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Attention bloggers, analysts, editors, reporters, industry gurus, etc - ITEXPO registration is open for you and we are looking forward to a few days of important dialogue with you regarding where our markets are headed. ITEXPO continues to be a show which not only focuses on the important future of communications but more importantly, is a place where you can come and meet with the companies who have business plans and are selling products and services today.

In other words the companies which have a higher likelihood of being around in 18 months. I welcome your participation in what is shaping up to be the most important communications industry gathering of the year.

Important links:

• Exhibitors
• Speakers
• Floor Plan
• Conference Agenda
• Travel Info

• Digium Asterisk World
• 4G Wireless Evolution

In my conversations with many in the telecom industry they tell me they are very excited about coming to ITEXPO next month in Miami. They explain, now is the best time to be at a communications show which not only addresses the entire telecom space but focuses on business - or making money.

They tell me this year, more than ever, they need to focus on generating earnings. Sure, the future, visionary aspects of communications are great (and will be disussed at the event) but I can tell you from personal experience, the companies in communications that haven't been focusing on sustainable business models can't pay their bills and many have already quietly closed their doors.

I sincerely believe as an industry we need to come together and focus on the meat and potatoes... How do we make the money we need to make in the toughest economic environment of our lifetimes? How do we help ensure our jobs and companies will be here in 2010?

If making money or saving it is important to you, you need to come to ITEXPO where we will focus on how to benefit from the future of communications. But not benefit in the far future like in 2013, I am talking about increasing the bottom line rapidly with solutions like SIP trunking, open source and a plethora of other no-brainer technologies you need in a slow economy.

The show also offers certifications (OCS, trixbox, fax over IP, IP network security and Asterisk) which can help you stay employed or find a job. There is also a satisfaction guarantee if you attend ITEXPO conferences. Yes, there is free content as well (Microsoft Response Point, Reseller Solutions, SIP Trunking, Telecom Agent Day).

If you go to one telecom show in a recession, it has to be ITEXPO because you will learn to generate real and rapid ROI.

And of course the cherry on top of this proverbial communications sundae is airfares to Miami and hotel costs are at a record low meaning you will pay less money than ever before to come to a show which can get you saving and/or making money immediately.

And believe me this event is cost-effective for you as you can meet with all the vendors that matter in one place. In many cases, you will meet with top execs who go to few or no other shows all years.

There are too many to list but to give you an idea, you can meet with Digium, Microsoft, Aculab, 8x8, AudioCodes, Interactive Intelligence, I2Telecom, AllWorx, VoltDelta, Applianx, Dialogic, Sangoma, Quintum, Sansay, TelcoBridges, Adtran, Aspect, Broadvox, Cbeyond, Dash Carrier Services, DIDX, Grandstream, Intelepeer and so many others. To be honest there are just too many to list.

Here is the full list of speakers and exhibitors which I encourage you to check out immediately and then feel free to book your flight and hotel.

Some speaking companies of note are as follows: ClearOne, Communicano, Broadsoft, Bandwidth.com, Acme Packet, D-Link, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services, Empirix, Faxcore, Fonolo, Fujitsu Network Communications, Gigaom, Global Crossing, GIPs (again - too many to list).

I look forward to greeting you personally at the show.

Here are some scenes from ITEXPO last fall in Los Angeles:
 

 

A photo taken via iPhone just before the car giveaway at ITEXPO Los Angeles in September 2008

I just received this email that Natasha in TMC Expo operations sent to exhibitors. It obviously applies to anyone and everyone who is coming to ITEXPO Feb 2-4, 2009 in Miami. We are very excited to have sold out our first expo room block and I encourage you to book your room now at the new hotel and I look forward to seeing you in about a month at ITEXPO in south Florida

Happy New Year Exhibitors!

Due to fantastic activity the show hotel the Royal Palm is SOLD OUT. Show Management has secured a room block at a second show Hotel, DoubleTree Surfcomber, which is a few blocks walking distance to the convention center! Please book your room today so you don't miss out on this great rate of $199.00.

DoubleTree Surfcomber's discounted $199.00 rate is available on a first-come first-served basis. 

DoubleTree Surfcomber
1717 Collins Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33139
Phone: 800.853.0264

Book your rooms today before they all go!    

 

A Phoenix rising from the ashes -- not sure this is the appropriate image but it sure is colorful

A few people have asked me recently to throw my hat in the ring about the health of VoIP. Many bloggers have been eulogizing the technology while I was on vacation - ironically using more VoIP than I ever have.

It is worth mentioning that bloggers are so far ahead of the curve they sometimes don't realize that businesses need to catch up to where they were years ago.

SMBs are just now slowly learning about SIP trunking for example and they are beginning to use it. Enterprises are just beginning to deploy UC, CEBP, telepresence, HD voice, FMC and so many other technologies which are intertwined with VoIP that it is incredible this morbid topic would even come up.

But getting back to VoIP - the transformation which began before IP telephony - namely CTI started opening up communications in ways we never imagined. Concepts like unified messaging for example were dreams over a decade and a half ago. Now, an entire wave of IP communications related technologies are being deployed across companies and households around the globe.

Some may say I have bias or I depend on VoIP for my living. This is actually untrue - I rely on the TMC audience for my living and they rely on my honest feelings on topics like where VoIP is headed.

Is it dead? Absolutely not. Ask the cable companies, telcos and wireless operators who are all transitioning to or all out using IP networks. Ask the home user who likely uses VoIP on their PSTN lines and/or or Skype or calling cards.

Is the industry losing innovation? I say perhaps. There are however new companies being created all the time and new platforms such as the iPhone which allow these applications to flourish (well the ones allowed to run on the iPhone anyway).

There is certainly a lack of imaginative applications - who can argue that? But as Om Malik points out and Ted Wallingford seconds, last year showed us perhaps the worst parts of business, politics, and just about everything else I hoped I would never see in my lifetime.

2008 marks an era which has come and gone. A pretty crappy one if you ask me. I just hope 2009 is the exact opposite in every way and becomes a time when we begin to see more innovation, ethics, honesty and a sense of pride in everything we see and do. I get the feeling that in the fifties the American worker was much more proud and ethical and less materialistic. Perhaps this is just a dream on my part but I hope when I open my eyes and get back to work next week, I will get some of that 1950s feeling inside me.

Objectivity is the subject of today's thoughts - primarily because I came across a pretty harsh criticism of me being biased towards a particular vendor. I was going to link to the posts where an anonymous individual decided to skewer me but I then realized that the poster could be a short seller of the stock of the company in question or perhaps a disgruntled former or present employee.

Seldom, I do get criticism from people saying I am biased towards or against companies. They say I brownnose or they say I am in the pocket of this company or that. Sometimes they even say a company is not a customer and that is why I mention negative rumors I hear, etc.

Here is the reality. Every person on this earth has an opinion and if after writing thousands of blog entries I get an annual critic, I am doing pretty well.

Every company in the communications space is a customer of TMC. Yes just about every one. And lately we are seeing more and more tech companies working with us as well.

But in the end this is not as important as the millions of readers TMC has amassed over the years. On my blog alone I get about half a million pages viewed per month. TMCnet in total receives about 40 million pages viewed per month from readers around the world. The average visitor spends 30 minutes on TMCnet and up to three million people visit TMCnet each month.

The web is the ultimate democracy and millions of technology decision-makers worldwide have decided TMCnet and our associated print publications and events are where they want to go when receiving their education.

We have weathered the toughest of competitors and a nuclear winter in telecom media which surely should have qualified for a TARP bailout.

Still, loyal readers like you keep coming back.

Yes, this is an ad-supported site but like I have pointed out in the past, our first loyalty is to our readers because wherever you find readers, you find advertisers.

TMC was founded by my father in 1972. It has a strong association with him and with me and it is my duty to ensure we are doing right by the industry and helping you in making the best purchasing decisions you can.

As you may recall, I was an MIS director and I have a computer hardware engineering degree from the University of Connecticut. I understand more about the nuts and bolts of the industry than most journalists.

This of course does not mean I won't make mistakes and when I do I will try to explain where I went wrong. But what it does mean is in a world where we have lost trust in politicians, the investment community, our banks and other pillars of our markets, TMC has been building solid and lasting relationships with readers like you for over a quarter of a decade. Few other media companies anywhere have stayed under the same ownership for that long.

As always, we appreciate you choosing TMC as your source for information and we are humbled by your patronage. And yes, you will hear occasional critics... But for a site where the writers pen thousands of original stories a month, we think we are doing alright.

I just learned that Apple has listed the new TMCnet for iPhone link on their site.

This is really great and I have become accustomed to seeing TMCnet on my 3.5" Apple-powered smartphone screen. If you want to enjoy the power of TMCnet on the go and have an iPhone or iPod touch, just navigate to i.tmcnet.com or check out the Apple site yourself for details.

I should mention the TMCnet for iPhone site is really an alpha product in my opinion but we will be improving it gradually over time and may even develop a full-fledged standalone application for the iPhone in the future.

Yes, the big tech companies are still purchasing but if they don't pick you up now, there are limited opportunities for future funding.

I get these calls and all I can think is "You're waiting until the middle of the recession to start thinking about how you get customers?" I could say more but the sheer lunacy of the whole situation doesn't allow me to articulate without peppering my writing with obscenities.

Moreover, now is the time I am hearing more than ever that PR alone isn't cutting it for companies (did it ever?). The complaint is there is too much noise and editors/reporters are being laid off around the world by the hundreds of thousand meaning few reporters to even pitch to.

So now, these unknown companies are cash-strapped and need to sell something in 30 days. "Can you help me with that," they ask? Worse, they come to TMC so we can help them generate leads with the expectation of selling product in a few weeks.

Message to CEOs and marketers everywhere... You really expect people who don't know your company to buy communications and tech products from you? Seriously? On what planet do people bet their careers and the future of their companies by partnering with a company that doesn't market to them? And in a recession no less?

Many of my fellow engineers seem to be lost when it comes to marketing. They just don't understand. I suggest that all engineers be required to take five marketing courses before graduating. Why? Because, simply -- the sheer quantity of companies who made great products and then vanished is shocking. If only these companies knew how to position themselves, many of them would b thriving entities today.

This may be the best way to explain it to them. With all the terrible news coming out of Detroit about American car companies, would you buy an American car? I have mentioned a few times in the last week that I think Cadillac has come a very long way. The response from friends and relatives - why would anyone buy a car from a company which could soon go out of business?

In the case of the unknown communications/tech company - the perception by customers is exactly the same.

So even if I am a viable customer in the market for a new car, GM could capture me as a lead and call me 50 times and I won't buy a thing from them.

Marketing can be summed up in many ways but the concept is to consistently instill your brand and message in the mind of the customer so when they are ready to purchase something, they call you; visit your site, etc. If they question your ability to survive you will not get the RFP or purchase consideration.

There are so many ways to use technology and solid media partners to help you get to your target audience - regardless of what this audience is.

I just hope this economic situation has taught all company heads that the first focus has to be on generating earnings and focusing on selling your company or technology can be secondary

Strategy Change: Make Money

For those of us in telecom and tech, there is obvious concern about where the economy is headed - just like any other industry. The difference for us is we have seen a recent bubble burst and don't have the excess in our markets which other markets do. In fact in 2000, the dotcom bubble burst in March and the telecom bubble in November.

Most CEOs I speak with in our industry tell me tech and communications are among the best industries to be in for 2009 and beyond.

This of course does not mean we will see runaway spending next year. Company execs tell me they are cautiously optimistic. A few companies are actually looking forward to next year and are positioning themselves to take share from competitors who are generally weak due to poor branding and/or excessive debt.

In order to help you figure out what is happening in the market and what the global outlook is in the telecom and tech space for 2009, TMCnet has conducted its annual survey of purchasing from its online audience of 2-3 million monthly visitors.

We recently issued a press release on the results but I pasted some of the most interesting parts below for your perusal:

• A majority of TMCnet.com visitors, 66 percent, approve purchases, recommend products and determine needs.
• 24 percent have budgets of more than $500,000 for communications and IT purchases in 2009.
• 15 percent have budgets exceeding $1 million.
• 8 percent will spend between $251,000 and $500,000 in 2009.
• 15 percent have budgets of $51,000 to $250,000.

• 19 percent will buy wireless/mobility Solutions.
• 19 percent plan to buy network management products and services.
• 13 percent will buy service provider solutions, such as softswitch, SBC, Gateway, 3G and 4G.
• 11 percent will buy UC solutions.
• 11 percent  will buy PBX and IP/PBX solutions.
• 19 percent plan to make network management buys.

The survey on TMCnet.com revealed that nearly one-third of the respondents work for firms employing more than 1,000 employees, with 24 percent employed by large companies with work forces of 5,000-plus. TMCnet visitors hold senior executive jobs, with 33 percent in top-tiers of corporate and IT management. Another 16 percent are technical management and staff.

TMCnet.com is an information source for communications and technology professionals from around the world. Most visitors - 61 percent - are located in the United States and Canada, 13 percent are located in Europe and the Middle East, 5 percent are in Latin America, and 21 percent are in Asia, Australia and Africa.

If you are an iPhone or iPod Touch user and have been wondering when... Oh when will Rich Tehrani get an iMac in the hands (we are a PC shop) of his talented development and design teams so you can take the best of TMCnet on the go? Yes, we have a mobile site already at mobile.tmcnet.com but this is not really iPhone friendly.

Fear not - we are almost ready. Well I would say in soft Alpha really. The Interface looks good in my opinion but some pages are still not "pinchable" or expandable and there are some other formatting glitches we are working on.

There are a number of reasons for this but keep in mind we have thousands of various sites and millions of total pages. All of our various templates are being updated as you read this.

I hope you enjoy TMCnet on the iPhone. You can get to it at i.tmcnet.com.

iPhone.tmcnet.com is already taken by our iPhone news site by the way.

Dialogic has officially acquired the communications platforms division of NMS as of Friday evening and I had the opportunity to speak with Dialogic's Senior Vice President of Marketing Jim Machi about the acquisition and the future of the company. You may recall, I first reported on the news back on September 12^th.

Before I get into the conversation with Machi, it is worth pointing out that the major competition in the CTI space between Dialogic, NMS and Brooktrout has finally come to an end this past weekend.

These companies were at each other's throats in decades past but as they competed, the industry thrived. More importantly, this rivalry caused the communications market to open to the point where a high school kid can develop telephony apps in the cloud with no knowledge of underlying telephony networks. CTI was a huge step towards openness in telecom and as these building blocks which were used for computer telephony integration began to be applied to IP communications and more specifically, VoIP - the world changed.

The opportunity for companies like Dialogic is changing and while VoIP is a big part of the company's business, video is a strong part of the future. A major part of the reason for this deal in fact is to further the company's leadership in mobile value-added services which is of course includes video. The immense amount of focus the company is putting on this space should be evident from presentation made by Nick Jensen at the recent Dialogic One Conference in San Diego where he said video is the new voice.

While speaking with Jim Machi, perhaps the most exciting part of the conversation was that Brough Turner will be joining the company as Chief Strategy Officer. This is a big deal as Turner is a pure genius and understands technology as well as markets.

For Turner, this opportunity means he can work with a team that has tremendous momentum in communications markets worldwide. There will be more resources and probably an order of magnitude more complexity when you consider the absorption and integration of platforms taking place at Dialogic. I can't think of a more suitable person that Brough to be involved at this point.

Machi points out that there is a great deal of growth expected in the mobile value-added services market and I tend to agree. There is a large amount of cannibalization taking place by the Apple iTunes App Store and other similar initiatives by RIM, Nokia and Microsoft but there is still plenty of room for carriers to make lots of money via new mobile services.

I asked Machi how he sees the economy affecting this space and he says that he can't see people giving up their cell phones. I tend to agree and this comment and it reminded me of a friend who owned a good deal of low income apartment buildings. He often told me about eviction cases where tenants stopped paying rent but wouldn't stop paying their cable bills because they couldn't stand to live without TV.

Machi also mentioned customers are more likely to get rid of landlines than mobile devices and carriers will have to fight to keep subscribers - implying that services matter.

Another important part of our discussion centered around the enterprise and the fact that Dialogic is still very committed to this space and has not reduced development at all. In fact the Cantata acquisition brought considerable enterprise and fax assets via the Brooktrout product line of the company.

As to the future, Machi alluded to seeing a number of value added services next year centering around video and other technologies.

As the chapter entitled CTI competition comes to an end, I can't help but think we are on the precipice of new and exciting technologies which will transform mobile devices into communications gateways with access to anything and everything we wish - enabling us to see the world, broadcast whatever we like and take advantage of video, social networking and collaboration like never before.