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Wireless       The "Flattening Effect" and Network Intelligence Because the network has simultaneously become both flatter and more complex, the journey toward a converged all-IP network comes with an entirely new set of network performance and management philosophies to be adopted and developed by IT organizations. To drive the need for maintaining and managing the experience of the subscriber, real-time monitoring, troubleshooting and provisioning of the network must be implemented strategically and methodically. Real-time monitoring of network traffic has proven to be crucial to diagnosing and analyzing network performance and services, and consequently the subscriber’s quality of experience (QoE). Terence Martin Breslin, CEO, and Andy Huckridge, Director of Marketing       Video Grade Wi-Fi and the Emerging 802.11ac Standard The emerging 802.11ac standard promises several big improvements over 802.11n, especially for video delivery in the home. This article looks at 802.11ac's performance enhancements, including wider 80 MHz bandwidth channels, use of 5 GHz spectrum, LDPC coding and beamforming, and multi-user MIMO capabilities. The first generation of 802.11ac silicon will be coming to market soon. Nir Shapira       WAN Optimization for Desktop Virtualization Server design, hypervisor capabilities, virtual machine density, display protocols and bandwidth all have a direct effect on the performance of desktop virtualization clients. Now, WAN optimization technologies are also playing a lead role in boosting virtual desktop performance. Joe Ghory       Safe SIP Trunking: New Security Requirements for Enterprise Adoption of SIP-based Services and Applications As more and more applications and devices become SIP enabled --from deskphones to smartphones to tablets to softclients on any device – the move to SIP trunks promises to simplify the entire communications infrastructure for the typical enterprise adopter, centering on SIP as the common denominator across internal and external communication. Howeve, have you ever heard of vishing? Here we consider security implications. Adam Boone       Creating an Airtight Environment for Communication and Commerce Although there is a growing perception about spam’s association with social media tools, email continues to be the primary source of network attacks and data-loss risk for enterprises. This article will highlight key threats and their impact on the organization, and discuss practical steps that companies can take to ensure more secure email communications.   Alec Peterson       Setting the Record Straight on Location Tracking and Privacy A so-called 'location-gate' controversy has raged over the revelation that Apple and Google tracked mobile subscriber location movements and stored that information in an unencrypted file on the handset that was potentially vulnerable to hacking and other attacks. The discussion should be refocused on how location and other sensitive information is protected, what it is used for, and the responsibility consumers have to make sure they understand how and why their location information is being recorded. Jan Johansson       Reducing 4G/LTE Testing Time with Trial Acceleration LTE trials usually involve a lot of repetitive cabling / un-cabling and configuration of both the test network and the device under test itself. A new method, called Trial Acceleration, helps service providers to get through the evaluation phase and to market faster, and it allows much more control when working with existing products and new software loads. Andy Huckridge       Solving the Mobile Video Puzzle on Today's Networks An important piece of the mobile video puzzle throughout most of the world is the Third Generation Partnership Project’s (3GPP) 3G-324M protocol. While it does not yet apply to the U.S., most mobile service providers who understand the inherent challenges of deploying low-latency video applications with high service quality in a 3G network realize that it is important to focus on solutions that incorporate this protocol. Jim Machi       Policy 2.0: Smart Operators Increase Profit Without Rebuilding Service providers need to look at how policy-based solutions in their networks can move beyond just dealing with pure cost control to revenue generation. Network-based policy solutions deployed to date have dealt with enabling basic service tiers and fair usage models in terms of QoS and monthly quotas. However they have largely been lacking in their ability to apply policy rules at a more granular service/application level or apply rich real-time context to the policy decisions being applied. Ray Vinson and Michael Rodgers       Mobile Video: Identifying Win-Win Pricing Plans How valuable is video for mobile users? Would they be willing to pay more for video services that do not count against their data plan? If so, how much would they pay? Tekelec has conducted primary research that gauges user views regarding the relative value of mobile video as well as their reaction to various pricing models. Randy Fuller       The Black Hole of 4G Indoor Wireless Coverage Coverage gaps exist in metropolitan, suburban and urban communities in every wireless network. Research suggests that 20% of churn is caused by only 6% of the networks cell sites. Although coverage gaps can be isolated, they continue to exist despite technical measures, standard procedures, and other failed initiatives. Eric Moore       An Open Letter Addressing Barriers in the U.S. Market Huawei USA believes it has faced unfair misperceptions in the U.S. market. It now seeks to set the record straight and asks that the United States government will carry out a formal investigation on any concerns it may have about Huawei. Ken Hu       What Wireless Operators Need to Consider When Choosing a Location Solution The mobile geo-location industry emerged in the United States (US) in the late 90’s, after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated that all emergency calls (E911) from mobile devices must be located by wireless operators/carriers with specific location accuracy and reliability requirements. A variety of low, medium and high accuracy performance location solutions emerged as a result of the mandate. This article provides an overview of the different types of commercial location solutions, and the corresponding applications they enable based on performance criteria. Dr. Martin Feuerstein       It's a Small Cell World After All -- LTE Alone is Not Enough With mobile broadband traffic rocketing upwards, global operators are realizing that LTE alone won't be enough. It's not a matter of innovation or effort; mobile networks in their current macrocellular form have simply approached the limits of physics. Capacity gains at this point can only be incremental and are a direct by-product of how much spectrum the operator has at their disposal. Stephen Rayment       Maximizing Scarce Resources for the Mobile Operator The surge in mobile infrastructure activity is creating new challenges for microwave backhaul operators; towers congestion and, in some regions, shortages in backhaul spectrum availability, are driving higher costs for these scarce resources. Here's a look at how to optimize these resources. Dr. Alan Solheim       Defending the Enterprise from New Attacks via Unified Communications With Unified Communications, all forms of voice, video and data communication are effectively mingled in a single pipe. Of course, traffic is often "separated" by Virtual LANs or other forms of logical separation. But VLANs and similar defense mechanisms are easy to overcome. The hacking community has made free "VLAN hopping" tools widely available to anyone who can use Google. Adam Boone       Improving the Backbone with Dual Redundant SIP Service Advanced communications solutions in the cloud have become the 'darling' of industry pundits, who continue to rally behind applications like hosted Voice over IP, conferencing and contact center solutions as the next incarnation of communications technology. However, the IP infrastructure that serves as the foundation for these solutions and services lags, in terms of reliability and resilience, compared to traditional SS7-based telephony networks. SIP-based services continue to suffer from lack of network resilience and failover within the IP network. Ian Colville       Emergency Response and Wireless Location Systems When lives are at stake, public-safety agencies' first responders need the most reliable, most accurate location information for whoever happens to be in need, in whatever circumstance—and they need it in real time. The standard for what constitutes a "good enough" capability for locating mobile devices in emergencies has risen. In its E911 Phase II requirements, the FCC stipulates that wireless operators provide local public safety answering points (PSAPs) with the latitude and longitude of an emergency caller's mobile device to within 50 meters in some instances. What wireless location technologies are best suited for this mission? Manlio Allegra       Network Interconnection and Evolution for Super Carriers In the Telecom world, the term "super carrier" refers to the largest telecommunications providers which own multiple, geographically separated, heterogeneous wireless and wired networks. As most super carriers have grown through acquisitions, they often operate a patchwork of network technologies and protocols, including both TDM and IP, across various regions. And with the advent of technologies such as 4G, super carriers are hastening to move to an all-IP core network. To remain competitive in today's market, super carriers must lower costs and continue to support existing services while moving to newer, IP-based technologies. In order to accomplish this, network interconnection is key. Dawn M. Hogh       Carrier Challenges for Tomorrow's Connected Enterprise More and more office equipment -- printers, whiteboards, monitors, projectors, cameras, etc.-- is being used by employees remotely, whether they're in the office or not. And technology is already coming to market to enable "smart" meeting rooms that will interact with the people meeting in them whether or not they are physically present. Dr. Badri Nath [1/4] Send us your response to this article.