RNK Telecom announced its Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network has extended to Iraq, providing digital voice services to U.S. Soldiers stationed there. RNKVoIP enables U.S. Troops to make unlimited calls to their families and friends in the U.S.

"U.S. Troops want to reach out and touch their families, and RNKVoIP stands strong and ready to connect them," said Richard N. Koch, President of RNK Telecom. "With RNKVoIP, U.S. Soldiers can make unlimited calls to anywhere in the U.S. free of charge."

Acoustic Technologies, the leader in high-quality full-duplex speakerphone solutions for mobile handsets and VoIP, today announced the immediate availability of its SoundClear ATS6100 software for 16kHz wideband audio applications. This enhanced software improves voice clarity, full-duplex operation and speaker volume for 16kHz voice applications. The ATS6100 SoundClear software provides crisp, clear speakerphone operation for mobile conferencing, video calling and hands-free operation. The application is ideal for newly emerging USB-based PC speakerphone devices used with services such as Skype and Yahoo, and for WiFi/WiBro-enabled phones, VoIP desktop and conference phones, and high-growth 3G mobile handsets.

Packt Publishing is pleased to announce the release of its hugely anticipated book ‘Building a Telephony System with Asterisk’, which is billed as an easy introduction to using and configuring Asterisk to build feature-rich telephony systems for small and medium businesses.

Asterisk is an open source software implementation of a telephone Private Branch Exchange ( PBX ). Like any PBX, it allows a number of attached telephones to make calls to one another, and to connect to other telephone services including the public switched telephone network ( PSTN ). Asterisk also supports a wide range of Voice over IP ( VoIP ) protocols, including SIP and H.323. Asterisk can interoperate with most SIP telephones, acting both as registrar and as a gateway between IP phones and the PSTN.

Global Crossing announced that GlobeTel Communications Corporation has selected its integrated, global IP-based network to offer international cable companies and Internet Service Providers a completely customizable Voice over IP (VoIP) solution for clients located in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Starting in October 2005, GlobeTel, a diversified telecommunications and financial services company with headquarters in southern Florida, will use Global Crossing IP Transit, Global Crossing VoIP Local Service and Global Crossing VoIP Outbound to provide international service providers with end-to-end VoIP from anywhere in the United States to Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and the entire Caribbean.

Technology Marketing Corporation announces that Raymond Pennotti, PhD, Managing Vice President of Professional Services for Lucent Worldwide Services, has agreed to deliver a keynote address at its INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO Fall 2005, on October 24-27, 2005 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Dr. Pennotti's address, which is open to all registered attendees, will take place Monday, October 24th at 4:45pm PST. Registration for the conference is now open at http://www.itexpo.com.

INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO, held since 1999, is the world's largest and best-attended VoIP trade show. Last February, TMC's INTERNET TELEPHONY attracted over 6,200 buyers and sellers of IP Telephony products and services. For this upcoming October show, TMC projects total attendance to exceed 7,500.

SPIRIT DSP, a global leading provider of award-winning time-proven embedded voice and communication software products, announced the 200th deployment of SPIRIT voice and communication software products.

The jubilee SPIRIT customer is STROM telecom, the prominent developer and supplier of a wide range telecommunication equipment for both fixed and wireless networks. STROM telecom has embedded SPIRIT communication and speech enhancement software products into the infrastructure core (gateways and servers) to support data and voice communications in mobile networks in Europe and beyond.

XO Communications, Inc. announced that it has interconnected with Stealth Communications' Voice Peering Fabric (VPF), the world's largest peering network that allows members to exchange voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) traffic without relying on traditional telephone networks.

The VPF is revolutionizing the telephony industry by allowing calls on different VoIP networks to be traded without the expensive task of traversing the public switched telephone network (PSTN). The VPF is a distributed Ethernet network that functions as an exchange or meet-point for VoIP traffic by allowing enterprises and service providers to establish peer-to-peer connections in a secure, quality-of-service environment.

GPON market leader Optical Solutions Inc. announced that its FiberPath 500 GPON platform has been enhanced with carrier-class quality VoIP service based on the SIP protocol. The integrated VoIP service, which is provisioned without a truck roll, can be deployed as part of an all-IP triple-play offering or offered in tandem with existing TDM voice.

"Our GPON system sets a new QoS standard for VoIP, while also providing a streamlined solution for carriers and their customers," said Optical Solutions President and CEO Mike Dagenais. "Moreover, like our IPTV solution, FiberPath GPON VoIP provides flexibility for carriers no matter where they are in transitioning from a legacy to an all-IP network."

SOYO Group Inc., a leading global provider of computer, consumer electronics and broadband telecommunications products, today launched an easy and immediate solution to the critical e911 problem facing the VoIP industry. SOYO's adapter will also allow users to instantly switch between their existing phone line and VoIP.

SOYO's VoIP phone adapter is designed to seamlessly work on most VoIP networks. In addition to solving the e911 problem, the adapter, expected to have a MSRP of $75, will let consumers turn ordinary landline and cordless phones into VoIP phones using any broadband connection.

AT&T has been selected by EJ Prescott Inc., a leading distributor of water, sewer, and drain materials to provide an Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) connecting 14 sites located throughout the Midwestern and Northeastern United States. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

AT&T will convert existing Frame Relay sites across Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Ohio and Indiana to Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) technology, enabling seamless integration of legacy technologies onto a standardized platform. This will also pave the way for the future introduction of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service allowing enhanced communication between divisions, sales and service representatives and customers.

Verso Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of packet-based solutions, announced a strategic partnership with M13, a solution integrator specialized in state-of-the-art technology and a leader in innovation and integration of IP networks. Under the new alliance, Verso and M13 will offer carriers, service providers and end-users throughout Brazil the ability to leverage the latest innovations in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. Under the agreement, M13 will provide consulting expertise to customers throughout the region on the cost and technological benefits of deploying a VoIP solution. M13 will offer Verso's entire portfolio which deliver VoIP, access compression, filtering and prepaid technologies.

During 2004, M13 expanded its operations in Latin America and created M13 International, which has subsidiaries in Colombia and Argentina. The company operates in segments where technical expertise is the key differential, working with high technological complexity, data communication infrastructure, voice, image, security and converging networks projects. M13 is also specialized in infrastructure solutions for data centers, local area networks (LAN), metro area networks (MAN) and wide area networks (WAN).

Cordia International Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Cordia Corporation, announced that it has established a Point of Presence in Hong Kong as part of the company's plan to deploy a global VoIP network. Cordia's HK POP will be used to target the Asia Pacific region and will be a core component of the company's international business expansion plans.

CIC's wholly owned Hong Kong subsidiary recently obtained a Public Non-Exclusive Telecommunications Service license from the Office of the Telecommunication Authority, which allows Cordia to deliver external telecommunications services in Hong Kong. Cordia expects to commence marketing services from its Hong Kong POP in November 2005.

Veraz Networks, Inc. announced that Technology Marketing Corporation's INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine (www.itmag.com) has named the Veraz ControlSwitch as a recipient of an INTERNET TELEPHONY Excellence Award for 2005. INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine has been the VoIP Authority since 1998.

The Veraz ControlSwitch softswitch and service delivery platform, via its open and distributed architecture, enables services providers around the world to deploy VoIP-based networks and revenue-generating IP services. Whether migrating to an IP network, evolving towards IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or creating enhanced business models such as Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), Veraz customers benefit from a cost-effective way to build a service-rich VoIP network to attract new subscribers over any access network including wireless networks.