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Imagine my happiness when I saw a press release issued about local dealer, Riverbank Volkswagen deploying leading edge IP communications solutions. The news brought back fond memories because in the mid-nineties I made a decision to give away a brand new yellow Volkswagen Beetle at a TMC trade show because I happened to see one at this dealer. Moreover the press release reminded me of my recent trip to Northern California where I visited with Megapath the company who supplied the dealer with their voice-optimized, private IP-based Duet service, which is designed to increase productivity and customer service levels.

According to Andrew Goldstein, President of Riverbank Volkswagen,"MegaPath's cost-effective, fully-managed Duet service

gives the entire team from sales to technicians to office personnel a reliable voice and data service that translates into superior customer service and improved interaction with corporate headquarters." He continued, "While we've had other providers in the past, there was an issue of reliability and excessive downtime in the service. Time is money and when the system is down, it has a trickledown effect from sales to the service department. In just four months as a MegaPath Duet customer, we've experienced no downtime, so we are always able to communicate with customers, vendors and corporate."

At MegaPath corporate HQ I got to meet with Rich Sabin Director. Marketing and Dan Foster, SVP Sales and hear how the economy has been their friend so to speak - referring to how saving their customers money has resulted in a 20% increase in business year-over-year.

I'm told much of the company's business has been growth and replacement of WANs with MPLS-based services. MegaPath sells broadband connections from 384 kbps on up and there are solutions for teleworkers, small businesses and enterprise customers with an emphasis on vertical markets such as retail, hospitality, restaurant, healthcare, legal and insurance/finance.

Another area of growth has been SSL where the company has a Java-based client which is downloaded on the web allowing secure connectivity to a corporate network. This works similar to a Remote Desktop or a Citrix solution and similarly the benefit of this approach over a traditional VPN is reduced complexity, no need for a standalone VPN client and few if any thorny firewall issues.

The company is replacing IPSEC with SSL in many cases but they wanted to make sure you knew they support IPSEC as well. Speaking of security, MegaPath also provides intrusion protection, DPI and unified threat management products.

The service provider owns its own network (including DSL.NET) and has agreements in place allowing for QoS to be delivered virtually anywhere in the country. This is opposed to best effort service which could have variable quality levels based on Internet congestion at an ISP or anywhere else.

As companies look for ways to save money it thrills me to see technology and in this case IP communications being one of the major ways for them to achieve their cost-cutting goals while simultaneously boosting productivity through a variety of teleworking and remote access solutions.

Years ago Sun CEO Scott McNealy said the Network is the Computer - Google hopes he's right

Apple can do no wrong - they never could. The company has always had zealous fans who considered Apple products to be like their own superficial entry into some sort of consumer electronics cult. I lived this firsthand when I was in MIS and I decided to deploy PC-based desktop publishing in the eighties. Talk about upsetting your art department. And partially as a result of these Apple loyalists (can we call them an e-congregation?) combined with Cupertino's inferior position in the market, the company has been a media darling. It is so crazy in fact that Steve Jobs has crossed over the line as a celebrity and is even tracked by gossip sites like TMZ. One can only imagine the ribbing the Jobs Paparazzi get from those who snap pics of Britney, Paris and Angelina.

But this status may be coming to an end since Apple decided it would become a censor and limit applications which can get into the iTunes App Store. Well, that isn't entirely accurate, you see Apple not only censors what can get into the App Store, quite often they pull applications which were approved earlier. Sometimes after only a few short hours.

One of the more popular apps approved and pulled in fact was Google Voice and this seems to have been the straw which broke the back of Apple's positive PR. In fact the outcry was so great from the blogosphere that prominent blogger Michael Arrington of TechCrunch decided to give up his shiny new Apple device because he was fed up with having an e-nanny.

And Arrington is probably not a fellow anyone wants to upset as he switched to T-Mobile, detailed how he did it, and in the process got his hands on a myTouch made by HTC and is seriously praising it - calling it better than the iPhone 3G S - ouch!

But getting back to the App Store, TechCrunch has almost made a living out of beating up the App Store policies, wondering what the logic is in approving an application which tracks sex offenders - only to pull it later. As the author MG Siegler says:

"Why was this app accepted in the first place if it was going to be rejected just a few weeks later? The app is all about tracking sexual offenders, if that doesn't scream "screen me closely," I don't know what does.

He's right.

But while application stores are all the rage and Nokia, Microsoft and the rest of the free world (China too!) tries to build app stores, Google has taken a different direction in their public relations by proclaiming the browser is more important than the app stores which are a dead end.

From a Wired article by Brian X. Chen:

Vic Gundotra, Google's engineering vice president and developer evangelist, said on Friday at the Mobilebeat conference in San Francisco that the future of the mobile industry lies in web-based applications, rather than native software coded to run on specific smartphone operating systems.

"Many, many applications can be delivered through the browser and what that does for our costs is stunning," Gundotra was quoted in a Financial Times report. "We believe the web has won and over the next several years, the browser, for economic reasons almost, will become the platform that matters and certainly that's where Google is investing."

I should note however that Google is hedging and has an app store - just in case they are wrong I suppose. There are two comments I have to make at this juncture - most non-Apple app stores are likely to be short-lived and Google may be right about the power of the browser.

You see on a recent trip to Northern California I met with one vendor who described an application they were developing for the iPhone. I immediately asked how they are getting around many of the iPhone limitations. The answer turned out to be the app is not an app, the company's backend solution works with the Safari browser on the iPhone.

For me, this was the aha moment as the browser on the iPhone is great and allows a developer to develop some very robust and interesting solutions. The lack of Flash support is a major drawback but that is a discussion for another day.

After the meeting with the vendor who asked to be unidentified until they are ready to go public I got to thinking what the value of the App Store censors are in the first place. If you have an open browser you are able to visit porn sites, malicious sites and anything else you choose.

So this leads us to the question of why the App Store even has restrictions on applications with adult content. It is perplexing considering the browser isn't censored.

Since my return from Silicon Valley I have heard more and more talk of developers just releasing browser-based versions of their solutions. And while this won't work for all apps, it is a great way to get past Apple censors for now.

It is worth mentioning Google Voice will likely have a browser version soon and when it does we will get to see for ourselves the limitations of browser-based apps versus those written for native platforms. And as this docudrama plays out I am sure Scott McNealy is watching closely, popcorn in hand.

To learn more about the IP communications market as it relates to the companies mentioned in this article and hundreds of others be sure to come to TMC's ITEXPO in Los Angeles in a few weeks - one of the largest communication events anywhere.

I felt quite honored today as I learned my communications and technology blog was on a top VoIP blog list over at Focus - thanks David Hakala. Other names on the list include TMC contributor Jon Arnold. Jon is also a partner in TMC's Smart Grid portal and event which takes place in collocation with ITEXPO in 24 days in Los Angeles, CA.

Notable industry figure Jeff Pulver made the list as did Andy Abramson - the prolific blogger and PR 2.0 leader. Others include Brough Turner, Irwin Lazar, Alec Saunders, Luca Filigheddu and Stuart Henshal. Here is the complete list.

Speaking of Luca, he was nice enough to mention me recently on a podcast with Suzanne Bowen of DIDX. It makes a great listen. Thanks to Suzanne and Luca for the nice comments about ITEXPO.

To me industry recognition is always the most humbling praise one can get. Without loyal readers like you this would never take place so thanks for participating in TMC's community building activities, in-print, in-person and online and have a wonderful weekend.

Although there may not be any such thing as a job which is 100% secure it is likely these ten tips will help you if your company decides to cut heads. Kim Goff does an admirable job in this article but I am not 100% sure I agree with Tip #10 which says: Speak up. If you see something that can be improved, or if there's a task that could make use of your expertise, share it! When you give a voice to your ideas, opinions and thoughts about how to improve the overall performance of your organization, managers and co-workers will take notice.

Of course the concept is logical - just be sure you handle it delicately as not all management teams are so accepting of change.

Another item worth considering is working more hours - yes this could be encapsulated in #2 which advises you to take on more. I believe you should put in more hours than the typical worker so as to become more valuable as an asset for your company. Someone your management just doesn't want to part with.

Then there is the notion of attitude. If you are grumpy all the time or taking excessive time off you are inviting yourself to be let go. Now is the time to love what you do - and appreciate the job you have.

This is not to say you can't find employment elsewhere - in a perfect world you should love what you do naturally.

BTW, Goff sums this concept up nicely when she says:

In today's competitive workplace, you can no longer be complacent about your work. Job security is not a guarantee in any industry, and to keep your job or find advancement opportunities, you must present yourself as extraordinary - someone who goes above and beyond. Without this proactive attitude, someone else will soon be knocking at the door to take your place. Waiting for "something" to happen will just leave you waiting. By taking some appropriate actions, you can keep your job, and find ways to start advancing your career today.

One last point worth discussing is the rapid pace of change and competition. There are fewer monopolies in the world and technology continues to be one of the reasons the world is rapidly becoming more competitive.

For example tech has slowly destroyed Kodak's film monopoly and a host of local photo shops who developed photos. To further the point, anyone try getting a shop in a record store lately? Technology also allows jobs to be relocated to other parts of a country or entirely other countries where costs are lower.

This means the US job market and those of other high-wage areas will continue to weak for a while and these tips are probably more valuable than you realize. I hope you find them useful.

The domain name in the new logo below is not active as of this writing but will be soon

 

The US Government looking to increase car sales and reduce fuel consumption embarked upon an unprecedented campaign called Cash For Clunkers which paid car buyers up to $4,500 per car traded up for a newer, fuel-efficient vehicle. What started as a $1 billion dollar government program has quickly been used up and the Feds are reacting quickly and will potentially allocate a few billion dollars more towards this program.

While the government has given a massive incentive to consumers to get them into showrooms, other industries such as the technology space have been able to leverage similar savings for companies looking to upgrade their phone systems. And this has been done through innovation, not US tax dollars.

Companies in the know are switching to VoIP/IP communications in order to not only save money but in many cases become more productive in a business environment where workers are expected to be connected more frequently and seamlessly than ever. SIP trunking for example is a technology which can slash phone bills more effectively than a Hollywood horror movie star. In fact in a recent conversation with SIP trunking provider Broadvox, David Byrd, VP Marketing and Sales explained they have a customer case study where the savings was $2,616.34/month - an almost 50% savings on their previous bills. In one year this amounts to more than $31,000 - and that is significant cash!

Another company Kool Smiles switched to SIP trunks with solutions in part powered by Ingate Systems and in the process cut their communications costs by 40% by putting 35,000 calls a day over IP communications. The entire suite of new hardware paid for itself in less than a year via long-distance savings.

Then there are video-based IP communications solutions from companies like Polycom, Cisco, Tandberg, Grandstream, LifeSize and others which are responsible for helping companies drastically reduce travel costs. In addition they boost corporate productivity allowing disparate teams to communicate remotely - virtually as if they were located in the same office.

So while the federal government of the US is pushing consumers to buy new automobiles, in the communications space the incentives already exist to trade in phone systems which are old and inefficient for something new which pays for itself with lower long distance bills and adds productivity and reduces travel costs as a bonus.

September 1-3 in Los Angeles, California - the world's communications industry will convene at ITEXPO to explore cost-effective solutions which will either replace or augment old, antiquated communications systems. These new solutions will allow companies to take advantage of unified communications, fixed-mobile convergence, telecom expense management and a host of other concepts which not only save money but keep companies competitive. Best of all they are as good for the planet as driving a new and energy-efficient car is. In some cases, they are much better as they encourage less travel by traditional methods such as driving, flying or taking the train.

I for one am surprised the government isn't giving rebates to get companies of all sizes to explore new phone systems which are by definition much greener. Then again, one can argue the benefits of trading that old phone system clunker in for something new which will save money and make you more productive is all the incentive an organization really needs

I look forward to seeing you at ITEXPO soon where we can explore this concept in greater detail.

Many parts of the show which will help you take advantage of Cash for Clunker Phone Systems - here are some helpful links to get you started:

• SIP trunking and related sessions (PDF)
• Show brochure
• SIP Trunking workshop
• Exhibitors

Fierce competition among emerging market broadband providers is a rule as so many carriers and subsequently vendors are coming to market with low-cost solutions. ECI Telecom is differentiating itself in a variety of ways by growing new markets for the service providers who rely on their solutions.

Broadband in emerging markets is a hot topic because many nations have realized connectivity = economic growth. One of the players in this space is ECI Telecom and I was pleased to have a conversation with company CMO Laura Howard who gives us an overview of what is happening in the world of emerging market for wired broadband.

By listening you will get perspective on what operators in Africa and other parts of the world are deploying. Other topics of interest are the staggering growth rates and the battle between services and content - which is more important?

Today Google announced it will buy mobile video codec company On2 Technologies for $106.5 million in stock. While Dan Rayburn does a great job of pointing out why this deal wasn't done, I submit the reason has more to do with video distribution market in homes and on the go. Rayburn elaborates when he says this deal was likely not done for the codec alone. I would say it has more to do with the video technology itself as well as the need to integrate the giant backend of YouTube content with mobile devices of all types. I believe this plays into yesterday's tablet discussion as well. This gets me thinking we will see tablets based on Google's Chrome OS. If Google believes the market for tablets and netbooks will merge with entertainment then this move makes good sense.

We will have to wait and see where the company's head is at but it seems to me this purchase is a bet by the search leader that video will continue to be shown on virtually all devices which run on electricity.

We write thousands of stories each month at TMCnet and occasionally among all of this content we get a response to an article which is threatening or involves profanity towards us or one of our writers. Having said that, I happened to forward news about xG Technology to my editorial team a while back and I mentioned to them to be sure to research it carefully as the company is very controversial.

Why are they controversial? Well because they seem to make claim after claim regarding wireless technology which is claimed to be 25 times cheaper than comparable WiMAX equipment at 1,000 times the efficiency - yet it isn't widely deployed. These are not new claims by the way, they are years old.

On the face of it these stats are similar to saying you have created a fusion reactor in a paper cup - and if this is a real technology why is it not being sent to editors worldwide so we can see it for ourselves?

In order to determine the real story, Senior TMC Web Editor Patrick Barnard wrote an article which was well-researched on xG technology and in response he and I both received an email referring to him in a profane manner and the email concluded with a request to have me fire him.

The writer of this email didn't submit any facts which we should be aware of, they just decided to lash out at Patrick for writing a great and balanced article which seemed to conflict with his point of view.

Here is the big mistake made by the e-mailer. TMC has a 37-year long commitment with our readers to provide the best content we can. This means we don't fire editors who write stories which shine light on potentially problem companies. Instead we congratulate them and use them as role models. Our readers look to us to provide unbiased information and TMC is one of the oldest and most well-established global media brands because we do our best to do so.

I invite you to read this article from Pat and let us know what you think. I for one think it is quality work and wish more stories I read had the depth of reporting and linking of this piece.

Will IP communications get a massive shot in the arm via a wave of new tablet computers?

If you are an IP communications company you have to be salivating at the opportunity afforded by Moore's Law. Moreover when a new category called netbook was launched, the market for IP voice and video solutions just grew along the growth curve that netbooks carved out.

Thanks to netbooks and smartphones consumers have become accustomed to cheap but powerful computing platforms which allow more effective communications.

When the iPhone 3G S was rolled out many were not happy there was no front-facing camera included. After all, this device is a good entry-level device for taking and posting video clips - real time videoconferencing on this Apple smartphone may not be confused with telepresence but it could be darn good based on the video clips I have taken.

While laptops and netbooks have embraced forward-facing cameras, the smartphone market has a way to go before we see commonplace videoconferences on planes, trains and autos.

Netbooks - as cool as they are still aren't as cool as an iPhone or iPod Touch. In fact there is a trend towards people using these Apple devices and those from other companies instead of these mini-laptops.

This leads one to believe that the "next big thing" could be MIDs or Mobile Internet Devices. Certainly Intel has been pushing the idea and both Apple and Dell are rumored to have these MID tablets on the market soon.

Predicting the next big thing is tough to do but it seems like a small logical leap to believe that if the iPod Touch and iPhone can sell in volume and touch-screen competitors from RIM and others are selling as well - a larger version will be more of a good thing.

In a way in fact a tablet on in your lap is a much better solution than a widget-enabled TV 15 feet away which requires a keyboard or some arcane remote-control to pseudo-keyboard interface. Then again the tablet will likely become the remote control of the future allowing you to interact with television like never before and preview clips before viewing them on the "big screen."

The TV experience today is pretty terrible - it hasn't evolved much over my lifetime unless you consider low-cost remote control, color and more channels to be innovative. Sure TVs are thinner and bigger but is this so innovative?

Just as touch-screen devices and app stores have revolutionized the world of mobile phones there is an opportunity for these devices to do the same for home entertainment.

Similarly as the relationship between carrier and customer was marginalized by Apple and its App Store, we can expect Apple to be working overtime to make the cable company an afterthought. One has to imagine Apple is collaborating with AT&T to develop the killer in-home entertainment device which will drive customers to AT&T broadband and TV like the iPhone drove them to AT&T Mobility.

As I think about my recent article on Minerva Networks and TV 2.0 I realize the interface needs to evolve as well. I just don't think long-term we will be happy with our TV fixed to our walls. We will want to take TV with us as we take our computing with us. Netbooks and tablets are ideally suited to this transition and I expect tablets to be the "next big thing" by next Christmas if not sooner.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt has stepped down from Apple's board. Many are surprised Schmidt didn't step down earlier but certainly when Apple did the about face on Google Voice which sparked questions from the FCC, the stage was set. According to CNBC - Schmidt's about face was likely a result of a nudge - perhaps from Apple - taking into account the current political climate. Comments from the cable television station say Schmidt mentioned as recently as this past Saturday that he doesn't need to step down.

As you may recall, early last month I said regarding the launch of the new Google Chrome OS:

The downside to Google in this move is the relationship with Apple will have to be diminished because of the Interlocking Doctorates rule which prohibits someone serving on a rival company board if it has the potential to reduce competition. So Eric Schmidt will have to step down from the Apple board soon in my opinion. Ironically this is in stark contrast to the following statement made from Schmidt made just this past May:

The possibility "hasn't crossed my mind," Schmidt told reporters before the annual shareholders meeting at the company's Mountain View headquarters. "I don't think Apple sees Google as a primary competitor," he said.

The winners here is consumers who will now benefit from healthy competition between Google and Apple and of course Microsoft who is the beneficiary of a historic week where it has allied itself with Yahoo! and seen the Apple/Google alliance begin to slowly come undone.

See Also: Is Eric Schmidt Protecting a Google Monopoly?