Wi-Fi, Linux, And VoIP In Canada

WEFUNK writes "Canadian Business magazine has a cover story promoting Wi-Fi, VoIP, and Linux as 'Stuff that Works: 3 hot technologies that live up to their hype.' The article goes on to describe a number of Canadian success stories, ranging from Spotnik Mobile's growing network of Wi-Fi hotspots to the Canadian National Railway's use of Linux since 1993, and quantifies the benefits of VoIP to a Canadian insurance company's call centre. The article also includes some shipment numbers for Linux servers in Canada, mentions the growing number of Linux apps, and nicely downplays the SCO debacle."

Comments

VoIP is awesome!

[Anonymous Coward]

I know that intel's facilities use VoIP for thier internal phone calls. I heard they had problems with the clarity, and had to add noise creation mechanisms to the chips because people thought the other party had hung up due to beautiful silence. :)

Re:VoIP is awesome!

[Jucius Maximus]

"I know that intel's facilities use VoIP for thier internal phone calls. I heard they had problems with the clarity, and had to add noise creation mechanisms to the chips because people thought the other party had hung up due to beautiful silence. :)"

The office where I work is working completely on VoIP. And yes, there are systems to deliberately add static to the sound so you know the other person has not hung up. The part that you may not know is that static is also added by your phone company to your analogue line too for the same reasons.

Re:VoIP is awesome!

[Andrewkov]

I don't think I've ever heard anyone complain about an Apple II being too fast before..

*will* live up to the hype

[ObviousGuy]

So this is one of those "look into the crystal ball" articles. A quick look at the numbers show that Linux adoption is levelling off, as are all server OSs across the board (with Solaris and BSD (is dying!)) actually decreasing in market share).

So you've got two technologies that are succeeding here, WiFi and VoIP. And you've got one that's doing okay, Linux.

It's certainly not 1998 and Linux is the new hot thing. It is 2003 and it is the old OS with a good rep. It hasn't lived up to all of its hype (it still sucks as a desktop OS despite your mama's running of it at home), but it has nicely fit a niche in server software that was completely dominated by some big names like IBM and Sun previously. That's not too bad.

Re:*will* live up to the hype

[sixdotoh]

It's certainly not 1998 and Linux is the new hot thing.

I can't argue with statistics that show that Linux adoption is leveling off (I'm trusting you on that one). However, while Linux may not be the "new hot thing" for the IT world and geeks everywhere, I think that Linux is a new and interesting product/alternative in the general public and business' eyes. It has only been in recent months and year that Linux has captured many headlines in mainstream newspapers and magazines. I mean, really, show me a nontechnical article in a major newspaper that does not provide some sort of description/explanation of what Linux is.

from a Canadian

[Jucius Maximus]

" The protocol is rather inefficient, because of the Canadian necessity of adding "eh?" to the header of every packet."

I would have been kind of annoyed if this was modded as funny. (Well it was.) But it irks me even more that it was modded as redundant ;-)

But VOIP doesn't work on Linux

[Anonymous Coward]

VOIP is illegal to run on Linux because its made by Microsoft. And I thought that VOIP is slower than DSL so why not just use to mics's to connect the telephones or just use cell phones, eh?

And Wi-Fi would not reach the distance from my house to the house across the street, so unless I want to call myself it is useless ... therefore I conclude that all 3 technologies are useless.

I bet I'll be modded down for dissing Linux, as always...

Re:But VOIP doesn't work on Linux

[Sabalon]

its made by Microsoft

Huh?

I don't understand VoIP

[Sabalon]

Can anyone recommend some good books on it - more overview stuff?

I'm serious - I'd like to read something good on it. I understand the basics - voice sent over IP, but want to read about whatever other abilities it has that makes it so damn complex. It seems pretty simple to me.

I guess a lot of the complexity comes from tying it into the POTS, but in my simple mind, a headset on a PC and some H.323/T.120/whatever spec it is software would take care of it on the client end.

Though it seems a lot of the stuff seems to be special network gear to tie it into the current POTS headsets. To me, someone could make a killing by just making a server with a PRI connector or two and client software. Sell headsets for $20 and profit.

Or am I really oversimplifying it?

Re:I don't understand VoIP

[transact]

On my bookshelf
Cisco's "Voice over IP Fundamentals"

O'Reilly's "Practical VOIP"

Alan B. Johnston's "SIP Understanding the Session Initiation Protocol"

Cisco's "Deploying Cisco Voice over IP Solutions"

Douskalis's "IP Telephony"

Re:I don't understand VoIP

[Muiz]

VoIP is not overly complicated, nor is it simple as you think it might be. There are a number of VoIP solutions in the OpenSource world. One of the best is the Asterisk PBX, which has plugins for SIP, H.323 and IAX, which is an inter-Asterix PBX protocol over IP. This lets you tie multiple PBXs together over IP, including over a WAN running IPSec. There are also a number of vendors who make solutions to tie together legacy PBXs over IP using VoIP gateways. Take a look at this product. In fact, I am in the process of trying to convince a small-mid size client who have an office here in Vancouver and their head office in Ottawa to build tie-lines for their inter-office voice network. They currently spend a bundle on long-distance that they shouldn't need to.

Standard Disclaimer: I am not employed by Multitech nor do I have any financial interests in them.

Re:I don't understand VoIP

[hedley]

And if you want to pay $20 for the same thing, contact www.packet8.net.

No I don't work there but check out www.dslreports.com for lot's of good VoIP info and detailed user experiences between Vonage and Packet8. Packet8 does not have all the features of Vonage but it has some other features that Vonage doesn't have (call forwarding that rings all phones on the forward list).

I have Packet8 and it is good. I can call unlimited for $20 and my buddy in Germany is 5c/min. Why not get your DSL or Cable paying for itself?

Both the Vonage and Packet8 are fine choices, read the user reports and decide for yourself.

Hedley

the growing number of Linux apps

[Anonymous Coward]

the growing number of Linux apps

17000 text editors
12000 terminals
95000 programming languages
12000 web browsers
1350 assorted web servers and databases
500 window managers
200 clones of breakout & tetris
100 doom3d clones
0 practical applications

Re:the growing number of Linux apps

[Anonymous Coward]

2365200 unfinished and abandoned "projects" on Sourceforge.

text of the article

[Anonymous Coward]

Stuff that works 2003 July
Three technologies that will live up to their hype

The bursting of the high-tech bubble a couple years ago sullied the prospects for new technologies--in some cases, for good reason. After all, many so-called tech revolutions haven't even come close to living up to their hype. Selling doodads on the Web is not an inexpensive way to make billions, and the malls are still jammed with shoppers. A new Web services economy, in which customized mini-software programs are licensed and distributed over the Internet, hasn't emerged. And remember convergence? Some of the tech world's highest flyers blew their brains out on that idea.

And yet, despite the many disappointments to businesses and investors alike, it's a mistake for either group to think the high-tech meltdown whitewashed the economic impact of all technological innovation. It's just that business models don't change overnight. So although the volume on the hype machine is now a faint crackle, there are some technologies once labeled "disruptive" that are entrenching themselves, if only quietly, in corporations and society at large. And the opportunities remain significant.

Broadband wireless data communications is making instant access to information anytime, anywhere, a reality. The open source movement, which encourages the free exchange of software for the Linux operating system, is transforming corporate IT departments. And the venerable phone is now tapping directly into the Internet, nearly eliminating long-distance fees and threatening upheaval in the telecom industry.

You may not be aware of it, but these technologies are here, they're being used by Canadian companies--and they may yet live up to their billing.

Wi-fi

When Starbucks announced in January 2001 that most of its outlets would offer wireless broadband Internet access to their frappuccino-addicted customers, skeptics questioned its plan. Turns out Starbucks was ahead of its time: the chain now has thousands of wireless cafés across the US, and space on the Wi-Fi bandwagon has become scarce.

Wi-Fi--short for "wireless fidelity"--is the palatable brand name for a standardized (802.11b) wireless data signal that broadcasts 11 Mbps of bandwidth within a 100-metre radius. Put the transceiver inside a building, and the distance of that wireless local area network, or wireless LAN, is reduced by as much as two-thirds. But that's enough for most eateries, hotels and airports that want to give patrons a wireless Internet connection inside a so-called hotspot. All users need is a Wi-Fi modem card or a built-in Wi-Fi radio like Intel's new Centrino chip.

If you believed the hype about 802.11b three years ago, you're no doubt disappointed that our cities aren't yet awash in wireless broadband signals--but that future's not too far off. The buzz has been loudest in the US, where Cometa Networks, an ambitious venture backed by IBM, Intel and AT&T, has vowed to launch 20,000 hotspots across America by 2008. Both wireline and wireless telcos are making a big push this year: Verizon is converting some 1,000 New York City phone booths into Wi-Fi hubs--an idea it got from Bell Canada, which is wrapping up its own six-month trial of public Wi-Fi service (branded "AccessZones") in train stations and airports across the country.

Independent and regional wireless ISPs are coming out of the woodwork in both the US and Canada, partnering with any establishment that wants to provide a value-added service. One start-up, Spotnik Mobile, has 49 public hotspots in Ontario (mostly in Toronto, where the company is based) and plans to have 500 by year-end. Spotnik's business model--which drew a $6-million investment from Telus--has the company making deals with the hospitality, transportation, property management and food services industries to set up hotspots. "We see it as a marketing tool for customer acquisition," says Murray McCaig, who co-founded Spotnik with MBA school chum Mark Wolinsky in 2001. "We drive traffic t

Re:fp from canada

[silvaran]

We have this too (University of New Brunswick), but we have specific labs for different purposes. Like the Linux lab, the Java lab (Windows 2000 with emacs and Sun j2sdk), but the public labs are all Windows 2000. It pisses me off to go into one of the public labs and have to kill:
- Realplayer tray app
- AOL instant messenger
- Yahoo instant messenger
- ICQ instant messenger
- MSN instant messenger
- Quicktime tray applet
- whatever else the last user of that particular computer decided to install.

It's so much nicer having a home directory in Linux that not only stores personal documents, but personal desktop settings, etc. Another thing I can't do on the Windows 2000 machines is kill messenger.exe (need Administrator access) so every once and awhile SPAM pops up from this stupid network tool.

It's nice to log into the computer and get exactly the same desktop that I, myself customized while the next person to log in gets his/her own desktop.

Wifi and why it hasn't caught on

[GillBates0]

The basic reason why Wifi, inspite of promotion by widespread chains like Starbucks hasn't caught on is that people (or most of them anyway) look at traveling or spending time at coffee shops as a way of getting away from work.

If I could go to a coffee shop and work on my master's thesis, I would, but for that, I would need a laptop, which I don't have enough money to buy. The people most lured by online-coffee shops, I think are students. Most working people would rather stay at home after a hard day's work, or would prefer to stay away from a computer, while enjoying a quiet evening, at say...a coffee shop.

Ofcourse, I'm not against perpetual connectivity, which Wifi promises to offer, but you can't expect a majority of people to actually sit at a coffee shop just to finish their work (this leaves out some students).

We should (or will learn to) treat Wifi as an ever available commodity (like pay phones are) but not one which we expect people to use 24/7. That is simply asking for too much. Wifi will catch on when it's time comes.

Call Centres

[yetiman]

In my city (~50 000 residents) we have one of the largest call centres in north america. For those of you who don't know, its telemarketing.

At any one time, there are 500 people actively dialing on the floor, and all are using VoIP for their outgoing call. It's quite amazing the network set up they have, as the only problem they ever seem to have is people knocking out fibre lines via car crashed :-)

Re:Cool

[Anonymous Coward]

haha "100% American product"

ever wondered where Linus comes from ?
clue: it aint USA

better dig out that map yanker

Linux is about as American as Volkswagen is

WEP just gets easier and easier to break...

[Valar]

Now that we know the last five characters of the data segment of every wifi packet will be ", eh?", it should be even easier to get those keystreams...

Sidetone

[Detritus]

A portion of the transmit audio is also mixed in to the receive audio. If you don't do this, people think the phone is broken. Analog phones do this by unbalancing the hybrid that separates transmit and receive audio.

Re:Sidetone

[CrimsonDeath]

That's true, but what they're talking about is comfort noise generation. There's always static on the line (background noise in the room for example and electronic noise) and as part of the compression, if the sound power is too low, no audio is sent. That's called silence suppression, and prevents the consumption of bandwidth when no one's talking (which is more than 50% of the time ... normally people aren't talking both at once).

Well, on the other end, during a silence period, nothing at all would be played, so it would sound like a dead line. Comfort noise generation does a bunch of math on the background noise at the transmitting end to pick up key frequencies in the background noise, and then these are recreated at the other end. They don't match (not even close -- you could consider it extremely lossy compression) but it's close enough to our ears so it sounds continuous.

truly awful analysis of Wi-Fi

[Schlemphfer]

I stopped reading after the Wi-Fi analysis because this was superficial, poorly written crud. Italicized stuff is from the article.

Selling doodads on the Web is not an inexpensive way to make billions, and the malls are still jammed with shoppers.

You know when you've got a double negative way up in the article's lead paragraph, that what you're about to read is gonna be slop.

When Starbucks announced in January 2001 that most of its outlets would offer wireless broadband Internet access to their frappuccino-addicted customers, skeptics questioned its plan. Turns out Starbucks was ahead of its time: the chain now has thousands of wireless cafés across the US, and space on the Wi-Fi bandwagon has become scarce.

How exactly has space on the Wi-Fi bandwagon become scarce? And even though Starbucks has thousands of wireless cafes up and running, what kind of profits, or losses, are being made? We don't get any kind of analysis here, because the article just breathlessly jumps ahead and asks this question:

How much are people willing to pay? Can the many service providers work out access-sharing agreements with competitors so consumers don't have to shell out for multiple accounts?

Sorry, but that's the wrong question to ask. The question isn't how much people are willing to pay. The question is if they're willing to pay at all. I suspect that Wi-Fi will be the ultimate loss-leader for businesses who profit when their customers linger. Lose money on the Wi-Fi; gain it back by selling an extra $2.00 coffee. But again, the article doesn't even bring up this idea. Instead, we get:

These details should be sorted out in the next year or two, and consolidation is pretty much guaranteed. Once that happens, Wi-Fi will be even more widespread than a certain chain of cafés.

Sure, but will Wi-Fi still even be available at that certain chain of cafes? Will a large enough portion of paying customers keep Starbuck's network financially viable? See, for instance, the rather sobering third item published a couple months ago on this page.

I use a wireless network all the time. It's truly a useful and earth-shaking technology. Which makes it galling to see such a superficial analysis of its vast possibilities. There's no doubt that Wi-Fi will produce amazing changes in how we live and how we work, but the author of this article did a terrible job of backing up his suppositions.

Loving VoIP (and of course Linux)

[Limburgher]

I work for a major food/beverage distributor, and we use VoIP for our entire phone system, both here in the corporate office and at our many distribution centers all around the U.S. It's reliable, clear, and like the article says, really flexible. We have a system that routes voicemail into out email boxes so we have the option of listening on the phone or with WinAmp. Nice if you're on the phone and need to check your voicemail. It's also cool to be able to crank up my speakers, put the phone on speaker, and play voicemail to the person on the other end.

And, of course, I use Linux for all serious tasks on my home network. Gateway, router, DNS, email, desktop, printserver. I have a couple of Winboxen for lite gaming, but that's it. Still trying to get Linux in the door at work. I know Citrix runs on Unix, but does anyone know if it has a Linux port yet?

Re:a technolibertarian state?

[Angry White Guy]

We make up for that with the pot laws. You don't want stoned people with firearms.

Re:fp from canada

[lightsaber1]

Yes, isn't it grand? Here at the University of Waterloo, the Math (including Computer Science) computers all run UNIX (SOLARIS to be exact, I use Linux at home), the artsies and engineers use a Win2k-based networks. Why? The steeper learning curve is too much for the artsies who just want to type their essays, while the more technical students find it much more efficient to work in a *NIX-based system. I have no idea what the engineers are doing with windoze.

Anyways, they're also building up a campus-wide wireless network for students and staff to use. This makes it so much easier to play online games during lectures :-)

I must say, Linux and WiFi have made my life easier and I hope it spreads even further.

Re:Canadian National Railway.

[trompete]

Well, if the government is ever looking for this guy, all they have to do is look for the guy on the train with the linux laptop and the hard-on.
I'm not sure what else to say about the parent post. Immagine a hacker Gollum....

You're wrong

[lpret]

I worked at a Starbucks in the suburbs that had wifi, and most of our wifi users were home business owners who wanted a change of scenery. They were able to come to Starbucks, get some coffee, see some different people, and continue on with thier work. One guy did graphic design, and he sat there with his mac and did his thing. The other guy did accounting stuff, and he had a whole table where he spread out all his paperwork and did his thing. Another guy was a professor at a University and would grade papers and update Blackboard with his stuff. And of course you had the nursing students who were just surfing pr0n.

There are a ton of reasons to use wifi in a coffee shop, much less anywhere else. Perhaps you should learn to treat wifi as a powerful tool which people can use 24/7. It is not too much. Wifi has alrady caught on, and begs for others (like yourself) to get onboard.

Re:You're wrong

[Requiem]

And of course you had the nursing students who were just surfing pr0n.

Nah, they were just studying for their anatomy tests.

Linux and WiFi

[oob]

Linux and WiFi make a great combination.

Here's a HOWTO (soon to be published at the Linux Documentation Project) about using Linux as a WiFi Access Point.

Useful technology

[AvantLegion]

--- connection established ---

FRANCOIS: Hey Jerome!
JEROME: .... ey f-f-f-rancois...
FRANCOIS: This crap is lagging, eh!
JEROME: ...it'sss ok what's up?
FRANCOIS: It's aboot the SARS! The SARS is coming, eh!
JEROME: not our big...st problem.....eline returning from L...s..egas... run away...
FRANCOIS: Oh shit, eh! I'm oot of here!

WiFi was great in Montreal

[What'sInAName]

Heh, this article is somewhat apropos for me. I just returned from Montreal, where I stayed for ten days in a condo. I brought my laptop and wireless card with me, thinking I might go to a hotspot and check my mail.

As it turns out, I had access to wireless right in the condo. It wasn't exactly a very strong signal, but it was good enough to surf and check my e-mail.

I noticed that the poor bastard that was running it happened to have the same wireless AP (an SMC Barricade) that I have. On a hunch, I checked the web server it runs, and he hadn't even set a password!

Had I known where it was coming from, I would have told them about it. As it was, my French sucks, and I didn't feel like knocking on a bunch of doors trying to explain wireless security. At any rate, they hadn't set up their timezone properly, so I did that for them....

This is Awesome!

[craig2787]

Having recently gotten electricity up here, VoIP is a very nice touch indeed! Now we can communicate between igloos much more easily.

Life is good.