Aastra Telecom, announced that it has entered into an agreement with BroadSoft, Inc., to provide pre-integrated access solutions for hosted VoIP applications. Aastra will join BroadSoft and a consortium of other customer premises equipment (CPE) and access equipment vendors to build solutions that integrate equipment with hosted applications to simplify the integration challenges service providers face when deploying new services.

Plantronics, Inc. announced that Oracle, the world's largest enterprise software company, selected the Plantronics Voyager 510-USB Bluetooth headset system to optimize Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications and provide hands-free efficiency to its global workforce.

Combining the Voyager 510-USB with a VoIP-enabled laptop and mobile phone, Oracle employees now have a single wireless headset to use across multiple applications. For example, the Voyager 510-USB allows employees to use voice commands to log into Oracle Collaboration Suite, listen to and draft new e-mails, and access calendar items, address book contacts, and other information. The result: improved efficiency through faster communications and decision making and enhanced collaboration.

Fonality, announced that PBXtra customers have placed more than 50 million calls and are now averaging more than 1.5 million calls per week across its award-winning IP-PBX platform. This rapid ramp in call volume further demonstrates Fonality’s success in the middle market and customer demand for high quality, value priced, reliable and fully supported IP telephony solutions.

“With the open source roots of Fonality’s PBXtra, we are able to offer businesses the one-two punch of enterprise-class features and value pricing,” said Chris Lyman, Fonality’s founder and CEO. “It’s no wonder we are growing so fast and so many companies are relying on PBXtra to provide them with the rock solid phone system they need to run their business.”

An internet Telco based in Christchurch, New Zealand has become the first New Zealand telecommunications provider to offer an extensive VoIP global network that includes the availability of "virtual" telephone numbers in over 50 countries -- allowing free international calls.

Combined Technology's virtual number service means the company's international network subscribers can secure a local telephone number in most major cities world wide that connects directly to their home or business internet phone ("netphone") with no long distance toll charges.

Finding names to unlisted phone numbers and even cell phone numbers just got easier. A1PeopleSearch.com now offers free reverse phone number look up searches which include a free unlisted phone number search and a free reverse cell phone search. The reverse phone search system is much more than just another reverse telephone directory.

A1peoplesearch.com gives businesses and verified individual user's free access to name and address information on approximately 80% of all unlisted phone numbers as well as free access to names from 35% of all cell phone numbers.

Vonage VoIP Service In-Store Activation at Circuit City Stores.

Customers will now be offered an instant $200 gift card to use toward any in-store purchase when they activate Vonage’s VoIP-based telephone service and sign a year-long contract. The store will also make devices from select Vonage hardware manufacturers available to customers free after a mail-in rebate.

“The holiday season just got merrier for Vonage subscribers,” said Vonage America, Inc.’s president Michael Tribolet in a statement. “New subscribers not only get Vonage’s flat rate, feature-rich telephone service so they can call all their friends and wish them happy holidays, but they can also pick up some great gifts at Circuit City.”

Don't fall prey to these methods of VoIP abuse was an interesting article I found that could potentially help newcomers to VoIP protect themselves from being singled out of the pack.

"Voice over IP (VoIP) technology provides many advantages to companies and individuals over both traditional telephone services and traditional IP communications. But, like other technologies, it also brings with it the potential for abuse. And as more people implement VoIP, we can also expect more frequent exploitation of this potential."

Sonim Technologies, announced that Swedish mobile phone retailer Dialect will offer the Sonim XP1 ruggedized handset across all retail locations nationwide. The XP1 will meet the needs of industrial workers and sports enthusiasts with its ease of use, durable exterior and extended battery life.

Sonim designed the XP1 to withstand severe elemental and environmental conditions and made the handset next to impossible to break. The XP1 can survive falls from heights up to 1.3m, making it a natural choice for users needing a ruggedized handset with sophisticated features. The XP1 is also IP52-Certified, meaning that it is resistant to water, rain and dust – three of the elements that are most disruptive in outdoor and industrial environments. The handsets will be available in all Dialect stores in December 2006.

SIPBox, announced that it is the recipient of the 2006 Frost & Sullivan Award for Entrepreneurial Company of the Year for its role as an emerging company with vast potential in the enterprise telephony equipment services market. With a specialty in Asterisk, the industry’s first open source telephony platform, SIPBox offers a complete solution and handles the entire process on site, from design to implementation to ongoing management and support.

Pembina Trails, a major school division in Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada), announced the launch of the fastest, most powerful fiber optic educational network in Canada.

The new 'dark fiber' network consists of 44 kms (27.3 miles) of fiber optic cable, providing virtually unlimited bandwidth, and the introduction of Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, over this network has the potential to provide savings of some $200,000 per year.

Students now have access to information at a speed 850 times faster than at home with DSL or cable Internet service, and the potential to link with other fiber optic networks at libraries and universities around the world. Robust security features are integrated, and the entire network is maintained in-house.

IIR Exploiting Electronic Numbering To Optimise IP Routing & Interconnection In NGN

The brochure for IIR’s ENUM event is now available for download at the following website: http://www.iir-events.com/IIR-Conf/page.aspx?id=4318.

This is an opportunity not to be missed as interest in ENUM is gathering pace as the number of public deployments rapidly increases and the industry turns it attention to the business benefits of deploying Infrastructure ENUM.

Verb Exchange has completed the integration of its new CoPilot Console communications device with the vertical search product, HüPad, and has released the combined product for use to a small pre-beta test group.

We are very pleased with the successful integration and the resulting product; in simple terms, a Universal Remote Control for launching various services including VoIP phone calls, SMS messaging, general Web searches, and research and eCommerce specific searches

"We are very pleased with the successful integration and the resulting product; in simple terms, a Universal Remote Control for launching various services including VoIP phone calls, SMS messaging, general Web searches, and research and eCommerce specific searches," said Craig Goldenberger, Verb's CEO.

Coms opens its online store, Coms Express, at www.comsexpress.com. The store offers all the basic equipment required, such as internet enabled handsets and headsets, to start using internet telephony to make low-cost or free calls. Coms Express stocks the widest range of VoIP products and guides customers to select the most appropriate equipment for their use.

Making calls over the Internet uses an application called Voice over Internet Protocol (or VoIP). VoIP means that conversations are transmitted over the internet to other internet users or normal telephone users. Coms operates its own VoIP network and calls are cheaper than traditional services because they are made using the customers existing broadband connection.

Ophone Communications, announced the introduction of free international calls through its new service, Ophone.net.

Ophone.net’s newly available service allows users to make unlimited calls to the United States, Canada, China, Germany, Taiwan, South Korea and more than 35 other countries by simply calling a U.S.-based number and entering a destination.

“This service is ideal for individuals who want to take advantage of unlimited calling plans through their existing cellular or home phone provider,” said Nick Grooms, Vice President of Ophone.net. “Unlike other firms which require contracts and promote their service using limited time offers commonly found in the international calling world, Ophone offers free international calls based on simple, proven business concepts.”

UCN, Inc., announced the availability of inContact/VoIP Service. This enables UCN to connect both traditional TDM and VoIP stations into the hosted inContact advanced contact handling applications. Additionally, inContact/VoIP Service provides PBX functionality to general business users.

With inContact/VoIP Service, organizations now have the option to "Ease-into-VoIP". Businesses can implement IP technology within a smaller group before committing to a corporate-wide deployment. Organizations can present a unified set of contact management functions and features to any agent station, no matter what voice transport technology is being used and no matter where the station is located -- in the home, at the branch or at the main office.