I try to not mix work with pleasure, or, discuss happenings at work on this blog. However, in this case, sharing what we are doing is something that will help everyone.
A few weeks ago, we launched a major campaign to let all users and buyers of SoundStation conference phones about the end of the buzz. Specifically, all of our analog conference phones include technology to prevent the buzzing caused by GSM smart phones such as Blackberry's, Treo's etc. As part of an integrated marketing campaign, we launched the www.nomorebuzz.com web site with details and incentives. Take a minute to see all of the fun around the "buzz" and the incentives to replace your old conference phone with a brand new conference phone, without the buzz.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
San Jose Sharks- a fun experience
We were at the San Jose Sharks game at the "Shark Bowl" this week. It's been more than seven years since I had seen the arena and the Sharks. What a change. The HD TV system, the sound system, the level of ongoing entertainment, and of course the hockey game, was phenomenal! It also helped that we were seated behind one of the goal posts and had a great view of the action, at least on one side of the play. I am converted... and working on my wife to get tickets for a game soon...
More on Xobni- back on the beta
After my previous post of concern about Xobni's stability issues, I ran into a situation where I needed it... So, I went ahead and downloaded an updated beta. It helped me find a file that one of my team members had sent a month ago. Instead of cruising over nearly a hundred e-mails, Xobni listed the files we exchanged in a snap. Wow, I am going to try to keep Xobni running on my system...
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Do you Xobni?
I tried the Xobni application a few weeks ago. Xobni is a plug in into Outlook that essentially indexes everything about a contact. The files you exchanged with them, number of e-mails etc. It is a different way of mining the information outlook. I thought it was quite useful until I realized that my system had become less stable. Perhaps a new beta version is in order...
It is still not clear how Xobni is going to make money with this tool. If anyone has figured this out, I am all ears.
It is still not clear how Xobni is going to make money with this tool. If anyone has figured this out, I am all ears.
Back on the Blog- VON Spring Update
I have neglected this blog for a long while as I acclimated to my role at Polycom. We made several exciting announcements this week at the VON show around applications, a new Wi-Fi handset and Microsoft OCS.
The VON show was a shadow of its former self. Overall, the traffic was less and floorspace smaller. Many of my key contacts were there but we were all wondering whether this is still the place to be for telecom customers and partners. Lets see how the show attempts to remake itself.
The VON show was a shadow of its former self. Overall, the traffic was less and floorspace smaller. Many of my key contacts were there but we were all wondering whether this is still the place to be for telecom customers and partners. Lets see how the show attempts to remake itself.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
A new Era at Ditech Networks
Today, Ditech Networks announced that Ed Harper had been appointed interim CEO. Tim Montgomery had taken a sleepy technology shop and morphed it into a $4B high flyer, only to see it hit rock bottom twice. You cannot find a better sales person, or true car aficionado than Tim. I wish him the best in his new life.
Today, Ed spelled out the name of the $3M VoIP customer as Inter-call. Go PVP go, to even larger customers- its your destiny!
Today, Ed spelled out the name of the $3M VoIP customer as Inter-call. Go PVP go, to even larger customers- its your destiny!
Verizon/Qualcomm/Broadcomm- the last temptation
The latest news around the patent dispute between Qualcomm and Broadcom is evolving to be a priceless candidate as a Harvard business case. While I am a personal fan of CDMA and have been a loyal Verizon Wireless mobile customer forever, having to lug two phones when traveling to any other spot around the world was the first source of irritation that cast doubt on my loyalty. My irritation worsens each time I see walls full of GSM phones of innumerable variety at (pick your GSM carrier) outlet while I sulk at the dearth of cool phones at a Verizon or Sprint outlet.
The patent dispute is the last straw... I have been bombarded with upgrade letters, SMS's for $100 off my next locked CDMA phone. I am holding off.... resisting temptation of a shiny phone, even it is one of a handful of models on the rack... While there are silhouettes of iconized fruit glimmering in my eyes, I may simply settle for a sleek GSM phone that I can be assured will work wherever my airline lands.
Are you concerned about being stuck with a phone that is in the middle of a dispute between two chip companies? Do you GSM instead?
The patent dispute is the last straw... I have been bombarded with upgrade letters, SMS's for $100 off my next locked CDMA phone. I am holding off.... resisting temptation of a shiny phone, even it is one of a handful of models on the rack... While there are silhouettes of iconized fruit glimmering in my eyes, I may simply settle for a sleek GSM phone that I can be assured will work wherever my airline lands.
Are you concerned about being stuck with a phone that is in the middle of a dispute between two chip companies? Do you GSM instead?
VoIP is dead- Long live VoIP!
30 years from now when historians debate the "age of technology", they will have a laundry list of "in" things for 2007. Mash-ups, Web 2.X, social networking, iPhone (and its clones?) just to name a few.
What they are not likely to have on the list is Voice-over-IP. Is VoIP dead already? Au contraire mon ami. VoIP is about to join another list- those initially ultra hyped technologies that take a such a long time to take hold in the market that we don't realize how pervasive they have become. When we look back, we are likely to say that 2007 was when SunRocket came a tumblin' down, Vonage dusted off their MBA degree and adopted profit as their prime reason d'etre, and VoIP, just dissapeared into the dictionary of arcana while most of us were using it to merrily reach out and touch someone. Perhaps its my faded birth certificate or the number of technology life cycles that I have subjected my body to in the valley... Whatever may be source of inspiration for a nom-de guerre I will evetually adopt, I am secretly glad that at last, a cycle that I have been dreaming, marketing, and selling is truly coming of age.
Read more on the adult life of VoIP at http://www.voip-news.com/feature/how-voip-revolution-ended-080807/
What they are not likely to have on the list is Voice-over-IP. Is VoIP dead already? Au contraire mon ami. VoIP is about to join another list- those initially ultra hyped technologies that take a such a long time to take hold in the market that we don't realize how pervasive they have become. When we look back, we are likely to say that 2007 was when SunRocket came a tumblin' down, Vonage dusted off their MBA degree and adopted profit as their prime reason d'etre, and VoIP, just dissapeared into the dictionary of arcana while most of us were using it to merrily reach out and touch someone. Perhaps its my faded birth certificate or the number of technology life cycles that I have subjected my body to in the valley... Whatever may be source of inspiration for a nom-de guerre I will evetually adopt, I am secretly glad that at last, a cycle that I have been dreaming, marketing, and selling is truly coming of age.
Read more on the adult life of VoIP at http://www.voip-news.com/feature/how-voip-revolution-ended-080807/
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Do you linked-in?
Do you linked-in ? I am still in awe in the number people I can reach, get to know, and decide to not know, through linked-in. In case you have not noticed, let me share one other observation. I think linked-in is even more useful for international connections. A few weeks ago, I was trying to connect with folks that I had done some business with in Turkey. I did not expect to see them on the web but did dare a search on Google. Lo and behold, my contacts and at least half of the management layer of his large telecom company were on linked-in.
So, if you are not on linked in, try it now www.linked-in.com, and link yourself to me...
So, if you are not on linked in, try it now www.linked-in.com, and link yourself to me...
Double Crash
The wild market gyrations have certainly wrecked havoc on my portfolios- you may say, join the crowd... Interestingly, Jim Cramer (Mad Money) on MSNBC? was tooting his horn in support of tech stocks, saying that this market drop was an opportunity to buy...
A few days ago, Ditech Networks, my previous company, announced an earnings shortfall, estimating that they would reach ~$14.5M vs. a target of $19M. Its hard to contain my disappointment for the wide miss... At the same time, packet product revenues were quoted as reaching $3.2M, the largest ever packet revenue in the history of the company! I am not aware of the composition but, I would guess that it is mostly the Packet Voice Processor. Kudos to the teams who are persevering to deliver the product to market!
A few days ago, Ditech Networks, my previous company, announced an earnings shortfall, estimating that they would reach ~$14.5M vs. a target of $19M. Its hard to contain my disappointment for the wide miss... At the same time, packet product revenues were quoted as reaching $3.2M, the largest ever packet revenue in the history of the company! I am not aware of the composition but, I would guess that it is mostly the Packet Voice Processor. Kudos to the teams who are persevering to deliver the product to market!
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Treo and Good Technology
I recently had to switch from a Blackberry to a Treo, with the Good Technology software client for enterprise e-mail integration. Here are some observations after a month of use...
1. The Good software appears to be an unsophisticated version of the Blackberry in terms of usability and device integration. The lack of font-size adjustment and the poor use of the limited screen real-estate leaves a lot to be desired. Even after a month us usage, I am finding that the stylus is not able to hit the appropriate menus comfortably and I am having to repeat many steps
2. The Treo 680 battery does not last more than 24 hours. I had to purchase an extended battery, with a different back lid from an after-market company. I lost the lid on my first trip and had to purchase a second battery just for the lid. Compared to the 2-3 day battery life of a blackberry, I would suggest that the performance is unacceptable.
3. The Treo also has several other qwirks, such as not having a compact USB connector for power. These cables are much easier to find and can be used for multiple devices. Instead, I now am lugging one extra cable to charge the Treo.
4. The Treo is heavy!
So what did I like about the Treo? Fairly responsive, bright screen.
1. The Good software appears to be an unsophisticated version of the Blackberry in terms of usability and device integration. The lack of font-size adjustment and the poor use of the limited screen real-estate leaves a lot to be desired. Even after a month us usage, I am finding that the stylus is not able to hit the appropriate menus comfortably and I am having to repeat many steps
2. The Treo 680 battery does not last more than 24 hours. I had to purchase an extended battery, with a different back lid from an after-market company. I lost the lid on my first trip and had to purchase a second battery just for the lid. Compared to the 2-3 day battery life of a blackberry, I would suggest that the performance is unacceptable.
3. The Treo also has several other qwirks, such as not having a compact USB connector for power. These cables are much easier to find and can be used for multiple devices. Instead, I now am lugging one extra cable to charge the Treo.
4. The Treo is heavy!
So what did I like about the Treo? Fairly responsive, bright screen.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Bodrum, Turkey- the beauty of the coast and challenges of mobile coverage..
The last stop on our summer family vacation was at Bodrum, the southern most tip of Turkey. We stayed at our family vacation house on Meteor Beach http://www.meteorbeach.com, a secluded cove on the Bodrum peninsula. The water on the beach is crystal clear, with sand going out to water as far as the eye can see.
Living on the border has interesting challenges. The coastline of Turkey is an excellent example of fractals... There are thousands of inlets, coves and hills that cover the coast. Delivering quality mobile coverage to these areas is best done where there is clear line of sight. On the Turkish coast, that's from the islands across the water... Greek Islands. So, both in Ayvalik, where we stayed first, and in Bodrum, you can find a very clear Vodafone GREECE signal along with the signals from TURKCELL, VODAFONE TURKEY and AVEA! In some cases, the Greek signals are stronger because they travel unimpeded across the water. Many Turkish subscribers end up forcing their phones to manual mode to prevent a run up of roaming charges.
Living on the border has interesting challenges. The coastline of Turkey is an excellent example of fractals... There are thousands of inlets, coves and hills that cover the coast. Delivering quality mobile coverage to these areas is best done where there is clear line of sight. On the Turkish coast, that's from the islands across the water... Greek Islands. So, both in Ayvalik, where we stayed first, and in Bodrum, you can find a very clear Vodafone GREECE signal along with the signals from TURKCELL, VODAFONE TURKEY and AVEA! In some cases, the Greek signals are stronger because they travel unimpeded across the water. Many Turkish subscribers end up forcing their phones to manual mode to prevent a run up of roaming charges.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
AirTies
One of the interesting companies in the Telecom space in Turkey was founded by my friends Bulent Celebi, who was the CEO of Ubicom in Mountain View, and Ismail Taskin, a friend from the valley who was at Cisco working on WiFi. Airties (www.airties.com) is unique in the sense that they are developing consumer networking products and beating the large players like Cisco in their own game!
AirTies claims to have captured a large portion of the Turkish Market and is now expanding to Greece and other adjacent countries. I wish the founders Bulent and Ismail, as well as other friends like Bahar Baran (ex Net.com), Mujdat Pakkan (ex Syndeo) and others the best of luck in their startup in Istanbul Turkey.
AirTies claims to have captured a large portion of the Turkish Market and is now expanding to Greece and other adjacent countries. I wish the founders Bulent and Ismail, as well as other friends like Bahar Baran (ex Net.com), Mujdat Pakkan (ex Syndeo) and others the best of luck in their startup in Istanbul Turkey.
Telecom in Turkey
The Turkish Telecom market has always been on my radar, more so for its high tariffs than its dynamism, the mobile carriers being the exception. In the past few years though, a lot appears to have changed. First, Turk Telekom, the dominant carrier in the space, has been consistently delivering new services that are more consumer oriented. For example, ADSL service appears to be widely available.
One cool service on ADSL is the fact that you can move your service from one number to another within a day and back. My parents use this to move their ADSL service from Istanbul, their home base, to Ayvalik Turkey, 600km away, where they reside for the summer. Imagine trying to do that with other carriers...
Turk Telekom was privatized then sold to outside investors. This is now driving the company to be even more customer friendly. They are now advertising on TV, which is something very new. With the large population of Turkey and potential to acquire other carriers in the region, TT seems poised to do well soon.
One cool service on ADSL is the fact that you can move your service from one number to another within a day and back. My parents use this to move their ADSL service from Istanbul, their home base, to Ayvalik Turkey, 600km away, where they reside for the summer. Imagine trying to do that with other carriers...
Turk Telekom was privatized then sold to outside investors. This is now driving the company to be even more customer friendly. They are now advertising on TV, which is something very new. With the large population of Turkey and potential to acquire other carriers in the region, TT seems poised to do well soon.
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