The Internet of Things (IoT) is a field of information and communications technology (ICT) that has been increasing exponentially for the past few years, with the number of connected devices now exceeding the world’s human population.

But many IoT device users may not be aware of the inherent security risks of their internet-connected devices, according to a January 2018  study by the Cybersecurity Research Institute. According to the report, hackers have already proven themselves adept at discovering flaws in these devices and turning them into botnets (botnets are a collection of connected devices infected with malware and controlled without the owners' knowledge).

In this article, we review some of the vulnerabilities inherent in connected devices and steps you can take to secure your network and protect against hackers.

Topics: Trends, Network Security, IoT

If you have customers that have not yet migrated to VoIP and are thinking about making the switch, this would be a great time to do it. According to the FCC, VoIP telephone subscriptions in the U.S. have been growing at a compound annual growth rate of 10% since 2013, and retail switch access has been declining by 11% annually during the same period. At that rate, VoIP subscribers now outnumber switched access customers, and ISDN connections are quickly sliding into obsolescence. SIP trunking is becoming the standard for PSTN connectivity.

To ensure a smooth transition, start by helping your customers answer these four basic questions to set them up for success.

Topics: IP PBX, Business Telephone System, VoIP, Trends, Business Continuity, Business Strategy

New Eastern Management Group study reflects input from more than 3,500 IT managers surveyed worldwide.

Topics: SIP, Trends

Key trends for WISPs from WISPAPALOOZA

Wireless Internet Service Providers or WISPs constitute a growing industry in the United States and worldwide. The WISP Association (WISPA), an advocacy organization for WISPs in the U.S., has over 650 members and 200 vendor associations. WISPA organizes an annual event called WISPAPALOOZA for the purpose of bringing together WISPs and vendors from all over the country.  Last week, Anthony Morris and Trey Smith were speaking with people about our wireless networking and telecommunications solutions at the TeleDynamics booth.

Here we cover some of the key trends this year that affect WISPs.

Topics: OTT VOIP, Wireless, Trends, Mobile, Events, WISP

If you weren’t able to attend Channel Partners Evolution last week in Austin, fear not: here are our top takeways from the event.

 

Topics: VoIP, Trends, Network Security, Cloud, Events

Ignore them at your own risk!

As we gear up for Channel Partners Evolution later this month in Austin, we’ve been thinking about the incredible pace at which digitization is taking over every aspect of business and the importance of a nimble enterprise structure that can continually adapt to this progress.

It can seem overwhelming keeping up with it all, so we’ve boiled it down to five trends that will define the evolution of VoIP over the next decade. Ignore them at your own risk!

 

Topics: VoIP, SIP, Software Integration, Trends, Mobility (including remote work), Productivity, Events

Almost 3,000 products featured! Get it in print or online

Topics: IP PBX, Trends, Leasing, Cloud, Catalog

 

As our special guest, get free or deeply discounted passes at this must-attend event

Topics: SIP, Trends, Events

When to use VoLTE vs. an OTT voice app

In a previous article, we discussed voice over LTE (VoLTE) and its implications for the enterprise VoIP phone system. All voice traffic over the LTE (also known as 4G mobile) network is packetized and conforms to modern VoIP standards, making it the first mobile telephony standard to completely circumvent the traditional circuit-switched telephony infrastructure.

In many ways, VoLTE sounds a lot like over-the-top (OTT) voice applications that leverage the same protocols for voice. In this article, we look at what OTT voice apps are, what VoLTE is in relation to OTT, and the benefits of using one, the other or both over an LTE network.

Topics: OTT VOIP, Business Telephone System, VoIP, Software Integration, Trends, Mobility (including remote work), Mobile

As investments in the legacy circuit-switched voice network wane, national telephone operators are directing their energies to mobile and IP networks. This focus has brought about many “Voice over X” or VoX technologies over the past few years. While VoIP (voice over IP) is one of the most important ones, many related technologies are also proliferating such as VoWiFi, VoDSL, and VoZigbee. The VoX technology we examine in this article is voice over Long-Term Evolution or VoLTE, which has exciting implications for enterprise VoIP telephone systems.

Topics: Business Telephone System, VoIP, SIP, Trends, Mobile