I posted the other day about a new venture I've been working on, and it's just about ready to go. It's been a busy few weeks on a few fronts, as I've been exploring some new avenues to grow my business.
For now, I can just tell you I'm about to launch a new venture with a couple of partners that's focused on the Smart Grid space. We believe there's a great opportunity waiting to happen at the intersection of energy and communications. Smart Grid is a big deal, not just to bring the massive infrastructure side of energy transmision and distribution into the 21st century, but also the whole new world of communications services that's going to open up, especially in the home.
To me, it sounds like telecom/VoIP all over again, as utilities need to bring IP and digital technologies into the fold, and with it a whole new business opportunity on many fronts. We think we're on to something good here, and feel the time is right to build the community as well as provide a forum to drive change and shape the future.
There's a unique opportunity to integrate the best of IP communications technologies with intelligent energy management, and we plan to be in the middle of it. This venture will be the bridge to bring these worlds together, and we think a lot of you out there will want to be part of it.
That's all I can say for now, but more detail will be coming very soon!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Google Wave - Good News or Bad News for Carriers?
My current Service Provider Views column on TMCnet is running now. I've had some exposure to Google Wave recently, and it sure has a lot of possibilities. I've taken a first cut at this in the column, especially in terms of what it could mean for service providers. There's a lot to consider, and I have some follow up pieces in mind for future columns, so this won't be the end of it.
It's very early days yet, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on Wave - so please give the column a read, and let me know.
It's very early days yet, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on Wave - so please give the column a read, and let me know.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Been Busy
Just poking my head up to let you know I haven't gone away. Blogging has taken a back seat the past few days to more important things, but I'll be back on track any day now. Am working on some new initiatives that I'll have more to say about as they take shape. Also have my hands full with some project work that is nearing completion, and it's also summer, right? Stay tuned...
Monday, July 6, 2009
Baseball Time - Red Sox/Yankees - Separated At Birth?
I haven't posted much on baseball lately, but coming out of the July 4 weekend and being exactly at the mid-point of the schedule, it's a good time to evaluate the Red Sox season so far.
In absolute terms, they're a bit ahead from this point last year, although with the WBC, they've played 10 less games compared to 2008. We're 17 games above .500 now, compared to 14 over this time last year (and should be at least 20). The big difference is Tampa Bay, who were 23 games over last year, and 5 games in front of us. They've come back to earth this year, and we're clinging to a 1 game lead over NY, with TB being 6 back. I still think the Rays will stay in the race, but the magic just isn't there this time.
Last year, absolutely everything went right for them, and I don't think they had any key injuries. On the other hand, nobody had a career year for them, so most people figured they would be even better this year. As a team, the Rays just seem to be missing something this year (not to mention fans), but interestingly, there's at least one Ray near or at the top of every individual performance category this year. Strange. Enough about them...
On a good day, it's easy to pick the Sox as the AL frontrunner, and then how can you NOT think ahead to the possibility of a Red Sox - Dodgers WS with Manny and Joe Torre? A bit like dreaming of another Celtics-Lakers final - maybe next year for that one.
The problem is the Red Sox are a true Jekyll-Hyde team, and they have their share of bad days, when they are just so laughably lame. I don't know how this can be, and you never know when their mojo is working, but there's not much middle ground with this team. When they're on, they ARE the best team in baseball - everybody hits, each day it's a different hero, the defence is sound, and the relievers do their job. But then you see the team that showed up against the lowly Orioles and Mariners during 4 of the last 5 games and then you see just how vulnerable they can be when the mojo goes missing. How many times did Bay and Youkilis strike out over that stretch? What happened to Mr. MVP, Pedroia? How many rallies did Ellsbury and Drew kill? And it didn't matter who got the ball in the bullpen - NOBODY could get the job done. Not even Paps for that ugly, historic 11-10 meltdown. Scary.
That brings us to the Yankees, who almost got their share of first place yesterday. Both teams trailed in their games yesterday, but the Sox rallied and held on to their 8-4 lead, while the Jays could not, and dropped their 3rd straight to NY, 10-8. Ugh. I know this is hard to say, but right now the Yankees are the best team in the AL - they know how to win with clutch hits, late rallies, and lately a solid bullpen. However, as we know, they have their flaws and streaks, and at the season mid-point, I really don't see much to choose between them and the Sox. I really wonder sometimes if these teams were separated at birth, and of course if you're from the Northeast, these things matter - big time. Anyhow, just a few things to consider along these lines....
Both starting rotations have not performed as expected.
Both have a top starter that has lost it for the time being and nobody is sure what the problem is - Dice-K and Wang.
Both have great closers who save almost every game they pitch, but have had their lapses and blown winnable games.
Both have aging DH's who are on the decline and can't really contribute on the field.
Both have elite players at first base.
Both have solid third basemen who are coming off hip surgery. No doubt that A-Rod is the better player, but he's streaky.
Both have aging catchers who can still come up with clutch hits.
Both have had pleasant surprises - who expected Damon to still be hitting home runs? Who knew Gardner was so fast? Nick Green being Boston's best clutch hitter?
Both teams have solid, dependable players - not flashy, but real pros. For the Yankees Jeter and Cano - for the Sox, Pedroia and Bay (and at times, Drew).
Both are solid at home, but also play well on the road.
As much as I love the Red Sox - and hate the Yankees - it's really hard to say right now who's the better team. Offensively, the Sox have more balance and speed, but the Yanks have more power. Both starting rotations should have 2-3 20 game winner each, but I doubt either will produce even 1. The Sox have more question marks in terms of players who are on the decline or playing below their potential - Ortiz, Lowell, Drew, Varitek and Ellsbury. Shortstop remains a work in progress, but I think we're past the worst of it, and I don't think that spot will cost us any more games now. The only tangible edge I can see is our bullpen, which until recently has been the best in baseball. But when you see these recent blowups you have to wonder, and if we lose that edge, I think the Yankees have the upper hand.
We may have a tangible edge with the bullpen, but the Yankees have the intangible edge that will trump everything if our bullpen falters big time. Winning is simply in their DNA - they have the killer instinct and know how to win when the going gets tough. Just like the Celtics and just like the Canadiens. Every sport has its one killer franchise, and the Red Sox know this better than anybody.
The Yankees have mental toughness in spades, and don't let our 8-0 mark against them this year fool you. Five of those games were at home, and many came before A-Rod was in the lineup. I fully expect they'll split the remaining games, and I think we're going to be in for a great second half of the season. The Jays and the Rays will kill each other off and will do their share of damage to keep the Sox and Yankees in check.
The biggest wildcard I see right now would be a trade to change the balance of power. It's very possible the Sox will panic and give up some pitching to get a solid power bat. Without Nady, the Yankees are thin in the outfield and the bench, and may deal for a swingman. Both teams have holes, but both teams are very good when everybody shows up. Since they both lack the consistency we've seen from the Dodgers all year, there's no way to tell who's really the better team. They can get hot or tank at any time, and it all comes down to which team plays well in the big games. I'm pretty sure both will make the playoffs, but beyond that it's a coin toss. Who do you like?
In absolute terms, they're a bit ahead from this point last year, although with the WBC, they've played 10 less games compared to 2008. We're 17 games above .500 now, compared to 14 over this time last year (and should be at least 20). The big difference is Tampa Bay, who were 23 games over last year, and 5 games in front of us. They've come back to earth this year, and we're clinging to a 1 game lead over NY, with TB being 6 back. I still think the Rays will stay in the race, but the magic just isn't there this time.
Last year, absolutely everything went right for them, and I don't think they had any key injuries. On the other hand, nobody had a career year for them, so most people figured they would be even better this year. As a team, the Rays just seem to be missing something this year (not to mention fans), but interestingly, there's at least one Ray near or at the top of every individual performance category this year. Strange. Enough about them...
On a good day, it's easy to pick the Sox as the AL frontrunner, and then how can you NOT think ahead to the possibility of a Red Sox - Dodgers WS with Manny and Joe Torre? A bit like dreaming of another Celtics-Lakers final - maybe next year for that one.
The problem is the Red Sox are a true Jekyll-Hyde team, and they have their share of bad days, when they are just so laughably lame. I don't know how this can be, and you never know when their mojo is working, but there's not much middle ground with this team. When they're on, they ARE the best team in baseball - everybody hits, each day it's a different hero, the defence is sound, and the relievers do their job. But then you see the team that showed up against the lowly Orioles and Mariners during 4 of the last 5 games and then you see just how vulnerable they can be when the mojo goes missing. How many times did Bay and Youkilis strike out over that stretch? What happened to Mr. MVP, Pedroia? How many rallies did Ellsbury and Drew kill? And it didn't matter who got the ball in the bullpen - NOBODY could get the job done. Not even Paps for that ugly, historic 11-10 meltdown. Scary.
That brings us to the Yankees, who almost got their share of first place yesterday. Both teams trailed in their games yesterday, but the Sox rallied and held on to their 8-4 lead, while the Jays could not, and dropped their 3rd straight to NY, 10-8. Ugh. I know this is hard to say, but right now the Yankees are the best team in the AL - they know how to win with clutch hits, late rallies, and lately a solid bullpen. However, as we know, they have their flaws and streaks, and at the season mid-point, I really don't see much to choose between them and the Sox. I really wonder sometimes if these teams were separated at birth, and of course if you're from the Northeast, these things matter - big time. Anyhow, just a few things to consider along these lines....
Both starting rotations have not performed as expected.
Both have a top starter that has lost it for the time being and nobody is sure what the problem is - Dice-K and Wang.
Both have great closers who save almost every game they pitch, but have had their lapses and blown winnable games.
Both have aging DH's who are on the decline and can't really contribute on the field.
Both have elite players at first base.
Both have solid third basemen who are coming off hip surgery. No doubt that A-Rod is the better player, but he's streaky.
Both have aging catchers who can still come up with clutch hits.
Both have had pleasant surprises - who expected Damon to still be hitting home runs? Who knew Gardner was so fast? Nick Green being Boston's best clutch hitter?
Both teams have solid, dependable players - not flashy, but real pros. For the Yankees Jeter and Cano - for the Sox, Pedroia and Bay (and at times, Drew).
Both are solid at home, but also play well on the road.
As much as I love the Red Sox - and hate the Yankees - it's really hard to say right now who's the better team. Offensively, the Sox have more balance and speed, but the Yanks have more power. Both starting rotations should have 2-3 20 game winner each, but I doubt either will produce even 1. The Sox have more question marks in terms of players who are on the decline or playing below their potential - Ortiz, Lowell, Drew, Varitek and Ellsbury. Shortstop remains a work in progress, but I think we're past the worst of it, and I don't think that spot will cost us any more games now. The only tangible edge I can see is our bullpen, which until recently has been the best in baseball. But when you see these recent blowups you have to wonder, and if we lose that edge, I think the Yankees have the upper hand.
We may have a tangible edge with the bullpen, but the Yankees have the intangible edge that will trump everything if our bullpen falters big time. Winning is simply in their DNA - they have the killer instinct and know how to win when the going gets tough. Just like the Celtics and just like the Canadiens. Every sport has its one killer franchise, and the Red Sox know this better than anybody.
The Yankees have mental toughness in spades, and don't let our 8-0 mark against them this year fool you. Five of those games were at home, and many came before A-Rod was in the lineup. I fully expect they'll split the remaining games, and I think we're going to be in for a great second half of the season. The Jays and the Rays will kill each other off and will do their share of damage to keep the Sox and Yankees in check.
The biggest wildcard I see right now would be a trade to change the balance of power. It's very possible the Sox will panic and give up some pitching to get a solid power bat. Without Nady, the Yankees are thin in the outfield and the bench, and may deal for a swingman. Both teams have holes, but both teams are very good when everybody shows up. Since they both lack the consistency we've seen from the Dodgers all year, there's no way to tell who's really the better team. They can get hot or tank at any time, and it all comes down to which team plays well in the big games. I'm pretty sure both will make the playoffs, but beyond that it's a coin toss. Who do you like?
Friday, July 3, 2009
June Media Roundup
This is the first month in a very long time I wasn't cited in any articles. I spoke with the media a few times, but these ended up being for longer features which won't run until July or later. On the other hand, I was busier than ever producing original content in June, and on the whole I feel it was a pretty productive month in terms of keeping my profile out there and contributing my ideas to the industry.
I'll start with the most visible activity - my SIP Trunking webinar with Mitel. That took place on Tuesday, and just over 1,000 people registered. If you missed it, the archived version will be ready any day now, and will be accessible for 90 days. All registrants will receive a copy of the slides from Mitel, along with a companion white paper that I'm wrapping up just now.
- SIP Trunking - More Than Just Cost Savings
Next - TechTarget. I'm a regular contributor to their Ask The Expert feature, and they recently engaged me for some more extensive work. The outputs were published in late June, consisting of a white paper and a podcast. To access these you need to register on their site, but this just takes a minute.
- eGuide/white paper: Connecting and Leveraging VoIP Islands
- podcast: The Benefits of VoIP Islands
My regular bi-monthly Service Provider Views columns ran on TMCnet:
- Q&A with Telanetix - Why Hosted Services are Gaining Adoption
- What Service Providers and Auto Makers Can Learn From Each Other
June also marked my debut column on The Mark - Canada's answer to the Huffington Post:
- On the Future of the Automobile (and Telecom, Too)
Finally, I was cited in a press release about an Advisory role I've taken on with a U.K. consultancy, MeDe8 Group Ltd. You'll be hearing and seeing more about this over the next few months.
I'll start with the most visible activity - my SIP Trunking webinar with Mitel. That took place on Tuesday, and just over 1,000 people registered. If you missed it, the archived version will be ready any day now, and will be accessible for 90 days. All registrants will receive a copy of the slides from Mitel, along with a companion white paper that I'm wrapping up just now.
- SIP Trunking - More Than Just Cost Savings
Next - TechTarget. I'm a regular contributor to their Ask The Expert feature, and they recently engaged me for some more extensive work. The outputs were published in late June, consisting of a white paper and a podcast. To access these you need to register on their site, but this just takes a minute.
- eGuide/white paper: Connecting and Leveraging VoIP Islands
- podcast: The Benefits of VoIP Islands
My regular bi-monthly Service Provider Views columns ran on TMCnet:
- Q&A with Telanetix - Why Hosted Services are Gaining Adoption
- What Service Providers and Auto Makers Can Learn From Each Other
June also marked my debut column on The Mark - Canada's answer to the Huffington Post:
- On the Future of the Automobile (and Telecom, Too)
Finally, I was cited in a press release about an Advisory role I've taken on with a U.K. consultancy, MeDe8 Group Ltd. You'll be hearing and seeing more about this over the next few months.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
BroadSoft - New and Improved
Am pretty sure it was George Carlin who noted how much of an oxymoron "new and improved" is. It's classic American marketing-speak, and is right up there with another of his favorites, "jumbo shrimp". The two words just look dumb together, but they roll off the tongue so easily. Walk down any aisle of any grocery store, and it won't take long to find some product touting how "new and improved" it is. I sure miss George, and he was just as funny (among other things) mocking life as an old guy in his 70's as he was back in the 70's, teaching us how to relax with language and to notice the absurdities of everyday life.
So how do we get from comedy icon to BroadSoft? I dunno. Am definitely not poking fun, but after looking over their new website, that goofy term "new and improved" just popped into my head. But I really do mean it - as Dame Edna would say - in the nicest of ways. Enough comedy, let's talk about BroadSoft.
Am sure many of you got notice about their new website the other day. I really like it, so let's come back to "new and improved". You can't possibly be both at the same time, but the ideas sound great mashed together. However, if you parse the words out, and say new as well as improved, then you have something, and that brings us to BroadSoft.
Let's talk about what's new first. The biggest new is the look and feel of their main website. It's closely tied to the company's overall re-launch, so I guess we're looking at BroadSoft 2.0 here. The quickest way to get a sense of that is to watch an intro video on the home page by Leslie Ferry, their VP of Marketing. Her main message is that much like the way BroadSoft helps its customers become more effective communicators and users of new technologies, so are they now, and this new website will show you how.
The other important new feature is their corporate blog. It's called Broadband Ignite, and will feature regular posts from their key executives. There's nothing new about a corporate blog, and there a lot of caveats that come with this concept, but I do like how they're making this a key part of the new BroadSoft. Time will tell how regularly they post content, as well as the utility of that content, but I applaud the initiative. So far so good, as there's a nice post there from yesterday by CEO Mike Tessler about why the time is right for video - I couldn't agree more. On a personal note I can't complain, as my blog is on their blog roll, and I'll be returning the favor here.
I'm a long-time fan of BroadSoft, and if you've spent time on their previous website, I'm sure you'll agree that's what the biggest improvement is here. There was always a ton of good content there, but I found it too sprawling and not that tightly focused. The new site is much cleaner and crisper. The layout and groupings are more intuitive and it's easier to navigate. I really like how the customers are prominently featured - to me, that's the best way to show how established you've become in the market.
While much of the content is familiar, it's presented in a more interesting way, and organized more cleanly. The graphics are stronger, as are the colors. And keeping with the spirit of 2.0, there are lots of handy references/icons for RSS feeds, Twitter, Facebook and Linked In. As it should be, right? After all, their tagline is "Innovation calling", so you might as well use the tools too.
Note to self - I do like the tagline, but it's a bit telco-centric, don't you think? Web 2.0 - and certainly their Xtended community - they're not so much into "calling" as "communicating", right? We only use the telephone to call, everything else is about communicating - text, chat, video, etc. Telephony is still very central to communicating - no doubt - but I think that focus changes a bit as we edge closer to the world of 2.0.
Enough on that - let's focus on news at hand. I'd love to hear what others think about what BroadSoft is doing here. It's both new as well as improved - at least to me. Just don't say it's "new and improved" - unless you're channelling George Carlin really well!
So how do we get from comedy icon to BroadSoft? I dunno. Am definitely not poking fun, but after looking over their new website, that goofy term "new and improved" just popped into my head. But I really do mean it - as Dame Edna would say - in the nicest of ways. Enough comedy, let's talk about BroadSoft.
Am sure many of you got notice about their new website the other day. I really like it, so let's come back to "new and improved". You can't possibly be both at the same time, but the ideas sound great mashed together. However, if you parse the words out, and say new as well as improved, then you have something, and that brings us to BroadSoft.
Let's talk about what's new first. The biggest new is the look and feel of their main website. It's closely tied to the company's overall re-launch, so I guess we're looking at BroadSoft 2.0 here. The quickest way to get a sense of that is to watch an intro video on the home page by Leslie Ferry, their VP of Marketing. Her main message is that much like the way BroadSoft helps its customers become more effective communicators and users of new technologies, so are they now, and this new website will show you how.
The other important new feature is their corporate blog. It's called Broadband Ignite, and will feature regular posts from their key executives. There's nothing new about a corporate blog, and there a lot of caveats that come with this concept, but I do like how they're making this a key part of the new BroadSoft. Time will tell how regularly they post content, as well as the utility of that content, but I applaud the initiative. So far so good, as there's a nice post there from yesterday by CEO Mike Tessler about why the time is right for video - I couldn't agree more. On a personal note I can't complain, as my blog is on their blog roll, and I'll be returning the favor here.
I'm a long-time fan of BroadSoft, and if you've spent time on their previous website, I'm sure you'll agree that's what the biggest improvement is here. There was always a ton of good content there, but I found it too sprawling and not that tightly focused. The new site is much cleaner and crisper. The layout and groupings are more intuitive and it's easier to navigate. I really like how the customers are prominently featured - to me, that's the best way to show how established you've become in the market.
While much of the content is familiar, it's presented in a more interesting way, and organized more cleanly. The graphics are stronger, as are the colors. And keeping with the spirit of 2.0, there are lots of handy references/icons for RSS feeds, Twitter, Facebook and Linked In. As it should be, right? After all, their tagline is "Innovation calling", so you might as well use the tools too.
Note to self - I do like the tagline, but it's a bit telco-centric, don't you think? Web 2.0 - and certainly their Xtended community - they're not so much into "calling" as "communicating", right? We only use the telephone to call, everything else is about communicating - text, chat, video, etc. Telephony is still very central to communicating - no doubt - but I think that focus changes a bit as we edge closer to the world of 2.0.
Enough on that - let's focus on news at hand. I'd love to hear what others think about what BroadSoft is doing here. It's both new as well as improved - at least to me. Just don't say it's "new and improved" - unless you're channelling George Carlin really well!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
eComm News - Ken Camp On Board
While this is really a news item, I'm glad to share this since it has a personal connection on a couple of levels. First is the news that colleague Ken Camp has taken on a formal role to help build and bring together the eComm community. Having been an Advisor to the eComm event earlier this year, I've been particularly close to growth challenges that lie ahead. Defining the eComm community is a fleeting task, so all the more reason to make it a bit more real - especially now that the conference is transitioning from a good idea into a viable business.
Yesterday it was announced that Ken is now the Director of Conversations and Marketing, and I think it's a great fit. Don't ask me what these Web 2.0-style job titles really mean - we're all directors of conversations, right? - but I think we understand the mission. It's much like Carl Ford's Community Developer role in his VON days - be a public advocate for the brand and engage people around the eComm vision. I think Ken is really well suited for this, as you really need to be grounded in the technologies and have a good contact network in the community. He's got these in spades, and of course Ken is a social guy, something you absolutely have to be for the role.
So, congrats to Ken on the posting, and hats off to Lee for formalizing this role for eComm and finding someone to take on the task. I'm sure we'll be hearing lots more from Ken as eComm ramps up for its first Euro event this fall. To learn more about the event, and to read more about Ken's news, check out the eComm blog. Also note that the post about Ken includes a link to a podcast that goes into his role and the broader eComm mission in greater length.
Yesterday it was announced that Ken is now the Director of Conversations and Marketing, and I think it's a great fit. Don't ask me what these Web 2.0-style job titles really mean - we're all directors of conversations, right? - but I think we understand the mission. It's much like Carl Ford's Community Developer role in his VON days - be a public advocate for the brand and engage people around the eComm vision. I think Ken is really well suited for this, as you really need to be grounded in the technologies and have a good contact network in the community. He's got these in spades, and of course Ken is a social guy, something you absolutely have to be for the role.
So, congrats to Ken on the posting, and hats off to Lee for formalizing this role for eComm and finding someone to take on the task. I'm sure we'll be hearing lots more from Ken as eComm ramps up for its first Euro event this fall. To learn more about the event, and to read more about Ken's news, check out the eComm blog. Also note that the post about Ken includes a link to a podcast that goes into his role and the broader eComm mission in greater length.
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