Verizon to enable spam call filtering by default on select Android phones Verizon has begun auto-enrolling eligible customers in its free Call Filter service, thus automatically protecting Android users through spam-detection and blocking of high-risk calls. The Federal Communications Commission’s recent ruling has given phone carriers more authority to block spam calls, and Verizon is taking advantage of it to better protect customers. The Call Filter app will automatically block calls from any numbers reported as fraudulent and forward them to voicemail. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/y5ctqelq Google and Dell team up on the first Chromebooks made for business Dell Technologies Inc. and Google LLC have announced the launch of their jointly developed laptops – the Dell Latitude 5300 2-in-1 Chromebook Enterprise and Dell Latitude 5400 Chromebook Enterprise. These two laptops are based on existing Dell’s Latitude models, except they run Chrome OS and offer extra security and organisational features.…
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…
Yet another carrier has joined the ranks of the super-fast 5G service providers. Three UK has launched its 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) network, and is now offering high-speed 5G Broadband in central London. The country’s fourth biggest mobile network operator is offering “fibre-like speeds” and a “plug and play” hub to allow next-gen mobile network access throughout the home. In order to get Internet connectivity, the router connects directly to a 5G mobile phone signal, thus eliminating the need for users to pay a landline rental fee. Dave Dyson, CEO at Three UK, said, “Three’s 5G is going to revolutionize the home broadband experience. No more paying for landline rental, no more waiting for engineers, and even a same day delivery option. It really is the straightforward plug and play broadband that customers have been waiting for. We’ve taken a simple approach with one single truly unlimited data…
Uniphore Software Systems Pvt, a global conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology startup based in Chennai, India and Palo Alto, California, has announced that it has raised USD 51 million in Series C funding led by March Capital Partners. The latest round was reinforced by Chiratae Ventures (formerly IDG Ventures), Sistema Asia, CXO Fund, ITP, Iron Pillar and Patni Family, amongst others. Uniphore’s new round is their largest funding so far, and marks “one of the most substantial funding rounds in the conversational AI sector.” This Indian startup promotes the use of the AI in call centers to bridge the gap between people and machines through voice, and aims to substantially innovate customer service, a market that is valued at USD 350 billion. According to the statement, the funds will be used to accelerate Uniphore’s go-to-market in North America, invest in research and development for the next wave of improvements…
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…
According to the most recent report from Canalys Cloud Channels Analysis, the worldwide spending on cloud infrastructure services has increased by more than one third (37.6%) year-on-year, soaring to USD 26.3 billion in the second quarter of 2019. The ranking of the leading cloud service providers remains unchanged, with Amazon Web Services (AWS) dominating at 36.1 percent growth, with revenue of over USD 8.3 billion, and a total market share of 31.5 percent. Microsoft Azure comes second with its sales growing by 63.6 percent to just under USD 5 billion, increasing its marketing share to 18.1 percent. In third place is Google Cloud with a 9.5 percent market share, followed by Alibaba Cloud in the fourth position. In total, cloud infrastructure revenue grew by USD 7.2 billion compared to a year ago, and the current expansion marks “the biggest ever quarterly increase in terms of value, highlighting the continued robust…
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…
Trinity Cyber, a Bowie, Maryland-based cybersecurity services and solutions startup, has announced the completion of a $23 million funding round led by Intel Capital and other top institutional investors. The company claims that it is taking an entirely new approach to cybersecurity and, with the help of its new technology known as Proactive Threat Interference, is able to “proactively intercept and control cyberattacks” before they even reach the target’s network, thus “reducing risk and increasing cost to adversaries.” Steve Ryan, CEO of Trinity Cyber, said, “This investment by Intel Capital and other strategic backers is significant. I co-founded Trinity Cyber to transform the way the world addresses the cyber problem. No one is doing what Trinity Cyber is doing. No one else can. We make the adversary fail, and we feel this strategic support validates the elegance of our solution.” “As cyberattacks become more sophisticated, technology to counter…