Voxbone is enabling Lexifone to launch a real-time language-translation service that combines Lexifone's innovative automated phone-interpreter technology with the superb clarity of Voxbone's voice services.

The new Lexifone service, aimed at consumers and businesses, allows each party in a telephone call to speak and be heard in his or her chosen language. It is being launched worldwide after availability to selected users in closed beta trials for the past five months.

Lexifone is a service, not an app, that may be used on any phone – landline, mobile or VoIP – without an Internet connection or software download. To reach Lexifone's translation bridge, users simply dial local telephone numbers that Voxbone will make available in more than 50 countries, then select the languages and the numbers of the people they want to call in 120 countries. Lexifone translates the caller's spoken language, such as French, into the language the called party can understand, such as German, and vice versa.

magicJack entered into a multi-part invention rights agreement with Intellectual Ventures (IV). The transaction strengthens magicJack VocalTec’s patent position and grants access to tens of thousands of patents from IV’s portfolio.

In the transaction, IV is selling a VoIP patent which was originally invented by VocalTec and then sold to an IV company in 2008 (before magicJack merged with VocalTec). IV received cash and common shares as part of the consideration for the transaction.

magicJack VocalTec has also become a member of IV’s strategic defense program, known as IP for Defense. By subscribing to IPFD, companies are able to access patents from Intellectual Ventures’ portfolio to defend themselves against threats of patent litigation.

Vera Networks announces the availability of its vCapture service that enables operators of VoIP networks and platforms to quickly locate and help resolve call issues.

The vCapture service provides technical teams with the ability to target call issue-related SIP signaling data with laser-point accuracy without being in critically sensitive areas of the network infrastructure. The non-invasive, cloud-based, SIP signal capture technology records all SIP messaging within a switching network. This allows for in-depth analysis of session initiation protocol SIP signaling data, including call flow, signaling, and equipment-related problems.

The cloud-based solution, offered on a monthly subscription basis, reduces the time required to determine the root cause of most VoIP call and interop-related issues, improving customer response times, resource utilization, and reducing related operational expenses. It boasts an impressive array of features including an intuitive interface and protocol-aware searching and filtering capabilities.

2012 marks a turning point in telecoms history as voice revenues are in terminal decline, due in part to the impact of VoIP on traditional telephony. Skype and other VoIP services are set to reap some of the revenues that operators will lose, but in a fiercely competitive market place who will emerge as the leader? Their research shows that many mobile operators are throttling VoIP on their networks but what impact will this have on churn rates? This report contains exclusive interviews with leading VoIP industry providers including Skype, who tell us what they plan to do about operators throttling VoIP services.

In light of continued financial uncertainty consumers are increasingly cash conscious, which has created a market place ripe for VoIP growth. When these factors are combined with the proliferation of smartphones and tablets flooding the market Visiongain believes that mobile VoIP will drive VoIP growth even further. In this report current strategies for success in the VoIP field are discussed and future strategies suggested.

VoIP Supply is reinforcing Cisco’s recent announcement that Cisco Callway has become Cisco WebEx TelePresence. This means that Callway hosted video subscribers should not only get used to a new name but, also enjoy more functionality at a lower cost.

Cisco WebEx TelePresence previously Cisco Callway, offers small to medium sized businesses all the business efficiencies of video conferencing without the expensive infrastructure investment.

Cisco WebEx Telepresence offers a monthly subscription plan for both Cisco Telepresence video endpoints such as the Cisco SX20 or Cisco EX60, as well as Cisco Jabber for desktop or laptop video calls.

Viber announces the release of Viber 2.2. The new version brings multiple new features and improvements to Viber users including group messaging, improved call quality and multiple user interface enhancements. The new version is being released simultaneously on iPhone and Android and the beta version of Viber for BlackBerry has also been updated with the new text messaging features.

This is a feature-packed release that brings many of the most requested features to Viber’s growing community of users. Over 90 millionViber users are making over 1.5 billion minutes of calls every month and sending over two billion text messages.

Telefónica Germany is deploying Acme Packet's solutions for the next-generation signaling core, including the Net-Net Session Router and Net-Net Diameter Director, to support its fixed-line VoIP, 3G mobile network, and future Long Term Evolution services.

News Highlights:

• Acme Packet's Net-Net Session Router and Net-Net Diameter Director provide a solution for SIP and Diameter routing for Telefónica Germany's current fixed VoIP and mobile network, as well as its future LTE network.
• Telefónica Germany chose the recently announced Net-Net 7000 platform, which delivers high-performance processing through a highly scalable solution.
• The solution protects Telefónica Germany's core IP Multimedia Subsystem and Diameter servers from overloads, assuring service availability, while solving incompatibility challenges between vendors and networks with programmable interworking features.
• This deployment also builds on Acme Packet's IMS service delivery and SIP interconnect solutions, which were previously chosen by Telefónica Germany.

TMC named Virtual PBX Complete with VoIP Anywhere as a 2012 TMC Labs Innovation Award winner presented by its publication, INTERNET TELEPHONY.

Boasting a deep set of features, Virtual PBX Complete with VoIP Anywhere is a comprehensive solution for small and mid-size businesses in need of a hosted IP-PBX phone system. The solution guarantees flexibility for entrepreneurs who need customized business VoIP solutions for their brick-and-mortar and virtual offices. The system also features open SIP Peering and is available with any non-proprietary phone.

Rebtel announces the launch of Rebtel for Windows Phone. The app is available for free starting today on the Windows Marketplace and enables anyone to make high quality cheap international calls to friends and family thanks to Rebtel’s local number network available in more than 50 countries. Today’s introduction of the Windows Phone app joins the fleet of existing Rebtel app offerings currently available for iPhone, Android, iPad, Android tablet.

Sonus Networks released the results of a global study which quantifies large enterprises deployment status, plans and attitudes about SIP Trunking and, by extension, Session Border Controllers. Commissioned by Sonus and conducted by Webtorials Editorial and Analyst Division, the “2012 SIP Trunking State-of-the-Market Report” found that while VoIP is a fully mature technology within corporate networks for intra-company communications, SIP Trunking, by contrast, is still in the early stages of deployment. In fact, roughly two-thirds of the respondents reported either “Significant Use” or “Extensive Use” of VoIP, while only about one-third of the respondents reported either “Significant Use” or “Extensive Use” of SIP Trunks. Among those using SIP Trunks, significant cost savings have been realized, with an average savings on the order of 33%.

Vonage announced the grant of U.S. Pat. No. 8,223,720 titled "Systems and Methods for Handoff of Mobile Telephone Call in a VoIP Environment." This invention allows a mobile handset user who is on a voice-over-IP call to seamlessly move between multiple wireless data connections without dropping the call. The '720 patent was granted approximately 7 months after filing under the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's new Prioritized Examination Procedure.

The grant of the '720 patent reflects Vonage's ongoing innovation supporting its mobile growth initiative, including its new Vonage Mobile app for Android and iPhone smartphones which enables free high-definition calls and texts to other app users worldwide, as well as low-cost international calls to phones without the VoIP app. This is Vonage's third patent to issue in six weeks (see previous release), reflecting Vonage's commitment to develop and protect useful and innovative technologies to better serve the needs of Vonage's customers.

Virtual PBX announces new business VoIP packages that make VoIP and advanced digital phone services affordable to companies of any size. Innovation and economies of scale within the business VoIP market have enabled Virtual PBX to reduce plan costs by up to 70 percent.

In addition to its dramatic reduction in pricing, Virtual PBX is also offering the option for its customers to further reduce costs by paying for a year in advance, with annual plans starting at just $8.99 per month. Customers who choose to pay the year in advance will also receive up to 10 free VoIP phones, which include the most popular Polycom IP phones in the market. These one-year plans set Virtual PBX apart as the first major business VoIP provider to include quality VoIP desk phones and wireless handsets in high-value customer plans.

SPIRIT DSP announces its TeamSpirit Engines powers more than 1 billion users of IP-communications channels worldwide. SPIRIT's calculations are based on its customers' quarter royalty reports for 2011 and public data from the past 12 months. As the largest VVoIP enabling technology provider worldwide, SPIRIT leads this market over any other VoIP provider, including popular alternative OTT providers like Skype and Google.

SPIRIT's direct customers, including Apple, Adobe, AT&T, British Telecom, China Mobile, Ericsson, Huawei, HTC, Korea Telecom, LG U+, Microsoft, Oracle, Polycom, Rostelecom, Samsung, Skype, ZTE and more than 250 other American, European and Asian companies, are using TeamSpirit Engines and other SPIRIT voice and video products inside their software and hardware products to offer their customers HD-quality voice and video calls across multiple IP-communication platforms and networks.

With the rapidly rising popularity of VVoIP services on smartphones and tablets, new VoIP start-ups have emerged, like Viber and WhatsApp. Viber has shown fast traction as a newcomer, reporting 70 million mobile VoIP users acquired during 18 months without any marketing budget.

VoIP Innovations announced its API integration with IPsmarx multi-tenant IP-PBX and calling card platform. VoIP Innovations provides the industry’s largest VoIP DID footprint. Their DIDs’ are used by the leading VoIP Service Providers and can be easily provisioned through the industry’s leading backoffice, Titanium III.

IPsmarx has integrated the Titanium III API into their platform. By doing this, IPsmarx customers can now easily provision VoIP Innovation DIDs, e911, CNAM directory and more. This functionality provides more automation in the IPsmarx platform and makes it very user friendly. With the rapid growth in VoIP services, a full turnkey solution from the best of breed providers has become more attractive. Rapid deployment and lower barriers to entry will provide a lucrative business opportunity to many that are looking to enter this field.

netTALK.com announces the launch of new privacy features: Caller ID Block and Call Blocking. These are being added to netTALK’s long list of free features, which is already overflowing with value and convenience for netTALK DUO digital phone users. All you need is a high speed internet connection and any standard home phone.

The new privacy features are now fully-integrated into all netTALK DUO digital phone service accounts, and using them could not be more simple or easy.