, to its Board of Directors. EllaLink is a subsea cable project being built with advanced coherent technology and will initially offer 72 Tbps of capacity over a four fiber-pair system, helping to remedy the congestion currently plaguing North Atlantic traffic. By linking data centers in Madrid, Lisbon, Marseille, Fortaleza and Sao Paulo, EllaLink is expected to provide express subsea connectivity and offer the world’s first direct fiber pair between Europe and Latin America. Michael Dedieu, Chairman of the EllaLink board and managing partner at Marguerite, an infrastructure investment fund that is backing the project, commented, “We are delighted to welcome Alessandro and Alberto as new independent directors to the EllaLink Board. Their skills will greatly complement the current board’s expertise through the on-going construction…
The global race for future technologies has accelerated even further, with the South Korean wireless carrier SK Telecom announcing that it is joining forces with network hardware providers Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung Electronics to carry out collaborative research and development projects to pave the way for 6G mobile network technologies. The partnership will also help to upgrade the already-advanced 5G technology, and expand its adoption in other areas, including self-driving cars and in-built solutions. Park Jin-Hyo, Chief technology officer and Head of ICT R&D Center of SK Telecom, said, “Through strengthened cooperation with Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung Electronics, SK Telecom will be able to secure the world’s best 5G quality and lead the way towards 6G mobile network communications.” In accordance with the terms of the signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs), SK Telecom will work closely with each company to promote the advancement of 5G network technologies. They…


