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

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 <mikko.usvalehto@macpost.dipoli.hut.fi>
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
****************************
 

