LifeSize has recently released version 4.7 of its videoconferencing system software. This newest version lets users share data like spreadsheets and presentations during video conferences through LifeSize's Passport and LGE executive systems. LifeSize Passport and LGE executive systems also let users stream and record live HD video using the LifeSize Video Center. LifeSize has also issued LifeSize Transit Client, which allows businesses to direct HD video voice calls reliably both inside and outside of company infrastructures via a complete network address translation and firewall transverse solution. This Transit Client is the only solution currently sold as either a hardware appliance or a virtual machine option. LifeSize Desktop has also been updated to include data sharing and 720 pixel HD transmit capability. A new LifeSize Virtial Link application lets customers can share data on either a PC or a Mac. The new edition of LifeSize Control, version 5.0, is designed to fit with any business environment, offering IT administrators new support for LifeSize Desktop, LifeSize Video Center, and Google calendar and scheduling integration. Control 5.0 also allows users to customize administrator settings and directories. Craig Mallory, CEO of LifeSize Communications, said that the new developments “allow organizations to ensure HD video communications capabilities are broadly available with the highest quality of experience.” Hyoun Park, a research analyst for the Aberdeen Group, said that LifeSize had “enhanced the business video ecosystem” by “simplifying B2B video communications, bringing data sharing capabilities to the desktop, providing video streaming and recording capabilities on a personal level, and improving video management capabilities...These new products will help reduce the cost structure and support burden for IT personnel seeking to deploy video throughout the enterprise.”

Mindspeed Technologies, Inc. has just developed a new product: the Comcerto 300xv family of VoIP processing devices. Comcerto 300xv uses the company's multi-core Comcerto 300 architecture. This architecture includes support for master/slave modes and multiple booting methods, and is flexible enough to let customers easily differentiate their products. The turnkey device is supported by a reference design package that includes an open-source SIP signaling stack and low-level board support packages. The device's OpenWrt-based Linux design kit lets customers access hundreds of applications and create a functionally complete routing program, and the software can support wideband voice codecs for high-definition VoIP applications. The Comcerto 300xv device involves two ARM processors, one of which is paired to DSP resources and integrated memory to optimize real-time, low-latency voice processing, and the other of which is dedicated to CSP functions. The two processors are coupled through shared memory to create a media stream processing substream. The inclusion of these two independently configurable interfaces lets the product support a wide range of configuration options, allowing direct control and management of Ethernet switches or passive optical networking (PON) media access control. The Comcerto 300xv software reduces bill of material costs for price-sensitive platforms like multi-dwelling unit equipment, IP-PBX systems, and PON.

The Comcerto brings several advantages to PON platforms. Mindspeed recently announced that “ZTE Corporation, a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, has selected Mindspeed’s Comcerto 300xv...for use in ZTE’s xPON access products.” ZTE is China's largest listed telecommunications manufacturer. Mr. Chen Hairong, hardware director of ZTE's Network Department, described his reasons behind the purchase: “Today’s users increasingly demand higher levels of service from the telecommunications provider. By utilizing the Comcerto 300xv, ZTE is able to provide the large-capacity, high-speed, wide-bandwidth and high-quality data, video, voice and multimedia services necessary to address these demands.”

Following MagicJack's merger with VocalTec Communications, a public VoIP firm, MagicJack has announced its decision to market its femtocell product with an unnamed strategic partner. Femtocell is a version of MagicJack designed to work with cell phones, rather than landline phones. Just like the regular MagicJack, femtocell uses internet connections, including broadband, high-speed internent, WiFi, DSL, and cable internet links, to provide unlimited call service within the US and Canada. While AT&T offers a similar device, it is priced very high – around $200 – and the femtocell would be offered at much more affordable rates. Nothing is known about MagicJack's new strategic partner, beyond the fact that it will be a wireless company. Dan Frommer, writing on Business Insider, speculates that “the partner could be at the lower end of the U.S. wireless business -- potentially T-Mobile, Sprint, Virgin Mobile, MetroPCS, Cricket, Tracfone, etc.” MagicJack also plans to come out with a new softphone service, MagicTalk, which will put the new company into direct competition with Skype. MagicJack also plans to develop several apps for iPhone, iPad, Droid, and BlackBerry, although the company will focus primarily on WiFi and 4G calling. The newly combined company anticipates great business increases as a result of the femtocell release, expecting sales between $110 million and $125 million in the coming year.

AT&T has recently released two new enhancements to its cloud-based security program: the launch of a new web-based security administration tool, called the AT&T Security Center, and several improvements to the AT&T Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) defense protection. The AT&T Security Center is available via AT&T's BusinessDirect Portal. The company also plans to introduce numerous other features through this portal, including new interactive security reporting for Network-Based Firewall self-servicing and Premises-Based Firewall and Managed Intrusion Detection capabilities, with additional reporting. The improved generation of DDoS will be implemented within AT&T's existing network-based security infrastructure. It includes the capability to block known malicious hosts and application layer exploits, to defend against Web-based threats and botnets, and to protect all VoIP services and infrastructure. The new DDoS generation also includes continual proactive monitoring of customer traffic using learned data fed back into customers' traffic profiles and up to 40 Gbps surgical mitigation able to selectively identify and remove attack traffic from relevant sites. Bill O'Hern, Assistant VP of Technology Security and Marketing with AT&T, said of the new products that “These new enhancements and tools demonstrate our ongoing commitment to investing, innovating and leading in managed cyber security services.”

Verizon has teamed up with Cisco to offer Unified Communication and Collaboration (UCC) over the cloud to British Telecommunications (BT). BT also plans to take advantage of Cisco by offering its hosted IP communications services in the United States through Cisco's Hosted Unified Communications Services (HUCS) platform, in addition to its own Onevoice UCC portfolio. BT's cloud-based system, launched in the UK in 2009, would be used to bring converged voice, mobile, and data systems to all desktops within a single business. According to Neil Sutton, the VP of global portfolio at BT Global Services, one of BT's four main lines of business, “BT and Cisco's collaboration...helps businesses reduce capital expenditure, enhance communication and introduce productivity enhancing tools.” The system helps businesses by dramatically reducing upfront investment costs and streamlining internal communications. It's deployment worldwide would also be a substantial advancement in the adoption of unified communications on a global scale. Robert F. Mason, principal research analyst at Gartner and author of Market Clock for Communications Services, 2010, said that BT's service “offers the opportunity to evaluate functionality and potential productivity benefits of a UC implementation without the upfront investment of an on-premises solution.” Barry O'Sullivan, senior VP of Cisco's Voice Technology Group, said of the deal that Cisco is “delighted BT is expanding its hosted service into new global markets” and that the two companies “share the same vision of providing customers with flexible deployment models that can ultimately help customers reduce costs while enhancing communications across the enterprise.”

Fring, a prominent mobile over internet communications service, has recently developed a product which advertises two-way video calls anywhere, to any phone, anytime, as well as a host of other features including multitasking capabilities and a chronological stream of updates from twitter, facebook, chats, and calls. The application, already in use with Android and Nokia smartphones,“provides iPhone users with unrestricted 2-way video calling over Wi-Fi or 3G internet with other iPhone, Android or Symbian devices.” This innovation makes Fring the first ever cross platform mobile video applications provider. Avi Shechter, CEO and co-founder of Fring, played up the app's social networking advantages, saying that Fring is “thrilled to bring iPhone users unrestricted video calling with all their friends and family...We’re proud to facilitate this face-to-face mobile communication experience among friends wherever they are and wherever their friends are on smartphones.” However, the new product has serious capacity issues. As a result, Fring began limiting access to third-party Skype as of July 9 in order to free up extra capacity for more frequent Fring-to-Fring video calling. This move has caused serious dissatisfaction among customers, revealing how central Skype has become to today's communications markets. One customer wrote to the Fring website that “if Skype is not brought back as a fring add-on, fring is a ‘dead duck’ for me...even though I think fring (and the fring-concept) is indeed great stuff.” The capacity problems also reveal some of the central difficulties found when developing cross functional mobile applications. In the words of blogger Andy Abramson, “while the Frings of the world may think they can go out and simply cross connect and transcode, the real secret to satisfaction is in keeping it up.” There is as yet no word on when these capacity problems will be solved or when Fring is likely to make Skype available again.