TELECOM Digest Tue, 27 Sep 94 13:08:00 CDT Volume 14 : Issue 377 Inside This Issue: Editor: Patrick A. Townson Network Security Observations (nso@delphi.com) Biennial Conference on Telecommunications in South Africa (Merryl Hastie) Network Map Software (Juha Riissanen) Card Call Ripoffs; Calling China Cheap (Wm. Randolph Franklin) Bell Canada to Expand Video on Demand (Dave Leibold) Need California PUC IRD Information (Bob Schwartz) Help: PC Telco Switch Information (Timothy J. Somadelis) Northeastern University and MCI (Scott Mehosky) Cellular Digital vs. Analog (Ron S. van Zuylen) Recommendations For Answering Machines? (Michael Rosen) Conference: Enterprise Management Summit '94 (Tim Bostwick) Telefonica de Argentina (Randy Gellens) Telecommunications in Europe (Mikko Usvalehto) TELECOM Digest is an electronic journal devoted mostly but not exclusively to telecommunications topics. It is circulated anywhere there is email, in addition to various telecom forums on a variety of public service systems and networks including Compuserve and America On Line. It is also gatewayed to Usenet where it appears as the moderated newsgroup 'comp.dcom.telecom'. Subscriptions are available at no charge to qualified organizations and individual readers. Write and tell us how you qualify: * telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu * The Digest is edited, published and compilation-copyrighted by Patrick Townson of Skokie, Illinois USA. You can reach us by postal mail, fax or phone at: 9457-D Niles Center Road Skokie, IL USA 60076 Phone: 708-329-0571 Fax: 708-329-0572 ** Article submission address only: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu ** Our archives are located at lcs.mit.edu and are available by using anonymous ftp. The archives can also be accessed using our email information service. For a copy of a helpful file explaining how to use the information service, just ask. ********************************************************************** * * TELECOM Digest is partially funded by a grant from the * * International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland * * under the aegis of its Telecom Information Exchange Services (TIES) * * project. Views expressed herein should not be construed as represent-* * ing views of the ITU. * ********************************************************************** * Additionally, the Digest is funded by gifts from generous readers such as yourself who provide funding in amounts deemed appropriate. Your help is important and appreciated. All opinions expressed herein are deemed to be those of the author. Any organizations listed are for identification purposes only and messages should not be considered any official expression by the organization. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: nso@delphi.com Subject: Network Security Observations Date: Tue, 27 Sep 94 03:56:23 -0500 Organization: Delphi (info@delphi.com email, 800-695-4005 voice) November 1994 NETWORK SECURITY OBSERVATIONS will be out with its inaugural issue. NETWORK SECURITY OBSERVATIONS is expected to be the leading international journal on computer network security for the science, research and professional community. Every annual volume contains five issues, each offering ample space for vigorously reviewed academic and research papers of significant and lasting importance, and a wealth of other network security information, including security patches and other technical information supplied by manufacturers, related governmental docu- ments (international), discussions about ethics and privacy aspects, the Clipper chip and other cryptologic issues, viruses, privacy enhanced mail, protocols, harmonization of computer security evaluation criteria, information security management, access management, transborder data flow, edi security, risk analysis, trusted systems, mission critical applications, integrity issues, computer abuse and computer crime, etc. etc. If and when appropriate reports of major international conferences, congresses and seminars will be included, as well as information made available by governments, agencies, and international and supra national organizations. Network Security Observations is published in the English language, and distributed Worldwide. The publication does NOT feature commercial announcements. National and international organizers of dedicated conferences, etc. can offer calls for papers and invitations to participate. Relevant posting from other publishers announcing new relevant books, etc are welcomed as well. NETWORK SECURITY OBSERVATIONS provides the in depth and detailed look that is essential for the network system operator, network system administrator, edp auditor, legal counsel, computer science researcher, network security manager, product developer, forensic data expert, legislator, public prosecutor, etc., including the wide range of specialists in the intelligence community, the investigative branches and the military, the financial services industry and the banking community, the public services, the telecom industry and the computer industry itself. Subscription applications by email or fax before November 1, 1994 are entitled to a special rebated subscription rate. Special academic/educational discounts, and rebates for governmental personnel, and other special groups, are available upon request. Network Security Observations is a not-for-profit journal, and therefore we are sorry to reject requests for trial orders. For further information please contact: by email> NSO@delphi.com Or by fax> +1 202 429 9574 Or alternatively you can write to: Network Security Observations Suite 400 1825 I Street, NW Washington DC, 20006 United States ------------------------------ From: mhastie@infocomp.csir.co.za (Merryl Hastie) Subject: Biennial Conference on Telecommunications in South Africa Date: Tue, 27 Sep 1994 14:53:01 Organization: CSIR BIENNIAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA At Gallagher Estate, Midrand 27 to 29 March 1995 For more info and the opportunity to register online, have a look at the URL: http://crux.csir.co.za/commercial/telkom/telkomz.html Your opportunity to attend the premier event on South Africa's telecommunications calendar to be held in Johannesburg (Midrand), exciting city of gold and the powerhouse of the South African economy. As home-base to most major domestic and multinational corporations, and the most dynamic growth area on the African continent; the proud new capital of the PWV reflects the entrepreneurial spirit and technological excellence of the people and products involved in the telecommunications and networking fields in Southern Africa. TELKOM '95 will be jointly hosted by Telkom SA Limited and the Computer Society of South Africa (CSSA). ------------------------------ From: riissanen@ntc.nokia.com (Juha Riissanen) Subject: Network Map Software Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 14:13:33 Organization: Nokia Telecommunications I'm looking for a development tool with which to create user modifiable interactive network maps to be used as the main user interface in a MS Windows based telecommunications network management software. The tool would need to be able to: - create and modify the network map interactively with mouse - manage and display a network map consisting of up to 2000 distinct elements. - zoom in and out of the network map to show both a detailed view of a part of the network and a birds eye view of the whole network. - combine the elements into aggregates (and into aggregates of aggregates), e.g. all network elements that are at a location should be displayable as one symbol - 'explode' an aggregate symbol to show its components - store event information for each network element and allow the information to be searched, shown and updated (acknowledge an event, cancel an event, export events for archival) - update the network map in real time based on the events stored, e.g. turn a symbol on map red if an alarm has been set on the corresponding network element (or on one of its component elements) - have an API for us to interface in order to store events for network elements and change existing events - show the linking between the elements Thank you for any leads and suggestions.. (VBXs, DLLs, commercial / shareware / freeware, source code to be licensed, GIS databases to be abused, SNMP LAN management software to be modified, anything.) Somebody somewhere must have already created software that does most of what I need and it would be silly for me to re-create the old wheel once again.. Thanks, Juha Riissanen juha.riissanen@ntc.nokia.com Nokia Telecommunications, P.O.Box 12, 02611 Espoo, Finland ------------------------------ From: wrf@ecse.rpi.edu (Wm. Randolph Franklin) Subject: Card Call Ripoffs; Calling China Cheap Date: 27 Sep 1994 04:47:21 GMT Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY, USA Reply-To: wrf@ecse.rpi.edu (Wm. Randolph U Franklin) What is the best way to call China, particularly using a calling card? I've spent well over an hour talking to ATT, MCI, and Sprint. Their rates are so close to each other, yet so byzantine, that they appear deliberately designed to confuse the customer and prevent competition. Using a calling card can cost over $5 more for the first minute than calling from home, as well as, sometimes, a lot more per minute. Are there small carriers who do better? What's the reason for this difference? Is there that much fraud with cards? Conversation I had yesterday: Me, "What's it cost to call China?" MCI International Calling rep, "China? Is that the place where the seasons are reversed?" Me, "?!? Uh, I think that's Australia." (It reminds me of another conversation I once overheard where a woman expressed surprise that her friend had visited such distant places as Switzerland and Italy in the same trip.) Wm. Randolph Franklin, wrf@ecse.rpi.edu, (518) 276-6077; Fax: -6261 ECSE Dept., 6026 JEC, Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst, Troy NY, 12180 USA For more info, including PGP and RIPEM keys, finger -l wrf@ecse.rpi.edu [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: There is no such thing as a cheap call to China. The rates are quite high, anytime day or night where calling cards are concerned, as well as with call-back schemes. I don't know why this is, other than perhaps the telecom administration in China and the carriers here have some difficulty in reaching mutually acceptable terms. Regards your comment on the representative who thought that the 'seasons are reversed' in China, that is so typical of how ignorant many/most Americans are where geography is concerned. A telephone operator in Australia once mentioned to me how amusing it was to get calls from operators in the USA with customers seeking assistance in dialing local (Australian) numbers 'because it is a business, and there is no answer when I ring their phone ...' The American callers assumed the telephone must be out of order; after all, why would there be no answer from a business place? The Australian operator would reply to the American operator, "is your party aware that it is three in the morning here?" ... and the American caller would be so surprised to hear that. And all the more pity it is that the AT&T operator in this country could not advise the customer in the same way without having to call Australia to find out. But with very few Americans these days able to correctly fill in place names on a blank map of this country it is unrealistic to assume they will know the time of day in Australia, or whether the 'seasons are reversed' in China. PAT] ------------------------------ From: Dave.Leibold@f730.n250.z1.fidonet.org (Dave Leibold) Date: 27 Sep 94 00:22:32 -0500 Subject: Bell Canada to Expand Video on Demand Organization: FidoNet Nameserver/Gateway [from Bell News (Bell Canada/Ontario) 26 Sept 94] Leading-edge Video on Demand trial enters new, city-wide phase Things are starting to move quickly on Bell's portion of the information highway. As part of Stentor's overall Beacon Initiative to develop products and services for information highway customers, Phase II of the Business Video on Demand (VOD) trial will begin in Ottawa on October 3. Phase I of the trial, which tested the underlying technology and design of the user interface, offered video on demand from key locations at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. Phase II expands on the earlier test by simulating a city-wide environment, serving more customers and testing operational methods and procedures and an enhanced user interface. The trial, scheduled to last until May 1995, will connect a minimum of 14 sites in the Ottawa area, including eight elementary schools and three RCMP locations. At the schools, students will be able to access educational videos through personal computers in libraries. The RCMP will be able to access training videos in a similar manner. Users will have full VCR-like controls such as rewind, fast-forward, pause, etc. The trial is funded by Bell and Stentor with technical assistance from Bell-Northern Research and MPR Teltech. The first VOD services for business customers should be available starting in late 1995 or early 1996. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Need California PUC IRD Information From: bob@bci.nbn.com (Bob Schwartz) Date: Mon, 26 Sep 94 11:06:38 PDT Organization: Bill Correctors, Inc., Marin County, California Al Cohan <0004526627@mcimail.com> writes: > I understand that sometime last week the California PUC > approved a sweeping rate change for both Pac Bell and General > Telephone. I have heard that base rates have dramatically increased > and ZUM 3 and local service area long distance has decreased as much > as 50%. > This PUC decision sets the terms for Intra-Lata toll traffic competition. > Does anyone have a synopsis of the new rates? or a copy of the decision? Al, Rate-wise, 1995 is looking like a whole new ballgame for California. Monthly service charges up to $twelve something from $eight something ... Service Area calling down to well under ten cents per minute!!!!! Great for business not so great for grandma ... but done after about six years in the making the IRD under The Alternative Regulatory Framework (ARF) for Local Exchange Carriers. The decision is loaded with all sorts of new rate for circuits, lines and special services. We expect that users will need consultants more than ever, just to wade through the new options, so we're on it in a big way. It sets the path for a whole new method of regulating Pacific Bell and GTE in California. To get a copy you can go directly to the PUC. When I ordered mine they told me the cost was twenty cents per page plus sales tax. The document is 538 pages. You can also get it from this office PREPAID for $94.25 which includes sales tax (5.80) and first class or priority mailing. Checks to : V. Kushner / PO Box 316 / Woodacre CA 94973. Regards, *BOB*/a Bob Schwartz bob@bci.nbn.com Bill Correctors, Inc. +1 415 488 9000 Marin County, California ------------------------------ From: soma@world.std.com (Timothy J Somadelis) Subject: Help: PC Telco Switch Information Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA Date: Mon, 26 Sep 1994 17:52:29 GMT I need some info regarding a small semi-smart telephone switch to front end a voice response/voice mail/automated attendant application on a PC. This switch should provide basic PBX/Centrex functionality for performing call transfer/monitoring for auto-attendant and v-mail. The system will probably consist of a serial port for control from the IVR PC. The switch must not be high in price otherwise a PBX or Centrex would suffice. The purpose is to provide PBX like functions at non-PBX prices. Ideally, the price should be comparable for a PC component. The number fo phone lines this should handle is anywhere from two lines to sixteen lines possibly up to twenty-four lines. My questions are: 1) Is there such a beast? 2) If so, who do I call for more information or purchasing? 3) Are there telco restrictions to connecting one of these things to the phone lines without notifying the Telco? 4) If there is no such beast, is there a place to call for manufacturing one? Thanks in advance for any information. ------------------------------ From: yidam@zork.tiac.net (yidam) Subject: Northeastern University and MCI Date: 25 Sep 1994 21:51:56 GMT Organization: The Internet Access Company I am a student at Northeastern University in Boston, and recently the university embarked upon new contracts with MCI and NYNEX for student úÿ Because if this deal I am missing out on certain services such as the ability to get 800, 700, and 500 numbers. Also I am no longer eligable for certain calling programs available with other carriors. Although I am given the option to use carrior access codes to reach other long distance companies I feel that I am being cheated out of my right to equal access because I can't get certain deals and services from AT&T or SPRINT. Scott Mehosky yidam@scott.tiac.net ------------------------------ From: ron@pyro.wro.dec.com (Ron S. van Zuylen) Subject: Cellular Digital vs. Analog Date: 25 Sep 1994 01:59:58 GMT Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation - Santa Clara, CA Reply-To: ron@pyro.wro.dec.com I'm looking for some feedback on digital cellular service. Cellular One in the San Franscisco Bay Area has recently lowered their digital service prices to an acceptable level; it is slightly lower than the analog service now. They are also in the process of increasing their digital coverage. Cellular One is trying to make digital more attractive by offering a $300 service credit. (Apparently to offset the increased cost of a digital dual-mode (TDMA) phone.) They're also offering free incoming until 1995. Is it truely "improved cellular service" or is it more of a benfit to the service provider? (Less frequency bandwidth, correct?) In my search, I have found very few digital phones. A Motorola Flip (similar to the DPC-550), a AT&T 6650, and a Technophone (which seems to be the AT&T unit in a different case). These units are all around 10 ounces. There is also a top-of-the-line (~$1250) Motorola Elite with everything the Ultra Lite has and more (and even weighs less); I haven't seen this unit. Low weight (and VibraCall) is attractive, but the choice is slim and expensive in the digital arena. :-) If we used analog, we could use the ~$550 Motorola Ultra Lite instead of the ~$1250 Elite (minus the $300 service credit). Any comments would be appreciated. Ron S. van Zuylen -- Digital Equipment Corporation - Santa Clara, CA USA ron@pyro.wro.dec.com -- "The bleeding edge in employee reduction technology..." ------------------------------ From: mrosen@nyx10.cs.du.edu (Michael Rosen) Subject: Recommendations For Answering Machines? Date: 25 Sep 1994 14:59:49 -0600 Organization: University of Denver, Math/CS Dept. I'm considering buying an answering machine as opposed to paying a monthly fee to Bell Atlantic for their Answer Call voice mail system. Sure the latter is convenient if I'm busying up my line since it'll take the message but is it worth $6.50 a month? An answering machine will pay for itself in a little over a year. I was looking at AT&T's digital answering machines today. The only thing they don't have that I kind of like is the ability to skip the OGM. I like that someone's machine has that when I'm calling so I can hit * and abort the message if I don't feel like waiting. I'd like to extend that courtesy to people calling me (that is if they know it exists which not all do). I do want a machine that has a time stamp and remote access. The AT&T model I was looking at has voice prompting for the remote access. Is it worth the extra cost to go digital versus tape? Michael Rosen, CPA mrosen@nyx.cs.du.edu George Washington University (Fall '92) Tau Epsilon Phi, Tau Theta 381 ------------------------------ From: summit@ix.netcom.com (Tim Bostwick) Subject: Conference: Enterprise Management Summit '94 Date: 23 Sep 1994 19:59:17 GMT Organization: Netcom The Enterprise Management Summit '94 will be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center, November 14-18, Santa Clara, California. This conference and exhibition will present solutions for managing the ever growing, ever more complex enterprise management Monster. There will be 36 technical sessions addressing the full spectrum of enterprise management (networks, systems, applications, and databases) and two full days of tutorials. In addition, there will be over 40 exhibitors. Featured will be an Enterprise Management Theater with a live enterprise network that includes: SNA, DECNet, NetWare; Systems like MVS, VMS, DOS, UNIX; Windows, NT, desktops, distributed applications and databases. During Summit '94, we will let the Monster go crazy, causing nightmares like traffic congestion, alarm floods, broadcast storms, applications that hang mysteriously, lost host connections, locked terminals, forgotten passwords, etc. We then ask leading vendors to fix what we broke. Vendors will NOT be allowed to give demos in the theater. Rather they must make all the nightmares go away. A live audience will evaluate how successful each vendor is. Our goal is to make this theater as realistic as possible and minimize the sales hype. We would appreciate any comments you may have that will help us accomplish this goal. Please direct your comments to Summit '94. Phone: 1-800-340-2111. (Outside the US, 415-512-0801. Fax: 415-512-1325. Email: emiinc@mcimail.com. You may also obtain information and an Advance Program at the above numbers. ------------------------------ From: RANDY@MPA15AB.mv-oc.Unisys.COM Date: 26 Sep 1994 19:36:00 GMT Subject: Telefonica de Argentina Saw this in a recent press release: Telefonica de Argentina, one of the two private telephone companies in Argentina, awarded Unisys a $1.4 million Network Applications Platform (NAP) contract. Telefonica de Argentina, headquartered in Buenos Aires, provides regular telephone services to three million customers. The new Unisys NAP solution will provide call completion services for 15,000 customers, automatic call services for 12,000 customers and offer calling card services for 30,000 Telefonica users. In addition, foreign journalists attending the Panamericanos Athletic Games in March 1995 will be able to take advantage of the new calling card application to relay coverage results. Randall Gellens randy@mv-oc.unisys.com (714) 380-6350 fax (714) 380-5912 Mail Stop MV 237 Net**2 656-6350 ------------------------------ Subject: Telecommunications in Europe From: Mikko Usvalehto Date: Tue, 27 Sep 94 10:46:32 +0200 I'm currently collecting information on subject: Telecommunications in Europe: manufacturers, operators, users, consulting, research, education etc ... If there is somebody (in TELECOM Digest readers group) interested in the same subject, please send e-mail message to following address: mikko.usvalehto@hut.fi Mikko Usvalehto, TechNet Helsinki University of Technology, Lifelong Learning Institute Dipoli address: FIN-02150 ESPOO tel.: +358 0 451 4492 fax: +358 0 451 4487 internet: mikko.usvalehto@hut.fi x.400: G=mikko; S=usvalehto; O=hut; A=fumail; P=inet; C=fi ------------------------------ End of TELECOM Digest V14 #377 ****************************