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Cisco and Intel Collaborate to Improve Wireless and Security Solutions for Businesses

Intel Corporation and Cisco Systems, Inc. announced recently an expansion of their existing alliance to deliver new capabilities that enhance the reliability of wireless LANs and deliver higher-quality services, and allow enterprises to use computers and the network as a combined defense against security threats. 

Cisco and Intel have jointly produced a new set of features, called Business Class Wireless Suite, designed for companies using Cisco’s Unified Wireless Architecture and Intel® Centrino™ mobile technology. The Suite includes:

• Optimal access point (AP) selection technology to enable Intel Centrino mobile technology-based clients to scan for the best AP for faster, reliable and efficient roaming within a business wireless LAN.
• Enhanced Voice over IP (VoIP) quality of service (QoS) technology to improve the audio clarity and enable reliable voice communications for laptops.

Business Class Wireless Suite provides an enhanced set of capabilities that makes wireless LANs more robust for the enterprise, supporting enhanced roaming and business applications such as Voice over IP. Business Class Wireless Suite reinforces the previous efforts between Intel and Cisco with regard to the development of the Cisco Compatible Extensions (CCX) program for wireless LAN client interoperability. 

Business Class Wireless Suite features will be available from Cisco and Intel in the first quarter of 2006.  

Intel will join the Network Admission Control (NAC) program, an industry effort led by Cisco to help customers identify, prevent, and adapt to security threats, and Cisco will join the Intel® Active Management Technology (AMT) program. With Cisco NAC interoperating with Intel AMT, enterprises will be better able to defend against security threats, helping to maintain user and business productivity and reduce the cost of security attacks and improve system remediation 

Customers can expect Cisco NAC and Intel AMT to be compatible in the fourth quarter of this year. 

Through their global alliance, Cisco and Intel intend to enable organizations and consumers to improve the way they do business, interact and stay connected through innovative, standards-based solutions. Joint efforts include bringing end-to-end wireless solutions to enterprise customers, accelerating the transition to Gigabit Ethernet networks and simplifying the operation of secure home networks. For more information, please visit: http://www.ciscointelalliance.com 

FreeNX-0.5.0 launched

Leaders of the FreeNX development project announced the upcoming release of FreeNX-0.5.0, "The LWE San Francisco Release -- 'Seamless Printing' Edition." The general public is free to download this new version of the software http://debian.tu-bs.de/knoppix/nx/lwe-release/

FreeNX is a Free terminal server software. It is based on the NX Core Libraries released by NoMachine.com under the GPL Free Software license. The program connects a local workstations to remote desktop PCs, servers or individual applications running remotely, independent of the underlying operating system. FreeNX is differentiated from other remote access software products by its ability to present a snappy, life-like remote desktop experience even over low-bandwidth (dial-up) connectivity. Its broadband remote performance is also outstanding. The new "seamless printing" feature enables Linux users to print from within their remotely running sessions to their local printers without any additional setting ("zero-config") and without needing to install an NX session printer driver ("seamless").

NX is a product of Nomachine, of Rome, Italy. NoMachine sells licenses and support for the full-blown product. NoMachine have donated the NX Core libraries to the Open Source world and support the FreeNX Project to implement a fully GPL'd implementation of an NX server that is also technically compatible with their commercial offering so that all users who are not in need of professional support can enjoy remote desktop computing.

FreeNX is Free Software.  It is free to use and redistribute under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL).  The FreeNX project is hosted at freenx.berlios.de. Its community of developers welcomes participation and new contributions from technologists, students, companies and other interested parties.

Innovista Wins APC Asean Distributor of the Year Award

Innovista Technologies, a large business solutions providers was recently feted with the APC Distributor of the Year for Consumer Network Group and Distributor of the Year - Grand Award citations at the first American Power Conversion (APC) Asean Distributor’s Conference in Singapore recently.

The Grand Award was given to Innovista in consideration of the company’s strong  performance based on sales growth against its revenue target.  The basis for the Distributor of the Year for CNG was revenue and shipment growth for the same year. Innovista beat 14 other distributors in these markets for the grand prize.

APC has six countries in its Asean region namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Far from accurate LBS

One of the services that I always look forward to in terms of using with my mobile phone is the location based services. This is supposed to allow you to check out another buddy's location via SMS.

I decided to give the service a try last week via ANTS' (http://www.ants.ph) WIS service. Although the service never promised accuracy, I find the results very bad as well. I was at SM SuperSale Club in SM North EDSA when I tried the service after finishing our grocery shopping. I checked out my hubby's location who was with me at that time and the result showed that he's near McDonald's Congressional Ave. Quezon City area.

My hubby immediately said that such service can only cause confusion to the parties who are using it. No wonder LBS never really took off. I hope a far more accurate service shall be available soon.

J&J Named as Single Point of Contact

 Jebsen & Jessen Communications (J&J), the IP solutions provider in the region for end-to-end communications solutions including IP telephony products and CRM contact centers, has made a deal with Avaya Inc., becoming its only premium partner to offer fulfillment services for IP communications solutions in the five ASEAN countries including Philippines.

The regional “Gold” partnership puts J&J Communications in a strategic position as a single point of contact to serve multi-location corporations. With this, business enterprises can expect a unified service level agreement and support structure anywhere across the region, which was not possible under previous arrangements

“The market situation in the past did not require a regional approach to solution offerings as much as it is the case today. With this timely Avaya pact, we are now able to provide our customers with a streamlined market approach, technical expertise and support portfolio,” said J&J Communications Regional Managing Director Harold Thng.

“An increasing number of organizations are realizing the benefits of IP telephony and are now taking decisive actions to embed this technology at the core of their operations. Avaya’s partnership with J&J Communications ensures that our customers will get the best IP telephony products and reliable technical assistance,” said Avaya Philippines Country Director Edgar Doctolero.

In support of regional fulfillment, J&J Communications has also linked agreements with other complementary technology providers, namely the NICE Systems, the global provider of advanced solutions that enable organizations to obtain the value hidden within multimedia transactions. The company also has more than 15,000 customers in over 100 countries, including the world’s top ten banks and over 65% of the Fortune 100.

With IP telephony pricing becoming increasingly competitive and traditional TDM systems up for periodic renewal anyway, J&J Communications is poised to help the companies to ride the VoIP wave, joining scores of modern enterprises worldwide in adopting IP solutions.

One example of their product is the Avaya 4620 IP phone, which is linked to the internet by a GSM connection, its soft button system can also be used as a reprogramming tool for its system. It is updated with the latest news, in accordance to the headlines, and can send via text message or even fax.

Another way to lead the surge toward IP technology, J&J Communications itself is implementing Avaya’s IP telephony systems in all five of its regional offices. Advanced proficiency in IP application development enables further customization for specific requirements.

Final remarks of Mr. Thng: “We will take the opportunity to offer value addition by harnessing our expertise in application development to integrate business processes in the customer’s IP telephony solution.”  - Jason Cheng, Copyright 2005

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