I got a chance to speak with Governor Tom Ridge yesterday regarding his upcoming keynote at Internet Telephony Conference & Expo (ITEXPO). In case you aren't aware he is currently sitting on the board of Vonage and he says he is working hard. He is on the boards of a number of companies and is doing a lot of consulting.

During the conversation, the Governor (a title you keep for life) was energetic and charming. I got the feeling he is very happy.

At ITEXPO he will discuss terrorism and security and how communities deal with disaster situations. He will discuss a number of disaster issues and how they relate to communications. He will also be available for questions from the audience and he is especially excited about the Q&A at the end of his session. As the Governor says it the Q&A is usually the best part of a speech.

We are so excited to hear what Governor Ridge is going to say at ITEXPO and we believe he has a unique perspective on VoIP, disaster communications and 911. As you know these issues are huge right now and if you are involved in communications in any way at all you will be likely be affected by his unique perspective.

Governor Ridge is uniquely qualified to speak on these topics and since he is not in office at the moment he is subsequently able to speak freely on disaster communications and 911. There is nothing like hearing someone who was recently in politics speak freely. You will learn a great deal from this presentation.

I can say this with a high level of confidence because Chairman Michael Powell spoke at ITEXPO in Los Angeles earlier this year and he was able to tell it like it is. It was the most refreshing speech he had ever made according to the many reporters and others who spoke to me afterwards.

The fact that the Governor is not in office is one of the reasons we have invited him to speak in the first place. You will likely be delighted to hear him in person.

As always Internet Telephony Conference & Expo remains the place to come if you want to learn about VoIP and how to deploy this technology correctly and effectively. Whether you are looking to save or make money from VoIP or learn how the technology can enable your business to do more with less, you should come to this conference and be part of this vibrant and rapidly growing VoIP community.

We remain the only VoIP show I am aware of in the world that has a guaranteed conference. ITEXPO has the best educational experience bar none. We also feel we have the best speakers. This sentiment is echoed throughout the VoIP community as I often hear our show focuses on objectively educating our audience. TMC really puts its resources into finding speakers you can learn from.

Remember that Ron Insana is also speaking at the show and once again I believe we have chosen two speakers that generally aren't speaking at other events. You have to come to Ft. Lauderdale next month in person to hear what they have to say.

Your time is precious. We appreciate your consideration. We promise you will get the best educational experience in the VoIP world with the least amount of fluff at ITEXPO. Oh and by the way, Florida is just a great place to be in late January. I just can't wait to escape the cold for a few days.