Mobivox Makes Red Herring Final Cut for North America 100

Some great news for Mobivox, a Canadian company I've been following for ages, and recently did some client work for.

Their CEO, Peter Diedrich, posted on their blog late last week about Mobivox making the cut for the Red Herring 100 North America.

This is one of their industry awards events, and starts with a field of 1,200 entries. As Peter's post explains, this was reduced to the top 200, all of whom will present at their event next week, and from this will emerge the final list of the top 100.

I'm happy to share the news that Mobivox made the cut, not just because I know what they're up to, but also because they're Canadian. Too bad they didn't make the Branham 300, which spotlights Canadian up-and-comers, but somehow I think that's about to change.

I won't be attending the Red Herring event, but I wish Mobivox the best of luck. The final 200 list doesn't seem to have been published yet, so I don't know who they're up against, but to learn more about the event as well as a list of last year's winner, check out their site here.

March Media Roundup

I had a pretty nice mix of media involvement in March, including some A-list sources, namely the BBC, Wired Online and the Wall Street Journal. Can never get too much of that, and I hope they call again soon! Let's start there, and move on to the rest.

BBC - Google Voice launch

Wired Online - Google Voice launch

Wall Street Journal - coverage of my Voice 2.0 panel at eComm 2009


The Google Voice story had global coverage of course, and I turned up in a couple of these. I have no idea how this happens, but the Web does work in strange ways. As long as they spell my name right, I'm happy...

Negocias - Portuguese financial sector journal

Nikkei Net PC Online - Japanese coverage


Elsewhere in the English language press...

ITWorld Canada - Assessing the new CEO at Rogers

Tech Media Reports - Bell's acquisition of The Source (subscription required, but soft copy available)

Internet Telephony - IT Expo Industry Outlook Roundup


On TMCnet, my bi-monthly Service Provider Views columns ran:

Surviving in the New World of Telecom, Part 1

4G Focus – Interview with Crossfire Media


Going back to eComm, Mobivox announced the launch CRM over Voice, which included a White Paper that I was commissioned to write:

CRM over Voice press release, plus link to download White Paper


Finally, last week marked the launch of Canadian Blogging Idol. It's a fun contest being run by ITWorld Canada, and I've been brought into the mix to blog.

I've had a few posts so far, but it's too early to tell how I'm doing. Stay tuned - and don't forget to vote!

eComm 2009 - New Presentations Online Now/Mobivox White Paper

I've got two eComm messages to pass along here. While the conference took place earlier this month, there's a lot of sharing still to be done. Another of Lee's virtues is his commitment to building community and sharing knowledge.
In earlier posts following the conference, I've mentioned that Lee will be adding content from the presentations to the eComm website as time allows. This is a big job, and it's great that Lee is still doing this, long after the main buzz from eComm has run its course.

So, in case you missed it, or want to read transcripts or view videos of the sessions, head over to the eComm blog page for the latest content, such as:

- Smule's Ge Wang - among other head-turners, he'll demonstrate how to turn your iPhone into a bona fide musical instrument

- Asterisk's Mark Spencer talking about how Skype and Askerisk fit together

- Columbia University's Tony Jebara talking about how mobile devices and apps are impacting social behavior

- Skype's Jonathan Christensen talking about their new SILK codec and how improved voice quality makes Skype a better experience

Staying with eComm updates, I wanted to pass on a link for Mobivox, who was on my Voice 2.0 session. They launched a white paper at eComm (which I wrote) on how voice can be used in new ways to add value to CRM. If you didn't pick up on it at eComm, you download a copy of the paper by using this link.

eComm Voice 2.0 Panel - Covered by WSJ

Yesterday, here at eComm 2009, I moderated a panel session titled Voice 2.0 - New Ways to Monetize Voice. We had a great lineup, and everyone on the panel had notable things to say about the opportunities that exist today for operators to make money with voice services and applications. If only we had more time to explore the topic - maybe next eComm...

The experience was definitely enjoyable, and felt a bit more special after learning that the Wall Street Journal picked up the session and ran an article about it. This link may expire by tomorrow, and if you need a text-based copy, just let me know.

WSJ writer Timothy Hay picked up on the key themes very well, and it was great to see Larry Lisser from Mobivox and Trevor Healy of Jajah getting some nice quotes. Let's hope this brings a little more attention and love from the investment community to this space. A little capital goes a long way with these companies, and as anyone attending eComm will attest, voice has a lot of life in 2009, and we've only seen a glimpse of what's to come.

For those of you not in attendance, there is a really nice photo gallery on the eComm website, with a few shots there of our session. You can view them here, starting at photo #172 - enjoy!

My Voice 2.0 Panel at eComm 2009

Well, eComm 2009 is just over a week away, and as an Advisory Board member, we're doing what we can to get the word out and encourage new faces to come.

My most visible role at the conference will be moderating a session that Lee has asked me to put together. It's titled Voice 2.0 - New Ways to Monetize Voice, and I hope this gives you another reason to attend.

For those of you who will be there, the session runs on the Wednesday, from 2:00 to 2:45.

The title is pretty self-descriptive, and my objective is to share with the audience examples of what is out there today for carriers to use and make money with Voice 2.0. We can talk all day about what Voice 2.0 means, but you know it when you see it, and you'll see some great proof points during this session.

I've got 3 companies doing cool things with voice today, and alongside them, one of the most innovative operators I know - Telio, and one of the industry's more provocative contributors - Eric Burger.

Briefly, I'll be joined on the panel by:

- Trevor Healy, CEO, JAJAH
- Larry Lisser, VP, Mobivox
- Jonathan Taylor, CEO, Voxeo
- Alan Duric, CTO/co-founder, Telio
- Eric Burger, Chairman, SIP Forum

A more detailed outline of the session is posted now on the eComm website, and soon to follow will be photos and bios of the speakers. Hope to see you there!