AT&T wants to connect all your devices with one number

As you buy more devices and wearables, the idea of having one phone number to connect them all is an increasingly attractive one.

AT&T is readying a service that will allow users to connect all their devices, from smartphones to wearables, with a single phone number.

The company promises that the service, called NumberSync, will allow users to send and receive texts and calls from any device using one number. A person familiar with the matter confirmed to Mashable that the service will be made possible due to changes on AT&T’s existing telecom network. And unlike some similar Bluetooth-based solutions, NumberSync connectivity will function even if the user’s primary mobile device with the originating number is physically nowhere near the other NumberSync-connected devices.

“Since NumberSync operates in our wireless network, it is not dependent on a Bluetooth connection to your smartphone,” AT&T spokesperson David Christopher posted on the company’s website on Wednesday. “Your devices don’t need to be near each other and NumberSync will work even if your primary phone is turned off or disconnected from the network.

Read more of the original article via Mashable.com

Facebook to Beam Free Internet to Africa with Satellites

Facebook is one step closer to finally beaming Internet down from space.

The social network is teaming up with the French satellite company Eutelsat (ETCMY) to launch a satellite that will provide internet access to people in sub-Saharan Africa. The satellite will launch next year and service will start in the second half of 2016. It will reach 14 countries in West, East and Southern Africa.

Facebook (FB, Tech30) will use the satellite to bring free Internet access to rural areas. The company is using satellites, lasers and drones to get the “next billion” people around the world online as part of its Internet.org initiative. It has already connected people in nearly 20 countries.
“Facebook’s mission is to connect the world and we believe that satellites will play an important role in addressing the significant barriers that exist in connecting the people of Africa,” said Chris Daniels, VP of Internet.org, in a statement.

Read more of the original article at money.cnn.com

8×8 Announces New Integration With Salesforce for Enterprise Cloud Communications

8x8 and salesforce integrationExtends ISV Partnership With Desk.com Integration; Broadens Comprehensive Integration Offerings with Salesforce

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)– 8×8, Inc. (NASDAQ:EGHT), a leading provider of cloud-based unified communications and contact center solutions, today announced that the company has extended its partnership and enterprise cloud communications integrations with Salesforce to offer an out-of-the box Desk.com integration. 8×8 will be demonstrating its award-winning line of enterprise cloud communications, business analytics, product integrations with Salesforce and the first public display of its Desk.com integration with Virtual Office at Dreamforce® 2015, in Moscone’s North Hall, Booth N1822, September 15-18.

Desk.com is the out-of-the-box customer support app that empowers fast-growing companies to get a help desk up-and-running in hours with everything they need to deliver service on every channel. The 8×8 integration with Desk.com increases employee productivity by automatically opening customer records within Desk.com based on an inbound phone call. Providing out-of the box integration using OpenCTI with Virtual Office allows customers to answer a call from within the Desk.com app, access the current customer record and click to dial — which significantly minimizes training. Because Virtual Office operates from within Desk.com, the solution is integrated in the cloud and updates in real time.

As part of its enterprise cloud communications portfolio, 8×8 offers an integrated communications platform that combines core business telephony and contact center functionality in a single cloud-based platform. With innovative features like Expert Connect, agents can connect in real-time with any subject matter expert, from anywhere around the world, across any department. In May, 8×8 unveiled VCC Global, the first cloud-based contact center solution that connects an organization’s international agents over a single platform with integrated presence, multilingual chat with automatic translation, call routing, reporting and management.

By integrating the company’s Virtual Office and Virtual Contact Center solutions, 8×8 helps businesses eliminate gaps between contact center agents and other employees so companies can deliver a seamless, personalized customer experience. 8×8’s cloud-based Virtual Contact Center and Virtual Office unified communications platform add deep, real-time analytics to closely monitor and optimize critical customer-facing resources – improving agent productivity on the fly. Additionally, remote users on mobile devices can access both 8×8 unified communications and Salesforce customer data from anywhere.

“We remain fully committed to our partnership with Salesforce and have teamed to offer businesses a complete Salesforce integration for enterprise cloud communications,” said Vik Verma, 8×8 CEO. “Since 2008, we have worked with Salesforce to provide world-class, cloud communications services, and more recently have helped customers migrate their business to the cloud with the highest levels of security, reliability and customer centricity in mind—all on a single platform. We look forward to our continued partnership to offer new cloud-based innovations and help enterprises truly transform their customer relationships.”

About 8×8, Inc.

8×8, Inc. (NASDAQ:EGHT) is the trusted provider of secure and reliable enterprise cloud communications solutions to more than 40,000 businesses operating in over 100 countries across six continents. 8×8’s out-of-the-box cloud solutions replace traditional on-premises PBX hardware and software-based systems with a flexible and scalable Software as a Service (SaaS) alternative, encompassing cloud business phone service, contact center solutions, and conferencing. For additional information, visit www.8×8.com, www.8×8.com/UK or connect with 8×8 on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+and Facebook.

Salesforce, Desk.com and others are trademarks of salesforce.com, inc.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150915005119/en/

Tech News: Apple releases iOS 9.0.1 with plenty of bug fixes

A week after iOS 9 launched, Apple has released iOS 9.0.1 with a host of bug fixes.

Original post at cnn.com