Monetizing IP Communications

Negative Plus a Negative Equal a Positive

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:43:56 -0600

"Nobody doesn't like Sara Lee," says the Euro-American conglomerate that sells hundreds of different, well-loved, pre-packaged, sugary concoctions. This means that everyone likes Sara Lee. Maybe not, but that's a cool slogan. Sometimes a negative plus a negative equal a positive. Likewise, negative things happen to us online and offline in business, personal and social situations, whether in our social networks, on a business forum, or in our workplace. The way we handle these "things" can get a positive result as correct English grammar notes or a negative result as traditional mathematics states.

Ruth Bridger, a VP of sales and marketing, recently and admirably handled a tough situation for Xorcom. Some customers used Twitter and other social networks to share with the public some issues, but before the first negative remark was made, Ruth stated the truth of what had happened, how Xorcom was being quick and smart about fixing the problem, and the measures they were taking to be proactive for the future. Just two or three weeks after the catastrophes, I found the Xorcom meeting room at ITEXPO East full of no fewer than 50 - 60 current and potential clients and industry partners. They were actively engaged at all times in watching demonstrations and ... answering and asking questions about the Xorcom products and services.

I think back over my own life when I took an Introduction to Computers class at around age 17 at Pensacola Junior College. I had never used a computer before taking this class. I wanted to take Ethics but Introduction to Computers fit into my two fulltime job schedule better.

The professor shared a short lecture and demonstration during each session and then sent us to a Lab to apply what we had learned. The assistants in the Lab did not assist. I struggled for the first time during my "lifetime or organized schooling." I had always earned A's or B's from * first grade through my first Freshman college semester in subjects ranging from Spanish to Chemistry to Journalism. Though I followed the directions to enter the code that would result in a computer game called Sorry, it never worked. I was certain I would fail the class. I asked the professor for help. He said that I should pay more attention in class. My report card said I earned a "D." Panic!

My professor further said, "Suzanne, sweetheart, don't worry. You're just not cut out for computers."

I bought a Tandy 1000 from Radio Shack that had no hard drive. I had to boot it up each time with a 5 1/2 inch disk. Later after, graduating from University of West Florida with a B.A. in English and Social Sciences I got a job teaching middle school level students. Next, I wrote a grant in 1994 for a phone line in my classroom, so we could dial up to the Internet and discover something more than the world of Century, Florida which had a population of 1,400 people. We had a blast learning from and with people such as Pakistani software developer Syed Maroof and computer engineer Arshi Masood, South African banker Herman Dewitt, and German physical education teacher Inge Siepmann. Eventually this led to me switching careers from being an English teacher to co-founding (with Rehan Allahwala Ahmed) a dotcom startup Super Technologies, Inc. in 1999 with its first products of dialup voip Super Phone and being local and global via Virtual Phone Lines.

And ... from there, I am involved in exciting work with the clients, vendors, team members and industry partners of AstraQom and a few other companies! Who knows what negatives will automorph next? I'll choose the English grammar rule as the answer.

I shared this story and a few other stories with the couple dozen women who met to eat, sip hot liquids, inspire, debate, make friends, and develop business at ITEXPO East 2012 last week.

(* I am old enough to be among those who started school when kindergarten was not mandatory.)

]]> Tags: Astraqom, business development, career path, customer service, entrepreneurship, Sara Lee Corporation, social media, Super Technologies, twitter, use of social media, Xorcom Related tags: social networks, negative equal, introduction computers, industry partners, english grammar, negative

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Frank Talk on Telecom Fraud with Humbug Labs' Eric Klein

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:11:35 -0600

Eric Klein, the VP of sales and marketing at Humbug Labs,is the telecom fraud expert that we interviewed in a recent podcast, sponsored by DIDX and AstraQom. He is one of the brilliant presenters scheduled for ITEXPO East 2012, specifically the Asterisk World and Cloud Communications events. Look in the ITEXPO East 2012 visitors' bag for the Humbug Labs free white paper that describes the evolution of telecom fraud. It includes a free trial code of Humbug services.

Much like business issues regarding infringment of intellectual property that I discussed with Mark Terry, companies are not prepared to prevent or to deal with telecom fraud. Most are too embarrassed to ever admit to experts when they suffer either. They lose valuable time, respect, and money which may result in lawsuits and loss of clients whose trust has been sacrificed.

Carriers often do a good job "fighting traditional telecommunications fraud," but they do not understand the idiosyncrasies of each of their business clients. Examples may include ... would the client typically incur scores of calls that are international, overnight, on the weekends and during holidays?

Humbug Labs is cloud-based, and they are set up to see any particular fraud act immediately, even when it touches the first PBX. They know and are ready for inappropriate call patterns and to stop them from reoccuring. The method that the expert company takes is different from traditional methods of protection such as firewalls or solutions just for carriers. Humbug Labs is more personalized and can be used by enterprises and businesses.

Where could we say this all began? The first telecom fraud in history was 1897 when Guglielmo Marconi attempted to demonstrate his wireless radio communication systems. Someone almost immediately created a solution that was able to hack it.

Phreaking was another memorable example of phone fraud. Quite often, blind people were the most expert, perhaps because of their instinctive ability to compensate by being auditorially talented. Joe Engressia, blind and only seven years old, whistled the fourth E above a middle C (a frequency of 2600 Hertz) and discovered that it stopped the dialed phone recording. Yes, really!

Now people are phone hacking into even voicemail. How does anyone think that Murdoch and News Corps found themselves in so much hot water recently?

There are actually 400 different kinds of telecommunications fraud. Some pretty sophisticated manipulation now result in millions of dollars of arbitrage fraud that even AT&T suffered from.

Why would companies keep their PBXs and voip phones to the default password? Why enable a phone does not need voice mail with the feature of voice mail?

In the ancient days of telecommunications, phone hacking was just something fun to do, but today in 2012 and forward, it has the potential of billions of dollars. Mobs, terrorist groups, drug czars, and even some huge and highly respected businesses are involved.

Get some answers by listening to the recording of the audio interview between Humbug Labs' Eric Klein and AstraQom / DIDX's Suzanne Bowen.

The podcast URL is http://didx.net/podcast/?p=episode&name=2012-01-24_telecom_fraud_humbuglabs_itexpo.mp3.

Registration sites for the conferences where the telecom fraud sessions of Eric Klein on "What Cloud Means for Fraud Prevention" and Nir Simionovich of Humbug Labs on "Socializing Telephony Fraud" during ITEXPO East 2012?

Cloud Communications: What Cloud Means for Fraud Prevention
Feb. 1, 2012, 2:30 - 3:15 PM

Asterisk World: Socializing Telephony Fraud
Feb. 2, 2012, 1 - 1:45 PM

]]> Tags: AT&T, Business, Business telephone system, Fraud, Guglielmo Marconi, humbug labs, itexpo, Nir Simionovich, phone fraud, Telecommunication, voip Related tags: telecom fraud, means fraud, telecommunications fraud, cloud communications, cloud means, fraud

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You People, 3 IP Communications Customer Service No-Nos - Jan 11, 2012

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Mark Terry, Esq. on Intellectual Property and Telecom Sourcing

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:50:27 -0600

Embarrassed that your company needs an intellectual property lawyer?
It is better to be embarrassed and still secure the services of a lawyer in cases where your company's intellectual property has been infringed upon or where your company has infringed upon another entity's intellectual property. After less than a twenty minute conversation with Mark Terry, a patent and trademark law attorney, I am convinced that there are thousands in the IP (Internet-Protocol) Communications industry who need to understand their legal rights and responsibilities in this area of law.

Readers are invited to listen to the recording of a conversation with Mark Terry, a recognized expert in patent and trademark law, Mark Terry is regularly featured in publications and journals.

The attorney is a presenter in three panels during ITEXPO East's SUITS conference which is all about . Registration and a complete listing of the presentations is available at http://itexpo.tmcnet.com/suits/east-12/agenda.aspx. SUITS stands for "Synapses Under Intellectual Protocol / Patents Telecom Sourcing."

When you contract with a company that utilizes independent contractors or directly with an independent contractor to create, revise, or manipulate software code, who owns that intellectual property? The buyer of the service who plans to use the code? The company who was contracted to provide software development? Or the individual developer who was sent to the buyer to fufill the job? Many will be shocked at Attorney Mark Terry's answer. (By the way, early in Mark's professional career, he was a software engineer.)

What happens when company A wants to buy company B, and B has software code that was created by an independent contractor? Sit back and think about how many 1000s of companies use Elance, Odesk, IdeaBounty, Fiverr and other sites that match companies with independent contractors for development of what is IP (not Internet Protocol in this case, but instead ... intellectual property)?

Does anyone think that just because an image is published online, that it is up for grabs? A common catastrophe! A business's web developers find the perfect picture on the Internet that perfectly convey the intended message on a web page. They add it. A year later, the company may receive a cease and desist later from a stock photo company who owns and a bill of hundreds if not thousands of dollars due. Uh oh. What to do?

What are non-practicing entities, and why do we all need to understand what they do and how they can affect a practicing entities' rights to the revenue from the practice?

When is an invention patent-able and / or trademark-able? Listen to the podcast for an great introduction and sign up now at http://itexpo.tmcnet.com/suits/east-12/agenda.aspx for invaluable education in patent, trademark, copyright and other intellectual property law. Bring your questions with you about your business situations.

Mark Terry has a popular intellectual property blog at http://floridapatentlawyer.blog.com, and the company's website is at http://terryfirm.com/. I send my thanks to Noreen Rucinski for introducing me to Mr. Terry. She is one of those in charge of the SUITS event at ITEXPO East 2012 in Miami Beach.

]]> Tags: Copyright, Fiverr, Intellectual property, Internet Protocol, itexpo, Law, Lawyer, mark terry, npe, Services, Trademark, voip Related tags: intellectual property, patent trademark, practicing entities, itexpo tmcnet, tmcnet suits, company

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You People, 3 IP Communications Customer Service No-Nos

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:46:04 -0600

IP communications and wireless companies are not always a species that give customers what they want, when they want it, and how they want it.

In reality, I think it is probably one of the reasons why maybe as many as * 43% of them do not live past four years in business. So, what are some of the mistakes that companies in our industry make in customer service?

1. No regular training in the best language to use in any given customer service situation.
For example, what do the readers of this blog post think of the phrase, "You people," being used in written or oral communication with customers? Me? It denotes a rude individual on your company's team has penned his response to your customer. It connotes images of your staff member smacking gum with his feet propped on his desk, a metaphor of disgust for your customer.

2. Failure to even recognize incoming sales inquiries gives the impression of the obvious poor customer service that would follow should a "sign up" ever actually happen.
This is my current business pet peeve. For example, I have filled a web form three times, emailed and called sales phone numbers several times of a certain European company to get started as their wholesale customer. All emails are unanswered. All phone calls are on voice-mail and no call back. I have even asked several of my friends who work for or own highly respected global telecommunications-related companies that have connections with this wholesale company as a customer or vendor ... to introduce me to the right people to start a sales dialogue. Nothing. Hmm.

3. If you have made a mistake in providing service to your customer, own up to it and do what you can quickly and truthfully to make up for it.
For example, you overcharged, cancelled a part of the service, or moved to or added new IP addresses without informing and making sure as many customers as possible know in advance. I have seen where the last situation occurred, and when customers complained that their thousands of users were without service for more than 24 hours because of it, the company customer service representative said the customer should read the changes in the knowledge base more regularly. (Ouch!)

In Judith Hurwitz's book Smart or Lucky?, there is a simple but so true statement: "Companies that withstand the pressures of competition and changing technologies are those that ... solve customer problems ..."

(By the way, she is a speaker at ITEXPO Avaya DevConnect night February 2. I'll be there. Judith Hurwitz might be joining us at the Women in Wireless and Telecom Breakfast the same day at 8 AM. More details and RSVP location for the ladies in your business to participate are on Linkedin.)

Take note of the fact that even huge and highly successful companies such as AT&T have customer service problems. Consumers rank AT&T lowest in satisfaction in which Net Promoter Score compared them to the other big three national wireless carriers. Some say that is one of the many reasons that AT&T needed to merge with T-Mobile, and why AT&T has such high churn. At least AT&T has iPhone, right? (I'm using Credo Wireless right now on my business mobile and Mobility1.us on my personal mobile. I have used AT&T before, and I have no complaints about their service personally.)

In conclusion, please don't let your representatives talk like this to customers:
"You people need to fill the web form first if you want to buy service from us. Oh, you bought and resold our services before? The calls were garbled sounding not because of our company's QoS, bandwidth, or other ISP/network issue as you say. You are the one who needs to fix something."

* Page 14: Figure VII.5. Sources: OECD.org, and Baldwin et al. (2000)

]]> Tags: AT&T, bad business etiquette, Customer service, iPhone, linkedin, Quality of service, Telecommunication, women in telecom, you people Related tags: customer service, judith hurwitz, customer, service, customers, companies

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Caroline Gabriel, a Wise Woman in Wireless to Speak at 4G Latin America Conference

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:29:40 -0600

My own trek from the fields of English instruction to technology innovation and content-sharing, in general, from my middle school teaching days of web editing, voice and video over Internet via Vocaltec's Internet phone and CU-SeeMe ... to co-founding Super Technologies and its CTO and co-owner Rehan Allahwala's inventions of Virtual Phone Line and DIDX ... to my current work with AstraQom in social and business media, networking, and industry and ethnically targeted services ... has made me an obsessive lifelong learner.

Of my newest studies and interests, the world of wireless and mobile technology stands tall. Why? I remember when no one I knew had a cell phone, and now, we all expect all of our devices to keep us wirelessly and remotely mobile and connected. A second interest of mine is finding and showcasing leading women in technology because they inspire me and there are so few of them.

I stumbled upon some research in an online paid subscription site called Rethink that is headed by expert Caroline Gabriel. Caroline is one of the proposed speakers for 4G Latin America Conference (a part of the 4G World set of global conferences that AstraQom and DIDX are a media partner for). Her team's analysis of global wireless news and technology keep readers informed. The history of, the current state of and the future of WIMAX, LTE, and mobile Internet are demystified. How standard practices are being supplanted or even superimposed, and all involved can stay abreast at Wireless Watch Rethink. Ms. Gabriel's leadership makes available the latest in service delivery, applications, charging models, and who to pay attention to among the global and local players and how they connect.

The Wireless Watch website has a great summary of the current state of wireless: "The result is that the battle lines for cellular wireless have never been more complex. Wi-Fi demonstrated the consumer need for flat rate services, 3G failed totally as cure-all broadband wireless, HSPA is now borrowing the flat rate approach in order to keep WiMAX at bay, while the cellular giants have accelerated LTE at breakneck speed to shut out previous OFDM formats."

In a December 12, 2011 article, Caroline discusses the frustration that AT&T and TMobile's parent company Deutsche Telekom over the US Department of Justice's wish to postpone the AT&T/TMo deal trial. There seems to be more than meets the eye that is actually counting on this deal and the sooner the better, even to combat the eurozone crisis!

Judge may think that AT&T are playing a strategy game, but AT&T lawyers plead that they are not.

On another note, remember, Meg Whitman, former eBay CEO is the new CEO and President of Hewlett-Packard, right? (I like HP laptops, but their printers seem so un-user friendly. I have screamed at every HP printer I have bought. Beside the point, I know.) Ms. Gabriel also shared on December 12th her thoughts on Hewlett-Packard's mobile OS move to open source ... into what she calls "commercial oblivion." She says that OS was why HP acquired Palm in the first place, the first mobile smart device I was introduced to. (My German fast runner friends Christian and Petra used them these little pens. I was impressed, but that was in 2004. I bought my first smartphone in 2007, a Nokia E61i, very cool device.) The webOS and app framework ENYO will be available under open source license freely available. HP says it will be an "active participant and investor" in the process, but so far doesn't offer details on how.

A bit more insight on Caroline Gabriel ... on Linkedin, she is a member of groups for Alvarion Ltd., Fundamental Tech Trading, Global Telecoms Business, LTE Focus, Rethinking TV, and The Open Patent Alliance. This reminds me to remind you that ITEXPO East colocated with 4GWE has a new component called SUITS Conference, produced and directed by TMC and Rucinski Enterprise, Inc. for the first time! Interested parties can submit their proposals, but the presentation program may be full.

AstraQom and DIDX are media partners for 4G Latin America, scheduled conference and exhibition on June 18-20, 2012 in Lima, Peru. The two are also a media partner for 4G Wireless Evolution in lovely Miami Beach, Florida from February 1-3, 2012. Be sure to have the ladies in your organization sign up for our Women in Wireless And Telecom Breakfast on Feb. 2 Thursday during 4GWE. Just contact me on Linkedin, or just RSVP them on the event listing there. Feel free to visit and sign up to participate in both conferences now.

More audio, video and text media, by me Suzanne Bowen and others I work with, include information about wireless and mobile are on Youtube, AstraQom, Viddler, DIDX and TMC. Contact me to schedule an interview with your company expert about wireless, mobile, unified or rich communications, social media and networks and applications ... both monetized and nonprofit activities we would like to showcase.

]]> Tags: 4G, 4GWE, AT&T, conference, Hewlett-Packard, LTE, Open Patent Alliance, Rehan Allahwala, T-Mobile, Virtual Phone Line, WIMAX, Wireless Related tags: latin america, wireless mobile, caroline gabriel, wireless watch, hewlett packard, wireless

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Stoke's Dan McBride on LTE Security

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:53:04 -0600

Dan McBride is the VP of Marketing at Stoke the past four years and has enviable background of 18 years' networking industry experience. The company Stoke, whose main offices are in Santa Clara, California and Bangalore, India, was a sponsor and exhibitor of the October 2011 4G World conference in Chicago.

Their well-respected clients such as NTT Docomo and British Telecom take advantage of Stoke's Security eXchange, WiFi eXchange, and Stoke Session eXchange (SSX-3000 and XGLC20 Packet Processing Line Card). The company provides complete scalabe LTE security, 3G Core Offload, and RAN offload solutions for mobile operators. For readers who have a difficult time understanding such wireless, mobile, networking jargon, think of this way ...

A level of security is needed on an LTE network that does not negatively affect user convenience and experience. It should provide protection from attacks on the Internet. It should also not negatively affect the transition of the network from current and very common 3G services to LTE services.

Mobile users expect to be always on and connected which means there can be complications. Most of this traffic is Internet and such generates little or even zero revenue. Dropped connections and reduced service quality are a common result of the unpredictable surges in visual, voice and large file uploads and downloads.

Watch the video podcast interview.

Questions and topics we discussed: 1. What are the issues that Stoke resolves that reflect all the players (the subscribers, the application developers, the service providers and the operators) regarding mobile, wireless and networking?

Stoke offers gateway systems that fit into the cellular infrastructure. These enable operators to deliver content much faster than the previous generation of cellular networks were able to. With the 3G networks, a huge challenge is experienced when trying to download content. Part of the reason is that many of the operators are using equipment that was built years ago and is not right for 2011 needs and forward. People were not downloading full length movies, songs and other large file types.

Dan asks, "How do operators manage and keep up with all the data?" With iPhone, Android devices, tablets, and laptops with dongles taking off ... it is necessary for operators to catch up to subscribers' needs. LTE seems to be able to do this.

2. Would you share an example of succcess for a particular client? Stoke is now playing a crucial role in the NTT Docomo LTE network. Who are they?

A world-leading mobile operator and provider of comprehensive mobility solutions for Japan and overseas markets, including NFC mobile payments, mobile GPS and TV, environmental monitoring, smart grids ... they are way ahead of the curve in technology research. Soon after their grand opening in 1998 when I was just a teacher and about to co-found Super Technologies (known for its DIDX service for telecom and mobile operators), I visited their DOCOMO R&D Exhibition Hall "WHARF" at the Yokosuka Research Park.

4:18 into the interview ...

Stoke provides a gateway function for NTT Docomo that is at the edge of their Core Network and actually decrypts and encrypts all the traffic that runs to and from radio network.

Stoke's Mr. McBride divulges names of other highly renowned mobile and network operator clients during the interview who his company serves. One of their current goals is to break in deeper in the North America market as 4G networks are just getting started.

5:36 into the interview ...

3. We discuss the reasons that we were participating in 4G World such as the opportunity to exhibit one's services and talk face to face with current and potential customers and vendors. Again, their real goal was to meet with key organizations who are in North America. 4G World was valuable in meeting Stoke's goals. We both plan also to take part in the 4G Wireless Evolution conference that is co-located with ITEXPO East in Miami Beach, Florida on February 1-3, 2011. He mentions their CTO Dave Williams may be a speaker at 4GWE even.

Visit http://www.4gwe.com and http://www.4gworld.com for more information about great conferences to develop business with the right companies, meet successful organizations and people like Dan McBride and Stoke, and learn how to improve one's services and capitalize on the newest technologies.

]]> Tags: 3GPP Long Term Evolution, 4G, 4gwe, 4gworld, lte, NTT Docomo, Stoke, wireless evolution, Yokosuka Research Park Related tags: north america, negatively affect, mobile operators, stoke, mobile, operators

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Avvasi CEO on Quality Experience High Correlation to Revenue Profitability

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:26:53 -0600

Why should you and I be interested in the services that Avvasi provides and in particular their launch on the first day of 4GWorld of CONNEXUS, a collaboration of theirs with three other companies?

Here's my own experience.

Last week, my son and I entertained his children with our family bluegrass music favorites from Youtube and Boogie Maths videos on his smart phone. At a birthday party for a best friend, we couldn't remember the name of the band who sang "O-o-h Child" and found a video online with the answer, "The Five Stair Steps." I cannot even count the number of times that I and my 100s of 1000s of industry friends, customers, and vendors (via DIDX service provider networks, TMC media channels, and AstraQom social networks) have used video on a mobile devices to wirelessly share videos for elevator pitches, client testimonials, and product demos on the go. These personal, social and business activities were very important to me and them.

So, how does Avvasi's CONNEXUS fit in? As Brian Partridge, vice president of network research at Yankee Group, states, "Consumers are demanding a wide selection of broadcast-quality video on any device, at any time -- and they're willing to pay for it."

In the associated press release, Mate Prgin, president and CEO of Avvasi, states, "The growing gap between exponential bandwidth demand and shallow revenue growth is not secret, and OTT (Over the Top) video is the primary driver."

What is OTT video? It is a general term for service that is utilized over a network that is not offered by that network operator. Mr. Prgin mentions Skype as an example of OTT, and then when Verizon, a mobile operator) and Skype, an OTT voice and video service provider, partnered, they benefited from that collaboration, and so did the end-users.

Mate explains in a few words how entities participating in 4GWorld can best leverage what the Avvasi collaboration CONNEXUS has to offer:

1. Build an infrastructure that can deliver video at a certain QoA that users will pay for.

2. Use that capability to come to the negotiation table with content providers and advertisers and say, "Hey, we can do this, but that's going to cost you something. Let's do a business agreement that satisfies your requirements, our requirements, and the subscribers' requirements."

3. Grow that business in a sustainable way to get the users the quality they want on the devices they want with pricing arrangements that work for the whole value chain.

Watch and listen to video to learn more about the CONNEXUS collaboration and the ways that Avvasi has been an integral part of pioneering this and other impressive video-related technologies and services.

(A bit about Mr. Mate Prgin ... he started a video company that pioneered the IPTV Cadence for DSL networks which was purchased by Cisco in 2000.)

Meet with Avvasi this week at 4GWorld. The CEO is a presenter during the Customer Experience Panel at 3:15 PM. Other conferences they plan to participate in during the near future include London's Broadband Traffic Management in the middle of November. They have a speaker on a panel session there. Also look for them at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona February 2012.

(AstraQom, DIDX, Techistan, and possibly even some of TMC team will be at MWC, but I also recommend entities such as Avvasi to have a presence at 4G Wireless Evolution which is co-located with ITEXPO East in beautiful Miami Beach. I'll be there, but first, I'll do the ING Miami Beach 1/2 Marathon the Sunday before. Connect with me on Linkedin.)

]]> Tags: Related tags: miami beach, service provider, video, avvasi, connexus, collaboration

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Suzanne's Friend Searching for Mobile App Developer to Work Remotely

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:34:28 -0600

(First, I am looking for someone who is in Chicago or driving distance who is honest, good with talking to people, but also technically literate especially in the area of security who is interested in a 3-4 day job. Please contact me on Linkedin or Facebook if this fits you or someone you know. This is for something I need.) Resolved, thanks to industry friends!

There's a great opportunity for a MOBILE APP DEVELOPER who wants to work from anywhere (remotely). Contract or contract-to-hire. I have a friend who is CEO of a technical talent match company. Her SMB client is hiring but is willing to hire someone to work remotely, so location doesn't matter. Honesty, talent, ability to follow directions, and hardwork attitude are a must.

They're looking for a Mobile Developer - IPhone, Android, Blackberry - someone who has been building user-facing applications (desktop, web, and/or mobile) for at least five years and has been writing Android apps for at least a year.

They value people who can work on their own to get something done and out the door quickly. But they also want developers who know when to slow down, get input from other people on the team, and make sure that what they're building today will accelerate what they need to do tomorrow.

- Understand the Android UI guidelines but aren't limited by them
- Have something to say about security, both on-device and off-device
- Can talk knowledgeably in English about structured and unstructured data and how people interact with such data.
- 3+ years mobile development with iOS and/or Java (Android/Blackberry) using mobile SDK's , Windows Mobile.
- Ability to collaborate effectively in teams and to communicate technology issues to both technical and non-technical audiences
- Be prepared to tell us about one mobile app that you really admire and one thing you think that app should have done differently. Also, must provide samples of your work either through an online store or provide sample of work-in-progress that we can view on our mobile devices.

Absolute requirements Include:
- developed and gone through complete submission process to Android app store
- iPhone development experience (submitted app to app store) can handle a port
- experience porting from iPhone to android plus
- implemented sharing to Twitter and Facebook in an android app
- implemented image gallery that uses data from net (i.e json feed)
- using location services on android
- submitting a post request from an app to a URL
- experience working on a project that they did not start (preexisting code base they had to read, learn, and add to)

Leave me a message on Linkedin or Facebook if you are a perfect match for this or you know someone who is.

]]> Tags: 4g, Android, bandwidth compression, Blackberry, get a job, head hunter, ios, iPhone, mobile application development, remote workers, road warrior, security, Windows Mobile Related tags: iphone android, linkedin facebook, android blackberry, mobile, android, someone

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Paytoo Social Media Director Response to Square COO Stance on NFC

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:52:16 -0600

Image by lalunablanca via Flickr

Written by Guest Blogger Brandon Cook, Social Media Director at Paytoo

We at Paytoo agree with Keith Rabois’ stance on NFC (Near Field Communications) in his recent interview with GigaOM founder, Om Malik. In addition to Mr. Rabois’ many reasons why NFC will not work, we believe NFC’s feasibility issues begin with the business model and proposed allocation of profits. Too many players would have to get involved, including, but not limited to banks, telecom providers, network operators and handset manufacturers.

Distributing profits amongst all these players and keeping everybody satisfied would be extremely complicated. Sure, there are many big name companies that have already invested in NFC technology and implementation, but they are largely underestimating the amount of change that would have to occur for NFC to succeed – behind the scenes and in the marketplace.

In its current form, NFC provides very little, if any, value to consumers and merchants. As far as consumers are concerned, there are several major issues that will keep them from adopting NFC-enabled smartphones. For one, consumers would have to switch from their current phones to one of the very few NFC-enabled smartphones available today. Also, smartphones already have a bad reputation for short battery life. Batteries will drain exponentially faster when adding NFC capabilities to the mix.

As problematic as NFC adoption would seem to be for consumers, merchants would have a much more difficult time being convinced of NFC’s practicality. NFC would require merchants to upgrade every single one of their transaction terminals and alter their entire payment process. Depending on the size of a merchant’s operation, this could be quite an expensive endeavor. Also, merchants perceive the adoption of NFC to be very risky given that there is no certainty that it will catch on amongst consumers.

With its contactless payment sticker, Paytoo offers a proven solution that is much more worthwhile than NFC. While the use of NFC is limited to banked consumers with NFC-enabled smartphones, Paytoo’s sticker may be used by banked and unbanked consumers and can be adhered to any type of device, whether it be a mobile phone, keychain or iPod. Paytoo’s sticker is as convenient for consumers to use as it is for merchants to accept.

The technology Paytoo employs is totally compatible with merchants’ current transaction terminals and does not require upgrades. By simply choosing to accept payments from Paytoo, merchants are able to access a wider range of consumers than ever before, and offer them an efficient payment method that does not ask them to completely change their habits.

Paytoo’s position is advantageous because it fits naturally alongside Visa and MasterCard, the most widely accepted cards in the world. Currently, Paytoo’s solutions are thriving in foreign markets like Ecuador, Mexico, Italy and Zimbabwe where competition has yet to arrive.

Paytoo’s plan is to control such markets and then prepare to enter the US market at full speed. Paytoo has achieved success by creating practical solutions like the contactless payment sticker that simplify processes for both consumers and merchants.

By Guest Blogger Brandon Cook, Social Media Strategist at Paytoo

Visit http://www.paytoo.com, and feel free to listen to and audio podcast about 'mobile wallet' concept with CEO and founder Michel Poignant on DIDX podcasts.

Almost forgot! Visit with us at AstraQom and the DIDX team at 4GWorld, booth 728. The whole conference and exhibition is all about mobile everything you can imagine, including NFC, 4G, LTE, RF technologies, backhaul connectivity, WiFi ... all covering the technical and business points of view.

]]> Tags: 4g, conference, Contactless payment, iPod, Keith Rabois, Mobile phone, mobile wallet, near field communications, NFC, Om Malik, paytoo Related tags: consumers merchants, social media, enabled smartphones, transaction terminals, guest blogger, paytoo

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Suzanne's Friend Searching for Mobile App Developer to Work Remotely - Oct 14, 2011

Myriad of Mobile ALM Advantages According to DeviceAnywhere's Leila Modarres - Sep 13, 2011

Help ITEXPO West Keep Austin Weird and Wonderful - Sep 03, 2011

Extracurricular Social Events during ITEXPO West 2011 - Aug 18, 2011

Interview with FiberHome International's Jason Wang on Carrier Trends - Jun 01, 2011

Let's Make Cloud Communications Clear - Dec 17, 2010

TMC Gives Me Opp to Help Friend Buy Voice and Internet Service While Traveling - Aug 26, 2010

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Women in Telecom Thank 360 Networks, Xorcom, AstraQom and DIDX

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:27:28 -0600

Get the women from your company together with women from other companies, and business development is assured! We prove it at every IP communications event we participate in.

How? There is an informal gathering of some very bright and powerful engineers, marketers, executive officers, business owners, and software developers that meet for breakfast at IP communications and technologies shows such as PTC, ITW, CTIA Wireless, 4GWorld, CommunicAsia, ITCN Asia, and GSMA Mobile World Congress. The most recent was at ITEXPO West 2011 in Austin. Around 18 women convened to share coffee or tea and share best practices, anecdotes, and ideas for business, social and technical collaborations at the Convention Center. I'd like to thank 360 Networks, Xorcom, AstraQom, TMCnet.com and DIDX for making this possible.

Tom Michaels, senior sales executive at 360 Networks, snapped pictures to help us remember those inspiring conversations.

“Suzanne and I noticed that there are very few women in this field, telecom in particular and technology in general,” Bridger told TMCnet when asked why the breakfast was organized. “We thought it might be a good idea to get the women that are coming to ITEXPO to network and to reach out on this particular level. We don’t mean to be exclusive but the idea is to let other women know that they do have colleagues and people that are interested in networking with them.”

An Amazon Kindle and a beautiful red cocktail dress from XO were donated for a drawing. Loni Le Van-Etter won the Kindle, and Kimberly Drobney of Fonality won the designer dress. Conversation during the event ranged among the topics of HTML5, mobile application lifecycle management, a glass ceiling is only there if you say it is, the All Conference Party with Spazmatics, Starview Solutions' new Shango cloud service for telcos and their boat party that most of us were invited to, our social CRM experiences, and open source telephony.

Anyone can set up one of these breakfasts, but be sure to use Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook and other social networks and media to get the word out for the biggest and most effective meetup. Contact me on Linkedin to find out more.

I know I didn't catch all the great conversations and collaborations that resulted from and occurred at this Breakfast. I wish I did, but Carrie Schmelkin, web editor, shares more on TMCnet.com.

]]> Tags: Amazon Kindle, astraqom, austin texas, didx, Fonality, social CRM, women in technology, Xorcom Related tags: xorcom astraqom, networks xorcom, thank networks, women, networks, business

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Gen Y Twenty Somethings and Virtual Worlds

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:52:45 -0600

Finally, I'm following up on behalf of AstraQom.com today regarding Avaya's Technology on Tap presentations and reception during ITEXPO West 2011 in Austin, Texas! This is number one of several posts I'll share with readers. I haven't missed Avaya DevConnect's gathering at ITEXPOs in the past four years. It is usually the night before the first day of the Expo, a great way to mix, learn, and socialize among the innovators at Avaya and many who do business with them at the beginning of the conference.

One comment that echoes among my neurons is that of Avaya's Chris Lync: "3D visuals, avatars, and virtual worlds are second nature to millenials (also known as Generation Y)." In fact, ReadWriteWeb site notes that the number of users registered for virtual world sites broke the 1 billion mark during the third quarter of this year 2010, and half of them are under the age of 15.

Stop and think on that. Talk to your peers, your children, your professors, and anyone else who will mull that over with you and list the possible and real implications for business, society, politics, and any facet of life.

The article continues with ... "the most popular virtual world for persons under 15 is Stardoll (world's largest online fashion and dress up games for girls) with 69 million registered users." There is also a huge list of Fashion Makeover Games at GirlsGoGames and some ... yes, virtual or 3D in nature.

What do you think of that? Any problems with that? Any brainstorms of how to serve these Millennials who are ages 15-30 and who are so comfortable with virtual worlds and experiencing the world much differently than 2011 business decision-makers?

Research projects, job interviews, and even embassies are created or completed using virtual worlds. Open University has used virtual worlds for researching, teaching and learning. For example, it has two main islands in Second Life, Open University island and OUtopia village, separated by a third area of Open University Ocean." In 2009, it served as fulcrum and foundation of a case study completed by Linden Lab who own Second Life.

So platforms such as Second Life, Avaya web.alive, Habbo (230 million enrolled) BlueMars, Meez, Whyville, and many video games are a commonplace activity for a growing number of people.

Use of Virtual Worlds can add an attention-getting dimension to public presentations. Throw in an avatar of one's self ... lets the audience feel more surrounded and immersed in a message. This is exactly what Chris Lync did during his 'show and tell' at Avaya's Technology on Tap using web.alive. What people do not realize is that exciting brands can be built and grown within 3D environments with much less competition than in traditional company image-making. The increase in the ease of building "things" in virtual worlds can help even left-brained thinkers.

These are just a few advantages offered by immersive worlds, and as more people sign up to use them, more will discover and share even more ways the technology can help them and the organizations they are a part of.

Want more? Watch a video that provides an introduction of Avaya web.alive.

Listen to an audio podcast interview I completed with Julie Fogg of ActivePort who is an avid proponent and user of virtual worlds.

]]> Tags: AstraQom, Avaya, Conferencing, games for girls, Linden Lab, Millenials, Open University, Second Life, Virtual world, Whyville Related tags: virtual worlds, avaya devconnect, virtual world, avaya, virtual, worlds

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Comments on this Entry:

(Jon Alperin on Sep 28, 2011 11:05 AM)

Suzanne,

First, it was great seeing you again at the event. Thanks for the kind words. We (at Avaya) certainly are excited by the opportunities to change the way collaboration takes place, and Avaya web.alive is a really cool way to do that. The use of virtual world technology, especially one that is integrated with core corporate communications systems like Avaya Aura, can really be a game changer - it is more engaging than traditional audio and web conferencing, yet not as intrusive as video conferencing can be.

We've been using Avaya web.alive within the Avaya DevConnect community for a variety of informal "meet and greet" events, as well as for more formal training programs and delivery of training. The more i use the environment, the more ways I can see applicability in both UC and Contact Center examples.

Anyone who missed our Technology on Tap event can review the keynote presentation materials from the Avaya DevConnect portal [https://devconnect.avaya.com/public/dyn/d_dyn.jsp?fn=306]. And, of course, experience Avaya web.alive for yourself by visiting http://www.avayalive.com to access our demo environments.

Jon Alperin
Managing Director, Avaya DevConnect

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Myriad of Mobile ALM Advantages According to DeviceAnywhere's Leila Modarres

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:28:50 -0600

DeviceAnywhere, a privately held company in San Mateo, considered the industry leader in mobile application lifecycle management, was awarded the the 2011 Frost & Sullivan Global Customer Value Enhancement Award for being a pioneer in Mobile Application Lifecycle Management (mALM). DeviceAnywhere was presented this honor, not only because of its leading position in the mALM market, but also its demonstrated excellence in implementing strategies that proactively create value for customers. It is also actively participating in one of 2011's most exciting conferences and expos in Austin, Texas ... ITEXPO West, September 13-15th.

The CEO Faraz Syed is a presenter on the Enterprise Track panel discussion titled 'Managing the Deluge of Third-Party Devices and Apps in the Enterprise', and the mobile industry trailblazer is also giving live demos at booth number 325 in the Exhibition Hall at the Austin Convention Center.

AstraQom's VP of Business Development interviewed Leila Modarres, DeviceAnywhere's VP of Marketing to share information about DeviceAnywhere, mobile testing, and mALM. The audio podcast is sponsored by DIDX.net and AstraQom.com and is available for download in part one and part two to mp3 players, laptops, tablets, smartphones and other devices for listening to and learning from online and offline on DIDX, AstraQom, and iTunes podcast channels.

First, in an attempt to be as neutral as possible, let's learn from a third party, what is mobile Application Lifecycle Management (ALM)? Wikpedia crowd-sourcers say it is a continuous process of managing the life of an application through governance, development and maintenance. ALM is the marriage of business management to software engineering made possible by tools that facilitate and integrate requirements of management of architecture, coding, testing, tracking, and release. It increases productivity of developers, improves quality to better meet needs and expections of users, removes time wasted on maintenance, and increases flexibility to support new business initiative.

In an effort, again, to do my best to provide a balanced view of topics on the blog Monetizing IP Communications, I asked my network on Twitter if mobile applications lifecycle management is really the best way to go ... or does it just increase vendor lock-in and cause single point of failure (two main arguments of naysayers)? Why or why not? No responses yet.

Meanwhile, back to Ms. Modarres! She has ten years of extensive marketing, communications and public relations experience and management roles with startups and multi-national companies such as Virtual Iron and InnerWireless. Some of the strategic partners she was instrumental in gaining, include IBM, Intel, HP, AMD, EMC Corporation, and Agilent Technologies. DeviceAnywhere serves highly respected entities such as Allstate, McAfee, Best Buy, MTV, Facebook, GE Healthcare and eBay's Rent.com.

Leila Modarres states, "The area that we are focusing on is to offer an environment that enables clients to test and 'QA' their applications to make sure they perform up to par and are reliable across the many different devices, platforms, and carriers."

She adds later in the audio podcast, "Everyone wants to offer some aspect of their product and service on mobile platforms. That has evolved. It is not just about games and other consumer-oriented applications, but also many enterprises have adopted mobile [in-house] to ensure that employees are empowered 'on the go.' Some examples might be salesforce.com, CRM and ERP type applications. Clients go to DeviceAnywhere to make sure that applications are secure, reliable and are working properly."

Mobile application lifecyle managment is known for enhanced testing and collaboration tools that save time and reduce expenses. How? Problems are reproduced and studied by experts and making clear proof of failures and online handset sharing. For example, devices can be tested with DeviceAnywhere by plugging them directly into a computer, in a shared lab environment, or hosted by DeviceAnywhere.

Dan Shey, ABI Research states, "DeviceAnywhere addresses the short-term and long-term needs of businesses committed to mobilizing their workforce. They have been in the mobile application testing business longer than any other supplier, and offer the broadest portfolio of services," in whitepaper titled "Is Your Business Ready for Mobile?"

Leila and I discuss much more, but there are some things that we agree are a reality, and also that DeviceAnywhere performs an integral part for companies' success. First, when organization or individual users try to use an application on a mobile device and have problems with it, a likely result is that they will leave and go to a competitor. Second, many activities on mobile devices need quality security such as when it involves transferring funds and dealing with sensitive customer information.

Feel free to listen to the podcast in parts ONE and TWO with Leila Modarres of DeviceAnywhere and me Suzanne Bowen of AstraQom. The podcasts are sponsored by AstraQom (innovative hosted provider and social media niche partner) and DIDX (wholesale marketplace for buy/sell DID among 20K USA and international IP communications providers).

]]> Tags: Application lifecycle management, Business, conference, DeviceAnywhere, IBM, itexpo, leila modarres, Mobile Computing, mobile testing Related tags: mobile application, lifecycle management, leila modarres, application lifecycle, third party, mobile

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Help ITEXPO West Keep Austin Weird and Wonderful

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 09:59:17 -0600

Image by anjan58 via Flickr

I thought New Orleans is the eclectic city, my favorite place to feel history, go artsy, and dance like a maniac. The Big Easy does have the funky hip aura and plenty of humidity to keep your skin young feeling. But Austin? Austin is cowboy culture, but it's not redneck. Like are vegetarians not welcome? They are, but if you love beef, you are in heaven. And do I like country music? Yes, as long as I can choose the country.

In Austin, you'll find the best from Latin to Tex-Mex (rancheros and cumbias), rock and roll, American country to folk, blues and more.
You must visit 6th Street. It is the main party street in Austin, the place to see and be seen. It's right alongside the University of Texas campus and the Texas State Capitol building. Darn near every restaurant chain in the universe has a franchise in Austin, but do yourself a favor and savor the locally owned places. Let's keep Austin weird! :-D

Speaking of that, you must get t-shirts for everyone back home with 'Keep Austin weird' on it. I have one. Austin defines 'weird' as the patronage of the locally owned businesses, especially in the midst of the increase of 'McDonaldficationism' in the lovely city.

Round Rock Donuts is an experience you don't want to miss, but first run a 1/2 marathon. It is about 20 miles from the Austin Convention Center in Round Rock at 16 W. Liberty Street. Fantastic doughnuts of all sizes and flavors, but my husband's favorite is the one that was as big as a 33 rpm (long play record) or one of them is the same as 6-8 standard-sized doughnuts. Another great tummy filler is the Salt Lick BBQ near the Dell Field ball park on 3350 Palm Valley Blvd in Round Rock. They offer family style dining with all you can eat barbeque platter including sausage, ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and shredded beef. They also let you order single serving platters or sandwiches if your appetite isn't that big or you're making up for yesterday's caloric indulgences.

And ... you must try the chicken-fried steak at any local restaurant. I found another food that deserves the title 'Ambrosia.' Do it once, take a picture, and upload to your favorite social network.

An episode of Man vs. Food about Austin, Texas food scene is on Travel Channel right now, Sept. 3, 2011 at 9 AM CST, but do a search on Man vs. Food if you missed it.

How about the traffic? Hey, it's a big city. Highways are crowded. Be prepared to use Frontage Roads, and GPS is your friend. The local bus system is called Capital Metro. The 20-year transit plan for the system includes expanded local and express bus service, new rapid bus service, and a 32-mile urban commuter rail starter line along Capital Metro's existing freight tracks, as well as access to land next to the tracks to create hike and bike trails. My husband ran some of those trails in the Northeast area of Austin. It was a little hilly, but nice sidewalks and trails that would be perfect in his opinon for the total package.

What are some of the favorite IP communications and technology businesses, headquartered in Austin? Starview Solutions is one, and it is one of the sponsors of StartupCamp4 during ITEXPO West in Austin 2011. I met them during a Telecom One on One event. Another is Spiceworks who I remember meeting at a previous ITEXPO. I still have that cool 'Keeping it Spicy' t-shirt that I traded two DIDX bling bling mobile phone pouches. Spiceworks, BTW, is written in Ruby on Rails, and runs on Microsoft Windows.

One last comment ... companies participating in ITEXPO West Sept. 13, - 15, 2011 in Austin, Texas ... have your ladies RSVP for the Women in Telecom and Tech Breakfast. The seats are filling fast. Many thanks to Xorcom of Australia, AstraQom of Canada, The SIP School of UK, and DIDX of USA for sponsoring the event. Inquiries about sponsoring or participating in the breakfast can go to me on Linkedin or Twitter. Thanks so much to TMCNET for also publicizing this meetup.

]]> Tags: astraqom, austin, Business and Economy, camp, conference, didx, food, itexpo, restaurants, startup, texas, the sip school, voip, women in technology, xorcom Related tags: austin weird, austin convention, headquartered israel, australia xorcom, locally owned, austin

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Filling October 2010 with Face to Face Yes I Want to Do Business - May 27, 2010

You, the VIP, Meet Up at ITEXPO on Peering - Oct 03, 2010

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Comments on this Entry:

(Ruth Bridger on Sep 4, 2011 9:33 AM)

Hi Suzanne,
I'm really looking forward to networking with other ladies in our field at the "Women in Telecom and Tech Breakfast" scheduled for Tuesday morning, Sept. 13 in the Austin Convention Center. Just to set the record straight, although we have some great resellers in Australia, Xorcom is actually headquartered in Israel, with offices in Phoenix, AZ and Cookeville, TN.
See you next week!
-Ruth

(Ruth Bridger on Sep 7, 2011 4:05 AM)

We're very excited to be taking part in the IT EXPO -- thanks for filling me in about other opportunities for fun and networking at the show. BTW, although we do have some great partners in Australia, Xorcom is headquartered in Israel...

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Extracurricular Social Events during ITEXPO West 2011

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:31:30 -0600

Sept. 12, 2011 Monday
7 - 9:30 PM ... Avaya Technology on Tap Presentation and Reception

Sept. 13, 2011 Tuesday
8 - 9 AM ... Women in Telecom & Technology Breakfast sponsored by AstraQom, and Xorcom at the Austin Convention Center | 500 E Cesar Chavez | Austin, TX 78701. RSVP on Twitter to Suzanne Bowen to join us and/or be a co-sponsor.

5:30 - 7:30 PM ... ITEXPO Open Networking & Cocktails sponsored by Interact

Sept. 14, 2011 Wednesday
4 - 6 PM Microsoft Lync Mixer sponsored by strategic Microsoft partners: ScanSource Communications, AudioCodes, Plantronics, and Polycom. RSVP to email sent today (Sept. 6). Visit the Lync Lounge and register to win an Xbox 360 Gaming System.

4 - 7:30 PM ... Startup Camp4 sponsored by RackSpace, OpenTok, Skype, StarView Solutions, and Twilio ... starts with Open Networking & Cocktails.

9 PM - midnight Rock with the Spazmatics at the ITEXPO party, Cedar Street Courtyard, 208 West 4th Street, Warehouse District, Austin, Texas. Only speakers, exhibitors, exhibitor staff, and/or paid conference attendees can go. There is no method to buy just a party pass. Sponsored by Taqua, VocalTec and inference solutions.

Sept. 15, 2011 Thursday

Sept. 16, 2011 Friday

Sept. 13-15
ITEXPO West in Austin, Texas includes 16 co-located events.

Contact with info to add to this list on Twitter @suzannebowen or suzanne at astraqom.com. ITEXPO West is scheduled September 13-15, 2011 in Austin, Texas. More information to sponsor, exhibit, present and participate in other ways is at http://www.itexpo.com.

]]> Tags: agenda, breakfasts, conference, dinners, itexpo, Jeff Lawson, parties, RackSpace, receptions, Skype, Twilio, Voice over IP Related tags: austin texas, networking cocktails, itexpo, austin, sponsored, texas

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Help ITEXPO West Keep Austin Weird and Wonderful - Sep 03, 2011

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Filling October 2010 with Face to Face Yes I Want to Do Business - May 27, 2010

Bring the Best of the West to CommunicAsia Conference: You! - Apr 13, 2010

Advice from Barcelonians During Your GSMA Conference Stay - Feb 04, 2010

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Forget Phone Numbers; Dial VIP by Name

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:41:55 -0600

First, contact me to meet up at ITEXPO West September 13-15, 2011 in Austin, Texas. I'm on Linkedin where you can message me.

Related websites:
SpellDial (Albert Padin is the young 20 something year old entrepreneur and founder of the company and service. It even has an API you can play with.)
PinoyKubo (The popular social network and media community for Filipinas, Filipinos, and anyone who just enjoys The Philippines culture, Tagalog and other languages, business, art, and more.)
MoMo (We think SpellDial should apply for a Mobile Monday Peer Award for 2011.)
Complete unabridged SpellDial audio podcast between Suzanne Bowen of AstraQom and PinoyKubo and Albert Padin of Spell Dial ...