An emerging trend among Unified Communications vendors these days is support for federation between UC systems in different organizations. Perhaps the first to market was Microsoft OCS Federation which allows two enterprises with Office Communications Servers to share presence, instant messaging, voice, and video.  Google Wave launched last June with support for Wave Federation Protocol [...]

The
SIP School has joined the Internet Telephony Service Providers Association in
the UK. The SIP School with its SIP training and SSCA program has become the world
leader in SIP education with endorsements and partnerships with the likes of the TIA,
Bisci, Mitel, Panasonic, Audiocodes, Avaya’s DevConnect Community, Telematrix, AudioCodes,
Ingate and many more.

The ITSPA was formed in March 2004 as a trade association to represent UK-based network
operators, service providers and other businesses involved with the supply of VoIP
services to business and residential consumers within the United Kingdom and across
the European Union.

Polycom announcesthe SoundStation IP 5000 conference phone. The SoundStation IP 5000 features PolycomHD Voice and offers robust SIP-based VoIP interoperability at a price that is wellwithin reach of organizations of all sizes. Designed specifically for the needs ofprivate offices and small meeting rooms, the voice quality of the SoundStation IP5000 far surpasses that of traditional desktop speaker phones.

Continuing
its efforts to empower service providers to provide seamless and ubiquitous voice,
video and data service to subscribers across any 4G mobile network, Nortel Carrier
VoIP and Application Solutions unveiled new wireless and 4G Mobile VoIP solution enhancements
that equip carriers to deliver a superior user experience, reduce network deployment
costs and speed time to market.

Vonage announces
the grant of a virtual phone number patent. The patent -- No. 7,680,262 - titled "Method
and Apparatus for Placing a Long Distance Call Based on a Virtual Phone Number," allows
consumers to communicate to distant locations without incurring long distance or international
calling charges. This is Vonage's second patent related to the use of virtual phone
numbers. Vonage's first patent directed to the use of virtual phone numbers -- No.
7,386,111 -- was granted on June 10, 2008.

D2
Technologies has joined with GCT
Semiconductor to deliver VoIP over WiMAX for mobile devices based on the Android
and Linux operating systems. D2’s breakthrough mCUE converged communications client
and its industry-leading vPort embedded VoIP engine power two reference designs incorporating
GCT’s GDM7205, the world’s first mobile WiMAX IEEE 802.16e Wave 2-compliant chip solution.
The combined solutions offer OEMs and ODMs a faster and more economical way to deliver
a range of WiMAX mobile devices to market with broad VoIP and IP communications capabilities.

Skype
announces
it has selected tekVizion Labs as the independent and objective verification and testing
service to run the Skype for SIP Interoperability Certification Program.

Digium announced
that Boys and Girls Club of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has won the Digium Extreme Phone
Makeover contest. Boys and Girls Club will receive a Switchvox Unified Communications
system, the full-featured and cost-effective VoIP solution designed for small- to
mid-sized businesses, and Polycom SoundPoint IP phones for a complete system valued
up to $10,000.