TalkFree has added new features to its popular 1LegCall wireless VoIP application and Zonefone mobile VoIP dialers. Both solutions now support the S60 5th Edition, Symbian OS version 9.4 Nokia mobile phone models and Short Message Service.

1LegCall and Zonefone now can be used with nearly the entire Nokia S60 phone series, including popular models X6, N97 and 5800 XpressMusic. These new edition phones are selling fast in the Middle East and Africa, which are strong markets for TalkFree. Indeed, the carrier uses its mobile VoIP platform to complete more than 500,000 calls originating in these markets daily.

Goober Networks announces goober 3.0 as a public beta, a completely new collaboration solution that includes multi-protocol instant messaging, HD Voice to landlines and cell phones and 6-way video conferencing calls to PCs including Windows and Macintosh (the current beta version offers 4-way video conferencing; however, the final public release of goober 3.0 will support a record-setting 6-way video conferencing capability).

Windstream announces the expansion of its converged communications services to Northwest Arkansas. Windstream's Integrated Solutions combine voice, data and Internet services over the same connection for maximum value and flexibility.

The Windstream Integrated Solutions product is a fully managed business phone system and Internet solution that provides everything a business needs: equipment, installation, maintenance, support, updates and more. It provides a converged communications solution that combines voice services and Internet over a single IP connection utilizing a customer's existing phone system, therefore eliminating the expense of purchasing new equipment.

Cable provider KMS has transferred all Residential VoIP Telephony services to the DIGITALK NGN SIP Application Server. KMS have been operating a residential primary line replacement service using Open SER, an open source technology for its voice service as part of its cable TV, internet and voice packages. However, the limitations of features and operational expenses of integration, maintenance and management have proved a costly overhead.

The integration of the DIGITALK SIP Application server allows KMS to offer a full class 5 feature set with DIGITALK’s Broadband Telephony application and consolidate all management and maintenance onto a single platform footprint, including DIGITALK’s integral Session Border Controller.

VoX Communications has completed development of a downloadable mobile VoIP application for use on Symbian mobile phones.

According to Gartner, 80 million Symbian devices were sold worldwide in 2009, or approximately 47% of the entire global smartphone market. Symbian devices are so dominant in the marketplace today, that it would take the combined sales of the iPhone, RIM, Windows Mobile and Android to equal the same volume opportunity. VoX estimates that its app can be downloaded to more than 100 million Symbian mobile phones that are currently in use. Gartner also projects that Nokia will sell in excess of 100 million Symbian phones in each of the next 3 years.

Global IP Solutions has been selected by LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company to provide HD voice for its innovative Fixed Mobile Convergence solution. FMC allows telecom operators to combine fixed telephony, cellular telephony and Broadband into unified end-user services. LG Electronics added cutting-edge HD Voice capabilities to its FMC application by integrating GIPS VoiceEngine™ Mobile, which includes advanced acoustic echo cancellation technology. Good AEC implementation is critical to improve quality of voice calls on mobile devices.

Verizon Global Wholesale is now offering additional functionality for three of its product platforms, providing voice-over-Internet-protocol customers with a secure connection for transmitting information over the Internet and other public networks.

This new functionality enables the product platforms -- SIP Gateway Service, Advanced Toll Free IP Termination and Carrier IP Termination Transport -- to share a single, secure virtual private network connection called an IP Security tunnel. Currently, Verizon is the only major provider offering this connection, which provides additional security during call setup. Because IPSec is an industry standard and supported by most major equipment vendors, there is no need to create vendor-specific security protocols.

Mirial announces that Iris2Iris joined the Certified for Mirial Softphone program with its eye contact equipment IRIS EQ5-WIN-AE.

The first to provide Full-HD support, embedded MCU functionalities and advanced media encryption, Mirial Softphone is a professional software-only client for desktop video conferencing. It is fully compliant with all major visual communication standards, it seamlessly integrates into every H.323 and SIP visual communication network and is available both for Mac and PC.

Skype is rolling out calling plans to more than 170 countries that provide customers with a savings of up to 60 percent compared to Skype's standard Pay As You Go rates. Customers will also have more choice with subscription plans available in 60-minute to unlimited packages, and the ability to buy 1-month, 3-month and 12-month calling subscriptions.

Skype's range of subscriptions start from as little as €0.89* ($1.09/£.69) per month and offer effective rates as low as €0.01 ($.01/£.01) per minute to almost any destination around the globe.

UM Labs announces support for Skype for SIP. This means that Organisations can now use the UM Labs SIP Controller to simplify the task of linking their corporate PBX to the Skype for SIP service. Skype for SIP offers a number of compelling benefits, including free inbound calls from any Skype user and low cost local numbers for inbound and outbound calls in over 25 countries. A Skype for SIP link requires that the corporate PBX accepts inbound SIP calls over the Internet. The UM Labs SIP Security controller monitors these calls protecting the corporate PBX from a wide range of security threats, many of which are not blocked by a standard Firewall.

XO Communications in collaboration with TMCNet and BroadSoft, will host an interactive webinar on May 12th entitled, "Beyond SIP Trunking - Unify the Enterprise." The event will bring together several SIP trunking experts to discuss the latest industry trends and insights on how distributed enterprises can streamline their managed voice services.

Specifically, the hour-long session will cover topics such as the benefits of SIP trunking services and future trends, how to evaluate the return-on-investment of SIP, as well as things to consider when evaluating SIP trunk service providers. It will also offer an inside glimpse of various enterprise networks before and after SIP trunking was implemented.

BroadSoft announces that Communications-as-a-Service providers, SimpleSignal and Telesphere have commenced pilot testing of IP-powered communication application stores based on BroadSoft's Marketplace. These new stores will offer third-party applications and services, allowing end-users to directly purchase and use communications applications online. The SimpleSignal and Telesphere online stores are first among fixed-line VoIP service providers and add momentum to BroadSoft's Xtended program, which was established to benefit service providers and their subscribers with a choice of compelling and innovative third-party applications.

Sangoma launches a new series of PCI and PCI Express cards enabling up to 480 channels of voice transcoding per card. Most IP telephony applications require the use of multiple types of voice codecs, which are used to digitally compress the voice signals at any given deployment. While voice signals from the PSTN always come in the form of the G.711 codec, the VoIP terminal equipment and networks support a variety of voice codecs including G.729, G.726, AMR, etc. VoIP infrastructure most often needs to include the capability to mediate between endpoints supporting different codecs, but this 'transcoding' digital signal processing task is often costly, resource intensive and can affect the quality of the voice signals if it introduces too much latency or delay.

Panasonic announces Digium has certified the Panasonic line of SIP Cordless Phone Systems, the KX-TGP500 and KX-TGP550, for use with the Asterisk telephony platform. By leveraging Panasonic's market leadership in DECT cordless telephones and Digium's innovative open source PBX, this alliance is a winning combination.

The Panasonic TGP500 series of SIP Cordless Phone Systems boasts outstanding voice quality and a range of productivity-boosting options in a feature-rich desk phone replacement. DECT 6.0 ensures no interference with wireless networks, and the convenient cordless design eliminates the need to run dedicated network wiring to each employee workstation. It is ideal for home and business environments.

engin and Samsung Communications have combined expertise to bring the latest telecommunications systems to Australia’s small to medium businesses. Using VoIP technology, SMEs can benefit from very low call plans from engin and fully featured phone systems from Samsung.

The deal bundles Samsung’s OfficeServ 7000 series IP PBX range with engin’s VoIP call delivery. During May, SMEs can save up to $2000 in upfront costs while confidently making the move to VoIP and ensuring the long term cost savings of proven VoIP telephony.