The web is still not yet a complete substitute for experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of a place. Even if you are not a football fan, being in the presence of Lambeau Field is impressive. It isn’t just the legendary players and coaches who left an indelible print on football history, what is unique is the idea that the Packers are a institution that is integral to the community fabric of this relatively small Midwestern berg. Roger and I had a chance to catch up with the community of our independent telco friends at last week’s WSTA, which was held in Green Bay.
WSTA 2009 Fall Conference – A Video Overview
Roger Bindl does an excellent job of summarizing the Wisconsin State Telecom Association’s 2009 Fall Conference in this brief video, which mixes his commentary with sound bites from the outstanding speaker line-up. Click here to view the video.
This two part video includes an interview with Mark Canepa, President & CEO of Extreme Networks and Matt McGarry of Vernon Telephone Cooperative. Mark talks about Extreme’s business focus and product, while Matt explains how they’ve applied these Ethernet products. Of particular interest to telcos involved in local video content production is Vernon Telephone Cooperative’s use of Ethernet for upstream transmission of live high school football and other community events. Extreme Networks was a sponsor of ViodiTV at WSTA‘s 2009 Fall Conference. Click here to view the video.
Tellabs to acquire WiChorus by Alan Weissberger
To accelerate its transition from an optical transport vendor to an Internet Protocol network equipment company, Tellabs is acquiring mobile packet core maker WiChorus for $165 million in net cash. Tellabs counts 43 of the top 50 service providers as customers, with their IP mobile backhaul products deployed by 120 network operators. Click here to read more.
Will the New Mobile DTV Standard Enable Mobile Video to Succeed in 2010? by Alan Weissberger
With the recent ratification of the A/153 ATSC Mobile DTV Standard, US broadcasters are able to deliver live video content to a broad variety of mobile devices. The standard is the culmination of a development process that took about two and a half years. The Mobile Video Coalition said that at least 70 stations would begin broadcasting using the standard. Several electronics makers, including Samsung, LG and Dell, have produced prototype devices. Click here to read more.
BT Will Miss 2010 Target for IPTV Service, but Will Increase FTTP by Alan Weissberger
Britain’s BT Vision said the IPTV service would fall short of meeting its goal of 2 million to 3 million customers by the end of next year. That target, set by BT CEO Ian Livingstone, won’t be reached over that time. Click here to read more.
CHR Solutions and Martin Group Merge
Lori Vergin discusses the merger between CHR Solutions and Martin Group. CHR Solutions was a sponsor of ViodiTV at the WSTA 2009 Fall Conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Transitioning to a Market/Sales Driven Mindset
Lori Vergin of CHR Solutions, stresses the importance of adjusting a telco’s culture in order adapt to an ever-changing market place. She points out the importance of creating an overall experience for the customer and provides an excellent example of how one telco’s triple sales popped on a relatively simple promotional idea. CHR Solutions was a sponsor of ViodiTV at WSTA. Click here to read more.
Lori Vergin’s tale of the telco, that used popcorn in their showroom to help drive sales for its video service, reminded me of the old real estate trick of having the aroma of freshly baked cookies at an open house. The cookies are supposed to make prospective buyers feel at home and provide some sort of emotional connection with the house (and open up their checkbooks).
I lived this aroma theory at the MTA show last March in Minneapolis, as my normally insensitive proboscis detected the sweet smell of freshly baked cookies. In this reenactment, you can see how I was pleasantly surprised to find delectable disks of cookie joy on the tradeshow floor. Bauman and Associates, a CPA firm, was the brains behind this clever promotion.
This promotion worked, as seeing Bauman and Associates with their cookie oven at last week’s WSTA, reminded me of our video and how this simple promotion provided a lasting impression.
2 replies on “Viodi View – October 23rd, 2009”
Even with virtual reality and 3D technology, The web will never be a “substitute for experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of a place.”
I think most of us (including me) are spending too much time on the web and not enough time being human. That is interacting with people and groups on a face to face basis or even on the phone (if the person you are communicating with is too far away to meet personally).
The mobile Internet will only increase the amount of time on the web, which might not be such a good thing after all.
What’s your opinion?
Thanks for the comment, Alan.
Yeah, I avoided the smart mobile phone for so long, because I knew I would become another phone-controlled, droid walking around with blinders on to the real world, while hooked into the virtual world via the wireless web.
At least I am aware that I have a problem.
On the other hand, the mobile phones and the attendant data applications reduce friction and allow for much greater flexibility as compared to the days when we had to look for a pay-phone.