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October 08, 2007
The Newsletter vol 2.
Foreword - Carl’s Corner keeps growing smaller.
Thank you to the few of you that started reading my blog. I believe I am up to seven, but one of my relatives is ill, and may not be looking all the time ;<). Seriously, I am still posting at http: //carlscorner.pulver.com . Sorry about the bad link posted in the last issue. I am also posting to http: //pulcom.ning.com , but as you will read I think I am looking for a new social network strategy.
- NING is PINGING me off
- If I were dating Facebook
- More on the Verizon
- Standards and the Never Ending Story
- Five Interesting Aspects of VON.
- NING is PINGING me off
I have been preparing for Fall VON in Boston by setting up the templates for all the slides to be available to the delegates. I have made a commitment that almost of my time will be with the delegates in session breakouts. As the alumni know, I have been splitting my time between the exhibit floor, sales office and conference the last couple of years. We now have sufficient support in the company, I can hang out and get the immediate feedback of being with the delegates. It will be good to be in the midst of the networking again. But recognizing that I am only one person, I have been trying to set up a pulvermedia community site at http: //pulcom.ning.com . However, in the midst of setting up the templates the system gave another corrupted data error. And then Ning went to equivalent of a test pattern.
As you may have read last time, I get supported via email from these maniacs, and now that they are down as well as my site . . . I was not even sure I should waste my time e-mailing. To me an email blast saying, ”Yes we know we are down” should be basic.” I have looked at some other sites, but requirements for huge files being uploaded (e.g., powerpoint slides). If you want to join me there, you are welcome, if its not up look for information on my blog on the status and the potential relocation.
- If I were dating Facebook
I have gotten some grief in the past, for a gender bias in these types of discussions, so I am going to be gender neutral. If a gender neutral person went out to dinner with Facebook, what would be your impression. Well the conversation would be about people you know in common and there you could feel the discussion turn competitive. Do you know so and so, they were just here or there and they did this and that. You would get the sense that Facebook knew them. But then you would inevitably find a person or two in common. “Oh yes, I know them too.” But Facebook would be show less interest in that specific person. Like an Attention Deficient Disorder victim, the conversation could not turn to focus on that person.
The result of the date would be an memorable experience, but would you want to have a permanent relationship. As I am discussing my troubles with Ning, the universal response is Facebook. But it’s not a real solution. IMHO, at the end of the day the group is not a location on Facebook, it’s a passing fancy for Facebook. I have joined several groups on facebook, and it’s a great way to meet people with common interest, but I don’t think the interest lasts.
- More on the Verizon
I mentioned that Verizon was going through a regime change, I just want to tell you about the new players. The Top Post under Ivan is no longer the fixed line side but Dennis F. Strigl
President and Chief Operating Officer Verizon Communications. Now remember Verizon is in the process of selling off a good chunk of northern portion of what was formerly known as New England Telephone.
Dennis F. Strigl “is responsible for the operations of Verizon's network businesses -- Verizon Wireless, Verizon Telecom and Verizon Business -- as well as Verizon Services Operations, which provides financial, real estate and other functional services to all of the corporation’s operations.” “Strigl is widely recognized as one of the most prominent architects of the wireless communications industry.”
And speaking of architects, Richard J. Lynch is now the Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer atVerizon Communications, who in “this role he is responsible for technology direction and network planning for [ALL] the Verizon business units.” He led the company in its move to Cellular Digital Packet Data [CDPD], Code Division Multiple Access [CDMA] and EV-DO; his profile goes on to say that “Under Lynch, the Verizon Wireless network attained the distinction of quality and reliability which has formed the basis for the very well known “Can you hear me now?” advertising campaign.
Which brings us to John G. Stratton, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, who introduced [Verizon]’s well-known “Can You Hear Me Now?” campaign and established itself as the number-one brand among wireless consumers in the United States. These gentleman are leading the blending of the fixed and wireless companies, which has resulted in the first quad play offer. Its should be interesting to see what else they deliver in the next few years. These moves in place, convergence of management is happening.
PS Gentleman there is a free pass waiting for all of you to come to VON
- Standards and the Never Ending Story
The e-mail dialogue between some friends yielded this gem, thanks to Jiri Kuthan of Tekelec. The discussion was about the standards bodies collecting useless standards that take a serious turn for trivial. He suggested that what happens is analogous to the Nothing destroying the possibilities in the Never Ending Story. .
In, Michael Ende's "The Never Ending Story", the kingdom is destroyed by folks without fantasy, the main character michael is pressured to give up the fantasy and focus on nothing but process. Often is how the standards get thwarted since the focus goes to process and not to the merit of a concept.
If the Nothing had consciousness, you could see the move to the standards was genious. So many brilliant ideas materialize out of the "thin air", the Nothing looks to be conscious. Those who think the way to brilliance is to focus on thin air... See Nothing and declare it good.
- Five Interesting Aspects of VON.
Jeff and I had a discussion about the show and what is new, we talked about five specific areas that are interesgting.
First was the Innovators track which has some new service demos, a live mashup and an unconference.
Can you embrace the pulver challenge being worked in a Mashup?
The second trend is the battle for the Internet is not over its just migrated to the wireless network. While Google is not speaking at the show; Google's efforts for a net neutral WiMax will be in the midst of the discussion by the IPs.. Including Anand Chandrasekher the SVP / GM of Intel; Tero Ojanpserä the CTO of Nokia, Ali Tabassi the WiMAX master of Sprint, and Adrian Scarse the 3GPP Secretariat from ETSI. These are not lightweight speakers and collectively represent half a trillion worth of investment strategy.
And speaking of Nokia, Tero is talking about the all the opportunities represented from an open socially mobile Internet. While the battle about Net Neutrality has calmed down the battle of the Titans: Cable vs Telco will be well represened by the ILECs Triple Play speakers. Note: Open invites for Cable Operators has been extended..
Which brings us to the fifth theme, the use of the home network to support a personal base station. These base stations which back haul on your broadband Internet access are called femtocells. Daniel Hesse, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Embarq Corporation may be sharing some of his thoughts about how they are integrating to this nascent technology. This technology is so recent we have a hidden sixth track you can find including its own tutorial preconference.
So at 60,000 feet VON is converging the cool applications folkd with the Mobile Internet transport that makes for a good future. Should be a great show.
- I thank you for the notes.
If you have a comment, engage with me on the websites. Some friends responded with links and notes to me. However, I would rather you post to the blog [http://carlscorner.pulver.com and / or the social network http://pulcom.ning.com .
I look forward to hearing / seeing from you.
Kind Regards,
carl
PS The VON Umbrella is extensive this Fall Here are all the shows
http://www.von.com/2007/boston/web/
http://www.digiumasteriskworld.com/2007/boston/web/
http://www.mobilesecuritycon.com/2007/boston/web/
http://www.unifiedcommunicationscon.com/2007/boston/web/
http://www.videoonthenet.com/2007/boston/web
http://www.vondex.net/2007/boston/web/
PPS Jeff is going out partying on Halloween if you are joining him go to this link http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=5865456793
Posted by carl at October 8, 2007 12:35 AM
Comments
Hi Carl - I am not sure if I am part of the seven that you count - you might have more.
Just a quick note about your Facebook comments - I do not have as much experience as you with it, so I will reserve judgment (a little bit). But the way that Facebook is "appearing" all over the place (mainstream media or the zillions of strange and increasingly irrelevant apps, for instance) causes me to think we are seeing a bubble. A part of it that makes me smile is how the traditional users of Facebook (i.e. college-age folks) are getting annoyed that their older relatives are suddenly friending them... I would expect the early users to be migrating to something else soon. Finally, I find it a little bit embarrassing when I friend a business colleague who may have been using Facebook for a while and is "Looking for a Relationship."
Never mind the werewolves and vampires.
I think we have some additional progress to be made here.
See you in Boston!
Posted by: Bob Logan at October 9, 2007 10:43 AM