Internet Telephony Digital Magazine March 2007
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Call 1-866-ALLWORX x247 or visit www.allworx.com/7 AAllworxllworx 0071367->Internet71367->Internet TTelephonyelephony 33-07-07 TTwo-Pagewo-Page SSpreadpread AAd.1.inddd.1.indd 1 22/13/07/13/07 111:08:341:08:34 AAMM By Richard “Zippy” Grigonis Group Publisher and Editor-In-Chief, Rich Tehrani ([email protected]) Win-Win Situation EDITORIAL Group Editorial Director, Greg Galitzine ([email protected]) Executive Editor, Richard “Zippy” Grigonis ([email protected]) One of the few downsides to being a journalist is to be Associate Editor, Erik Linask forever precluded from winning corporate contests, partic- ([email protected]) ularly those held by one’s own corporation. It’s got some- TMC LABS thing to do with Journalism being a sacred trust, which it Executive Technology Editor/CTO/VP, Tom Keating actually used to be when I was a kid and got to read real newspapers such as the ([email protected]) two greatest of them all, the dearly-departed New York Herald Tribune and New ART/DESIGN Jersey’s Newark Evening News. Now, of course, we’ve got Anna Nicole in the head- Creative Director, Alan Urkawich lines, and I could be appearing on American Idol if I just had the gumption. Senior Art Director, Lisa D. Morris In any case, Yours Truly was present at TMC’s ITEXPO East show in Fort Graphic Designer, Lisa Mellers Lauderdale, Florida, patiently waiting for the last event of the last day, when Rich Tehrani, with his usual aplomb, presided over the Grand Finale of the show — the EXECUTIVE OFFICERS drawing for a sunny yellow Toyota FJ Cruiser SUV. The lucky fellow who won it Nadji Tehrani, Chairman and CEO turned out to be from my home state of New Jersey: Ari Zoldan, of Launch 3 Rich Tehrani, President (http://www.launch3.net) a company that invests in communications companies Dave Rodriguez, VP of Publications worldwide. (See the camera phone photo that accompanies this piece.) and Conferences In a sense, however, everybody at ITEXPO East was a winner. Exhibitors loved Kevin J. Noonan, VP of Business Development the attendance traffic, a big increase over our previous show in San Diego. Michael Genaro, VP of Marketing Attendees got to meet and greet a host of new up-and-coming companies. Analysts Tom Keating, CTO, VP and venture capital people were poking about everywhere. And corporate types intent on purchasing one of those new-fangled IP phone systems showed up with ADVERTISING SALES Sales Office Phone: 203-852-6800 their “short lists” and asked lots of questions. ITEXPO East had all the hallmarks Senior Advertising Director — Eastern U.S.; of a successful show. Canada; Israel Expo/conferences are funny things. Some of them go through life cycles, like a Anthony Graffeo, ext. 174, ([email protected]) living organism, or move in lock-step with the current robustness of their industry. Advertising Director — Midwest U.S.; One mistake (or a series of them) can lead to a death spiral — take Computer Southwest U.S.; EMEA; Europe Telephony Expo, for example, which was once the hottest thing going in telecom Allan Brown, ext. 278, ([email protected]) and is now just a quaint memory. (Of course, if it hadn’t vanished along with Advertising Director — Western U.S.; APAC Computer Telephony magazine, Yours Truly wouldn’t be here, dutifully enlightening Bob Johnson, 978-337-3828, ([email protected]) our readership.) In the case of the ITEXPOs, we’re now on a roll, one which doesn’t appear to be SUBSCRIPTIONS Circulation Director, Shirley Russo, ext. 157 ending any time soon. Many denizens of corporate America as well as the telecom ([email protected]) industry come to our ITEXPOs to be educated, informed, to spread some gossip, Annual digital subscriptions to INTERNET TELEPHONY®: free to chat up some new item, and ultimately to do some business. Representatives of to qualifying U.S., Canada and foreign subscribers. Annual print sub- scriptions to INTERNET TELEPHONY®: free, U.S. qualifying both enterprises and service providers can be found at an ITEXPO, talking, nego- readers; $29.00 U.S. nonqualifying, $39.00 Canada, $60.00, foreign qualifying and nonqualifying. All orders are payable in advance in U.S. tiating, buying and selling. I’ve been in telecom media since 1994, and I must dollars drawn against a U.S. bank. Connecticut residents add applica- admit that TMC is the most accommodating, make-the-customer-feel-good com- ble sales tax. For more information, contact our Web site at www.itmag.com or call 203-852-6800. pany in this business — they’re also the nicest bunch of guys I’ve ever worked for, which is not too surprising, if you’ve ever seen my resume! EXHIBIT SALES Our next big show will be at the Los Angeles Convention Center, a big futuris- Sales Office Phone: 203-852-6800 tic building that regularly appears as a backdrop in commercials and science fiction Global Events Account Directors Companies whose names begin with: movies such as Starship Troopers. I have no doubt that things will be even more A-G or #s: Maureen Gambino ([email protected]) busy there than they were in Fort Lauderdale, which is good. More happy buyers H-P: Chris Waechter ([email protected]) and sellers. IP Communications is on the march! I don’t even mind not winning the Toyota — after all, I don’t drive! IT Q-Z: Joe Fabiano ([email protected]) Conference Sales Manager, Frank Coppola ([email protected]) Richard “Zippy” Grigonis is Executive Editor of TMC’s IP Communications Group. ABOUT INTERNET TELEPHONY® Internet telephony is revolutionizing telecommunications through the convergence of voice, video, fax, and data, creating unprecedented opportunities for resellers, developers, and service providers alike. Lucky winner Ari Zoldan of INTERNET TELEPHONY® focuses on providing readers with Launch 3 luxuriates with the information necessary to learn about and purchase the equipment, software, and services necessary to take advantage of this technolo- his new Toyota FJ Cruiser gy. INTERNET TELEPHONY® readers include resellers, devel- SUV, won at ITEXPO East in opers, MIS/networking departments, telecom departments, datacom departments, telcos/LECs, wireless/PCS providers, ISPs, and cable Fort Lauderdale, Florida. companies. 4 INTERNET TELEPHONY® March 2007 Subscribe FREE online at http://www.itmag.com Go to Table of Contents | Go to Ad Index Your customers are calling. How will you ANSWER? You have much more to manage than your ringing phones. If you think it’s bad for you, imagine what your customers are experiencing—long hold times, misrouted calls, or no answer at all. Capture lost revenue and boost customer satisfaction by managing your incoming calls with our award-winning Retail Voice Portal. Visit www.retailvoiceportal.com and complete our Lost Revenue Calculator. Three industry leaders, one comprehensive solution. The IP Communications Authority Since 1998TM Volume 10/ Number 3 March 2007 Contents IN EACH ISSUE EDITORIAL SPONSORSHIP SERIES 10 Publisher’s Outlook 16 Having the Right “Touch” for Resellers A Breakthrough Month in IP Communications By Rich Tehrani 24 How Voice Application Developers can Surmount Interoperability Problems COLUMNS 46 Network Operator Trends and Opportunities 26 Inside Networking Business Convergence: The Path to Enterprise FEATURE ARTICLES Transformation 62 Meeting the Challenges of WiFi Telephony By Tony Rybczynski By Ben Guderian 28 VoIPeering 66 Architectural Options for Converged Cellular Nature and Networks and WiFi Services By Hunter Newby By John Spindler 30 Enterprise View 70 IP Contact Centers and the Open Source IP PBX The Ft. Lauderdale ECA Update By Gary Barnett By Mary Bradshaw and Max Schroeder 72 Beyond Triple Play In Quadruple Play, Delivering Exceptional Customer Service is More Critical (and 32 Regulation Watch Difficult) Than Ever Is This the Year for Broadband over Powerlines? By Michael Roy By William B. Wilhelm, Jr 76 The State of Session Border Control 36 Next Wave Redux By Richard “Zippy” Grigonis Telephony Web Services 82 Choosing Development Platforms DIY Voice By Brough Turner By Sanjeev Sawai 38 Disaster Preparedness 86 Location-Based Services Florida — Disaster Preparedness and Business By Richard “Zippy” Grigonis Continuity Planning Workshop By Rich Tehrani & Max Schroeder 88 Fixed Mobile Entertainment: The Evolution to Mobile IPTV 40 For the Record By Brian Caskey IPDR — What a Difference a Year Makes 92 Converged PC Softphones Provide Critical First Step By Kelly Anderson toward Fixed Mobile Convergence By Mike Mulica 42 Nitty Gritty Bus & Board 2007 DEPARTMENTS By Richard “Zippy” Grigonis 4 The Zippy Files 18 Industry News 48 Rich Tehrani’s Executive Suite: PowerNet Global’s Bernie Stevens 50 Rich Tehrani’s Executive Suite: Natural Convergence’s David Cork Most Active Visitors to TMCnet by 52 Rich Tehrani’s Executive Suite: North American State Siemens Communications’ Harald Braun 1.