As IT managers keep searching for ways to thwart voice fraud and other types of malicious activity, Cisco has announced the Cisco® UC Gateway Services API. This is a Web-based application programming interface (API) that could play a direct role in helping organizations deal with this problem. The API opens up the enterprise voice network edge to enable more voice services on the Cisco Integrated Services Router Generation 2 (ISR G2) router.

The application gives customers and partners easy access to call information—both signaling and media—at the network edge.  This information can then be used to detect and thwart any malicious activity, including but not limited to: social engineering and identity-theft scams, contact center account takeover fraud, unauthorized network access and service use, and even the telephony denial of service (TDOS) attacks that are often launched to divert attention while cyber-thieves drain bank accounts of cash or steal customer data from contact centers. 

Once malicious activity is detected, the Cisco UC Gateway Services API allows applications to apply appropriate policy action by the Cisco voice gateway, such as call termination, call redirection or call forking (for recording).

BT is the first service provider to take advantage of the Cisco UC Gateway Services API by significantly bolstering its BT Assure Cloud Security Service, which until this point has focused mainly on data security services. Now, BT customers will be able to identify threats for voice and data globally in a single dashboard and mitigate these threats proactively. BT will be the only provider to offer a single view based on its ability to monitor and control real-time data and voice activity from the most widely used edge router in the industry, the Cisco ISR G2.

Cisco is also using the application to better integrate its own products into the Cisco TDM Gateway and CUBE, meaning they can now dynamically select and record specific calls, which is useful in its contact centers for quality monitoring purposes.  

This news piece is taken from one of our partners websites, for more on this story visit them at http://newsroom.cisco.com/press-release-content?type=webcontent&articleId=838176

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The four are now among 52 of Cornwall's 99 telephone exchange areas where fibre broadband is starting to become available.

The high-speed technology is being used by more than 6,000 homes and businesses and this increases by around 250 a week.

Superfast Cornwall expects to make fibre optic broadband available to at least 80 per cent of premises in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly by the end of 2014.

Up to £53.5million of the funding for Superfast Cornwall is coming from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Convergence Programme, the largest European investment in broadband infrastructure, whilst BT is investing up to £78.5million.

For the rest of this story please visit our source, Plymouth Herald at:  http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/Superfast-broadband-villages-near-Plymouth/story-15863371-detail/story.html

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Companies had to sign up to the process by March to qualify for the upcoming deadline, with Canon and Google amongst the companies to do so. It is said that they paid $185,000 (£116,355) in fees which were required for them to take part in the process. Successful applicants also will face $25,000 in costs per year to maintain the generic top-level domains.

Any company was welcome to apply which means we will see alot of large companies with custom web addresses.  For example, confectioners Cadbury can apply for .cadbury, .dairymilk or .cremeegg as an alternative to existing suffixes such as .org or .co.uk, and parties are able to request up to 50 web address endings.

Nominet, the organisation which manages .uk domains, has confirmed it was to apply for .wales & .cymru.

Icann plans to publish application details on 30 April and says that in excess of 830 users will be taking part.

for more on this story visit:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17681707

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We all enjoy our wonderful and unique location but it has its drawbacks in terms of accessibility and profile.

We have a history of under-investment in core infrastructure, particularly in terms of road, rail and air links.

In addition we have not always had a clearly articulated economic strategy supported by robust implementation plans – as we have today.

We must maximise the potential of technology to position Plymouth as a leader.

This could include investment in a datacentre to help drive down further the costs of connectivity and to provide a range of hosted services to make this ambition real – a project the Chamber continues to lead on.

This will make the region future-proof as well as making it an attractive area for outside businesses to locate in.

A recent survey that local IT company Stem Group carried out showed that the majority of local businesses thought IT was going to become more and more vital to progress their business.

The statistic that stood out from the survey was cloud services being the top item for companies to utilise in 2012.

Cloud services can be explained simply as the means where IT and data can be delivered to you as a service wherever and whenever you need it, all of these services are hosted in the 'cloud' and delivered to you by a provider rather than being stored on your computer; this frees up resources, improves performance and lowers the cost of your IT.

For more on this story please visit http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/DAVE-YOUNG-Technology-key-Plymouth-s-future/story-15634126-detail/story.html

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Torbay, Paignton, Brixham and St Marychurch in Torquay are the latest places set to benefit from a major expansion of super-fast broadband in the South West, BT will be expanding the programme to Sidmouth, Cullompton, and St Budeaux in Plymouth aswell.

Also, more than a quarter of homes and businesses across Cornwall can now hook up, including those in parts of Truro, Penryn, Falmouth, Camborne, Pool and Redruth.

Nearly 600,000 premises in Devon now have access to super-fast speeds with another 477,000 already planned for later this year.

For the full story on this visit http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk

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The next event on the 20th March 2012 will be on Protecting Your Business: The Data, IT and Continuity Challenge. Please click here if you would like to register for this event

The events are available for everyone from IT practitioners to those who hold responsibility for IT (like Finance Directors and business owners). Not only do the events showcase emerging technologies (like virtualisation and storage), but they act as a networking event for the IT industry in the region. 

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Cancer Research UK is the world’s foremost charity dedicated to beating cancer through research. Its mission is to improve people’s understanding of cancer and help to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease.

Being soley relient on donations from the public and corporate partnerships, upgrading their IT systems to Windows 7, cost effectively was a large challenge to them.  This problem is increased by the large amount of regional offices that they have as well as their 5 main research institutes.  The solution to this extra cost was to virtualise their systems, which not only saved money in hardware and power but enables staff to work more flexibly and cuts down on the amount of equipment and space required.

For the full case study, follow this link http://www.citrix.com/English/aboutCitrix/caseStudies/caseStudy.asp?storyID=2314893

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Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is the next big decision for many IT departments and Stem Group is hosting a hands-on lab seminar which will give you an overview of the many different VDI solutions currently available from suppliers including VMware, Citrix and Microsoft.

The event will include time to use the new "Zero" and thin clients from Wyse, Dell and HP. You'll be able to see how they interact with various VDI solutions including Citrix XenDesktop 5.5

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