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Connect-World North America 2007     Magazine introduction The focus of the telephone networks has shifted dramatically over the last years and promises to continue to do so at an accelerated pace. Wired and wireless, business and residential, both the networks and the users will converge. The network will support seamless handoffs between fixed and wireless networks of all sorts and the same devices will be used for work and leisure. The traffic will increase exponetionally, but the rates will go down. Added-value applications, services and content will drive revenues. Networks will have a pervasive impact upon society we live in. This issue of Connect-World North America is dedicated to what these ongoing shifts in network technology, in network usage, mean to us all and to what the course of current developments will bring, telephony will never be the same, neither will our society or our lives.     Theme: TV here, there, everywhere, from anywhere Articles Contributors Feature articles     Article no.: 1 Topic: The broadest spectrum: Canadian TV choices in the 21st century Author: the Honourable Beverley J. Oda Title: Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women Organisation: Canadian Heritage and Status of Women PDF size: 312KB   About author: Beverley J. Oda is Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women. Ms Oda is the first Japanese Canadian elected to the House of Commons (2004). She served as the Critic for Canadian Heritage and was also a member of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. She was re-elected in 2006. Before entering federal politics, Ms Oda spent more than 25 years in the fields of public and private broadcasting most recently as Senior Vice-President at CTV. From 1987 to 1993, she served as a commissioner with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, CRTC. She also worked as a consultant in government policies and regulation in broadcasting, multiculturalism, and diversity. Ms Oda has long been involved in the arts and theatre. She taught art, theatre arts and English in Mississauga for six years. In 2003, she was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters, CAB, Broadcast Hall of Fame. Ms Oda has served on a number of national and international boards, including as chair of the Lakeridge Health Hospital Corporation. She is a recipient of the Queenís Golden Jubilee medal. Ms Oda holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto.   Article abstract: Television is a significant factor in Canadaís economy - it employs thousands in high-skill, high paying jobs - and is an important contributor to the protection and diversification of Canadaís social and cultural life. Canada was the first country to ratify UNESCOís Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. HDTV, digital broadcasting, Video on Demand, VoD, PVRs, personal video recorders, and other technologies are creating opportunities and opening markets for a wide range of products and services.   buy     Article no.: 2 Topic: Functional federalism - a pragmatic approach for policymakers Author: Jim Kerr Title: President NARUC and North Carolina Utilities Commissioner Organisation: NARUC PDF size: 192KB   About author: Mr Jim Kerr is the President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, NARUC. In this role, Mr Kerr serves as the de facto CEO of NARUC and, in consultation with the Associationís Executive Committee and Board of Directors, helps set the Associationís agenda and priorities. Mr Kerr is also a member of the North Carolina Utilities Commission. Mr Kerr graduated cum laude from Washington and Lee University and received his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.   Article abstract: New technologies and the convergence of technologies that were once regulated separately raise a series of issues at both the state and federal levels. State commissions have statutory responsibility to foster competition, protect consumers and promote public safety and ubiquitous access to services. Broadband-based services have raised a great number of issues for the state commissions that regulate the sector, including copyright enforcement, net neutrality, access to government subsidies, privacy, spectrum allocation and cable franchising alterations.   buy     Article no.: 3 Topic: Canadian broadcasting community - the call for Internet regulation Author: Dr Michael Geist Title: Professor of Law Organisation: University of Ottawa PDF size: 284KB   About author: Dr Michael Geist is a law professor at the University of Ottawa, where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law. Dr Geist has written numerous academic articles and government reports on the Internet and law, and was a member of Canadaís National Task Force on Spam. He is an internationally syndicated columnist on technology law issues with his regular column appearing in the Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, and on the BBC. Dr Geist is the editor of In the Public Interest: The Future of Canadian Copyright Law, published in 2005 by Irwin Law, the editor of several monthly technology law publications, and the author of a popular blog on Internet and intellectual property law issues. Dr Geist serves on the Privacy Commissioner of Canadaís Expert Advisory Board and on the Canadian Digital Information Strategyís Review Panel. He has received numerous awards for his work, including Canarieís IWAY Public Leadership Award for his contribution to the development of the Internet in Canada and he was named one of Canadaís Top 40 under 40s in 2003. He obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees from Cambridge University in the UK and Columbia Law School in New York, and a Doctorate in Law (J.S.D.) from Columbia Law School.   Article abstract: Canadaís regulatory agency, the CRTC, adopted a hands-off regulatory approach to new media. The growth of Internet-based media, however, has alarmed many that depend upon Canadaís subsidised local content production model. They claim that online streaming of free content, especially from the USA, will undermine their viability. Others believe that the new media will serve to stimulate Canadaís ability to compete in the world content market. It is increasingly clear that the new media threatens old business models, not Canadian content.   buy     Article no.: 4 Topic: Broadband - globalizing communications and content Author: Grant E. Seiffert Title: President Organisation: Telecommunications Industry Association, TIA-USA PDF size: 448KB   About author: Grant E. Seiffert is President of the Telecommunications Industry Association, TIA-USA. Mr Seiffert joined TIA as Director of Government relations, representing the equipment industryís interests, particularly regarding competitive issues. He was later promoted to Vice President and directed the TIAís domestic and global policy. Prior to joining the TIA, Mr Seiffert served five years with Senator John McCain. Mr Seiffert holds a Bachelor of Science degree in political science from Radford University, where he served as Vice President of his sophomore class and as a Senator in student government.   Article abstract: Broadband is growing impressively in North America and throughout the world. It is an indispensable tool in building sustainable economic development. A number of factors - competition, regulatory encouragement, government promotion of economic development, high-speed fixed and wireless infrastructure expansion, the growth of public telephony, and technology, especially VoIP - drive the growth of broadband. Wireless telephony is driving much of this growth; outside the United States, it will account for 59 per cent more subscribers than landline by 2010.   buy     Article no.: 5 Topic: Welcome to the consumer era Author: Jonathan Banks Title: Senior Vice President Organisation: Law & Policy for the United States Telecom Association PDF size: 224KB   About author: Jonathan Banks is Senior Vice President - Law & Policy for the United States Telecom Association, USTelecom, which represents service providers and suppliers for the telecom industry. Mr Banks directs the associationís policy development and advocacy work before the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the courts. Mr Banks came to USTelecom after serving in several leadership roles at BellSouth, most recently as Vice President - Executive and Regulatory Affairs. He has also served as General Counsel in BellSouthís Washington office. Prior to joining BellSouth, Mr Banks held positions at the Federal Trade Commission, Armstrong World Industries and the Association of American Railroads.   Article abstract: Technology now lets telecommunications providers offer voice, video and broadband service at home and away. This has revolutionized the sector and spurred competition for the full array of communications services. To meet demand, and beat the competition, service providers are spending billions on infrastructure to integrate wireline, wireless, video and Internet and deliver innovative services seamlessly. This will provide business opportunities for small business and the resulting services will help them seek new opportunities outside traditional local and regional markets.   buy     Article no.: 6 Topic: Making next-generation networks work Author: Roger Ward Title: President of the Multiservice Forum, MSF, and Head of Network Evolution Strategy for BTís Chief Technology Office Organisation: MSF and Network Evolution Strategy for BTís Chief Technology Office PDF size: 380KB   About author: Roger Ward is the President of the Multiservice Forum (MSF) and Head of Network Evolution Strategy for BTís Chief Technology Office. Mr Ward heads up BTís involvement in industry fora and has been heavily involved in the MultiService Forum since its foundation. As MSFís President he has done much to help the Forumís focus on multi-vendor interoperability and the GMI global interoperability programmes, in particular GMI2006 that has done so much to justify the claim to ëmaking NGNs workí. Mr Ward is a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the IEE holding a BS with honours in electrical engineering from Cambridge University, an MS in telecommunications systems from Essex University, and an MBA from Warwick University.   Article abstract: The Internet has created demand for raw bandwidth as well as for more and better services. Carriers can be more than bandwidth pushers by combining services that match the flexibility of the Internet with the quality, availability and location information of the telephone system. The combination of next-generation networks, NGN, and IMS, IP Multimedia Subsystems, gives them the tools to deliver what users want, but implementing this is tricky without the implementation agreements and certification that the MultiService Forum, MSF, provides.   buy     Article no.: 7 Topic: TV anywhere - are operators ready? Author: Keith Willetts Title: Chairman and Co-founder Organisation: TeleManagement Forum PDF size: 248KB   About author: Keith Willetts is Chairman of the Board of Directors and a Co-founder of the TeleManagement Forum; he is recognized as one of the worldís leading authorities on communications management. Currently Managing Partner at Mandarin Associates Ltd in the UK, he consults with companies on a wide variety of business development issues. He previously held executive positions at BT and TCSI. A regular presenter and writer, he co-authored the highly influential book, The Lean Communications Provider. His achievements have been internationally recognized; he has been been honoured twice in the Communications Week ëTop 25í awards for industry visionaries, and with the British Computer Society award and the BT Gold Medal. Keith Willetts is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing in the UK and attended the Sloan School of Management at MIT (Executive MBA programme).   Article abstract: A bundle of services that include IPTV - the delivery of TV services over a broadband connection - is at the centre of most operating companiesí plans to compete with broadcast and cable TV. To compete with traditional TV, IPTV needs to function as well as traditional TV. For the most part, the existing telco infrastructure was not designed specifically for the task, and there are few proven systems and little experience just yet to deliver a satisfactory experience for mass-consumption.   buy     Article no.: 8 Topic: Realising the promise of IPTV Author: Kumar Shah Title: CEO Organisation: Kasenna PDF size: 236KB   About author: Kumar Shah is the CEO of Kasenna. He has more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications sector in general management, marketing, sales, strategic planning, business development and engineering management. Mr Shah has been involved in the development of video, broadband access, multi-service switching and internetworking products for the global telecommunications carriers and service providers. Kumar Shah was most recently an Entrepreneur-In-Residence, EIR, at US Venture Partners. Previously, Mr Shah was President and CEO of Occam Networks and Chief Marketing Officer of AccessLan Communications. Kumar Shah has an MS in Electrical Engineering from University of Massachusetts, Amherst and BTech. in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India.   Article abstract: Internet Protocol TV, IPTV, enables telcos and service providers to offer a wide range of high-margin services that help build and maintain customer loyalty. Telecom operators have networks designed for two-way traffic that can deliver personalized services more easily than cable networks, but planning and rolling out IPTV can be a challenge for many operators given the complexity and number of choices. Nevertheless, open standards-based systems and cooperation between hardware and software suppliers with pre-tested solutions have simplified the problem.   buy     Article no.: 9 Topic: Satellites - looking to the future Author: Edward D. Horowitz Title: President & CEO Organisation: SES Americom PDF size: 252KB   About author: Edward D. Horowitz is President and CEO of SES Americom, a satellite operator. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of its parent company, SES. Prior to SES, Mr Horowitz founded EdsLink LLC, a venture fund providing strategic financial, operations and technology consulting services to financial services and the cable industry. Mr Horowitz was Executive Vice President for Advanced Development of Citigroup and Founder, Chairman and CEO of e-Citi. In addition he served as a member of the Management and Investment Committees of Citigroup. Formerly, Mr Horowitz was Senior Vice President, Viacom Inc, and a member of the Viacom Executive Committee. Prior to Viacom, Mr Horowitz held senior management positions at Home Box Office, HBO, a subsidiary of Time Warner and was a founder of Suburban Cable. Mr Horowitz also serves on advisory boards and as a Director of a number of companies, including EaglePicher, The Tennis Channel, One Laptop per Child, OLPC, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, the New York Hall of Science and the March of Dimes. Mr Horowitz holds a BS in Physics from the City College of New York and an MBA from Columbia University.   Article abstract: Today, the satellite industry is doing well, but it will have to adapt itself to new customer expectations. Programming will become completely user dictated, and users will pay only for the channels and content they actually watch. Widespread connectivity is fostering the growth of a global economy. To become truly global, however, the online economy needs to connect a far greater percentage of the worldís people. When it does, it will bring unprecedented development to the worldís developing regions.   buy     Article no.: 10 Topic: Video in the enterprise - not just for Hollywood! Author: Tuvia Barlev Title: President, CEO and Co-founder Organisation: Actelis Networks PDF size: 284KB   About author: Prior to co-founding Actelis Networks, Inc, Tuvia Barlev was head of the R&D organization at Teledata, a high-speed communications company, where he led the DLC R&D department. Previously, Mr Barlev held top management positions in government research organizations as head of several elite communications projects. Mr Barlev holds a Bachelor and a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering, both with honours, from Tel Aviv University.   Article abstract: Dramatic changes in TV and video are not just disrupting long-standing business models; they are changing the way business will be conducted. Businesses use video technologies to collaborate and communicate more effectively with customers and partners. The dropping cost of truly rapid broadband communications and the development of new uses such as telepresence, digital signage, individually targeted advertising, and video-based applications to support their operations and field personnel, are driving the rapid growth in the usage of enterprise video systems.   buy     Article no.: 11 Topic: TV here, there, everywhere, from anywhere Author: Robert J. Laikin Title: Chairman of the Board and CEO Organisation: Brightpoint, Inc PDF size: 328KB   About author: Robert J. Laikin is the Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and a Co-founder of Brightpoint, Inc, a global leader in wireless device distribution and customized logistics services. Mr Laikinís is also a Member of United Way Central Board of Directors; Member of Indiana University Kelley School of Business Deanís Advisory Council; and a member of the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center Indiana University Capital Campaign Steering Committee. Mr Laikin has received a number of awards, including the 1999 Distinguished Entrepreneur Award from the Kelley School of Business Alumni Association, the 1995 Indiana Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and honourable mention in 1995 Inc. Magazine National Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Mr Laikin has a Bachelor of Science in Business from Indiana University.   Article abstract: The mobile phone is the fourth screen, after the cinema, TV and computer. As the frequencies currently allocated are freed by the elimination of analogue TV broadcasting, and handsets incorporating better screens and broadcast TV receivers reach the market, mobile TV usage should grow. Mobile operators currently have the strongest relationship with the end-user and are ideally positioned to build effective customer profiles. So, too, are Internet brands such as Yahoo, Google and MSN - each with truly significant numbers of users.   buy     Article no.: 12 Topic: Mobile TV comes to life Author: Stefan Schneiders Title: Mobile TV Business Development in the Business Line Applications Organisation: Nokia Siemens Networks PDF size: 228KB   About author: Stefan Schneiders is responsible for the business development of Mobile TV in the Business Line Applications at Nokia Siemens Networks. In his most recent position he was responsible for Business Development Mobile Broadcast at Siemens Networks. Before that assignment he was COO for the international consortium PayCircle and supported the Open Mobile Alliances M-Commerce Working Group as Vice Chairman. Mr Schneiders has more than 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. Over the past decade, Mr Schneiders has been involved in industry innovations, including Mobile Payment, Information Security and Biometrics. Mr Schneiders has a degree in Computer Science from the Bundeswehr University in Neubiberg near Munich.   Article abstract: Mobile TV is growing 50 per cent per year - by 2011, 500 million people will be watching. Mobile TV is personalized and interactive; subscribers can view what they want, when and where they want it. Mobile operators have the infrastructure to control and bill subscribers; broadcasters have the infrastructure to transmit mobile TV. By working together they can build revenues and minimize investment. For broadcasters, mobile TV provides a way to deal with the flattening of traditional TV viewing patterns.   buy     Article no.: 13 Topic: Next-generation carriers Author: Bob Drummond Title: Vice President, Professional Services and Marketing Organisation: OpenCloud PDF size: 224KB   About author: Bob Drummond, is Vice President of Professional Services and Marketing at OpenCloud, responsible for OpenCloudís Professional Services business worldwide. Mr Drummond has over 17 yearsí experience in the Telecommunications industry, gained with organisations in Germany, New Zealand and the US, and is now based in Cambridge, UK. Prior to joining OpenCloud, Mr Drummond was Regional Client Director with Convergys Corp. Previously, he had served as the VP of Marketing at a telecommunications solutions vendor. Bob Drummond has been a regular speaker at industry conferences. He holds a Bachelors degree in Engineering from Auckland University and an MBA from London Business School, where he studied International Marketing.   Article abstract: Skype and similar businesses have decimated telecom carrier revenue projections by offering ultra-low-cost communications using technologies, including broadband WiFi and VoIP, which carriers do not control. Traditional carriers often lack agility to offer low-cost services. All-IP networks promise savings, but carriers still need to drive down service costs to meet the competition. Open platforms and JAIN SLEE, the open Java standard for event-driven application servers, facilitates the cost-effective development and execution of competitive services across existing and next-generation networks.   buy     Article no.: 14 Topic: Controlling the TV connection Author: Tracy Geist Title: Senior Vice President of Marketing Organisation: OpenTV Corp PDF size: 260KB   About author: Tracy Geist is Senior Vice President of Marketing for OpenTV Corp, overseeing all of the companyís marketing activities. Ms Geist has over 15 years of experience developing solutions, services and products in media and technology for companies such as Oracle Corporation, nCUBE 9 (now C-COR), ExtendMedia and the Bulldog Group. Tracy Geist holds a BBA in Information Systems and Strategic Business Analysis from Baylor University.   Article abstract: TV viewers need greater control and flexibility when selecting content and scheduling their viewing. Today, a viewer might have access to over 300 linear TV channels, 50,000 hours of video-on-demand, VoD, user-generated content from YouTube and MySpace and digitalised libraries of personal music, photos and home videos. With the viewerís problems managing choice; new forms of navigation are needed to centralise all these sources. Whoever manages to control viewer navigation - the broadcaster, cableco, telcoÖ - will win the battle for the customer.   buy     Article no.: 15 Topic: Where TV will go Author: Joe Hogan and Marc Price Title: (Joe Hogan) CTO, Founder, Board Member, and (Marc Price) Senior Telecom Strategist Organisation: Openet PDF size: 228KB   About author: Joe Hogan is the CTO, Founder and board member of Openet. He has more than 20 yearsí software engineering experience from his years with Openet, Retix Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc. Mr Hogan was a senior architect with Sunís European kernel development centre before leaving to found Openet. He is the principal architect of Openetís Fusionworks framework and is responsible for Openetís engineering group and CTO technology office. Mr Hogan represents the company in the IETF, 3GPP, IPDR.org and GBA forums and frequently speaks at and chairs billing mediation, IMS and prepaid conferences throughout Europe, Asia and North America. Marc Price is the Senior Telecom Strategist at Openet, specialised in telecommunications systems, with more than 15 yearsí experience helping define strategies and deploy solutions for mediation, rating and billing. Before joining Openet, Mr Price was the lead software architect for a real-time, object-oriented rating and billing system for convergent telecommunications service providers. Mr Price holds honours degrees in Mechanical Engineering and International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania.   Article abstract: Sophisticated television technology - TiVOs, Slingboxes, video on demand, mobile TV, among others has revolutionised the market. Broadband providers, cable companies, mobile and fixed telephone operators and such have raised the level of competition. Unfortunately, much of the new functionality comes in a box - itís provided by a device, not as an application the service providers can charge for. By intelligently analysing their transaction data, service providers should be able to devise a new generation of services that satisfy users and build revenues.   buy Confirmed authors (Order by article no.)   the Honourable Beverley J. Oda Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, Canadian Heritage and Status of Women   Jim Kerr President NARUC and North Carolina Utilities Commissioner, NARUC   Dr Michael Geist Professor of Law, University of Ottawa   Grant E. Seiffert President, Telecommunications Industry Association, TIA-USA   Jonathan Banks Senior Vice President, Law & Policy for the United States Telecom Association   Roger Ward President of the Multiservice Forum, MSF, and Head of Network Evolution Strategy for BTís Chief Technology Office, MSF and Network Evolution Strategy for BTís Chief Technology Office   Keith Willetts Chairman and Co-founder, TeleManagement Forum   Kumar Shah CEO, Kasenna   Edward D. Horowitz President & CEO, SES Americom   Tuvia Barlev President, CEO and Co-founder, Actelis Networks   Robert J. Laikin Chairman of the Board and CEO, Brightpoint, Inc   Stefan Schneiders Mobile TV Business Development in the Business Line Applications, Nokia Siemens Networks   Bob Drummond Vice President, Professional Services and Marketing, OpenCloud   Tracy Geist Senior Vice President of Marketing, OpenTV Corp   Joe Hogan and Marc Price (Joe Hogan) CTO, Founder, Board Member, and (Marc Price) Senior Telecom Strategist, Openet