David Byrd : Raven Call
David Byrd
David Byrd is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer for Raven Guru Marketing. Previously, he was the CMO and EVP of Sales for CloudRoute. Prior to CloudRoute, He was CMO at ANPI, CMO & EVP of Sales at Broadvox, VP of channels and Alliances for Telcordia and Director of eBusiness development with i2 Technologies.He has also held executive positions with Planet Hollywood Online, Hewlett-Packard, Tandem Computers, Sprint and Ericsson.
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August 2011

You are browsing the archive for August 2011.

The Invention of Steve Jobs

August 31, 2011

Steve Jobs changed the way we view computers and technology. Since his resignation I have heard him compared to Michelangelo, Edison and Ford. The accolades seem to increase in volume and intensity with each passing day. At first, I readily accepted the label of genius being applied to a man such as Steve Jobs. However, as I have allowed the days to pass perhaps he is more accurately described as a very special human being, an inventor and an incredible entrepreneur.

Jobs has approached the running of Apple, Pixar and even NeXT with passion and vision.

Slow, Steady and Fast

August 29, 2011

Crazy weekend for food, it was, even for me. I was on the road all of last week in Nashville for ILTA 2011 and Chicago for Channel Partners. In Nashville, I ordered hot fried chicken which is quite popular in the region. It was interesting but seems to focus more on heat than flavor.

Finally, the Complete Top Ten Criteria for Selecting an ITSP

August 26, 2011

Finally, the Complete Top Ten Criteria for Selecting an ITSP

The first seven criteria covered in this week’s blog series for internet service provider selection were:

  1. Competitive Compensation
  2. Customizable Product Solutions
  3. Interoperability

.

.

.

  1. Tools
  2. Support
  3. Customer Experience 
  4.  Certification

And now that I know how I should have done this let’s conclude with 6 thru 4.

Letterman I am not

August 24, 2011

Okay so when you decide to do a Top 10 list you are suppose to start with number 10. This, of course, generates an increased level of interest and ends the count with a bang. I blew that since I started with number one. Lesson learned as I am going to skip to seven through ten and provide the middle group on Friday.

Wanted Good Food and an ITSP

August 22, 2011

Over the weekend we enjoyed Tex-Mex at a local restaurant. Gay ordered her usual chimichanga and I order four different enchiladas. Now before you think I gorged myself, remember that I will over order when I am interested in trying several new foods. The four enchiladas allowed me to try their beef, chicken, pork and surprisingly good spinach enchiladas.

But Wait! There's More!

August 19, 2011

Earlier this week both at home and at the office we did a series of “But Wait! There’s More!” jokes. And today as I considered a subject for my blog I ran across a blog by Dan Jacobson using the phrase. His blog was of interest to me not because he used that famous infomercial phrase but because he was discussing a white paper issued by Ovum earlier this year about the second wave of SIP Trunking.

Brick and Mortar is Dead! Long Live Brick and Mortar!

August 17, 2011

In the late 90’s it was popular to refer to physical stores as “brick and mortar”. Furthermore, those companies that had physical presences were the future dinosaurs of our economy. The era of the Internet and IP communications was beginning and it would unstoppable as the choice for consumer purchases. Therefore, it is a little bit ironic when the greatest known virtual presence on the planet decides to purchase a “brick and mortar” asset.

Game Changer

August 15, 2011

I went into the weekend with a serious desire to fix a cheese soufflé but alas it will have to wait until Wednesday. Saturday morning I made a breakfast pizza using tortillas. Starting with a simple base of a tomato sauce, sausage, three cheeses and an egg on top, I cooked it until the egg white was set leaving the yolk still soft and creamy. It was tasty.

Unleash the Hounds

August 12, 2011

Odd that in the same week we have very differing aspects of the value of social media and both relate to emergency situations. During the current crisis in Britain, social media is actively used to promote, invite and expand the areas of rioting around London. Texting via SMS and Twitter are used so effectively that the initial reaction of the authorities was to request a shutdown of the RIM’s BlackBerry texting services. With more than 45 million users globally, RIM faced the task of how to shut down the service limiting the geography to Great Britain or all of London.

The Diminishing SIP Trunk, Not!

August 10, 2011

Recently, I have read multiple blogs and articles devaluing the role and savings associated with SIP Trunks. In each case I found the logic used compelling but the conclusion somewhat missing the mark. SIP Trunking, as exclaimed by ShoreTel for years, is not required for a Unified Communications (UC) implementation. However, there is a difference between a requirement and a desired component.

Napoleonic Dreams

August 8, 2011

Finding a title for today’s blog was more difficult than usual. That stems mostly from my choice of recipe of the week. I hope you don’t think it unbecoming of a foodie due to its simplicity. Naturally, the weekend was full of great food, French toast with strawberries, deep fried soft-shelled crab, trout stuffed with salmon mousse and hollandaise sauce and a breakfast Napoleon.

Today, I am Being Social

August 5, 2011

Social media continues to generate headlines exclaiming its growth and business relevance. While I cannot, have not, and will never argue it is not growing at a fast clip, its business relevance has always been in question. However, recent events have finally, established for me the business relevance of social media.

First, I must expose my lack of use of social media broadly.

Measuring Broadband America

August 3, 2011

The report “Measuring Broadband America” by the FCC is an exercise in navel gazing. Previously, I have pointed out that it is important to analyze availability, speed and price or ASP. This report looks only at speed which in the US is abysmal compared to other industrialized and developing nations. Recently, I had lunch with a businessman from the Ukraine.

Smoky Backyards and Back Rooms

August 1, 2011

I had a series of grilling moments this weekend beginning with a London broil. Although, the original London broil was made with flank steak, most sold today consists of top sirloin or round steak. It needs to be marinated in olive oil, garlic and lemon juice or vinegar overnight. Next grilled over high heat to medium rare and sliced as thinly as possible against the grain.

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