Some news items that caught my attention

Cisco To Acquire Two Communications App Dev Firms
By Jennifer Hagendorf Follett, CRN
11:47 AM EDT Fri. Jun. 09, 2006

Cisco Systems Friday said it plans to shell out nearly $48 million in cash to acquire two privately held IP communications application development firms.

Cisco plans to purchase Metreos, Austin, Tex., for $28 million and $19.8 million for Audium, New York, NY.

Count on Cisco to continue pressing forward in their efforts around unified communications. That's become one of the hottest phrases in the industry lately. There's been talk of Cisco vs. Microsoft in this arena. I mentioned it briefly here. Cisco buying up two app development firms demonstrates that they're serious about playing the game.

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Man charged with selling hacked VoIP services
Robert McMillan, IDG News Service
08/06/2006 13:51:02

A Miami man was charged Wednesday with stealing more than 10 million minutes of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephone service and then selling them to unsuspecting customers for as little as US$0.004 per minute.

Edwin Pena paid a Washington State computer hacker named Robert Moore about US$20,000 to help him illegally route Internet telephone calls through the networks of more than 15 unnamed VoIP companies, according to criminal complaints made available by the U.S. Attorney's Office. http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/publicaffairs/NJ_Press/files/pdffiles/moorecomplaint.pdf

This is a recetn news story that's been getting a lot of coverage. I've seen it addressed as a concern that VoIP isn't mature and therefor vulnerable. I'll take much the opposite stance. VoIP has clearly achieved mainstream penetration when stories about security breach are making news and this kind of money is involved.

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This from my friends at TMCNet -

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy uses VoIP for President Bush commencement speech
June 09, 2006
On June 19th, President George W. Bush will be delivering the commencement address at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY. In my senior year of high school I actually considered going to the Merchant Marine Academy, but I did apply to the Air Force Academy and the Coast Guard Academy, both of which are very difficult to get into. I passed the physical and I was able to get a nomination bid from Senator Dodd - one of only 10 given out per member of Congress and the Vice President. It's an arduous process and I even recall military officers coming to my house to interview my family. I didn't get the bid to enter the Air Force Academy, but I have no regrets in trying. I would have loved to be the guy that dropped 1 of 2 500lb bombs on Al-Zarqawi's head, but alas my eyesight precludes flying jets and I doubt the Air Force has many (if any) 35 year old pilots.

In any event, President Bush's commencement speech surprisingly marks the first visit to the United States Merchant Marine Academy by a sitting president. Interestingly enough, in order to support the press corps that is expected to cover this event, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy has recruited the aid of M5 Networks, a New York-based outsourced VoIP service provider, to quickly set up 150 secure phone lines and IP handsets for use by the media, since it was unable to support this number of additional phone lines on its existing PBX. Not sure why the press needs VoIP landlines when most press can call in their stories via their cellphone, but maybe for security reasons cellphones aren't allowed? Worried about IED bombs activated by cellphone perhaps?

Another indicator of VoIP success when we see the press corp using VoIP to cover an address by the President.



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