unified communications - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• WikiLeaks' Assange runner-up as Time Person of the Year

  WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has finished as a runner-up to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as Time's 2010 Person of the Year.

• The 10 bloodiest battles Microsoft and Google fought in 2010

  In case you haven't heard, there are two companies called Microsoft and Google that really don't like each other very much. These tech behemoths are battling each other on a dizzying number of fronts in the consumer, government and business markets, the U.S. court system and the court of public opinion.

• Facebook co-founders pledge to give away most of their fortunes

  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was one of 17 billionaires this week to pledge donating more than half of their wealth to charitable organizations.

• Open source IP PBX saves serious cash for Michigan CAT

  In a move that might send shivers down the spines of mainstream IP PBX vendors like Avaya, Cisco and ShoreTel, Michigan CAT has deployed an open source Asterisk IP PBX to handle its phone calls and contact centre at half the cost of what commercial vendors would have charged.

• Employees armed with Facebook, smartphones among biggest company boosters

  Employees are more likely to advocate for their companies if they're optimistic about technology, though IT pros themselves aren't especially big corporate boosters according to a new Forrester Research study.

• Unified communications can't keep up with Twitter: Gartner

  Unified communications lacks a clear business case and can not compete with consumer-driven technology, Gartner has warned.

• Microsoft Lync: The pros and cons for enterprises

  Lync, the next generation of Microsoft's Office Communications Server software, was unveiled yesterday in New York City, complete with a surprise appearance from Bill Gates via Lync's video conference tool.

• Jetstar upgrades unified communications platform

  Jetstar is upgrading its unified communications (UC) environment as part of a new whole-of-company approach towards technology and mobility.

• Facebook Messages: 3 reasons to say no

  Facebook's widely anticipated announcement Monday might have come as a surprise to some. It didn't, after all, announce a new e-mail service as many people had speculated. Not really, anyway.

• 23 tech terms we’d like to ban

  As technology moves forward, the English language sometimes takes a step backward. You can thank public relations professionals, CEOs, and technology journalists for that. Whether grammatically incorrect or simply annoying, these overused tech buzzwords are painful to hear.

• Cisco bets state-of-the-art data center on UCS

  Cisco bet big on its UCS products for data centers – and now it's going "all in" with a massive, resilient and green data center built on that integrated blade architecture.

• Global Crossing adds to IP video network capabilities

  Global Crossing added to its IP video network capabilities this week by acquiring Genesis Networks, which operates video fibre optic networks across 70 cities.

• Got ROI? Payback drives boom in unified communications

  While many businesses tightened their IT budgets during the recent recession, a growing number of organizations are deploying unified communications solutions -- integrated voice, data, messaging, conferencing and collaboration services over converged networks -- as confidence creeps back and budgets expand. The driver? Return on investment.

• Azurn sets up JV with Euro distributor

  ICT convergence company Azurn International (ASX:AZU) will set up a JV for its K2K and K2Call products, with the ultimate aim of selling the assets for at least $50m

• YouTube, e-discovery software among tech tools for war crime investigators

  War crimes -- brutal genocide, mass executions, ethnic cleansing, torture -- have spurred international efforts by the United Nations to investigate and convict those deemed responsible, wherever they have occurred. And according to those involved in prosecuting war crimes in once war-torn places such as the former Yugoslavia, Cambodia and Rwanda, modern technology related to e-discovery and multi-lingual translation is playing a critical role in the ongoing process to find justice for victims.