Irwin Lazar's "Real-Time" Blog

Gartner: Beware of Mac OS spyware | CNET News.com

Here's an interesting story: "Gartner: Beware of Mac OS spyware | CNET News.com".  Given that there are absolutely no viruses for OS X at this point in time (compared with the 60,000 + out there for Windows) one has to wonder what prompted this FUD.

Oddly, this comes right after Symantec warned about Mac's OS X becoming a target for  hackers and viruses (again despite the fact that there isn't a single documented virus for OS X).

So why all the concern about something that doesn't exist?  For Symantec, a company that sells anti-virus apps for Mac (again, despite the fact that there aren't any documented viruses for OS X) this is especially troublesome.

I suppose that Windows users ought to be extremely concerned that someone could invent a virus that will spread from machine to machine, overcome all known security mechanisms, erase all their data, and render their machines unusable forever.  It's about as likely as non-existent Mac OS X viruses and spyware running rampant.

Network World: VoIP Analysis Tools

This week's Network World contains a test of VoIP analysis tools that "help the VoIP network manager proactively monitor and troubleshoot the IP telephony environment to ensure call continuity."

This is an interesting read because not only does it provide results from real-world simulation tests, but it shows a wide variance in the features and capabilities provided by the various systems.

Apple Tiger: iChat AV Updates

Apple will soon release its long-awaited "Tiger" version of OS X (10.4).  Included in this release are significant enhancements to its iChat voice/video application including the ability to create audio conferences for up to ten participants.  A quicktime demo is avalable at:  http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/ichat.html

Perhaps the "coolest" feature in the new iChat AV is a desktop video conferencing feature that allows you to create a "virtual meeting" with up to four participants.  Video is crystal clear thanks to the H.264/MPEG-4 codec.  Rather than just video boxes on the screen, video conference participants appear to be seated around a virtual conference room table, complete with reflections of the participants in the table as shown below.

With this release of iChat Apple brings the ability for voice and video conferences to easily be created on an ad-hoc basis by any individual.  This has got to be a network manager's worst nightmare given the potential bandwidth usage of video conferencing (specs are not yet available).  However, it give us all a glimpse into the future, where centralized services aren't necessary for rich-media communications and collaboration.

More on ClearWire

There has been a rather interesting discussion of the ClearWire situation on the North American Network Operators (NANOG) mailing list in the last couple of days.  (This list is primarily made up of folks from ISPs who are responsible for running real networks).

For the most part, the discussion has resolved around whether or not applications such as VoIP really do have the potential to negatively impact ClearWire's ability to meet its service level guarantees.  The concern is that the high packet-per-second rates inherent in VoIP, as well as the symmetrical nature of VoIP may wreak havoc with a wireless network design for asymetrical use.

Could it be that ClearWire isn't blocking applications such as VoIP for nefarious purposes but rather for real, demonstrable technological limitations of their service?

Meanwhile, this news continues to serve as a "rallying cry" for NetFreedom.

Net Freedom

Below is a comment I posted to Jeff Pulver's blog in response to his post "Net Freedom and Consumer Empowerment -- Let’s Start To Make Some Noise!."  Jeff, along with many others, are arguing that the government must step in and stop service providers from allowing access to services such as Vonage across their networks.  Here's my take:

On what basis does the government have to dictate to ClearWire or any other service provider what they can and can't do with their own networks?  How different is this from the government mandating that cable systems must carry any and all available channels.

If clearwire blocks VoIP, fine, let the consumer go elsewhere.  Substituion, while not available everywhere is becoming increasingly possible.  If my DSL provider blocks Vonage I go to Cable. If they block it, I go to wireless.  If all three block it, well then what a golden opportunity for a start-up provider using something like WiMax to deliver unblocked services.  Of course, if there is an economic argument to be made for unblocked service, then it is likely that it will be offered by the carriers (which many do today - e.g. one rate for consumer Internet access and a higher rate for business access which allows things like IPSec).

Certainly I can understand the need for regulation to ensure that carriers explicity state what they allow and don't allow, and to restrict the ability to change blocking during a contract period, but to say that all carriers must allow any and all sevices essentially says to the carriers that they are not able to run their operations in a manner that maximizes shareholder value. 

Instead, we ought to be encouraging a free market, where substitution is plentiful, and where carriers are free to offer the services they wish, at the prices that the market will bear.

Optimizing Communication and Collaboration with Microsoft Technologies

My colleague Peter O'Kelley is one of the speakers in Microsoft's "Optimizing Communication and Collaboration with Microsoft Technologies" seminar series.

Peter writes in his blog: Check the 'sneak preview' part of this page for the 'Enterprise Communication and Collaboration Market Dynamics' presentation I'm using on the 'Optimizing Communication and Collaboration with Microsoft Technologies' tour (along with the rest of the presentations from the event's business decision-maker track).

Visit the remaining tour stops/dates and register if you want to catch the event live/in-person."

InfoWorld: IBM's Sametime enterprise IM to gain telephony links

InfoWorld reports that IBM plans to introduce an API to enable Lotus Sametime to be integrated with enterprise VoIP, mobile and traditional phone systems.

Following the announcement of Windows Communicator a few weeks ago, this is yet another example of how real-time communications systems will continue to become part of a unified enterprise communications infrastructure enabling communications in the context of collaboration.

Clearwire May Block VoIP Competitors

From Advanced IP Pipeline: "Clearwire, the new wireless service provider run by Craig McCaw, says it has the right to monitor use of its network -- even if that means blocking VoIP services like Vonage's."

At some point the FCC is going to have to redefine common carrier rules. It doesn't seem to be fair that wireless services are able to restrict what users can do on their networks but wired services can't. Ultimately as long as there is substitution, network operators should be free to allow or block whatever they want - thus letting the market decide whether or not end-users will accept walled-garden type services (or potentially pay more for open-access).

Clocky

From the "And Now For Something Completely Different File" comes "Clocky"

Clocky is a clock for people who have trouble getting out of bed. When the snooze bar is pressed, Clocky rolls off the table and finds a hiding spot, a new one every day.

This is going on my holiday wish list.

More Vonage Troubles

As has been widely reported the Texas attorney general has filed suit against Vonage, claiming that Vonage has failed to inform people about potential limitations in calling 911 services from a Vonage phone.  This suit stems out of a case in Houston where a person was unable to reach 911 during an emergency and had to use a neighbors phone.

One of my co-workers who recently cancelled his Vonage account noted that Vonage was extremely clear and upfront about the need to activate 911 service and that service activation could take several days (however long I suppose it takes for the phone number location information to be populated into PS-ALI databases).

Of course not everyone fully reads the materials that are shipped to them, and the 911 service is useless if the customer relocates the phone without informing Vonage.

You might have noted that in the paragraph above I noted that my co-worker was a "former" Vonage customer.  In talking to Vonage users that I know I'm hearing an increasing number of complaints about both call quality and customer service. In several cases, attempts to call Vonage's customer support were fruitless, resulting in either constant-busy signals, or long waits on hold followed by spontaneous disconnects.  E-mails generate canned "the problem is on your end" responses.  One person even resorted to faxing Vonage, which generated a quick call back to let him know that their call centers were overloaded but that they were rapidly adding agents.

All this harkens back the trouble that AOL had in the mid-90's when an incredibly aggressive marketing campaign actually succeeded, with the end result being a surge of customers which overloaded the system. If memory serves me right, at one point AOL even had to limit the number of connections in order to stabilize service performance (meanwhile the free coasters kept coming).

AOL succeeded despite these issues because they provided an incredibly easy to use service with little substitution opportunities (other than of course a generic Internet account).  Vonage isn't as fortunate.

Not only do they face increased competition from services such as Skype & Teleo for the homeworker/2nd line market, they also face the prospect of cable companies bringing their own VoIP services to market, which may be cost-competitive with Vonage but will offer guaranteed network performance (since the cable companies control the access line), as well as professional installation and connection into existing house wiring.  If the cable companies achieve success, the RBOCs will likely follow suit with similar offerings. (Yes, Verizon offers a VoIP service today, but it isn't cost competitive).

Once these new services become established, customers won't be buying "VoIP" or "broadband phone services" rather they will be buying low-cost phone service that looks, acts, and performs exactly like the phone they have today, with some added features such as web-based call control.  At this point VoIP as a technology will have disappeared from the customer perspective.  And that is when we will know that it has succeeded.

Our Networks & Telecom Strategies service director Michael Disabato tags his e-mail messages with the quote:

"The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the  fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it." - Mark Weiser". 

I couldn't agree more