Orange Business Services increases video services in cloud (France)
Orange Business Services to expand its portfolio of video services with Telepresence Pass, a new cloud offering soft, flexible and economical for companies. Telepresence is a Pass offering video services simple to implement, and perennial with multiple benefits.
Telepresence Pass provides businesses a simple way to capitalize on the benefits of videoconferencing systems “immersive” in-house and externally with partners, customers and suppliers. Pass Telepresence is an underwritten offering opex mode, which allows companies to significantly reduce their material and human investment.
Vivek Badrinath, Executive Director of Orange Business Services, said that their ambition is to provide businesses across the video, without limitation. He added that the key is to offer companies a wide range of video services so they can choose the solution that best meets their business needs.
Telepresence Pass adds to the complete and comprehensive portfolio of video services in Orange Business Services. It relies on a network supporting efficient, high on the experience of Orange Business Services in the field of videoconferencing and on a global strategy oriented businesses, allowing them to make the most of their investments in videoconferencing.
A network ready for Telepresence with guarantees unmatched capacity, service quality and coverage , the network quality is the success of the video conferencing experience. Experience Immersive Telepresence is open in 21 additional countries and continued progress of the network Orange Business Services offers a service availability of 99.95 percent.
Nicolas Roy, Director of Network Solutions Business Unit, Orange Business Services, said that of all the applications, the video is the most demanding bandwidth and quality of real-time service. Further, the group continues to invest about $ 990 million per year in its international backbone network and related IT infrastructure so that our customers can benefit from a level of coverage, bandwidth and optimal quality and an experience Exceptional video.
Interoperability: operators, terminals and access type interoperability conditions the ability of firms to collaborate with their entire ecosystem, with any type of equipment and through all the interconnected networks. Orange had already established agreements with Telepresence Interoperability four major operators (AT&T, BT, Telefonica and Tata) and announces it has signed a new contract with Verizon Enterprise Solutions. Orange also confirms its determination and leadership in taking the chair of the consortium OVCC (Open Visual Collaboration Consortium), to promote the development of uses of videoconference with increasing interoperability.
Flexibility of service management and customer support Orange Business Services offers a full range of offers video services, offering ease of use and management for users and for IT managers. Every IT department can indeed choose a management flexible and responsive to their expectations – the full support internally to the delivery of turnkey solutions and fully managed by Orange Business Services. Users have a reservation service video conferencing simple and ongoing support 24/7.
Tata Indicom launches CDMA-GSM 3G BlackBerry Bold 9650 (India)
Tata Indicom has launched the BlackBerry Bold 9650, which is the first combined CDMA-GSM 3G smartphone in the BlackBerry Bold series. The handset will cost around US$567. The company will also provide the users with a special offer- for first two months, customers will receive a free data pack worth US$20.26 per month, as well as 500 MB of tethered modem data usage. Moreover, the phone will come packed with Tata’s live TV (Photon TV) service.
The BlackBerry Bold 9650 is equipped with a 3.2-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS and a microSD memory card slot.
According to Mr Sunil Batra, President of CDMA Operations at Tata Teleservices Limited, as the youngest dual-technology telecom service provider in India, the addition of a Smartphone like the BlackBerry Bold 9650 to the company’s portfolio of products and services from Research In Motion is an important step in strengthening offerings to consumers. Tata’s pan-India reach, supported by the traditionally strong speeds on TTL’s cutting-edge CDMA network, will provide users with an exceptional voice and data communication experience, enhanced by the ability to share and experience multimedia, chat and social networking on the go.
Tata DoCoMo considering buying other Indian Telcos
As per Mutso Yamamoto, executive director and head of strategic alliances of NTT DoCoMo, NTT DoCoMo, along with its partner Tata Teleservices, will buy other Indian telecom operators for their assets, not subscribers, once regulatory framework becomes conducive to telecom consolidation.
According to reports, they have the ability to increase subscribers. So, assets like spectrum will be more important in my opinion.
India currently has 14 telecom operators compared with three or four elsewhere in the world. Late entrants in the global system for mobile communications, or GSM, operators like Tata DoCoMo have merely 4.4 Mhz of radio bandwidth.
As per Mr Yamamoto, in Japan, they have 45 MHz of spectrum. Most industry participants agree consolidation is imperative in the sector, but acquirers await final regulations on the fees the government will charge in transactions.
As per the proposal by the TRAI, it will charge fair value for all spectrum acquired in a transaction.
Mr. Yamamoto noted that current recommendations are against consolidation. The Japanese company is committed to the Indian market. So much so that if circumstances force it to exit Tata Teleservices, it will consider investing in another Indian telecom company. At present, however, there is no reason to believe that will happen. TTSL have exceeded all expectations in adding subscribers and base stations.
NTT DoCoMo bought 26% in Tata Teleservices in 2008 for US$2.7 billion. The Japanese company specializes in 3G services which it anticipated would come to India soon at the time it bought stake.
According to Mr Yamamoto, presently, the quality of network and improving the range of data services are the two key targets NTT DoCoMo sees for Tata Teleservices. The company would like to see Tatas do better, relative to the competitors. DoCoMo’s investment in India is to leverage the move of Japanese business to the country. Business flow between Japan and India is quickly getting stronger. NTT DoCoMo can now support communications between Japan and India through Tata. If Japanese businesses are entering India, NTT can help them with their enterprise solutions. The company is getting more such kind of opportunities.
As per Mr Yamamoto, for more such opportunities, DoCoMo is expanding in Asia Pacific, but does not have other emerging markets like Africa on its agenda. In the US, too, its investments will be limited to scant venture capital. The company is keen to make an entry into China, but there would be regulatory barriers. Meanwhile, they are doing business around the mobile business, and if there is an opportunity to strengthen our relations with a carrier in China, they will do that. But its time has not come yet. India presents the next big population advantage in the Asia-Pacific region. Tata Tele may be the first off the mark offering 3G services, with close technology and knowledge transfer from DoCoMo.
Vodafone leads in Gujarat CUG deal (India)
Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar are in the final race for the important bid to connect Gujarat government employees in the country’s largest closed user group (CUG) network. However, as per state government sources, Vodafone is leading the tally with overall 91 points, followed by Airtel’s 79.5 points, Tata’s 55 points, BSNL’s 50 points and Idea’s 40 points.
On Monday, the Gujarat administration department (GAD) opened a financial bid that carries 40% weight, a week after it opened the technical bids. The latest bid saw Airtel going for a kill by proposing the lowest tariff, over 40% discount to the base rates, beating Vodafone and Tata that offered 35% discount, Idea 30%, and BSNL 20%.
But, according to sources in Gandhinagar, the technical strength of the existing operator Vodafone would eventually score over the competitor’s tariff bait. The state’s oldest and largest player Vodafone enjoys an upper edge as technical bid carries higher weightage of 60%. The CUG contract generates annual revenues of US$6.78.
Vodafone has been catering to the state government’s mobile telephony requirements under the specially designed CUG plan for the past four years at a monthly rental of US$1.02, generating billing worth around US$6.78 million a year. The revised tariff offered by Vodafone is expected to be much lower than the one it is charging at the moment, thus benefiting the state.
As per GAD, it wants to take a relook at the agreement for two more years and has sought competitive tariff bids from six players — Vodafone, Airtel, Idea, BSNL, Tata DoCoMo and Reliance GSM. In an unexpected move, GAD revised its terms and conditions in technical and financial rounds with 60% and 40% weight.
BlackBerry services can be supervised: DoT
After increasing pressure from the Indian government on RIM, Indian telecom minister has suggested a formula that can help in monitoring the device’s encrypted mails. The suggestion came in the middle of a meeting between the Home Ministry, security agencies and Canadian firm Research in Motion, maker of BlackBerry that operates on networks of other telecom service providers.
According to the DoT, Enterprise mail services offered on BlackBerry platform and other services provided on Virtual Private Network (VPN) can possibly be monitored by providing a clear email from the enterprise email server to the monitoring system located at each of the Internet Service Provider’s premises. The possibility of the solution will be discovered after having discussion with the intelligence bureau and ISPs.
RIM, DoT officials’ confirmed that, it is vague to the possibility of locating a server or servers at ISP premises on the ground of technical non-feasibility of such a solution.
BlackBerry has a million of subscribers in India and the services are mounting. BlackBerry service are provided by nine telecom operators including government owned BSNL and MTNL, Airtel, Vodafone, RCom and Tata .
The DoT has commanded the Ministry of Home Affairs to check the place as stated by RIM with respect to interception and monitoring of various services provided on BlackBerry platform. In case the solution doesn’t work out, DoT would have no option but to ask the operators not to offer the enterprise email services on BlackBerry platform.
According to a source close to this deal, the technology being offered by Canadian firm RIM is likely to be put under test by the security agencies tomorrow.
Tata DOCOMO launches HTC Desire in India
HTC Corporation and TATA DOCOMO have launched the latest Android Smartphone ‘HTC Desire’ in the Indian market. This Android powered phone features an expansive 3.7 inch touch-sensitive screen with 480 X 800 WVGA resolution display, 1-GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and such features that make social networking easy like never before.
The HTC as a partner with Tata DoCoMo is giving an attractive and exclusive offer for DoCoMo users in India, where Tata DOCOMO Postpaid subscribers will get free data download of 500 MB per month for 6 months.
HTC Desire is designed to enhance and maximize content, be it pictures, videos, browsing the Web or checking on friends’ status updates. With the latest Android 2.1 and an ultrafast processor, HTC Desire offers a wide range of live wallpapers for user choices.
According to DoCoMo, this launch marks the strong relationship between Tata DOCOMO and HTC, the companies will continue to work together to launch more innovative mobile offerings for Indian consumers on the TATA DOCOMO platform.
The new HTC Desire will be available at a price of US$619.984 at all approved HTC resellers across the country.
India’s TTSL denied Reports of Further Investment with Japan’s DoCoMo
India’s TTSL has denied media reports that said NTT DoCoMo was expected to invest an additional $1 billion in Tata Teleservices.
Earlier The Economic Times, quoting unnamed sources, had reported that the Japanese company was looking to increase its holding by between 10%-15%. The newspaper further said that the deal was expected to close in a few months, although the funds could go either to the mobile network operator as a capital addition for the expansion of the network, or will go to the Tata group if it chose to reduce its stake in the company.
DoCoMo holds a 26% stake in TTSL for US$2.7 billion since November 2008.
Service providers penalized over unsolicited commercial calls
Penalties have been imposed by TRAI on various service providers, including state-owned Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) ,Vodafone, Reliance, Bharti, Tata, Spice, BPL, and Aircel for not heeding with regulation on unsolicited commercial calls.
The service providers have been penalized for non-compliance under the Telecom Unsolicited Commercial Communications Regulation, 2007.
The TRAI has the authorities to make a complaint in court for taking knowledge of any offence punishable under the TRAI Act, 1997 or the rules and regulations made there under. It can make recommendations to the licensor for revocation of the licence of a service provider for non-compliance of the terms and conditions of the licence.
Chinese telecom vendors are ready to work on Indian standards
Offering to abide by India’s new security standards that are opposed by most other global suppliers, Chinese telecom gear vendors are hoping to overpass a trust deficit that has degraded their operations in the country and finally have a share in the $100 billion market in the country.
The rules set by India’s security organization has told that the vendors need to employ only Indian nationals as engineers in the country. Chinese firm ZTE had stated, that they are willing to obey with the recently announced security guidelines here in India. Huawei is also expected to follow in ZTE’s shoes.
This comes at a time when powerful business foyers in the US, Europe and Japan are pressuring India to overturn the new norms, which notably require these vendors to park their software codes and designs in an escrow account in India if they want to do business in the country.
ZTE is working with its Indian telecom service provider partners. Huawei is also keen to cooperate with the Indian security agencies and is expected to sign the dotted line shortly. The Indian government has made operators responsible for ensuring that vendors comply with the security requirements.
According to Tata Teleservices, ZTE had approached the company excepting to sign the agreement. The company has already sent a communication to the telecom department informing them.
The latest offer by the Chinese vendors to obey with India’s new rules could give the Indian government an advantage in its discussions with European and US vendors. It could also dull the lobbying efforts by Western industry associations to overturn the new rules
Around 20 trade groups have in print the same letters to home minister P Chidambaram, telecoms minister A Raja, commerce minister Anand Sharma and the Prime Minister’s Office complaining that the new security norms were not reliable with global practices and that they had not been consulted during its formulation.
The new norms enforce penalties of 100% of the contract value on mobile operators if any spyware or malware is found in their imported equipment.
