| 1. Digium CTO parses unblocked Caller ID hack Normally, punching *67 should block Caller ID information being passed through to a receiving caller. But, as security consultant Kevin Mitnick has demonstrated and Digium CTO Mark Spencer explains, it's not 100 percent foolproof. At The Last HOPE hacker conference over the weekend, Mitnick demonstrated how an appropriately configured Asterisk box and a suitable SIP trunking service can be used to deliver Caller ID information even on inbound calls that have a "Private" flag set. "There are legitimate reasons why you need to set the Caller ID to normal [and carry that information forward,]" said Digium CTO Mark Spencer. "If, for example, I'm in an enterprise environment and I want to have calls forwarded [from my office number] to my cell phone, [the PBX] needs that information." Mitnick used the "enterprise class" VoIP/SIP trunking provider FlowRoute to get a phone number (DID) and service that would deliver all of the call information to an Asterisk server. The Asterisk server is simply setup/scripted to pass along all Caller ID information for inbound calls regardless of the setting of the privacy flag on the call. Spencer also noted that Caller ID information is also carried along and recorded for "private" calls to toll free numbers; the information is necessary for proper billing. Mark is not happy with the use of Asterisk for questionable uses, but since it is open source, there is little he can do about it. "I hate to say it, but the same reasons why Asterisk is attractive to a lot of businesses, it's low cost, it can be easily tweaked, it's more flexible, make it easy for using it for an illegitimate purpose," said Spencer. "It's a very powerful platform. I'm not thrilled about it being used for fraud and I'm not thrilled with companies who build products on it in competition with Digium, but there's not a lot I can do about it." For more:
- Engadget snags Mitnick demo video from The Last HOPE conference Related articles:
Last Hope Launches Security Season
VoIP Security and the Circle of Trust
Asterisk faces FreeSwitch Asterisk is well-known, but the open-source IP PBX FreeSwitch is winning favor in some circles, says ZDNet's Dave Greenfield. FreeSwitch gets kudos for cleaner code and better implementation of some types of features. Expected to be released this week, Version 1.0.1 improves the code stability and adds both automatic speech recognition and text to speech to the code. Open source developers and enterprise users are finding love with FreeSwitch. SIPfoundry is using FreeSwitch as the basis for a new open source conferencing server. Implementation of call monitoring and busy lamp field (BLF), voice mail, and call parking reportedly are all much better in FreeSwitch. The platform supports writing IVRs in Lua, Javascript, Python, Perl and a built-in XML. A bigger challenge for all open source projects will be the ability to integrate PBX functionality with business applications through web services. For more:
- ZDNet's FreeSwitch vs. Asterisk blog Related articles:
Asterisk--Threatening or Boring?
Digium's 4 Million (Ports) Served Read more about: VoIP Technology, Open Source Projects, Open Source Developers, IP PBX
4. VoIP growth in LatAm driven by cheap & broadband The power of VoIP is rolling into Latin America, driven by lower costs and the growth of broadband services. It's also affecting service provider profits, says the new "VoIP in Latin America" report by Frost & Sullivan. In Brazil, the growth of VoIP and IP telephony is in part expected to cause a 2.8 percent early dip in local revenues and a 7.9 percent dip in long-distance revenues over the next six years. End users say they're reaching for VoIP for cost reductions. Frost and Sullivan expects the LatAm VoIP market to grow from earned revenues of around $72 million in 2007 to nearly $626 million in 2012. F&S says VoIP and wireless VoIP service providers need to ensure both operational efficiency and quality of service to thrive, along with effective distribution and promotion strategies. Factors that will hinder VoIP growth include lack of number portability regulation, poor end-user awareness (i.e. marketing), low call quality levels and an "almost non-existent" VoIP pre-sales effort. VoIP carriers need to improve pre-sales support and customer service, along with creating new service bundles and improving VoIP quality. Related articles:
Global Crossing Grows Latin America
SPOTLIGHT: VoIP Beats up U.S. Wireline; Wireless Data Drives Growth in U.S. Read more about: VoIP Technology, latin america, Latam, Frost And Sullivan
5. VoIP consulting for SMBs A new study finds small businesses are bringing in outside help to figure out VoIP buying decisions. In research conducted by The Brookside Group, companies found that buying a phone system had become a much more complex task. SMBs expect more out of the systems they choose, so they're increasingly reaching out to consultants to help them make the right choices. Likewise, consultants are depending more on revenues from VoIP, with more SMBs coming to them to help in phone system decisions. Companies are trying to decide between IP PBXes and hosted solutions, plus expressing more of an interest in unified communications and being able to bring in a broadband network capable of supporting IP telephony. Companies believe using a consultant will help them save money on a phone system/service purchase and potentially help them out with a specific new technology or service. A consultant can conduct a needs assessment, evaluate and choose vendors, and even go so far as to write RFPs and assist in contract negoiations. Consultants are also moving into deploying and managing phone networks on an outsourced basis, due to their involvement with network design and configuration. Top verticals seeking help include (in order) health care, banking and finance, local and state government, and education. Lawyers and accountants also rely on consultants for phone system help. For more:
- VoIP-news.com features consultants helping SMBs with VoIP Related articles:
UC Confuses SMBs
Marketing mudding VoIP and UC Read more about: VoIP Technology, VoIP, SMB, Small Businesses
SPOTLIGHT ON... VoIP calls legal in Qatar; resale needs license The Supreme Council for Information and Communications Technology (ictQATAR) has said the use of VoIP technology in the state of Qatar is allowed. However, the telecommunications laws on the books make it illegal for any person to provide services to the public for either a direct or indirect fee without a license from ictQATAR. Currently, the only two VoIP licensees are Qatar Telecom and Vodafone Qatar. A "large number" of Qatar residents use VoIP to make cheaper or free international calls and it's OK to use VoIP services, but selling VoIP calls or services to either the public or businesses is a no-no without a valid license. Skype seems to fall into a gray area, with personal use OK. The ruling hasn't shut down Internet cafes in Doha from offering phone services to the public. For more:
- Gulf Times reports on Qatar clarification on VoIP legality Related articles:
Living with VoIP in the Middle East
Net2Phone drops prices, gets credit for breaking Kuwait VoIP blockade
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