I’m sitting in New York’s LaGuardia airport watching the storm clouds roll in. My flight’s already been pushed back 15 minutes (last I checked) and it doesn’t look too promising.

 

I’m on my way to Tampa Florida for INNUA's Global Connect 2007 conference sponsored by Nortel. For those who don’t like to play ‘the acronym game’ INNUA stands for the International Nortel Users Association. The conference expects to draw close to 2,500 participants and more than 100 exhibitors.

 

I’m looking forward to hearing Nortel’s Ruchi Prasad, GM of the Nortel/Microsoft Innovative Communications Alliance speak tomorrow about the state of the companies’ Unified Communications strategy, as well as hear more about Nortel’s participation in the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Vancouver Canada.

 

Nortel recently announced that they will be the Official Converged Network Equipment Supplier for the 2010 Winter Games. As part of the sponsorship agreement, Nortel will supply the network communications equipment required for what will be the first all-IP converged Games network.

 

Nortel will be providing the converged local area network (LAN) equipment to VANOC (Vancouver Organizing Committee) at 15 Games venues in both Vancouver and Whistler, as well as at the Vancouver 2010 headquarters and numerous supporting venues.

 

If I make it to Tampa tonight, you can look forward to my reports about the event.

 

I’m the eternal optimist, so I’m hoping we’ll get out of NY before too long. If not, well, at least I’m on home turf in NY and home is not too far away.