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April 30, 2005
Images from Scottsdale, AZ - Day of the Snake...
For all of the time I've spent over the years in Scottsdale, AZ, I just had my first encounter with a snake.
Posted by jeff at 08:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Stephen Smith on the "SIP is Dead" Rumors...
Steve is a friend who regularly attends our VON events. Steve happens to also be the Chief Scientist at lavalife.
His blog makes for a good read...and his recent entry on Skype / SIP makes for an interesting observation.
Steve's tech journal: Enough SIP / Skype Foolishness
Posted by jeff at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
VON Europe 2005 - Shaping up to be our largest European VON Event
Looking at VON Europe 2005, it looks like this will be our biggest European VON event in our eight year history of producing events in Europe, which will translate into being the biggest VoIP event ever held in Europe.
When factoring in our sold-out exhibit floor with 125 exhibiting companies and our world-class conference speakers, a strong positive momentum will be felt when we are in Stockholm next month.
To date, there are delegates registered from over 45 countries including:
Armenia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Croatia, Denmark,
Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greenland, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland,
Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Latvia, Netherlands, New Calédonia,
Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia,
Serbia and Montenegro, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Turkey,
UAE, UK, USA.
This continues to be a true pan-European event!
There is still time to register but register soon since there is a pretty good chance that we will run out of conference seats at this event.
Posted by jeff at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
So Far Just A Sighting of: Laura Lynne Covington
Laura Lynne Covington, someone who is famous for being Britney Spears cousin and "best friend", was caught on my D70 yesterday while she was sitting poolside.
While I haven't yet seen Britney, with her cousin nearby, Britney may not be all that far away...
Laura Lynn Covington
Laura Lynn Covington
Laura Lynn Covington
Posted by jeff at 08:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
April 29, 2005
Images from Scottsdale, AZ
Flying object in the air
The Great Blue Heron
Posted by jeff at 07:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
New FCC Appointments:
In what I consider a very positive step, Chairman Martin announced several new appointments at the FCC this morning during the FCC Open Meeting:
- Dan Gonzalez -- Chief of Staff
- Tom Navin - Wireline Bureau Chief
- Michelle Carey - Wireline Competition Advisor to Chairman Martin
- Kris Monteith - Enforcement Bureau Chief
- Monica Desai - Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Chief
These are all inside-the-Commission appointments of people with vast experience with both the issues and FCC processes.
Posted by jeff at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Some Recent VoIP Decisions...while I've been away:
- Michigan PSC adopted an order asking legislature to apply registration, certification, and E911 requirements to VoIP.
- Florida Senate panel approved a measure exempting VoIP from PSC regulatory oversight.
- German Gov't considering a bill to extend eavesdropping to VoIP, with the expectation that the industry will be footing the bill.
Posted by jeff at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
On Vacation with Britney Spears...
Yesterday afternoon Britney Spears checked into the same hotel that I've been staying at in Scottsdale, AZ.
Last year it was Jessica Simpson who appeared towards the end my stay at the same hotel. Back then, it was a day after Jessica arrived when I had an episode surrounding a few pictures of Jessica that I took that almost lead to me being asked to vacate this hotel.
This time around, I'm better prepared to take pictures should the opportunity arise...and I can rely on my new D70 and the zoom lenses which I brought with me on this trip to keep a fair distance from Britney and not have my picture taking appear to be so obvious.
So far, Britney and Kevin have been pretty invisible around the grounds of the hotel, but given the chance, I plan on taking at least one picture for the blog.
Posted by jeff at 02:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
April 28, 2005
Images of the Day - from Scottsdale, AZ
Posted by jeff at 11:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Guest Blogger: Timothy D. Jasionowski - re: is SIP dead?
So, I'm reading the Pulver Report yesterday and pondering Jeff's newest
mystery of faith--is SIP dead? Of course, as someone who has spent
five years trying to make SIP-based solutions commercially deployable,
I should have immediately said "Bah!"
But I didn't. And that concerned me, since I'm not currently employed
by Skype.
So, I spent a little time trying to figure out why Skype has so many
end user agents (i.e. not intermediary equipment or bypass) and think
I've finally narrowed things down to the truly significant difference
between SIP and Skype. It's not signaling, CODEC licensing, NAT
transversal, session border controllers or anything we argue over
drinks at VON.
It's that, with Skype, when something doesn't work, they have an
arbitrator--namely the people who run Skype, who determine the
absolute. In my experience, particularly in a previous life building
an IP telephony interoperability product, there's far too many opinions
and, more importantly, too many decisions made at the margin (in both
directions) on what the RFC writers intended or, more importantly,
neglected to resolve. Skype doesn't have to worry about in-band or
out-of-band DTMF; both are technically acceptable in SIP (in the case
of out-of-band, there are even two approaches on how to do that).
Skype doesn't have to worry about whether RTP is suspended or left
intact on hold or transfer; again, both acceptable within SIP.
However, if two SIP developers decide to support a subset of these two
approaches, things don't interoperate. Obviously, bad.
Whenever we get to a point where an issue arises, everything goes to
the IETF and the SIP working groups, becomes a working group decision,
people discuss, propose and, usually compromise (which isn't always the
right way to approach the problem--i.e. ATM and 53 byte cells). Skype
doesn't have to do that. They just make the decision quickly and go.
There's something to be said to fixing a problem over lunch, even if
the solution isn't always the most elegant one.
Let me take an extreme approach to this problem (Who? ME?), just to
make a point. You want to fix SIP and counter the Skype threat? Sell
all the underlying intellectual property rights of SIP to me. I'll
license it to anyone who asks for US$1. Then I'd create two basic
rules: first, I don't have any say at all in how problems are solved;
second, SIP is now a product, rather than an academic or development
exercise. Everyone who works on it today, continues to work on it--I'd
even share the dollar licensing fee, though it would more likely end up
being spent on Ahi Tuna Tartare and 150th Anniversary Grand Marnier at
VON Happy Hours--but we agree on a strict development roadmap.
I'd create panels that arbitrate technical disputes quickly and, more
importantly, firmly. I'd take the SIP name and strictly trademark
it--if they haven't agreed to follow the decisions of my panel, they
can't claim to be SIP compliant and we'll sue them if they claim
otherwise (unfortunately, this will also end my practice of claiming
that my car is SIP compliant, as currently, no one can stop me). And,
I'd create the Jasionowski Test--if someone who claims to be SIP
complaint answers a customer care call about SIP interoperability with
third-party equipment and states that they don't support
interoperability outside of their equipment family, they aren't
compliant and they forfeit the license--unfortunately, in that camp
would be most of the people shipping premise-based PBX systems today.
If you don't believe me, call a few of them.
Sounds crazy, doesn't it? Sure... but you know in your heart that's
exactly what Skype is going to do. Want access to our users for your
premium, revenue-generating voice application? Here are my rules. If
you break them, you fix your application or I cut you off. If you have
a question about how to do something, call us and we'll give you an
unqualified answer. If we don't support something you need, we'll
either say no--quickly--or add it to the roadmap, with an estimated
time before it's available. Sounds like an incentive to develop to me.
Why is this? Skype is a product. A commercial proposition. SIP is
not.
I'm still firmly behind SIP, but I'm tired of hearing about and seeing
SIP "compliant" solutions. Compliance isn't good enough--If it was,
would we have had Enron? ;) What we need is consistency, expediency
and, occasionally, to hear the word "no." That's what beats Skype.
Please note--I'm not knocking the IETF. I believe in my heart in its
mission and its progressive standards, and as a former student of
institutional analysis, I also believe in the positive aspects of
policy lag. However, I also believe in creating approaches to
technology problems that are commercially viable, which is particularly
important for SIP to accomplish, since it's attempting to replace a
protocol suite that *is* reliable and commercially viable--the existing
PSTN's tapestry of SS7/C7, et. al.--and, as a standard, SIP is still
not, unfortunately, there yet.
And because of that, Skype is starting to sound pretty good--like a
tightly wrapped blanket and warm milk.
Timothy Jasionowski
sip(at)postpartisan.com
Posted by jeff at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
April 27, 2005
'Help! I Need Somebody!'...But do we really need Somebody to Micromanage Emergency Response Solutions for IP-Based Communications?
Last night I read with some concern several news accounts of a comment FCC Chairman Martin made yesterday regarding application of emergency response obligations on VoIP service providers.
Now, to be clear, I have no problem with the adoption of appropriately-tailored rules establishing guidelines for implementation of an emergency response system for IP-based communications providers. Who could argue with the promotion of such a public good? As I've said repeatedly, IP technology will allow for the establishment of next-generation emergency response capabilities that will dwarf anything we currently see on traditional telecom networks.
In fact, the Global IP Alliance, which I helped to found, is now taking the lead to develop a global IP-based Emergency Response System. It is my hope that this global effort will allow users to hit a single button and immediately activate appropriate language translations, notify appropriate points of contact and emergency responders, transmit individualized medical histories and special circumstances, etc.
New rules designed in such a way so as not to disrupt new technology and services but ensure the public good should be acceptable to both industry and government. Cookie-cutter application of old rules to IP-based communications, however, could tend to stifle new technology and innovation and interfere with the ability of IP-based communications providers to develop superior emergency response systems.
My preference of course is that industry take the lead to develop non-proprietary emergency response systems that are most suitable to promotion of IP technology while promoting the broadest public good. Short of that, I would hope that regulators, as they inject their authority over IP-based communications, look at IP technology with a fresh eye and an understanding of the differences between IP-based communications and traditional telecom networks.
One area where I think it is appropriate for government intervention would be to ensure that unaffiliated IP-based communications providers have access to the "selective routers" and other infrastructure currently controlled largely by incumbent carriers. I would hate to think that those that control necessary infrastructure could stand in the way of establishment of a workable emergency response capability by IP-based communications providers. Certainly, lives should not be lost so that certain providers might be able to maintain a competitive advantage or point to the inadequate capabilities of unaffiliated IP-based communications providers.
Another area for government oversight would be to ensure that PSAPs do not block the use of administrative access lines for nomadic emergency response services. These administrative access lines provide a critical interim solution while the IP-based communications industry moves forward rapidly to develop the technological means for the provision of emergency services to nomadic end users.
I'm curious to see the fruits of Chairman Martin's statement and I trust that he will not simply "react" to current fears as he and his colleagues weigh in on emergency response solutions that might implicate IP-based communications. Any regulator involvement must continue to promote innovation and advance the promise of IP-based communications while simultaneously promoting the public good and allowing IP technology to improve emergency response solutions.
Posted by jeff at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (42)
April 27th issue of the Pulver Report just released
It seems that being on "vacation" sometimes means an opportunity to actually catch up on work.
The latest edition of The Pulver Report has just been published and set out to our 50,000+ subscribers.
Posted by jeff at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
House witness list for Hearing Later Today:
- Lewis K. Billings, Mayor, Provo, Utah;
- Charles M. Davidson, Commissioner, Florida Public Service Commission;
- Kenneth Fellman, Mayor, Arvada, Colorado-Member, NATOA Board of Directors;
- Commissioner Diane Munns of Iowa, President of NARUC;
- John Perkins, Iowa Consumer Advocate-President, National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates;
- David C. Quam, Director, Federal Relations-National Governors Association;
- Karen P. Strauss, KPS Consulting, Alliance for Public Technology.
Posted by jeff at 04:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 26, 2005
My interview with Skype Journal: Freedom to Connect
During VON Canada I had a chance to sit down with both Stuart Henshall and Bill Campbell and shared some issues which were on my mind at that time.
The first part of the interview is included in the Don’t Take My Skype Away story published in the Skype Journal.
Posted by jeff at 07:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Cisco-Linksys acquires Sipura
While this is Cisco's first acquisition for its Linksys division, this is at least the second time members of the team have worked for the company.
The founders of Sipura started Komodo which gave Cisco their ATA product line back in 2000. Once given the freedom from Cisco, Sipura was formed.
Given the strategic importance of the Sipura technology to the future of Linksys, this acquisition does not surprise me.
Posted by jeff at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Another EvDO Day...
This morning my vacation is taking a short hiatus as I'm flying from Scottsdale to the San Francisco Bay Area for the day.
Having learned from my last day trip to California, I fully expect to take advantage of my EvDO service during the day.
The alternative for me is to be offline literally all day, and have to sort thru at least 1,000 emails.
Given the choice, I'll take the EvDO. :-)
Posted by jeff at 07:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
SIP really isn't Dead...
Around the blogsphere, I continue to see some chatter that “SIP is Dead.”
I think headlines like "SIP is Dead" may help to drive traffic to a given blog or to a news page, but in the end, the SIP protocol isn't dead just because someone says it is or because another protocol is more popular or because it may appear to be under the influence of others whose intentions are not well understood.
Since 1995, there have been quite a number of protocols used in the evolution of IP based Communications and for a long time SIP made a lot of sense in terms of an open protocol for real-time communication across the internet. SIP continues to evolve and while the SIP fathers may not recognize their children once SIP extensions are added on, the fact remains that because SIP is an OPEN protocol, many vendors will continue to build products and services around SIP for the foreseeable future.
This said, the impact of the success of Skype will start to be felt sometime later this year by many of the vendors whose products and services Skype simply disrupts. Once Skype gains traction on embedded systems and as an application on mobile phones there may be no turning back. During the rest of 2005 I expect we will learn about a growing number of vendors who will choose to adopt their products and services for a Skype empowered world. While this is going, I fully expect we will find many others who will continue down the path they were on, and will hope that their strategy of supporting SIP and/or other protocols just works out in the end.
While some people will continue to debate the future of SIP vs. Skype, what I would love to see is the industry move far, FAR away from having to support using narrow band codecs like G.723.1 and G.729a and focus more on standardizing on codecs which have no royalties to be paid and are optimized for the broadband internet. What would be a great move would be for someone or for some company to acquire the assets of GIPS and turn around and offer all of their IPR back to the communications community…for free! Open Source GIPS. Now that would be cool. The positive impact of such a move would be far greater than just the payment savings from the underlying GIPS license holders. Such a move would help empower a generation to start to take full advantage of free communication across the broadband internet.
So while someone may feel the time has come to publish the formal requiem for SIP, I'd suggest that we are still early in the evolution of IP Communications to rule any one protocol in or out.
SIP isn't really dead...at least not yet.
Posted by jeff at 02:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
April 25, 2005
Owl Basking in the Morning Sun...
This morning I took an early morning walk around the grounds of the hotel and I found an Owl taking in the morning sun.
Posted by jeff at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
House Hearing on Wednesday:
The House Energy and Commerce Committee will be holding another Hearing on IP-Enabled Services on Wednesday at 1:30 pm. Few details have yet been posted. We don't yet have the Witness List, but it they will be drawn from the ranks of Government officials this time round. More information might
become available over the next day or so at: http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/Hearings/04272005hearing1488/hearing.htm.
I suspect we'll see a few more hearings over the next several months before all is said and done.
Posted by jeff at 06:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Invitation to Blog: "Peripheral Visionaries' IP-Based Communications Policy Summit" in DC on May 4
Fellow members of the Blogsphere:
I wanted to encourage some of you to come to the "Peripheral Visionaries' IP-Based Communications Policy Summit" in DC on May 4. I'm growing increasingly more concerned that decisions about the future of the Internet and IP-based communications (that is to say, our collective future) are being made by policymakers without enough insight about what is going on outside the Beltway. We, however, will have no one to blame but ourselves if we do not step up and make every effort to participate in the policy debate. For this reason, I'm hosting the "Peripheral Visionaries' Policy Summit". The Summit is an effort to bring some outside-the-sandbox thinking to the inside-the-Beltway policy debate and to allow the technologists and policymakers to share their distinct perspectives. It is essential that the policymakers get a glimpse of the potential that IP technology has to transform the ways in which we communicate, well beyond simply the voice application that rides on an IP network. Frankly, it is also essential for all of us to get a better education on the ways of government and policy development.
We'll have representatives from all the major DC-based trade associations involved on all sides of the communications and Internet policy debates (so the inside-the-beltway policy makers and advocates will be well represented). We need a few more outside-the-Beltway technologists, innovators, thinkers and visionaries like you all to lend your voices at the Summit.
We've tried to bring the policymakers to us, but not enough leave the Beltway. So, we are coming to them.
The policymakers hold their Summits and not enough of us attend. We hold our Summits and not enough of them attend. I fear we're all, on both sides, just a bunch of trees falling in the forest with only ourselves to hear it. They need to hear from us, and, equally, we need to hear from them. Please consider joining us on May 4. It should be mutually edifying and, frankly, a lot of fun.
If you would like to blog the event, please drop me a line.
Posted by jeff at 09:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
April 24, 2005
Images of the Day from Scottsdale, AZ
(experimenting shooting in "RAW" format and using photo editing tools)
Posted by jeff at 02:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Skype Journal: Skype Sign of Change for VON Strategies
Stuart Henshall: Skype Sign of Change for VON Strategies
While visiting VON Canada I had a chance to spend some quality time with both Stuart and Bill.
Posted by jeff at 02:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Other Side of: “Slip Slidin’ Away”
According to Paul Simon:
“…You know the nearer your destination
The more you’re slip slidin’ away..”
And there are days when I’ve felt that way.
Then there are the days when I go on holiday and try on purpose to get far away from my own virtual and physical destinations. By in large, while I’m away there comes a time when just about everything around me back home actually becomes much more in focus and I am finally once again able to see all of the things which were in fact “slip slidin’ away” from me.
Distance provides perspective.
(woke up this morning with these words floating in my mind…)
Posted by jeff at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 23, 2005
VON Canada 2005: The Week that Was
Looking back on the past week, Voice on the Net Canada 2005 was a success on all fronts. All-in, over 1,000 people joined us in Toronto.
When compared to Spring 2005 VON while there were not all that many “news announcements” from the show, our event helped shine some direct sunlight onto the Canadian VoIP industry, which was the reason we were there in the first place.
Jon Arnold’s recently posted this thoughts on VON Canada and since he is a long time VON veteran, his words are well taken.
While preparing for my talk at VON Canada I spent some time trying to reflect back and reflect forward on the effect Skype is having on the VoIP industry and from there it was a natural conclusion for me to declare that “..Skype was the iPod of IP Communications.”
I’ve since seen some chatter that “SIP is Dead” but before we publish the formal requiem, this feels more like the time during the “Paul is Dead” rumors of the Beatles days.
SIP never was the ONLY protocol for IP Communications and it will continue to grow and morph over time. IAX2 is another open protocol whose use is growing and will continue to grow as open source communications gains popularity. Skype use continues to grow at viral speeds and most likely will continue to be the most popular communication protocol used across the broadband internet over the next 12-18 months.
For some, SIP is just another protocol and for others, well it is a way of life.
The success of Skype does not dictate the death of SIP, H.323, IAX2 or anything else. We live in a multi-protocol world, even if there are some who like to think otherwise.
Now back to my vacation…
Posted by jeff at 02:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
New build of pulver.Communicator available - build .95.2
The pulver.Communicator team has just posted the latest build of pulver.Communicator.
Build .95.2 is now available for download.
Enhancements include:
- Improved reconnection logic
- Better 'hard phone' detection
- Buddies can be added with text names
- Chat window scroll bug fixed
- Revised Conference UI
- Account Settings updated correctly
- Recognize Asterisk-connected phones
Posted by jeff at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 22, 2005
Images from Scottsdale, AZ
(taken with Nikon D70 using 80-400mm zoom)
Posted by jeff at 08:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
IP Communications Policy Summit: May 4th in Washington D.C.
Our "Peripheral Visionaries' IP-Based Communications Policy Summit" will bring together the leading trade associations and advocates on all sides of the IP-based communications debates for a unified Policy Summit.
So what's a Peripheral Visionary? Someone who can see into the future -- but only way off to the side. When all the peripheral visionaries come together to share their views, it is possible to get a better glimpse of the future.
Every industry body with a stake in VoIP has been vigorously presenting its unique perspective to legislators, regulators, judges, Wall Street, enterprises and consumers. We are all convinced of the righteousness of our respective positions, and, admittedly there is merit on each side, which is why the issue has become so intractable. Seldom have all interested parties had the moment to sit down in a room together to hammer out their differences and triangulate, quadrandragulate, or quintangulate their views.
Jonathan Askin has put together a GREAT agenda for the event.
If you have a stake in the future of IP Communications, NOW would be a great time and take a moment and register for this event and spend the day of May 4th with us in Washington, D.C. and help us find common ground for our collective future.
Posted by jeff at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Catching some needed R&R in Scottsdale, AZ
After experiencing the blur and the buzz of the past few months, I've just arrived in Scottsdale, AZ where I plan on trying to spend some time doing just about nothing. For me, this may turn into work. ;-)
Posted by jeff at 04:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 21, 2005
Another jetBlue Evening...
In a few hours I will be on jetBlue once again, this time enroute for some much needed R&R in Scottsdale, AZ.
I've packed my Nikon D70 and plan to spend some of my time away learning the ins and the outs of taking digital photos...so just in case Jessica Simpson shows up again, I will be better prepared.
Posted by jeff at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Kind words from Andy re: Blogging @ VON
Andy Abramson: The Eyes and Ears of VON
Posted by jeff at 05:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Francois Menard on why VoIP service providers are one step closer to bankruptcy:
Francois Menard: Voice over Internet Service Providers are one step closer to bankruptcy.
Posted by jeff at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Mark Evans Blogs Voice on the Net Canada 2005
This week, while VON Canada 2005 attracted a number of bloggers including: Jon Arnold, Alec Saunders, Skype Journal, I have to single out Mark Evans for his dedication and focus in attending our conference sessions and for helping to memorialize various aspects of our event.
Mark Evans:
AOL Canada to Drop Prices
Who's Jeff Pulver - Entrepreneur, Evangelist, Blogger?
SIPquest picks up US$6M
VON Canada Bits and Bytes
Skype Poaches Microsoft Exec
Wi-Max is Perfect...Theoretically
VOIP: It's the Features, Stupid
Zennstrom's Math
VON Canada: The "Steve Jobs" of VOIP
Posted by jeff at 07:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Mark Evans on Skype
Mark Evans - National Post: Internet telephony has its 'ipod'
"...Mr. Zennstrom, who gave a keynote speech yesterday in Toronto at the VON Canada conference, said Skype has been a business from day one, but many people have had a difficult time understanding its business model because traditional metrics do not apply.
"A lot of people in the telecom industry said there was no business model," he said during an interview. "When you are a 120-person company providing worldwide service with 34 million users and your marginal costs are zero, numbers like average revenue per user is irrelevant. ARPU is irrelevant because our cost base is not in users, but employees..."
Posted by jeff at 07:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Images from the Exhbits @ Voice on the Net Canada 2005:
Posted by jeff at 01:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Images from Conference @ Voice on the Net Canada 2005:
Posted by jeff at 01:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 20, 2005
News from VON Canada 2005
We created a "News Blog" for VON Canada 2005.
The pulver.com team has been posting links from VON Canada 2005 related news stories and press releases.
- Press Coverage
- Press Releases
Posted by jeff at 11:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Highlights from my talk at VON Canada 2005
Yesterday morning during my Industry Perspective at VON Canada 2005, the title of my presentation was "Shift Happens..." and I shared my realization that while many of us talk about end-to-end IP happening, in reality it has happened and continues to happen and that Skype is the “iPod” of IP Communications.
This realization brought out some questions in my mind, including:
- Now that Skype has happened, now what?
- What will now drive end-to-end IP to the next level?
Skype taught us:
- Make something easy to use
- Do it better than the rest
- Provide it for the right price
…and people will use it!
Skype has made the communication experience on the broadband internet better.
Now when I look towards Skype and the future of IP Communications, I wonder:
- Has Skype become a “standard”?
- Does Skype become the new OS for communications?
- If I apply my personal experience from the Spreadsheet Industry
Is Skype?:
(A) VisiCalc
(B) Lotus 1-2-3
(C) Microsoft Excel
- I vote (B) above but I'd like to hear what others say.
My next questions were:
- Will application developers build to Skype?
- Will Skype support the developer community?
What happens next in a Skype-enabled World?
While Skype continues to evolve, the Age Long Battles Continue…Open vs. Closed
What is the role for standards?
Can open systems rise up and take control? Where do things evolve next?
Are the world’s Telco's (and cablecos) destined to become big-dumb-pipe providers?
How long until critical mass happens and we see self-aware endpoints?
Posted by jeff at 04:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Niklas Zennstrom's (Skype) Presentation from VON Canada 2005
Niklas's keynote presentation from Voice on the Net Canada 2005 is now available for download.
Posted by jeff at 07:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Skype Journal @ Voice on the Net Canada 2005
- Jeff Pulver VON Canada
- Niklas VON Canada
- Skype Journal at VON Canada
Posted by jeff at 07:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Russell Shaw watched my ROB-TV Interview...
Russell Shaw - ZDNet: Pulver to Canadian regulators: give VoIP providers time to devise 9-1-1 solutions
Posted by jeff at 07:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Jeff Pulver Story in National Post (Canada)
National Post: 'Accidental' telephony guru started in ham radio 'Fearless' Jeff Pulver
Posted by jeff at 06:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Globes Story on pulver.com VoIP Mission to Israel
Globes Online: Pulver.com mission to honor Israeli VoIP pioneers
Posted by jeff at 06:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 19, 2005
Happy 125th to Bell Canada!
Last night Bell Canada celebrated their 125th birthday across Canada which included a private Bare Naked Ladies concert in Toronto for thousands of employees and friends associated with the Bell Canada umbrella of companies which was broadcast across Canada.
Special thanks to the team at BCE Capital who provided the pulver.com team with tickets to this event. Last night's event was a great lead-in for the commencement of this morning's Voice on the Net Canada 2005.
While the evening started off with about 90 minutes of commercial interruption, BNL gave a fun, high energy performance which lasted about 60 minutes and included quite a few of their classic songs.
At one moment during the performance, when years ago cigarette lighters and matches would have been taken out, the audience turned on their PDAs and Cell Phones for the individual light the devices produced. This was something that just happened, but was another sign of "disruption" of sorts and helped identify yet another thing that most likely has changed forever. I expect a forward thinking concept performer to one day soon figure out a way for the audience to turn on their cellphones and PDAs and leverage the ambers of light radiating from their personal devices.
...For the times they are a-changin'...
Happy 125th to Bell Canada
Posted by jeff at 06:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Archive of my appearance on ROB-TV yesterday:
Report on Business: Report On Business Programs
Scroll down the list and click on the 11:15 AM ET listing.
Posted by jeff at 01:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Catching up with the Pulver’s in Toronto
While I am in Toronto for Voice on the Net Canada 2005, I took the liberty over the past 24 hours to catch up with some of my cousins who I haven't seen in 15+ years.
It turns out that in Toronto, my relatives are either: Lawyers or specialists in the field of Dentistry. After spending a day catching up with: Shawn, Elise, Wayne and Marline, I'm still not sure what the connection to these two professions are.
Passion for music seems to also be a Pulver(.com) trait; my cousin Shawn who is in his 20s has seen Bob Dylan perform 64 times.
Posted by jeff at 01:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 18, 2005
Arrived in Toronto...
Yesterday afternoon I started my trek to Canada and while I made it to Toronto last night, it took until a few minutes ago for my luggage to also make the trip. ;-)
Last night, after 15 years, I caught up with some of the Pulver's of Toronto, including my cousin Ian Pulver who represents the NHL Players Association. Later today I hope to catch up with some of my other relatives after my scheduled 11:10 am appearance on ROB-TV.
The pulver.com team has also arrived in Toronto and they are on-site at the convention ceter getting ready for the commencement of Voice on the Net Canada 2005.
Posted by jeff at 08:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 17, 2005
Getting Ready for Voice on the Net Canada 2005
A year after our first Canadian VoIP tradeshow, Voice on the Net Canada is returning this week, this time taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in downtown Toronto.
2005 will prove to be the year the majority of incumbent service providers launch their VoIP services within Canada.
The buzz for VoIP within Canada just continues to grow, and the growth of Voice on the Net Canada 2005 is a direct reflection of this. Our lineup of speakers at our conference represent many of the people directly responsible for shaping the future of VoIP within Canada as well as within the greater worldwide VoIP industry.
The internet knows no borders and those service providers who fundamentally understand this will be those best positioned to survive as the new communications world order evolves. Regulatory policy alone will not be able to prevent the innovations of the internet from being felt. I am especially looking forward to listening to Niklas’s keynote on Tuesday morning hearing about the future directions of Skype.
On the show front, our exhibit floor will have close to 40 exhibitors. I greatly appreciate the support and confidence the VoIP industry has shown with the growth of the pulver.com VON events into Canada.
I’m leaving for Toronto later today and I’m looking forward to catching up with both friends (and some relatives) while I’m in town. Tomorrow I will be on the set of ROB-TV at 11:10 am and look forward to talking about both the CRTC and VoIP innovations.
Posted by jeff at 09:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Mets win 6th Game in a Row...
With the Mets sixth win in a row, after starting the season losing 5 straight game, they are a game over .500 and a game out of first place.
Good thing for Mets fans that the National League East has not yet been a very competitive division in 2005.
Let's see where the Mets are on April 30th...
Posted by jeff at 09:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 16, 2005
Charity Poker Tournament
As I mentioned in a blog on Thursday, Jonathan Askin and I played in the "Capitol Hill Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament" Wednesday night to benefit the Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation. Coincidentally the Tournament was the night before the anniversary of the date my Dad succumbed to Lung and Brain Cancer. So, for me it was a particularly poignant event.
As some of you know we ran a Charity Poker Tournament at Fall VON last October, and intend to do so again at Fall VON '05. So for us, this was also a bit of a reconnaissance mission. I think they put together a very professional event. I was particularly impressed by the Congressional participation. I was slated to play with Joe Barton, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and clearly someone who will hold a lot of sway over the future of communications. Chairman Barton was pulled away and couldn't make the game. We had also tried to get Chairman Barton to play in our event last Fall, the proceeds of which, coincidentally, went to the Barton Center (no relation). Oh well, I suspect we'll get to play with Chairman Barton someday. He is apparently quite a proficient player, so perhaps it is all for the best that he was not at my starting table. A few more bad beats or a few more good players against me and I might not have made it to 26th Place.
Jonathan started at a table with Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D. MD). Jonathan tells me he tried to put the Congressman all-in, but the Congressman didn't take the bait. In any event, Jonathan made it to the final table along with Sen. John Sununu. Sen. Sununu, who denies being a poker player, must have taken some of his MIT engineering training into the game -- he managed a 4th place finish -- not too shabby for an alleged novice. I am curious as to what Jonathan would have done had he had to go head-to-head for all the marbles against one of the greatest champions of IP-communications in Congress. I trust he would have done the right thing. Remind me again, what IS the right thing in that situation? Do you take him down or prop him up? I guess you play it as best you can.
In any event, that head-to-head didn't happen. Jonathan made it to the final two players but was seriously short-stacked. He had about $30,000 in chips versus his rivals $370,000. He managed to double up a couple times, and was a big favorite to drawn even on his last all-in. Jonathan went all in with an A-3 against his rivals Q-8. Before the flop, I think that puts Jonathan at about a 60% favorite. At the river, Jonathan had a pair of 3s and a flush draw, and his rival had only 5 outs -- 2 Qs (not a heart) or 3 9s (not a heart). Five outs or Jonathan pulls even. That put him at about an 89% favorite to even the chip count. Well, the 9 of clubs comes at the river, giving Jonathan's rival an inside straight and all the chips. Turns out, Jonathan's rival was a lobbyist for Clear Channel. Somehow, they always seem to end up with all the chips.
Here are some of the pictures from the Tournament:
Posted by jeff at 06:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Mets now a .500 team!
O.K., so in 2005 it took ten games for the Mets to reach the .500 mark.
First the Mets lose their first five games, matching their worst start in 40+ years, and then they win five games in a row.
Hopefully the 2005 edition of the Mets will avoid being on a "tilt" and will continue to play solid, focused baseball.
A good next step would be for the Mets to become a better than .500 team.
Posted by jeff at 06:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 15, 2005
Images from the "Atlanta Telecom Professionals / Wireless Technology Forum > VoIP SIG"
Over 200 people attended yesterday's meeting of the "Atlanta Telecom Professionals / Wireless Technology Forum > VoIP SIG" which included: a cocktail reception, a "mini" tradeshow and talk by myself and then a dinner with friends.
The Atlanta Telecom Community is alive and well and there is a strong interest in VoIP.
Below are some images from the event:
Posted by jeff at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Leaving Atlanta...
This morning I'm at the airport once again, this time getting ready for a morning flight back to New York.
I enjoyed the time I spent yesterday as the guest of the "Atlanta Telecom Professionals / Wireless Technology Forum > VoIP SIG" where I had the opportunity to catch up with quite a number of people, including Jeff Kagen. It turned out to be quite a large, engaged audience. It's heartening to see interest in VoIP snowballing to such a degree around the country. I trust we'll encounter similar enthusiasm in Toronto on Tuesday.
I appreciated their collective hospitality and look forward to returning to Atlanta in the near future.
Posted by jeff at 07:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
April 14, 2005
Next Stop...Atlanta
Last night's charity poker event in Washington, D.C. was a lot of fun and helped raise money for a great cause. While I placed 26th, Jonathan Askin made it to the final table and took home second place.(pictures and blog posting will follow...)
This morning I'm getting ready to leave D.C. and head to Atlanta and be the guest speaker later today for the "Atlanta Telecom Professionals / Wireless Technology Forum< VoIP SIG" where I will be talking about "The Future of VoIP."
Posted by jeff at 08:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
April 13, 2005
Capitol Hill Charity Poker Event
Later today I will be in Washington, D.C. to play with Jonathan Askin in the first annual Capitol Hill Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament taking place tonight at the Mayflower Hotel to benefit The Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation.
Bravo Channel's Phil Gordon will be tonight's master of ceremonies and some of the people joining in the evening's activities include: Chairman Joe Barton, Chairman John Boehner, Chairman Thad Cochran, Chairman Mike Oxley, Chairman Ted Stevens, Chairman John Warner, Senator John Ensign, Congressman Howard Berman, Congressman Allen Boyd, Congressman Jim McCrery, Congressman John Tanner, Congressman Chris Van Hollen and Congressman Anthony Weiner.
I am looking forward to being in Washington, D.C. and having the opportunity to play poker for a great cause with some very interesting people. :-)
Posted by jeff at 06:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
AP Wire Story on VoIP
THE NEW TELEPHONY: Hang up please, and call me on the Internet
..."As more homes have broadband, the odds are the user market will go up in proportion," said Jeff Pulver, an Internet telephony pioneer. "The question is who becomes the dominant providers: Is it going to be the incumbent cable operators, the incumbent phone companies or start-ups?..."
This is the first of what I was told was a "package" of VoIP stories that the AP will be releasing.
Posted by jeff at 06:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
April 12, 2005
The Peripheral Visionaries' Policy Summit: May 4th in Washington DC
The Washington Plaza Hotel will be the home of our first Peripheral Visionaries' Policy Summit when it takes place on May 4th.
Jonathan Askin has put together a very interesting lineup of people from both inside and outside of the beltway and has put together a day full of discussions that are pretty unique in both their scope and discussion elements when compared to many other tech events.
Jonathan has also brought together quite a number of the DC based trade associations as our own event co-sponsors, something which to date is pretty unique for this kind of event.
Our trade associations sponsors include: CDT, CEA, CompTIA, NCTA, ITAA, OSAIA, CCIA, WBIA, TIA, VON Coalition and CompTel/ASCENT/ALTS.
Our "Premier" sponsors include: Latham & Watkins, Womble Carlyle and Kelley Drye and their support is very much appreciated.
For more details regarding the event, please visit the Peripheral Visionaries' Policy Summit website.
Posted by jeff at 08:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Images from April 11th
Andy Pettit in Motion
Posted by jeff at 08:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
The Mets Win and the Music was Great!
Days like yesterday don't happen often enough in real life and because of this, they are appreciated when they do happen.
The Mets surprised me and most of the people in the stands at Shea Stadium when they came back after being down twice and won the game. When John Franco made his New York debut as a Houston Astro, he was the same John Franco that I remember but this time it was the Mets who benefited as he gave up two runs in their favor. :-)
While I was at Shea Stadium, I started to learn about my D70 and took close to 650 photos. Once I have a chance to review the pictures, I will post a few.
The Beacon Theatre last night was transformed into a television set...and it was the first concert that I've been to where some of the artists had to redo a song or two and where the audience heard the voice of the assistant director in between takes.
From a musical perspective, the Vh1 Save the Music Concert was everything it was billed as and even more. When the show airs on Sunday, April 17th the two standouts will be Joss Stone (as expected) and to my surprise, Donna Summer. Donna still 'got it 'and she took the house down when she performed Last Dance. Josh Groben was a surprise performer. Mariah Carey proved that she really was a Diva as she was a no-show for us but during the performance an introduction was recorded so seems she recorded her performance inside of a studio.
The summer of 2005 started early as last night quite a number of people famous for showing up at various social functions in the Hampton presented themselves in the Vh1 audience. Sitting within a few rows away from where I was included: Star Jones, Mr. & Mrs. Morris Reid, Denise Rich, John Sykes, and Natalie Cole.
Last night during one of the intermissions, I had a chance to catch up with Johnny Rzeznik who had just spent the winter back in Buffalo writing lyrics for a new Goo Goo Dolls CD that will he plans to start recording in May.
All in, yesterday was one of those days that won't be forgotten anytime soon.
Posted by jeff at 07:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 11, 2005
A Day for Baseball…A Night for Music
Every once in awhile I have a chance to take a day off and make it my own.
Today happens to be one of those days.
This afternoon I will be in Flushing, New York at the Mets home opener, and tonight I will be at the Beacon Theatre in the audience at a concert to benefit VH1 Save the Music.
While at Shea Stadium, although it would be great to watch the Mets win their first home game of 2005, my fun will come from just being there and enjoying the day with the other Mets fans that also found a way to escape and show their support for the Mets.
A few hours after the last out at the Mets game is called, the VH1 Save the Music concert will be commencing in Manhattan. Tonight, Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart, Mariah Carey, Rob Thomas, Donna Summer, John Legend and Joss Stone are the scheduled performers. Since this is a concert to “save the music” my hope is that each artist will actually be performing live with a band.
I am especially looking forward to hearing Joss Stone’s performance.
Posted by jeff at 07:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Voice on the Net Canada 2005 - One week Away!
Next week we will be producing our second event in Canada when the pulver.com team arrives in Toronto for Voice on the Net Canada 2005.
Some of the industry executives who will be speaking at Voice On the Net Canada 2005 include:
Voice on the Net Canada 2005 will be a boutique event in comparison to our Stateside and European shows which will end up providing the attending delegates a much more intimate experience than is possible from some of our bigger events.
This time we will have 37 exhibitors which is more than triple the size of the exhibit area we had last year.
Based on the success of this event, we are committed to producing Voice on the Net Canada again in 2006.
I am looking forward to our second Voice on the Net conference in Canada.
Posted by jeff at 12:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
April 10, 2005
The Motley Fool View on Google and VoIP
Motley Fool: Should Google Enter the VoIP Race?
Posted by jeff at 10:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
“Fever Pitch” - Great Movie for All (Obsessed) Baseball Fans…
If you are looking for a fun romantic comedy where a baseball stadium would qualify as a “supporting actor”, go see Fever Pitch .
While the New York Met’s 0-5 record represents their worst start in 40+ years, I put the misery of the Mets 2005 season on hold for a couple of hours and went to see the new baseball movie “Fever Pitch” and enjoyed it. The movie was much more of a straight-up romantic comedy than I (or anyone) would have expected from the Farrelly brothers.
It turns out that even the Farrelly brothers have a soft-romantic side.
Posted by jeff at 06:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
April 09, 2005
New version of pulver.Communicator is Available (version 0.95.1)
The pulver.Communicator team just posted the latest build of pulver.Communicator to: http://communicator.pulver.com/download/.
Some of the features available in this build include:
- SSL Support
- Meta Buddies (will be documented in the next 48/72 hrs)
- Revised Call Feedback
- Improved UI Features (and we continue to work on this)
There are some other features which I'm sure will be discovered by the active pulver.Communicator community.
Posted by jeff at 07:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Erik_Lagerway.TV
While I'm still focused on VON.Radio audio podcasting, with only plans to put together our own Internet TV station later this year, Erik Lagerway on SipThat has started producing and sharing his own video podcasts.
It is great to see someone take the initiative and give inspiration for others to explore video podcasting.
Posted by jeff at 04:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Exploring My Nikon D70...
Earlier this week my new Nikon D70 arrived. When I ordered the camera I ordered a 28-200mm lens for everyday use and for fun I also ordered an 80-400mm zoom. While I still need to spend the time to really get to know the camera, it took me less than a couple of minutes to unpack the camera, put on a lens and installed the "digital film." (I did recharge the battery prior to doing any of the above.)
During the week I didn't find much time to take any pictures so I just took a short drive around Westhampton Beach and took my first group of photos. While the picture quality in the lens of the D70 is nothing short of amazing compared to what I've been using for the past year, the 10x built-in zoom of the point'n'shoot digital cameras are in fact pretty powerful.
I'm still working on the ideal balance between what file size to take a digital phone and what resolution to save it in for viewing on the web. The pictures below looked real sharp when they were 3008x2000 resolution pictures. When converted to 400x266, the pictures lost more than just a little crispness.
Today is my first real day inside the world of digital photography...and I really do have a lot to learn.
Photos around Westhampton Beach - Saturday Morning - April 8th:
Posted by jeff at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Jeff's Podcasting Update:
This week pulver.com joined the world of podcasting with the launch of "VON.Radio" with the help of both Carl Ford and Michael "Mikey" McClenathan.
The first group of podcasts have been both produced and posted to: http://pulverradio.pulver.com/podcasts/.
Getting started with Podcasting is a lot easier if you just happen to have a professional radio studio/station in your office and you have a team of professionals who know audio engineering. It also helps to have an IT team who can "figure things out" and makes things work. :-)
If you are new to podcasting, you can download podcasting software from iPodder.org and you can then subscribe to receive future podcasts.
Late yesterday we posted the second half of our podcast on the CRTC's 911 news for the VoIP industry from earlier this week. Yesterday we initially had a little confusion in our podcasting inventory and I forgot to reference the "Pilot" podcast which reunited Carl and I behind microphones after an almost 5 year absence since the days of our 2000 Fridays radio show: "The Pulver Report Live."
One cool aspect of podcasting is that once someone subscribes to our podcast, they no longer have to visit the website and look for updates...the updates are delivered automatically.
While I was in the office this week and last, I worked on a number of future podcasts, the next of which will be posted on Monday morning.
If you would like to be a guest on a future podcast, please send email to: jeffp@pulver.com.
Posted by jeff at 09:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
April 08, 2005
Calif. PUC To Withdraw Appeal Of FCC's Vonage Order
Paul Kapustka of Advanced IP Pipeline reports on the closed session of the California PUC's meeting yesterday and their decision to withdraw their appeal of the FCC's Vonage Order.
"...Jonathan Askin, general counsel for pulver.com (which last year won its own order from the FCC freeing its VoIP service from regulation), also praised the move by the California PUC, calling it "a strong sign of the realization by at least one state commission that the FCC has established the correct procedural structure to regulate IP-based communications..."
Posted by jeff at 04:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
VON.Radio Podcast Posted:
The first official "VON.Radio" podcast was posted to our website a few hours ago. This podcast explores the CRTC's recent 911 ruling and includes an on-going dialog between Carl Ford and myself.
If you are new to podcasting, you may want to download the nimiq client and then subscribe to our podcast by clicking the following audio XML link.
As usual your feedback would be appreciated.
If you would like to be a guest of a future podcast, please contact either: Michael McClenathan or myself.
(edited 12:35 pm)
Posted by jeff at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
New version of pulver.Communicator: Version .95.1..coming soon!
Over the next few days, a new build and version of pulver.Communicator will become available for Windows XP.
Posted by jeff at 07:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 07, 2005
Now the Mets are 0-3...
Money spent during the off-season can help bring in new players to a team, but money on its own does not make a "team."
The MSNBC headline: Mets suffer worst start in 41 years may seem a bit extreme but so far the New York Mets have not been able to win a game this year.
Hopefully the Mets will figure out how to win once again and will bring some positive momentum into their home opener when they play at Shea Stadium on the afternoon of Monday, April 11th.
Posted by jeff at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
AOL introducing AOL Internet Phone Service…another “Brand” launches a Phone Service
First with Mobile Virtual Operators (MVOs), it was demonstrated that a brand like Virgin can offer mobile phone service. Now the trend has moved to Broadband with what I’d like to call a BVO (Broadband Virtual Operator).
Today, Level 3 has helped launch the first major BVO in the United States as the AOL brand is being used to launch the “AOL Internet Phone Service” in 40 markets across the USA. Unlike Virgin, AOL has taken the time to innovate on their platform and will be offering a wide range of value added services that will help them distinguish their phone services from many of their existing competitors, even if at the moment many consumers just focus on price and not features when choosing their service providers.
AOL is a great example of what happens when VoIP “goes consumer.”
In reality, it may be that AOL isn’t really a great example of a BVO since they are lot closer to the communications industry than say Virgin ever could be and all AOL has done is just outsourced key parts of their networking infrastructure. AOL has taken a much more ‘hands on’ approach than what I expect of many future BVOs and they are taking the time to match their innovation of features and functionality of their phone service with the way they expect their customers needs will evolve…but I like the term, BVO. ;-)
I believe AOL will end up teaching the rest of the IP Communications Industry on how to market cool and geeky technologies to the masses. I look forward to being one of their students.
Posted by jeff at 08:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
The Future of VoIP: April 14th in Atlanta
Next Thursday, April 14th, I will be the guest speaker for the "Atlanta Telecom Professionals / Wireless Technology Forum< VoIP SIG" and I will be talking about "The Future of VoIP" which will be followed by a questions and answers session.
Prior to my talk, there will be an opportunity to view "a mini VoIP focused trade show" and the chance to network with other people from the greater Atlanta area who also share a common passion about VoIP technologies.
Friends of pulver.com and readers of my blog from the Atlanta area are invited to pre-register for this event which will be taking place at the Marriott Atlanta Perimeter Center Hotel.
I've been looking forward to being back in Atlanta in support of VoIP ever since I was invited to be their guest speaker a number of months ago.
This will be a fun event. :-)
Posted by jeff at 07:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
VON Europe 2005: The Largest Pan-European VoIP Event…Ever!
“Early Bird” registration for registration for VON Europe 2005, taking place in Stockholm, Sweden ends on April 8th.
While our event will be taking place in Stockholm, like all of our previous seven other VON Europe events, the delegates and exhibitors who will be with us in Stockholm will in fact be from all over Europe. At the moment there are delegates registered from over 25 countries which represents over 350 different companies -- and the majority of the attending delegates are not even from Scandinavia. VON Europe 2005 will end up being the largest pan-European VoIP ever held.
2005 is our 8th year in Europe and our third time that we will be holding VON Europe in Sweden and the first time since 2001. I’m looking forward to being back in Sweden and spending the week of May 23rd in Stockholm and taking the time to see the future and get an idea of what to expect over the next 18-24 months back in the States.
Posted by jeff at 07:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 06, 2005
Another EvDO Day...
After visiting my office for six consecutive days, something I haven't done in at least 6 maybe even 9 months, I'm once again on the road.
This morning I will be taking an early Delta Shuttle flight from LGA to Boston for the day. I am looking forward to being able to take advantage of my Verizon EvDO service once again.
Posted by jeff at 04:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Mikey from PulverRadio Recommends nimiq as a podcasting client
For those of you new to podcasting, nimiq nimiq is a great client. Use it to subscribe to the XML link for my podcast and it will download new audio files as they are put on our server.
Of course, you can also just continue to download the mp3 files individually. ;-)
Posted by jeff at 12:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
April 05, 2005
Some Thoughts from Jonathan Askin at the National Cable Show (triggered in response to a Light Reading account of his presentation on VoIP Marketing):
"For an industry that doesn't want to admit that it provides VoIP service, but rather offers voice service using some unknown technology, there sure was a lot of discussion about VoIP at the National Cable Show. I guess you can't have a tech show these days without devoting a lot of time to the technological, operational, and policy issues surrounding VoIP. But, all I really heard at the Cable show was that IP is simply a technology that will allow cable to deliver cheaper primary line replacement services -- nothing more.
Light Reading gave an interesting account of my presentation on VoIP marketing, a subject about which I, admittedly, know next to nothing. In fact, I fast forward through every commercial, block every pop-up and avert my eyes from every banner ad. All I really know about marketing is the little Bait-and-Switch" that Jeff and I perpetrated on the Cable Show audience, by promising Jeff and delivering me. (The only thing I know less about is IP engineering, the subject of my next talk on Friday in Milan.) I am hopeful that, due to the language barrier and my extensive use of untranslatable American idioms, the Italian engineers will assume I know what I'm talking about. Did I mention that I am only Jeff's lawyer, not his Marketing or Technology Officer.
In any event, I think Light Reading got one important distinction (between cable marketing on the one hand and ILEC and stand-alone VoIP marketing on the other hand) completely backwards. I, in no way, indicated that the ILECs were the ones embracing the term "telephony" or that the cable companies shun the term "Telephony." I probably said the opposite. It is the cable companies who seem to be embracing the term "telephony" and avoiding any references to "IP" in marketing their voice services. I warned that the cablecos should be careful in framing their service offerings as "telephony". If you offer a telephone service, equivalent to that of the traditional phone companies, you dare/beg regulators to regulate you like a traditional phone company. I suspect that is why we in the VoIP community (perhaps the Bells included) prefer to call our services "IP-based communications" rather than "IP telephony" or similar red flag terms that might signal that we are offering telephony. The cable products have names like "Digital Phone" and generally refrain from any mention of "IP". The cable companies services are generally geographically-fixed, perhaps so it is easier to guarantee the quality of service and the social goals that have generally been expected of the phone company. The ILECs, when they offer VoIP, genuinely seem to differentiate the service from their traditional offerings, including the desire to offer mobility. To me, that is what IP is all about -- dramatically improving the ways in which we communicate.
Light Reading accurately reported that the cablecos are disinclined to use the term "IP" in their market efforts. Perhaps Covad expected too much knowledge from the potential consumer, but I do find it unfortunate that the cablecos don't want to tout the advantages of IP-based communications. The cablecos are the new players in voice -- shouldn't they openly embrace the new technology and flag for consumers how radically superior the technology makes their offering over traditional telephony? The cablecos seem almost embarrassed that they are using a different technology than that used by traditional voice providers. I guess the logic is that there might be some reluctance by a consumer to switch from the tried-and-true telephone provider to an unknown provider using an unknown technology, but there is also a way to embrace the new technology and tout its benefits without scaring off consumers. I find it unfortunate that the cablecos are not joining us as IP evangelists.
While it might be true that the average consumer couldn't care less what sort of technology is being used to deliver the voice service, mere replication of POTS-grade service and functionality, sells us all short by denying consumers the full promise of an IP-based offering. I guess it's true that the cable companies want to offer the triple play of voice, video and data services to folks accustomed to traditional telephone service and the only way to win them over is to come as close as possible to replicating the voice service they have always received from the telephone company. And the only way to lure such consumers to an untried provider of voice is to offer an easy transition with as few differences as possible. But it would be most unfortunate if that is all the cable-delivered IP-based communications becomes. If that's all America wanted, competing providers for tired POTS-equivalent services, we might as well have stuck with the UNE-P competitive model and let the IXCs resell POTS at a 5% discount off the Bell price.
Finally, I'm getting increasingly more curious as to why the cablecos refrain from offering nomadic voice services. Someone speculated that, perhaps, the cable companies don't want to face the prospect that they might some day compete against one another out of region. But the nomadic capabilities of IP-based communications is one of its greatest assets and is inevitable. Hell, the main reason I haven't switched to a cable modem at home is because my DSL provider offers me out-of-region dialup. If cable offered me that ability, the truth is I probably would have switched to cable. After all, they do offer a naked broadband pipe without compelling me to take their POTS-replacement voice product."
Posted by jeff at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Light Reading Takes Note of Jonathan Askin at NCTA 2005
Light Reading: VOIP Marketeers Are Askin for It
Posted by jeff at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Introducing....virtual "VON.radio" as our own platform for Podcasting
A few years ago, Carl Ford and I would use the studios of PulverRadio to produce something we used to call "The Pulver Report Live" on Friday afternoons during 2000 and 2001.
Our live programming would always interrupt the flow of the music over at PulverRadio and play havoc with the real-time demographics of who was tuning us in.
Now that PulverRadio is back on the air with Mikey providing some of the best sounding rock radio on the internet, I'm once again looking at taking advantage of our in-house studios and our equipment and personal to produce our own show, but this time instead of producing a live show, I've decided to explore and then join the emerging world of podcasting.
I was going to call our podcasts "VON Radio" until I just noticed that VONRadio.com points to in fact "VON Radio" 895 AM from St. Kitts & Nevis in the Caribbean.
While I don't believe anyone could confuse our two stations, just in case, for us VON.radio stands for "Voice on the Net" radio and is not to be confused with "The Carribbean's Power House" VON Radio 895 AM.
At the moment, the public website to find the mp3s associated with our podcasts is: ttp://pulverradio.pulver.com/podcasts/ and you can click on this for the audio XML link.
If you would like to join Carl and I on a future podcast, please drop us a line.
Posted by jeff at 06:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
VON Europe 2005: "Early Bird" Pricing Ends April 8th
VON Europe 2005's "Early Bird" Pricing ends on Friday, April 8th.
Following in the path of our recent successful Spring event, the exhibit space at VON Europe 2005 sold-out months ago and we are expecting to see a significant number of people from the pan-European IP Communications industry when we get together in Stockholm May 23-26th.
In fact, VON Europe 2005 is shaping up to be our largest European event since we started producing a VON event in Europe in 1998.
If you would like to save money on the price of attending the event, please remember to Register by April 8th.
Posted by jeff at 05:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 04, 2005
Photos from the Peripheral Visionary panel from Spring 2005 VON
My friend and fellow "Peripheral Visionary" Monte Farber took the following photos during the Peripheral Visionary panel at Spring 2005 VON:
Posted by jeff at 10:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
CRTC demands VoIP providers offer 911 services
IT business.ca: CRTC demands VoIP providers offer 911 services
"...In an e-mail, VoIP expert Jeff Pulver said the decision was another example of the CRTC being reactive rather than proactive.
'The entire voice over broadband industry is barely three years old, yet we are being held to a standard set by the legacy PSTN network. The wireless industry was at least 15 years old before such requirments were thrust upon it," he said. "Left on its own, the CRTC is creating roadblocks that will discourage continued voice over broadband deployments in Canada and encourage would-be innovators to do business in other countries...'"
Posted by jeff at 06:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Canadian CRTC Addresses VoIP Service Providers Requirements to Offer Emergency Response Service:
It looks like the CRTC is expecting more "cookie-cutter" behavior from the burgeoning IP-based communications industry.
Here are the emergency response obligations as we currently understand them:
VoIP service providers who provide "fixed" VoIP service must provide the "same level" of 9-1-1 emergency service that is provided by the incumbent telephone companies to their existing customers (either Enhanced 9-1-1 or Basic 9-1-1 service), within 90 days.
VoIP service providers providing either "nomadic" VoIP service or "foreign exchange" VoIP service must implement, within 90 days of the date of the CRTC decision, an interim solution which provides a level of service comparable to Basic 9-1-1 service.
In addition to the above service requirements, the CRTC also requires all VoIP service providers to provide customers with notification, both before service commencement and during service provision, regarding any limitations associated with their emergency 9-1-1 service. The VoIP service providers must also secure the customer’s express acknowledgement that they are aware of these limitations, prior to providing this type of service.
VoIP service providers must notify customers of all limitations on emergency services before commencement of service to them. This information must be provided to them in the marketing material used for television, radio and printed media; in the terms and conditions of service; in on-line material; through their customer service representatives; in their service contracts and in their starter kits. Where service limitations exist, the CRTC also requires that all VoIP providers provide on-going customer notification during service provisioning, by issuing warning stickers to be affixed to telephone sets, through any subsequent advertising and in billing inserts.
The CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee (CISC), composed of CRTC staff and industry, consumer and emergency services representatives, has been asked to resolve the challenges related providing Enhanced 9-1-1 and Basic 9-1-1 service with nomadic and foreign exchange VoIP services. Specific timeframes have been established for when CISC is required to report to the CRTC on possible solutions and recommendations to solve the 9-1-1 issues.
Types of VoIP Services:
There are currently three different types of VoIP service offered to customers: fixed, nomadic and foreign exchange. Users of fixed VoIP service can only place a telephone call from the location where their service is being provided. Users of nomadic VoIP service can make calls from any location where users can get access to Internet service. Foreign exchange VoIP service allows users in one exchange to receive telephone calls dialed as local calls in another exchange that they have selected (e.g. a customer located in Ottawa with a Halifax local telephone number).
Existing Enhanced and Basic 9-1-1 Services:
The existing local telephone network currently provides for two types of 9-1-1 service: Enhanced 9-1-1 (E9-1-1) service and Basic 9-1-1 service. Enhanced 9-1-1 service automatically sends customer location information to an emergency center where an operator dispatches a response service. Basic 9-1-1 service connects the caller to a central call center which then connects the call to the correct emergency response center, at which point the caller must identify his or her location in order for an emergency response service to be dispatched.
Posted by jeff at 04:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
2005 Baseball Season Starts...
Later today 10 Opening Days are scheduled to be played including the Mets vs. Reds (@ Reds) where Pedro will be playing his first official game as a Met.
This season, Major League Baseball has added more on-demand video and audio on their website and all of the websites for the teams that they host. Their websites are a great place to visit for people looking for a business model associated with both on-demand and real-time streaming media. Of course, it does help to own the copyrights to compelling content. ;-)
The official New York Mets opening day takes place in a week on April 11th when the Mets play Shea for the first time this year against the Houston Astros.
Posted by jeff at 08:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
VoIP Mission to Israel covered by Ma'ariv
Our plans to host the VoIP Mission to Israel was recently covered by the Israeli Newspaper Ma'ariv in a story posted on March 30, 2005.
Posted by jeff at 07:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
pulver.com @ NTCA 2005
Later today, Jonathan Askin will be playing the role of Jeff Pulver in the session: "VoIP Me! Marketing to the New Telephone Customer" taking place from 2:00 - 3:15 PM (PDT) at the NCTA's The National Show.
Posted by jeff at 07:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 03, 2005
High Demand for Gmail Accounts Continues...
During the last couple of days I received quite a number of requests for a Gmail account, in the event that I'm able to invite more friends to Gmail.
While it turns out that I have quite a number of invites that I could use, I put a priority on the requests from the people who I actually know.
Personally I like Google's continued approach to growing the Gmail user base organically.
Posted by jeff at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Moving to a Nikon D70 Camera
After a year of actually using (rather than just owning) a digital camera, I decided to up the camera food chain away from a very useful consumer grade camera and towards a more serious camera that is used by both amateurs and professionals. I just ordered a Nikon D70.
I’ve learned it is easier than you think to express interest in a hobby by simply purchasing the tools needed for that hobby. What is much harder is finding the time to commit to moving from just being an owner of the tools, to finding enjoyment in actually using them. Over the years I’ve been the owner of a few digital cameras, but it wasn’t until about a year ago that I actually started to become a digital photography hobbyist.
Growing up, photography was something my father enjoyed a lot, and one of my sisters took to photography at an early age. Much of my time associated with photography as a kid was spent in the darkroom, learning about the processes associated with developing film as well as printing and cropping photos.
It was my poor experience taking pictures at the recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies that put me over the edge. While I liked having a camera that had a great zoom and could take some great pictures while on ‘automatic’, I realized it would have been less frustrating if I was using a camera where I could actually focus the picture myself and just know the picture would have a chance of coming out ok.
A year from now when I look back at my blog, my hope is that I found a way to enjoy the D70 and to be further entrenched in the magic associated with digital photography.
While the telecom industry is an example of an industry that has been disrupted by the internet and advances in technology, the same can be said about the photography industry…maybe even more so.
Posted by jeff at 09:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
VoIP Mission to Israel Website Launched!
The "VoIP Mission to Israel" website is now live.
Our event will be taking place June 14th-15th and will include scheduled meetings in both Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv.
At the moment we are looking for individuals who would like to join the Mission. Your help in spreading the work of our activity would be appreciated.
Please visit: http://www.pulver.com/missionisrael/ for up-to-date information.
Posted by jeff at 12:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
April 02, 2005
The Progress & Freedom Foundation Blog Comments on my recent blog about Telecom Mergers
PFF Blog: Jeff Pulver Urges Regulation by Shakedown.
The Progress & Freedom Foundation's Ray Gifford raises some very valid points in his critique of my March 30th blog about the viability of using the merger process to extract a few pro-competitive concessions from the inevitable vertical integration in the communications industry. I, for one, am pleased that PFF has acknowledged my blog and have elevated the level of the discussion. I am forced to agree with much of what Ray writes. I, however, am at a loss as to how we create the most positive regulatory environment for the communications industry, for carriers, for application providers, for consumers, for innovators, and for entrepreneurs. Perhaps I am too result-oriented and perhaps my tendency in this situation to allow the ends to justify the means, will ultimately bite us all in the butt, but what are we supposed to do to ensure a competitive market for innovative Internet-based applications if the consumer is not guaranteed unfettered access to the Internet? It is all well-and-good to adhere to some sort of Kantian categorical imperative that would suggest that mergers are never a viable vehicle to promote positive public policy. But, as a practical matter, where does that leave us?
I would like to see a meaningful assurance of consumer empowerment and net freedoms to be applied equally across all delivery platforms. I, too, do not like the prospect that merger conditions might mean disparate treatment of different providers. But I do not know what alternatives we have at this point. Take the Madison River Consent Decree issued by the FCC's Enforcement Bureau a few weeks back. The only hook for that decision came from Title II, which (at least if Brand X is reversed by the Supreme Court) will not be a viable hook to ensure net freedoms for users of cable or wireless networks. Furthermore, without viable application of even antitrust principles (because of the existence of an allegedly complex regulatory structure in the post-Trinko world), I don't know what would compel a provider with market power to willing agree to net freedoms when it did not serve the providers own interests.
Perhaps the real solution is a simply-constructed Congressional statute that would ensure net freedoms across all platforms. I, however, will not hold my breath for such a statute any time soon. What do we do in the mean time? Ray/others, I welcome/request your thoughts/wisdom/insights.
Posted by jeff at 02:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
My Q&A with InternetNews.com
While I was in San Jose for Spring 2005 VON, I sat down with Michael Singer, Managing Editor of Internetnews.com in what ended up being a pretty lucid and free flowing discussion, even if some of the words I said were not necessarily transcribed properly.
Internetnews.com: In Their Own Words: Jeff Pulver, CEO, Pulver.com
Posted by jeff at 09:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
April 01, 2005
Jeff Carlisle's Farewell Pictures
Jonathan Askin, our "man in the street" is at the FCC right now attending Jeff Carlisle's Farewell Party.
The following pictures were taken with Jonathan's Nokia 6600 sent via Bluetooth to his computer emailed to me via Verizon EvDO because the FCC's Wi-Fi was not working.
Posted by jeff at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Cable Datacom News: Another Voice from Spring 2005 VON
Cable Datacom News: Voice on the Net Comes of Age
Cable Datacom News: AOL Readies IP Phone Launch
Posted by jeff at 03:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
ISOC's 2005 Board of Trustees Candidates Announced:
The following are the candidates for election to the Internet Society's Board of Trustees in 2005
Organizational Candidates:
- Marilyn Cade
- David Isenberg
- Daniel Karrenberg
- Glenn Ricart
Chapter Candidates:
- Alex Corenthin
- Richard St. Clair
Information on the ISOC election process is available at: http://www.isoc.org/isoc/general/trustees/select.shtml.
Posted by jeff at 08:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Jasomi on the future of the SBC marketplace
VON Magazine: Jasomi's Freedman: SBC consolidation "frenzy" likely from Juniper/Kagoor deal
Posted by jeff at 07:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Rise of Open Source in the Enterprise
Optimize Magazine: Putting Open Source To Work
"...Enterprises that get involved in open-source evolution will have new options and increased power..."
An article by my friend, Stanford Business School professor Philip Meza.
Posted by jeff at 07:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)