NL Short Takes

ATB Financial contracts Telus for IP-based networkAlberta Treasury Branches Financial has signed a three-year, $8.3-million contract to deploy Telus Corp.’s Internet Protocol-based voice and data network services, as well as upgrade a 200-seat ATB Financial contact centre. The contract includes wide area network and local area network services, local access, long distance, high-speed Internet and data support services, as well as a call centre infrastructure solution. "Telus understands ATB’s corporate direction and key business drivers," said Chet Niemczyk, VP of information technology and operations at ATB Financial, in a news release. "They delivered a unique business solution which will help ATB leverage technology to deliver improved services to our customers today and into the future." Vonage, D-Link enhancing VoIP optionsVonage Canada and D-Link Corp. have launched the D-Link VWR, which provides customers with the ability to set up a wireless-B/G network while accessing their Vonage phone service. It includes a wireless-B/G access point; a built-in four-port switch to connect wired Ethernet devices; a router function so the entire network can securely share a single cable or DSL Internet connection; and two standard telephone jacks, allowing for multiple Vonage phone lines. "With the increasing demand for wireless networking devices and devices containing multiple ports, the D-Link VWR provides us with the flexibility to meet the changing needs of our customers," said Bruce Robertson, director of product marketing and programs for Vonage, in a press release. The D-Link VWR is available online from Vonage for $74.99. MCI selected by Methanex for data centre servicesThe world’s largest producer and marketer of methanol, Methanex Corp., has chosen MCI Canada to provide data centre services for its business-critical applications. The company will run its colocated server infrastructure within MCI Canada’s Vancouver Internet Data Centre. "MCI Canada was selected based on its proven track record for providing high availability and reliability within its state-of-the-art data centre facilities," said Gary Rowan, Methanex’s director of IT, in a news release. "With MCI Canada as our colocation provider, we will have 24/7 access to critical applications." Methanex is based in Vancouver and employees approximately 800 people worldwide. Shift Networks reports Q2 revenue growthHosted IP communications provider Shift Networks Inc. reported second-quarter 2006 revenues of $637,000 up from $193,000 for the same period last year. The Q2 revenues also represented an increase over the $492,000 from Q1 2006. "Second-quarter subscriber activations are ahead of plan and we look forward to getting these customers installed and generating revenue," said Trent Johnsen, president and CEO of Shift, in a news release. "Shift is making great progress on our key objectives: subscriber and revenue growth, increased sales distribution capacity, innovative new service offerings, and expansion into new major markets as the market leader in hosted Voice over IP communications services for small businesses." The company’s operating margin also increased in Q2 to 57% from 50% during the same period in 2005. World Anti-Doping Agency chooses Open Text solutionThe World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the global organization dedicated to the fight against doping in sport, has selected a records management software solution from Open Text Corp. Montreal-based WADA will use the Open Text Livelink ECM solution to manage information security and controls, automate internal functions, and facilitate intra-organizational communication. "Some of the information we maintain requires strict security due to legal requirements, so security and control over information are top priorities," said David Howman, WADA director general, in a press release. "We look forward to rolling out the innovative solution offered by Open Text to help bridge the gap between these seemingly competing yet important priorities." Introducing cordless, computer-less Skype phonesSkype has announced a new class of phones that enable users to both make and receive Skype calls over the Internet and traditional landline calls, without a computer. The first series of products to be launched in this class are the Philips VOIP841 cordless phone and Netgear’s cordless phone for Skype. Both phones have Skype running on them out of the box, and they can act as a replacement for any cordless phone because they make and receive traditional telephone calls through the landline. They also enable consumers with multiple handsets in their home to hold multiple phone calls simultaneously, one on Skype and one on the landline. The Philips model will be available for the 2006 holiday season. Mitel extends anywhere, anytime communicationsOttawa-headquartered Mitel Networks Corp. has made the ability to collaborate, make the right decisions and serve customers in the moment easier with a new and enhanced enterprise mobility solution. The new solution increases flexibility and security for mobile workers in the office, on the road, at home or in the car. "The convergence of fixed and mobile communications is one such area for which we have found great customer interest for solutions that provide workers with advanced IP-based features from their mobile devices and remote locations," said Mitel’s VP of global marketing Doug Michaelides in a press release. Nortel wins Eagle award from Homeland SecurityNortel Government Solutions, a provider of mission-critical systems and secure communications to empower governments to ensure security, will provide a range of support services to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS)as part of a new contract. The Enterprise Acquisition Gateway and Leading Edge Solutions (EAGLE) program is a seven-year initiative designed to enhance information technology services throughout DHS. As one of 25 companies to receive an EAGLE award, Nortel GS will provide management support services to DHS encompassing areas of IT policy and planning including security, training, and enterprise and program management and office support. Through the services offered by Nortel GS, DHS will gain the knowledge to develop, implement and continuously improve IT policies and procedures. Fluke announces new test modules for fibre optic networksMississauga-based Fluke Networks Canada has announced the availability of new test modules and software for its OptiFiber Certifying OTDR, the company’s complete test solution for premises fibre optic networks. The enhancements increase the versatility and convenience for OptiFiber users. "Users can now test longer fibre links in campus networks, as well as very short patch cords in data centres," said Fluke’s product manager Brad Masterson in a press release. "At the same time, software improvements make some popular troubleshooting features more accessible and easier to use." The company’s new extended range singlemode module offers a 60 km range, shorter dead zones and increased dynamic range to support premises, campus, and metro fibre optic network testing. Healthcare industry to increase spending on telecomAccording to a market research study released by Insight Research Corp., American hospitals, physicians, pharmaceutical companies and insurance providers will spend nearly $43 billion on telecommunications services during the next five years, with wireless services used by hospitals and physicians showing the fastest growth. "Population trends and advances in clinical treatment technology are pushing the healthcare industry to look at new delivery systems," said Insight president Robert Rosenberg in a news release. "Because the high costs inherent in the current system are related to the proximity of the patient and provider, exploiting broadband network services is a cost-effective way to reach patients where they live and pull costs out of the current healthcare system." Wireless LANs, VoIP deployments, and RFID tagging of patients and hospital assets all promise to lower healthcare delivery costs according to Insight. Hummingbird’s RedDot partners with OshynUnder the terms of a new agreement, Oshyn Inc., an independent provider of Web design, content management deployment and application usability engineering, will provide expert implementation and integration services for RedDot Solutions’ Web content management solution for mid-market organizations leveraging platforms based on Microsoft Corp.’s .Net architecture. The collaboration between RedDot and Oshyn will allow organizations to compile content and document repositories, and to create, edit and update content to produce a unique online experience for end users. "This partnership is an excellent channel to offer RedDot content management solutions to serve clients who are leveraging .Net-based platforms," said RedDot president Detlef Kamps in a media release. RedDot solutions is a Hummingbird Ltd. company.

NL Short Takes

News | September 1, 2006

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