Additional Related News Items: INTERACTIVE/WEB Sector

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• National Instruments and SeaSolve Unveil ZigBee Test Solutions
• Vonage and VTech Unveil Expandable Cordless Broadband Phone System
• 2Wire Adds FTTN and FTTP Models to Its HomePortal Residential Gateway Family
• Verizon to Work With Columbia University on VoIP Research

National Instruments and SeaSolve Unveil ZigBee Test Solutions

National Instruments is helping the development of emerging wireless communications standards by collaborating with leading software providers to deliver complete RF/communications test and analysis solutions based on modular hardware and software. To test compliance of IEEE 802.15.4 WPAN [ZigBee] and IEEE 802.11 [Wi-Fi] applications, engineers now can use SeaSolve Software Inc. tools that integrate with NI PXI-based RF hardware and the LabVIEW graphical development environment for a flexible and cost-effective solution.

Built on PXI -- the most widely used standard for modular instruments -- the platform provides a foundation to develop a complete test system. Using National Instruments LabVIEW and the Modulation Toolkit for LabVIEW, engineers can develop customized measurement systems to address a wide variety of RF standards. Companies have worked with NI to build standards-based test systems on this platform for testing WPAN, Wi-Fi and GSM, and other standards-based systems are currently under development.

SeaSolve recently developed a compliance test software solution for the ZigBee and Wi-Fi standards that integrates with the NI PXI-5660 vector signal analyzer, the NI PXI-5670 and PXI-5671 vector signal generators as well as the NI Modulation Toolkit for LabVIEW. With this software, engineers can perform the physical-layer RF tests specified by the standard on their devices with pass/fail results. These tests range from transmit center frequency tolerance and receiver sensitivity to symbol rate and maximum input power. Because this solution is based on modular hardware, engineers save significant time and costs developing their test systems and reusing the same instruments for testing various standards. In addition, SeaSolve engineers are currently exploring IEEE 802.16 WMAN [WiMAX] compliance testing solutions with LabVIEW and NI RF hardware and software.

Engineers can learn more about emerging wireless standards and other related technologies by attending the NIWeek customer and technology conference and participating in this year's RF and Wireless Communications Summit. The RF and Wireless Communications Summit offers the latest in industry advances including communications algorithm development, RFID, wireless sensors and telemetry, MIMO and software-defined radio [SDR]. Leading RF experts, researchers and NI developers, including representatives from National Semiconductor, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Texas, present technical sessions and technology demonstrations while providing training opportunities to attendees.

National Instruments is a technology pioneer and leader in virtual instrumentation -- a revolutionary concept that has changed the way engineers and scientists in industry, government and academia approach measurement and automation. Leveraging PCs and commercial technologies, virtual instrumentation increases productivity and lowers costs for test, control and design applications through easy-to-integrate software, such as NI LabVIEW, and modular measurement and control hardware for PXI, PCI, USB and Ethernet. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 3,500 employees and direct operations in nearly 40 countries. In 2004, the company sold products to more than 25,000 companies in 90 countries. For the past six years, FORTUNE magazine has named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America.

Vonage and VTech Unveil Expandable Cordless Broadband Phone System

Vonage, a leading broadband phone company and VTech, one of the largest suppliers of corded and cordless phones in North America have unveiled the IP-8100-2, cordless broadband phone system configured with Vonage's flat-rate full-featured phone service. This product, configured with the Texas Instruments [TI] TNETV1060 VoIP chipset, has a retail price of $150, and offers $50 mail in rebate after sixty days of service.

The phone base has integrated routing features eliminating the need to purchase a separate router to share your broadband connection with your PC. The ip8100-2 will come with two handsets and is expandable to up to four. The phone plugs directly into a customer's broadband connection or existing router, eliminating the need for a stand alone adapter and telephone. The retail price for additional handsets is $50 per device.

Vonage has pioneered the broadband phone industry, setting the standard for pricing, features, call quality and reliability for the entire VoIP category. Vonage's award winning service is sold on the web and through national retailers like SAM's Club, RadioShack, Best Buy, Circuit City, Staples, Fry's Electronics, Office Depot and CompUSA. Vonage Holdings Corporation is headquartered in Edison, New Jersey.

VTech is one of the largest suppliers of corded and cordless phones in North America and one of the world's leading suppliers of electronic learning products. It also provides highly sought-after contract manufacturing services. VTech is a pioneer in the establishment of China-based manufacturing facilities and sells its products via a strong brand platform supported by a well-established distribution network in North America, Europe and Asia.

2Wire Adds FTTN and FTTP Models to Its HomePortal Residential Gateway Family

2Wire, a provider of broadband service platforms for the DSL market, is shipping two new lines of residential gateways to provide broadband connectivity for expanded telecom fiber networks, enabling high-bandwidth triple play applications such as high definition video-on-demand and IPTV.

The HomePortal 3000 series residential gateway supports fiber to the node [FTTN] with its integrated VDSL modem, and the HomePortal 300 series supports fiber to the premises [FTTP].

Both the HomePortal 3000 and 300 series support multimedia coaxial networking within the home, for distribution of bandwidth-intensive applications such as high definition video, over existing coaxial cables. Built-in Quality of Service [QoS] support gives service providers a flexible tool for traffic analysis and edge policy enforcement, including secure 802.1x authentication, and the ability to establish general traffic policy and priorities.

Both new gateways also feature an integrated high powered HyperG 802.11g wireless access point, professional grade firewall, advanced automatic wireless security, and an intelligent service delivery platform with gateway remote control. They are VoIP-ready, featuring two integrated digital phone lines, and include a USB 2.0 host port, enabling the addition of powerful networking options such as network-attached storage and network printers.

The HomePortal 3000 and 300 series are fully compliant with the DSL Forum's TR-068 and TR-069 industry standards, which establish criteria for industrial design and remote management capabilities.

All 2Wire residential gateways can be remotely managed with the 2Wire Component Management System [CMS]. CMS is a suite of business applications that allow broadband service providers to remotely activate, support, and analyze their customer premises equipment [CPE]. CMS centralizes the management, monitoring, and delivery of services, and allows DSL providers to remotely configure and troubleshoot deployed gateways, eliminating costly truck rolls and lengthy customer care calls. CMS also provides a means for activating and deactivating new revenue-generating services.

2Wire is a provider of broadband service platforms for the DSL market. 2Wire's suite of solutions offers DSL providers an integrated triple play of data, voice, and media services. 2Wire's products and services include the award-winning HomePortal residential gateways, the MediaPortal set top box, and a robust Component Management System [CMS] for service management and provisioning. 2Wire's products are distributed exclusively by the major DSL service providers, including SBC Communications, BT, and TELMEX. Headquartered in San Jose, California, 2Wire was founded in July 1998.

Verizon to Work With Columbia University on VoIP Research

Verizon Laboratories - the research arm of Verizon's Technology Organization - is partnering with the Department of Computer Science at Columbia University to conduct two research projects involving the technology known as voice over Internet protocol [VoIP], or packet telephony.  

VoIP uses the same packet-switching technology employed to transmit data over the Internet to send voice phone calls over the Internet or telecom networks.  

The research is being conducted under the direction of the renowned VoIP expert, Professor Henning Schulzrinne. The two projects - funded by Verizon Laboratories - will be in areas related to the overall development of packet-switched telephony.  

One project will be dedicated to exploring security technologies, while the other pertains to research in the area of Presence -- a messaging technology that lets users or devices quickly find each other, no matter where they are. The results of both of these projects will have a large impact on future services offered by soft switches, which are packet switches used to provide basic and advanced voice telecommunications services.  Verizon has begun to deploy these switches in some parts of its national service region.  

The research program was established for the current academic year, the 25th anniversary of Columbia's Department of Computer Science, and involves the funding by Verizon of two graduate research assistantships at the school. All equipment and prototypes developed in the projects will be subsequently transferred to Verizon Laboratories for use in designing and deploying enhancements to VoIP technology.  A $120,000 Verizon grant has been presented to Schulzrinne by Stuart Elby, vice president of network architecture and enterprise services at Verizon Laboratories.  Elby received his Ph.D. from Columbia in 1994.

With more than $71 billion in annual revenues, Verizon Communications Inc. [NYSE:VZ] is one of the world's leading providers of communications services.  Verizon has a diverse work force of more than 214,000 in four business units: Domestic Telecom serves customers based in 28 states with wireline telecommunications services, including broadband. Verizon Wireless owns and operates the nation's most reliable wireless network, serving 47.4 million voice and data customers across the United States.  Information Services operates directory publishing businesses and provides electronic commerce services.  International includes wireline and wireless operations and investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe.

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