Next Generation IP Communications

San Jose, Calif., a leading global provider of wireless chipset solutions for converged communications at home, announced that DSP Group’s silicon and HD (High-Definition) Voice technologies power all 11 CAT-iq certified products of leading cordless telephone manufacturers, as listed on the DECT Forum’s CAT-iq web site (http://www.cat-iq.org/certification.aspx). DSP Group supports CAT-iq (Cordless Advanced Technology: Internet and Quality) and provides CAT-iq 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 firmware, communication protocol stack, call control and reference applications to enable consumer product manufacturers to deliver advanced communication features with fast time to market.  DSP Group’s CAT-iq embedded solutions are deployed in many IP telephones and gateway products, including IAD, cable, xPON and office PBX, providing superior cordless communication range, multi-line and multi-handset control, natural wideband voice, advanced data services, software upgradability and more.

DSP Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:DSPG) is a leading global provider of wireless chipset solutions for converged communications at home. Delivering system solutions that combine semiconductors and software with reference designs, DSP Group enables consumer electronics (CE) manufacturers to cost-effectively develop new revenue-generating applications with fast time to market. At the forefront of semiconductor innovation and operational excellence for over two decades, and with a dominant share of the wireless home telephony market, DSP Group provides a broad portfolio of wireless chipsets integrating DECT, Wi-Fi, PSTN and VoIP technologies with state-of-the-art application processors. Enabling converged voice, audio, video and data connectivity across diverse consumer products — from cordless and VoIP phones to home gateways and connected multimedia screens www.dspg.com.

XO Communications expands VoIP network

HERNDON, VA–(Marketwire – August 12, 2009) – XO Communications (OTCBB: XOHO) today announced new enhancements to its voice over IP (VoIP) services portfolio that help businesses and large enterprises with distributed locations simplify and streamline their IP-based communications networks.

“With a growing number of multi-location enterprises deploying XO’s converged voice and data solutions, we knew that enhancing our nationwide VoIP services was critical to providing even more capabilities to make our customers’ networks simpler and easier to manage,” said Vince Margiotta, vice president of product marketing at XO Communications. “Moreover, our cost-effective VoIP services, together with our networking and business continuity solutions, will enable our customers to boost productivity and streamline efficiencies more than ever before.”

To date, more than 16,000 businesses nationwide with more than 680,000 end users have deployed VoIP services from XO Communications. The latest enhancements to the company’s award-winning VoIP services portfolio, which includes XO IP Flex, XO IP Flex with VPN and XO SIP, will greatly enhance the communications capabilities of mid-sized and enterprise business customers seeking a single nationwide voice and data solutions provider. The new capabilities announced today include:

--  Availability of XO's VoIP services in all 50 states for multi-location
    enterprises;
--  Wider range of interoperable IP-PBX platforms for SIP deployments; and
--  Availability of automatic call routing to provide business continuity
    capabilities for XO VoIP customers.

Expanded Nationwide VoIP Services Coverage

XO Communications has expanded its nationwide VoIP coverage to include all 50 states. The enhancement of XO Communications’ nationwide coverage effectively doubles its VoIP footprint throughout the United States and enables the company to provide its VoIP services in 80 percent of major metropolitan markets. With virtually unrivalled nationwide reach across the country, XO is positioned as the leading communications and networking services provider for multi-location businesses. For businesses in the retail and financial services industries, as well as other businesses with widely distributed locations, this expansion will further help them to streamline the management of their network, achieve increased efficiencies and reduce costs by leveraging the XO nationwide network for their multi-location requirements.

“Businesses and large enterprises with operations, branch offices or retail stores distributed across the country are often faced with the management of multiple providers and varying service types to support their communications requirements,” said Rebecca Swensen, analyst, Mobility and IP Communications Services at IDC. “These enhancements from XO facilitate simplicity, flexibility and the ability of multi-location businesses to deploy a single VoIP services platform in support of their locations nationwide.”

- see the press release here

Race to pinpoint VoIP callers in emergencies

Phone companies are developing a system to allow 999 operators to pinpoint the location of VoIP callers, amid concerns that the increasing use of VoIP could mean police, paramedics and fire crews are unable to attend emergencies promptly.

By Chris Williams for The Register.

It is hoped that the technology could be in place in some ISPs next year, according to the chairman of the industry group leading the work.

The vast majority of calls to 999 are currently made via traditional landlines and mobile phones. BT has seen a tenfold increase in the volume of VoIP calls to its emergency contact centres in the last 18 months, however.

The ability to locate emergency calls is vital as callers may be under duress, too ill to speak or may simply not know where they are. While traditional landlines can be found by what amounts to a reverse directory lookup, using the line identity number and mobile phone coordinates approximated by triangulation, solving VoIP location is a more complex problem.

Typically, VoIP users are allocated a number by their provider and are able to log in and make calls on any broadband connection. They could be at several sites in one day. That means a solution would require cooperation between VoIP providers and ISPs.

The group tasked with developing the system has been working under the auspices of the NICC – a UK network industry interoperabilty body – for about three years and is chaired by John Medland, BT’s policy manager for 999 services. He said: “It has been difficult. We’ve tried to share as much with the industry as possible to get cooperation.” Original article