AT&T and BT Announce Inter-Provider Telepresence Connectivity
AT&T and BT announced today the commercial availability of the industry’s first inter-provider exchange-to-exchange telepresence meeting capability. The new connection between AT&T and BT telepresence exchanges allows their business customers to schedule telepresence meetings and to connect their telepresence endpoints seamlessly.
With the new inter-provider telepresence capability, AT&T and BT customers can now meet “face to face” from their Cisco TelePresence endpoints with an expanded network of customers and suppliers. Last summer, customers piloted this capability and successfully conducted numerous meetings between AT&T and BT telepresence locations.
AT&T and BT telepresence customers will enjoy a consistent service experience when using this new feature of their existing telepresence service. For example, AT&T customers may schedule business-to-business meetings involving a BT endpoint using the AT&T Telepresence Solution® scheduling portal in the same way they schedule business-to-business meetings today, and BT’s telepresence customers will be able to do the same on BT’s scheduling portal. Customers will continue to rely on their respective service providers as a single point of contact for meeting support, assistance, and billing.
Additionally, key features such as encrypted connections will be available and can be established for highly sensitive meetings to ensure both AT&T and BT customers enjoy the same high level of security as today’s business-to-business telepresence meetings. In the future, AT&T and BT customers will also have access to a directory that will help them determine what other registered organizations and locations are accessible through the inter-provider connection.
Brian Washburn, research analyst at Current Analysis, said: “AT&T and BT’s exchange-to-exchange connection marks a significant milestone in the industry. Exchange-to-exchange telepresence is a major stride forward in building smooth, end-to-end telepresence experiences for customers across network boundaries worldwide, and advancing Cisco’s efforts to support inter-provider connectivity for telepresence.”
Kevin Peters, chief marketing officer, AT&T Business Solutions, said: “Businesses are recognizing the value of telepresence as an effective global collaboration tool, and we’re seeing increasing adoption of our AT&T Telepresence Solution quarter after quarter by both small and large businesses across industries. The inter-provider connectivity established with BT is an important step forward for the industry and underscores our commitment to expanding the network of accessible telepresence locations for our customers and increasing the value of their investments.”
Chris Clark, managing director, BT Enterprise, said: “This is good news for BT and AT&T customers. Companies are looking for ways to make employees more productive, reduce carbon emissions, lower travel-related costs and create a competitive advantage. Being able to connect across telepresence networks greatly expands the reach and value of the service and maximizes the business benefits. With this industry-first, BT and AT&T are changing the way businesses collaborate. It is a testament to our commitment to unified communications and telepresence.”
Today’s announcement marks the latest of many joint BT and AT&T projects that are delivering benefits to customers across more than 100 countries today. Collaboration between the companies continues to offer tremendous potential for customers and both companies alike.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates AT&T operating companies are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. In 2010, AT&T again ranked among the 50 Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE® magazine.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at the AT&T Web Site. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at AT&T Newsroom, and as part of an RSS feed at AT&T RSS Feed. Or follow our news on Twitter @ATT. Find us on Facebook at the AT&T Facebook to discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at AT&T Small Business Facebook to discover more about our small business services.
About BT
BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in more than 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to our customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale. In the year ended 31 March 2010, BT Group’s revenue was pounds Sterling 20,911 million.
British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York. For more information, visit www.bt.com/aboutbt
LG Launches Android Smartphone Optimus in India
LG Mobiles has launched its one of the most innovative smart devices from the series LG Optimus One in India.
The company claims that LG Optimus One is the result of extensive consumer research and development that delved into the way users gather information in today’s digital age.
According to LG, the handset is an android-powered phone with 2.2 OS version. It will launch 10 more devices in the next 6 months under Optimus series.
The phone gives user to access smoother internet browsing, web-page loading, application pop-ups and multi-tasking and comes with 40 preloaded applications. The phone is packed with 3 MP camera, 2 GB Memory, GPRS, EDGE and Threaded Messages.The phone is available for US$297.03
According Mr. Moon B Shin, Managing Director, LG Electronics India Pvt ltd, smartphones are poised to drive the growth in the India mobile market in the coming years and LG’s focus on innovation based on thorough consumer research, places them squarely at the forefront of that evolution. 2011 will be acceleration phase for LG Mobiles, and all are plans, investments are aligned towards taking 12-15% of market share in Smartphone segment.
Chad Government Sells 60% Stake in Sotel Tchad
Libyan state-owned firm LAP Green Network has acquired a majority stake in Chad’s Sotel telecoms firm for US$90 million. The deal, which gives the Libyan firm 60% stake in Sotel Tchad, was signed during a visit to Chad by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Sotel TChad operates both a mobile and landline network. According to reports citing LAP Green Network Managing Director Abdulbaset Elazzabi, the value of the contract which was signed during the Libyan leader’s visit is US$90 million. The deal came with a commitment by the Libyan company to invest up to $100 million in boosting Sotel’s network.
As per the previous reports citing authoritative sources, last the Chadian government had already sold the 60% stake to a UK based company, Mid Cost for an undisclosed amount. It is presumed that the UK Company failed to complete on the deal.
Earlier, Orascom Telecom Holding (OTH) finally settled a long running dispute with the government and was paid US$4.9 million in satisfaction of an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) panel award.
The dispute occurred from a decision by the Chadian Ministry of Telecommunications to invalidate the transfer of 51% of the shares of Tchad Mobile to OTH despite the fact that a valid agreement was entered into in late 2002 between OTH and Sotel Tchad. As a result, OTH suspended its operation of TchadMobile in July 2004.
SKY Telecom launches HD Voice (Malta)
Sky Telecom has launched HD (High Definition) Voice in Malta as the company recently upgraded its Voice Platform.
HD Voice Technology uses the latest codec to effectively double the sampling rate of the caller’s voice, producing a crystal clear, rich sound, never previously heard in a phone call.
According to John Dougall, Managing Director at SKY Telecom, the quality is comparable to an HD movie using digital AAC sound, the same quality adopted by the Apple iPod for music.
The company is now proudly leading the way in their field, using the latest IP technology and providing the highest quality voice services available in the world today.
He added that the days when quality issues for the consumer were a concern with IP voice services are certainly a thing of the past. For quality, functionality and cost effectiveness, IP Voice Technology has left traditional telephony services far behind.
HD Voice is currently available on the SKY Virtual PBX service and will be made available on all of SKY Telecom’s existing voice services in the coming weeks.
Idea Cellular to instigate 3G by end-2010 or in Jan
Idea Cellular expects to start 3G wireless services by end-2010 or in January. The Managing Director has confirmed the news.
According to Sanjeev Aga, the company would extensively rollout 3G networks in the January-March quarter of 2011.
Idea, part of the Aditya Birla conglomerate, won 3G radio airwaves in 11 of India’s 22 telecoms zones in an auction earlier this year. IDEA Cellular is a leading GSM mobile services operator in India with over 72 million subscribers, under brand IDEA. It is a pan India integrated GSM operator covering the entire telephony landscape of the country, and has NLD and ILD operations.
Vodafone to launch 3G services in Q1 next year (India)
Vodafone Essar has today announced that 3G services in Mumbai and Delhi circles will be launched in the first quarter of 2011. Vodafone won the 3G mobile spectrum auction in 10 circles.
According to Sanjoy Mukerjee, director business operation, Vodafone, the world is moving fast and it is time for the company to change to fast technology that will come with 3G. In 3G the company can have theoretical speed of 21 mbps. 3G services will be available for customers by January or February in 2011.
While the demonstration of 3G technology, Vodafone executives from Delhi made first live video call to Marten Pieters, managing director, Vodafone. This was the first live 3G video call made by a private telecom company in India.
Sanjoy Mukerjee anticipated that around 10% of its existing 2G customers will shift to 3G services once the services are launched. The company will allow 2G customers to retain the same number. Only upgrade will take place to 2G.
He stated that Vodafone is in talks with other quality telecom operators having 3G spectrum to facilitate pan-India availability of 3G networks to its customers.
On the affordability of 3G service, Mukerjee mentioned that the services will be affordable for customers and there will be different tariffs for different set of customers. The company is still working on tariffs but expects that Vodafone tariff will suit its customers.
Recently Vodafone had selected Nokia Siemens and Ericsson as partners to launch the service in the country.
In the meantime, according to the company’s Managing Director Marten Pieters, Vodafone Essar is planning to spend $400 million to $500 million on 3G networks in the next one to two years.
