Verizon Business has announced that it will provide a variety of network connectivity options to Siemens, a German global technology business, in order to maintain the security of its employees’ devices and data. The solutions will provide Siemens employees in smaller office locations with a smooth “plug and play” user experience while emphasizing security and zero trust principles. Siemens’ zero-trust initiative demands that all employee devices be verified, approved and continually checked before access to mission-critical applications and data is granted or retained. Verizon Business will implement an “internet only” connection, such as a global Managed Wide Area Network based on Cisco Meraki technology, which is vital to the success of the Siemens’ “never trust, always verify” program. According to Sanjiv Gossain, EMEA Vice President, Verizon Business, an intelligent network may make underlying architectures more agile by controlling traffic and improving operational efficiency. He noted that while every…
Vodafone Germany to cut 1,300 jobs in realignment efforts Vodafone Germany has revealed intentions to cut 1,300 positions in management, double functions, and areas with no direct customer interaction as part of a realignment and return to growth effort. In addition, the operator intends to establish 400 new customer-facing positions, resulting in a total loss of 900 positions. The decision comes on the heels of a 1.8% year-on-year decline in fiscal Q3 service income due to client losses in Germany, which is likely to be a special focus of cost-cutting efforts. Telecom companies such as BT and Orange Business have also recently announced layoffs. Read the full article. Five9 launches AI Summary tool for contact centers Five9, a cloud contact center service provider, has released Five9 Agent Assist 2.0 with AI Summary, driven by OpenAI’s language model technology. The solution produces summary highlights of client call recordings in seconds, decreasing…
France invests €750 million in 6G R&D For research and development projects in advanced network generations such as 5G and 6G, France has announced a €750m grant program. In order to produce sovereign solutions, especially with the pandemic and global trade disputes, the country is focusing on virtualization, open interfaces for access networks, edge computing, security, and AI and machine learning integration. The scheme is part of Macron’s France 2030 strategy. It is a €30 billion plan aimed at modernizing the economy and positioning France as a world leader in future network technologies. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4jr922dn T-Mobile in talks to acquire MVNO Mint Mobile T-Mobile is apparently in discussions to buy Mint Mobile, a pre-paid mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) backed by Ryan Reynolds. Mint Mobile has grown in popularity since its launch as Mint SIM in 2015. It has been touted as a cheaper alternative to major mobile…
BT putting its digital voice service rollout on halt Last year, BT began rolling out Digital Voice, which is a VoIP solution that works over the company’s broadband network rather than the old analogue network, as the name implies. This service is an essential improvement, as BT points out, to replace analogue technology, which is rapidly becoming outmoded. The operator is, however, delaying the Digital Voice switchover for consumers who do not wish to switch right away. BT did not specify how long the halt will occur, nonetheless, it is confident that the switchover will take place soon. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/mt23py8u DigitalBridge enters into mobile infrastructure deal with Telenet Telenet has agreed to sell all of its mobile telecommunications towers in Belgium to DigitalBridge, a US-based real estate investment trust and a subsidiary of the DigitalBridge Group. The investment firm has agreed to pay $820 million for Telenet’s 3,322…
Telefonica has announced their significant commitment to the metaverse, indicating that the company will use MWC22 Barcelona to demonstrate its digital transformation and technological leadership initiatives through an innovative virtual environment. Telefonica said it will utilize the metaverse to demonstrate all of its in-person demos, allowing conference attendees to digitally visit the four physical sites on the exhibition floors. The organization will provide a unique experience based on the quality of the information exhibited and the ongoing and diverse activities by combining real-time and virtual participation. Telefónica will demonstrate its expertise, capabilities and dedication to assisting businesses, governmental agencies and society as a whole in taking advantage of the tremendous opportunities that digitization and connectivity provide. The company will also show what it can do for the community, and the advantages its solutions will deliver in terms of making participants more efficient, sustainable and safe. Telefónica will exhibit…
TIA releases supply chain security standard The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) has compiled the SCS 9001 specification, which it claims is the world’s first supply chain security standard designed particularly for the ICT industry. The SCS 9001 standard applies to all ICT sector goods, including software, hardware and services that are linked to the association’s global networks. SCS 9001’s goal is to validate end-to-end cyber and physical security throughout ICT network infrastructure. The new standard is based on a Quality Management System (QMS) that operationalizes industry best practices and recommendations such as ISO 27001, the Prague Proposals, applicable NIST standards, and the CSIS Criteria for Security and Trust. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2p8hzdru Metro by T-Mobile US now part of the Affordable Connectivity Program Metro by T-Mobile has joined the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). All eligible Metro by T-Mobile customers, new and old, will be able to obtain free…
Telefónica Tech and Grupo Álava have announced a collaboration to work on a predictive maintenance solution. This partnership will provide industrial companies with an advanced data platform that will allow them to optimize their operations by anticipating potential faults or defects in machinery through a predictive maintenance plan. The solution will contribute not only to improving the sector’s safety, efficiency and competitiveness, but also to ensuring its long-term viability by eliminating many of the expenses needed for unplanned repairs. The technology will enable industrial organizations to digitize their maintenance procedures through mass wireless and/or conventional sensing of all assets in the manufacturing chain. Simple and widespread sensorization and monitoring of assets in these operations is a critical stage in an industrial organizations’ digital transformation. Sensors connected to Telefónica Tech’s LTE and 5G mobile networks will collect data, which will be saved and analyzed using Industrial Edge Computing…
Verizon and Google Cloud have launched a new collaboration initiative. The corporations will join to deliver the power of the cloud closer to mobile and connected devices operating at the edge of Verizon’s network. With this new agreement, Verizon now interoperates with all three main cloud providers: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. Verizon intends to deliver Google’s computing and storage capabilities to the edge of the local network by combining Verizon 5G Edge with Google Distributed Cloud Edge. This will provide real-time corporate applications such as autonomous mobile robots, intelligent logistics and industrial automation with the bandwidth and low latency that they require. Verizon’s private On Site 5G and private 5G Edge, combined with Google Distributed Cloud Edge, are expected to enable enterprises in industries ranging from retail to manufacturing to harness the power of 5G and mobile edge computing, while also gaining operational…
Consolidated Communications launches new gigabit service Consolidated Communications has introduced Fidium Fiber, a new Gigabit consumer fiber internet brand with an entirely new customer experience. Fidium Fiber internet will first be available in certain locations in Northern New England, providing symmetrical, Gigabit internet to residential consumers with no data limitations. Fidium provides simple, uncomplicated plans and pricing, with a range of high-speed fiber services beginning at $35 per month. Fidium is currently available in communities throughout Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, with new locations being added on a weekly basis throughout Northern New England. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2m53cs8n Nokia introduces SaaS services Nokia announced the launch of several Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications for communication service providers (CSPs), with the objective of providing operators with a more cost-effective, flexible, and customer-centric approach for running existing networks and delivering new services. Nokia’s approach to SaaS for CSPs is to provide new software that…
Over the past decade, there have been so many advancements that it is difficult to keep up with all the technological breakthroughs. This journey has been thrilling and every invention delivers new technology at a rapid pace. It is critical to look to the future for clues as to where technology will take the society next. And this decade is shaping up to be one of significant technological leaps, as businesses prepare for the large-scale integration of advanced technologies. Here are the top technological trends that are taking the world by storm. Blockchain A blockchain, in its most basic form, is a shared, digital record that cannot be changed once a transaction has been recorded and confirmed. In other words, blockchain technology makes it nearly impossible to falsify a transaction. When you hear the term blockchain, the first thing that usually springs to mind is cryptocurrency; however, there is more…