InfoWorld Telecommunications

Alcatel-Lucent on Wednesday was set to introduce its Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a set of network components that will help to power the LTE network of Verizon Wireless and other mobile operators.

Skype unveiled its iPhone and BlackBerry applications at the CTIA Wireless trade show on Tuesday, taking its VoIP capability into the inner sanctum of mobile operators that still depend on voice minutes for most of their revenue.

Skype is set to launch a mobile application for the iPhone on Tuesday, a#160;long-awaited entry#160;to Apple#39;s App Store, and one for BlackBerry devices in May, Skype officials have confirmed.

Skype may launch a version of its mobile Voice-over-IP (VoIP) and instant messaging service as early as next week, according to a report from Om Malik of GigaOM. If true, the application could prove popular with cost-conscious iPhone users who#39;d like to save a few bucks by routing calls over ATamp;T#39;s data network. Currently, iPhone users must use third-party services like Fring to access Skype.

The IETF is forming a new working group to address scalability issues in the Internet#39;s routing system caused by companies splitting their network traffic over multiple carriers, a practice called multihoming.

Sprint plans to deploy its WiMax services to 10 major U.S. cities in 2009, with at least five additional major markets due to get services in 2010.

Despite the billions of dollars required to roll out a brand-new wireless network, the slowdown in the economy, and the reduced share price, the president of Clearwire, Barry West, is optimistic about the future role of WiMax in business. And he says tech managers should put WiMax planning on their agendas now.

Skype is diving deeper into the business phone market with a system that lets companies integrate their existing, open VoIP phone systems with Skype#39;s proprietary VoIP service.

IBM and Sun Microsystems are said to be in acquisition talks, and if such a deal actually happens, it could change the course of not only IBM's but Oracle's and SAP's use of Java.

Workday customers will soon be able to tap the SaaS (software as a service) vendor#39;s human resources and financial applications from their iPhone, the company announced Thursday.

Cisco Systems just might be charting the course to a new way for IT to buy servers, storage, and networking hardware.br clear=both style=clear: both;/ br clear=both style=clear: both;/ a href=http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=8948e5b7776c30f23d18cdeaa5b4d673p=1img alt= style=border: 0; border=0 src=http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=8948e5b7776c30f23d18cdeaa5b4d673p=1//a

In a much-anticipated announcement, Cisco Systems Monday launched its Unified Computing System, comprising virtualization technology, services and blade servers aimed at helping enterprises develop and manage what it calls quot;next-generation data centers.quot;br clear=both style=clear: both;/ br clear=both style=clear: both;/ a href=http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=a498fe6620ba643d5ade734331d88393p=1img alt= style=border: 0; border=0 src=http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=a498fe6620ba643d5ade734331d88393p=1//a

If Cisco Systems#160;announces its first blade servers #160;on Monday, as expected, the news may well herald a major expansion of the dominant networking company#39;s business. But even though it#39;s the most hotly anticipated move in a long time for an IT vendor, this isn#39;t the first case of a company taking a big gamble on entering into a new business.br clear=both style=clear: both;/ br clear=both style=clear: both;/ a href=http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=347cbb72a91d6c9fe1058284231fefc9p=1img alt= style=border: 0; border=0 src=http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=347cbb72a91d6c9fe1058284231fefc9p=1//a

The U.S. Congress should require telecommunications carriers receiving subsidies from a huge government fund intended to deliver telephone service to rural areas to also provide broadband service, two U.S. lawmakers said Thursday.br clear=both style=clear: both;/ br clear=both style=clear: both;/ a href=http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=36d64710383c5824c969ab6c65b25449p=1img alt= style=border: 0; border=0 src=http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=36d64710383c5824c969ab6c65b25449p=1//a

Google has begun testing a service that will make transcripts of voice mail messages and make them searchable.br clear=both style=clear: both;/ br clear=both style=clear: both;/ a href=http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=b7cea508db47c98c021b09ed537f81aep=1img alt= style=border: 0; border=0 src=http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=b7cea508db47c98c021b09ed537f81aep=1//a

SAP is teaming with Sybase to offer its business applications on mobile devices, including the iPhone, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Symbian, and Palm devices.br clear=both style=clear: both;/ br clear=both style=clear: both;/ a href=http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=723212394765c91e1104500a200af73ap=1img alt= style=border: 0; border=0 src=http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=723212394765c91e1104500a200af73ap=1//a

Cisco Systems#39; move into the heart of datacenters, expected to be laid out at an event next Monday, holds the promise of easing a big IT headache but may also escalate competition between the company and its partners.br clear=both style=clear: both;/ br clear=both style=clear: both;/ a href=http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=e28f702a12fe1fe48d54d39e46360eaap=1img alt= style=border: 0; border=0 src=http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=e28f702a12fe1fe48d54d39e46360eaap=1//a

Network security vendor Arbor Networks is collaborating with more than 100 ISPs worldwide to create a more comprehensive Internet monitoring system.br clear=both style=clear: both;/ br clear=both style=clear: both;/ a href=http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=5fe0b04877e478a22019d65c035f83c1p=1img alt= style=border: 0; border=0 src=http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=5fe0b04877e478a22019d65c035f83c1p=1//a

Last week, President Barack Obama made good on his promise to appoint a national tech leader for the United States. As the country's first-ever CIO, Vivek Kundra faces significant challenges modernizing the nation's IT infrastructure and will be charged to do so at a time when self-interests and a lack of industry oversight threaten not only our freedoms and privacy but also the long-term innovation potential of IT.br clear=both style=clear: both;/ br clear=both style=clear: both;/ a href=http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=66c12bc013a08b16999f311169f54d19p=1img alt= style=border: 0; border=0 src=http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=66c12bc013a08b16999f311169f54d19p=1//a

A just-leaked build of Windows 7 lets users remove Internet Explorer (IE), the first time that Microsoft has offered the option since it integrated the browser with Windows in 1997, two bloggers reported Wednesday.br clear=both style=clear: both;/ br clear=both style=clear: both;/ a href=http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=e6b9996f7369f8d8d806f90d44dbe3fdp=1img alt= style=border: 0; border=0 src=http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=e6b9996f7369f8d8d806f90d44dbe3fdp=1//a