From editor@telecom-digest.org Mon Dec 13 13:01:05 2004 Received: (from ptownson@localhost) by massis.lcs.mit.edu (8.11.6p3/8.11.6) id iBDI15R16967; Mon, 13 Dec 2004 13:01:05 -0500 (EST) Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 13:01:05 -0500 (EST) From: editor@telecom-digest.org Message-Id: <200412131801.iBDI15R16967@massis.lcs.mit.edu> X-Authentication-Warning: massis.lcs.mit.edu: ptownson set sender to editor@telecom-digest.org using -f To: ptownson Approved: patsnewlist Subject: TELECOM Digest V23 #595 TELECOM Digest Mon, 13 Dec 2004 13:01:00 EST Volume 23 : Issue 595 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Telecom Update (Canada) #461, December 13, 2004 (Angus TeleManagement) Channelized T1 (tele-commuter) Dialogic JCT Series (Maverick) Strange Wireless Problem (Matt B.) Is 'Transitional Fair Use' The Wave Of The Future? (Monty Solomon) Re: Unlimited Calling Plan to India (vijay.vishy@gmail.com) Re: Kevin Mitnick Recalled (Al Dykes) Re: Urban Legends Reference Pages: (Celling Your Soul) (Tony P.) Re: Vonage Voice Quality Getting Worse? (Mark Roberts) Re: Calling Card Needed -- Short Interaction Sequence (Joseph) Re: Entrenched Interests Versus Disruptive Technology (Tony P.) Re: Question About ROLM PBX Telephones (CWB) Re: Telemarketing to Cell Phones (Lisa Hancock) Re: EarthLink High Speed Internet Service Ranked Highest (news01@jmatt) Re: Dropping SBC For a VoIP Solution - Vonage or Packet8 (Ringo Langly) Re: Radar Detectors (Geoffrey Welsh) A New Page of VoIP News (Jack Decker) Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the Internet. All contents here are copyrighted by Patrick Townson and the individual writers/correspondents. Articles may be used in other journals or newsgroups, provided the writer's name and the Digest are included in the fair use quote. By using -any name or email address- included herein for -any- reason other than responding to an article herein, you agree to pay a hundred dollars to the recipients of the email. =========================== Addresses herein are not to be added to any mailing list, nor to be sold or given away without explicit written consent. Chain letters, viruses, porn, spam, and miscellaneous junk are definitely unwelcome. We must fight spam for the same reason we fight crime: not because we are naive enough to believe that we will ever stamp it out, but because we do not want the kind of world that results when no one stands against crime. Geoffrey Welsh =========================== See the bottom of this issue for subscription and archive details and the name of our lawyer; other stuff of interest. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 09:57:11 -0500 From: Angus TeleManagement Subject: Telecom Update (Canada) #461, December 13, 2004 ************************************************************ TELECOM UPDATE ************************************************************ published weekly by Angus TeleManagement Group http://www.angustel.ca Number 461: December 13, 2004 Publication of Telecom Update is made possible by generous financial support from: ** ALLSTREAM: www.allstream.com ** AVAYA: www.avaya.ca/en/ ** BELL CANADA: www.bell.ca ** CISCO SYSTEMS CANADA: www.cisco.com/ca/ ** ERICSSON: www.ericsson.ca ** MITEL NETWORKS: www.mitel.com/ ** SPRINT CANADA: www.sprint.ca ** UTC CANADA: www.canada.utc.org/ ************************************************************ IN THIS ISSUE: ** Rogers Plans July Phone Launch ** Do-Not-Call Law Expected ** Bell Canada to Acquire Integrator ** Some Nortel Results This Week? ** EastLink to Sell Rogers Cellphones ** Mixed Views Filed on Bell's Tariff Proposal ** FCM, Calgary, and Vancouver Lose Intervention Bid ** SaskTel DSL Now Provided to CLEC Customers ** Allstream Expands Link with BT ** Remote Working Increases in Canada ** Task Force Lists "Best Practices" to Stop Spam ** Yahoo Hi-Speed Comes to Newfoundland ** Telus Named Top Cellco in North America ** Aliant Buys Fujitsu Consulting Units ** Telus Invests in Internet Software Developer ** Nortel Gets Billion-Dollar Order From Sprint ** Look, UBS Plan Mobile Video ** Peeters Named Chair of Cogeco ** Opening Up Wi-Fi to Guests and Customers ============================================================ ROGERS PLANS JULY PHONE LAUNCH: Speaking last week at a Credit Suisse First Boston conference, Rogers Communications CEO Ted Rogers said his company will begin testing IP-based local telephone service in April 2005 and launch it commercially on July 1. He described the planned offering as "a primary-line service with complete back-up power and number portability," and said they hope to bundle it with wireless service by 2006. DO-NOT-CALL LAW EXPECTED: Published reports say that this week the federal government will table legislation to create a national do-not-call registry. The Canadian Marketing Association favours such a registry, but some telemarketing companies are strongly opposed. BELL CANADA TO ACQUIRE INTEGRATOR: Bell Canada is offering $67 million for all outstanding shares of Nexxlink Technologies, a Quebec IT integration firm. Nexxlink's board and holders of 41% of the shares have endorsed the bid. Nexxlink netted $776,000 on $34 million in sales in the three months ended October 31. SOME NORTEL RESULTS THIS WEEK? Nortel Networks, which has missed several previous deadlines for reporting financial results, now says that this week it will publish "estimated unaudited results for the first and second quarters of 2004 and limited estimated unaudited results for 2001, 2002, 2003, and the third quarter of 2004." ** It expects to begin filing "audited financial statements for the year 2003 and unaudited financial statements for the first and second quarters of 2004, and related periodic reports" on January 10. EASTLINK TO SELL ROGERS CELLPHONES: EastLink, the cable TV company that offers local telephone service in several cities in Nova Scotia and PEI, has begun bundling Rogers Wireless services with its other offerings. EastLink bundle customers who add a Rogers Wireless Mega Time or Family Plan to their account will receive a 15% discount on their airtime charges. MIXED VIEWS FILED ON BELL TARIFF PROPOSAL: Aliant, SaskTel, the Coalition for Competitive Telecommunications, and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre have filed comments supporting Bell Canada's proposal to speed tariff approvals (see Telecom Update #457). Telus has proposed an alternative plan. Most competitors oppose the proposal; Sprint and MTS- Allstream filed particularly detailed critiques. www.crtc.gc.ca/PartVII/eng/2004/8657/b2_200412627.htm 2005 CONTRIBUTION LEVEL SET: CRTC Telecom Decision 2004-81 finalizes the 2004 contribution fee paid by all telecommunications service providers at 1.1%, and sets the 2005 fee at the same percentage on an interim basis. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2004/dt2004-81.htm FCM, CALGARY, AND VANCOUVER LOSE INTERVENTION BID: CRTC Telecom Decision 2004-79 denies applications by Edmonton, Vancouver, and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to be allowed to participate in the applications by MTS Allstream to have its contracts with Toronto and Calgary revised by the commission. ** Allstream is to file renewed submissions by early January. www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Decisions/2004/dt2004-79.htm SASKTEL DSL NOW PROVIDED TO CLEC CUSTOMERS: Complying with a CRTC order in May (see Telecom Update #434), SaskTel now permits customers who obtain their local phone service from a CLEC using a SaskTel unbundled loop to obtain or keep the telco's retail DSL Internet service. ** The CRTC did not order SaskTel to provide DSL over "dry copper," saying this question will be addressed in the Maskatel/FCI Broadband application filed in March (see Telecom Update #427). www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/ENG/Orders/2004/o2004-413.htm ALLSTREAM EXPANDS LINK WITH BT: Allstream says it has now expanded the reach of its MPLS network globally through BT's network. Allstream is BT's preferred supplier of data services in Canada. REMOTE WORKING INCREASES IN CANADA: In a survey sponsored by AT&T, two-thirds of Canadian executives interviewed said that at least some of their staff work from home regularly, a substantial increase from a year earlier. Eighty percent said remote working is a key focus when setting technology strategies, and 74% said at least half of their employees have broadband access at home. www.business.att.com/emea/english/whitepaper/ TASK FORCE LISTS "BEST PRACTICES" TO STOP SPAM: The federal Task Force on Spam (see Telecom Update #433) has identified nine "best practices" that ISPs should adopt to reduce spam, including blocking e-mail file attachments with specific extensions known to carry infections, and filtering e-mail file attachments based on content properties. The Task Force will submit its final report in the spring. http://e-com.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inecic-ceac.nsf/en/gv00267e.html YAHOO HI-SPEED COMES TO NEWFOUNDLAND: Rogers Cable has begun converting its Internet customers in parts of Newfoundland to the Rogers Yahoo Hi-Speed Internet service it launched earlier this year in Ontario and New Brunswick. The company says customers will not have to change their e-mail addresses and can register online in about two minutes. TELUS NAMED TOP CELLCO IN NORTH AMERICA: N. Moore Capital, a U.S. financial analysis company, has named Telus Mobility the top performing wireless carrier in North America, based on average revenue per subscriber, churn, free cash flow per subscriber, and cost of acquisition. ALIANT BUYS FUJITSU CONSULTING UNITS: Xwave, a subsidiary of Aliant, has acquired the operations of Fujitsu Consulting Inc. in Halifax, Saint John, and Fredericton, including 90 employees and existing projects. Fujitsu's Consulting Business Services and Atlantic Delivery Center are not included in the deal. TELUS INVESTS IN INTERNET SOFTWARE DEVELOPER: Telus Ventures has become a shareholder in Vision Critical Communications, a Vancouver software company specializing in Internet and new media applications for the market research and polling industry. The amount of Telus's investment was not released. NORTEL GETS BILLION-DOLLAR ORDER FROM SPRINT: Nortel Networks says that Sprint U.S. has agreed to buy wireless network equipment and services worth about US$1 billion over the next three years. LOOK, UBS PLAN MOBILE VIDEO: Look Communications and Unique Broadband Systems say they will jointly launch mobile video services in Toronto and Montreal early in 2006. The service will broadcast 80 video channels and 100 digital audio channels to handheld PDA-sized devices. PEETERS NAMED CHAIR OF COGECO: Jan Peeters, who headed early long-distance competitor Fonorola until it was acquired by Call-Net in 1998, has been named Chairman of the Board of Cogeco Cable. OPENING UP WI-FI TO GUESTS AND CUSTOMERS: The current issue of Telemanagement analyzes initiatives by Canadian organizations to make their Wi-Fi networks available to non- employees with no loss of security. Also in this issue: ** Reinventing Telecom Management--Again ** Avaya and Mitel: Two Strategies for IP Success ** IP Shakes Up Health Care Network These reports are available to Telemanagement subscribers only. To subscribe today, call 1-800-263-4415 ext 500 or go to www.angustel.ca/teleman/tm-sub-online.html. ============================================================ HOW TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR TELECOM UPDATE E-MAIL: editors@angustel.ca FAX: 905-686-2655 MAIL: TELECOM UPDATE Angus TeleManagement Group 8 Old Kingston Road Ajax, Ontario Canada L1T 2Z7 =========================================================== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE (OR UNSUBSCRIBE) TELECOM UPDATE is provided in electronic form only. There are two formats available: 1. The fully-formatted edition is posted on the World Wide Web on the first business day of the week at www.angustel.ca 2. The e-mail edition is distributed free of charge. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: join-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com To stop receiving the e-mail edition, send an e-mail message to: leave-telecom_update@nova.sparklist.com Sending e-mail to these addresses will automatically add or remove the sender's e-mail address from the list. Leave subject line and message area blank. We do not give Telecom Update subscribers' e-mail addresses to any third party. For more information, see www.angustel.ca/update/privacy.html. =========================================================== COPYRIGHT AND CONDITIONS OF USE: All contents copyright 2004 Angus TeleManagement Group Inc. All rights reserved. For further information, including permission to reprint or reproduce, please e-mail rosita@angustel.ca or phone 905-686-5050 ext 500. The information and data included has been obtained from sources which we believe to be reliable, but Angus TeleManagement makes no warranties or representations whatsoever regarding accuracy, completeness, or adequacy. Opinions expressed are based on interpretation of available information, and are subject to change. If expert advice on the subject matter is required, the services of a competent professional should be obtained. ------------------------------ From: tele-commuter Subject: Channelized T1 Date: 13 Dec 2004 02:07:06 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Hi folks, Despite my sincere efforts,I am not able to understand the exact difference between : 1. A Channelized and an Unchannelized communication(T1/E1) link? 2. Is Channelized/Unchannelized the same as Multiplexed/ Non-Multiplexed ? I will be grateful to anyone who can provide me with some insight into this. TIA, tele-commuter ------------------------------ From: Maverick Subject: Dialogic JCT Series Date: 13 Dec 2004 04:26:24 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Hi, I am interested in knowing the capabilities of Dialogic JCT series boards. Can any one please tell me if the JCT boards specially the low density boards ( for instance VFX/41JCT or D/41JCT-LS ) will provide the following: - PABX integration ( which PABXs can be integrated ) - support of VoIP/GSM ( the data sheet tells us that such boards support GSM and 7.26, but how do I access it..??? ) Any help in this regard is appreciated. Thanks in Advance. Maverick ------------------------------ From: Matt B. Subject: Strange Wireless Problem Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 07:29:11 -0500 Hello all, I'm having a strange problem and I hope you can help ... A few co-workers are using wireless-enabled laptops. They are able to receive e-mail from the POP3 server, but are unable to send. They get the error "The server has timed out ... might be server problems, etc.." If they plug in to a wired connection, it works fine. Everyone is using Outlook 2000 or 2003. It doesn't matter where they are using the wireless connection -- at home, at the office, at great-grandma Edna's ... it all does the same thing ... and we are at a loss! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks, Matt B. e-mail: moc.oohay@02091bttam <--Blocked...reverse it ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 23:11:09 -0500 From: Monty Solomon Subject: Is 'Transitional Fair Use' The Wave Of The Future? Is 'Transitional Fair Use' The Wave Of The Future? Written By Rick Ellis, Monday, November 28th, 2004 When HBO's "Six Feet Under" returns in 2005, it won't just be the end of a long-running hit series. It may also be a turning point for TV viewers who are in the habit of recording shows to watch weeks or even months later. Sources at two different cable companies have told AllYourTV.com that discussions have begun which will may lead to a restriction of use for fans of several popular television shows. The discussions are reportedly in very early stages, and the details are still very broad. But this is what I can confirm at this date. A middle-level executive at Time Warner has approached several cable companies and broached the idea of restricting the ability of customers who use those company's Digital Video Recorders to record several popular Time Warner TV programs. The term being used by the executive is "transitional fair use," and the scenerio laid out goes roughly along these lines: Viewers would be able to record an episode with their DVR, but there would be a time limit on how long it would be available for viewing. The executive was pushing for an expiration date that coincided with the premiere of the next episode. The consensus of the cable executived was that it needed to be between 2-4 weeks. ... http://www.allyourtv.com/0405season/news/november/11282004transitional.html ------------------------------ From: vijay.vishy@gmail.com Subject: Re: Unlimited Calling Plan to India Date: 12 Dec 2004 15:45:27 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Thanks for your suggestions. I knew about the first option [SIP phones isn't it?] I will be calling all over India not just one number. I am using @10cpm but a reliable service. I am surprised to learn that there is not even one company that is providing unlimited international calling plan. [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: *Assuming* (big assmuption, I know) that local calls within India are reasonably priced and you can get them (in bulk or otherwise) for less than 10cpm, why not consider part of the other suggestion which was made: Install a computer and a Vonage or other TA at a *trusted source* in India along with a call-extender. Have the call-extender pick up the Vonage line when it rings and extend new dial tone (from India) to you in the USA and make the equivilent of a 'local call' from your source in India to wherever. Again, assuming the cost of the local call (within India) plus the VOIP charge, plus the computer for the other end, etc. eventually will work out to less than 10cpm. PAT] ------------------------------ From: adykes@panix.com (Al Dykes) Subject: Re: Kevin Mitnick Recalled Date: 12 Dec 2004 17:43:32 -0500 Organization: PANIX -- Public Access Networks Corp. In article , Danny Burstein wrote: > In Lisa Minter > writes: >> Rummaging around through the Telecom Archives, I found two interesting >> items on Kevin Mitnick. I wonder if anyone knows what he has been >> doing since 1997 or whenever he got out of prison. > From a recent post I made to another group: >Subject: Mitnick using his powers for Good. Demonstrates Windows probs > "Surfing the Web has never been more risky. > "Simply connecting to the Internet -- and doing nothing else -- > exposes your PC to non-stop, automated break-in attempts by intruders > looking to take control of your machine surreptitiously. > "While most break-in tries fail, an unprotected PC can get hijacked > within minutes of accessing the Internet. > "'It's a hostile environment out there,' says tech security consultant > Kevin Mitnick, who served five years in prison for breaking into > corporate computer systems in the mid-1990s. "Attackers have become > extremely indiscriminate." > [ snippety snip ] > http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/hacking/2004-11-29-honeypot_x.htm > dannyb@panix.com I found Mitnick's book _The Art of Deception: Controlling the Human Element of Security_ a good presentation on Social Engineering, useful to give clueless technical people an idea as to just how sneaky a con artist can be and how difficult it can be to make a large organization a hard target. a d y k e s @ p a n i x . c o m ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Urban Legends Reference Pages: Politics (Celling Your Soul) Organization: ATCC Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 21:04:23 -0500 In article , dvanhorn@dvanhorn.org says: > One thing I've noticed lately, is a lot of telemarketing calls from > Quebec. Note that Canadian telemarketers are not bound by US law. I've noted the same thing. Is there some particular reason this occurs? ------------------------------ From: markrobt@myrealbox.com (Mark Roberts) Subject: Re: Vonage Voice Quality Getting Worse? Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 02:24:47 -0000 Organization: 1.94 meters John R Levine had written: > Have other people had voice quality problems with Vonage? Usually, no. When it does happen, it seems to happen with calls to certain rural areas (one in Missouri, in particular). A second try at placing the calls usually clears them up. ATA-186 behind a Linksys router with QoS enabled. Mark Roberts | "Kansas City, named after Kansas, most of it's in Oakland, Cal.| Missouri. That's not right!" NO HTML MAIL | -- Jon Stewart (The Daily Show, November 17, 2004) ------------------------------ From: Joseph Subject: Re: Calling Card Needed -- Short Interaction Sequence Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 16:20:43 -0800 Reply-To: JoeOfSeattle@yahoo.com On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 21:35:20 -0700, DevilsPGD wrote: >> Then their billing arrangement is broken. The FCC regs are that the >> pay phone operator gets their kickback of (usually about $0.30 [a]) >> for _each_ call. If you (typically) hit the " * " button on the keypad >> to tell your phonecard service to let you make a second call without >> having to hangup and redial the whole kit and kaboodle, the FCC regs >> treat that one as, yes, a second call, with an additional $0.30. > Interesting, do you know what defines when a second call starts? Why is this such a difficult question? You finish one call and begin another one. When the second call answers the second call starts. ------------------------------ From: Tony P. Subject: Re: Entrenched Interests Versus Disruptive Technology Organization: ATCC Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 21:07:45 -0500 In article , wzaltdnes@waltdnes.org says: > On Thu, 9 Dec 2004 23:38:11 -0500, Ron Chapman, > wrote: >> Books, by their very nature, are wrought from processes that distill >> the crap out and leave hard-considered facts and opinions. But on the >> net, all it takes is one crazy to set up a "the Holocaust was a fake" >> blog -- and how does a ten year old know how to interpret that? He >> doesn't. But he reads it on the net ... so does he just go ahead and >> use that as "fact" to back up his assignment? >> It's all about EDITING. >> Now, maybe if my kid's research was done online using only EDITED >> resources, resources that have been through the same excruciating >> processes that produce printed books, that would be fine. > 100% taurine excrement. "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" is a > published book that's been around for a century. "Mein Kampf" is > another book that was published long before the internet came into > existance. Would you accept them as authoritative if some kid used > them as sources for his homework assignment??? >> Unedited information makes for dangerous waters. It requires at the >> least parental coaching to help the child become a well-rounded and >> educated netizen. One should NOT leave the child alone to use the >> naked net to finish an assignment. My parents could leave me in the >> library by myself to do that, and I could leave my kid in the library >> today, but not on the net. Not alone and without guidance. > When someone once complained that 90% of science fiction was crud, > Theodore Sturgeon shot back that 90% of *EVERYTHING* was crud. This > is popularly known as "Sturgeon's Law". He was generally right, > although some people might argue that 90% is a conservative number. > Children need to be taught critical thinking and to critically examine > *ALL* "facts", regardless of where those alleged facts are found, > regardless of whether it's on the web or in a "respected publication". > Now to get onto the topic of my subject ... when a new technology > comes out that undermines entrenched interests using old tech, the old > entrenched interests will fight tooth-and-nail to destroy the new > tech. > - Gutenberg's invention of the printing-press undermined the > religious establishment's authority. Priests, often the only > people literate in Latin, could open up an expensive parchment > Latin Bible and tell the populace "The Holy Bible says blah blah > blah...". Cheap English translations via Gutenberg's printing > press allowed the populace to respond "No, it doesn't". The > Church's initial reaction was to ban English Bible translations, > and burn their authors at the stake (e.g. William Tyndale in 1536) > - The automobile was fought tooth-and-nail by the horse-and-buggy > industry. Ever heard of the "Red Flag Law"? > - Low-cost (and for that matter no-cost) Open Source software is > threatening to undermine Microsoft's monopoly. Microsoft's > response is to amass software patents and spread FUD about Open > Source software ( http://news.com.com/2100-7344-5457879.html ). > And then there's the Darl McBride fiaSCO. > Web-publishing threatens the grip of the old-line media. In the old > days, you needed to be a multi-millionaire, if not a billionaire, to > own the media necessary to promote your version of the truth. Today, > anybody with a few dollars a month for an internet connection and a > webpage has the chance to have their story seen by a worldwide > audience. And the old-line media are fighting tooth-and-nail to > discredit/outlaw/hobble the new media. I don't deny that there will > be plenty of garbage in the new media, but then again, there's plenty > of garbage in the old media. Speaking of threatening old line media I found this on Slashdot today: [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Notice also some of the ways what you refer to as 'old line' media (i.e. paper and printing presses and often as not a publisher with a few million dollars) have had to adapt in the past several years: One, delivery methods have changed a lot. There are no longer *any* afternoon newspapers in many cities. Both Chicago Daily News and the Chicago Herald-American went out of business totally as did Chicago Today. They say the afternoon traffic during the rush hour simply made it impractical to publish and distribute afternoon papers. Two, papers which were paid for with the cost of advertising and given away or 'sold' for the paltry sum of two cents or five cents now are sold for fifty cents or in the case of the Sunday paper maybe two or three dollars. Three, many of the formerly 'local' papers have gone 'national' in scope, using satellite publishing plants. For example, 'Wall Street Journal' published by Dow-Jones has a publisher in New York, in San Fransisco and in Chicago (where Chicago Tribune prints it locally.) Christian Science Monitor has publishing plants all over the USA also; in Chicago it is printed by one of the local daily newspapers. New York Times does the same thing; I think in Chicago it is published by the Tribune people. So no more two or three day delays in getting out of town newspapers. Now they arrive, usually by postal mail, the same day as is shown on the cover. The newspapers are adapting, trying hard to keep up with the internet. PAT] ------------------------------ From: CWB Subject: Re: Question About ROLM PBX Telephones Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 08:38:01 GMT Organization: Road Runner High Speed Online http://www.rr.com ROLM was a stand alone company and originally made Mil Spec flight computers ... the CBX (7000 and later the 8000 line) came from the computer side of the company. IBM did not buy into ROLM until the early-mid 80s ... by then, ROLM had climbed to the #2 PBX maker in North America (ahead of ATT but behind Nortel). IBM was responsible for the 9751 CBX (which was a overhauled designed of the VLCBXII 9000; my former company had SN #2 of the VLs in the 80s. The software was similar but the hardware was different). The color was changed as the original ROLM switches had Orange doors. The newer ROLM cabinets were white with the IBM blue logo seen in some areas ...(the BLUEING of RED ROLM it was called). Siemens bought into ROLM in the 90s ... and in 94, IBM sold ROLM entirely to Siemens...Siemens then changed the name of their HCM200 to the ROLM 9200 CBX (it was NOT ANYWHERE NEAR THE REAL ROLMS!) and then introduced the "new" Models30 and 80 of the 9751 series calling them the 9006i line (i standing for the Intel processor the Siemens boxes used vs the Motorola CPU the original 9751, now called the 9005/6m used). But the "new" models were totally different from the legacy 9751s (actually they were Siemens HCM300 PBXs renamed) and users did not like the new switch ... it still does not perform like an older ROLM CBX (which was the best on the market at the height of its time ... too bad it did not implement ISDN properly. ) The name ROLM is pretty much gone now ... Siemens dropped the ROLM name from its web site and most of the equipment ... the only thing Siemens kept from ROLM was PhoneMail ... but that has been outlived by its new offering, Xpressions 470 ... which is a multimedia offering; but keeping the same voice and operating codes, etc ...(the only thing Siemens did RIGHT with the ROLM line). The 9751-9005/6m is out of production but still being supported ... 9005.6.84 was the last software release for it. There are thousands of 8000CBXs still in service ... (but they are slowing being replaced). The 9751-9006i was renamed back to the HCM300 and has gotten better but still doesn't have certain features that the legacy 9751 did ! Siemens really did in ROLM and now trails Avaya and other PBX makers in installed systems in the US ...(down to #10 IIRC). Chris (former ROLM tech) wrote in message ews:telecom23.590.15@telecom-digest.org: > ROLM was originally an IBM CBX / PBX voice switching venture that was > in North America's arrival was purchased away from the German company > SEIMENS. IBM made many advancements and improvements to the systems > proprietary operating system and architecture (Americanizing it). IBM > later sold the ROLM CBX / PBX product back to SEIMENS for a handsome > profit. > SEIMENS then revised the o/s and architecture with it's own > German touch. Their new systems struggled mightly to hang on as third > most distributed voice switching platform in North America. Consumers > and system administrators were clearly NOT impressed with what had been > re-engineered or otherwise taken back to a Version 1.0 release. The > early versions of HICOM (SEIMENS revised ROLM) lost much of the market > it had locked into for years. Loyal customers were no longer loyal to > the ROLM name. A terrific interactive ROLM User Guide still exist and > serves those who still run on the american~ized ROLM 9751 9004 & 9005 > platforms. That web-site is http://www.9751.com > Joseph Bergstein wrote: >> In a message from Martin McCormick, he states: >>> The Rolm PBX'S are made by Seimens, as far as I know. >> ROLM PBX'x have been made by the Rolm Company since they were >> founded. As I recall, ROLM actually started out manufacturing >> MILSPEC Nova (Data General) computers in the early '70s. I recall >> seeing them as the console computer on early Amdahl 470 mainframes. >> Rolm PBXs up to and including the current 9751 are still made by >> ROLM. Since the ROLM - Siemens merger, and subsequent acquisition, >> the two firms indicate that they are merging their technology >> platforms, but so far Siemens does not make ROLM PBX's, per se >> (other than now owning the ROLM company). ------------------------------ From: hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com Subject: Re: Telemarketing to Cell Phones Date: 13 Dec 2004 07:34:23 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com jmeissen@aracnet.com wrote: > A thread in the local forsale newsgroup here has been debating the > legality of making telemarketing calls to cell phones (in the US). > While most people seem to believe it's NOT legal, no one has been > able to provide a specific reference. That's a good question. I also wonder if "exempt" calls -- political, charitable, survey polls, prior business relationships -- would be allowed to call cell phones. This is of particular interest to me because my cell phone is on a low use plan. I normally have it off during the day, but if I needed it on (ie waiting for a call from a doctor or an ill family member, for example) I could pay as much as $2.00 per minute plus taxes for an unwanted call*. Given the repetitive volume of such calls (as many as SEVEN a day during the voting season), I wouldn't be very happy paying $15 for calls I never asked for. Another rule I'm curious about is such prohibiting calls to nursing homes. I was told they're illegal, but in my own experience they happened and caused distress when they did**. Some phone solicitors use sophisticated equipment and databases, but others and small operators just scanning the phone book. There are services that search out new phone book listings and house sales and sell them to local businesses as potential new customers; some of those use the phone for their pitches. Those calls are by a real person (maybe the business owner) but they're just as annoying. There are also sleavy business people out there who simply lie when they make their phone calls. I get a call from time to time with the caller saying "we've done business in the past", something I know is absolutely a lie. But again, how much time can one devote to writing up a complaint report? Often times the authorities won't do anything with a single complaint, anyway. [public replies please] Notes: * The $2 is from roaming during peak times. Yes, I know there are cheaper deals, but my monthly fee is very low and almost never make such calls. It's just a backup in case I break down on a highway someplace. ** Supposedly you can report the offending caller and take action against them. However, when you're dealing with a sick family member in a nursing home, you have far more important things on your mind than making the appropriate notes, writing up a complaint, etc.. The family member is in no condition to record such a report. We ended up disconnecting the phone, which annoyed me greatly. ------------------------------ From: news01@jmatt.net Subject: Re: EarthLink High Speed Internet Service Ranked Highest Date: 13 Dec 2004 07:50:02 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com LSmithsonvqm@hotmail.com wrote: > I see. That is why I got a call this morning with AOL and Time Warner > babbling about how great the service they provide using Earthlink > lines is. I told the leaches that I would deal with Earthlink > directly. "Earthlink lines"? Is there really such an animal? I thought that for broadband access, Earthlink was just reselling DSL and cable service that was physically provided by somebody else. ------------------------------ From: Ringo Langly Subject: Re: Dropping SBC For a VoIP Solution -- Vonage or Packet8 ?? Date: 13 Dec 2004 08:02:05 -0800 Organization: http://groups.google.com Hi Isaiah, My DTA310 is plugged into my router, and AFAICT this is the only way to do it. Granted I can get with my ISP, have another IP added to my box, and connect it in tangent with my router with a hub, but this is not only a pain but will cost me extra both for the hub and for the extra IP. The way I have it now, though there's a log, works rather well. Ringo ------------------------------ From: Geoffrey Welsh Subject: Re: Radar Detectors Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 11:28:25 -0500 David Clayton wrote: > A few years ago on a major road in my city, a system was trialled > where computerised signs would advise drivers what speed to travel at > to get the "green wave" of traffic lights. Shouldn't that be the speed limit?!? Geoffrey Welsh ------------------------------ From: Jack Decker Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 21:27:46 -0500 Subject: A New Page of VoIP News Reply-To: VoIPnews@yahoogroups.com For those who still want VoIP News, I'm trying something experimentally using a new service I found -- take a look at this: http://michigantelephone.mi.org/voipnews.html Granted it's not like every item is hand-picked, but if you scan through the newest items once or twice a day you just might find something interesting. Basically this is a "set it up and pretty much forget it" service -- let's hope it lasts for a while (and doesn't start inserting ads or anything like that). How to Distribute VoIP Throughout a Home: http://michigantelephone.mi.org/distribute.html If you live in Michigan, subscribe to the MI-Telecom group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MI-Telecom/ ------------------------------ TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. 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