New IPSwitchBoard released today

Version 0.111 - 30. April 2005.

* Security added, you can now specify what the user of IPS is allowed to do
such as start different programs, hang-up calls etc.
* Many bug fixes

Download: http://ipswitchboard.thorben.dk
___________________________________________________________________________
IPSwitchBoard is a FREE Windows.Net application that will allow you to:

Unattended/attended transfers.
Park calls and retrieve/forward them again.
Organize all your Zap, SIP and IAX extensions (automatically retrieved from
Asterisk).
Hotel/Call Shop Billing module
Monitor all extensions.
Monitor all queues.
Monitor Agents.
Monitor Parked Calls.
Dynamically log extensions in and out of queues.
Integration with CRM software on the web.
Record conversations.
Browse Call Records
Drop any active call.
Set Do Not Disturb on Extensions and give a reason.
Speed Dialling.
User selectable ring tones for IPSwitchBoard.
User selectable button colors.

From Asterisk-users : New Asterisk-Java Released

Asterisk-java 0.1 a Java control for the Asterisk PBX has been released.

The Asterisk-java package consists of a set of Java classes that allow you to easily build Java applications that interact with an Asterisk PBX Server. Asterisk-java supports both interfaces that Asterisk provides for this scenario: The FastAGI protocol and the Manager API.

The FastAGI implementation supports all commands currently available from Asterisk.

The Manager API implementation supports receiving events from the Asterisk server (e.g. call progess, registered peers, channel state) and sending actions to Asterisk (e.g. originate call, agent login/logoff, start/stop voice recording).

Asterisk-java is available under Apache 2.0 license at
http://asterisk-java.sourceforge.net

Cisco buying sipura – probably won’t be any iax support now :(

From the cisco website: http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2005/corp_042605.html?DCMP=BAC-TS01

Cisco Systems to Acquire Sipura Technology

First Acquisition for Linksys Division; Adds Experienced Team and VoIP Technology

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 26, 2005 - Cisco Systems® today announced a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Sipura Technology, Inc. This represents Cisco's first acquisition for its Linksys division, the leading provider of wireless and networking hardware for home, Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) and small business environments. Sipura is a leader in consumer voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology and is a key technology provider for Linksys' current line of VoIP networking devices. In addition to Sipura's valuable technology and customer relationships, their experienced team with extensive VoIP expertise will help build a foundation for Linksys' internal research and development capabilities in voice, video and other markets.

Under the terms of the agreement, Cisco will pay approximately $68 million in cash and options for Sipura. The acquisition is subject to various standard closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of Cisco's fiscal year 2005 ending July 30, 2005.

Consumer VoIP is rapidly expanding as independent providers and incumbent telecom and cable operators bring VoIP offerings to consumers. Synergy Research Group, a leading market research firm, reports that today there are close to 8 million home users worldwide using VoIP to make phone calls over their broadband connections. By 2009, Synergy anticipates this number to grow to 58.9 million home users using VoIP to talk to friends and family around the world using broadband and VoIP technology.

"VoIP is a strategic segment for innovation and growth for Cisco and Linksys. The acquisition of Sipura will augment Linksys' leading position in the rapidly growing VoIP market and is an example of Linksys' strategy to increase internal R&D capabilities in specific product categories," said Charles Giancarlo, Cisco CTO and Cisco-Linksys president. "Adding Sipura's technology reinforces our commitment to developing products in the consumer voice space."

This acquisition follows Cisco's core strategy of using acquisitions to build new technologies and speed time-to-market for its products. The Sipura acquisition accelerates Linksys' leadership in the emerging high growth VoIP consumer and SOHO markets, provides continued competitive differentiation for its VoIP product offerings, and allows Linksys to better serve it customers.

Sipura has developed the technology incorporated in leading VoIP adapters (including those integrated into home routers and gateways) and a multi-line IP phone for the consumer and SOHO market. Sipura's technology is currently used by Linksys in some VoIP products, including certain analog telephone adapters and wired and wireless routers with phone ports. Sipura currently has relationships with regional and top-tier VoIP providers. Linksys will continue to work with those service providers, as well as use its traditional retail channels to target consumers and SOHO environments with Sipura's line of VoIP products.

Upon close of the transaction, Sipura will be integrated into Cisco's Linksys division, led by Senior Vice Presidents Janie and Victor Tsao. Sipura was founded in March 2003 and is headquartered in San Jose, Calif.
About Linksys

Founded in 1988, Linksys, a Division of Cisco Systems, Inc., is the global leader in Wireless and Ethernet networking for consumer, SOHO and small business users. Linksys is dedicated to making networking easy and affordable for its customers, offering innovative, award-winning products that seamlessly integrate with a variety of devices and applications. Linksys provides award-winning product support to its customers. For more information, visit www.linksys.com.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, celebrates 20 years of commitment to technology innovation, industry leadership, and corporate social responsibility. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

New Asterisk OS – Amatix instant PBX solution

Description
Amatix will instantly transform your computer in a small PBX. You don't have to install any software, just plug the Amatix CD in your CD drive and let the computer boot from it. In few minutes you will get a running Linux system with a configured Asterisk PBX.

Highlights
-Amatix will automatically detect your telephony hardware and will configure the Asterisk PBX accordingly. You can use analog or ISDN trunks.
-There are 4 preconfigured VoIP extensions using SIP.
-Amatix is a LiveCD Debian-Linux distribution based on Morphix. It is running completely from CD and your disk will be not modified.
-Amatix is customisable. You can modify the default settings and store your changes on the floppy disk or on the hard disk. The changes will be loaded on boot.

Telephony hardware
This version of the Amatix InstantPBX will try to configure the following card types:

Analog
- X100P (using the zaptel driver and chan_zap)
ISDN
- AVM Fritz! PCI (using the AVM's CAPI4Linux driver and chan_capi)
- HFC-S (using the mISDN drivers and chan_misdn)

More details about Amatix InstantPBX can be found at
http://amatisoft.homelinux.com/amatix.html

For questions please use http://amatisoft.homelinux.com/contact.html

Mark Spencer Free Talk in Toronto…

On April 21st, at 7:30 PM, Mark Spencer and John "Maddog" Hall[1] will be joining the Toronto Asterisk Users' Group[2], the Toronto Linux Users' Group[3] and the Ontario Asterisk and VoIP Enthusiasts Group[4] for an informal chat about "Asterisk and The Open Source Telephony Revolution".

If you are going to be in the Toronto area, we'd love to have you join us!

When:
7:30PM-9:30PM, Thursday April 21st, 2005

Where:
Room 1130
Bahen Centre, at the University of Toronto
40 St. George Street
Toronto, ON

Directions:
The building is located at 40 St. George Street. This is just north of College Street on the west side of St. George and it is the next building north of the U of T Bookstore. There is a parking lot under the building and the entrance is on Huron Street just north of College. Huron is the street west of St. George. The nearest subway station is Queen's Park and it is a 5 minute walk west on College or take the streetcar two stops to St. George.

There is a campus map available on the web at http://www.osm.utoronto.ca/map.

If you require additional information, please contact Simon Ditner, or myself, Jim Van Meggelen

This event will be free of charge.

----

[1] Jon "Maddog" Hall, of Linux International, http://www.li.org/who/bio.php?name=hall
[2] Toronto Asterisk PBX Users Group, http://opensource.meetup.com/42/
[3] Toronto Linux Users Group, http://tlug.ss.org
[4] Ontario Asterisk and VoIP Enthusiasts Group, http://uc.org/asterisk

Roaming VOIP over WIFI should be here soon….

According to an article over at MIT Tech Review (here), and another article over at VNUNet (here), researchers at the University of California San Diego, have developed a new technology called SyncScan. This new technology will reduce the delay in the handoffs to a roaming WIFI user down to a few milliseconds.

What does this mean?

Well, it means that VOIP Roaming will be here soon because devices will be able to 'seamlessly' traverse WIFI networks without the user being aware of any 'disconnects and reconnects'. Pretty cool stuff. I look forward to hearing more about it.

Bell Canada Asks the CRTC for more competition in the Canadian Market

OTTAWA, March 11 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell Canada today called on the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to lift its suspension of promotional offers linked to local phone service, a move that would deliver to Canadians the benefits of lower prices and more competition.

In its submission to the CRTC, Bell highlights a November 2004 broadcasting decision that acknowledges promotions are in the public interest. As part of that decision, the Commission reaffirmed an earlier view that promotional offers are a legitimate business practice regardless of how competitive a particular cable television market is.

"Lifting the suspension of phone company local service promotions would be in the best interests of Canadian consumers and businesses," said Mirko Bibic, Chief, Regulatory Affairs, Bell Canada. "Competitors, including cable companies, are free to offer promotions as they see fit. Lifting the suspension would allow Bell to offer promotions on the same basis as competitors, and the result would be lower prices and increased competition for customers."

The CRTC prohibited local service promotions and special winback offers from Bell and Canada's other incumbent phone companies over two years ago, announcing at that time that it was "temporarily" suspending consideration of any such applications.

Bell's submission also raises a number of legal concerns. In particular, it questions whether the CRTC has the authority to let a temporary measure become permanent without affected parties - including service providers and customers - having the right to comment on the appropriateness of such a step in advance.

"The CRTC's justifications for imposing the suspension are simply not appropriate," added Mr. Bibic. "What started over two years ago as a temporary measure by the CRTC is now effectively operating as an outright ban on promotions that Bell can offer local service customers. This ban is unnecessary and customers should not be denied the benefits of competition and lower prices."

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