| BELTUG Update 3 August 2011 |
| |
NEW: We have so much information to share with you, that we have launched an extra channel to keep you informed: join the Open BELTUG group to stay up-to-date |
|
Lobbying
1. BELTUG addresses Parliament on Net Neutrality
2. Recognition for INTUG: NY York Times and ITU
3. Establishment of an ethical code for telecommunications
4. European consultation on the business market
Networking
1. Become the ICT Manager of the year 2011
2. Successful Member Forum and summer cocktail
Information and vision
1. BELTUG meets with Microsoft, Google and Apple
2. Feedback X-change on Unified Communications
3. Feedback X-changes on Company Networks
4. Consultation on Private GSM
Agenda |
|
Lobbying |
| BELTUG defends your interests and addresses issues with government representatives and service providers. |
1. BELTUG addresses Parliament on Net Neutrality |
|
| June 29th, a hearing on net neutrality was held in the Federal Parliament. BIPT, BELTUG and the telecom operators all spoke. PS and CD&V both introduced a draft bill. BELTUG highlighted the far-reaching consequences of legal initiatives on net neutrality and stressed the need for an international approach, to keep complexity low. It is essential to arrive at a single market, with a harmonised approach on net neutrality across Member States. |
|
| 2. Recognition for INTUG: the New York Times and ITU |
|
INTUG was quoted in the NY Times regarding the EU roaming plans: “The latest retail price cap proposals demonstrate acceptance by politicians and regulators that roaming charges are an unjustified imposition on consumers and a stealth tax on cross-border trade which relies increasingly on mobile data communications. However, they still do not go far enough in eliminating this particular symptom of market failure.” The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) presented INTUG with an Anniversary Certificate in recognition of its support of the ITU’s work over the past 10 years. Thanking the ITU, INTUG Chairman Danielle Jacobs encouraged the organisation to continue working on progressively eliminating international mobile roaming charges, as part of reaching for a fully international approach to the sector. |
|
| 3. Establishment of an ethical code for telecommunications |
|
| A Royal Decree has been published in the Belgian Monitor, outlining stricter use of SMS services and premium rate numbers. It is intended to prevent users from being signed up for SMS subscriptions without their knowledge, to ensure the clear indication of prices of various services, and to allow users to unsubscribe without costs. |
|
| 4. European consultation on the business market |
|
| At the insistence of INTUG, BEREC, the organisation made up of the 27 European regulators, will look into barriers to the cross-border provision of business communications services. Please send us examples of any difficulties you experience with international ICT services. Feel free to write in bullets. (deadline 10 August) |
|
|
Networking
|
|
1. Become the ICT Manager of the year 2011 |
|
Every year DataNews elects the ICT Manager of the year. BELTUG would like to encourage you to present your ICT project and apply for this Price. Just send in your application form by October 7. If your project is selected you will be asked to defend it in the week of 24-28 October. Good luck ! |
|
| 2. Successful Member Forum and summer cocktail |
|
Over 100 delegates attended our latest Member Forum, where we covered some hot topics. Philippe Laurent of CRIDS highlighted legal issues when entering the cloud. Wendy Brévière from BELTUG gave an overview of information sources on cloud security. The presentations of Ericsson Belgium and Nokia Siemens Networks showed us how LTE is being introduced in other countries. In a debate about the acquisition of Skype by Microsoft, we heard comments like “SIP is the most open protocol for UC”, “Skype should support SIP” and “It shouldn’t cost more for the users”. This gave us all some food for thought during the summer holidays! Have a glance at the pictures or the presentations on the Members-only part of our website. |
|
| Information and vision |
| We want BELTUG members to be the best informed ICT decision makers and professionals. |
|
| 1. BELTUG meets with Microsoft, Google and Apple |
|
| BELTUG met with Microsoft, Google and Apple to discuss issues of the corporate users. With Microsoft we discussed Office 365, with Google the possibilities of email and other applications for business in the cloud, and with Apple the possibilities to integrate iPads in the corporate network. |
|
| 2. Feedback from X-change on Unified Communications |
|
| At our X-Change on Unified Communications, Nextel presented a number of techniques to smoothly migrate from old to new, using gateways to connect legacy systems. We were also pleased to have two users cases presented: University Ghent and Euroclear. Both successfully migrated to a new UC environment and shared their experiences. The presentations can be found on the BELTUG website. |
|
| 3. Feedback from X-change on Company Networks |
|
| Our X-changes on Company Networks revealed that ICT managers can no longer accept barriers to WAN performance and manageability. But more visibility in the use of the bandwidth per application has become an absolute requirement. Neglecting the WAN will kill the benefits of the Cloud. There is a shared view that significant concerns over security and availability are undermining the perceived benefits that the Cloud can bring. |
|
| 4. BELTUG Consultation on Private GSM |
|
| In the UK and the Netherlands, GSM “Guard Band” frequencies are available for private use, allowing companies to use them for in-house “Private GSM” networks and offering interesting perspectives when replacing classic DECT systems. In Belgium, however these frequencies are not (yet) available for private use. Many BELTUG members expressed their interest in this technology, while others pointed out that mobile operators now offer deals that make this approach obsolete. We will further explore this topic, as it is quite clear that the “one phone, one number” approach became most important. |
|
| Agenda |
| |
|
|
|
