Well, Spring Training is officially underway today, and despite the crappy weather, it's time to think a bit about baseball. If I had the time and the money, I'd be heading down to Fort Myers to see how the Red Sox are shaping up for 2009. I've never done that, but know people who do - it's on my bucket list for sure.
Can you imagine a WORSE time to be getting excited about this sport? Between A-Roid, Tejada and now this AIDS lawsuit with Robbie Alomar, it's sure hard to have faith in a game that seems more ruled by agents, owners and TV networks. Where's the fun gone? And for all this to be happening on Abe Lincoln's 200th birthday! He would not be amused.
Let's just suspend disbelief and hope that somehow the game will rise above all this. With Spring Training starting now, I'm going to put on my Boston sports fan hat for a sec - it doesn't come off very often. A year ago, the Patriots were supposed to win, the Celtics had a shot to win, the Sox were the defending champs, and nobody cared about the Bruins.
Today? It's pretty much the opposite. Pats lose to the Giants (but Tyree never makes another completion again) - and miss the playoffs this year with an 11-5 record, the Celtics get their 17th title, the Bruins are legitimate Cup contenders out of nowhere, and the Red Sox are a mixed bag following an offseason of big possibilities. Isn't sports fun? I certainly can't complain - I don't think there is any other major market anywhere with bona fide contenders these days across all 4 team sports. It's a nice problem to have.
Back to the Sox. I just wanted to mark Spring Training with a few thoughts on how their season looks to me. Some things are easy to feel good about. Starting pitching is probably the best in baseball, and the fire brigade will be pretty close to being tops as well. Not getting Texeira could be a big mistake, but there are no guarantees in NY, and with A-Rod being so toxic, Tex's talent could go to waste there.
The offence is definitely middling given all the question marks - is Ellsbury ready to be the killer table-setter he's supposed to be? With Pedroia and Youk getting big money now, can they sustain the career years they had in 2008? The heavy hitters - will Ortiz, Lowell and Drew be healthy and focused enough to return to championship form? Can Bay stay at this level in the AL and make us forget Manny? Is Lowrie ready to be their #1 SS? Is Tek done, or can he improve from 2008? Was trading Crisp a mistake? Can Baldelli contribute? If we get a lot YES's here, they should be good to make the postseason. That's a lot that needs to go right, and the Sox have a knack for getting surprisingly good production where you least expect it.
If the offence does not improve, I'd look for them to make a major trade to get a big bat. They've done a great job of stockpiling quality arms at a reasonable price, so they have lots of leverage in the pitching department, which every team needs. Regardless, it's going to be a 3 team race in the AL East, and I feel bad for my local team - the Jays - they haven't done much to improve and unless Tampa falls apart, it's going to be a long season for them.
At this point, I'd say the Sox will be good for 90-95 wins - just like last year - but it may not be enough if Tampa Bay is no fluke and if the Yankees get their money's worth for these mega-players. Nothing is a sure thing here, and frankly I think the Sox are the most balanced of the 3.
Tampa Bay lost some good players in the offseason and didn't do much to replace them. Of course their youth had great upside, but it remains to be seen if they're a one-hit wonder or the team of the future. The Yankees spared no expense to buy top talent, but we've seen how this has turned out before. And - mark my words - A-Rod has never won a World Series, and now that he's been exposed, the baseball gods will get even and make sure he never does.
The Red Sox didn't make any huge moves, and on the whole will be a similar team to last year. They're a pretty stable bunch, esp with Manny gone. They'll never replace his bat, but if everyone else plays their part, they'll be great to follow in 2009. Spring should be a pretty fun time for Boston fans - by the time MLB starts, the Bruins and C's will be making their stretch runs, and I'll likely be posting about more often on my teams. Sure hope so!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
SocComm - right for the times?
I haven't seen much blog coverage of Jeff's SocComm event yesterday, but don't let that fool you. Jeff's been heavily focused on social media for a while now, and it looks like he's building an engaged community around his ideas and passions - much like he did with VON.
I don't often post about events I'm not attending, but I've been blogging a lot lately about current conferences, and given the circles I travel in, it's hard not follow Jeff 3.0, even if at a distance.
Not having attended, I can only reflect what I'm picking up from others, and the basic vibe is pretty strong. It was a small, fairly localized event, but that's just fine, especially in this economy. It's more about the caliber of people you attract and the energy the event helps create. Looks to me like Jeff succeeded pretty nicely on these fronts.
Of course, Jeff will give you his take in his recent posts, which include lots of photos. Pretty bare-bones event, but you have to look beyond that to what people were talking about. I'm sure the discussions were lively, and with this being such a Wild West space, there really aren't any rules. Everyone is in discovery mode - it's not about making money right now.
One of my long-time industry buddies is Ari Rabban, and his company Phone.com was a sponsor, so he was there (he was also on one of my panels at the IT Expo last week). So far, he's only posted about what SocComm is about, but not the experience itself. Am sure that will change very soon.
Back to my opening comment. The lack of blog coverage doesn't mean people weren't following SocComm with interest. You're just looking in the wrong places. SocComm is about social media/communications/networking, etc. Blogging is so 2008 in that world - it's all about microblogging now, so Twitter is the place to go. As much as I'm keen on this new world, I'm most definitely not into Twitter, Phweet, etc. Sorry.
Anyhow, for a much richer, more real-time take on SocComm - overall, or moment-by-moment - just click on over to the Twitter Buzz page on the SocComm site. Duh. How hard was that? Based on a quick scan, I'd say that at least for this crowd, SocComm sure looks right for the times. Is Jeff on to his next big thing now? We'll just have to see where he goes from here.
I don't often post about events I'm not attending, but I've been blogging a lot lately about current conferences, and given the circles I travel in, it's hard not follow Jeff 3.0, even if at a distance.
Not having attended, I can only reflect what I'm picking up from others, and the basic vibe is pretty strong. It was a small, fairly localized event, but that's just fine, especially in this economy. It's more about the caliber of people you attract and the energy the event helps create. Looks to me like Jeff succeeded pretty nicely on these fronts.
Of course, Jeff will give you his take in his recent posts, which include lots of photos. Pretty bare-bones event, but you have to look beyond that to what people were talking about. I'm sure the discussions were lively, and with this being such a Wild West space, there really aren't any rules. Everyone is in discovery mode - it's not about making money right now.
One of my long-time industry buddies is Ari Rabban, and his company Phone.com was a sponsor, so he was there (he was also on one of my panels at the IT Expo last week). So far, he's only posted about what SocComm is about, but not the experience itself. Am sure that will change very soon.
Back to my opening comment. The lack of blog coverage doesn't mean people weren't following SocComm with interest. You're just looking in the wrong places. SocComm is about social media/communications/networking, etc. Blogging is so 2008 in that world - it's all about microblogging now, so Twitter is the place to go. As much as I'm keen on this new world, I'm most definitely not into Twitter, Phweet, etc. Sorry.
Anyhow, for a much richer, more real-time take on SocComm - overall, or moment-by-moment - just click on over to the Twitter Buzz page on the SocComm site. Duh. How hard was that? Based on a quick scan, I'd say that at least for this crowd, SocComm sure looks right for the times. Is Jeff on to his next big thing now? We'll just have to see where he goes from here.
Monday, February 9, 2009
eComm 2009 - sort of like going to Wrigley Field
I can see why you may think I'm a conference junkie - it's all I seem to be posting about lately. I actually don't go to that many events, but it's been pretty busy for me lately on that front. Having just finished the IT Expo, I'm focusing now on eComm 2009, and doing what I can to make sure you attend.
It's smaller than the Expo, so the number of tickets available is limited, and if you don't have yours yet, you shouldn't wait too much longer. Plus, I can get you a 20% discount - just drop me a line, and I'll pass on the coupon code. You might want to jump on that, since the Early Bird deadline has now passed.
The speaking roster is first rate, and the caliber of sponsors getting behind the event says a lot about what you can expect there. Lee continues to add great content to the eComm blog, and that's another way to get a preview of what's coming. I've posted about these things before, and at this point, you just need to get over to the eComm website - it's all there.
Anyhow, as I shift modes from one conference to another, I was thinking about what to say today. Turns out Andy Abramson was reading my mind, as his post from yesterday is pretty much the segue I was thinking of to get from IT Expo to eComm.
The main point I want to echo from Andy's post is one of clarification. eComm is a very different kind of event, and it's a mistake to view it as competition with exhibitor-based shows like IT Expo or upcoming majors like MWC or CTIA. Those shows draw from a much wider audience and are about putting buyers and sellers together as much as being a forum for thought leadership.
eComm is all about the content and personal networking that comes from being amongst so many interesting people. It's very much about individual/personal visions and perspectives and not corporate pitches or marketingspeak. It's really a marathon and a test of stamina for those who want to take in dozens of strains around innovation and disruptoin over three days. There won't be any showfloor to run away to as a distraction - everyone is together, and by the end, eComm becomes a pretty tight community.
To pick up on Andy's sports theme, it's a lot like going to a ball game at Wrigley. There's nothing like it - and that's saying a lot from someone who has been going to games at Fenway for 5 decades. At Wrigley, there is no Jumbotron scoreboard or instant replays of any kind. The scoreboard itself is such a minor feature of the landscape, you simply have to watch the game at all times to know what's going on. That's how you really take in a ball game - no distractions, no filters, no advertising. It's as pure as it gets these days, and eComm is a lot like that to me. I digress...
Back to Andy's post. He picked up on Tom Keating's post from Friday which had a breakdown of attendance at the Expo. I totally agree with the thing that most struck Andy - developers only accounted for 6% of the IT Expo attendance. It's not a surprise really - TMC does have a separate developer show - the Expo just isn't their natural habitat. However, it sure is at eComm, and this is a really important community to engage these days.
So, to Andy's point, eComm very much complements other shows by attracting an audience those shows are missing. The challenge for eComm, of course, is to expand its reach beyond this niche audience, and given the scope of content being presented, this shouldn't be that hard to do. We'll find out soon enough, and if you've made up your mind to find out for yourself, don't forget to get that discount!
It's smaller than the Expo, so the number of tickets available is limited, and if you don't have yours yet, you shouldn't wait too much longer. Plus, I can get you a 20% discount - just drop me a line, and I'll pass on the coupon code. You might want to jump on that, since the Early Bird deadline has now passed.
The speaking roster is first rate, and the caliber of sponsors getting behind the event says a lot about what you can expect there. Lee continues to add great content to the eComm blog, and that's another way to get a preview of what's coming. I've posted about these things before, and at this point, you just need to get over to the eComm website - it's all there.
Anyhow, as I shift modes from one conference to another, I was thinking about what to say today. Turns out Andy Abramson was reading my mind, as his post from yesterday is pretty much the segue I was thinking of to get from IT Expo to eComm.
The main point I want to echo from Andy's post is one of clarification. eComm is a very different kind of event, and it's a mistake to view it as competition with exhibitor-based shows like IT Expo or upcoming majors like MWC or CTIA. Those shows draw from a much wider audience and are about putting buyers and sellers together as much as being a forum for thought leadership.
eComm is all about the content and personal networking that comes from being amongst so many interesting people. It's very much about individual/personal visions and perspectives and not corporate pitches or marketingspeak. It's really a marathon and a test of stamina for those who want to take in dozens of strains around innovation and disruptoin over three days. There won't be any showfloor to run away to as a distraction - everyone is together, and by the end, eComm becomes a pretty tight community.
To pick up on Andy's sports theme, it's a lot like going to a ball game at Wrigley. There's nothing like it - and that's saying a lot from someone who has been going to games at Fenway for 5 decades. At Wrigley, there is no Jumbotron scoreboard or instant replays of any kind. The scoreboard itself is such a minor feature of the landscape, you simply have to watch the game at all times to know what's going on. That's how you really take in a ball game - no distractions, no filters, no advertising. It's as pure as it gets these days, and eComm is a lot like that to me. I digress...
Back to Andy's post. He picked up on Tom Keating's post from Friday which had a breakdown of attendance at the Expo. I totally agree with the thing that most struck Andy - developers only accounted for 6% of the IT Expo attendance. It's not a surprise really - TMC does have a separate developer show - the Expo just isn't their natural habitat. However, it sure is at eComm, and this is a really important community to engage these days.
So, to Andy's point, eComm very much complements other shows by attracting an audience those shows are missing. The challenge for eComm, of course, is to expand its reach beyond this niche audience, and given the scope of content being presented, this shouldn't be that hard to do. We'll find out soon enough, and if you've made up your mind to find out for yourself, don't forget to get that discount!
SocComm is Tomorrow
Thought I'd put out a last call for SocComm, Jeff Pulver's social media event, taking place tomorrow in his native NYC. Since moving on from VON, Jeff has forged a new event, and if my travels were taking me to NYC tomorrow, I would attend in a heartbeat. I'm sure it will be interesting - everything with Jeff is always interesting - so I'll have to keep tabs online as best I can.
The best place to start, of course, is Jeff's blog, where this morning's post has the most current agenda. From there, you can also explore the SocComm website, and if you're one of Jeff's several thousand friends, you check out more on his Facebook page.
Good luck Jeff - am sure it will be a very social experience!
As a quick aside, I was actually hoping to see Jeff this week, as Toronto was on the tour list for his social media breakfasts. Unfortunately, as I went to register this morning for the Feb. 12 Toronto date, I see it's been cancelled. Ugh. Oh well - another time, Jeff...
The best place to start, of course, is Jeff's blog, where this morning's post has the most current agenda. From there, you can also explore the SocComm website, and if you're one of Jeff's several thousand friends, you check out more on his Facebook page.
Good luck Jeff - am sure it will be a very social experience!
As a quick aside, I was actually hoping to see Jeff this week, as Toronto was on the tour list for his social media breakfasts. Unfortunately, as I went to register this morning for the Feb. 12 Toronto date, I see it's been cancelled. Ugh. Oh well - another time, Jeff...
Friday, February 6, 2009
January Media Roundup
I've got a backlog of posts that I'll get to over the next few days. They're not time-sensitive news items, and I still think you'll find them of interest. Until then, here's my roundup of January media citings. It was a pretty busy month for me, and I expect to see more of the same for February.
- 2009 telecom/tech trends outlook - Backbone Magazine
- VoIP's outlook - TMCnet
- IT Expo preview/spotlight on JAA with Rich Tehrani - TMCnet
- Nortel's customer prospects - Tech Media Reports
- Nortel's partnership prospects - Fierce Telecom
- Interview with Greg Galitzine about SIP Trunking - TMCnet
- Outlook for Rogers Communications - ITWorld Canada
- 2009 Canadian telecom outlook - Tech Media Reports
- 2009 Canadian wireless operator outlook - Tech Media Reports
Circle ID picked up a post of mine about one of Nortel's bright spots, and it had some pretty strong readership:
- Nortel... the Good News: Web.Alive
I contribute Ask The Expert writeups for Tech Target's Unified Communications portal, and had one piece posted in January:
- Are we too late for VoIP?
Finally, as usual, I wrote two articles for my Service Provider Views column on TMCnet:
- Jaduka - Another Take on the Platform Play - Q&A with Jack Rynes
- VoIP: Definitely Not Dead Yet, the Sequel
Some of the above pieces require log-ins or subscriptions, and if this is problematic, let me know, as I have soft copies on file.
- 2009 telecom/tech trends outlook - Backbone Magazine
- VoIP's outlook - TMCnet
- IT Expo preview/spotlight on JAA with Rich Tehrani - TMCnet
- Nortel's customer prospects - Tech Media Reports
- Nortel's partnership prospects - Fierce Telecom
- Interview with Greg Galitzine about SIP Trunking - TMCnet
- Outlook for Rogers Communications - ITWorld Canada
- 2009 Canadian telecom outlook - Tech Media Reports
- 2009 Canadian wireless operator outlook - Tech Media Reports
Circle ID picked up a post of mine about one of Nortel's bright spots, and it had some pretty strong readership:
- Nortel... the Good News: Web.Alive
I contribute Ask The Expert writeups for Tech Target's Unified Communications portal, and had one piece posted in January:
- Are we too late for VoIP?
Finally, as usual, I wrote two articles for my Service Provider Views column on TMCnet:
- Jaduka - Another Take on the Platform Play - Q&A with Jack Rynes
- VoIP: Definitely Not Dead Yet, the Sequel
Some of the above pieces require log-ins or subscriptions, and if this is problematic, let me know, as I have soft copies on file.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
IT Expo Follow-Ons and Other News of Note
I'm not alone in saying that this week's IT Expo was a great success and exceeded expectations on a few levels. That's saying a lot in this economy, and it's a testament to the TMC organization, and their continued focus on a market they know very well. I was pleased to be a part of it, and can definitely say being there was worth my while.
I only had a chance to post about the Expo once, and it's been totally go-go today following up on new leads from the show and fulfilling existing client work. A lot has happened since I last posted, and am going to round up a few notable items for you now in this post.
First, some buzz around the show itself. TMC's Tom Keating had a solid round up today of commentary about how the Expo was. The headline of Tom's post made me smile, as his writeup was a nice vindication of my TMCnet columns a few weeks back proclaiming that VoIP is not dead, which sparked a healthy debate on both sides of the argument. No doubt in my mind that the IT Expo places another checkmark in the "alive" column.
Second, continuing with the IT Expo theme, TMC's Greg Galitzine posted the Best In Show winners the other day. Lots of familiar names there, and I just wanted to wave the flag to acknowledge the Canadians in the mix:
- Phybridge - best Large Enterprise Solution
- Industry Dynamics - best Large Enterprise Solution
- Pronexus - best Development Tool
- Sangoma - best Development Tool
- TelcoBridges - best Onsite Product Launch
I'm especially glad to see the first three on this list, as they were all part of the Ontario/Canada Pavilion trade delegation, which had a prominent presence on the show floor, and a ridiculously popular reception on Tuesday. I don't get to say this very often, but their initiative to support emerging Ontario tech companies is a great example of our tax dollars being put to good use!
Third, Fierce VoIP had strong coverage throughout the Expo, and it was nice seeing Doug Mohney popping in and out of the sessions. They posted a nice slideshow of the Expo, including a couple of me during my SIP Trunking presentation.
Fourth, Response Point/SMB Phone launch. Microsoft had a healthy presence during the Expo around Response Point, and they seem bound and determined to become a player in the SMB IP telephony market. Building on their launch with Packet 8 at the previous IT Expo, the news I want to focus on here is the launch of SMB Phone. Huh? Ok, SMB Phone isn't a household name, but many of you will know Erik Lagerway. Aside from his blogging activity, he's a classic serial entrepreneur, and SMB Phone is his latest venture along with partner Trent Johnsen. Erik and Trent most recently ran Shift Communications, and SMB Phone looks to be a bigger and better story. At the Expo on Monday, they announced the launch of their Digital Voice service for the Canadian SMB market. SMB Phone is solely built around the Microsoft Response Point product, and they are the first and only service provider partner to support it in Canada. For now, they have the market to themselves, and I sure hope they can lock Canada up before the space gets too crowded. Congrats, guys - nice to see you back in the game.
Fifth - Iotum's iPhone news. Gee, this Canadian theme sure is strong. Don't let the cold winters fool you - we don't just hibernate in our igloos, y'know. Iotum has been on a good roll lately with its Calliflower conferencing platform. The latest news came Tuesday, announcing their availability on the iPhone. While not an IT Expo item, it's another good news story out of Canada, and CEO Alec Saunders provides a graphic walk-through of how Calliflower works on the iPhone on his blog.
Sixth - more Apple news. Another item that got a lot of attention today was Jajah's announcement of their latest service that gives the iPod Touch the voice capability of the iPhone. Their platform provides a turnkey solution enabling any operator to offer a service for iTouch users to make calls or send SMS. It's great news for Jajah, and it helped make my day, as they were nice enough to quote me in their press release.
That's enough news for one day. Back to work now...
I only had a chance to post about the Expo once, and it's been totally go-go today following up on new leads from the show and fulfilling existing client work. A lot has happened since I last posted, and am going to round up a few notable items for you now in this post.
First, some buzz around the show itself. TMC's Tom Keating had a solid round up today of commentary about how the Expo was. The headline of Tom's post made me smile, as his writeup was a nice vindication of my TMCnet columns a few weeks back proclaiming that VoIP is not dead, which sparked a healthy debate on both sides of the argument. No doubt in my mind that the IT Expo places another checkmark in the "alive" column.
Second, continuing with the IT Expo theme, TMC's Greg Galitzine posted the Best In Show winners the other day. Lots of familiar names there, and I just wanted to wave the flag to acknowledge the Canadians in the mix:
- Phybridge - best Large Enterprise Solution
- Industry Dynamics - best Large Enterprise Solution
- Pronexus - best Development Tool
- Sangoma - best Development Tool
- TelcoBridges - best Onsite Product Launch
I'm especially glad to see the first three on this list, as they were all part of the Ontario/Canada Pavilion trade delegation, which had a prominent presence on the show floor, and a ridiculously popular reception on Tuesday. I don't get to say this very often, but their initiative to support emerging Ontario tech companies is a great example of our tax dollars being put to good use!
Third, Fierce VoIP had strong coverage throughout the Expo, and it was nice seeing Doug Mohney popping in and out of the sessions. They posted a nice slideshow of the Expo, including a couple of me during my SIP Trunking presentation.
Fourth, Response Point/SMB Phone launch. Microsoft had a healthy presence during the Expo around Response Point, and they seem bound and determined to become a player in the SMB IP telephony market. Building on their launch with Packet 8 at the previous IT Expo, the news I want to focus on here is the launch of SMB Phone. Huh? Ok, SMB Phone isn't a household name, but many of you will know Erik Lagerway. Aside from his blogging activity, he's a classic serial entrepreneur, and SMB Phone is his latest venture along with partner Trent Johnsen. Erik and Trent most recently ran Shift Communications, and SMB Phone looks to be a bigger and better story. At the Expo on Monday, they announced the launch of their Digital Voice service for the Canadian SMB market. SMB Phone is solely built around the Microsoft Response Point product, and they are the first and only service provider partner to support it in Canada. For now, they have the market to themselves, and I sure hope they can lock Canada up before the space gets too crowded. Congrats, guys - nice to see you back in the game.
Fifth - Iotum's iPhone news. Gee, this Canadian theme sure is strong. Don't let the cold winters fool you - we don't just hibernate in our igloos, y'know. Iotum has been on a good roll lately with its Calliflower conferencing platform. The latest news came Tuesday, announcing their availability on the iPhone. While not an IT Expo item, it's another good news story out of Canada, and CEO Alec Saunders provides a graphic walk-through of how Calliflower works on the iPhone on his blog.
Sixth - more Apple news. Another item that got a lot of attention today was Jajah's announcement of their latest service that gives the iPod Touch the voice capability of the iPhone. Their platform provides a turnkey solution enabling any operator to offer a service for iTouch users to make calls or send SMS. It's great news for Jajah, and it helped make my day, as they were nice enough to quote me in their press release.
That's enough news for one day. Back to work now...
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
IT Expo - So far...
So far, so good here at the IT Expo. All told, actually, I'd say better than expected. Monday was totally go-go for me, and didn't get a chance to post at all. Others did, though, so a good starting point is,of course, Rich Tehani. Just scroll through his on-the-spot, up-to-the-minute posts, and you'll get a flavor of how well attended these sessions have been.
Other posts I've picked on so far with first impressions of the show include Andy Abramson, IPCI partner Marc Robins (yes, he's finally back blogging!), and Moshe Maier. Am sure there are plenty others, but I need to get this post done quickly before my next round of briefings.
If you want to a great read on why conferences matter and why you should attend them as best you can, you need to take in Andy Abramson's post from yesterday morning, which set the tone nicely for the Expo. People must be taking his advice, because in spite of a gloomy economy and travel restrictions, the attendance here has been very strong. That's good news for TMC, and it's great news for Carl Ford and Scott Kargman, who partnered with TMC for their 4G wireless event, and they've been pulling in great numbers as well.
Just have time to quickly post a few images from yesterday and this morning...
This morning, I hosted a breakfast sponsored by the Ontario government and the government of Canada. It's part of their trade delegation to support Ontario based companies, and they have a pretty big pavilion on the show floor. Lots of good companies there, and the turnout this morning was great.
Last night was the Microsoft Response Point dinner. Just a handful of bloggers invited, and it was a great way to get better connected to where Microsoft is going in this space. As you can see, the Bold doesn't take great shots in low light, but this dinner really did happen...
Couldn't resist. I've never seen such an elaborate storefront for a Psychic before. Was tempted to ask what their outlook was for telecom was - maybe they know something we don't....
Shots from the show floor during the reception last night - busy, busy...
Finally, a couple of Miami views. The classic Deco hotels on Collins Ave., and the view from my room. Wish you were here....
Other posts I've picked on so far with first impressions of the show include Andy Abramson, IPCI partner Marc Robins (yes, he's finally back blogging!), and Moshe Maier. Am sure there are plenty others, but I need to get this post done quickly before my next round of briefings.
If you want to a great read on why conferences matter and why you should attend them as best you can, you need to take in Andy Abramson's post from yesterday morning, which set the tone nicely for the Expo. People must be taking his advice, because in spite of a gloomy economy and travel restrictions, the attendance here has been very strong. That's good news for TMC, and it's great news for Carl Ford and Scott Kargman, who partnered with TMC for their 4G wireless event, and they've been pulling in great numbers as well.
Just have time to quickly post a few images from yesterday and this morning...
This morning, I hosted a breakfast sponsored by the Ontario government and the government of Canada. It's part of their trade delegation to support Ontario based companies, and they have a pretty big pavilion on the show floor. Lots of good companies there, and the turnout this morning was great.
Last night was the Microsoft Response Point dinner. Just a handful of bloggers invited, and it was a great way to get better connected to where Microsoft is going in this space. As you can see, the Bold doesn't take great shots in low light, but this dinner really did happen...
Couldn't resist. I've never seen such an elaborate storefront for a Psychic before. Was tempted to ask what their outlook was for telecom was - maybe they know something we don't....
Shots from the show floor during the reception last night - busy, busy...
Finally, a couple of Miami views. The classic Deco hotels on Collins Ave., and the view from my room. Wish you were here....
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