OPASTCO Summer 2008 Convention Highlights

If your business went away would anyone care? This thought-provoking question was posed by John Moore, a marketing consultant and former Starbucks and Whole Foods executive, at OPASTCO’s 2008 Summer Convention. His point was that a company that creates an emotional connection with their customers will be able to charge a premium compared to their competitors. He also stressed the importance of a company having a strong point of view, even though it will mean some people will simply not agree and not buy your product. Moore was just one of the many excellent speakers at OPASTCO’s Summer 2008 conference.  Click here to watch an excellent summary video edited by Roger Bindl.

FCC as a Broadband Story Clearinghouse

A CTO for the USA?

Does the United States need a Chief Technical Officer? In this ViodiTV interview from the 2008 OPASTCO Summer Convention, FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein suggested that a CTO of sorts is necessary to help tie together the disparate efforts and needs of various Federal agencies. Adelstein pointed out that the FCC represents one slice of what should be a pan-agency process to address broadband and applications that can affect programs such as health care, homeland security, low-income housing. He also discusses the intrinsic link between video and the deployment of broadband, as well as the importance of local management and ownership for the creation of robust rural economies.

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People on the Move: 

Hans Nilsson, recently retired from Bruce Telecom, received an award for his service on the OPASTCO board. Hans’ leadership and affable personality will be missed in the industry, but he has promised he will attend future OPASTCO events. 

Andy Brown, formerly of NRTC, is now with Bennet and Bennet. Congratulations to Hans and Andy. 

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The Korner:  Industry Icons

As important as workshops and panels are to a conference, the real value is the human interaction that comes from face-to-face conversations. The OPASTCO conferences are unique in that they foster long-term relationships and friendships that are important for uniting the industry. It is definitely a family atmosphere at OPASTCO, as people literally grow up in the industry and many of these children become the new leaders for new times.

It was fitting then that I was able to interview Wahkiakum West’s Carlton Appelo as he reflected on the recently passed W.S. ‘Babe’ Howard of Millington Telephone. Howard definitely had a point of view and was a larger than life character that made a difference, as can be seen in this video interview. The story could have been about Carlton, however, as he and his brother, Burton, started working his father’s switchboard during the depths of the depression. He was literally there at the start of the first television transition in 1939 and he served his country on Okinawa in World War II. He came back after the war and helped build a phone company and an industry. Look for more of our conversation with Appelo in future posts. 

Another former OPASTCO President, Paula Eller of Yukon Telephone, reflected on the life of a key industry figure that started in the industry that at age 16. TelAlaska’s Jack Rhyner, who lost his battle with cancer a few months ago, worked tirelessly to ensure Alaska’s rural areas received the support necessary to bring telecom services to the most remote reaches. Eller, a pioneer in her own way, worked closely with Rhyner on these common goals.   She has seen and participated in many of the changes in the industry and her common-sense wisdom for balancing work and family have made an impact that would be sorely missed if she, her family and their company quit serving their community. 

Popularity: 3% [?]

Staycation seems to be a common theme in the news this summer. Travel this year is down, but not out, as even though the price of gasoline has risen by 39% since last year, AAA projected that the number of Americans traveling would be down by 1.3% for this past Independence Day weekend.   And although the near-term view may be doom and gloom, high energy prices will lead to both alternative forms of fuel as well as product substitution.   

Monitoring Goes Home

Broadband will be enabler of product substitution, whether it is used to reduce travel through things like telecommuting or decrease energy consumption through improved efficiency.   Broadband as a way to improve life on the home front was an underlying theme of the Parks Associates Connections conference in Santa Clara the last week of June.   Click here to read about some of the challenges and opportunities of consumer broadband that were discussed at the Parks Associates Conference.

Google’s Trojan Horse Takes Another Step

One company conspicuously absent from the Connections Conference was Google. The timing was interesting as Google announced their media server that same week. To read why this might be another step into the consumer’s home by a Google Trojan Horse, click here. 

Location Based Services and Technologies

Knowing the locations of people, places and things is another way to improve efficiency of logistics. Location Based Services promises to help in these areas and Alan Weissberger summarizes the state of this industry segment in this article. Click here to read more.  

WiMAX Counts

Weissberger reports on a study by Montreal-based, market research and analysis firm Maravedis that suggests that the global Broadband Wireless Access (BWA)/ WiMAX subscriber base increased by more than 200,000 in the first quarter of 2008, reaching nearly 2 million (1.98M) subscribers worldwide.  Service revenue increased more than 20% to $366.2M. Click here to read the rest of the article. 

US Telecom Local Content Workshop – Sept 3/4^th [postponed until the Fall] Washington D.C.

I am looking forward to co-producing this event with Team Lightbulb, as the location is going to allow us to bring in some unique speakers. Noted entertainment attorney, Thomas Crowell, will speak on the other IP; intellectual property in the context of content. Another speaker that we can announce will be Viodi co-founder, Paul McKellips. Learning about Paul’s background, which ranges from LA Council candidate to scriptwriter to interactive TV executive to Iraq news correspondent, will be worth the price of admission to this unique local content event.  

The Korner - Independence Day Video

Whether staying close to home or traveling across the country, the point of July 4^th is to remember the birth of our nation and the struggles of those early patriots.   Although, it isn’t Memorial or Veteran’s Day, Independence Day is also an appropriate time to remember those who gave and are continuing to give their blood and lives for our freedom.

It was somewhat ironic timing, when, a couple of weeks ago, Paul McKellips sent me the following video to give me an update on one of the many things he is doing. This video is produced by an organization he co-founded, No Greater Sacrifice.  

No Greater Sacrifice (“NGS”) serves to bridge the educational development and professional mentoring gap for the children of our nation’s fallen heroes [armed forces and law enforcement officials]. Our job is to help finish their work by raising funds to pay for college tuition and graduate degree programs and to provide professional mentoring for their children. NGS accomplishes its mission by funding the charities that are already on the ground working on behalf of this noble cause…

This heart-wrenching video shows the impact this all volunteer organization has on the children of these fallen heroes. It shows the power of video and broadband, as more people have viewed the event online than were there in person.

To learn more about NSG and how you can help, click here.  

Popularity: 20% [?]

"You had to be there." I have said that line more than once when trying to retell a significant experience and not finding the right words to convey what happened. That’s how I felt about last week’s NXTComm, as several people asked how NXTcomm was and I found myself and, at least one other person, using the word robust to describe the activity on the show floor. I hadn’t been to this event , so I don’t have a great frame of reference. Still, I was surprised by the number of people on the show floor and was impressed with the quality of speakers and topics at the various co-located conferences. NXTcomm helped its own cause by forcing attendees to walk through the show floor to get the various panels. 

Battle of the Network CTOs?

Actually, the discourse between Mark Wegleitner, Chris Rice and Pieter Poll of Verizon, AT&T and Qwest was quite civil, although the approaches each of these companies is taking to providing video and deploying their networks are quite different. A common theme of Wegleitner Rice was that service is past launch and it is about executing and building upon the video platforms they already have. Rice suggested that many of the technical issues are beyond them and now it is about internal cultural issues and ensuring that they train enough technicians fast enough to meet demand.  Click here to read the rest of this article.  

Hand Waving at NXTcomm 2008                                     

ATIS sponsored an extremely interesting panel on television navigation at the NXTcomm conference. This panel went beyond the normal hand waving and showed the future is here in many ways. One of the most interesting applications of this panel is one where broadband could prove instrumental in providing medical rehabilitation. Click here to read the rest of the article.

Obscenity on ABC, Ads on PBS, H.R. 6320 - Regulation of BroadbandTV on the Horizon

The inspiration for this article was a decision a few months ago by the FCC to slap a huge fine on ABC Affiliates for violating obscenity rules in airing an episode of “NYPD”.   In years past, I would have been in the dark. Thanks to the power of Internet video, however, I was able to find a copy of the video within 30 seconds and view for myself what the FCC considered obscene.  The adjacent image is one of the more tame shots.  The point is, what was obscene on broadcast television does not violate FCC rules on broadband television; at least yet.  Click here to read the rest of the article and how the Markey Bill, H.R. 6320 points to a world where broadband television is regulated by the FCC.

Signs of the Video Times

The signs of the changing video landscape were literally signs in the case of these photos I snapped yesterday. The demise of Bradley Video, a once strong independent video store in Silicon Valley, is an indication that the traditional brick and mortar approach to renting and selling videos is quickly being substituted for other means of delivery; whether via snail mail, electronic downloads or streaming. It is sad for the folks whose livelihoods depended on this business.  The impact goes beyond the owner and employees, as this particular store used to be a big advertiser in the sports section of the local newspaper.  Click here for the complete post.  

Location Based Services by Alan J. Weissberger

Alan Weissberger outlines on a Yankee Group Telebriefing regarding Location Based Services. Click here to see his notes on this presentation. 

Just In – Schools Finding New Ways to Use Internet

One of the highlights of last year and my career was moderating a panel of youth at last year’s OPASTCO summer convention. One outcome of that panel was the importance of broadband to youth for both socialization and learning. A new report from Grunwald Associates suggests a blurring of the lines between school and home, even in low-income districts, thanks to broadband. The findings of the study suggest that online educational efforts can strengthen parent participation and provide a better educational basis. 

On a personal basis, I believe Grunwald’s thesis, as earlier this year, one of my son’s online friends was able to help answer a homework question that had my entire family stumped. If there were some way to tie in the school system to some of these online games, we could probably catapult past the traditional books and pencil approach to learning that is becoming increasingly archaic in the business world.     

People on the Move - Roger Bindl in Mankato

Roger Bindl trekked to Mankato Minnesota, home to independent telco, Hickory Teck to compete in a triathalon with his just graduated nephew and brothers. Roger was in the top 1/3^rd of the 275 participants and third in his age group; good enough for a medal. He cleverly documented his experience using a combination of Google Maps, pictures and video. Click here to see the interactive map of his triumph in Mankato.      

The Korner - Memories of Alaska, Visions of Quebec City

You had to be there is what I suggest regarding last year’s OPASTCO Summer Convention in Alaska. I have to admit was a bit hesitant to make my fifth visit to our 49^th State, as all my visits have been to Anchorage. I was wrong, however, as I forgot an important variable in travel and that is the people you are with can make a big difference in the overall experience. 

It was the interaction with the fellow attendees, as well as the young adults on the youth panel I moderated that made this event special. What really made this memorable was my week with Jacky and Roger Bindl. Their coordination and determination make ViodiTV possible. More importantly, I am able to live vicariously through them, as they took the following week and visited sites throughout Alaska. 

Roger put together this interesting video collage of events from the show and his further travels that took him to Valdez. I look forward to our next venture, next month in Quebec City at OPASTCO’s 2008 Summer Convention.  To watch the video, click here.

Popularity: 34% [?]

You know you have been traveling too much when staying home feels like a vacation. One of the biggest challenges of travel is meeting with all of the people you want to in the given amount of time. Sometimes, one simply runs out of time. Similarly, we end up with a number of articles and videos that we sometimes don’t get published before publication dates. In this issue, we highlight a few of the videos that missed earlier Viodi View deadlines.      

Highlights of WSTA 2008 in Lake Geneva

Roger Bindl put together a summary video of the Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association’s annual meeting. This brief video provides an overview of this three day event, as well as background interviews with several people from Wisconsin telcos. Bindl’s video does a good job of capturing the theme of the conference, Serving Our Communities Best. 

WiMAX Patent Pool Perspective by Alan Weissberger

Alan Weissberger provides a good analysis of the recently announced patent pool in this brief article, where he ties the importance of visionary regulators to the rollout of WiMAX.

Weissberger expands on the idea of the importance of visionary (or not) regulators and WiMAX in this update article.

In this round up, Weissberger reports on and provides analysis of some recent developments in the telecom world ranging from the chip level to the device to the telecom carrier.  Companies profiled include Alcatel-Lucent, Infineon, Reliance and Deutsche Telecom.

Upcoming Events:

Appointment for an On-Demand Webinar- Tomorrow, June 12, 2008

Avail Media is sponsoring and hosting a webinar regarding on-demand content on Thursday, June 12^th at 2 PM EDT. Avail’s acquisition of ViewNow late last year made them the only supplier of both linear and on-demand content to providers of IPTV. What makes this webinar interesting is that Avail will be sharing the stage with one of their IPTV affiliates, Consolidated Communications. I had the chance to be on a panel with Consolidated Communications earlier this year and came away impressed with their scientific approach to marketing.

ATIS @ NXTcomm, June 17th, 2008

Next week’s NXTComm has some interesting sessions regarding IPTV and related bundled services. Tuesday’s ATIS panel, IPTV Implemented and Deployed – NOW WHAT, looks at some interesting applications and interfaces that will quickly become the new table stakes. Brad Kayton, a long-time veteran of IP Set-tops, will be moderating another panel on Wednesday at 4:00 PM that will debate which device will be the central controller of the various features of the automated home. 

Connections - The Digital Living Conference & Showcase, June 24-26

The Parks Associates Connections Conference will focus solely on the home. It is an excellent event and one that is valuable for the independent telco looking to add value-add services, such as home security, as well as understand the potential for new services, such as in-home health monitoring. Let me know if you are going to the Parks Associates event, as it will be in my backyard.  

OPASTCO’s Summer Convention, July 12-16, Quebec City, Quebec

The OPASTCO Summer convention will be here in a month. This is must-attend event for anyone serious about working with independent telcos.  Contact Roger Bindl at 608 268 5704 for information on sponsoring ViodiTV at this event.  

I remember clear as yesterday a conversation I had with an unassuming World War II veteran sometime in the late 1990s. We were at an Atlanta steakhouse during one of the many Supercomms (e.g. the predecessor to NXTcomm) in that fair city. He explained to me how he was part of a commissioning crew on a submarine that was towed from the Great Lakes through the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. This seemed like an odd bit of history, as submarines and the Midwest seemed like an oxymoron.    

Fast-forward 10 years and I am speeding through the Eastern part of Wisconsin when I notice a sign for the Maritime Museum of Wisconsin. The picture of the submarine on the sign jolted my memory of that long ago conversation with Ralph. I had to make the detour off the Interstate to determine if this was where he began his submarine journey some six decades earlier. 

As it turns out, the Manitowoc Shipbuilding facilities produced 28 submarines during the war. Overlooking the star of the Maritime Museum, the U.S.S. Cobia, are placards that list the names of the individuals who were part of the commissioning crews. Sure enough, I was able to find the late Ralph Hoeper’s name on one of the placards. Ralph survived his World War II experience and returned to build up Foresthill Telephone from a handful of lines to over 4,000 some six decades later. 

Popularity: 45% [?]

Driving along at 110 miles per hour, it is easy to overlook how difficult it was for the pioneers who carved out the trails that grew to be the asphalt-paved network of roads and highways that facilitate commerce across this great country. Similarly, the copper infrastructure started by the early communications pioneers is giving way to all-fiber networks. The only way to gain an appreciation for the vast expanses of the heartland and the importance of a robust communications and highway infrastructure is on the ground; flying over just isn’t the same. I have been spending quite a bit of time the past few weeks driving around the heartland.

At the TOC in Fargo North Dakota, noted futurist David Zach, discussed the importance of connections in this brief video interview. His thought-provoking keynote at the TOC gave attendees a glimpse of applications that will continue the need for greater bandwidth to the person; bandwidth everywhere. One of the visions he painted was the idea of contact lenses whereby the images that one sees could be changed out, depending on what the individual wants to see. So, my spouse might be able to change upgrade the image of me to Brad Pitt through a download; the 21^st century version of beer goggles.  Click here to watch our video interview with David Zach.

[note; to see some images of the TOC, click here]

The next video interview is a definite upgrade in terms of the on-air talent. First, Dave Burstein of DSL Prime fills in for me as he interviews Steve Ross of Broadband Properties. In his WSTA speech, Ross prescribed a high fiber diet to reduce churn as well lay the groundwork for new services and increased economic development in rural areas. He suggested that the current approaches to video are being commoditized and that telcos need to look for value-add services.   In his speech, Burstein gave WSTA attendees ideas as to how to remain competitive with cable. [thanks Steve and Dave for filling in for me].  

The reason I was not in front of the camera for the video interview with Steve Ross and Dave Burstein was that I was busy preparing for a US Telecom Webinar which I found myself moderating. Cable/IPTV Consultant Dick Jones, Attorney John Hane of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLC and Surewest’s Product Marketing Manager, Jaime Montes gave an excellent overview of challenges of content acquisition and packaging. I appreciate their efforts to make this a worthwhile event. This highly recommended webinar was recorded and is available for 90 days online.  Click here to view. 

Kudos to long-time Viodi sponsor, Innovative Systems, for their 100^th order of APMAX within 12 months of its introduction. Used in conjunction with Nortel’s CS1500 softswitch, this South Dakota designed and manufactured device allows telcos to offer their customers features such as caller ID on TV, unified messaging and conference calling.     

Cellular backhaul is a topic of a panel at this week’s RICA Annual Meeting in Chicago. In a timely email, Tac Berry reports that Engage Communications has substantially reduced the amount of bandwidth required for back-hauling cellular traffic from base station. The upshot of their solution is that standard off-the-shelf wireless radios can be used for cellular backhaul. 

The Sony-Cable MSO deal regarding integration of Tru2Way (formerly OCAP) into televisions is big news and in an indication that this technology is moving into the mainstream– the announcement of the MOU was just on CNN. Momentum is definitely building for this approach to interactive television. 

Bagel Walk Victory

Foot power is a form of transportation I haven’t used nearly enough in the past few months. So, I jumped at the chance to join in the Bagel Walk at the WSTA Convention last week. Actually, I didn’t jump, as it was a 6:30 AM start. The real motivation was guilt, as Roger was going to film the event for ViodiTV and I figured I better go with him in the name of teamwork; little did I know that I would become part of the story.

Unlike many of the roads I have been traveling on lately, the Bagel Walk had no destination other than the starting line. The objective is to predict how long it will take to complete the course and the one closest to win the prize. It is a race that anyone can win, regardless of physical ability. I would like to say that knowing one’s self is the key to success, but my Bagel Walk victory is due to the sage advice and similar pace of the Iversons of Amherst Telephone. 

Popularity: 59% [?]

“You must respect the past if you are going to respect the future,” said noted Futurist, David Zach, at the 2008 TOC conference in Fargo, ND. Zach provided a rapid fire presentation that talked of the importance of tradition and understanding the past, as a foundation for understanding the future; the implications of the implications.   Zach’s presentation was thought-provoking enough for me to edit the closing of today’s newsletter, as found below in the Korner.

Palm trees, humidity and 75 degrees in Fargo; so outside the weather was crisp, but in the Holiday Inn’s covered pool area, the weather was downright tropical. With 937 attendees, the Tri-State Operations Conference is an excellent venue to learn what is going on with independent telcos in the upper Midwest. The first day opened with multiple vendor presentations in the morning, the aforementioned David Zachs speech and an excellent youth panel moderated by Scott Meyer of Innovative Systems. Videos will follow in the next issue.

The DTV Transition - At What Cost?

Much has been made about the recent 700 MHz spectrum auction and the billions of dollars raised for the U.S. Treasury, but this is just one part of a complex equation related to spectrum management and economics that may be implicitly costing U.S. citizens much more than they are receiving.  For example, there is the opportunity cost of the new, digital broadcast spectrum, given away to existing broadcasters by the government that is worth untold billions of dollars. Unfortunately, this article is probably about 10 years too late to affect a change, but maybe it will serve as a warning for future generations.  Click here to read the rest of this article.

Content Quality Versus Content Fidelity

Mark Evensen, CTO of Entone, articulated what I have been trying to say for years. There is a difference between fidelity and quality. I contend that many viewers generally care more about the quality of the content than the fidelity of how well it is reproduced.  Click here to read the rest of the article. 

Mining Data and More in St. Louis

I have found vendor user group meetings can be as every bit as valuable as for-pay conferences. The Entone User’s Group meeting held in the convenient, historic and revitalized downtown St. Louis last week, was extremely valuable for the participants, who included Entone customers, prospects and partners.  Click here to read what speakers such as Colin Dixon of The Diffusion Group and Doug Abolt of Consolidated Communications had to say about things such as over-the-top video, viewer behavior and the importance of data mining in reducing customer churn. 

A Central Place for Weather

Weather is the universal conversation starter. At the ITA’s Press Conference at NAB in April, interactive and targeted weather was the topic of the video interview we had with Steve Smedberg of Weather Central. The Madison, Wisconsin-based Weather Central has been gaining traction among independent telcos, as their service allows for granular, personal and high definition forecasts that are very important to life in rural America. Click here to watch the video. 

The Cool Factor

Doug Wenzlaff of Solarus, a Wisconsin-based Independent Telecom provider, talks about the the "cool factor" at the 2008 IP Possibilities conference in Chicago.  The long-term implications of Wenzlaff’s comments are that independent telcos will need to concern themselves with style as much as substance.  to get a preview of the type of programming that will be seen as we bring ViodiTV to next week’s WSTA conference in the Dells.

Club Viodi Postings

Club Viodi membership is restricted to independent telcos.  Independent telcos, contact us to learn more:

• Easy Registration - A Very Useful Service
• Graduation Videos - 50% Discount Coupon

People on the Move:

Stacey Brooks of Film Specific interviews Brian Stevenson, a long-time friend and long-time veteran of content licensing, discusses the challenges for an independent producer in getting distribution in various on-demand and pay television platforms. He provides good insight into pricing and the type of revenue a filmmaker can earn and how they can go about selling their product to studios and pay television outlets.  Click here for the link to the audio post.

Using music to tell the tales of the 19^th century is the objective of the musical duo of Brigand’s Folie. This Farmington, MN-based group performed at the 2008 Bloody Lake Rendezvous near Woodford, Wisconsin a few weeks ago. Roger Bindl captured their magic in the the music videos that can be found at this link.   

The Korner - A Great Honor

In this brief video, Ron Laudner, CEO of Iowa’s OmniTel Communications, shares the meaning of a pin he was wearing at the 2008 OPASTCO Winter Convention. As Memorial Day approaches, this brief video is a reminder of the great sacrifices the brave men and women of the armed forces have made.

David Zach’s comments at the 2008 TOC in Fargo inspired me to add this Memorial Day remembrance of an Uncle I never knew. All of his brothers and sisters have joined him now, so all I know about Uncle Cliff is what my dad told me more than 35 years ago; that he was about 6’4”, that he died in the Pacific Theater of World War II and that he was still a young man when he was killed. The limited Internet sleuthing I have done has not revealed any more detail. I often imagine the life marriage he never had, the kids he didn’t get to raise and the holidays he missed.    

His sacrifice is priceless and it is sad that he never had the chance to enjoy the freedoms and privileges that I take for granted. Still, his legacy, along with the legacies of the millions of others who made the ultimate sacrifice, is with us as we go about our daily routines. Thank you Uncle Cliff. The memory of your sacrifice will not be forgotten.

Popularity: 69% [?]

Despite the snow many of my friends in the upper Midwest have been experiencing the past few days, spring is here; at least in California. I will be on a semi-barnstorming tour through the upper Midwest in May and I am expecting sunny skies and spring-like temperatures as I visit with Viodi View readers in North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. One place I would like to visit during that time is Hartington, Nebraska. Read the Korner to see why. 

Independent Telcos Understand the Value of Independent Telcos

Two recent acquisitions that did not make the headlines of the New York Times or even any of the traditional telecom industry publications. The Telephone Acquisition Company, LLC’s pending purchase of Iowa’s Swisher Telephone and American Broadband’s purchase of TelAlaska may be small in terms of the number of subscribers involved, but these acquisitions are extremely important in terms of pointing to another way to operate the telecom infrastructure in rural America.  Click here to read more.

Roger is still culling through the many video interviews we captured at NAB. Here are a few of the video interviews so far. 

Partnering to Create Addictive Services

Services, such as Caller ID on the TV and local content, that are addictive are what independent telcos need to provide if they want to gain and retain broadband subscribers.  Horizon Telecom’s Ed McKell talks of these services in this brief video interview.  McKell, who spoke at the IP Possibilities Conference, discusses how partnerships have helped them provide new and better services to their Southern Ohio customer base. 

Open IPTV

Thanks to Jari Aho for pointing out an excellent article/interview with Viodi View friend, Frank Bulk of Premier Communications, an independent telco in Iowa. Bulk provides a thoughtful and insightful analysis of the challenges of IPTV, especially as it relates to independent telcos.  Click here to read more.

Yet Another Mobile Video Play

Monday, April 14, 2008, marked the launch of the largest commercial satellite.  ICO will be using this satellite to serve the growing mobile video market.  ICO will use frequencies in the 2 GHz range to provide video and emergency services to mobile handsets and car-based terminals.  Click here to read more.

Cisco’s New Acquisition and Globalization/Outsourcing Strategies by Alan J. Weissberger

Cisco is now buying companies and giving them much more autonomy.  For example, Cisco bought email security start-up IronPort, but let it operate as a stand-alone unit, with its own managers, brand name, engineers and salespeople.  Click here to read the rest of the article. 

Video and TV Over the Net - Part 2 of a Series - Vudu by Roger Bindl

Video and Television over the Internet are accelerating faster than Kurzweil’s Law - a bit faster than Moore’s Law, I think. This review demonstrates another service for VOD over the Internet and to the television. It keeps getting better when you compared to my earlier reviews on a similar service. Take a look at this video to learn about Vudu’s Television VOD (Video on Demand) over the Internet. Also see Part 1 of Series.

Some Interesting Upcoming Events

• TOC Conference and Showcase in Fargo
• Building Upon Broadband - RICA Annual Meeting
• Safety First - A Worthwhile Seminar
• Smart Home Tour - Smart Idea

Club Viodi Postings

Club Viodi membership is restricted to independent telcos.  Independent telcos, contact us to learn more:

• Open Source Video
• Another Open Source Video Opportunity

The Korner - A Race that Promises to Be a Gas 

I haven’t seen statistical evidence for this, but in my first-hand experience, people in rural areas are generally more creative and resourceful than those of us in the big cities. Whether it is work or entertainment, things simply aren’t as convenient when you have to drive 50 or 60 miles or further. As a result, one sees some unusual and fun things, such as the World’s Largest Buffalo, as he tours the heartland. 

I bring this up as the month of May seems to be when the various festivals blossom. These festivals are sort of a rebirth from the cold weather of winter and are really excuses for big block parties. These events do bring communities together and are a place where the community’s creativity is exposed. 

One community that will be celebrating its 125^th anniversary with an variety of community activities is Hartington, Nebraska.   The weekend of May 23 will feature parades, barbeques, memorials and a car show. The thing that caught my eye, however, is the Outhouse Race. 

With suggested names like the Toot-n-Nannies and the Potty-Mouths, this promises to be a very entertaining event. In fact, the organizers suggest that the event will be a gas. As is so often the case with a community building activity, one of the organizers of the weekend celebrations is the locally owned telco and its staff.      

Good luck to all participants in this endeavor, as they bring together their rural community in a very creative way. 

Popularity: 80% [?]