Irwin Lazar's "Real-Time" Blog

Kudos to some great applications

Ever since moving from Mac back to Windows there are two applications I've missed more than any other; NetNewsWire and Adium.  Fortunately, the Windows alternatives are getting better.  I still miss the Mac, but here are some apps that ease the pain.

• Pidgin was recently released as the "uber" IM client for Windows (replacing Gaim), enabling connectivity with almost all the major IM services (except Skype and Gizmo) via a single client.  It's still way behind Adium in terms of functionality and add-ins, but it is getting there.  And, it's free.
• NewsGator (the folks who own NetNewsWire) recently introduced a major update to FeedDemon, IMHO the best Windows RSS reader on the market.
• Ecto - the best OS X blogging tool IMHO recently updated their Windows version, it still lacks some of the features of the OS X release, but I've found it to be the best Windows-based blogging tool out there.

Finally, I'd like to give a shout out to the folks at GrandCentral who keep adding goodies to one of the most interesting applications to emerge this year.  The idea behind Grand Central is to separate your phone number from your service, much like e-mail alias services.  Grand Central gives you a phone number and a web-based management capability to control what happens when someone calls that number.  You can route incoming calls to a number of different services or devices (with simultaneous ring capabilities).  They also provide some fairly sophisticated voice mail features (my favorite is the ability to send incoming calls to voicemail, but listen in on the voicemail and take the call if you change your mind).  They recently added the capability to manage your voicemail from your mobile device.   It's in beta, so expect the occasional bug, but it is free right now as well.

Microsoft Table Technology

Microsoft unvieled a pretty cool technology last night, basically a table that responds to multiple touches, and the amazing thing was that it didn't crash.  If you've seen "Minority Report" this will remind you of the systems Tom Cruise used in the command center.

• Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLhMVNdplJc
• PC World: Microsoft Debuts 'Minority Report'-Like Surface Computer

Avaya For Sale?

A number of media outlets are reporting that Avaya is in discussions about a possible sale. 

See "Deal Speculation Lifts Avaya" at Forbes, and Om Malik's take.

With the recent announcement of Mitel's intent to acquire Inter-Tel, we could be on the cusp of some rapid consolidation in the enterprise telephony market.

Catching up - May edition

I've had a few things published in the last few weeks:

• Enterprises Still Face UC Learning Curve - IT Business Edge
• The ROI of Unified Communications - Network World
• Solving Communications Chaos With Unified Communications - BTQ Magazine (Registration required)

And on Collaboration Loop:

• What's a Mobility Strategy?
• The Perils and Promise of "You"
• The Halo Effect
• New Rules for Collaboration

I'm also happy to announce that I will be a contributing columnist to BCR Magazine, writing a bi-monthly column entitled "Real-Time" starting in July.

Skype Phishing Attack

Got this in my gmail in-box today:

Dear valued skype� member: It has come to our attention that your skype� account informations needs to be updated as part of our continuing commitment to protect your account and to reduce the instance of fraud on our website. If you could please take 5-10 minutes out of your online experience and update your personal records you will not run into any future problems with the online service. However, failure to update your records will result in account suspension. Please update your records on or before May 15, 2007. you are requested to update your account informations at the following link. https://secure.skype.com/login_update_done=1115487 *Important* We have asked few additional information which is going to be the part of secure login process. These additional information will be asked during your future login security so, please provide all these info completely and correctly otherwise due to security reasons we may have to close your account temporarily.

My guess is that most folks who receive this will ask themselves "what the heck is "Skype"?  Perhaps this may turn out to help Skype's marketing efforts?

Obstacles to Unified Communications

Network World covered some highlights from our recent benchmark "Building A Successful Virtual Workplace".

See:

Network World: Study: Businesses want unified communications but staff structure leaves them unprepared

 

 

Sun to port OpenOffice to Mac

Another sign of interest in Mac in the enterprise?

Sun lends hand on Mac OpenOffice project

 

Beware the SIP bot

Dan York has a great post today on the VOIPSA blog about the prospect of remote-controlled Zombie attacks on SIP servers.  He lays out a fascinating scenario of companies launching SIP-based attacks on competitors, and he notes the recent release of a VOIP bot for testing automated attacks.

Dan is correct to note that this isn't much of a threat to the enterprise as of yet, as enterprises typically don't accept SIP-based calls from the outside world.  But this is changing as enterprises begin to take advantage of SIP-trunking services for PSTN access, as well as SIP-based "click-to-call" features on enterprise web sites.

I think Dan's analysis is spot-on, and it underscores the need for enterprises to be careful to address security of links to SIP-trunking service providers by deploying SIP-based firewalls and intrusion-detection/prevention systems.

FutureNet thoughts

I'm still decompressing after four content-maximized days at FutureNet, but here are some thoughts.  For those of you who have never been to MPLScon or FutureNet in the past, the conference is rich on in-depth technical content mostly designed for an engineering audience (both service provider and enterprise).  We had a number of sessions that did a deep dive on topics such as WiMAX - MPLS integration, alternatives for next generation Ethernet, and MPLS Multicast.  We also had a number of sessions that looked at success factors around application management, security, and resiliency strategies.  Some of my favorite sessions were the end-user case studies from organizations including Cox Communications, The NY stock exchange, and a number of Verizon Business customers.

On the service provider side, the most interest seemed to be around the debate over Ethernet standards such as PBB and PBT/PBB-TE.  See Network World's recap by Jim Duffy who chaired the Tuesday evening "Beer and Pizza" Shootout.  From the enterprise side, we had a strong day of sessions covering different approaches and trends in the area of application performance management.  Enterprises also continue to struggle with picking the best service at the best price based on variable availability of service options and breadth of carrier coverage.

The conference as a whole set some records, with over 425 total attendees, making it the largest event in its seven-year history.  We also had the largest show floor so far. 

Next year's event will continue to broaden beyond MPLS into evolving WAN services.  I expect that Ethernet, mobility (including FMC), and application management will continue to be key topics.  I also expect we'll start talking a bit more about topics such as IPv6, SIP trunking, Internet susbtitution XML acceleration, and other network infrastructure related topics.  We move to Boston in April at the Boston World Trade Center.