Irwin Lazar's "Real-Time" Blog

Treo Update Take 2 - Palm finally gets it right

Palm has just released the second major firmware update for the Cingular-branded Treo 650 (an update for Sprint was released a few weeks ago). This one seems to finally get things right. After installing it Wednesday morning I've yet to experience a spontaneous reboot, something that would happen oh about half the time I'd make a phone call or check e-mail in the past (especially when using it with my bluetooh enabled car).

Even better, the integration with the car is much improved. The signal strength (or lack thereof) is now displayed on the dashboard when I try to initiate a call.

It only took ten months or so to get the bugs worked out. Now, if Palm is listening, how about a true multi-tasking operating system that doesn't say "Windows" on it?

Skype in the Enterprise

SearchEnterpriseVoice.com covers Skype's enterprise prospects in an article released a couple of weeks ago that quotes both myself and Andy Abramson among others.

Most telling quote in the article "Skype did not return requests for an interview."

I've gotten a similar response from Skype in my past efforts to contact them to discuss their enterprise plans. Skype is a hot topic among our enterprise customers, and I'm currently working a report that expands on many of the concerns that Andy and I raise in this article.

I've also posted some additional comments on VoIP Loop.

Asterisk Update Released

Version 1.2 of Asterisk is now available, touting some 3,000 improvements to the previous version. We're seeing a growing interest in Asterisk among our enterprise clients, I'm going to be watching this area a lot closer in the next year.

Business Week: Microsoft and Cisco: Ready to Rumble?

Business Week has a story this week about the coming battle between Cisco and Microsoft for in areas such as VoIP. It's a good read.

Microsoft's acquisitions of numerous VoIP related companies, and it's development of a partner eco-system to support the use of Live Communications Server as an enterprise communications hub clearly signal it's desire to take ownership of the user front-end into communications services, denying companies like Cisco the ability to drive features to users via their phones and soft-clients.

More often than not, I'm finding that enterprises want to know "what's your LCS strategy" when they talk to VoIP systems vendors. Those that play nicely with LCS are finding improved opportunities to crack the enterprise telephony space.

Microsoft and Cisco on ICE?

Cisco and Microsoft have announced plans to support the ICE standard for NAT traversal. This is important stuff to IPT. vendors, enterprises, and consumers. I just posted my thoughts on this announcement to the VoIP Loop, TMC covers it as well: Microsoft and Cisco Think ICE Is Cool Stuff!.

VOIP Magazine: How to Handle SIP

Susan Breindenbach of VoIP Magazine approached me several weeks ago for assistance in writing "the definitive article on SIP." It has now been published, and is well worth a read. See: How to Handle SIP - VoIP Magazine Online.

Blogging at 33,000 Feet

I'm currently on Lufthansa LH 414 returning from Burton Group's Catalyst Conference in Munich, Germnay. This has been my first chance to try out the new Connexion by Boeing in-flight Internet service and I have to admit I'm pretty pleased. The cost is $9.95 for the first 30 minutes (with an additional 30 minutes free), or $29.95 for the entire flight. Lufthansa handed out $10.00 discounts at the gate for the full-flight service, so I ended up paying $19.95.

A check at http://www.testyourvoip.com/ reports a MOS score of 1 on the 1-5 range, meaning that I'd have more luck shouting than I would making a Skype call.

http://www.dslreports.com reports similar bad news, 111 kbps download speed, 29 kbps up-load speed, not nearly enough to support a voice call.

Even despite these scores, the system appears fairly responsive, it's much better than dial-up over GPRS via my treo, though not quite the WiFi performance I usually get at public access points.

Even if I could make a call I'm not sure I would do so. Given that most of the folks around me are sleeping I don't think they'd take to kindly to me having a voice conversation right now.

More on VoIP Security FUD

I'm quoted in this NewsFactor Network article on VoIP Security.

I'm continually amazed by the amount of FUD being spread with regard to VoIP security threats. People...the sky is not falling. VoIP isn't e-mail. It isn't implemented like e-mail, it won't be implemented like e-mail (maybe "it shouldn't be implemented like e-mail" is a more appropriate statement). Following best security practices will ensure at least a level of security equivalent to current TDM systems.

Best FUD I've heard this week: VoIP is insecure because you can simply put a bridge on an ethernet line and capture a stream. Hey, has anyone ever heard of alligator clips?

Heck, we could use a Thunderbird protocol analyzer ten years ago to listen to calls on our channelized T1s at a previous job site. And, we could do this in a central location because all calls out of our HQ site went through a single set of cables. VoIP is much more difficult to tap, calls, or even individual packets within a single call, can take multiple routes through a network. Tapping a user's Ethernet port requires the ability to log in to their local switch and span their port, something that requires an account on the switch, and something that ought to be logged (there is that 'best practice' thing again).

While the "place the hub" in-line attack could work, it won't work in environments where the switch is providing line power to the phone (unless you have a line-powered hub), and it won't work in implementations that use 802.1x to authenticate devices placed on the network. Finally, if you are reallly concerned about wire-tapping, turn on the encryption capabilities that many VoIP vendors currently support. (In this case, VoIP offers superior security to TDM, how many TDM systems support end-to-end encryption?)

Yes, there are security threats to VoIP, just as there are to any application, or even legacy TDM systems (toll fraud anyone?). But let's not scare people into thinking that implementing VoIP means that they will fall victim to a non-stop flood of SPAM, SPIT, DoS, Phishing, and a litany of other attacks.