A Montreal-based company is hoping to make it easier for Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) to deal with the growing number of VoIP customers. ConneXon Telecom introduced NG-Connect on June 6, a new product that it allows PSAPs to more effectively manage the increasing volume of VoIP subscribers while at the same time being able to retain existing operational functionality. "By working with ConneXon, PSAPs can turn the challenges of VoIP into benefits," Lev Deich, company director said in a news release. "VoIP technology can be efficiently accommodated at the PSAP today and we can work together to take advantage of new technologies into the future."

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Residents in Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Regina can now choose to get local and long distance services for a flat fee from Vonage Canada. The company announced service availability in those three cities on June 6. Referring to the launch in Saskatchewan's two largest cities, Vonage Canada VP of marketing and business development Joe Parent said "For years, residents of Regina and Saskatoon have been overcharged by their phone company. That's all changed with Vonage. Now people can enjoy greater savings and features with Vonage." The Ontario-based pure-play VoIP provider noted in a news release that nearly two thirds of a recent Decima Research survey felt that to get a discount on a service they had to subscribe to multiple services from the same company. As well, nearly half indicated they were willing to "de-bundle" their telephone service from broader communications packages in return for better value and more features.

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Continuing its look at teleworking, Ottawa communications equipment maker Mitel Networks Corp. has released a study indicating that most Canadian and US workers believe working from home reduces greenhouse gas emissions through reduced travel. Nonetheless, 42% of Canadian and 54% of US employers worry about monitoring teleworkers' productivity. Regardless, companies expect teleworking to grow in the next five years. In a Mitel press release, Bob Fortier, president of the Canadian Telework Association, notes that employers might be more supportive of teleworking if the environmental benefits were better known. Mitel says that according to the US Energy Information Administration, carbon dioxide emissions from transportation have increased 1.5% annually since 1990. Earlier this year, Mitel reported that UK employers were also wary of teleworking.

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It's been anything but smooth sailing for Ottawa-based Mitel Networks Corp. and its proposed merger with rival Inter-Tel Inc. In April the Ottawa communication equipment maker announced the plan, but meanwhile investment company Vector Capital Corp. made its acquisition intentions known as well. Then earlier this week former Inter-Tel CEO Steven Mihaylo, who still owns Inter-Tel shares, reportedly sent a letter advising shareholders to reject Mitel's share-purchase offer. He proposed a plan to find new sources of capital instead. Then yesterday Inter-Tel announced that Vector had pulled out, based in part on Mihaylo's recapitalization plan.

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