Big things ahead for VoIP: If last week's IT EXPO was any indication, the market for VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) and UC (unified communications) services continues to rise rapidly. A new Infonetics Research report says that $377 billion will be spent on both business and residential VoIP services between 2012 and 2016. While NTT (NYSE: NTT) will likely continue to lead the residential VoIP sales, the market will be driven by SIP trunking and hosted VoIP or UC services for business--currently 15 to 20 percent of all new IP PBX lines are sold as part of a managed services package, the largest segment of the business market. "The SIP trunking and hosted UC segments were marked by strong growth and dynamic supplier landscapes in the first half of 2012," said Diane Myers, principal analyst for VoIP, UC and IMS at Infonetics Research. "Beyond traditional operators and service providers, we're seeing a growing number of PBX/UC vendors, enterprise agents, system integrators, and resellers expanding into hosted UC offerings." News release
Video killed the web innovator: Online video has reached almost incredible heights of popularity, with providers like Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) and YouTube dominating Internet bandwidth and causing broadcasters and cable companies to develop their own online video offerings. But the UK-based Broadband Stakeholder Group says that cable operators and IPTV providers like AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) are hindering takeup of "superfast broadband"--and future online innovation--by selling their TV services first. "According to the report, the incentive for U.S. broadband providers to compete on speed grounds--and thereby drive demand for superfast services--is being suppressed by a focus on selling bundled pay-TV services, rather than standalone superfast broadband," a TechCrunch article says. Article
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Source: Operator, NRA, Association data. As at Q2 2012 for FTTC and FTTH data, and between Q4 2011 and Q2 2012 for FTTB and DOCSIS 3 data. (Image source: Broadband Stakeholder Group) |
Patent trolls rampant in litigation landscape: The number of lawsuits filed by "non-practicing entities, known more colorfully as patent trolls" has increased from 22 percent of the patent lawsuits filed five years ago to more than 40 percent of all patent lawsuits filed today, and affects a long list of industry verticals including technology and telecommunications, says a new report by Sara Jeruss, University of California Hastings College of Law Prof. Robin Feldman and Joshua Walker. "The America Invents Act 500: Effects of Patent Monetization Entities on US Litigation" was commissioned in 2011 by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and provides data on patent infringement plaintiffs. The report notes that the problem may be even bigger than the data shows. "From all appearances, lawsuits filed are only the tip of the iceberg, and a major operating company may face hundreds of invitations to license for every lawsuit," the report says. News release