The Suretec Blog

NetDev, a leading telco apps developer, has announced SureVoIP as its first customer for DRUM, a new web meeting solution with integrated audio conferencing. SureVoIP is a UK-based provider of Internet telephony which targets the enterprise and SME market.

DRUM was launched in October 2012 as a value-added service to help service providers address the enterprise and small business market. DRUM audio conferencing will be hosted from SureVoIP's network, enabling SureVoIP to extend the range of communications services it offers to its customers, while maintaining control over the service to ensure its customers receive the best possible call quality.

Through DRUM, SureVoIP will be able to address the growing conferencing and web meeting market. According to AMI Research, the combined audio and web conferencing market will grow year on year to reach $2.7 billion by 2014. Despite robust growth in the overall market, service providers have been relatively slow to deliver their own conferencing and web meeting services.

SureVoIP also has the option to deliver DRUM's web meeting application to its customers, in addition to the audio conferencing service. DRUM web meetings is a central repository for every meeting a user attends,allowing participants to create meetings, present and share documents, take notes and assign tasks in the browser. It is an HTML5 application which means users can access and use it from the browser without software downloads or plugins. DRUM also has WebRTC conference calling capability which allows users to join their conference call directly from the web, with no need for an access number or PIN. DRUM web meetings is hosted by NetDev and integrates with audio through simple provisioning settings.

"Audio conferencing is a very natural addition to our services, which means an even fuller range of options for our customers," commented Gavin Henry, Managing Director at SureVoIP. "With DRUM we can extend audio conferencing to a complete web meeting and collaboration solution and WebRTC enabled conference calls can really add value to enterprise meetings and collaboration. By hosting DRUM audio conferencing we maintain ownership of the voice quality and the billing relationship, so we know we can continue to deliver the quality of service that our customers expect from us."

"DRUM delivers audio conferencing as a feature of a much wider web meeting and collaboration service. Users can join and control their conference calls directly from the browser or the fixed/mobile phone", said John Logsdon, CEO and Founder of NetDev. "It adds value to enterprise communications and enables service providers to build revenues from non-subscribers who are invited to the meeting or conference."

About SureVoIP

SureVoIP is a leading Internet Telephone Service Provider and is part of the Suretec Group. Based at Bridge of Don, Aberdeen the company has worked in locations as diverse as Canada, Nepal, the Netherlands and the Seychelles. The company is a member of the Internet Telephony Service Providers Association (ITSPA) and is regulated by Ofcom.

SureVoIP is a brand name owned by Suretec Systems Ltd. Suretec Systems is part of the Suretec Group and started providing commercial VoIP consultancy and services in 2006 using Open Source software. For various reasons relating to technical expertise, commercial growth and experience with VoIP suppliers, Suretec made a strategic and financial commitment in January 2009 to create a fully owned communications provider using Voice Over IP called SureVoIP, which is regulated by Ofcom.

For further information visit www.surevoip.co.uk or call 01224 900123.

About NetDev

NetDev is a UK-based telco apps developer and managed services provider founded in 2003. NetDev is a self-funded, profitable business which develops and manages carrier-grade voice applications including audio conferencing.  Its global customer base includes tier one service providers such asBT, eircom and Axtel. NetDev supports open standards and contributes to various open source initiatives.  The company pioneered the use of REST APIs to integrate voice capabilities with web applications and believes HTML5 and Web RTC will transform the future of voice and video communications delivery.

For further information visit http://thisisdrum.com/ and http://www.netdev.co.uk/

Those of you on Twitter would have seen the news first, but in case you didn't:

1. Facebook buys Instagram photo sharing network for $1bn


2. Why Microsoft spent $1 billion on AOL's patents 

The first one is cool and shows you how the social media sector can pay for itself when an app is released free. Instagram allows you to takes pics and automatically upload them up to Twitter, Facebook and do fancy effects on them. The native Facebook iPhone app was clunky to use with pics.

There are also 13 guys in Instagram now all worth almost $100m (CEO got most). The general comment is that the Android release last week had a big impact on the deal and also their powerful RESTful API and OAuth 2 (just like the SureVoIP API, but we weren't first ). Oh, and they also run a massive PostgreSQL cluster

The scary news is that the newly owned Microsoft patents are so powerful. They just bought one for SSL, you know, the thing that allows you to go to https:// for your bank and the whole web.

There's a lot of other mobile patents in that list too. Food for thought as to what damage they can do in the future like create a Microsoft tax for many things and kill a lot of mobile innovation and there's even some in there about VoIP!

Aberdeen-based communications company SureVoIP has just launched an innovative API (application programming interface) which will provide an even better service for customers and partners and allow 100% self-service and interaction with the SureVoIP suite of products and services.



To ensure communications with other products and services, the company has just launched what is believed to be UK VoIP’s first publicly available and documented Application Programming Interface (API) beta of this kind.



Commenting on the move, SureVoIP managing director Gavin Henry said: “It is vital for us to remain at the forefront of technology and it is anticipated that this API will further enhance our ability to provide the broadest possible spectrum to all customers and partners, existing or potential.



“The SureVoIP API can be used to send SMS messages, faxes, generate telephone calls, manage accounts and telephone numbers, subscribe to event notifications and use a feature called OAuth 2.0 which allows third parties to create Apps like those for Twitter and Facebook.



“Various partnerships have been put in place to maximise adoption and many of our existing customers are already incorporating this API into their Mobile App strategy. Because of this, SureVoIP has also started development work on its own mobile app for customers and partners as well as a long list of exciting new ways to make a telephone call.”



SureVoIP is regulated by Ofcom, is a member of the Internet Telephony Service Providers Association (ITSPA) and is a finalist in that organisation’s 2012 awards. The company is also the holder of an ITSPA Quality Mark accreditation. For further information visit www.surevoip.co.uk or call 01224 900123 or email sales@surevoip.co.uk



Notes to Editors



SureVoIP is a leading Internet Telephone Service Provider and is part of the Suretec Group. Based at Bridge of Don, Aberdeen the company has worked in locations as diverse as Canada, Nepal, the Netherlands and the Seychelles. The company is a member of the Internet Telephony Service Providers Association (ITSPA) and is regulated by Ofcom. For further information visit www.surevoip.co.uk or call 01224 900123.

SureVoIP is Scotland's First Dedicated Internet Telephony Service Provider.

Suretec recently got approval from Ofcom, the U.K. communications regulator, to assign U.K. telephone numbers. Therefore, SureVoIP can assign phone numbers across the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. The company is also authorised to supply global numbers for over 60 countries.

This is unique in the Scottish market, because other companies act as "middle-men" between clients and service providers.

SureVoIP is partnering with British Telecom (BT) through a VoIP Interconnect to offer clients added benefits. SureVoIP has also partnered with Xconnect on their Global Alliance program, as well as two other U.K. VoIP carriers.

SureVoIP also provides 24/7 emergency telephone support.

Gavin Henry, managing director of SureVoIP, and founding member of the Suretec Group, said, "Our journey to securing the approval from Ofcom has been long and complex, involving the submission of detailed business plans, demonstrating an in-depth knowledge of the Communications Act 2003, various legal requirements, help from ITSPA (we've worked so hard that we will soon be getting the ITSPA Quality Mark), documentation and a significant investment in equipment throughout the U.K. With out FreeSWITCH and the FreeSWITCH community this would not have been possible."

Read original article on FreeSWITCH.org

North-east IT and telecoms support specialist, the Suretec Group, has become the first dedicated internet telephony service provider in Scotland, with the launch of a new company division, SureVoIP.

The creation of SureVoIP – a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service provider – follows Suretec securing approval from UK communications industry regulatory body, Ofcom, to assign UK telephone numbers.

As an Ofcom regulated VoIP provider with its own telephone number allocations, SureVoIP has been approved to assign phone numbers to clients across the UK and Northern Ireland. The company can also supply global numbers for at least 60 countries.

This is a unique offer within the Scottish market, as other internet telephony specialists within the country must act as ‘middle-men’ between the client and an approved service provider. The result is that SureVoIP and its partners have higher control over costs and can offer preferential and transparent rates that are to the benefit of clients.

Continue reading "NORTH EAST IT COMPANY BECOMES COUNTRY’S FIRST DEDICATED INTERNET TELEPHONY SERVICE PROVIDER"

Exciting news!

Our Communications Provider Identity ("CUPID") code application has been processed by Ofcom and we just received our number of 291.

The start of many good things to come with our own VoIP provider SureVoIP (brand and website being worked on now). We're also listed as an ITSP at ITSPA.

Thanks,

Gavin.

It's taken us a while to get round to ordering one of these Yubikeys from Yubico, but they do look great and have lots of documentation via the wiki.

We're going to be testing them via the pam module for SSH access (and of course using pam_ldap).

So, users in LDAP^[?] via pam, and a Yubikey, let's see how it goes!

(will be interesting for logging in a SIP handset via Asterisk or FreeSWITCH that needs one too and all the others technologies Suretec use and support (Catalyst, Perl, PostgresSQL, Squid and more....). We'll see....

It's been a long process, almost 6 weeks, what with the new laws regarding PCI DSS compliance as of the 1st of October 2009, PCI DSS Scans, Business plans, website terms and connditions and many more things we have a merchant account at last!!!

This is mainly for our new Internet Telephony Service Provider called SureVoIP which is currently live with various customers but has no front facing sales and marketing site yet, only the admin and customer portal.

We'll keep you posted with a proper press release in due course.

Thanks,

Gavin.

A quick update:

SureVoIP a new startup ITSP will be launched by Suretec very soon. It is currently in development and being installed in a Scottish datacentre using various enterprise grade Open Source products. Keep an eye out for when it goes beta and will be available at http://www.surevoip.co.uk

Grab it whilst it's hot!

Suretec use RT and are currently on 3.6.7. Since it has just been announced, we thought we'd quickly install RT 3.8.1 and post some screens.

So here you go:

Continue reading "Request Tracker (RT) 3.8.1 Screenshots"

Flexi Time Manager "in the pink" after shortlisting for National Business Award

Entrepreneur Louise Wreathall has been shortlisted for the ‘Best Mumpreneur’ award at the National mother@work awards 2008. Louise, creator of Flexi Time Manager, which offers an online flexi time recording service, launched her business last year and has seen it go from strength to strength. She will attend a reception at 11 Downing Street on 18th June, where the winners will be announced.

Louise says, “Being shortlisted for this award means so much to me. Of course I’d be thrilled to win, but reaching the final stage itself shows that my work in getting the business where it is today has paid off.”

As a working mother who returned to work after a career break, Louise knows how important flexi time can be. Working in the HR department of a charitable organisation, she was responsible for administering a time consuming flexi time system for 30 staff, using scraps of paper and mental arithmetic to calculate hours worked. When staff numbers doubled, she knew something had to change, and set about creating an electronic timesheet system. By 2005, Louise had set up the business and set about trialling her own online time management system. With the help of Enterprise North East Trust, and local networks Women Into Business and Aberdeen Entrepreneurs, she learned the fundamentals of business management, finally launching the fully tested web application in November 2007.

Suretec designed and implemented the Flexi Time Manager Solution.

I got back last night, after a somewhat hectic Flybe.com flight (long story).

I really enjoyed the conference, my first time speaking at one, bit nervous, but it can only get better

Tuesday:

Continue reading "Spring 2008 - a UKUUG Conference Review"

We have had some interesting discussions about offering a locally hosted version of a Catalyst Web Application called Flexi Time Manager.

The question was also raised on the Catalyst Mailinglist, with no replies...so we raised it on the PerlMonks forums at Offering a locally hosted solution?

A very interesting response about doing an appliance: Continue reading "A Catalyst Appliance?"

We know there are various desktop apps like gq, Jxplorer etc. and web based like gosa and phpldapadmin, but do we want a GUI specfically tailored for OpenLDAP?

Suretec do.

So, what style?
Continue reading "Dedicated OpenLDAP GUI?"