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Communications Developer 2008

If you haven't been watching, you may have missed the fact that  TMC's Communications Developer event has been gaining some major top level sponsors and I have taken an early look at the registration database and there are a good number of conferees from major TEMs (telecom equipment manufacturers) and service providers worldwide.

TMC's Communications Developer remains the only show of its kind worldwide and we are more than excited to help the industry gather and learn the best way to develop communications solutions.

Here is part of the growing sponsor list so far and these are companies you definitely want to come and see...

• Avaya
• Sangoma
• Aculab
• AudioCodes
• Voxeo
• Texas Instruments (TI)
• Pika
• TelcoBridges
• Voxbone

The show will be taking place at the same time and place as ITEXPO -- September 16-18, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. I sincerely hope to see you there and if you aren't the appropriate person in your company for this event be sure to come to ITEXPO instead and send your tech team to the developer event.


Here is a photo from the last Communications Developer event in San Jose, CA

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Camera Van Exposed

Many of us have seen the street level view of Google Maps and other mapping software company services and wondered just what sort of van is taking the pictures. After all, the van does not have a big sign on the side saying hey -- smile, you are on candid camera.

Generally the vans traveling the country taking videos and photos of you are in disguise. Most people in fact have never seen one of them in action.

So imagine my surprise as traffic slowed to 15 MPH in a speed zone which is usually double this amount. I was calculating how I could get around the van and even contemplated passing over the double-yellow line.

But then something amazing happened... I realized the van had a camera on top of it and the camera was panning as it drove. I was pretty blown away actually and had to take some photos which diod not endear me to other drivers.

Oh, the things I do for you.

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Podcast: Zed-3's Iain Milnes Discusses The GS8

Zed-3 is the company most people have never heard of but it is backed by telecom veteran Iain Milnes who launched Zarak -- the successful testing company later sold to Spirent and Zultys -- the company which made a huge splash in enterpise telecom, went bankrupt and later emerged from bankruptcy and is now up and running.

Milnes shared the details of how he founded Zed-3 about a year ago and more recently he announced a brand new product which he was excited to tell me has no match in the market.

I got Milnes to share his enthusiasm on a podcast where he explained the company has developed a modular gateway called the GS8 Modular Gateway where you can plug CDMA, GSM and analog modules enabling you to connect your communications system into a variety of wireless networks.

This solution allows you to connect your network directly to the wireless network of choice without the need to connect with a traditional telecom carrier. This product fits into the suite of phones and PBX systems the company sells and Milnes thinks this gateway will not only be used with their SIP products but expect to see it communicating with other SIP boxes and even other telecom systems not using IP.

I could go on and on talking about how you could create a virtual gateway with these devices and so on and how you could save a ton of money in many countries by bypassing more expensive phone networks but I would ruin the podcast for you which you definitely want to listen to.

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Podcast: Starent Networks Thierry Maupilé

As the wireless industry evolves, the level of complexity has evolved with it allowing companies such as Starent Networks to thrive by delivering technology which enables carriers to deliver rich content multimedia services.

We all have cell phones and it seems obvious these devices will be delivering TV, YouTube and a host of other multimedia services as time progresses. Those of you who have kids with cell phones know more about this than others of course.

As this transition takes place, carriers need to think about taking advantage of adding intelligence to their gateways so they are able to build the most flexible next generation network possible.

I had a candid conversation with Maupilé about wireless barriers to entry, Apple's iPhone, the latest generation of devices and the incredible opportunities ahead for service providers.

This podcast is certainly worth a listen and I hope you enjoy it thoroughly.

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Roku: The Apple of TV?

Without a doubt, the new Netflix Player by Roku set top box will become a serious contender for the title "iPod of the world of television." I haven't seen this device yet but based on what I have read on Tom Keating's blog and on the New York Times, it is a killer offering.

Here are the details... A $100 set top box, a sub $10/month subscription and a web-based interface which helps you narrow down movie selections from a total of 10,000 Netflix offerings which are ultimately made by remote control.

At these price points some could be tempted to give up cable TV service altogether and if the box gains traction, it can become the TV delivery mechanism of the future -- worldwide.

I am not naive enough to think Roku will easily take over the world as Apple, Microsoft, the cable companies and phone companies will be looking to do everything short of hiring hitmen (is hitpersons more PC?).

Expect the box to eventually support YouTube, streaming TV and perhaps newer movies.

Really, everyone should be gunning for Roku except for content providers (including Yahoo and Google) and chip manufacturers who can benefit from lower cost distribution and the sale of product to this consumer electronics company.

It is not hard to see Roku becoming a telephony provider in the future by upgrading these boxes with ATA functionality.

Expect this company to be included in net neutrality discussions of the future and if they aren't purchased in six months I will be very surprised. If Vonage had the finances or access to capital -- their brand would be a huge help in getting this box in millions of homes as fast as possible. They should consider a merger.

Then there is Google who could get broader YouTube penetration. Apple and Microsoft would gain more traction in homes and take out a competitor. Cable and phone companies have to buy this company to protect the TV cash cow, etc. The list of potential partners/acquirers seems endless.

See Also:

FCC: Worry about TVoIP not Cable

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Skype Adding Video Clips

Om Malik discusses how Skype is evolving to show video clips. I have detailed at length many of the ideas Skype should embrace to make money and showing videos makes good sense as it leverages the success of other video sharing services and helps Skype become more of a media sharing social network.

For those of you keeping track, here is the complete list of product suggestions I proposed to Skype in October of 2007... I look forward to hearing Rodrigo Madanes, Skype's Chief product Strategist discuss their future product rollouts and upgrades at his ITEXPO keynote this September in Los Angeles, CA.

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Linux In The Dashboard?

Would you want an open source OS in your car... Controlling everything from the motor to the brakes to the internet access? Frankly, over the years, TMC has grown with not only Microsoft computers but we relied on Unix since about 1982. Today we have a mix of Microsoft and Linux boxes powering TMCnet and and TMC in general.

I think a Linux-based approach to automotive computing makes sense since it will drive costs down. As this engadget article discusses of course, it would be nice to have virtualization employed to assure your browser crash does not interfere with your braking.

Then again, Linux does a pretty good job of keeping applications separate -- without the need for virtualization.

Of course -- when it comes to car safetey and protecting human lives, the safer the better.

I almost forgot the point of the story which is that Intel is supporting this initiative and while I think it is a great idea, I have gotten used to a GUI and hope to never have to use VI again... Especially not in my car.

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Plaxo Sends a Message

As I mentioned recently, Comcast picked up Plaxo. Just today I received this e-mail to Plaxo users, explaining the company has been acquired and will remain an independent entity, evolving and growing. It is a pretty good letter as it makes sure to tell users that their privacy will be protected while thanking them for their patronage.

Enjoy:

A Letter from the CEO and Founders

Dear Plaxo member,

We are excited to announce some of the biggest news in the history of Plaxo. Plaxo has signed a definitive agreement** to be acquired by Comcast, the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communications products and services. We've got at least a few months to go before the acquisition is completed, but we wanted to send you this note to let you know what's coming up and how it affects you and your account.

Plaxo will remain an independent brand, organization and entity. We've been busy at work on our networked address book service and our next-generation social network, Pulse (if it's been a while, please come back and check out all the new features). And, through additional projects with Comcast, we'll be able to take these services to a lot more users and places than we could on our own... including the TV, phone and more.

If you'd like to read more about some of the great new things we're planning, please read our official announcement.

So, what does this mean for current Plaxo members like you? The services you know and enjoy from Plaxo will not only continue to exist, but will also continue to evolve and improve. We will continue to make our basic services free, and we will continue to serve customers in multiple languages across the world. But, we'll now be able to invest even more in our services, and we will enhance them with more users and more content available across a wider array of devices.

We will also continue to protect your privacy and give you control of your information. We will continue to protect your data with one of the strongest privacy policies, which will remain in effect even after the transition. And, we'll continue to be a strong advocate for the open social web.

We've put together a quick Q&A about your privacy, account and your data.

Last, we'd like to extend an enormous thank you. Whether you've been a Plaxo user for a long time or just recently joined Pulse, we'd like to thank you for making Plaxo a vibrant network. We are excited to open a new chapter today and look forward to helping you keep in touch with the people you care about.

Sincerely,

Ben Golub, Chief Executive Officer
Cameron Ring, Founder and Chief Architect
Todd Masonis, Founder and Vice President of Products

**We are not releasing financial details of the transaction. The acquisition is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the near future.

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