Posted on 07. Dec, 2009 by NetworkIP in Media Coverage
BILLERICA, Mass., Dec 07, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ —-A growing number of communications service providers (CSPs) are adopting the Vertica Analytic Database to win more business, improve service and out-market competitors.
More than a dozen new CSP customers have moved beyond the limits of traditional data warehouse tools with Vertica thanks to its ability to plumb terabytes of raw subscriber and network data at blazingly fast speeds.
With this next-generation analytic performance, companies such as Verizon, Comcast, Sprint, Vonage, Level 3, NetworkIP, Syniverse, Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) and IRIS Wireless have discovered new business intelligence capabilities and opportunities previously inaccessible to them. They can better understand and respond to customer needs, stemming churn and winning new customers away from competitors. Using Vertica, these CSPs can now continuously innovate, creating new products and offerings to boost revenue.
Vertica’s high-speed analytic capabilities also help CSPs meet regulatory requirements and venture into new lines of business like wireless or IP data services. Vertica’s ability to crunch massive amounts of raw data in near real time gives more people than ever the insight they need to make better, more timely decisions such as spotting fraud, meeting service level agreements or re-routing traffic to the lowest cost path.
For example, Verizon has built several terabyte-scale call detail record (CDR) data marts using Vertica to support billing assurance, compliance and other initiatives. Sprint is delivering better, more reliable wireless service to customers running Vertica with BusinessObjects to analyze network performance data. And NetworkIP is using Vertica to supercharge a key business offering for its customers, enabling them to query nearly ten times more CDR data 200 times faster than before.
That’s because Vertica is a new generation of ultra-fast data warehouse technology architected specifically for the severe data problems CSPs and other businesses face today. Performing ad hoc queries on terabytes of caller data does not scale well using traditional data warehouse systems from Oracle, Netezza and others, which use row-oriented databases designed for write-intensive transaction workloads rather than read-intensive analytical workloads.
Vertica, by comparison, is powered by a column-oriented MPP architecture optimized for screamingly fast data loading and queries, combined with powerful data compression that dramatically reduces I/O constraints and storage costs.
“As competition heats up, CSPs must be able to react to network and customer service issues within minutes, not days. They must also ensure high network performance and quickly develop new products to retain customers and cut costs,” said Derek Schoettle, senior director, communications industry at Vertica Systems, Inc. “Vertica addresses the desperate need for operational and customer intelligence that is more timely and insightful so CSPs can reduce churn, cut costs and increase revenue with new services.”
About Vertica
Vertica Systems is the market innovator for high-performance analytic database management systems that run on industry-standard hardware. Co-founded by database pioneer Dr. Michael Stonebraker, Vertica has developed column-oriented analytic database technology with an MPP architecture that lets companies of any size store and query very large databases orders of magnitude faster and more affordably than other solutions. The Vertica Analytic Database is available as software only, as a hardware based appliance, as a virtual appliance on VMware or online as a cloud computing solution. The technology’s unmatched speed, scalability, flexibility and ease of use helps Vertica’s 100+ customers including JP Morgan Chase, Verizon, Mozilla, Comcast, Level(3) Communications and Vonage capitalize on business opportunities in real time. Vertica is headquartered in Billerica, Mass. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at http://www.vertica.com.
Source: Vertica Systems
Copyright (C) 2009 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
Originally published at: http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/telcos-embracing-vertica-analytic-database-grow-market-share-perform/#
Posted on 02. Feb, 2009 by NetworkIP in Media Coverage
I have taken some ribbing this week at the IT Expo (nice job, Rich) on account of my tanned complexion, earned at the Pacific Telecommunications Council and while giving a couple of keynotes for the Alaska Telecommunications Association meeting (Well, most of the ribbing came from Andy Abramson, I’d have to say…some people just thought I looked relaxed…)
I will say a couple of things about our Telco 2.0 panel at PTC, where I shared a stage with Network IP (Jaduka), MetaSwitch and IntelePeer.
First, I have maintained for some time (and reiterated from the stage) that Network IP is the most underestimated company in the IP communications space. As far as vision, they get it. As far as company effort to make that vision a reality, they are doing more than is apparent on the surface. I like “old time” telephone industry companies that grew up on voice and now are trying really hard to make sure voice is even more relevant in the future.
I believe Network IP/Jaduka will startle some people, soon.
I got a chance to work with IntelePeer again at the IT Expo, and likewise continue to be impressed with how much thought the company has given to “a la carte” approaches to voice and communications applications. If you knew the company five years ago, you might not recognize it today. But more important is the thinking behind ways new applications using voice can be created in non-monolithic ways.
Finally, at least one or two people might have been surprised to see MetaSwitch on the Telco 2.0 plenary panel. But, likewise, I have known this company for a while. It is among the firms firmly established in the “old” business that are working really hard to be even more relevant in the “new” business. I believe we will see further signs of that effort this year.
There are some people who continue to say that old legacy telco companies will not survive the world that is coming, or should not. Well, that remains to be seen. But I suspect some people underestimate their ability to change.
Human creativity and grit are not to be found only among the ranks of the bleeding edge “Web” companies out there. Lots of people in the old “legacy” business are quite capable of leading a transformation and transition to something that will look quite different.
I also will say that my time with the ATA members points out just how demanding this sort of work is. One has to adapt to the advanced technologies, while at the same time gearing those tools to be used by service providers and their customers who might not care a whit for the coolness and cleverness demonstrated at the leading edge.
Written by: Gary Kim
Originally published at: http://ipcarrier.blogspot.com/2009/02/just-couple-of-compliments.html
Posted on 01. Feb, 2009 by NetworkIP in Media Coverage
Portable readers, lower prices and improved technology have led to increased use of RFID for managing inventory at the item level, tracking goods in the manufacturing process and enhancing the consumer’s experience at retail. Stephanie Brush, director of Motorola RFID business development for the fashion market, says, “RFID is becoming more mainstream, and it is becoming a work tool. In the last two or three years, people wanted to test the technology and make sure it worked. Now we know it works, so the question is, what problem can it solve for you?”
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Written by: Mindy Long
Posted on 19. Nov, 2008 by NetworkIP in Media Coverage
Peering as it relates to VoIP comes in many different shapes and sizes and for some this can be confusing. Traditional IP Peering has a point of reference and those that understand it may however not fully understand the scope ofVoIP Peering ( News – Alert), as it has a direct relationship to a specific application, whereas straight-up IP peering does not. Simply put, IP Peering lacks the “Vo”.
Basically any application that uses IP can be described as being “over” it and then defined specifically with interoperability standards and be made to seamlessly interconnect whether over the public Internet, or a private IP network. This somewhat dilutes the purist form of peering which is rather simple and simple is usually better and easier to understand. What is also understandable is the challenge of finding a functional similarity in the use of the term peering for all groups in the IP world. The truth is that IP is layer 3, but the Vo is Layers 5-7. Just as with any other religion, though, there are sects, but they share the same common root at some point.
In the VoIP sect there are many developments occurring. VoIP Peering is manifesting itself in application to network bridge-building at several levels. A recent example of this comes from a Dallas-based company,Jaduka ( News – Alert) (www.jaduka.com). Jaduka and their Transaction Services link Point of Sale (POS) with mobile networks and devices and also ecommerce via the web, all to voice (VoIP and PSTN) networks.
The uses for these capabilities are financial transaction in nature. Working towards a more integrated experience with data integrity and security are very valid efforts and truly create the “glue that binds”. What is particularly interesting about this group and their work is in their roots. Jaduka’s parent company, NetworkIP, is a carrier-grade telecom service provider.
For them the concept of developing web APIs as an interface to the voice network was a logical way to drive more traffic. Through the process of creating a web-window to the mobile and fixed voice world with ties to the commerce terminals of brick and mortar they have built an IP version of a free-trade zone allowing multiple parties to virtually meet in the middle and transact. It is virtual real estate for a giant digital Wal-Mart.
As with all things in life, there are building blocks. From those early stages, the future is built. Not many can explain how it all works, but most can benefit from what has been created without even knowing what really went in to it.
Written by: Hunter Newby, Chief Strategy Officer and Director of a special purpose acquisition corporation in the communications industry, writes the VoIPeering column for TMCnet To read more of Hunter’s articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Greg Galitzine
Orignally published at: http://hosted-voip.tmcnet.com/feature/articles/45757-ip-building-blocks.htm
Posted on 18. Aug, 2008 by NetworkIP in Media Coverage
Wireless payments sure are snappy. You can buy gas with the wave of a wand and buzz through a toll booth without opening a window. But this fast-and-easy way to transfer customer data can pose a threat to security. Any organization using the technology should harden its defenses before it’s deployed.
Warning: Your personal data may be at risk. As RFID (radio frequency identification) devices work their way into consumers’ everyday lives, the potential for data breaches grows rapidly.
RFID technology used to be used primarily to track warehouse operations and perform inventory control through. Now, this same technology is finding its way into smart keys — keys that merely need to come close to a lock in order to unlock it. RFID transponders now speed travelers through toll booths and gas stations without requiring users to whip out credit cards or old-fashioned cash.
But these modern-day marvels can be quickly and easily read by the devices the user intends to use them with, they can also be easily read by someone with nefarious intentions. Even worse, vendors are moving RFID short-distance transmissions into long-distance delivery via wireless networks and satellite relays. All of this happens over a patchwork of hardware and software that often defies PCI (payment card industry) compliance rules and best-practice network security.
“RFID can communicate lots of different data. RFID tags need a validation process. Users have to know what is acceptable and what the guidelines are. There is no one standard for this. Too many proprietary systems are in use,” Steve Salvitti, senior vice president of enterprise mobility for InfoLogix, told CRM Buyer.
Expanding Uses
A new survey by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) finds that use of radio frequency identification technology is on the rise in a variety of industries. Among the most popular applications are asset tracking, personal identification, supply chain, retail management and closed-loop manufacturing.
The worldwide survey of 155 IT companies found that 46 percent of their customers have implemented one or more RFID solutions, either as pilot projects or production deployments. This is an increase from a 2007 survey, when IT companies reported 34 percent of their customers had initiated RFID projects. Customers come from a cross section of industries, including services, government, finance, healthcare, retail, communications and manufacturing.
Among the RFID products and services IT companies say they are delivering to customers today are hardware installation and maintenance products, consulting and training services and software implementations. The survey, however, did not focus on security factors associated with the spreading use of RFID.
“RFID offers adopters of the technology a number of benefits, from improvements in manufacturing, inventory and distribution processes, to reduced costs for product theft, spoilage or obsolescence,” said Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief executive officer, CompTIA. “It’s incumbent on our industry, with help from organizations such as CompTIA, to help customers overcome any obstacles to RFID usage and help them benefit from the efficiencies RFID can deliver.”
Overlapping Technology
Because RFID is still relatively new in consumer and enterprise circles, two similar technologies are often lumped together. RFID and Near Field Communications (NFC) are not the same thing.
“In the market, RFID has come to refer to inventory tracking, where NFC is more specific to person transactions. A key difference between RFID and NFC protocols are the way in which the master/slave relationship is handled,” Brian Kirk, vice president of business development for NetworkIP, told CRM Buyer.
With RFID, the master and slave roles — which device gets to control which — cannot be reversed, whereas with NFC, the roles of master and slave can be reversed. In fact, NFC provides for a peer-to-peer relationship, he explained.
The consumer solution typically called “RFID,” then, is more likely to really be NFC. That transition will take place very soon, according to Kirk.
Security Issues
One common vehicle for deploying RFID and NFC technology today is the Smart Card. A considerable amount of education is needed for both consumers and retailers about security. Knowledge about how a consumer’s identity and bank accounts will be secured will be imperative if these technologies are going to succeed, noted Kirk.
Different standards exist. For instance, ISO14443 and 15693 are the international standards for contactless smart cards operating at a radio frequency of 13.56 MHz. ISO14443 has a range of 10 cm (4 inches) and is viewed as the more secure of the two standards.
The Near Field Communications protocol adheres to ISO14443. ISO 15693 has a much wider range of transmission (1 to 1.5 meters) and is more likely to be used for tracking inventory in a warehouse, according to Kirk.
“Not only does NFC have a much shorter transmission range than RFID, inherently making it more secure than traditional RFID, but applications running over NFC technologies will more than likely encrypt the data that is being transmitted. So even if there is a ’sniffer’ trying to pick up the transmission, it won’t pick up anything of use because of the encryption,” said Kirk.
Along the Way
Security with these devices is not a universal given. RFID is still getting under way in some circles, Mike Lang, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Numerex (Nasdaq: NMRX), told CRM Buyer. Its newest role is using satellite, cellular or WiFi for long-distance transmission of data taken in by local reading devices.
“Security is something you don’t just have with a purchased product. You have to keep working on it every day. This area needs a certain level of education on what it is and how it works. In the wireless world, the big challenge is how the RFID device integrates with security measures,” said Lang.
The distance RFID data travels is not as much of a concern as how that data gets to where is is going. The key factor is what happens when the information is transmitted, according to InfoLogix’s Salvitti.
“There is no difference whether the use is short or long distance. What matters more are other factors that affect security,” he said. “There are multiple points with the hardware and software that allow the possibility of a breach.”
For instance, the actual device used and its firmware need to be PCI compliant, which many older devices still in wide use are not. Also, WiFi networks pose a risk. Once the data goes on the air, how secure is it? The data has to go to a SAP (NYSE: SAP) local environment. How secure is that?
What’s Needed
“Some vendors say, ‘I’m compliant today, so I am OK.’ But that is not true,” Salvitti said. Being compliant is a constant battle. Something that is secure today may not be secure in two months.
“RFID users need monitoring of the network. This didn’t exist before. Hardware and software vendors all have their own offerings. The challenge is how to make it all work together. This is the crux of what is happening,” he said.
This is a new technology, and the penalties for being non-compliant are high. So are the liabilities when breaches occur, he noted.
“RFID can be made secure if it is done right. But if users only engage certain pieces, it will only get partial security. It can be done. The question is how committed is the enterprise to doing it,” Salvitti concluded.
Written by: Jack M. Germain
Originally published at: http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/Customer-Data-and-Wireless-Payments-Does-Convenience-Trump-Security-64187.html
Posted on 14. Jul, 2008 by NetworkIP in Media Coverage
Telephony and stored value services provider NetworkIP announced signing of a partnership agreement with Canada-based Dialogic, in order to expand and enhance the company’s carrier-grade telephony platform.
NetworkIP is a privately held company that offers telephony and stored value solutions. The company provides patented technologies, systems, and integrated services.
NetworkIP helps its customer companies to bring low-cost, next-generation telephony and Internet stored value products to the market. Some of the Internet stored value products include long distance dialing, Web and audio conferencing services, voicemail, international call back, and VoIP.
Dialogic is a provider of innovative technologies that are based on open standards. These standards enable innovative mobile, video, IP, andTDM solutions for network service providers and enterprise communication networks. The company’s customers and partners have been relying on its cutting edge and flexible components to rapidly deploy value-added solutions across the globe.
NetworkIP’s Jaduka subsidiary helps customer companies and Web developers to reap benefits of both communications and technologies, in order to enhance user experience and even improve business processes. This ensures enhanced customer satisfaction and employee productivity.
Dialogic will be utilizing NetworkIP award-winning technology that delivers a combination of usage-based pricing, integrated prepaid services and features, call quality, and management control.
With NetworkIP’s technology, customers can create: customized individual and business telephony services; enable automated alerts; manage surveys, promotional messages and other audio marketing services; and even administer account information and transaction history for various applications.
NetworkIP CEO Pete Pattullo said in the statement: “Since day one, NetworkIP has developed innovative and reliable voice services using hardware technologies provided by Dialogic. This partnership enables us to expand our platform and build new technologies that meet and exceed the demands of both NetworkIP and Jaduka customers.”
Jim Machi, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Dialogic, said in the statement: “NetworkIP’s decision to move forward with Dialogic both validates and strengthens our value proposition to our customers who are looking to rapidly deploy innovative voice services in a variety of TDM, hybrid andIP network environments. We congratulate NetworkIP on the expansion of their platform and wish them continued success.”
Written by: Jayashree Adkoli
Originally published at: http://education.tmcnet.com/topics/articles/33937-dialogic-helps-networkip-expand-its-telephony-platform.htm
Posted on 19. Dec, 2007 by NetworkIP in Media Coverage
Receives IBM Information On Demand Award for ICS Platform
LONGVIEW, TX (December 19, 2007) NetworkIP, a provider of innovative telephony and stored value services, has won the 2007 IBM global Information on Demand Innovation Award for its Integrated Connection Solution (ICS) platform that enables rapid, low cost deployment of converged voice, data and IP solutions over wired, wireless and IP networks.
The Awards Program recognizes organizations using IBM-based solutions to significantly improve efficiencies and gain competitive advantage for their organizations. NetworkIP takes full advantage of IBM’s Informix Database Server (IDS), including high availability data replication, enterprise replication, fragmentation, parallel data query, and other proprietary functions to enhance the stability and usability of IDS. The combined solution is the heart of NetworkIP’s platform, providing instant access to hundreds of millions of end user accounts and terminating billions of minutes of traffic each month.
“We are pleased to recognize NetworkIP for developing innovative applications and solutions built on IBM software that have significantly increased their return on investment and generated a competitive advantage,” said Robert D. Thomas, vice president, Business Development, for IBM Information Management. “The 2007 Information on Demand Innovation award winners are leading the way to improved operational performance for their enterprises, as well as the industries that they represent. We congratulate them on their accomplishments.”
NetworkIP CEO Pete Pattullo added, “We appreciate this award recognizing the initiative and innovation of our development team. Since 1998, NetworkIP has consistently delivered software applications and patented customer management tools that set the industry standard for reliability, functionality, and ingenuity.”
NetworkIP ICS is an innovative, turn-key platform that enables telephony providers and marketers to package and bring to market any combination of next-generation telephony and Internet stored value products incorporating Long Distance Dialing, Web and Audio Conferencing Services, Voice Mail, International Call-Back, and VoIP.
NetworkIP also provides ICS-based solutions to enterprise customers through its Jaduka subsidiary. Customers are able to easily integrate powerful communications capabilities into existing and new business processes resulting in enhanced productivity and improved quality. Jaduka’s application programming interface to ICS enables companies to be more competitive, with lower development costs and shorter development cycles.
Published at: http://www.prepaid-press.com/news_detail.php?t=pt&id=987
Posted on 15. Mar, 2006 by NetworkIP in Media Coverage
It does not take a genius to figure out that the prepaid calling card market has changed radically in the last several years. Look at the companies who advertised and exhibited at trade shows five years ago, and see if you can find them now. Many are changed, merged, or just gone. NetworkIP was a company that started in the prepaid business in 1998. The “IP” in the name signaled a focus that it was not to be a traditional platform services company. And, it has not been conventional. For one thing, it has survived, even grown, where many others have fallen. Pete Pattullo is the CEO of NetworkIP, and it is his vision that positioned the company where it is today. He shared with us his observations of where prepaid calling services have been, and where they are going.
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Written by: Gene Retske
Posted on 16. Feb, 2006 by NetworkIP in Media Coverage
FCC Universal Service program deeply flawed and getting worse
For “prepaid” telecommunications service providers there is arguably no regulatory issue more important than the Universal Service Fund (USF). The USF assessment, an inconvenient regulatory burden when first implemented in 1998, is now an unmanageable and escalating surcharge that is jeopardizing the stability and efficiency of the U.S. prepaid telecommunications market. The time has come for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reform the flawed USF program in a manner that reduces the contribution rate and ensures a level playing field for prepaid service providers.
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Written by: Pete Pattullo
Posted on 01. Nov, 2005 by NetworkIP in Media Coverage
Small businesses are global businesses in Asia—and they badly need VoIP.
Our story opens on a normal day in the life, Gentle Reader. A trade show-cum-exhibition threaded through windowless back corridors, completely missing the point of being in Hong Kong’s harbor-front Convention Center. A breakfast panel discussion on crossborder IT solutions for small businesses in an airless hall half-filled with sleepy IT managers, waiting to be told by several experts slouched in couches on the podium, including Your Humble Correspondent, how to best manage the cost and complexity of networks in China.
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Written by: Ross O’Brien
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