First Look: Cisco SPA8800 Analog VoIP Gateway

June 1, 2009 by Garrett Smith

Cisco is set to release the Cisco SPA8800 IP telephony gateway, featuring 4 ports of FXS and FXO connectivity. The Cisco SPA8800 is an affordable IP telephony gateway solution that is ideal for small business environments that have VoIP service and also require a connection to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). It can be used with existing analog telephones and teleconferencing equipment, enabling small business customers to protect and extend their investments.

The Cisco SPA8800 features four onboard RJ11 FXS ports for connecting converting analog endpoints such as phone or fax machines to IP. In addition, the Cisco SPA8800 has four onboard RJ11 FXO ports for integrating up to 4 traditional, analog POTS lines with a SIP based IP PBX, such as Asterisk. In addition, the Cisco SPA8800 features a convenient amphenol connector interface on the back of the gateway which allows you to easily connect the unit to a telco punch-down block or mini RJ11 patch panel.

Please visit the VoIP Insider in coming weeks for more in-depth coverage of the Cisco SPA8800. The Cisco SPA8800 is currently available for purchase.

More from: Fax over IP Garrett Smith Cisco

When Will HD Audio Come to Mobile Phones?

May 29, 2009 by Garrett Smith

You’ve probably seen lots of talk here on the VoIP Insider about HDVoice, Wideband VoIP, G.722 Codec, etc. Lead by VoIP endpoint manufacturers including Polycom, Snom, Audiocodes, Cisco and others, the VoIP industry at large is gearing up to push “High Definition Voice” in a big way.

Industry analysts are also evangelizing wideband audio technology. Jeff Pulver’s HD Communications Summit recently convened on May 21st in NYC, a gathering of like-minded technology vendors and technorati pontificating on the ramifications of wideband audio and telephony.

I have experienced HD audio firsthand on Polycom’s VVX1500 and their other HDVoice capable models, as well as Audiocodes’ new 320HD, and the difference between 16K “HD” and 8K traditional audio clarity is indeed striking.

In my opinion, one factor that currently limits the proliferation of HD communications is the lack of an existing deployed base of of “wideband audio capable” endpoint devices….ie phones. There are currently a nice variety of HD capable IP phones available in the marketplace from the aforementioned vendors, but they have not been available long enough to be widely installed, yet. I have several HD capable phones provisioned in our offices but precious few clients and colleagues with whom to converse in hi def.

I began wondering if/when a mobile provider would roll out HD calling services for wireless subscribers, and came upon a piece by Daniel Berninger of Gigaom entitled How HD Voice Can Save Wireline Telecom. As good as the HD experience is on a hardphone in the office, I can’t help but think how great this technology would be if applied to mobile devices. If given my first choice, I think I’d opt to have the benefits of HD audio clarity on a mobile call while driving in my car, or on a layover in a noisy airport, versus in the office.

With 3G here and 4G coming, the bandwidth is certainly there to support HD calling on mobile devices. Seems all that is currently lacking is a traditional carrier or mobile VoIP provider and a handset manufacturer with a wireless device that supports G.722 or alternative wideband codecs. I wonder if there are existing mobile phone devices with a large deployed base that could be made “HD capable” via firmware update?

If anyone amongst our readership has any particular insight into HD audio and the near term impact on both fixed line and mobile telephony, we’d love to hear from you.

New Firmware Released for Citel C4110 SIP / IAX Phone

May 27, 2009 by Garrett Smith

Citel has recently released new firmware which corrects several issues with the C4110 SIP/IAX Phone.

You can download the latest firmware below. NOTE: the file is a .z file which will directly load to the phone; you don’t need to unzip it.

Amongst the issues corrected in this firmware release are:

Daylight saving time now works properly for SNTP settings. The default dates are now correct for the USA.
Improved DTMF
Config download via FTP/HTTP now working on the AUTO PROVISION interface.

First Look: Audiocodes 320HD IP Phone

by Garrett Smith

The AudioCodes 320HD IP Phone is nearing release and enters a growing field of High Definition VoIP endpoints. The Audiocodes 320HD is a 4-line IP Phone with a large Monochrome LCD screen. Based on AudioCodes’ VoIPerfectHD software, the 320HD is designed to utilize the most popular wideband codecs such as G.722, G.722.2 (WB-AMR), G.729.1, EVRC-B and G.711-WBE.

The Audiocodes 320HD also features enhanced proprietary capabilities, such as packet loss concealment, high quality wideband acoustic echo canceller, and low-delay adaptive jitter buffers to enrich the HD VoIP experience.

The AudioCodes 320HD promises interoperability with a wide range of SIP IP-PBXs, Softswitches and IP Centrex solutions. I’m currently running the 320HD as my primary extension on Switchvox 4.0 and setup was painless.

The term “HD VoIP” refers to the use of wideband codec technology, a marked improvement in audio clarity versus traditional telephony. The traditional Public Switch Telephony Network (PSTN) limits bandwidth to 300-3400Hz and voice signals are sampled at a rate of 8 kHz, causing limitations in communication quality and comprehension.

With HD VoIP, wideband telephony refers to transmitting speech signals with bandwidths ranging between 50-7000Hz and a sampling rate of 16 kHz. HD VoIP effectively doubles the narrowband speech signal bandwidth and offers the caller “true voice” conversation.

Compared to narrowband telephony, wideband technology establishes a sense of presence, resulting in a natural and comfortable conversation.

Audiocodes has not provided an official release date or pricing information on their HD IP Phone lineup as of this writing. Visit the VoIP Insider in coming weeks for additional coverage on the Audiocodes 320HD IP Phone and other Audiocodes HD VoIP products.

TCM Mobile launches first ever VoIP based cellular system

May 26, 2009 by Garrett Smith

TCM Mobile, a relatively unknown outfit, has launched the first ever VoIP based cellular system right down the road from VoIP Supply in Syracuse, New York.

Officially announced last week, TCM Mobile’s patent-pending technology utilizes unlicensed 2.4 GHz spectrum to provide cellular service using VoIP (2.4 GHz is typically used for Wi-Fi networks) . The technology, which overcomes the challenges of interference, seamless roaming and network performance was recently put to the test in down town Syracuse.

According to TCM Mobile officials the testing went better then expected.

“TCM Mobile has resolved the major challenges associated with developing this type of system, such as eliminating interference, roaming seamlessly (seamless hand-off) and creating a successful network architecture. We are proud to announce that we have achieved our goals and look forward to demonstrating our technology to the world.”

Now one must take the news of a new, patent-pending technology from an unknown company deployed in a low density population with a bit of skepticism, but it is entirely possible that they’ve created the secret sauce that has the potential to make wide spread VoWiFi possible.

You’re not likely to see TCM Mobile networks pop-up in major markets or the national stage any-time soon. It seems more likely that TCM Mobile’s will partner with existing carriers, municipalities and even offer service directly to consumers in rural markets. It’s still early, but this is definitely a company to keep on your radar in the future.

G.722 Wideband Audio Coming to Cisco SMB Phones

by Garrett Smith

First mentioned on the must-read Voxilla blog, Cisco will soon be offering G.722 “High Definition” voice codec support on the Cisco SPA525G desktop IP phone.

Cisco is also alluding to the possibility of G.722 wideband audio support for other popular Linksys / Cisco SPA-9XX models as well. The firmware update to enable G.722 support is expected shortly.

Getting your numbers ported faster

May 21, 2009 by Garrett Smith

Hidden in last week’s news that the FCC would soon be imposing new regulations requiring VoIP providers to provide “reasonable notice” to customers and regulatory officials before they shut down, was a new rule requiring land line, cellular and VoIP providers to port numbers to another provider within one business day.

It’s funny (to me at least), that LNP (Local Number Portability) is something that I “remember” becoming a reality. At the time I was selling wireless, and when news came down that customer could leave a competitive service with their number I was stoked.

After all, I represented the low cost alternative and one of the biggest barriers of getting a customer to switch to our services was the “new number” issue.

(more…)

SwitchVox Developer Central Launched

by Garrett Smith

On Tuesday Digium (the folks behind Asterisk) pulled the curtains back on their widely anticipated Developer Central community for SwitchVox. The community, designed for developers, resellers and intergrators, provides those interested in extending the capabilities of SwitchVox the tools, tips, tricks and support necessary to do so.

SwitchVox, which was acquired by Digium a few years ago, is a feature rich small medium business VoIP system built a top of the Asterisk telephony platform. The system has won acclaim amongst businesses, resellers and the VoIP industry for it’s usability, functionality and of course affordability.

Develop custom applications for SwitchVox

Developer Central is centered around SwitchVox’s Extend API which made its debut with the not so distant release of SwitchVox SMB 4.0, the system’s latest software version. In Developer Central, one will find themselves immersed in useful information, people and of course ideas.

Developer Central focuses on four main development components:

An XML API
IVR-Web Integration
Event Notifications
Switchboard panels

Each of these unique components can be leveraged individually by third parties or in-conjunction with one another, empowering the development of simple or complex applications. With the Extend API and the help of Developer Central anything from click-to-call capabilities to the communication enhanced business processes and business systems can be accomplished.
(more…)

Jabra BIZ 2400 series VoIP headsets released

May 20, 2009 by Garrett Smith

Earlier this week Jabra announced a hot new line of VoIP headsets, the BIZ 2400 series. Touting the BIZ 2400 series as the ultimate corded user experience, this new line of headsets features improvements to almost every area of a headset.

Comprised of nine (9) different models, the Jabra BIZ 2400 series come with the following enhancements:

Hi-Fi audio quality with Neodymium speakers
Gold contacts for crystal-clear voice transmission
Break-proof FreeSpin boom with 360–degree-plus rotation
Surgical steel details for maximum strength
Ultra-strong Kevlar-reinforced cord
Bluetooth connection for mobile phone (USB only)
3-Year warranty

(more…)

FCC steps up VoIP regulation

May 14, 2009 by Garrett Smith

The continuing debate as to how VoIP services will ultimately be classified isn’t stopping the FCC from enacting legislation towards VoIP providers.

According to PC Mag, the FCC approved an important consumer protection measure on Wednesday that will require failing VoIP service providers to give “reasonable notice” to customers and regulatory officials before they shut down. Complete details are still unknown, but the move appears to be in direct response to the SunRocket disaster that occurred in 2007.

For the industry this new rule should come as no real surprise. As VoIP continues to grow in popularity, safeguarding consumers against a “few bad apples” will go a long way towards bolstering consumer confidence in “making the switch” to VoIP.

First Look: Cisco SPA8800 Analog VoIP Gateway

When Will HD Audio Come to Mobile Phones?

New Firmware Released for Citel C4110 SIP / IAX Phone

First Look: Audiocodes 320HD IP Phone

TCM Mobile launches first ever VoIP based cellular system

G.722 Wideband Audio Coming to Cisco SMB Phones

Getting your numbers ported faster

SwitchVox Developer Central Launched

Develop custom applications for SwitchVox

Jabra BIZ 2400 series VoIP headsets released

FCC steps up VoIP regulation

Featured Posts

Popular Posts

Read Our Feed

Latest

VoIP Post Categories

Archives