YOUTH CHARGED IN NEW SCOTLAND BREAK-IN.(Local)

A Schenectady youth was charged after allegedly breaking into a New Scotland home Aug. 8, removing a rifle and a shotgun, and damaging the property by firing both guns, the Albany

County Sheriff's Department said Monday.

Daniel A. Malvet, …

Netflix's Internet traffic overtakes Web surfing

NEW YORK (AP) — Move over, Web surfing. Netflix movies now take up more of the Internet pipes going into North American homes.

A study published Tuesday by Sandvine Inc. shows that Netflix movies and TV shows account for nearly 30 percent of traffic into homes during peak evening hours, compared …

Bradman lake expands UK manufacturing footprint.(NEWS)(Brief article)

NORWICH, UK -- Planning is underway for a new, multi-million dollar facility that will significantly expand the Bradman Lake Group's manufacturing capabilities and serve as the company's Center for Excellence. According to the company, the new Norwich facility will replace its existing plant in the area and will serve as home base for the Group's Autowrappers and Europack packaging machinery lines.

Production in …

Britain's Brown braced for police questions over new party funding row

Police launched a criminal inquiry into political donations to Britain's ruling Labour Party, threatening to undermine Prime Minister Gordon Brown's pledge of honest government and derail his efforts to distance himself from Tony Blair's tenure.

Police will investigate whether businessman David Abrahams broke the law when he gave Labour around 650,000 pounds (US$1.3 million, euro905,000) in the names of others _ seeking to dodge rules which require major donors to be named.

Britain's Electoral Commission said the case would be formally taken up by police Friday, raising the prospect of officers returning to the leader's Downing Street office.

…

Corporate IP: Opening the flood gates

THE ENTERPRISE COMMUNICATIONS ENVIRONMENT is undergoing sweeping changes as we move into the 21st century.

Data networks and digital wireless technologies such as radio and infrared are emerging and replacing wireline networks. Voice is being subsumed by data. Networking technologies are undergoing rapid change and broadband multimedia, for the first time, is becoming a reality. Voice, video/ and data are converging onto single networking infrastructures creating what one vendor has termed `business class Internet'.

The widespread adoption of intranet and extranet technologies are focusing corporate management on optimising resource deployment.

Portable computing devices, such as laptops, PDAs, and mobile telephones are also becoming both more commonplace and more powerful. The integration of these de

vices is enabling new levels of mobility, which in turn facilitates new ways of working for so-called knowledge workers. At the desktop, knowledge management is becoming a central business problem.

Although it may not appear to be the case, IP telephony will play a crucial part in the emergence of these technologies and applications. It represents the first of many paradigm shifts that will be experienced as the communications market evolves. It signifies the convergence of telephony and IT technologies, and represents the emergence of communications infrastructure that supports new applications that further enhance any communications experience. It also represents the convergence of end-points on these networks so that all communications (whether email, fax, video, telephony, or text-based chat) can be conducted through a single device and single networking infrastructure.

III telephony can therefore be viewed as a catalyst for the revolution in corporate communications that is bound to follow once this shift has been established. Once the gates are open, the next generation of applications will come flooding through and, in the process, change the way we understand networking and communication.

Market Evolution

Until 2000, the corporate market for IP telephony solutions in western Europe will be dominated by small-scale earlyadopter implementations of IP telephony But as we move into 2001 and beyond, many organisations will adopt IP telephony technologies and solutions and major growth in this market will occur.

Throughout this year, equipment vendors and service providers operating in this market have been and will continue to define strategies that enable them to capitalise on the opportunities presented. This may include equipment, personnel, market knowledge, and marketing channels. During next year, vendors will be executing these strategies, acquiring the competencies and in some cases companies that they need in order to augment their market proposition. Endusers will have been familiarising themselves with the value-added opportunities that IP telephony presents and preparing to implement them.

During 2001, this technology and market will reach critical mass and subsequently grow. Multinational vendors will undoubtedly capture the high-end of the market, and smaller players will have to focus on the mid-market and verticals in order to survive.

As growth and adoption starts to occur in 2001, new applications will emerge to drive this market. The issues that have stunted growth will have been addressed and the potential of IP telephony understood and realised by enterprises. Rather than the technology push that has been experienced up until this time, the market will demand unique ways of exploiting the new approach and will probably be looking for ways to further enhance investments. Applications will emerge that satisfy these demands.

A further, though nonetheless important, driver for applications development will emerge from increasing user awareness of the phased cost-saving potential of IP telephony (through, for example, network consolidation) as opposed to the `single hit' saving (in the sense of cheap minutes) which was an initial demand driver. It will become a technology that delivers incremental (versus step change) efficiencies and value-add.

The Mobility Factor

Not only will IP telephony technologies provide mobility and access for employees that telecommute through homebased dial-up intranet access, but a new kind of mobility will be enabled as IP telephony emerges. This will be empowered by new communications terminals that combine the freedom of mobile telephony with the functionality of personal information devices and support for H.323. The communications market has already seen mass adoption of mobile telephones. over the past four years, we have also witnessed meteoric growth in the PDA market, with products such as Psion's Series range, and 3Com's PalmPilot. Next generation devices will combine PDA functionality with networking/communications capabilities. The mobile phone and the PDA have become essential tools for mobile employees, allowing them to maintain contact with the office and corporate network while on the move. As these devices converge, and hybrid PDA/mobile handsets are released, IP telephony has a further opportunity to drive user and corporate adoption as fast access is provided and H.323 applications are integrated.

Third generation mobile networks, with their higher speeds, will also have an effect on the future of IP telephony. Meanwhile, recognising the opportunity and latent demand for higher quality (and more importandy higher data rates) services, the majority of cellular operators are looking to deploy other new network technologies in the intervening period - high-speed circuit-switched data (HSCSD) and general packet radio service (GPRS). Although HSCSD offers improved data throughput (up to a theoretical 76 kbps) it retains all the inefficiencies of GSM. These problems are addressed by GPRS, which offers theoretical data speeds up to 164 kbps (although the mass market deployment is likely to offer a maximum of 115 kbps).

This mobile network evolution will directly influence the future of IP telephony and this becomes more apparent when considering the methods through which Internet access and access to the corporate network are established today. Typically this has been accomplished by dial-up or leased line access over fixed-wireline networks, with obvious restrictions on users in terms of both geographical location and a physical connection to the network.

In contrast, the availability of cellular mobile Internet access over global networks that deliver bandwidth significantly greater than that offered today, presents many opportunities:

* remote access: users will be able to gain high-speed access to corporate networks and internal databases remotely, either by direct access or via the Internet;

* groupworking: higher transfer speeds make real-time collaboration on projects and individual files a possibility;

* videoconferencing: a constant 64 kbps is sufficient to allow postage-stamp sized videoconferencing while any speed above around 400 kbps (which UMTS is capable of achieving) should permit full-screen, TV-- quality videoconferencing;

* high-bandwidth 'push': data can be delivered to the access device and stored for review at a convenient time;

* multicasting:packet-based networks are capable of supporting multicast data and are inherently more efficient in achieving this than circuit-switched networks.

With the advent of faster Internet/intranet access, it is likely that IP telephony and more importantly IP applications such as web browsing will be achievable through these devices. What this will clearly illustrate is that IP telephony is principally not about how efficiently voice can be compressed and the cost say ing economics derived from this. Rather, IP telephony is about the convergence of voice and data and the ubiquity of the protocol that is used for its transport.

Next Generation Service Providers

The enterprise market is also attracting a new breed of IP-based provider. Incumbent PTTs and network operators have traditionally serviced a large proportion of this sector (for reasons such as perceived value and stability of buying services from the largest suppliers). However, it appears that a large number of organisations across western Europe will change their network solution provider during the next four years. This churn will be driven by the emergence of network service provider strategies that are more attuned to business, infrastructure, and communication needs - in alignment with a convergent communications policy and the Internet economy.

Cisco, Lucent and Nortel Networks have all announced and made available products that significantly increase the ease with which a service provider can offer advanced services to their customer base. The younger, more dynamic service providers that have emerged over the past five years are more suited to exploiting these technologies, primarily because they do not suffer from oil tanker syndrome. One example is the large US-based ISP, PSINet. In 1998, PSINet launched a voice-over-IP suite of corporate services targeted at meeting the rapidly growing demand for IP telephony solutions in the US. The announcement marked the rollout of new solutions, aimed at providing businesses with PBXs with the ability to use PSINet's IP network for carrier-grade voice services between locations at prices lower than those provided by existing carriers. Many others have made similar announcements since.

In addition, while a number of ISPs in western Europe already offer mobile (GSM) Internet access, in the short- to medium-term, a number of other ISPs will strike agreements with cellular network operators and fuel further consolidation through these applications. These agreements will provide the foundations for future offerings that are likely to include Internet, dial-up remote access, and cellular/mobile virtual private network (VPN) services. In addition, it is almost inevitable that many cellular network operators will establish their own (high-speed) Internet access networks and services groups that enable users and enterprises alike to exploit the advances that are being made in mobile networks and mobile devices.

IP Applications Development

There are already indications as to how IP telephony will be used in the corporate networking and communications environments. Many of these applications, in fact, already reside on PCs, and arguably form one of the most neglected and unused tools. These include Microsoft's NetMeeting, Netscape's Conference and the multitude of other Internet telephones released into the market over the past few years. At present, the corporate market fails to realise the significance of these applications. Invariably, they are in first or second point release, and do not feature the full desktop integration and functionality that they soon will. Nonetheless, when one considers the simple functionality that these applications have today, and how instrumental they have been in the evolution of the IP telephony market to-date, then their part in the future of IP telephony cannot be questioned.

They wield a great influence on infrastructure deployment as they are integrated into desktop applications with communications functionality, such as virtual meetings, document collaboration, telecommuting and distance learning. As networks are designed and implemented to efficiently deliver voice as well as data to endpoints in IP networks, their profile will rise as they become essential components of a corporate communications policy.

During the next four to five years, enterprise desktop computing will evolve such that IP telephony and other emerging technologies will become standard, integral parts of application packages like Microsoft Office and Lotus SmartSuite. Enhanced (or even new) applications will combine current functionality with real-time voice and video communications and technologies such as knowledge management, speech recognition, textto-speech, speech-to-text capabilities etc.

As these applications enter the corporate market, the primary communications models (`real-time' and `store-and-forward') will converge and users are expected to seamlessly interact and switch between both modus operandi. Equally important however, as these applications emerge, so too will value-added ways in using the power of this combined functionality.

As IP telephony emerges, the line that differentiates between real-time and store-and-forward communications will blur (Figure 1). Both modes of communicating will be integrated and accessible through a combination of new devices and user applications. Imagine the ability to send a window of information (with reference to a particular spreadsheet, word document, or database) across a network to a colleague (or even a team of colleagues) requesting comment. A detailed voice message (or perhaps a video recording) could be attached to the message. Any parties involved could be in the same office or geographically distributed around the world and the same result could be achieved.

The Customer Premise Network

Finally, the make-up, or way in which a corporate network is designed and implemented will undergo many changes as IP telephony emerges and other technologies follow. Data networking technology choices will be of critical importance to IS/IT managers, as products that incorporate voice functionality are released into the market and traditional voice platforms evolve into software. The choice of routers and switches will become a pivotal decision in any organisation's strategy, and the procurement of other technologies will be of peripheral importance in comparison.

Central to any equipment vendor's strategy will be equipment pricing and the total cost of ownership of IP telephony equipment. In 1998, the cost of building a LAN telephony system was significantly higher than building separate LAN and PBX infrastructures. At present, Ethernet telephones cost approximately US$ 1,000. High-end digital PBX handsets cost US$ 450. As handsets constitute 40 to 60 per cent of the total cost of a traditional PBX system, the additional cost of building an IP telephony solution with an equal number of Ethernet telephones implies a much higher initial capital outlay.

However, as this marketplace evolves and competition heightens during 2000 and 2001, changes will take place in communications equipment pricing. Figure 2 illustrates how IP/LAN-based telephony equipment is expected to fall in price over the coming years and undercut traditional PBX equipment pricing.

In many instances, it is thought that PBX manufacturers will have difficulty competing with the price points imposed on the market by the vendors of IP/ LAN-based telephony equipment if current LAN pricing models are used for IP telephony. In order to remain competitive, many PBX vendors will dramatically cut equipment prices. Alternatively, PBX manufacturers have the opportunity to distribute equipment at cost (or below in native territories); and pre-empt the falling cost of IP telephony systems.

Taking a sceptical approach, one could say that these technologies, solutions and communications practices are many years from becoming mainstream in the corporate environment. But it is far more feasible that in fact they are just a few short steps away from becoming reality.

This article was taken from the Durlacher report IP Telephony and Enterprise Network Convergence that was published earlier this year For more information please contact: researc@durlacher.com

If this subject interests you, circle 241 on reader service card or use Contact Express online at www.telecommagazine.com

[Author Affiliation]

Richard Wendland is a telecoms analyst with Durlacher Research.

It's about skills for life.(News)

With reference to the article on Ndebele initiations (October 24), I find it encouraging that someone refers to the so-called "circumcision customs" as "circumcision schools".

This seems to highlight one aspect of this type of schooling, namely, the surgery, to the total exclusion of all other aspects.

Hopefully the SAHRC will bear this in mind in its recommendations.

Books which deal with the school system of amaXhosa are available. However, accessing this information can only take place through the study of African languages.

…

India's IT Minister Kapil Sibal On Internet Blocks & Social Media Worries

India, March 15 -- On the sidelines of the Gov 2.0 conference last Friday, Communications & IT Minister Kapil Sibal passed the buck on the issue of lack of transparency in the way the Indian government blocks access to websites. Sibal told MediaNama that we should "Ask the Home Ministry, because this is a security issue." During the Q&A session following his address on governance and social media, he had ignored our question on transparency related to the bloc, choosing instead to focus entirely on another of our questions: whether the Indian government would launch a site similar to Data.gov, making important public datasets accessible to data journalists online*.

Sibal on Social Media

Referring to online sites, Sibal said that these sites have so far been used as a transactional medium, but we need to move them into a transformational platform, for which one will need to take a mature, collaborative method. "We've seen the power of the medium in the last six months or so," he said, "seeking to perform a transformational role, but in the absence of a balance. this is really the danger of sites like these. What happens in the process is that all kinds of opinion get both elicited and taken forward, without the necessary wherewithal, and there's a great danger, because this, I believe, is a part of freedom of speech."

"Freedom of speech," he added, "has certain caveats. You can't destroy a persons reputation, you can't commit contempt of court, do things which are against national security. How do we ensure that platforms like this (Gov2.in), which is a social media platform, accept the constraints that are inherent in freedom of speech. We've seen it happening in our television studios, there's no regard for defamation. You can, with one sentence, destroy the reputation of a person. Nobody waits for 10-15 years in a court of law to seek redressal on defamation when your reputation gets destroyed in an instant, when statements are made on Television. And I'm afraid that the same kind of license will would be exercised on a social media platform."

"I don't support governmental interference or guidelines," Sibal said, "but there has to be a societal check. Social Media when it exercises these rights must ensure that the information, before it is put on the website I properly digested. I'm afraid that that's not going to happen. Whereas, it's a great platform for a positive transformational role, it is also a platform that is also subject to misuse. I want to put it on the table, that this is one of the problems that I'm concerned about as we move forward as a democracy. I believe that agendas are taken over by social groups, and they are put forward as if they're the agendas of the nation. That's one issue I wanted to put on the table."

Later in his talk, he mentioned the process, and issues related to dealing with demands of immediate redressal: "Do we have the administrative machinery? We may publish a fact that is not a fact, then will we correct it? Do we have the government structure, the wherewithal, to deal with this social media platform? This is a very serious issue. What will never happen is, that you'll set up a platform, and if the government doesn't respond, you'll get a media channel saying that the government is insensitive to the needs of the people. How do you respond to that? A mechanism in place is good for the purposes of information, but there should be concomonant mechanism in place to ensure that you can deal with it. Is government ready for that? I'm not too sure. I think this is a very complex issue. This is a wonderful initiative, but it is fraught with danger, because the danger lies in the fact that the systems are not in place to deal with mechanisms of this nature. And we need to be ready for that, as Government. Remember that some issues are exceptionally complex."

Sibal also mentioned that a part of the problem is that much of Government information is still not digitized. "I don't have the information on my website on all issues that I deal with in Government, because we're moving from an era of paper transaction to paperless transaction. Now all my information is embedded in paper transactions since 1947, even before. So if I need an answer to a question, I have to look at paper and documents. I can't go to the website for the answers, but the one who is asking, assumes that I have the wherewithal. Now, assuming I have information on paper, I can't answer immediately. By the time I seek to analyse that information, it will become a national movement. There is also a danger of subversion of established institutions when you take platforms like this forward, through misinformation, and that too is a very serious issue.

Sibal, though is not against there being a constructive approach. "I love it when I get information that I'm not aware of, because it helps me decide better. A positive vehicle for me for decision making processes to improve. The reason why I'm saying this is that we must look ahead, and collaborate with the media and other pillars of democracy to make the system work, not destroy the system. Because, it's like a tree - how many years does it take for a tree to grow? Many many years for it to bear fruit. But you can cut a tree in a day, or three seconds for a fruit to fall on the ground. You can make it fall on the ground, but there is no tree around then. You might make sure that you should nurture the tree, and give manure to the tree, and that it gets healthier. don't pluck the fruit, and destroy the very tree that we've taken years over.

Sibal On Connecting India

Sibal said that the second issue he has, is that the Internet is primarily a middle class movement, available only to those who have "the power of access", and hence not inclusive. The Indian government will, over the next 2-3 years, (hopefully) connect every village and Taluka with Fibre Optics, and then connect every home to wireless broadband so that information flows from any part of India to the home of any citizen. "You can then imagine the transformation, instead of the craftsman going to the market, the market comes to the craftsman; instead of the patient goig to the hospital, the hospital comes to the patient; in education instead of the child having to go to the university, the university comes to the child."

However, he warned that this is going to take many years. The government is going to connect 26000 colleges in India, connect 600-700 universities, through the e-learning platform. "What does that mean? It means that any student can access the lecture in any university and earn credit for it. It will transform the educational system because students will only look to access lecturer who are good, which will increase competition within the system, because those who are not good will not be accessed. You can then actually determine renumeration of lecturers on the access of students because that's a clear reflection of how good the teacher is. There will be a concept of meta university - you can take 8 lectures from different universities, and get a degree. This is the transformational role of a platform of this nature."

Sibal on Data Sets Being Made Public

Responding to MediaNama's question on government data sets being made public*, Sibal said he believes that all data, "subject to security considerations and some other considerations, should be in the public domain." He said that they're trying to build platforms through which data can be exchanged, so there is free flow of data throughout the country. To enable that, the form (rather, format) of data must be uniform throughout the country, so that it can flow from the district and taluka level to the central government. "It can't happen tomorrow, but we are moving in that direction.

Published by HT Syndication with permission from Medianama.

For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com