VegaStream's VoIP Regulation and Compliance

Such liberalisation comes the risk of these new entrants conducting less than ethical business practises that were impossible for a state controlled monopoly; and so with liberalisation comes a new wave of regulation.

A fact of the telecom's industry is that all new entrants have had to resell all or part of the incumbent monopolys infrastructure. However, by using the Internet and the unbundled local broadband loop, voip is a technology that will allow a new breed of telecom operator that has no recall to the incumbent monopoly other than to interconnect with it to pass traffic between each other.

voip, therefore has attracted the attention of regulators, and from a European-wide perspective, the issue is that this attention varies from country to country. Each National Regulatory Authority has a different view. According to a recent survey conducted by networking technology company Spirent Communications, the International Engineering Consortium and Total Telecom magazine, twenty per cent of European telecoms executives said that government regulation is the biggest threat to voip, meanwhile 84 per cent believe the technology is ready for widespread deployment.

According to a Gartner report in January 2006, no common approach has so far been adopted among National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) for the delivery of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) across Europe. In some countries, the service is treated as being equivalent to a regular circuit-switched telephone connection, while in others, it is considered more as a data service. Until a common approach is implemented, voip service providers will be unable to deliver common service platforms across multiple countries, removing one of the key opportunities enabled by the underlying technology that of cross-national competition.

The survey found that NRAs have resisted developing specific policies or regulations concerning voip. While no one has an appetite to aggressively regulate this technology, changes will need to happen to accommodate the rapid move in consumer and business use patterns. Gartner believes that with voip and other IP-enabled or electronic communications service (ECS) maturing, end users are often unaware that protection and statutory rights are not the same with voip services as for switched voice.

Therefore, Gartner concludes, voip will force broad regulatory changes, because voice telephony is being redefined. IP not only affects the pricing of voice services, but also changes the way voice services and features are ordered, provisioned, delivered, marketed and regulated. As a result, the inevitable regulatory changes will add cost to the provisioning of IP-enabled services, thus closing the end-user price advantage currently enjoyed by voip services.

As regards the UK market specifically, under the Communications Act of 2003 Ofcoms primary regulatory control on the voip market is to police a code of conduct for providers of a pubic telephony service over whatever technology to consumers and small business. (As for big business, caveat emptor.) This code of practise deals with the business process as opposed to the underlying technology and, as far as the consumer is concerned, is all that is required.

To quote from Clause 52 of The Act itself:

(2) Those matters are-
(a) the handling of complaints made to public communications providers by any of their domestic and small business customers;
(b) the resolution of disputes between such providers and any of their domestic and small business customers;
(c) the provision of remedies and redress in respect of matters that form the subject-matter of such complaints or disputes;
(d) the information about service standards and about the rights of domestic and small business customers that is to be made available to those customers by public communications providers;
(e) any other matter appearing to OFCOM to be necessary for securing effective protection for the domestic and small business customers of such providers.

VegaStreams position regarding regulating the voip industry is similar to that of OfComs. The application is straightforward the ability to enable people to talk to each other over a telecommunications network. With VegaStream gateways this network can contain both IP and TDM elements and that fact is completely transparent to the end. Regulators should therefore continue to refine their ability to protect the consumer against bad business practise and ensure that the innovators within the voip industry can bring the full benefits of this technology to business and consumers alike.

Formed in 1998, VegaStream is one of the most experienced players in the industrial voip market. The company supplies gateway CPE to both traditional telecommunications carriers and the new generation of Internet telephony service providers. VegaStream also serves the enterprise market through a global network of distributors and resellers supported by regional offices in the UK, USA and Australia. VegaStream is a non-listed UK company. Investors include the management team, Pace Micro Technology PLC and MTI Partners. http://www.vegastream.com

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IPhone Cases Protect Your Baby From Harm

The apple iPhone was introduced into the world, at least to the US, on June 29th 2007. Thousands of people clamored to be the first to get their hands on an iPhone and from most accounts, they are very proud of their new acquisitions. Though apple provided the basic accessories required to use the iPhone, like most special things, it came into the world naked. So after investing $500 to $600 on an iPhone it only makes prudent sense to invest a few extra dollars in an iPhone case to protect it.

Initial product stress tests of the apple iPhone have been quite impressive. apple wisely switched to optical grade glass for the innovative touch screen of the iPhone and it is almost impossible to scratch it. Even with a key. This, however, doesnt mean it should be left unprotected and the rest of the iPhone is still prone to dings and scratches.

The solution to protecting your new iPhone is actually quite simple, though all the talk about skins, cases, wallets, and screen protectors can be a little bewildering. Dont worry, below are the options available for protecting your iPhone and the good news is that they typically cost much less than your monthly bill with AT&T.

Types of iPhone cases:

*iPhone Skins -- a skin is just a cover that completely wraps around your iPhone with cutouts to allow you access to the touch screen, main navigation button, as well as the side buttons, charger, and camera. iPhone skins are made from silicone, which is a flexible, yet rugged type of plastic. The benefit of a skin, is that it will protect the surfaces of your iPhone from nicks and scratches and even offer some protection if dropped. However, dont rely on a silicone skin to offer you complete protection against drops.

IPhone skins come in clear silicone as well as several popular colors ranging from feminine pink to stealth black. Some iPhone skins also come with a screen protector and neck strap, but be sure to check the product details to make certain.

*Phone cases and Wallets -- a step up in style and convenience is an iPhone case or wallet. Many of these cases also include a belt clip so you can keep your iPhone at the ready. Unlike cell phone holsters, a case or wallet fully protects your iPhone when not in use. cases and wallets typically come in both leather and canvas varieties and in a wide range of styles. Chose the type that best suits your usage and expresses your personal style. You may even want several cases to match different clothing and occasions!

*iPhone screen Protectors -- an iPhone screen protector typically is a piece of very thin silicone with an adhesive backing that covers the entire front of the iPhone. Like a skin, it also has a circular cutout to expose the main navigation button at the bottom of the iPhone. A skin can then be placed over the screen protector. Not all iPhone screen protectors are created equal though. The better ones have dust resistant and anti-glare properties. Many iPhone skins and cases already come with a screen protector so you typically dont need to purchase one separately.

An apple iPhone is a truly innovative technology product that is a joy to own. Their owners have every right to be proud and can be forgiven, at least for now, for showing them off every chance they get. And you can tell a truly proud and worthy apple iPhone owner by how they have chosen to dress up and protect their baby.

Rich Rojas covers the cell phone and pda industry. You can find a large selection of iPhone cases at http://www.pdaflicks.com/iphone-cases.html

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