July 2009

You are browsing the archive for July 2009.

FCC Targets Apple over Google Voice App

July 31, 2009

Apparently the FCC under the leadership of Julius Genachowski is investigating the blocking of Google Voice from the Apple App Store. Moreover the FCC would like to know the role AT&T played in this decision. Can we trust Apple to give an honest answer?

Time will tell but I for one expect them to ask the FCC what the definition of the word is is.

This places Apple in an interesting spot as it really puts a focus on how they decide what applications are denied due to the vague duplicate functionality argument. It may soon turn out that this term means your app is playing in a space they don't want to cede and neither does AT&T.

Posted in Apple

Tagged: app store, apple, at&t, fcc, iphone, itunes : Related Tags: google voice, apple

Ooma Telo Coming Soon

July 31, 2009

When I last caught up with Ooma in New York I had a chance to learn about their slick new Telo device which looks like a blend of art and communications. I have always been a fan of Bang & Ulufsen products - they are some of the best designers of stereo products on the planet. I was not surprised at all to see some B&O products at Ooma headquarters when I visited last week. They can be quite inspiring.

Posted in AT&T, Broadband, Communications Developer, Consumer Electronics, FCC, Financial, Google, IP Communications, Open Source, SIP, Skype, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, VoIP, Vonage, Wireless, Yahoo

Tagged: 911, b&o, bang & ulufsen, costco, deep packet inspection, dpi, dual core, e911, enhanced service, freeswitch, hd voice, hd voip, ip communications, land line, linux, magicjack, mindspeed, mp3, ooma, police, psap, richard buchanan, skype, sms, tami bhaumik, telo, voip, vonage : Related Tags: slick interface, holiday season, phone service, mobile phones, service, device

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Apple's Monday Morning App Store Removals Stink

July 31, 2009

Destroying developer and customer relationships seems to be another area where Apple wants to lead the pack

Is it just me or is Apple's Monday morning App Store removals really getting out of hand? First Riverturn's VoiceCentral was approved then it was yanked. Amazingly the Cupertino computer and phone company decided months after the application was approved that it was unapproved and then when users realized the app will no longer be upgraded they requested a refund which they received. The result? The developer had to eat those refunds. I have never in my entire career seen a policy like the one Apple is using with the App Store.

Posted in AT&T, Apple, Communications Developer, Consumer Electronics, Gadget, IP Communications, Skype, Technology, Verizon, VoIP, Wireless

Tagged: app store, apple, david sims, duplicates functionality, iphone, itunes, kevin duerr, macbook, riverturn, steve jobs : Related Tags: destroying developer, developer customer, store removals, monday morning, customer relationships, apple

Today's IPTV is Like Driving a Ferrari at 55 MPH

July 31, 2009

In a recent meeting with Minerva Network's Italian-born CEO Mauro Bonomi, he told me today's IPTV service is the equivalent of driving a Ferrari at 55 MPH and his point is the technology needs to shift into the fast lane.

Mauro, no offense, but I have always been a Lamborghini guy. No hard feelings?

Minerva has been a digital video pioneer for over a decade and many years back decided it made sense to focus on the IPTV space. Recently he says due to improvements in compression technology and better IP network support, the market is ready for IPTV adoption to grow even faster and he feels YouTube and other "over-the-top" services complement and do not replace TV. Upon further questioning he said he thinks perhaps in five to ten years the world may migrate to an Internet-only viewing experience.

Posted in AT&T, Apple, Broadband, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, FCC, Google, IP Communications, IPTV, Microsoft, Open Source, SIP, Social Networking, Technology, Verizon, Video, VoIP

Tagged: dvr, facebook, ferarri, fios, google, internet television, iptv, iptv middleware, itexpo, itvmanager, mauro bonomi, microsoft, minerva, minerva networks, oracle, samsung, social networking, television 2.0, tv 2.0, twitter, verizon, widget, widget bazaar : Related Tags: social networking, broadcast hardest, streaming video, computer memory, issues problems, video

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Bankers + Wrecked Banking Systems = Massive Bonuses

July 31, 2009

Bravo to Avery Goodman who has summed up how the very bankers who destroyed millions of global jobs (to be fair they had lots of help from a raft of industries, GSEs such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, ratings agencies and the government) and effectively become civil servants are now raking in bonuses by the tens of billions.

His response to those who say their special talents are worthy of such outlandish sums is, "I am not sure what kind of special "talent" it takes to destroy the world's financial system, but I have no doubt that it does require very special skills." Read more here.

Posted in Financial

Tagged: attorney general, avery goodman, bank, banker, bonus, mario Cuomo, seeking alpha, wall street : Related Tags: special

Will Telcos Buy JoltID and Shut Down Skype?

July 31, 2009

Skype Cofounder Niklas Zennstrom Most Important Man in Telecom - Again

Niklas Zennstrom is one of the most important people of the century in the communications space. Skype, the company he cofounded is responsible for enabling hundreds of millions of people to communicate for free. Moreover Skype allows a person to communicate over HD quality with full video for free. The company he ran was also responsible for tens of billions of dollars of lost telecom revenue and Zennstrom's Skype is despised by carriers like no other company.

Just as Apple came into the mobile phone market with a simple and elegant interface and subsequently began to take it over, Skype too was very late to the VoIP game and became entrenched because their software was easy to use and the GUI had a really cool look about it.

But Zennstrom's influence on technology faded after he was let go from Skype by parent company eBay and his most recent venture Joost has been doing poorly relative to Hulu and other competitors.

But Skype founders Zennstrom and Janus Friis control Joltid, the company responsible for Skype's crucial p2p software.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Blackberry, Broadband, Call Center, Cisco, Communications Developer, Conference, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, FCC, Financial, Gadget, IP Communications, IPTV, ITEXPO, Microsoft, Open Source, Patent, SIP, Security, Skype, Social Networking, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, Virtual Worlds, VoIP, Wireless

Tagged: court order, gary kim, google, hd voice, hd voip, intellectual property, ip, ip communications, itexpo, janus friis, jolted, lawsuit, niklas zennstrom, patent, skype, software, video, voip, yahoo : Related Tags: global telcos, niklas ennstrom, lease software, skype, joltid, technology

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Nortel's Pension Soap Opera

July 30, 2009

If you like soap operas, communications, technology, bankruptcies and pension liability discussions, this well-researched and well-written article by TMC's Brendan Read makes for interesting reading.

Here is an excerpt:

Tony Marsh, for the Nortel Retirees Protection Committee, told TMCnet that Nortel's Canadian pension liability is over $2 billion but is only 69 percent funded. There are no national pension guarantee funds in Canada unlike in the United States and the United Kingdom. There is only the Ontario program, the Ontario Pension Benefit Guarantee Fund.

"The agreements with Ericsson, Avaya (News - Alert), and probably the buyers of Nortel's remaining assets will absolve them of the pension liabilities, while the proceeds from the sales will be held in escrow until the sales are finalized," Marsh told TMCnet. "The question then becomes who gets what.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Broadband, CRM, Call Center, Cisco, Conferencing, E-Commerce, FCC, Fax, Financial, Green, IMS, IP Communications, IPTV, Microsoft, Nortel, Open Source, Optical, SIP, SaaS, Security, Speech Technologies, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, VoIP, WiMAX, Wireless

Tagged: avaya, breandan read, ericsson, nortel, ontario pension benefit guarantee fund, pbgc, pbgf, tmc, tony marsh : Related Tags: staked claims, american british, british governments, heard nothing, pension liability, nortel

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Mu Dynamics and Testing 2.0

July 30, 2009

Is testing communications evolving before our eyes? By the way have you noticed everywhere you turn there is a 2.0 being added to all things? I say in many cases this is with good reason as the world is changing in - dare I say Internet time 2.0? Last week while in Sunnyvale, CA in the offices of Mu Dynamics I sat down with Dave Kresse, CEO and Ajit Sancheti, Founder to discuss how the testing market has evolved.

The company focuses on testing of IPTV, VoIP and IMS networks primarily focused on network operators, equipment providers and the government. They explained they can really test any IP network but they excel in environments where there is lots of flexibility needed and complexity to deal with.

They emphasized the point that load testing is not enough and instead you must do negative and unexpected testing. Think of negative testing as exploring the nearly infinite space of invalid inputs. In addition the company uses a protocol mutation engine which aids in sending malformed packets designed to confuse the targeted equipment.

They point out that test vendors have to free up companies so they can pursue testing of protocols the test vendors is unaware of.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Broadband, Cisco, FCC, Fax, IP Communications, IPTV, Nortel, Optical, SIP, Security, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, VoIP, WiMAX, Wireless

Tagged: ajit sancheti, cisco, dave kresse, ims, ip communications, iptv, malformed packet, mu studio, negative testing, network, skinny, testing, testing 2.0, voip : Related Tags: testing, company, cases, equipment, networks, point

Carrier CAPEX Crushed, OPEX Next

July 30, 2009

In a recent conversation with Greg Gum CMO of Anda Networks in his offices in northern California we got to speaking about the state of Carrier Ethernet and the future of the market. Gum explained the market for this technology is growing now despite a hiccup he saw in the first half of this year. He further explained the research he has seen shows 70% of the cost of carrier service revenues is in OPEX budgets and he further went to explain this amount is about $77 billion dollars per year.

His goal and that of his company is to help service providers shave this number down. After all he says, CAPEX has been beat up as much as you can.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Broadband, FCC, Financial, IP Communications, IPTV, Nortel, Optical, SIP, Technology, Verizon, Video, VoIP, WiMAX, Wireless

Tagged: anda, anda networks, broadband, capex, carrier Ethernet, copper tdm, etherprobe, greg gum, OAM, opex, probe, qos, sla, software, tdm, truck roll, video, vlan, voip : Related Tags: carrier ethernet, service providers, ethernet, carrier, service, carriers

Microsoft, Yahoo, Apple and Google News Make Historic Week

July 29, 2009

This week marks a huge change in the world of technology and the events which have taken place will forever change the landscape of the market as we know it. News of Microsoft and Yahoo! finally finding a way to work with one another means search has become a two-horse race. In addition there is the potential for Microsoft and Yahoo to better monetize their assets as their combined share of the search market is now attractive enough to convince advertisers to give them a try. Moreover as this network has less advertisers driving up bid prices, there is high likelihood that advertising ROI will be higher with Microsoft/Bing/Yahoo than Google.

Having said that Yahoo has proven in the past that their corporate culture is still stuck in the dotcom days when money flowed like water with minimal effort.

Posted in 4G, Apple, Blackberry, Broadband, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, Gadget, Google, IPTV, Merger/Acquisition, Microsoft, Open Source, SIP, Technology, Unified Communications, Video, Wireless, Yahoo

Tagged: amazon, antitrust, app store, apple, bing, carol bartz, competition, ebay, eccomerce, google, google checkout, google voice, google wave, itunes, microsoft, newspapapers, search, tech, technology, voice, windows, yahoo : Related Tags: microsoft yahoo, google voice, search results, apple google, official explanation, google

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Selling to the Government: GSA Explained

July 29, 2009

There is a once in a lifetime opportunity ahead of us as the government prepares to spend unprecedented amounts of money for a variety of initiatives. The reality is that a small percentage of companies are doing most of the selling and the government is looking for more companies to do business with in order to increase diversity and share the wealth.

Are you getting a piece of this pie? Are you knowledgeable enough about government purchases so you can benefit from this market? Do you have products the government could use but feel you aren't selling enough of them to municipalities and federal agencies?

The government will need a lot of everything from tractors to computers to networking gear to mobile devices. For better or worse it will be a bottomless pit of spending for a long while.

The way I look at it, since we are all going to be burdened with the tax debt and interest payments on this spending we may as well make some money so we can pay the taxes we will face in the future.

In order to help my listeners sell more to the fastest growing spender in the world, I conducted a podcast interview with Scott Orbach (pictured) President, CEO and Founder of EZGSA, a company devoted to helping its customers win a share of this ever-growing market.

I hope you find it useful.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Avaya, Blackberry, Broadband, CRM, Call Center, Cisco, Communications Developer, Conference, Conferencing, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, FCC, Fax, Financial, Gadget, Green, IMS, IP Communications, IPTV, ITEXPO, JITC, Merger/Acquisition, Microsoft, Nortel, Open Source, Optical, Patent, Podcast, SIP, Search, Security, Skype, Social Networking, Speech Technologies, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, Virtual Worlds, VoIP, Vonage, WiMAX, Wireless, Yahoo

Tagged: cia, ezgsa, fbi, federal, government, gsa, military, municipal, nsa, obama, podcast, scott orbach, spending : Related Tags: selling government, government, selling, interview

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No iPhone Google Voice

July 28, 2009

There are undeniable benefits of using Google voice such as free SMS, a single phone number for life and easy to use call control features. It is obvious Google in general is looking to displace carriers as the important part of the consumer relationship. By inserting themselves in-between they eventually become the virtual carrier in the eyes of users.

This is great for users and Google but obviously terrible for carriers and Apple is in a position to limit Google's influence when it comes to the iPhone which explains why Google Voice which was approved for the iTunes App Store a while back is no longer approved.

If you look at this situation from Apple's perspective you understand the incredible subsidies the carriers give users and Apple for iPhone purchases are paid for by high rates and the fact that something like Google Voice doesn't exist. If you allow this application and it becomes popular, all of a sudden contracts need to be renegotiated and Apple starts to earn less money per iPhone sold.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Blackberry, Broadband, Consumer Electronics, Gadget, Google, Green, IP Communications, SIP, Social Networking, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, VoIP, Wireless

Tagged: app store, apple, gary kim<, google wave, ip communications, iphone, itunes, qik, techcrunch, voip : Related Tags: google voice, situation apple, google, iphone, apple, voice

Smart Grid Summit: The Future

July 27, 2009

What specific sources of power we use tomorrow and in what proportions is anyone's guess but what is certain is in order to take advantage of the various sources available we will have to develop a better electrical grid. We know it needs upgrading and for now, the term applied to what some might call power grid 2.0 is smart grid.

The tech and communications space should be eyeing the power industry with great interest as it is so similar to telecom in many ways where ownership of the wires resided with a small group of companies and over time a plethora of networks began to peer with one another to interchange information.

The network opened and the grid will likely do the same. But remember please don't touch the live wires.

As the grid gets smarter we will see power generation from users combined with generation from wind farms and geothermal locations and solar farms all generating power which will be used by a variety of customers.

The concept of p2p power generation should seem logical as some customers deploy solar cells which produce more power than they may use. What a great feeling it should be to help power your entire neighborhood while getting paid or at least credited in the process.

I truly believe that as the smart grid world evolves we will see more standardized protocols, gateways and products which interact intelligently and for lack of a better world - communicate.

And therein lays the logic in combining a Smart Grid Summit at ITEXPO - the World's Communications Conference.

I truly believe we will see convergence before the two markets and I suggest you keep an eye on the space and attend the show.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Broadband, Communications Developer, Conference, Consumer Electronics, FCC, Green, IP Communications, Microsoft, Nortel, SIP, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, VoIP, Wireless

Tagged: conference, expo, grid2.0, intelligent communications partners, itexpo, jon arnold, shidan gouran, smart grid, smart grid summit, smart grid2.0, trade show : Related Tags: register smart, power generation, truly believe, smart, power, communications

E-Mail to Blog Test iPhone Video

July 27, 2009

Dear blog readers, I may have great news. As of this week -assuming
you see this of course, I can now post iPhone videos from the iPhone
via e-mail. This could be very useful in showing you the most
important things I encounter.

The one downside is the 20 second or so limit on video size. Still
video time eats bandwidth so perhaps this restriction is not so bad.

QT_WriteOBJECT('http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-tehrani/images/12487202411.mov', '590','443', '', 'autoplay', 'false', 'bgcolor', 'white', 'scale', 'aspect');

click Play button above to play video

Posted in IP Communications

Bluetooth to Improve Home Electronics

July 27, 2009

In my recent trip to northern California a few vendors told me they were integrating bluetooth into their products for the home market. Generally until now most bluetooth applications have been of the mobile variety. Sure, you have some bluetooth options from GN Netcom and Plantronics for the office but Bluetooth generally is found in cars and headsets which allow mobility.

Some exceptions are stereo speakers and headsets but it doesn't seem like stereo Bluetooth has lived up to its potential yet.

As further evidence of how the Bluetooth market is looking to become more embedded into home automation, today Broadcom put out a press release explaining how their Bluetooth technology is going to be embedded in LGE (LG Electronics) TVs.

This means you can now listen to TV with wireless headphones so you don't disturb others. You can also sync music and view large-screen photos and videos.

Perhaps the most exciting part of this news is the ability to add accessories to TV like a wireless keyboard, mouse or even game controllers.

Posted in Apple, Broadband, Communications Developer, Conference, Conferencing, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, Gadget, Green, IP Communications, Microsoft, SIP, Skype, Social Networking, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, VoIP, Vonage, Yahoo

Tagged: Bluetooth, Broadcom, consumer electronics, dtv, gadget, GN Netcom, iphone, itunes, lg, lge, mp3, Plantronics, pmp, Samsung, tv, widget, wireless : Related Tags: remote control, bluetooth, video

Proxim May Benefit From Wireless Backhaul Growth

July 26, 2009

Wireless backhaul is one of the fastest-growing areas of the tech space as it seems almost no matter how poor the global economy does, consumers and businesses need more broadband on the go. And as the devices get more powerful and do more like download podcasts and watch videos, existing wireless infrastructure just can't keep up and as a result base stations need to be added and reinforced with more connectivity. It is difficult to predict anything slowing this trend down for at least five years.

One company playing in the space is Proxim Wireless and they recently debuted a 4G backhaul product line consisting of the Tsunami QB-8100 point-to-point and the Tsunami MP-8100 point-to-multipoint - solutions with throughput of up to 600Mbps.

I spent some time at the Proxim Wireless office in Milpitas, CA where I met with Robb Henshaw the Director of Marketing & Communications. We talked for a bit about how the company was focusing resources on municipal WiFi in past years and eventually found this market did not have the opportunity they believed.

Proxim's current focus is on ensuring more bandwidth over more distance and Robb commented that the iPhone shows carriers that that they were unprepared for the onslaught of wireless traffic which continues to come.

Other interesting points had to do with the significant quantity of signed deals which Henshaw said evaporated from the market due to financing challenges among carriers.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Broadband, Cisco, Consumer Electronics, FCC, Financial, Gadget, IP Communications, Nortel, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, VoIP, WiMAX

Tagged: 3g, 4g, 4gwe, base station, broadband stimulus, cdma, evdo, lte, MP-8100, pankaj manglik, proxim, QB-8100, robb henshaw, Tsunami, wifi, wimax, wireless, wireless backhaul : Related Tags: broadband stimulus, wireless backhaul, proxim wireless, backhaul market, difficult predict, wireless

Google and Enterprise Search

July 26, 2009

One of the constants in the enterprise is a proliferation of systems and data which is directly responsible for increase storage needs. This last fall in fact IDC predicted a 62% CAGR for unstructured data. Moreover enterprise storage as a whole is predicted to increase tenfold between 2005 and 20011.

The research varies from firm to firm but it is obvious that the data collected by organizations of all sizes has tremendous value and as such there needs to be ways to tap into this massive treasure trove of information.

One company looking to be your enterprise search vendor is not surprisingly Google. I spent some time last week meeting with Vijay Koduri the Solutions Marketing Manager at Google Enterprise regarding the need for better enterprise search tools in corporations today.

Utilizing search appliances, Google puts its search technology to work for your business allowing you to find the crucial needle in the data haystack both quickly and efficiently.

Posted in Call Center, Google, Microsoft, Search, Security, Social Networking, Technology, Unified Communications

Tagged: adsense, adwords, butler group, call center, contact center, crm, enterprise search, gb-1001, gb-7007, gb-9009, google, google apps, google docs, google search appliance, gsa, productivity, search engine, social search, trouble ticket, vijay koduri, yahoo : Related Tags: enterprise search, contact centers, google enterprise, search appliances, million documents, search

Like I Take Weekends Off ;-)

July 25, 2009

Tom Keating thinks I take the weekends off. Of course this means you will be seeing a lot more videos from Yours Truly. Way to go Tom!

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Broadband, Consumer Electronics, Gadget, IP Communications, SIP, Technology, Video, Wireless

Tagged: blog, iphone, tmc, tom keating, video : Related Tags:

Brief Results of My Silicon Valley Trip

July 24, 2009

I spent a solid week in Silicon Valley and as I wrap up my trip and reflect back on the companies I met with I was pretty happy to see a good deal of optimism from the communications and technology executives I met with. Some areas of growth are the usual spaces such as products which support broadband growth and wireless backhaul.

For the companies not in those spaces there seems to be more optimism coming from companies which are not the premium players in their markets. The so-called value players seem to be attracting more interest as budgets have tightened.

Another trend which I haven't seen in a while is a fear of Microsoft on a scale I have not encountered in the past. It seems the company - according to competitors is being super-aggressive and in their words looking to dominate new/existing markets and stamp out competition.

Posted in 4G, 4GWE, AT&T, Apple, Avaya, Broadband, CRM, Call Center, Cisco, Communications Developer, Conference, Conferencing, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, FCC, Fax, Financial, Gadget, Google, IMS, IP Communications, ITEXPO, Microsoft, Nortel, Open Source, SIP, Skype, Speech Technologies, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, VoIP, Vonage, WiMAX, Wireless

Tagged: 4g, communications, conference, expo, ip communications, itexpo, microsoft, san francisco, san jose, santa clara, technology, wireless : Related Tags: silicon valley, companies, spaces, players

Logoff T-Mobile WiFi

July 23, 2009

I was Skyping over T-Mobile WiFi here in my hotel in Santa Clara, California when all of a sudden the connection to the internet died. I still had a connection to the WiFi access point it is just that there was no Internet connection. As I called tech support to see what the problem was I tried logging in via my iPhone to see if the problem was the laptop or the carrier.

The iPhone did logon which meant the problem was likely my computer - assuming T-Mobile didn't temporarily cut off my connection because the video was taking more bandwidth than they liked. Once connected the tech support person explained I could only be connected to one device at a time.

The problem is - on a computer when you are connected to the net, a small window appears which allows you to click to logoff.

Posted in 4G, Broadband, Cisco, Consumer Electronics, Gadget, IP Communications, Skype, Technology, Verizon, Wireless

Tagged: access point, broadband, hotel, ip communications, iphone, logoff, Skype, t-mobile, wifi, wireless : Related Tags: mobile, connection, iphone, problem, access, logoff

Where is Rich? In San Jose.

July 22, 2009

This week I am visiting the companies which generate the tech
innovations for the world. It never ceases to amaze me - the close
proximity of technology companies residing in one close area. To
paraphrase a coworker, driving out here is like driving through the
coverage on TMCnet.

Posted in IP Communications

Spending Some Time Googling

July 20, 2009

I am here at Google today. Here is a great shot of some of their
search appliances.

Posted in IP Communications

Trip to San Jose July 2008

July 20, 2009

I really love the weather out here. I had a great trip with broadband
the whole way out. Very productive. Here is a shot from 101 South on
the way to San Jose.

Posted in IP Communications

Avaya Purchases Nortel Enterprise Assets

July 20, 2009

The highly anticipated news of Nortel's Enterprise Solutions business being sold to either Siemens or Nortel is here. The envelope please... And the winner is... Avaya - subject to bankruptcy bidding rules and court approval of course.

Posted in 4G, Avaya, Broadband, Call Center, Communications Developer, Conferencing, Consumer Electronics, Fax, IP Communications, Merger/Acquisition, Microsoft, Nortel, Open Source, SIP, Security, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, VoIP, WiMAX, Wireless

Tagged: 3d, acquisition, avaya, b2b, call center, contact center, diamondware, enterprise, green, ip communications, merger, microsoft, Microsoft, nortel, presence, sip, stereo, uc, unified communications, video, virtual world, voip, web.alive : Related Tags: avaya, nortel, business, great, likely, technology

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Off to the West Coast July 2009

July 20, 2009

I had to share this shot.

Posted in IP Communications

Polycom Uses Video to Boost Corporate Productivity

July 18, 2009

As companies continue to rein in costs the reality they face is they still need to operate - make widgets, fix widgets or distribute them with less resources. You see regardless of business type, productivity is important and even if there are less employees and smaller travel budgets, the show must go on.

Enter technology - the major casualty of the dotcom bust - the initial cause of the last recession.

But this recession while so many market segments are truly hurting, tech has emerged as a resilient sector. And this is true in a market where some analysts believe real unemployment numbers in the US are greater than 10% already.

Polycom released earnings this week and while they were below last year they were above analyst estimates and showed the company plays in areas of tech strength. For example voice communications revenue remained flat at $69 million while the unemployment rate is just under double last year.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Avaya, Blackberry, Broadband, Cisco, Communications Developer, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, FCC, Fax, Financial, Gadget, Google, Green, IP Communications, ITEXPO, Microsoft, Nortel, SIP, Skype, Social Networking, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, Virtual Worlds, VoIP, Vonage, Yahoo

Tagged: bob preston, caroline japic, collaboration, conferencing, earnings, fax, hd, hd video, hd voice, hd voip, hdx, ip communications, lifesize, metcalfe's law, network, polycom, rpx, technology, tpx, video, videoconferencing, voip, vvx : Related Tags: bgcolor white, false bgcolor, video enabled, scale aspect, tehrani uploads, video

TMC is Hiring

July 17, 2009

While the media business in general has been like so many other industries such as financial and real estate - meaning lots of doom and gloom, I am happy to report TMC is hiring to fill new positions and looking for new people as well. We just hired three new professionals in our sales group and expect to add more people this year.

You may recall I mentioned we were looking last month.

While print publications have seen advertising decline and we should know as we publish four magazines - we have positioned ourselves for the day when marketing moved to the web since the nineties.

A product we launched back then - online communities has now become one of our most successful products and in Q1 of this year our Global Online Communities grew in revenue by 50%.

We also saw record attendance growth at ITEXPO earlier this year and our customers continue to tell us TMC's solutions are some of the most cost-effective marketing and community building products they can find anywhere.

You have no heard me say how now is the time to reinvest in your company and how the organizations which make it through this slowdown will come out the other end in a much better position. We are putting our money where our mouths are and you will see rapid expansion from TMC in the years to come.

In addition, I truly expect this expansion to significantly benefit all our existing customers and we are constantly being mindful of the interests of our existing readers, sponsors and contributors.

There is much more to come but for now here is the news on the three new positions which were just filled.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Blackberry, Broadband, CRM, Call Center, Cisco, Communications Developer, Conference, Conferencing, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, FCC, Fax, Financial, Gadget, Google, IP Communications, IPTV, ITEXPO, Microsoft, Nortel, Open Source, Optical, SIP, Skype, Social Networking, Speech Technologies, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Virtual Worlds, VoIP, Vonage, Wireless, Yahoo

Tagged: channel, community, global online community, hiring, ip communications, magazine, marketing, media, newspaper, recession, Sales, sales, sem, seo, tmc : Related Tags: online communities

IPhones Become Enhanced Services Platforms

July 17, 2009

One of the first truly useful wireless devices was the Palm 7 as it had a screen big enough to be useful and a stylus which allowed typing so a user could interact with web pages. As I recall, there was no real web browser but instead customer-designed Palm 7 applications which allowed users to access information which was optimized for the pocket-sized viewing experience. In a lot of ways the Palm 7 was the precursor to the iPhone and the App Store.

The popularity of this Apple-based device is a major driver of AT&T revenues but in a dramatic twist, Comcast has gotten into the iPhone game by releasing an application which integrates tightly with the company's e-mail, voicemail and broadband services in a way which adds value to the user experience.

I spent some time studying user reaction to this new application in the App Store comments section and some are truly blown away by the service. One, EBSJAX commented he/she is thrilled with the application as it allows him to check voicemails without having to dial a special number and furthermore allows phone calls to be forwarded remotely.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Avaya, Blackberry, Broadband, Call Center, Cisco, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, FCC, Financial, Gadget, Google, IP Communications, Microsoft, Nortel, SIP, Skype, Social Networking, Speech Technologies, Technology, Unified Communications, Virtual Worlds, VoIP, Vonage, WiMAX, Wireless

Tagged: apple, at&t, blackberry, cablevision, Comcast, consumer electronics, facebook, gadget, im, ip communications, iphone, ipod, Nimbuzz, optimum online, optimum voice, optimum wifi, palm, pbx, pre, rim, SIP, Skype, social networking, tmc, tom keating, voip, wireless : Related Tags: service customers, adding value, comcast adding, value service, mobile devices, service

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On the Road Again July 2009

July 16, 2009

I am traveling today -- this time to Connecticut -- upstate. Hope to have more to say later in the day.

Posted in IP Communications

Tagged: rich tehrani, travel : Related Tags:

Samsung Experience Visit

July 15, 2009

I stopped by the Samsung Experience Store today in Manhattan and saw
the XP powered netbook the N120. I was critical of netbooks in an
earlier piece but this is one of the better ones for sure. It was
surpsing snappy and blows away many othe models on the market. This
model is pricey and at $500 it is basically a laptop with a small
keyboard and screen - running XP which makes it seem faster.

I would have taken a photo but it seems photography is forbidden here.

Posted in IP Communications

Intel's Earnings: Good or Bad?

July 15, 2009

For decades when you purchased a new Microsoft product you knew it would take more disk space, memory and processor speed than most competitive products on the market. As an ex-MIS Director I can tell you firsthand how new Windows upgrades meant new machines were mandatory. Vista is no exception... You just can't seem to have a fast enough machine for this OS as even with a state of the art chip, gobs of memory and the fastest graphics coprocessor you can get, you will see hourglass icons on a routine basis.

But recently the trend towards netbooks has shown the world that you can indeed sell antiquated hardware - you just have to run a less resource intensive OS on it such as Linux or Windows XP.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Avaya, Blackberry, Broadband, Consumer Electronics, FCC, Financial, Gadget, IP Communications, Microsoft, Open Source, SIP, Skype, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, VoIP, WiMAX, Wireless

Tagged: browser, chrome, computer, google, Intel, laptop, microsoft, netbook, operating system, os, paul otellini, pc, processor : Related Tags: second quarter, faster processors, trend towards, resource intensive, faster, netbooks

Still in Manhattan July 2009

July 15, 2009

A nice shot worth sharing.

Posted in IP Communications

In the City for Meetings Again July 2009

July 15, 2009

I picked a great day for meetings in New York City. Perfect weather.I
had some time to analyze the Intel upside surprise on the train and
will have more to post on the matter soon.

Posted in IP Communications

Mimo UM-730 Does IP Communications

July 14, 2009

Recently I was looking for a solution to a challenge I have when I am in a meeting and want to share information quickly via computer with someone sitting at the other end of the table. I decided the Mimo 730 from Nanovision might be the solution I am looking for as it is a USB-powered 7-inch monitor with an embedded video card allowing for rapid plug and play connectivity with a laptop.

My concern was at 800x480 resolution it may be a bit small to show people a rich website or a full PowerPoint presentation. Still, it was worth exploring as I considered it a killer solution to a problem I wanted solved. Ads for the product tout it as a great solution for allowing you to monitor an IM client but I was hoping to push the envelope and do even more.

The pint-sized monitor does work as advertised and I should mention that it doesn't work with 64-bit Vista but does support video and VoIP - with an included microphone and video camera.

Is it worth it? Yes - as a cute IM/IP communications hub which can be used as a second monitor requiring no external power cord or video card.

Posted in Apple, Blackberry, Broadband, Consumer Electronics, Gadget, Google, IP Communications, Microsoft, SIP, Skype, Social Networking, Technology, Unified Communications, Video, VoIP, Vonage, Yahoo

Tagged: amazon, camera, ip communications, microphone, Mimo, mini monitor, review, um-730-, um-740-um-750, video, voip : Related Tags: monitor, product, video, solution, doesn, worth

Telecom Italia Mobile Goes Solar

July 14, 2009

While communications and technology solutions have the ability to drastically reduce costs associated with travel by simulating trips via conferencing - telepresence, etc... The reality is technology is also responsible for more and more energy use. Think about all the computers and consumer electronics devices in use today and you realize why you always seem to have too few outlets in your home and office.

A great trend I am seeing is the use of alternative power solutions to minimize energy use while still allowing communications and technology progress. Specifically, Ericsson and Telecom Italia rolled out a base station which was powered by solar energy.

Posted in 4G, 4GWE, AT&T, Apple, Avaya, Blackberry, Broadband, Call Center, Cisco, Communications Developer, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, FCC, Gadget, Google, Green, IMS, IP Communications, Nortel, Science, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, VoIP, WiMAX, Wireless

Tagged: 3g, 4g, consumer electronics, ericsson, gadget, green technology, mobile, solar, telecom italia, wireless : Related Tags: communications technology, telecom italia, technology, energy

Classic Car Show

July 10, 2009

I happened upon this classic car show after the TMC company picnic.
Hope you enjoy some of these shots.

Posted in IP Communications

TMC Picnic 2009

July 10, 2009

Here are some shots of our family picnic. So far it has been great fun
with Frisbee, eating and socializing. I am signing off for now.

Posted in IP Communications

Comments

Off to the TMC Annual Picnic

July 10, 2009

The team and I will be out this afternoon enjoying our annual picnic. I apologize if we are slow to react while away but we promise to come back more refreshed than ever and will get back to you all soon. I hope to post a photo when I get there.

Posted in 4GWE, Broadband, IP Communications, Microsoft, TMC Team, Technology, VoIP, Wireless

Tagged: ip communications, picnic, technology, tmc : Related Tags: annual picnic

How to Sell Communications Products This Fall

July 10, 2009

I know we are in a recession and everything is supposed to be gloom and doom, etc. but please indulge me as I remind many of you just how important it is in these tough times to get new customers.

It is for this reason I feel compelled to remind you ITEXPO has become the world's communications conference - the place you need to go to find new products and services. As a result, vendors/exhibitors were thrilled with ITEXPO in Miami this past January.

We have crafted ITEXPO from the beginning to appeal to buyers - it has always been a show where they can find the solutions they can implement today.

And as communications technologies have shown themselves to make companies more efficient and productive while saving them money, ITEXPO naturally became the gathering place for decision-makers around the globe who want to buy products and services.

Of course I am biased so if you want to see photos from the last show you can check them out here. The video below offers more of the experience and captures the energy and buyers while showing you how exhibitors fared this very year - in their own words.

I look forward to welcoming the entire communications industry at our next event September 1-3, 2009 in Los Angeles.

BTW: This video is a must watch by corporate execs that haven't been to ITEXPO recently and are SURE no one goes to shows and have cut budgets accordingly.

Posted in 4G, 4GWE, AT&T, Apple, Avaya, Blackberry, Broadband, CRM, Call Center, Cisco, Conference, Conferencing, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, FCC, Fax, Financial, Gadget, Google, Green, IMS, IP Communications, IPTV, ITEXPO, JITC, Merger/Acquisition, Microsoft, Nortel, Open Source, Optical, Patent, SIP, Science, Security, Skype, Social Networking, Speech Technologies, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, VoIP, Vonage, WiMAX, Wireless, Yahoo

Tagged: 3g, 4g, conference, expo, ip communications, Itexpo, los angeles, uc, unified communications, video, voip : Related Tags: decision makers, products services, itexpo, communications, products

iPhone Flash Support: The Real Apple Tax

July 9, 2009

A fascinating soap opera of video format wars precedes us and one has to wonder why exactly Adobe's Flash format is not supported on the iPhone.

Microsoft came out with an ad and PR campaign recently which focused on the excessive amount of money being spent on Apple products and services - they call this the "Apple Tax." The idea is you can get equivalent products from Microsoft at a fraction of the price. But Microsoft knows this isn't really a tax - they know their own OS initiatives have been a major challenge and that consumer perception of Vista is that it is a substandard OS. Windows 7 in fact is supposed to be the fix. Then there are ease of use issues which directly relate to decreased productivity.

But while we can all agree Apple products cost more (and I would argue in many cases the cost is justified by a better user experience) I would like to point out the real Apple tax that is often overlooked.

This levy is being paid by users and websites and it is simply the result of the fact the iPhone does not support Flash meaning the web experience on the iPhone while superior to most every mobile device on the market, still cannot match the desktop since an important piece is missing.

Many sources cite infighting between Adobe and Apple as a reason for the problem but at the same time Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen has said publicly that the problem is theirs and they are working to resolve the situation.

The challenge for websites is finding a way to display video and other complex graphics to users on the iPhone in a seamless way.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Broadband, Communications Developer, Consumer Electronics, FCC, Gadget, Google, IP Communications, Nortel, SIP, Skype, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, VoIP, Wireless, Yahoo

Tagged: Adobe, apple, apple tax, cnn, espn, flash, h.264, html 5, iphone, ipod, json, Microsoft, mov, Mozilla, Ogg Theora, on2, operating system, os, Prince McLean, quicktime, ryan paul, safari, Shantanu Narayen, Silverlight, Skyfire, skype, vc-1, video player, vista, vp7, windows 7, windows mobile, wmv, youtube : Related Tags: support flash, flash support, mobile devices, flash video, mobile device, flash

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Witness the 4G Wireless Evolution

July 8, 2009

One of the most exciting parts of my job is to explore new technologies with my readers and attendees at live events. By now you probably know TMC produces the 4GWE conference in partnership with Crossfire Media -- a company where Carl Ford is an integral part of building a number of communications communities. If you aren't aware of Carl, he is a thought-leader in the telecom space having spent years developing leading edge content as part of the VON events of years past.

The first 4GWE event we produced drew hundreds of attendees from around the globe and was extremely successful. We have collaborated and improved th conference quite a bit and in addition we have added a number of great new media partners and sponsors.

Posted in 4GWE, AT&T, Apple, Avaya, Broadband, Cisco, Communications Developer, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, FCC, Financial, Gadget, Google, Green, IP Communications, Microsoft, Nortel, Open Source, Rates Technology, SIP, Security, Skype, Social Networking, Speech Technologies, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, VoIP, Vonage, WiMAX, Wireless, Yahoo

Tagged: 3g, 4g, 4gwe, acme packet, alan quayle, billing, Brough Turner, carl ford, conference, customer relationships, dialogic, expo, internet telephony, itexpo, maravedis, mcube, mobilein, muniwireless, ngn, nms, pulver, pulvermedia, QoS, sdr forum, security, synopsys, towerstream, von, wifi alliance, wimax, wimaxindustry, wireless : Related Tags: better understanding, application developers, crossfire media, developer community, critical issues, applications

Does the Google Chrome OS Matter?

July 8, 2009

It was a given that Google would eventually formally announce a new OS for netbooks and other computers. The company already has its Android OS in a number of cellphones and the netbook space is the next logical move upmarket for the company.

While Google's Android has been successful in the mobile market it has the potential to be even more successful in the netbook space where cost is a bigger issue. Indeed a number of netbook prototypes showed up last month at Computex in Taiwan recently.

What does Google have going for it so far in the world of software so far? Well, the Chrome browser is blazing fast but then again so is Apple's Safari which not only screams but it is a more elegant piece of software.

Google is a machine of rolling out new applications and services but the company's approach to software is much too sparse for my taste. I hate to bring the iPhone/Gphone comparison again but if given a choice the Apple interface is always better - and by a long-shot - and remember - I am NOT an Apple guy - but an impartial advisor/analyst.

But if cost-savings is paramount then this new OS could damage both Apple and Microsoft as it is another choice from a familiar name.

Most importantly Google makes the bulk of its revenue from ads and you can bet users of the Chrome OS will see more ads than Mac or Windows 7 users.

This leads us to subsidization of the OS.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Avaya, Broadband, Communications Developer, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, Financial, Gadget, Google, Merger/Acquisition, Microsoft, Open Source, SIP, Search, Security, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, VoIP, Wireless, Yahoo

Tagged: amd, android, browser, chrome, firefox, Google, intel, internet explorer, linux, mac, Melissa Perenson, netbook, oha, open handset alliance, open source, operating system, os, pcworld, processor, saas, Salesforce.com : Related Tags: allows similar, process firefox, agree chrome, stark contrast, netbook space, google

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Internet Music Saved?

July 8, 2009

There is some good news and bad in the recent negotiations between record labels and internet streaming sites which bring you radio over IP.

From the AP:

The revenue-sharing deal announced Tuesday is between SoundExchange, a nonprofit that collects royalties for recording copyright owners from digital radio services, and three smaller webcasters: radioIO, Digitally Imported and AccuRadio.

The problem for internet radio was that the old rates set in March of 2007 stipulated internet radio had to pay between 0.08 and 0.19 cents per song per listener - rates that certainly would have crippled internet radio.

The new rates are as follows according to the Wall Street Journal:

Larger services earning more than $1.25 million in revenue must pay the greater of 25% of gross revenue or 0.093 cent per listener, per song. The rates rise each year until they hit 0.14 cent per listener, per song, by 2015.

Webcasters taking in less than $1.25 million per year must pay the higher of 7% of expenses, or a percentage of revenue, starting this year at 12% for the first $250,000.

Subscription services, where people pay a monthly fee to hear music online, must pay rates starting at 0.15 cent per song per subscriber this year, rising to 0.25 cent by 2015.

So what's the bad news? If you stream more than 40 hours of music on Pandora you will have to pay 99 cents to keep listening that month. I would imagine other streaming radio sites will follow suit. Still not a terrible amount of money to pay for a superior listening experience where you can help tailor the music to your personal taste.

Personally I have been listening to Slacker a lot more than Pandora lately but both services and Flycast are great alternatives to Sirius/XM for those who are looking for music and not specific content like Howard Stern.

The bigger takeaway here is that radio will be forever changed as the future of internet radio is now more secure than at any time in the last few years.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Blackberry, Broadband, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, FCC, Financial, Gadget, IP Communications, Technology, Verizon, Video, WiMAX, Wireless, Yahoo

Tagged: accuradio, ap, associated press, at&t wireless, consumer electronics, economy, entertainment, flycast, gadget, lawsuit, Michael Robertson, Pandora, radioio, recession, royalties, satellite radio, Sirius, slacker, SoundExchange, sprint, Tim Westergren, verizon wireless, wall street journal, wsj, xm : Related Tags: internet radio, internet music, radio, internet, music, rates

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DOJ Telco Antitrust News

July 7, 2009

You may have heard the DOJ is looking into whether AT&T and Verizon have abused their market power. At this point I will hold off from commenting too forcefully but I will mention the countless horror stories I have heard from competitive carriers over the years regarding underhanded practices by the incumbents which "accidentally" disconnected their customers, etc. In a way you have to applaud the telcos for finding ways to reemerge as dominant players by consolidating beyond belief. It has been incredible to watch.

While the cable companies have given the telcos a run for their money, the emerging importance of wireless devices and the networks which support such users makes it apparent that internet can no longer be defined as something you use in your living room.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Blackberry, Broadband, Call Center, Cisco, Communications Developer, Consumer Electronics, FCC, Fax, Financial, Gadget, Green, IP Communications, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, WiMAX, Wireless

Tagged: antitrust, at&t, cable, fcc, ftc, Harold Feld, optimum, Verizon, Wetmachine, wifi, wireless : Related Tags: telcos, companies, wireless, iphone, while, market

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Abbeynet: From Carrier to Twitter Development

July 7, 2009

While in Sardina recently I had a chance to spend time with Luca Filigheddu the prolific blogger of all things communications, tech and more recently Twitter. I have known Luca for years via his blog and I met him live for the first time at ITEXPO in Los Angeles a few years back. When I heard I was going to be in Sardinia I contacted him.

As part of my island tour I stopped by his company Abbeynet to learn more about what his company does. Located in a thoroughly modern looking office located a stone's throw from a group of really great outlet stores the company makes its living consulting and doing development for global carriers.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Avaya, Blackberry, Broadband, Communications Developer, Conference, E-Commerce, FCC, Financial, Gadget, IP Communications, Microsoft, SIP, Social Networking, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, VoIP, WiMAX, Wireless

Tagged: abbeynet, apple, ecommerce, Itunes, Luca Filigheddu, Sardinia, sitofono, social networking, tweefind, twitter : Related Tags: social networking, search twitter, service called, business online, company, twitter

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Doug Mohney Writing for TMCnet

July 7, 2009

Funny, I have been meaning to mention Doug Mohney is writing for TMCnet for a while now. I decided indeed today was the day I would do so and I then came across a post from Doug mentioning his writing on TMCnet with links to many of his articles and a hello message to me.

For those of you who were fan's of Doug you can find much of his content here and some of his most recent articles are below:

Hi back Doug

Putting Sexy Back into WiFi Satellite Arrives (Again)What Could Be With LTE The Potential Promise of WiMAX Looking Past Palm Pre Madness Broadband On The Pay As You Go Plan Android Smartphones as a Business Device?Is Now the Time to take the iPhone Plunge?

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Avaya, Blackberry, Broadband, Call Center, Cisco, Communications Developer, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, Fax, Financial, IP Communications, IPTV, Merger/Acquisition, Microsoft, Nortel, Open Source, Optical, Patent, SIP, Security, Skype, Social Networking, Speech Technologies, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, Virtual Worlds, VoIP, Vonage, Wireless, Yahoo

Tagged: android, article, blog, Doug mohney, ip communications, iphone, lte, palm, pre, satellite, tmcnet, wimax : Related Tags: writing tmcnet, mohney writing, tmcnet, writing

Some Terrible Android Advice

July 7, 2009

I just came across an article which was horrifying to me as it gives advice which is so wrong it should be outlawed. To be fair, the article written by Elizabeth Woyke over at Forbes explains survey results from Haydn Shaughnessy head of research for the Conversation Group, a London-based communications agency.

Shaughnessy explains how OHA vendors should attack the market. Here are some of his thoughts:

Most of the commentary focused on the G1's ability to challenge the iPhone, pitting the two devices in a head-to-head battle. Unfortunately for Google and G1 maker HTC, the majority of commentators concluded that the G1 lagged the iPhone in critical ways, such as style/design, features and sales potential.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Avaya, Blackberry, Consumer Electronics, Gadget, Google, IP Communications, Microsoft, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, VoIP, Wireless

Tagged: android, apple, at&t, consumer electronics, Conversation Group, Elizabeth Woyke, Forbes, g1, g2, gadget, Google, google phone, Haydn Shaughnessy, iphone, mac, oha, steve jobs, t-mobile, wireless : Related Tags: better phone, conversation group, average consumers, product average, apple product, iphone

Comments

Reminiscing About Tech's Past

July 7, 2009

I find myself reminiscing this morning as I devour a few articles about the history of computing. Both are filled with passion and make very good reading. Moreover there is a great deal of history in each and you can learn some valuable business lessons from each.

The most passionate is an article from Jason Perlow explaining why he will never buy a Mac. Amazingly Perlow takes on Steve Jobs and calls him a snake oil salesman.

Posted in AT&T, Apple, Avaya, Blackberry, Broadband, Call Center, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, FCC, Financial, IP Communications, Microsoft, Nortel, Open Source, SIP, Skype, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, VoIP, Wireless

Tagged: apple, arcnet, ashton tate, ast research, banyan systems, Borland, bridge communications, Cabletron, cc:mail, Columbia data products, compuserv, datamation, david strom, dbase, dca, dec, digital communications associates, First Virtual Holdings, general magic, hayes, information technology, intermind, Irma, it, Jason Perlow, madge networks, netscape, Osborne, paradox, pdp-11, poqet pc, quarterdeck, radiomail, radish communications, sco, software arts, sofword, steve jobs, tech, telescript, Thomas Conrad, unix, vines, visicalc, Zdnet : Related Tags: taken microsoft, microsoft, article, taken, great

Internet Telephony Expo Becomes ITEXPO

July 6, 2009

For ten years Internet Telephony Conference & Expo has been the one trade show which focused first on bringing buyers and sellers in the communications market together -- a surprisingly novel idea in the communications conference market. And what a wild ride it has been as after the show was launched in 1999, the CLEC boom came into full swing and hordes of CLEC and ILEC decision-makers came to the show to buy all sorts of gear.

Then the telecom bubble burst and the carrier market slowed dramatically but the enterprise, SMB and government decision-makers came to the show in force. A few years later Vonage came onto the scene forcing incumbent telcos including rural, wireless and cable companies to look seriously at next generation communications. We knew this was happening as the companies in this space began to come to ITEXPO in force.

All the while, resellers, VARs, integrators and developers came to the show to learn what was next...

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Blackberry, Broadband, Call Center, Cisco, Communications Developer, Conference, Consumer Electronics, FCC, IP Communications, IPTV, ITEXPO, JITC, Merger/Acquisition, Microsoft, Open Source, SIP, Skype, Social Networking, Speech Technologies, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, Virtual Worlds, VoIP, Wireless

Tagged: clec, conference, enterprise, expo, ip communications, ITEXPO, smb, var, voip : Related Tags: internet telephony, decision makers, economic climate, telephony conference, communications market, itexpo

BT Delays Ad Targeting

July 6, 2009

Back in December of last year, Peter Radizeski reported on privacy issues, lawsuits and executive departures from companies in the advertising targeting business. Two companies cited were NebuAd and Phorm. Phorm made headlines again today when BT announced it was going to postpone its own Phorm-powered ad targeting network so it could focus on other matters.

What is surprising to me is how BT could think it could catch up later in the ad targeting market. It seems too late already.

Posted in AT&T, Apple, Blackberry, Broadband, Consumer Electronics, E-Commerce, Google, IPTV, Microsoft, SIP, Technology, Unified Communications, Verizon, Video, VoIP, Wireless, Yahoo

Tagged: advertising, bing, broadband, BT, fercetelecom, fiber, fiercemarkets, google, IPTV, light reading, Microsoft, ngn, Peter Radizeski, wall street journal, wsj, yahoo : Related Tags: targeting, phorm, market, advertising, network, focus

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Something Old and New at Tiscali International Network Media Event

July 6, 2009

A while back I headed out to Sardinia Italy to attend a media roundtable hosted by Tiscali International Network regarding the state and future of broadband technology. I do get invited to quite a few of these press/analyst events and this one really stood out in my mind due to the quality of the speakers and the location of the event itself. Sardinia is located in the middle of the Mediterranean and if you picture Italy as a boot kicking Sicily - a soccer ball, Sardinia would be located at the top of the kick.

Sardinia on the map

The island is part of Italy and is a truly hypnotic place, full of mountains, cactus, incredible food and warm, hospitable inhabitants. Some of the sights worth seeing are nuraghi, which are conical beehive-like structures made of massive stones up to 90 feet high built for defense and as central meeting places/homes.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Broadband, Call Center, Communications Developer, Consumer Electronics, Financial, Gadget, IMS, IP Communications, IPTV, Microsoft, Nortel, Optical, SIP, Technology, Unified Communications, VoIP, WiMAX, Wireless

Tagged: broadband, ddos, Ethernet, fiber, ilissa miller, ims, ip, iptv, jaymie scotto, Maria Grazia Angei, Maurizio Binello, network, nuraghi, Paulo Gambini, Paulo Susnik, security, tinet, Tiscali, Tiscali International Network : Related Tags: international network, tiscali international, allen stanford, ponzi schemer, jaymie scotto, company

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Stop Too Big to Fail

July 6, 2009

When I was younger there were many regulations in place which stopped banks from growing too large. Over the past decades, these regulations have been washed away and banks took the opportunity to acquire their way to becoming ever larger. Some of these organizations grew organically but it was the regulations which changed, allowing this growth to take place without limits.

Eventually we ended up with a system of banks and insurance companies which were such a large part of financial markets that they had too many hooks in everything to be allowed to go under.

Capitalism is not perfect but it gives incentives for all to do better.

What we have now is the exact opposite. The majority of bankers - especially the ones who took home billions in bonuses took extreme risk and bankrupted their industry and much of the world with them.

Posted in Financial

Tagged: Banking, Odysseas Papadimitriou, recession, seeking alpha, too big to fail : Related Tags: exact opposite, bankers, regulations, system, banks, capitalism

15 Ways to Keep Your Job

July 6, 2009

Despite the trillion plus dollars spent by two administrations, job losses in the U.S. and around the world are at record levels. Most companies are not prepared to make it through this environment.

There is one certainty in this financial mess. All companies have to produce more with less and try to keep existing customers while acquiring as many new ones as they can.

Posted in Call Center, Financial, IP Communications, SIP, Search, Social Networking, Technology, VoIP

Tagged: career, economy, employment, job, marketing, recession, sales : Related Tags: social media, generation activities, percent workforce, valuable resources, companies, customers

Comments

Problems at Joost

July 1, 2009

Om Malik sums up the problems over at Joost quite well... The company is having a large round of layoffs and is losing the video war to Hulu and others. While Om explains all the factors which led to the company's demise such as their rapid growth, lack of focus and geographic distribution, I wonder if the biggest problem isn't the lack of intriguing or popular content (which he points out and elaborates on). The few times I used the service I was amazed at how little interesting content it had.

Personally, I would use an inferior service to view better content any day.

Posted in 4G, AT&T, Apple, Broadband, Consumer Electronics, Gadget, IP Communications, IPTV, SIP, Skype, Social Networking, Technology, Verizon, Video, VoIP

Tagged: broadband, gigaom, hulu, internet tv, iptv, joost, Niklas Zennstrom, om malik, skype : Related Tags: niklas ennstrom, problems joost, joost, skype, content, service

Communications and Technology Blog - Tehrani.com

July 2009