French startup “BlackBoxSecu” located on the Côte d’Azur, has made the first demo of its secure voice communication system CipherBOX (CBOX) on Orange and Free mobile networks. Commercialization might begin the coming months. As the global threat evolves, listening to voice over the Internet and mobile networks becomes easier, cheaper and more accessible to third parties, private spies and foreign special services. Developed by BlackBoxSecu, the CBOX aims to provide secure high-level voice connectivity that meets individual communication needs on mobile, laptop, tablet or landline phones. The company has been awarded by Innovation Award of Special Forces SOFINS 2017, Trophées de la Sécurité 2017 (Bronze medal) in France and has been selected by Village by Crédit Agricole. Based on a stand-alone box developed during 3 years near Nice, the Cipher BOX encrypts the audio signal directly to the source of the voice (microphone of the user’s headset) as well as…
That’s what researchers at CCS Insight believe. According to their report, China and the United States will lead the way in deploying the next generation of mobile technology. Commercial deployments of 5G in the U.S. are expected as soon as the end of 2018. CCS Insight’s forecast of an initial U.S. lead corroborates with a report from the GSMA at the end of March 2018, but the firms appear to disagree on the rest of their rankings for the period prior to 2025. In the GSMA’s report, by 2025, China falls to fourth place with 25 percent of mobile connections being 5G. The United States takes the lead with 49 percent, followed by Japan (45 percent) and Europe (31 percent). IN 2025, MOBILE BROADBAND IS STILL PREDICTED TO REPRESENT 98% OF ALL 5G CONNECTIONS “The industry might be struggling to establish the business models for investment in 5G, but this isn’t stopping leading…
French researchers are starting to work on the blockchain! Inria, Télécom ParisTech, Télécom SudParis and SystemX signed a framework agreement on Tuesday March 6th, to coordinate their research efforts in the blockchain area. Called “Bart” (Blockchain Advanced Research & Technologies), this initiative will last for six years and will mobilize thirty researchers. Its aim is to remove the technological barriers that slow down the deployment of blockchain-driven data storage, a technology which is currently attracting the interest of many industries. Three main challenges will be addressed: 1 – Scaling up In one second, six or seven transactions took place on the Bitcoin blockchain, versus several thousand for the Visa credit card system. This slowness limits the use of the blockchain on a larger scale. The problem is due to the validation technique required for transactions, with transactions being grouped into blocks that must be validated by a computer calculation process called mining. Typically, it takes about…
This article has been updated. Here is the updated version: Can Blockchain Globalize Number Portability?
Fundamentally, Lina Zaboras is a people person. First thing every morning, the CEO of DIDWW devotes her time in walking through the company offices and taking the pulse of the team, because, as she says, “to us, relationships are everything, and only by developing personal connections, can we make a difference.” DIDWW views its staff as the distinction that makes the company successful. “We don’t see ourselves as producing products; rather, our people develop solutions,” Zaboras points out. “Almost every customer has very individual requirements, and it’s only by having dedicated and knowledgeable staff who can properly understand their challenges, that they can be confident of receiving a communications solution that will meet their needs.” Lessons learned outside the business Lina Zaboras’ appointment as the CEO of DIDWW was somewhat unusual. While she had ample skills and determination to take the business forward, her professional background in languages and education was very far…
Softphones have become very popular across the world due to its cost-effectiveness, the multiple features offered by the software and the ability of the device to offer unified communications, including voice, video, instant messaging and fixed-mobile convergence. The 6 Benefits of Using Softphones: Cost of softphones Softphones are inexpensive and many products are available free of charge. In addition, softphones allow expensive desk and SIP phones to be replaced, and the cost of maintaining this hardware is no longer a consideration. Any upgrades to the softphone are generally free-of-charge and are easily installed without requiring expensive technical assistance. Save on calls In general, VoIP-to-VoIP calls are completely free. International and long-distance rates are much lower when using a VoIP softphone versus traditional telephony, so those making regular or frequent calls out-of-state or country can effect significant cost savings. Also, traditional landlines require a high general operating fee in order to…
When using a cloud PBX, customers have access to advanced features and enterprise-level functionality, while enjoying reduced infrastructure costs and minimized system administration concerns. However, you should diligently compare providers to ensure that you do not subscribe to a service that does not fit your needs and goals. This article lists some points to consider before committing to any hosted PBX phone service provider and should assist you in choosing a service that meets your communication needs. Are my feature set requirements satisfied? Before you start looking for a provider, you must compile a list of features that are essential to your business model and operational requirements, and also consider what features you might need in the future. In many cases, the cloud PBX provider charges for a specific set of features, or bills on a per-feature basis. Therefore, it may be useful to differentiate between “must have” features, and…
One of the main benefits of business VoIP is that it offers a much wider selection of features compared to the traditional phone network. Since VoIP technology has no physical limitation or hardware necessary to start a new feature like PSTN does, it can deliver the best low-cost enterprise features with a fraction of the hassle. But it’s no surprise that with so many features available, some really good ones can go unnoticed or are simply underused by most users. The best example of these features is Virtual Numbers, a unique and powerful tool that not all businesses understand how much it can benefit them in the long term. So what exactly is a Virtual Number? Also known as DID (Direct Inward Dialing), a Virtual number is a telephone number that is not directly associated to a telephone line and can be assigned to any device such as a hardware…
Few have contributed as greatly to the open-source world of VoIP and telecommunications as Mark Spencer. Faced with financial obstacles, he did what any good leader would and built his own solution that has since then benefitted businesses around the world. His open-source framework Asterisk has been able to disrupt the status quo of PBX or Private Branch Exchange, systems while giving business owners a way to inexpensively manage their telecommunications. Education and Beginnings Mark Spencer wasn’t a man who came out of nowhere and built this innovative program. He was enrolled at Auburn University as a computer engineer when the entrepreneurial spirit first hit him. While still a student and finishing up his degree, Spencer decided it was time to put his education to the test and found his own business. This culminated in Linux Support Systems, a company started in 1999 with the original aim of supplying Linux support…
Call centers are at the front line of customer service and are expected to run at peak efficiency while maintaining a high call volume. There are many challenges in managing and operating a call center, one of them being securing inbound calling services that meet both current and future needs. Voice support serves as the backbone for the call center, and it is short-sighted for a brand to risk their reputation by exposing consumers to a substandard voice product. Management is constantly concerned with basic communication issues. Are callers getting a busy signal? Are calls being dropped? Is the voice quality satisfactory? At the same time, the concurrent call requirements have to be managed, to ensure sufficient capacity without wasting money on excess channels. Furthermore, in recent years, organizations have seen their customer base contact them not only through more media channels but also from diverse locations around the globe.…


