Stephen Lawson

Carriers and other service providers will be able to set up several different kinds of virtual private network services using an enhanced VPN platform to be introduced by Unisphere Networks.

Brix Networks Inc. on Monday stepped up its QoS (quality of service) monitoring capabilities to serve core data centres and Internet service provider (ISP) peering points, unveiling a larger version of its hardware platform and a new release of its management software.

IBM Corp. Monday is set to unveil a processor for low-end and midrange networking equipment that will lead to faster access routers, firewalls and other gear, according to the company.

Wingcast LLC, a joint venture of Ford Motor Co. and Qualcomm Inc. that plans to offer hands-free voice and data services in cars made by Ford and Nissan Motor Co. starting in the third quarter, will offer voice control for those services using software from BeVocal Inc., the companies announced Monday.

High-speed wireless LAN users may get more freedom and better security as the provider of IEEE 802.11a chips to many equipment vendors rolls out its second-generation silicon over the next few months.

Services based on IP (Internet Protocol) are the key to telecommunication carriers gradually creating new offerings and reducing the cost of existing ones, but these services will remain a small part of North American carriers' total business over the next five years, research company Insight Research Corp. said in a report released last month.

Intel

L.M. Ericsson Telephone Co. and router vendor Juniper Networks Inc. have teamed up to create a router designed to help mobile operators migrate from traditional cellular voice and dial-up data services to emerging higher speed data offerings.