Sangoma launches the D150 voice transcoding series, the latest addition to its transcoding board offering, targeted for the embedded and stand-alone VoIP solutions markets.

In a constant battle to maximize capital investment and improve ROI, network operators need to push as much voice traffic through their existing infrastructure as possible. Operators may choose to encode (or compress) the voice signals with any one of a variety of VoIP codecs, such as G.723 or G.729. Moreover, if a call needs to traverse two different networks that each support different codecs, the voice signal must be transcoded in real time. The processes of encoding and transcoding are processor intense and can often cause load related issues with the server that is managing the process. The D150 boards are specifically engineered to perform the required transcoding without impacting the host performance, allowing the system to support a significantly increased number of calls.

F-ROUTE recently released the latest update to their SIP VoIP Softphone for the iPhone. SessionTalk 3.1 features now include Dual Line, Call Waiting, Call conferencing as well as Transfer and Attended Transfer. This adds to an already impressive list of features including iOS4 Multitasking and Background support, Incoming call Push Notifications, Native contacts integration and a highly intuitive iPhone like user interface.

SessionTalk enables businesses as well as the mobile worker to use their iPhone as an IP-PBX extension, allowing them to access the same phone services and features as if they were in the office. The application can help boost worker productivity in a number of ways and show a fast return on investment. For example, a product development expert working from home or from a remote site would be able to join in a phone conference with managers at headquarters and collaborate on a new product design.

VoxOx has been named to PC Magazine’s “Best Free Software of 2011” list for the second consecutive year. This year’s list highlights the top free downloadable software applications in 35 categories. VoxOx is featured as one of five free services in the “VoIP and conferencing” category, which also includes Skype.

PC Magazine features editor Eric Griffith writes: “Every type of communication you can imagine is part of the VoxOx unified hub: phone, e-mail text chat, SMS texting, social networking, you name it—even, dare we say it, faxing. It also translates for you on the fly and takes messages. The product of a phone company, VoxOx provides you with a free phone number to use for incoming calls.”

Voip-Pal.Com announces the availability for North America Android users of its PointsPhone Platinum™ Suite package which bundles an Antivirus Program. The Antivirus Program has been designed specifically to guard smartphones against spyware, malware and viruses.

The PointsPhone Platinum™ Suite is now available in North America only for all Google Android smartphones, including the new high-performing Motorola ATRIX™ and Samsung's Galaxy 4G™. The Platinum Suite will include a one year subscription to a state-of-art antivirus program, substantial domestic and international airtime minutes, enhanced Voice Mail features and a free North America phone number. The antivirus program is truly comprehensive, providing automatic real-time protection against viruses, spyware and other malware. Memory cards are automatically scanned when they are inserted to prevent transfer of malware and viruses. A GPS locating system is available to track down lost or stolen smartphones. A Remote Backup feature is available to backup all data stored on the smartphone in case the smartphone is lost or stolen.

CounterPath announces a new release of its Bria multimedia softphone will be available later this month. The Bria 3.2 update for Mac and Windows adds support for multiple Instant Message and Presence accounts and the introduction of a Ribbon for Microsoft Outlook 2010, among other features.

Bria is a highly secure, standards-based, multi-platform softphone that enables voice and high-definition video calls, making it ideal for enterprises, government agencies and other organizations that want to replace their desk phones or add unified communications functionality to their existing IP phone platform.

Bria integrates seamlessly with a wide variety of enterprise and carrier infrastructure equipment from major vendors, including Alcatel-Lucent, Avaya, BroadSoft, Cisco Systems, Genband, Metaswitch Networks, NEC and Nokia Siemens Networks, enabling fast, cost-effective implementations. Bria also supports Asterisk-based telephony systems.

F4W announces a radical change in the way VoIP performs over low bandwidth or high latency connections, such as cellular or satellite. A tremendous barrier to accessing the power and flexibility of VoIP during a disaster event or in remote locations is the inability of traditional VoIP to connect and sustain a connection over a satellite or 3G / 4G cellular data connection due to the high latency of those types of networks. Add security concerns via the implementation of third-party devices and the ability to support a full-scale operation with VoIP becomes impossible.

Fonality announces the general availability of Fonality trixbox Pro 5.2, a hybrid-hosted IP-PBX software solution designed for small and mid-size businesses. A hybrid-hosted solution combines the reliability of a premise-based VoIP system with the flexibility and costs savings of a hosted-cloud model. Users will experience increased productivity and lower total cost of ownership while leveraging advanced Unified Communications, contact center and VoIP calling features.

Fonality trixbox Pro 5.2, available only through certified Fonality resellers, is an open standard, software-based IP-PBX solution that can be delivered with most commercial servers and SIP phones. By leveraging a cloud-based, hybrid-hosted model for remote management capabilities, Fonality trixbox Pro 5.2 simplifies the ability to add new features and users.

RHUB Communications announces the addition of Hi-Definition VOIP capabilities to TurboMeeting, the company’s flagship line of web conferencing and remote support appliances.

With TurboMeeting 4.3’s High-Definition VoIP softphone, users can conduct internet-based audio conferences with more than 200 participants from both PC and Mac computers. The softphone doubles the voice sampling rate from 8kHz of traditional phones to 16kHz, resulting in improved sound quality. The softphone’s capabilities include echo-cancellation, firewall traversal, automated audio device detection and auto-reconnection. Users can also record entire web conferences, including audio, screen updates and webcam video. In addition, TurboMeeting 4.3 includes a recording converter, allowing users to convert their recordings to a variety of standard formats, including FLV, WMV, and AVI.

While networks are the backbone for VoIP communications, they are also the Achilles heel, presenting a challenging set of circumstances. The core issue is data versus voice. Data traversing today's networks are forgiving of such things as latency, delay and packet loss. Not so with voice. Voice requires clear, noiseless call quality without interruption or interference, and these same common network conditions can seriously degrade VoIP quality and performance.

Yet, more and more businesses are relying on VoIP based technologies to fuel work group collaboration and drive advanced business processes -- with the expectation of reducing costs, increasing productivity and gaining significant ROI. The promise of VoIP is very attractive -- but quickly erodes if no one can hear you. High availability and near flawless call quality to both internal and external users are requirements of businesses implementing IP telephony, however, these standards can be elusive. Poor call quality negatively impacts both employees and customers -- and is often difficult to overcome.

According to Tone Software the strategy for success is a holistic approach that enables the interdependence of voice and the network to be viewed and managed as a whole. Otherwise, diagnosing VoIP issues can be a moving target. For instance, call servers are often at the top of the suspect list when trying to get to the root of frustrating VoIP quality and service issues, but frequently the perpetrator can be found in the complex underlying network infrastructure. Capacity and network traffic levels occurring at the time of voice degradation are frequently the culprit -- but without the tools to pinpoint these conditions, support teams waste valuable time and resources chasing after the wrong quality issue -- leaving the true cause of the problem undiagnosed and unresolved.

Brekeke has confirmed interoperability between JeraSoft VoIP Carrier Suite and Brekeke’s telephony platform products, including Brekeke SIP Server and Brekeke PBX. JeraSoft VCS serves telecom operators worldwide with customer usage of up to 500 million minutes per month. This new interoperability between our products allows service providers that use Brekeke’s platform products to add billing capability with minimal deployment time.

ASC will demonstrate its VoIP recording solution, EVOip, and quality management solution, INSPIRATIONpro, at the Unified Communications Expo 2011 on March 8-9, at the Olympia Exhibition Centre, London.

Widely considered as the UK’s leading business communications event, with more than 4,000 visitors in 2010, this year’s exhibition is divided into six technology tracks: voice, cloud, mobile, visual, collaboration and customer. ASC will focus on its quality, process and campaign management capabilities, with particular reference to its speech analytics application to customer interactions.

Aptela announces the availability of Aptela v5.3, the latest release of the company’s cloud-based calling platform. Aptela v5.3 offers businesses the ultimate control to manage their business communications.

“With the release of Aptela v5.3, our customers now have the enhanced call control capabilities they need to easily manage their business communications, no matter their location,” said Ann Santorios, Vice President of Product and Business Development for Aptela. “We are pleased to continue to offer the latest innovations in calling functionality to meet the needs of small businesses and mobile workers on-the-go.”

SPIRIT DSP announces that its TeamSpirit Voice Engine Mobile is powering the new Viber application that offers free HD VoIP calls from the iPhone.

Available in the Apple App Store, Viber's free mobile VoIP app can make calls over 3G and Wi-Fi connections, bypassing the use of any cellular voice minutes; calls are free worldwide. Unlike other VoIP services such as Skype, Viber requires no registration or need to log-in to make calls. Viber product releases for Android, BlackBerry and Symbian are now in the works supported by SPIRIT.

Unicoi Systems announces the coming unveiling of its InstaVoIP Embedded software solution at Embedded World 2011, on March 1-3 in Nuremberg, Germany. InstaVoIP Embedded will provide developers with a platform-independent software suite for adding VoIP or Radio over IP functionality to virtually any embedded device.

InstaVoIP Embedded builds on Unicoi’s industry leading Fusion Embedded RTP and SIP protocols by adding a full-featured Call Manager, Voice Engine, and Information Subsystem, providing developers with a comprehensive VoIP software suite designed for use in products such as IP Phones, VoIP ATAs, RoIP Gateways, security call-boxes and many others. InstaVoIP Embedded comes in C source code, thus allowing it to run on virtually any embedded operating system or processor.

CommuniGate Systems launches Pronto! Mobile to join the Pronto! suite of applications; supporting telecom operators to deliver white-label flexible HD voice and data applications Berlin, Germany, 10th February 2011 – CommuniGate Systems, the leader in super efficient, massively scalable Unified Communications technology, today launches Pronto! Mobile. The next generation of CommuniGate Systems’ acclaimed Unified Communications application suite Pronto! version 4.0 now adds Pronto! Mobile, a high quality mobile application enabling operators to deliver value added communication applications under their own brand to business and residential subscribers.

Pronto! Mobile is a secure white-label mobile VoIP application that includes network address book, instant messaging, group chat, file transfer and conference calling, which is owned, branded and controlled by the operator. According to recent research by Allot Communications, demand for global mobile data bandwidth soared by 200% in 2010. With VoIP and IM the second-fastest growing services up by 87%, operators need to take advantage of this huge demand.