Unified communications
Unified communications (UC) is an umbrella term for the integration of multiple enterprise communication tools -- such as voice calling, video conferencing, instant messaging (IM), presence and content sharing -- into a single, streamlined interface, with the goal of improving user experience (UX) and productivity.. See complete definition.
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News
14 Oct 2024
How Zoom is charting its course towards an AI-first platform
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan talks up his vision for the future of work, the company's transition to an AI-powered platform and what it is doing to stay ahead of rivals Continue Reading
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News
09 Oct 2024
Zoom expands AI Companion capabilities, adds customisation options
Zoom reveals major advancements in AI Companion, including customisation options, personalised avatars and integration across the entire Zoom workplace platform Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2020
Worldwide comms services industry projected to take limited hit from Covid-19
Coronavirus pandemic has changed some trends in the global telecom services market, but operators have adapted quickly and temporarily pushed aside some earlier priorities, says IDC Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2020
Telcos’ enterprise ambitions at risk from private network operators, private spectrum
Research finds a rising number of spectrum initiatives underpinning strong momentum for private cellular networks within enterprises Continue Reading
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News
13 May 2020
Comms tech firms eye partnership opportunities with provider community
In latest example of growing trend, Virgin Media Business signs strategic partnership with integrated cloud communications platform to extend voice and unified communications portfolio Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2020
Ericsson bullish on 5G despite Covid-19
Comms tech company’s chief highlights the importance of connectivity during times of crisis and unprecedented surge in network traffic Continue Reading
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News
11 May 2020
Coronavirus: SMEs in the UAE forced to digitally transform
The UAE, like the rest of the world, continues to be heavily impacted by the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, and technology is helping to lead the fight Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
Zoom buys secure messaging service Keybase
Unified comms platform Zoom says the acquisition of Keybase will finally let it bring end-to-end encryption to the table Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
Next round of Zoom updates targets consumer security
Casual consumer users of Zoom will get additional protections in an update to be released over the long weekend Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
Brits expected to call time on office life after lockdown
O2 Business study reveals currently displaced workers see a permanent change to their company’s approach to flexible working Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2020
Industry 4.0 transformation reaches communications inflection point
Survey finds huge potential for investment in advance 4G and 5G technology among industrial organisations Continue Reading
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Opinion
01 May 2020
Why you should think before you Zoom
Feel free to use Zoom during the coronavirus lockdown, but think before you discuss anything confidential Continue Reading
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Feature
01 May 2020
Unified communications: The key to prospering in the new working reality of Covid-19
Covid-19 lockdowns are causing a collective rethink in the way companies operate, with unified communications transformed from a nice-to-have to a business essential as remote working becomes the new normal Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Young employees struggle with remote working
Communications tools identified as key pain point and hindering productivity for young UK workers Continue Reading
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News
29 Apr 2020
Zoom chooses Oracle IaaS as core cloud infrastructure provider
Zoom has chosen Oracle Cloud Infrastructure to deliver its online video meetings service as usage has spiked due to the Covid-19 coronavirus public health crisis Continue Reading
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News
28 Apr 2020
Under the spotlight, video apps rush to strengthen security
Most popular videoconferencing applications now meet Mozilla’s minimum security standards, with fierce competition and public pressure driving rapid improvement Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2020
Microsoft patches .gif file vulnerability in Teams
Vulnerability could have enabled cyber criminals to use a malicious .gif file to scrape user data and take over Teams accounts Continue Reading
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News
27 Apr 2020
How Vonage is riding the e-commerce wave in Asia
The surge in online sales across Asia has boosted demand for cloud-based communications services as more e-commerce players look to integrate text messaging, voice and video into customer engagement platforms Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2020
5,400% growth forecast for enterprises using WhatsApp Business APIs
Unprecedented and extraordinary growth forecast for business version of WhatsApp, with growth from just 992 to 55,000 users expected over the next five years Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2020
Zoom to roll out fresh cyber security updates
New features include support for advanced AES 256-bit encryption Continue Reading
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News
23 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Surge in Wi-Fi upload traffic shows need for advanced Wi-Fi adoption
Prolonged home working will see home networks, based on older Wi-Fi technologies rather than the likes of Wi-Fi 6, put under intolerable strain, warns analyst Continue Reading
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News
21 Apr 2020
Collaboration and communications get richer as Covid-19 ushers in new working reality
Covid-19 lockdowns bring about collective rethink in the way we work, with remote video becoming normalised and a potential change in the way effectiveness is measured Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2020
NCSC launches coronavirus cyber security campaign
The National Cyber Security Centre has launched a reporting service for scam emails as part of a campaign to help people protect themselves from cyber criminals exploiting the pandemic Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2020
INCA: UK gigabit broadband progress more important than ever
Trade body for independent network providers calls for progress toward the delivery of ultrafast broadband to all parts of the UK to continue despite the current Covid-19 lockdown conditions Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2020
Zoom and WebEx users targeted by credential stealing attempts
Videoconferencing apps such as Zoom and Cisco’s WebEx are being targeted by cyber criminals trying to steal users’ personal data Continue Reading
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Podcast
20 Apr 2020
Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 54
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna talk about the likely legacy of lockdown for working lives, the mental health impact of the public health crisis, and how data scientists are looking to help by identifying signals of economic recovery. Continue Reading
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News
20 Apr 2020
CIO interview: Jason Oliver, IT director, University of Sussex
Imagine taking a year to formulate a digital transformation plan – then having to implement much of it in two weeks when the coronavirus hit. For the Sussex University IT chief, there’s even more to do now Continue Reading
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News
17 Apr 2020
Fifth of UK small businesses concerned about prolonged remote working
Small firms find the potential prospect of indefinite working from home a major challenge to future business Continue Reading
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News
17 Apr 2020
Verizon Business zooms in to acquire conferencing company BlueJeans
With conferencing and collaboration rocketing due to the Covid-19 outbreak and no real end in sight to the increased usage, Verizon swoops in to acquire conference applications provider BlueJeans Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 Apr 2020
What if we find we rather like this working from home thing?
Sometimes it takes a major economic shock to change the accepted wisdom of economics and work – our working life after the coronavirus crisis might be very different Continue Reading
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News
16 Apr 2020
Nuage Networks declares SD-WAN first for desktop, mobile and IoT devices
Nokia subsidiary integrates Asavie SD Edge to allow enterprise IT managers to extend security policies beyond branch to mobile users and connected devices Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Standard Chartered bans employees from Zoom
Standard Chartered is the first bank to have instructed its staff to refrain from using Zoom Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2020
Managed services rev up revenues for SD-WAN in fourth quarter of 2019
Analyst Omdia highlights the steady transition in 2019 from hardware-based to software-defined networking and predicts good times despite Covid-19 Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Researcher finds security vulnerability in Slack
Some common assumptions about the security of cloud-based messaging platform Slack may not be entirely accurate, says an Alien Labs researcher Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2020
Apple and Netflix most imitated brands in phishing attacks
A new report highlights the brands which are being most frequently spoofed by cyber criminals in phishing attacks Continue Reading
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News
14 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Zoom user credentials for sale on dark web
IntSight researchers say they have found a database containing thousands of Zoom usernames and passwords being sold on the dark web Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Warning over surge in Zoom security incidents
Check Point researchers have observed a surge in suspicious Zoom domains as cyber criminals target popular remote working and collaboration tools Continue Reading
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News
09 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Zoom restricted or banned at multiple organisations
Use of videoconferencing tool has been banned at Google and in parts of the German and US governments Continue Reading
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News
08 Apr 2020
Samsung, AWS claim world’s first mission-critical comms video call
MCPTX solution powered by leading cloud platform said to enable first responders to accurately assess vital moments using voice, data and video calls Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Criminals using Zoom installer to spread cryptominer
Videoconferencing application targeted to deliver cryptomining malware to unsuspecting victims Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2020
Covid-19 to hamper short-term growth but mobility-as-a-service to rebound in 2021
Despite expected restricted growth this year of platforms that integrate different transport services – including buses, taxis, rail and metro – into a single app, a dramatic return for MaaS is expected in the six years to 2027 Continue Reading
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News
07 Apr 2020
BCS calls for IT recognition in coronavirus response
Campaign launched by BCS aims to recognise the importance of IT staff in keeping UK workers connected during the coronavirus crisis Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2020
Liverpool top of the league for mobile business usage in UK
Merseyside rated as the sweetest of sweet spots for business wireless connectivity Continue Reading
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News
06 Apr 2020
Wireless industry hails FCC spectrum announcement as game changer for Wi-Fi 6
Proposed opening of the 6GHz band to Wi-Fi 6 technology in US set to provide more capacity than all other current Wi-Fi bands put together Continue Reading
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News
05 Apr 2020
Google data shows high interest in security and remote working
An analysis of the most Googled technology terms during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the scale of the cyber security challenge presented by the crisis Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2020
Coronavirus: Is Zoom safe and should security teams ban it?
Zoom’s rapid rise to prominence has highlighted a score of security problems with the service. Should CISOs try to steer their organisations away from it, or ban it outright? Continue Reading
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News
01 Apr 2020
Security, network services top enterprise challenges for deploying UCaaS, CCaaS
Research finds ongoing challenges in deploying unified-communications-as-a-service and contact-centre-as-a-service firms also preferring bundled network solutions from a single provider Continue Reading
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News
31 Mar 2020
How IT leaders and their teams are supporting employees through the coronavirus crisis
We talk to four top IT chiefs across the UK to find out how their teams are supporting their organisations and staff to keep working through the Covid-19 outbreak Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: Zoom accelerates away as office workers make video calls
The Covid-19 pandemic has required people to change their working habits, and many are routinely using conferencing tools Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2020
Coronavirus takes toll on IT spending in Asia
The economic fallout from the Covid-19 outbreak is expected to slash the growth rate of the region’s IT industry to just 1.2% this year Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: How to implement safe and secure remote working
Find out what CIOs and CISOs need to know to enable their end-users to work remotely and stay secure during the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis, and learn how users can help themselves Continue Reading
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News
19 Mar 2020
Covid-19: Three steps to remote working effectiveness
Staff are going to have to work from home, if they can, for the foreseeable future. We look at steps to ensure they remain fit and productive Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2020
Covid-19: Three technology areas that CIOs must address
CIOs will need to consider the IT measures that will be needed to support their organisations as the government ramps up its response to the coronavirus Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2020
Nutanix expands virtual desktop service in APAC
Nutanix has expanded its Xi Frame virtual desktop service to five more cloud regions in Asia-Pacific amid the Covid-19 outbreak Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2020
ICNIRP finds no health risk with 5G technologies
Study by independent organisation that provides scientific advice and guidance on the health and environmental effects of non‐ionising radiation finds 5G technologies not harmful if new guidelines are adhered to Continue Reading
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News
12 Mar 2020
IT Priorities 2020: Benelux organisations and budgets focused on digital transformation
IT leaders in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg expect bigger budgets this year, with spending on digital transformation projects and related technologies being prioritised Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2020
IT Priorities 2020: IP network investments top priority for Middle East IT leaders
IT leaders in the Middle East expect to see increased spending on IP networks as digital transformation continues across the region Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2020
Nokia claims end-to-end 4G and 5G New Radio slicing first
Finnish comms tech provider beefs up comms network essential equipment offer with 4G, 5G end-to-end slicing Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2020
Samsung teams with comms tech leaders to set 5G speed benchmark
Samsung, Verizon, Motorola Mobility and Qualcomm deploy carrier aggregation and the latest 5G cell technology to achieve multi-gigabit speeds on a commercial smartphone connected to live 5G network Continue Reading
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News
24 Feb 2020
Qunifi inks Vonage partnership to integrate Microsoft Teams for enterprises
Vonage customers can now access the Microsoft Teams phone-calling feature using their business phone service Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2020
Four-fifths of CSPs to trial 5G network slicing by end of 2020
CSPs plan to simplify 5G network infrastructure with network slicing solutions, enabling a wide range of bespoke 5G B2B and B2C services Continue Reading
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News
12 Feb 2020
Nokia and SoftBank claim 5G first for connected cars
Finnish comms giant and Japanese operator reveal trials that they say successfully demonstrate that 5G technology can be safely and efficiently utilised for connected cars Continue Reading
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News
11 Feb 2020
Verizon opens 5G lab and studio in London
Leading US communications provider Verizon opens first 5G-enabled facility outside home market to offer organisations a hub to develop, test and co-create 5G applications, hardware and experiences Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2020
‘Enormous’ growth prospects for 5G in enterprises
Newly formed research body predicts global 5G enterprise mobile subscriptions will rise from 500,000 to 175 million by 2024 Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2020
Super Bowl wireless networking touch down for Extreme Networks
Weeks after first revealing its Wi-Fi 6-enabled networks for sports stadia in leading American sports leagues, networking technology and services company takes on wireless and analytics for biggest game in US sport Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2020
Growth again in Q4, but global smartphone market slips back over 2019
It was a tough year, but smartphone big guns fire in fourth quarter of 2019, driven by resurgent Apple’s iPhone 11, and industry set for further spike in 2020 Continue Reading
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News
28 Jan 2020
Cisco unveils business transformation suite for hyper-connected enterprise
New tools claimed to help businesses push their boundaries by reimagining their applications, empowering their teams, securing their data and transforming their infrastructure Continue Reading
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News
27 Jan 2020
Openreach extends full-fibre network to rural UK
UK national broadband infrastructure provider ramps up programme to deliver full-fibre to 200 locations, mainly towns and villages hitherto not passed by network Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2020
BT calls on fellow operators for investment fairness in rural UK network scheme
BT wants its prior investments in UK mobile infrastructure to be recognised in formulating operators’ investment in Shared Rural Network Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2020
SK Telecom claims standalone 5G data session is world’s first
South Korean telco proclaims 5G breakthrough that makes it set to be first to provide standalone 5G services in the first half of this year Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2020
UK ranks 13th in Cisco digital readiness index
Networking giant reveals benchmark holistically assessing countries’ digital readiness across seven key criteria, including technology adoption and technology infrastructure, and finds UK somewhat wanting Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2020
Liberty Global Europe shakes up executive leadership
UPC Switzerland chief executive flies in to take financial reins at Virgin Media in UK while former UPC Netherlands boss takes over Swiss and select eastern European operations Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2020
Extreme Networks claims Wi-Fi 6 a game changer for US sports stadiums
Cloud-driven networking technology and services company rolls out Wi-Fi 6 technology for Tennessee Titans, Houston Dynamo and Dash, Leeds Beckett University and West Texas A&M Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2020
EE scoops top rating in UK mobile connectivity assessment
BT subsidiary wins top spot in UK mobile quality benchmark survey for sixth time running Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
Nokia notches 63 commercial 5G tech equipment deals
Finnish comms giant reveals huge strides in 5G essential technology deployment around the world Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
KCOM makes £100m full-fibre investment
Operator for UK’s first full-fibre city looks to spread full-fibre reach to surrounding areas with network that is said to have produced estimated cumulative economic impact of more than £469m Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2020
Risk & Assurance Group joins i3forum to combat telecoms fraud
Telecoms risk information and advice service signs up as latest partner member in not-for-profit industry body that brings together the international carrier ecosystem to enable and accelerate transformation Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2020
Poor UK internet connectivity and technology cited as hampering SME productivity
Study suggests small businesses could be losing out on two and a half working weeks a year from employees because of unreliable internet connections and technology issues Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2020
Klaxoon claims mobile workspace first as multi-team projects become the norm
As new working methods and increased remote working make effective meetings more challenging, Klaxoon offers a new collaboration system Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2020
OTT challenge to see mobile operators lose voice over next five years
Harsh times predicted for voice services over the next five years as revenues are expected to nearly halve, but operators stand to be partially offset by nascent 5G-based offers Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Jan 2020
Ericsson reveals plans for 5G, IoT – and self-driving buses
World’s third biggest maker of telecommunication equipment reveals its plans for new technologies including 5G, the internet of things and automation Continue Reading
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News
30 Dec 2019
Top 10 telecoms stories of 2019
2019 has been the year of 5G through the major economies of the world, with major markets launching next-generation networks that are set to flourish in 2020 Continue Reading
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News
23 Dec 2019
Managed services to be prime driver of APAC enterprise mobility
Managed mobility services set to account for one-third of overall enterprise mobility revenue in the Asia-Pacific region by 2023, equivalent to US$5.3bn Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2019
London needs to accelerate full-fibre digital infrastructure delivery
London’s capability to be the tech hub it aims for is currently limited by a range of issues, including the availability of fibre and the speeds delivered, says report from mayor Sadiq Khan’s office Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2019
Ericsson claims 5G voice and evolved packet core milestones with MediaTek and Telstra
Swedish comms tech giant reveals projects that could create new 5G services for consumers and enterprise customers with emerging technologies, and the successful completion of 5G standalone voice Continue Reading
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News
17 Dec 2019
Cisco bolsters low-latency networking with Exablaze acquisition
Networking giant makes strategic acquisition of Australian provider of ultra-low latency devices and FPGA-based applications Continue Reading
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Blog Post
16 Dec 2019
What can we expect the new Government to deliver and when?
The manifesto … focussed on fairness, public service delivery and "place"- e.g. using infrastructure and R&D spend to bring jobs and services to the regions ... But the biggest change [will ... Continue Reading
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News
16 Dec 2019
Barco fixes ClickShare wireless flaw, but users still at risk
Supplier patches a major vulnerability in its popular ClickShare wireless presentation system with a firmware upgrade, but experts warn that users are not out of the woods yet Continue Reading
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News
16 Dec 2019
Nokia inks TIM Brazil IoT contract and supplies Deutsche Bahn 5G automated rail operation
Finnish tech provider gains Wings in the IoT arena with Brazilian telco TIM, as well as providing 5G-based network for automated rail operations in Germany Continue Reading
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Blog Post
15 Dec 2019
When IT Meets Christmas, Brexit, Climate Change and other intolerance
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward man": regardless of whether you think God likes them or is pleased with their views on: Brexit, Climate Change, How to manage the ... Continue Reading
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News
12 Dec 2019
Cisco unveils plans for internet of the future
Online technology giant Cisco introduces platform for the internet of the future based on $5bn of investment in areas covering silicon, optics and software, bringing the ability to support massively scaled enterprise networks and 5G networks Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2019
IoT to be supplanted by internet of senses by 2030
Ericsson research reveals consumers expect AI, VR and AR-enabled connected technology to interact with the senses of sight, sound, taste, smell and touch by 2030 Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2019
Autonomous ships on Dutch horizon
The Port of Rotterdam is creating an environment where autonomous ships will become the norm, through IoT and IBM Watson Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
China, Japan, India to drive APAC networking spend to 2023
Asia-Pacific enterprises are continuing to strengthen their network agility and service delivery capabilities with a view to offering converged service offerings, says GlobalData study Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
European Investment Bank offers financial support for Orange fibre network
Orange aims to accelerate French fibre momentum following €700m loan from European Investment Bank to develop non-metro French high-speed broadband Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
Telefónica set to announce second core tech supplier as it takes broadcasting to the Edge
Spanish incumbent telco announces plans to add another supplier to join Huawei on its official supplier list for 5G-enabling technologies Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2019
Wells to become UK’s next gigabit city
Medieval Somerset city hopes to encourage business growth and attract new employers by going gigabit Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2019
Huawei mounts legal challenge to US subsidy programme ban
Chinese tech giant fights back against FCC ban on carriers in the rural US from using the Universal Service Fund to buy its equipment and designation as threat to US national security Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2019
Scots urge councils to embrace smart city technologies
Survey of Scottish citizens indicates a number of benefits that local communities can gain from IoT and other connected technologies Continue Reading
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News
04 Dec 2019
Connectivity is levelling the playing field for small businesses in UK creative sector
Research shows key segment of UK creative industry small businesses produce their best ideas and work on the go, increasingly relying on connectivity to drive productivity Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2019
‘Poor’ comms and collaboration tools cost UK plc over £7,500 per employee per year
Survey reveals workplace productivity is deeply impacted by an organisation’s communications and collaboration practices and technology Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2019
Rural business association slams parties’ lack of plans to address ‘appalling’ connectivity
UK’s major political parties accused of failing rural businesses by lacking a credible solution to improve mobile 4G and 5G coverage Continue Reading