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March 31, 2004
Nothing is Impossible
"Nothing is Impossible" was the theme of my speech yesterday at Spring 2004 VON.
I just did a Goggle on this and found a few related stories:
VON Keynote: Jeff Pulver -- Nothing is Impossible, Converge! Network Diget
iT News, Australia
Posted by jeff at 09:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 30, 2004
Spring 2004 VON: Nothing is Impossible!
In a couple of hours I will be opening the formal start of the Spring 2004 VON Conference. In fact, this event started Sunday night with our FCC Town Hall Meeting and continued yesterday with our pre-conference sessions which included a standing-room only Telecom Policy Summit, keynotes from both Siemens and AT&T followed by a welcome reception which had more people attend than any VON I can remember seeing since the since the pre-bubble year, 2000.
At the moment, Spring 2004 VON is now the 2nd largest VON we have done since 1997 and we have an outside chance of becoming the lagest based on final attendence figures which we will review on Thursday.
The theme of my industry perspective is: "Nothing Is Impossible." and I will be providing an update to the state of the IP Communications Industry and will be sharing information regarding a few industry building activities which I am currently engaged with.
I am looking forward to the formal start of the conference and just being here around the many people from the around the world who are collectively helping to make IP Communications just Happen.
Posted by jeff at 08:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 29, 2004
Packet8 / FWD Announcement
Earlier today Packet8 formally announced that it is now interconnected with the Free World Dialup network.
While the broadband IP interconnect has been in production for several weeks, it was nice for this to become announced a supported feature of their service.
Posted by jeff at 09:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Spring 2004 VON is Underway!
Last night Spring 2004 VON started with our "VON Orientation" followed by Bob Pepper's FCC Town Hall Meeting.
Last night some of the more recognizable members of the Washington DC Telecom Press were present at Bob's session, together with some of the US State Regulators and the CEOs of a few new Voice over Broadband Service Providers.
This morning, telecom policy will be a focus of Spring 2004 VON when our Spring 2004 Telecom Policy Summit (TPS) gets underway with an address by Blair Levin.
I'm looking forward to catching parts of our TPS and some of our other pre-conference sessions.
Look for a number of significant promised announcements that will be coming from the Spring 2004 VON. It looks like these announcements will be staged today, tomorrow and Wednesday.
Posted by jeff at 09:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 28, 2004
On-Site in Santa Clara
The pulver.com team has arrived in Santa Clara and we are on-site at the Santa Clara Convention Center.
The event starts in about 5 hours and the buzz just continues to grow. It looks like Spring 2004 VON will be at least 40% bigger than Fall 2003 VON and one can feel the strong positive vibe in the air.
During breakfast I ran into a bunch of old friends and at the moment I'm working on the music mix that will be played before and after Liz Phair during our party on Tuesday night.
Spring VON opens with our optional "VON Orientation" followed by Bob Pepper's "FCC Town Hall Meeting."
I fully expect the blur of VON to last the entire week and my hope is that some of friends will have the time to be able to blog parts of the conference so that others can get a feel for what is being discussed this time around.
I have a few announcements that I will be making during this week which reflect some of the other business activities that I've been working on.
Looking forward to a GREAT show!
Posted by jeff at 02:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 27, 2004
In Transit to Spring 2004 VON!
In a hour or so I will begin my trip from Long Island to Santa Clara.
I've been looking forward to this day for quite some time. I realize already that I will be living in "blur time" while on-site at Spring 2004 VON, so I am trying to help make every minute count.
The Santa Clara Convention Center will be overflowing with people - both in our conference sessions and inside of the exhibit hall. There are quite a number of small private social mixers setup during VON which is just another great sign that as an industry, "we're back!"
Spring 2004 VON will be the focal point for VoIP related news starting tomorrow, for both public and private companies.
There will be quite a number of buy-side investors at this conference as well as quite a number of VCs.
Spring 2004 VON will be a great place to take advantage of business networking; the only requirement is that you attend in person. :-)
Posted by jeff at 07:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 26, 2004
Getting Ready for Santa Clara...
Spring 2004 VON really is a pretty "hot" event and these are not even my own words.
It seems that there will be a lot of things happening next week in Santa Clara and I'm real glad to be a part of it.
For us, there will be quite a number of mainstream press and analysts in attendence. I've noticed some familar names on our delegate list which is a leading sign that there are a number of people that have decided to give VoIP another chance and this will be reflected when we all meet next week in Santa Clara.
I'm already looking forward to our "VON Orientation" on Sunday afternoon followed by Bob Pepper's "FCC Town Hall Meeting." This session has become a staple of the VON experience and given all of the recent federal activity in the VoIP space, I expect Bob's session to be very interactive.
Safe travels to all who are in transit to Spring VON.
Looking forward to a great event at a great time for the IP Communications Industry.
Posted by jeff at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Randolph May's Op-Ed on CNET: VoIP sends a warning signal
Randolf May provides his perspective in this latested Op-Ed Piece on CNET.
Posted by jeff at 05:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Pulver Hopes .tel Will Promote ENUM, VoIP
Kevin Murphy from Computer Business Review's story, Pulver Hopes .tel Will Promote ENUM, VoIP provides a perspective on our recent .tel application to ICANN.
Posted by jeff at 05:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 25, 2004
Spring VON: Best VON since 2001!
Spring 2004 VON will be our best VON event since Spring 2001.
I'm looking forward to welcoming people from over 35 countries and 900+ companies when we meet next week in Santa Clara, CA.
The positive buzz for Spring VON is having a positive effect on our other VON events; The exhibit space for VON Europe 2004 is just about sold out and exhibit sales for both VON Canada and Fall 2004 VON are doing quite well.
Posted by jeff at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March Pulver Report will be sent today...
I'm currently working on spending out the latest edition of the Pulver Report. It will be sent out later this morning.
Posted by jeff at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 24, 2004
Living in Blur Time: Continues
These past few weeks have been a blur and the few days leading up to Spring 2004 VON continue to be follow suit.
At the moment I am only able to play catch up on email during the early morning and mid-evening. Yesterday I was in the office all-day but due to meetings and other distractions when I finally started catching up with email at 10PM last night, it felt as if I had arrived somewhere after being transit somewhere for 12 hours.
Since email is still my preferred method of communication, I am struggling on ways to keep it effective for me on a day-to-day basis when I've been swamped with work. It has gotten to the point that people who know my cell phone just call it since during the day I'm quicker to respond to a cell call than an email.
On weekends this reverses as I keep my cell phone off and I'm generally only available via email.
My overall hope is that I'm not dropping too many packets while living in blur mode and I'm trying to take the steps needed to help me scale.
I am really looking forward to seeing everyone who will be joining us at Spring VON in Santa Clara. The response for the event has been a little overwhelming and I can feel the positive buzz everyday in my office.
I'm looking forward to just being there and watching the VoIP Industry make business happen.
Posted by jeff at 08:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
New (Beta) FWD Feature: Call History
One new feature we have been working on for Free World Dialup is an enhancement in the my.account section of the FWD website.
Members of the FWD Community can now log in to the Call History section of the website and review: Received Calls, Dialed Calls and Missed Calls.
One cool part of this is that when you log in, assuming someone called you from inside the FWD Network, you can return the missed call via an email message.
Posted by jeff at 08:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 23, 2004
The Value of Multiple ENUM Implementations
Last week, pulver.com together with NetNumber submitted an application to ICANN for the sTLD .tel to create a market driven implementation of the ENUM protocol to drive innovation and adoption of the ENUM protocol.
Since then, a few friends have been asking us about the differences between ".tel" and "e164.arpa."
In regard to ".tel", pulver.com and NetNumber are advocates of multiple implementations of the ENUM protocol. This view regarding the value of multiple implementations of ENUM is shared by many participants within the IP communications marketplace as well as government regulators. For example:
US Government: The US Government clearly stated its support for multiple implementations of ENUM in a letter from the Department of Commerce (NTIA) to the Department of State in early 2003 that defines a set of principles for US participation in the “e164.arpa” implementation of ENUM. One of the principles outlined in the February 2003 letter states: “The implementation of ENUM (under “e164.arpa”) within the United States must not preclude alternate deployments of ENUM…”
European Commission: A September 2003 report on policy implications of naming number and addressing states the following: “Despite the fact that almost all of the discussions on ENUM, including those in the national trials, have focused on a “public” user ENUM system (e164.arpa), where all individuals will have the opportunity to put their telephone number into the DNS in order to use converged addressing, this is not the only approach. An ENUM system, referred to as operator ENUM, which allows individual operators to manage their own internal databases in order to improve internal communications, is not only possible but potentially both more practical and more marketable.”
3G Americas: An October 2003 report on MMS inter-carrier implementations states the following: “ENUM is the long term solution for network resolution (of cross-operator MMS addresses). For the purpose of this document, ENUM refers to carrier controlled ENUM using a central database deployment that supports number portability.”
From an implementation perspective, the key differences between the “e164.arpa” approach and the “.tel” approach are as follows:
Audience Served:
- “e164.arpa”: Varies by country. Ranges from individual subscribers to licensed telecom carriers depending on the country specific implementation.
- “.tel”: IP Communications Service Providers (IPCSPs) and Enterprises.
Control Model:
- “e164.arpa”: Every country sets its own rules.
- “.tel”: Single set of globally consistent policies defined by a sponsoring organization focused on meeting the needs of a defined audience.
Pric*ing Model:
- “e164.arpa”: Varies by country.
- “.tel”: Single pricing policy defined by market acceptance of services offered under “.tel”.
Availability:
- “e164.arpa”: Varies by country. Some countries will choose to participate, others will not. No production deployments exist today.
- “.tel”: Services will be available on a global basis almost immediately after approval by ICANN.
Posted by jeff at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Carl Ford explains .tel
Carl shares his thoughts/insights on the recent pulver.com .tel application in his
blog today.
Posted by jeff at 08:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Welcome News Headlines: FCC's Powell: "Hands-off" on VoIP
Chairman Powell spoke yesterday at the 2004 CTIA meeting in Atlanta...and I welcome the Chairman's comments.
While it would have been great if the Chairman could have been at Spring VON next week in Santa Clara, my hope is for the Chairman to speak at Fall 2004 VON in Boston when the Fall event takes place the week of October 19th.
Posted by jeff at 08:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Happy Birthday Dylan and Jake!
My twin sons, Dylan and Jake turn 10 today.
It really is amazing how time flies and how quickly some things just happen.
I am glad that today is one of the days that I'm not on the road so I'm able to spend time with my kids on their birthday.
Posted by jeff at 07:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Some Random Thoughts from my mind
Vision without the ability to execute is my definition of frustration.
Is it better to be known and not understood or better to be invisible and fully understood?
Being Lucky is "O.K."!
Life experiences are a series of connect-the-dots puzzles, the challenge is figuring out the order to connect them.
Posted by jeff at 07:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 22, 2004
Announcements leading up to Spring 2004 VON
There will be a number of what seems to be significant public announcements from companies playing in the VoIP space made at Spring 2004 VON.
Level 3, AT&T and Microsoft are all expected to make an announcement or two. And there are quite a few private companies gearing up to make their own announcements.
I've been working on some of my own
industry wide announcements and expect to have a thing or two to say next week myself. :-)
If you will be at VON and would like to share with the pulver.com team an advance briefing on what you will be announcing, please contact: Angelo Liberatore via email - angelo@pulver.com.
Posted by jeff at 07:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 21, 2004
So Far - Being there was much more fun
30 minutes into watching the edited 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on VH1, the experience of being there in person and taking in the unedited speeches and musical segments far outweights the edited soundbytes presented on the show.
Posted by jeff at 08:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies: Tonight on VH1
I'm looking forward to reliving the events of Monday night and watching how VH1 was able to take a 5 hour ceremony and edit it down to 2 1/2 hours.
The event airs at 8pm tonight.
Posted by jeff at 07:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 20, 2004
My recent application to ICANN for .tel
As referenced in the recent CNET, story,
"ICANN surveys proposed Net domains", I reapplied together with NetNumber to ICANN for a chance
to sell a new domain-name suffix, .tel. A total of
ten new sponsored TLD applications were received.
Back in 2000 our original .tel application was close in the running, but due to some last mintue behind
the scenes politicing by some "friends" of mine in Sterling, VA, .tel was not approved. I hope to be a little smarter now.
This time around, given the advent of e.164.arpa, it seems to me that the timing is right to take another look at the the benefits to the IP Communications Industry for .tel to exist.
It will be up to ICANN to determine the merits of our proposal and I also noticed last night that another firm, UK based Telname has also applied for .tel.
The public comment period for the applications will be taking place during the month of April which will be followed by an independent evaluation in May.
Along the way I may be reaching out for a "little help from my friends" for support of my new application.
Posted by jeff at 09:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Last night at the New York Knicks Game
Last night I had some more real-time practice for my new found hobby of digital photography when I found myself going to see the New York Knicks play the New Jersey Nets at Madison Square Garden.
While I was sitting in section 94 which was a distance away from center court, with the help of my new DX6490, I left the game feeling as if I was a virtual member of the celebrity paparazzi.
While the Knicks did win the game, while I was there I manged to get some pretty good shots of: Howard Stern, Leonardo Dicaprio, Ethan Hawk and a few others.
So far my new digital photography experiment has lasted almost 2 weeks so there is a chance that this time it might actually stick.
Posted by jeff at 09:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 19, 2004
Heteromorphic Communications: Theme of Spring 2004 VON
Back at Fall 2003 VON I first introduced the concept of Hetermorphic Communications.
I will be pick up where I left off at Fall VON when my speech starts on Tuesday, March 30th at 8:15 AM.
Posted by jeff at 12:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 18, 2004
VON Europe 2004: Registration is now open
While we have been spending time getting ready for Spring 2004 VON, we have also been hard at work on building the community at VON Europe 2004.
The conference website has just been updated and our conference schedule is full and looking pretty damm good.
Our exhibit hall is 80% sold-out and we expect to be sold-out before the end of the month.
If you are based in Europe or looking to sell products/services to the European VoIP Industry, VON Europe should be on your list of MUST attend events this year.
Register today and take advantage of our special "early bird" pricing.
Posted by jeff at 08:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Live on WSPD Radio...
I'm about to be interviewed live on WSPD, 1370 AM. They have a live webcast. Their storyline is about the FBI / FCC Petition.
Posted by jeff at 07:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Look for Major Announcements at Spring 2004 VON
While so far I've heard that: Level 3, AT&T and Microsoft all have major announcements planned for Spring 2004 VON.
I am pretty sure there will be a bunch of other pretty significant announcements leading up to the event.
Earlier this week, Skype made headlines announcing it raised another $19 million dollars and the straw poll at our office is tracking who will be the first 5 private VoIP companies to file their S-1s to go public later this year.
VON has been around long enough to see the rise, the fall and once again the rise of IP Communications.
It feels much better being on the other side of the curve these days.
Posted by jeff at 06:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 17, 2004
Fine line between Rain and Snow
Yesterday's winter weather on Long Island coupled with a phone calls from a reporter from the AP and another from National Public Radio reminded me that there is always a fine line between where it rains and where it snows.
The reporters were working on a story about the recent FBI petition to the FCC and their CALEA requirements for IP Communications Service providers.
Since the Internet really has no borders, if we push too far, the technology, innovations and services will move off shore to places where the regulatory requirements are not such an issue. On the other hand, IP Communication Service Providers in the US must be prepared to deal with the social requirements of what it is to be a provider of services. This is a harder balance to describe than the rain/sleet/snow line in a storm.
Posted by jeff at 08:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Some more pictures...
Below are some more pictures that I took at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies. I also took shot some video which was saved as .mov files which I hope to be able to stream in the near future.
From Monday March 15th:
John Melencamp
Bruce Springsteen
Yoko Ono
Jann
ZZ Top
Steve Winwood
Jeff and Risa
John Melencamp
Jann and Peter Wolf
Robert Plant and Jeff Lynne
Posted by jeff at 08:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 16, 2004
A few pictures from Last Night's Rock Hall Ceremony
Sean Lennon and Dhani Harrison
Jeff and Michael J. Fox
Cameron Crowe and Nancy Wilson
P. Diddy
Lenny Kravitz
Chris Rock
Posted by jeff at 05:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Almost Famous...Being at the 2004 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Dinner
..At least this is what it felt like. Of the three Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies which I’ve attended, (2002, 2003, 2004), last night’s event was the best by far. There were more A-list stars in attendance than I remember attending in the past. A cool moment happened for me early in the night when I saw Cameron Crowe and his wife Nancy Wilson getting to their table as they were the first to sit down. I asked them if it was ok to take their picture, and I did. On my way out of the Waldorf-Astoria, I saw Cameron and we both wished each other “Good Night.” I could not have scripted it better.
Along the way I met: Michael J. Fox, Little Stevie and stood right next to: Mick Jagger, Dave Mathews, John Melencamp, Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon and quite a few others from the music industry.
Guests at the table that I was seated at included: Andrew Cuomo and the former mayor of Cleveland who is now a Senator from Ohio who was directly responsible for the formation of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
While I grew up in a photography family, I never did learn how to shoot a great picture. During the night I was learning how to best use my new digital cameras and the night was a learning experience. I managed to take a few good pictures from the night which I will be posting to the blog in a little bit.
Look for the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies on VH1 on March 21sth.
Posted by jeff at 08:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 15, 2004
2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies tonight in NYC
While IP Communications is always on my mind, later today I'm taking a few hours off to relax and have some fun.
Later today the Class of 2004 will be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and I'm looking forward to being there in person and watching the real ceremonies, not the edited versions that will be airing on VH1 in about a week.
Tonight will be different as I will have a camera with me this time so that I can create some digital memories that I can bring home.
Other than knowing that I was at the 2002 and 2003 Induction Ceremonies, and that I enjoyed being there, this time around I hope to have some digital memories that will be saved.
Looking at the program, I'm already looking forward to the induction speeches:
At the past events that I've attended, it was fun being around the friends and family members of those being honored.
I don't expect tonight to be any different.
The night starts off with a cocktail reception which is great for people watching and catching up with long lost friends that you didn't know you had. (Sort of like being on orkut).
Then dinner is served and afterwards, the night events start which in the past have included performances which didn't make it to VH1 but were great to be there for.
Last year it was the Police that performed live for the first time in many years and the year before it was the Talking Heads. This year I understand that
Traffic will be performing.
This should be a fun evening.
Posted by jeff at 08:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 14, 2004
AT&T and Access Charges: Flashback to 1998
While I've come to the belief that in 2004 the point of discussion for IP/PSTN regulatory discussions is at the demarcation point of when an IP Network touchs the PSTN, for an interesting Sunday Morning read, take a look at pages 12-13 of AT&T's Comments to the FCC for the Steven's Report filed back in 1998.
I realize know it's fine for companies to revise their views over time, particularly if
you are a recovering monopolist, I do believe these comments do reveal a different side of AT&T as their network has changed over time.
Posted by jeff at 08:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Possible Business Model for Orkut: Digital Identification Certificates
While the folks at orkut sort out my own status, with the advent of the discovery of Gov Arnold's orkut profile, it seems to me that one role these social networks could possibly provide is to become an on-line digital identification certificate authority so that I know that the person is who they say they are, besides the fact that their email checks out to their personal email address and that their on-line profile matches what one would assume it would look like.
Something similar could be applied on an experimental basis to end-to-end IP Communication Networks like Free World Dialup so that people know who they are talking to.
This concept actually could apply up and down the entire IP Communications foodchain, almost regardless of platform and mode of communication.
I realize that there are quite a few other companies which could also jump into the game, but places like: LinkedIn and orkut where business and social relationships can flourish, it would be nice to know that people know that you are who you say you are and that as your on-line profile follows you from social networking to instant messaging platforms and other communication methods, your certified identity travels with you too.
Posted by jeff at 07:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
I've been orkut'ed!
My wakeup surprise this morning was that my account at orkut was placed on hold.
Seems that something that I've done has triggered an automatic account review/suspension at orkut.
I'm not sure if it was my manual invitations of people from my LinkedIn address book, my action of reaching out to some friends already on orkut or the fact that inside of a few focused days I ended up connecting with a couple hundred of people, mostly old friends from past VON events and other industry conferences.
Hopefully there is a human at orkut who is managing the process and whom could reinstate me sometime soon.
[edited] p.s. - in just a matter of minutes, I've was reinstated by Orkut directly. :-)
Talk about great personal service!
Posted by jeff at 07:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Is Arnold Schwarzenegger really on orkut?
I guess it really doesn't matter one way or the other, but "Arnold Schwarzenegger" does have an active profile at the moment.
There are enough other very credible people on orkut who are who they are so there is a part of me willing to believe just about anything.
And I feel honored in a way since Arnold and I recently exchanged "friend" links and we both are fans of each other.
Since I'm now friend of Arnold, his hotmail account is displayed. I haven't tried sending email to it, nor have I tried to engage in any questions at all, let alone California Telecom Policy. Maybe I should. ;-)
Posted by jeff at 12:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 13, 2004
Trying to Relax a Little...
I'm not sure exactly what happened during the past two weeks, but at the pulver.com office, it is as if we have transported back to the 1999/2000 era.
I first noticed the irrational exuberance with VoIP stocks last July, but the buzz in our office seems to be quite real and is back up with the business realities that it represents.
I don't remember ever being so busy and experiencing so many blur days in a row so, so much so that the past week was a blur.
After experiencing the 2001-2002 slow down, I'm not one to ever complain about being busy. My challenge is focusing on our core businesses while incubating a few pretty cool companies at the same time.
Today I'm trying to relax a little but I've spent the better part of 5 hours so far exploring orkut, reading the VoIP threads on Broadband Reports and checking email.
The next couple of weeks look to be even more busy as our office prepares for Spring 2004 VON and gets ready for what will be our biggest and best event in three years.
Posted by jeff at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
FCC VoIP NPRM and FBI Proceedings: The Long and Winding Road Ahead
This week saw the issuance of two highly anticipated proceedings - the FCC's VoIP NPRM and the FBI's CALEA Petition.
While these documents will no doubtly be the talk of the Telecom Policy Summit at Spring 2004 VON and will be directly responsible for a boost in the billable hours for some of the regulatory focused lawyers in the DC Beltway, there are a lot of very important issues in front of us and if there ever was a time to become engaged with Washington DC, now is the time.
Posted by jeff at 06:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 12, 2004
Yahoo! / BT Instant Voice Messaging Looks Cool
Yesterday's announcement that Yahoo! and BT are working together with their own "Voice Instant Messaging" service was a welcome announcement in the world of IP Communications, where most other announcements are about replacement technology, this announcement falls into the category of Heteromorphic Communications.
Their announced service isn't something new. I subscribed to a similar sounding service from a Boston based start-up back in 1999, but with the joint branding of Yahoo! and BT, this time around there is a greater chance for success simply based on the brands and the wide reach of their respective customer bases.
The advent of this product announcement does raise the bar higher for what looks like will be an interesting fight between the free voice ASPs, including Free World Dialup and Skype.
Posted by jeff at 07:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
More Money Coming into the VoIP Space
Earlier this week, Voiceglo announced that they raised $28 million which comes in on the heels of Vonage's recent additional funding announcement. While these higher profile companies have been able to raise money, look for funding announcement for some VoIP start-ups to start to trickle in.
The class of 2004 is being brought to you by: some real new faces, some who did quite well in the past as well as alumni of the past dot-com world who were crushed in the past.
Who says that "there is no such thing as a second (or third) chance?"
In the world of IP Communications, where one is bounded only by their imagination, it is great to see investor confidence re-enter the marketplace.
It is also just a matter of days/weeks/months until some of the more mature private VoIP Companies which we have gotten to know at VON over the years will start to file for their IPOs.
Anybody want to guess with me who will be the first 5 private firms to file?
Please email: jeffp@pulver.com with your guesses.
Posted by jeff at 06:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Seems like Old Times...
With the number of people working at the pulver.com office just about doubling since the end of last year, it is starting to feel a lot like 1999/2000 all over again inside our office and overall things feel real positive.
Even though we are getting bigger, this time around, we have been able to keep our focus within the number of parallel companies which are co-existing under the same roof.
Spring 2004 VON will be our best overall event since Spring 2001 VON in Phoenix and while we will never forget the hard/lean times behind us, given a second chance, I am trying to make good on the mistakes of the past.
VON Canada 2004 and VON Europe 2004 are also looking real good and I'm excited about a new event for 2004, our C|Summit, the event for the Camera Phone Industry which will be taking place in Maui at the end of April.
I am currently working on the launch announcement for two more events which we will be introducing in the Summer and Fall of 2004.
Posted by jeff at 06:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 11, 2004
FBI Petition on CALEA filed today @ FCC
Earlier today the FBI filed its long awaited Petition for Rulemaking on CALEA/IP issues with the FCC.
Posted by jeff at 11:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Doc Searls on Tradeshows
I just read Doc Searl's piece in LinuxJournal - Linux for Suits: Showtime.
I found his perspective to be refreshing and reflective on the reality of the tradeshow industry today and appreciated this ideas and observations on how ways the industry as a whole can evolve into something better than it is today.
Posted by jeff at 08:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
FCC Released VoIP NPRM
Yesterday the FCC released the VoIP NPRM...all 96 pages worth! (in a 6.9MB pdf)
I'm still reviewing the document and look forward to being amongst the people who file reply comments and engage in dialog which will help shape the future of the way IP Communications is treated in the US.
Posted by jeff at 08:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 10, 2004
I am not the VON Coalition
On Monday I was introduced at the NARUC VoIP session as "...the estranged founder of the VON Coalition."
After reading the recent letter the VON Coalition sent to the FCC supporting the AT&T Petition, I have to stand
by that description.
In my world, the demarcation point for regulation is at the place the PSTN is touched.
While the AT&T Petition helped increase the awareness of VoIP when it was filed in the Fall of 2002, had AT&T continued to pay access fees when after they filed their petition, my feelings about the situation may be a bit different since it would have been clear that AT&T was only seeking definational clarity in how VoIP should be treated based on a theoretical basis.
While in Washington this week I heard that the FCC will most likely be denying the AT&T Petition sometime soon. What was not clear was whether or not AT&T would be forced to pay their access fees on a retroactive basis. If the AT&T Petition is denyed and if AT&T isn't required to pay their missing access charge fees, what happens to all of the others who have been paying their access fees during the time the AT&T Petition was being reviewed? Do all of these companies get to file for a access fee rebate?
When the VON Coalition was founded back in 1996, it was under the cloud of the ACTA Petition and the threat that IP Telephony software companies would have their software banned in the US and that such companies should be regulated like telephone companies. While the threat of ACTA never really happened, the VON Coalition did happen and over the years, the VON Coalition reached out to State, Federal and International Gov'ts to help educate on where VoIP was going and helped slow down the international regulation of VoIP.
My hope for the future of the VON Coalition is that it can get back on track with representing the needs of all IP Communication service providers and not just the handful of members that they have.
Posted by jeff at 12:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 09, 2004
orkut: The eBay of Social Networking
I first discovered orkut a few weeks ago and it did take me a couple of weeks to warm up to it. Mostly because of the fact that I've been so busy so going to another website to engage in "social networking" was not high on my priority list.
But as I started to explore orkut and started to observe it's growing feature set, I realized that in some ways, orkut, could turn out to be: "the eBay of Social Networking."
At the moment the orkut network is closed. When you click on the link on their home page 'join orkut' you get to a page which says:
"orkut is unique, because it's an organically growing network of trusted friends. That way we won't grow too large, too quickly and everyone will have at least one person to vouch for them.
If you know someone who is a member of orkut, that person can invite you to join as well. If you don't know an orkut member, wait a bit and most likely you soon will.
We look forward to having you as part of the orkut community."
At the moment there are about 150,000 registered on orkut including an increasing number of people who are involved in the world of IP Communications.
While I enjoy using LinkedIn for some of my business social networking, I find myself doing "community development" using orkut.
If you would like to give orkut a try, please send email to: jeffp@pulver.com with the subject: orkut invite.
Posted by jeff at 07:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 08, 2004
Back from Washington DC
My week started again in blur mode as I unexpectantly ended up in Washington DC this morning as NARUC made a last-minute schedule change and moved their VoIP session from Tuesday afternoon to Monday morning.
It was interesting being around some of the NARUC delegates last night at their reception as just about everyone at the meeting had heard about the "Pulver Order" and it was interesting being around these people when they realized that I was the namesake behind the order.
What I found interesting was that some of the States are still intent on going forward with their VoIP proceedings despite the current activities of the FCC and their on-going VoIP NPRM.
While in the lobby of the hotel after my session today, I had the opportunity to speak with regulators from a variety of the States. A number of them will be joining us in Santa Clara at Spring 2004 at the end of the month at our Telecom Policy Summit.
Posted by jeff at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Good Technology is Socially Responsible
In the morning I will be presenting in the Monday VoIP session at the Winter 2004 NARUC meeting.
In the context of my presentation, below are my notes from my presentation wich covers the sub-topic: "Good Technology is Socially Responsible"
Intercarrier Compensation:
- Should not be based on the nature of the service or application riding a facility.
- PSTN connectivity should be the demarcation point between the IP world and the legacy circuit world.
USF should be based on a connections and/or numbers based approach.
- Broadband Initiatives should be encouraged and carriers should be incented to build out broadband without building a walled garden.
- Regulators should recognize that voice is the killer app driving broadband deployments.
Social Policy concerns can be addressed by voluntary industry standards:
- Disability Access / 911 / CALEA
- Next Generation Public Good Services are already in planning by the industry which will greatly enhance the ability to accomplish the social policy objectives.
The VoIP Industry is actively working with all appropriate parties:
- pulver.com is committed to helping to drive an industry code of conduct. Beware of others in this space.
Posted by jeff at 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 07, 2004
pulverRadio and Richard Neer
It has taken a few months to happen, but thanks to the help of a friend who helped point me to the way to properly start the backchannel communication, sometime later this week I expect to finally speak with Richard Neer with regard to pulverRadio and how we can leverage the platform and the vision as a circa 2004 Progressive Rock radio station.
Later this week I expect the first test streams to be heard from the updated pulverRadio studios for the first time since we closed down our original operations back in July, 2002.
Posted by jeff at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
One week to go for the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Ever since I read about the list of great artists who have been chosen to be inducted into the Class of 2004 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 15th in NYC, I've been looking forward to attending the event, listening to the induction speeches and just being there.
I've had the fortune of attending the event in 2002 and 2003 and this time around I will not be shy and will bring with me a digital camera with hope of bringing home some images and memories from the night.
Hightlights from the induction ceremony will be broadcast on VH1 on Sunday, March 21st.
Posted by jeff at 09:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
What Ever Happened to Stroke 9?
Last night I listened to Stroke 9's first CD on a major label, "Nasty Little Thoughts", back from 1999 and enjoyed the music and lyrics on every track.
Stroke 9 was the band that opened for Smashmouth at Fall 2000 VON in Atlanta and again played our not-so private pulver.com 2000 Holiday Party at the Westin in Santa Clara and we last saw them when they performed for us on the steps of the US Capitol at the 2001 Internet Freedom Rally in June, 2001.
During the Fall/Spring of 2000-2001 I caught a couple of their shows when they visited the metro NYC area.
The release of their 2nd CD on Universal was pushed back by after effects of 9/11 and when the CD finally came out, I'm not sure what happened to the support of the band from their label.
Before reality TV was a big thing, you could see a cameo from Stroke 9
on EdTV and they played on the sound track of Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back.
It's now 2004 and my hope is that these great guys known as Stroke 9 find themselves again and get back to the greatness which their first CD helped set the expecations they will be following.
Stroke 9 doesn't know it, but they helped directly influence me in launching my indie label, RevUp Records. My hope continues today to find a band like a circa 1997-98 Stroke 9 which will help grow the brand and success of RevUp Records.
Now that pulverRadio is slated to come back later this month, I will look to support Stroke 9 band by putting their music back into the rotation so that it is heard on a regular basis by what I hope to be a significant number of people before the end of this year.
Posted by jeff at 08:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
VoIP Buzz helping to grow Spring 2004 VON
The positive momentum for Spring 2004 VON continues to grow. It is having a ripple effect on our other VON events including: VON Canada, VON Europe and Fall 2004 VON.
Already we will have over 25 countries represented in Santa Clara and the number of people and companies represented in Santa Clara at Spring 2004 VON will provide for our largest community since Spring 2001 VON in Phoenix.
While there are still seats available today for those who wish to join the VON Conference, depending upon our final numbers, we may have to cut-off on-site registration at this event.
If you are thinking of attending, register today and avoid the problem of being shut out of Spring 2004 VON.
Posted by jeff at 07:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Getting ready for another DC Trip...
Later today I will be leaving for Washington, D.C., to be a part of the Winter 2004 NARUC meetings.
Given the attention the US States have allocated to VoIP and the FCC's recent "Pulver Order" I expect my name will be mentioned more than once during the NARUC Winter meetings which started yesterday.
Tonight I hope to get to DC early enough to still be able to socialize with some of the members of the NARUC community.
I'm expecting a rather lively discussion between the panelists and the audience members on the VoIP panel which I will be on.
This should be an interesting session.
Posted by jeff at 07:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
One Movie that I can just watch over and over...
is Groundhog Day.
Posted by jeff at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 06, 2004
Social Networking and orkut
Since the Fall of 2003, I've been a loyal user of LinkedIn using it in a mode where I have been mostly helping others with their relationship building as they try to create their own personal networks inside the growing IP Communications industry. I have yet to use the network effect for my own purposes but I expect this will change in the near future.
I've also found myself trying out other social networking platforms just so that I have a platform/basis for comparison.
My current passion is for Google's own Social Networking platform - orkut.
At the moment I've setup a Free World Dialup user community on orkut and enjoy the free form nature of this platform.
While other social networking platforms will continue to evolve, and it is just a matter of time before Microsoft announces their own version, look to social networking as a leading indication of how/where the broader IM space is evolving towards.
While some people always seem to want to connect a telephone to an instant message, this will be a very interesting space to closely watch at it starts to touch the Enterprise and corporate communications / relationships.
These social networking applications just represent the tip of the iceberg when it comes to hetermoprhic communication platforms which will attempt to interconnect people, places, messaging and presence.
Posted by jeff at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 05, 2004
pulver.com has gone "Retro"
Last week for the first time in a couple of years we made the big "retro" move and hired someone full-time to be responsible for answering our telephones and greeting people when they visit our office.
While I suppose it has become accepted for someone calling another office to be greeted by an auto-attendant, at pulver.com we have gone retro and have staffed a position in our own office to be the one whose voice will become familar with all those who call and visit with us.
Posted by jeff at 08:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Winter NARUC Meeting Schedule Revised
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) will be holding its 2004 Winter Committee Meetings from March 7-10.
I will be one the many speakers at this event and will be joining their VoIP panel which has just moved from Tuesday March 9th to Monday March 8th.
I'm looking forward to this session and being a part of this panel which includes representatives from: The VON Coalition, FCC, SBC, Century Tel and Analysis Group.
I expect a lively discussion and an opportunity to explore some of the issues facing the IP Communications Industry today.
Posted by jeff at 08:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 04, 2004
Watching NBC News Story about jetBlue while on jetBlue
Earlier tonight on my flight home from Orlando, I happened to be watching the NBC evening news which ran a story about jetBlue.
The story was filmed the night before on a flight from New York to Ft. Lauderdale had the deja-vu effect on me as I thought it was cool watching people watching TV on jetBlue while I was experiencing the same thing at the same time...
Guess you had to be there to really appreciate it.
Posted by jeff at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Pulver Radio launching later this month
pulverRadio will be back on-the-air later this month as a progressive rock radio station with a great sound.
I expect that we will be in a position to start testing our streams in a few days and we will be gearing up for a formal launch right around the time of Spring 2004 VON.
Funny how things work out that way.
Posted by jeff at 07:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
My NextGen Vacation Days
It seems that whether I'm on vacation with my family or on a business trip, or at home, my mornings start off by spending at least an hour on email catching up and sending messages that accumulated in my mind during the night, followed by trying to blog a thing or two.
From the late morning until early evening I "go mobile" and I'm generally restricted to just using my cell phone and by the time the cell phone battery has worn down it's the evening and I'm back on email again and thinking of whether or not to blog something at night.
Today I will be playing the role of tourist and taking in as much as Universal Studios in Orlando can share in the four hours I have between the time their gates open and the time I need to leave for the airport for the return trip home.
Posted by jeff at 07:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Pulver Party in Orlando: A Fun Night Out!
The recent Pulver Report Party which we held at the House of Blues a couple of nights ago was a lot of fun to produce and provided us with an opportunity to meet with a variety of people which included both some old friends and some new ones.
I hope to post pictures from the March 2nd party within a few days.
At this party I had the pleasure of having my family with me in attendance, and my twin sons really enjoyed themselves with John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown band - both in the audience and on stage.
During the course of the night, we had the pleasure of welcoming to the stage, Kevin Antunes, a son of Michael Antunes (the great sax player from band) who is the musicial director of Justin Timberlake and Insync. Kevin played keyboards and helped bring out the fun.
Special thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of the evening and we look forward to coming back to the House of Blues in Orlando at a future time.
Later this month, Spring 2004 VON special muscial guest, Liz Phair, will be playing the Orlando House of Blues.
Posted by jeff at 07:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 03, 2004
Possible Windfall for VoIP: Appeals Court favors Bells on Rates for Access
Maybe I'm missing something, but after reading the story in today's New York Times, Appeals court favors bells on rates for access, I look at this at yet another great opportunity for the VoIP Industry in the USA to grow.
One possible outcome from this ruling will be to just push everyone else to become in effect what I have been calling a good "broadband parasite" and in effect help accelerate the rollout of
broadband and other last mile access technologies around the USA.
If this happens, I don't necessarily see anything wrong with that.
The one thing we all need to be careful of is that these broadband networks continue to be QoS neutral with regard to the packets of one competitor riding over the broadband infrastructure of the other. Hopefully this isn't an issue that will ever have to be addressed in reality.
Posted by jeff at 02:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
The launch of BroadVoice
On the heals of the recent Oscars, BroadVoice launched their new voice over broadband service, joining what is soon to become a real crowded marketplace in the United States.
Looking at their list of service features, BroadVoice compares on paper pretty well with many of their current competitors.
Later this month at Spring 2004 VON, I'm expecting some exciting news from AT&T and possibly others with regard to their own consumer voice over broadband service offerings. In the near future, consumers around the world will have a much longer list of vendors looking to become their real-time broadband communications provider.
At the moment it seems as if the current version of most of these service offerings are positioned to be "better, cheaper" than their rivals rather than "better and different" than their rivals.
The long term survival of companies entering into this marketplace will be depend on those companies which "get it" and can morph themselves into what can be best described as 'heteromorphic communication companies.' Those who "don't get it" may not have the chance to get it right the second time around.
Posted by jeff at 07:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 02, 2004
Pulver Report Party in Orlando Tonight
The Pulver Report is having a party tonight at the House of Blues in Orlando.
Tonight I look forward to getting together with some old friends and catching up on the latest talk about both Enterprise VoIP and the state of VoIP Regulation in the USA.
The fun starts at 7PM.
Posted by jeff at 07:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
BusinessWeek Online - Microsoft: Your Next Phone Company?
I just read the story: "Microsoft: Your Next Phone Company? - It's keeping
mum, but the giant has already introduced software that could turn into
the killer phone application." on BusinessWeek online.
While this may not seem like news for many people involved in the IP Communications space, the fact that it is covered by BusinessWeek is just another sign how mainstream VoIP has
become.
Posted by jeff at 01:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Please help support DRI
My wife Risa has been a Juvenile Diabetic since before I met her.
One of the charities which I have been a long-time supporter of has been the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI), based in Miami, Florida as they are a world-class institution which has dedicated themselves to help find a cure for Diabetes.
This year, my wife and I have the honor of chairing the annual Crystal Ball which will be taking place in Garden City, New York the night of April 24th.
This annual event contributes in a significant way to the annual fundraising efforts of the DRI and I know they are always looking for people to help support their activities.
If you enjoy dropping by pulver.com and have the ability to help support a charity, it would be appreciated if you could consider
taking out a journal ad or making a dontation to DRI.
Please feel free to email: risa@pulver.com for further details.
Your support is greatly appreciated.
Posted by jeff at 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
March 01, 2004
Monday Morning VoIP BUZZ
During the past few months, I've started tracking the buzz surrounding VoIP as measured by Google.
This morning there were:2,360,000 webpage hits on VoIP and 2,290 news stories.
This is significantly up from the last time I checked a month ago on February 4th when there were only 2,160,0000 website hits, and 1,550 news Stories.
Posted by jeff at 07:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
VoIP Telecom Policy Summit @ Spring 2004 VON
Spring 2004 VON will be taking place March 28th to April 1st in Santa Clara, CA.
VoIP Regulation is something we have been covering at VON since our first VON conference in 1997 and is something which continues to make headline news in 2004.
The FCC's recent "Pulver Order" was a clear sign that the FCC will be addressing the emerging IP Communications Industry head-on and will continue to provide direction and a vision as these technologies continue to evolve.
While I was in Washington, D.C. last week, one theme which kept coming up was the intent of certain people in Congress to put in place the start of the steps necessary to take a look back at the Telecom Act of 96 and in effect the steps needed to create a new communications act.
2005 may become the year that the Telecommunications Act starts to get re-written.
While there will most likely be VoIP legislation introduced in Congress in the current session, nobody has been willing to handicap the success of such legislation actually happening in 2004. Instead, these actions set the stage for what may keep me visiting Washington DC more often during the course of 2005.
In anticipation of the need to keep a watchful eye on the evolution of IP Communications regulatory issues, we have put together our all-day Spring 2004 Telecom Policy Summit at Spring 2004 VON. Our Telecom Policy Summit takes place the morning after Bob Pepper's FCC Town Hall Meeting.
This event will be attended by a number of US State regulators.
Spring 2004 VON will be our biggest event in the post 9/11 era. We are experiencing a warm/positive feeling we haven't felt since 1999. Based on the number of people already registered for the conference, chances are that we will not be able to accept on-site registrations in Santa Clara.
If you are thinking of being a part of Spring 2004 VON, now is a great time to visit the webiste and register for Spring 2004 VON.
Below is the latest draft schedule for the Spring 2004 Telecom Policy Summit:
Monday, March 29, 2004 Telecom Policy Summit
Welcome and Introduction: Glenn Richards, Shaw Pittman
Opening address: Blair Levin, Legg Mason
Federal Regulation:
- Kathy Brown, Verizon
- Rick Cimerman, Senior Director, Natl Cable & Telecomm Assoc.
- Sam Shiffman, Vice President, Engineering and Development, PointOne
- Julie Veach, Assistant Chief, FCC, Wireline Cmpetition Bureau, CPD
- Ron Vidal, Senior VP, Level(3) Communications
State Regulation:
- Charles Davidson, Florida PSC Commissioner
- Wayne Fonteix, Director - State Regulatory, AT&T
- Susan Kennedy, California PUC Commissioner
- Bryan Martin, President & CEO, 8x8, Inc.
International Regulation:
- Lorne Arbugov, Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcoury LLP.
- Jonathan Draluck, VP, Business Affairs & General Counsel, iBasis
- Michael Kende, Analysis
9-1-1 Issues:
- Robert Gojanovich, iXP Corp.
- Roger Hixson, NENA
- Rick Jones, NENA
- Jim Keenan, Intrado
- Scott Keagy, President & CEO, Emergicom
CALEA Issues:
- John Morris, Staff Counsel & Dir., Internet Standards Tech. &
Policy Proj., Center for Democracy & Technology
- Jason Oxman, Assistant General Counsel, Covad Communications
- Lee Tien, Senior Staff Attorney, Electronic Frontier Foundation
- Rich Thompson
Please visit the Spring VON 2004 website for an up-to-date schedule.
Posted by jeff at 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)