Microsoft buys Tellme

Tellme produce voice recognition software, companies like FedEx utilise their technology.

MS are likely to integrate the Tellme voice recognition software into their an on-line collaboration service or even LCS (live communication server) which was released in beta this week.

Tellme had solutions for Linux and other open source variants, but will MS now kill these as it has done in the past with other companies it has acquired.

Cisco buys WebEx

Cisco bought WebEx the on-line conferencing company for $3.2bn, which values each of WebEx's 28,000 customers at $145,000.

Cisco certainly didn't buy them for the customers, but for the services and services revenue.

Cisco are now likely to be very interested in the IMS space.

Award of available spectrum: 10 GHz, 28 GHz, 32 GHz and 40 GHz—10 GHz and the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games | Ofcom

Award of available spectrum: 10 GHz, 28 GHz, 32 GHz and 40 GHz—10 GHz and the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games | Ofcom

Ofcom are planning to auction the 10 GHz, 28 GHz, 32 GHz and 40 GHz bands and have held various consultations on these bands and are proposing to make them available via various auctions (200 MHz of the 10 GHz band is utilised by the MoD).

The Olympic Games are due to be held in East London in 2012 and 10 GHz is suitable for video links and wireless cameras. Ofcom (as part of guarantees made by the UK government) is to make spectrum available for the Olympics free of charge.

Since there will be many broadcasters at the Olympics in 2012 and in test events in 2010, Ofcom are looking at making 10 GHz available, so if Ofcom issue a license or licenses the license(s) will have to take this into account.

Ofcom are holding a consultation and comments should be submitted by 12 April 2007.

1785-1805 MHz in Northern Ireland

Ofcom are holding an auction for a license in Northern Ireland for spectrum in 1785-1805 MHz.

Applications must be submitted to Ofcom on 21st march 2007 between 10.00 and 15.00. They can be made to Ofcom's London office at

Riverside House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA

or their Northern Ireland office at

Landmark House, 5 Cromac Quay, The Gasworks, Ormeau Road, Belfast BT7 2JD

Conditions regulating Sexual Entertainment Services

Ofcom statement

Ofcom has published a statement that will force all operators of sexual entertainment services (SES) to move from 08 numbers to a new 098 number range.

Currently there are also SES running on 0908 and 0909. Existing services can remain on those numbers, though the numbering of the range will facilitate migrating to the new numer range. No new SES will be allocated on 0908 and 0909.

All premium rate services (PRS) are regulated by ICSTIS and therefore 098 services will be covered by them (currently not all 08 services are covered). Though the ICSTIS regulations come into force imediately, SES migrating from 08 numbers will be given 4 weeks to comply (to ensure they have time to complete the registration process).

This should make it clearer for consumers that they are using a PRS service and there's a standard complaints procedure for misuse.

802.11n draft 2.0 approved

The IEEE 802.11 working group has reached consensus after 2 months of balloting by achieving over 75% majority.

Now that the draft is approved, it will go on sale by the IEEE and companies can start to modify existing equipment to ensure compliance.

Though the draft was approved there were 3,163 comments to the draft of which 1,441 are editorial and another 1,635 technical. This means that the draft is sound, though some changes may occur before it's ratified as a standard. Future revisions will still require a 75% majority vote.

This is good news for consumers who can start to buy 802.11n draft 2.0 equipment, knowing that the final version shouldn't be too different.