The emphasis this year is all about multi screen viewing. Content providers are clashing with cable co's regarding how and who interfaces with the end user. Comcast and HBO Go both are trying to get on your iPad from different angles. Some MSO's are tethering your mobility to your residence network (TWC) while others are letting you access on any network (Comcast). Meanwhile HBO and Showtime are trying to demonstrate that Coax is not their only path to the end user. Fun times with the lawyers starting to get busy.
Meanwhile, Commercial Services had a low profile, to my disappointment, which is contrary to what we at TelecomMarketplace are hearing from our MSO clients. Also, the number of 3D demos was way down versus last year.
The other notation is that the iPad is ruling the show. Attendees, exhibitors and speakers are all talking about the transformative tablet. Other tablets will continue to lag as all product development and interfaces are iPad focused first.
IPad is also proving disruptive to corporate security with employees bring in personal devices which then start carrying corporate data on sync up.
We spoke to NCTA about helping them start a Commercial Services track for next year and may be engaged by them to help launch it. More to come.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Live fromNCTA
Theme this year seems to be TV Anywhere, multi screen viewing and Apple response.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
At The Cable Show this week in Chicago
Chicago, ill
Attending the annual NCTA Cable Show this week. All the key content, broadband and solution providers are in attendance. With a jam packed agenda, we will be representing our clients to the Cable Industry. Big meetings with Time Warner Cable, RCN, Pat Media and Brighthouse are just a sample. In each case we will be introducing their executives to our clients products and partnership solutions as an executive Business overlay to their internal teams.
How are you forging partnerships?
Attending the annual NCTA Cable Show this week. All the key content, broadband and solution providers are in attendance. With a jam packed agenda, we will be representing our clients to the Cable Industry. Big meetings with Time Warner Cable, RCN, Pat Media and Brighthouse are just a sample. In each case we will be introducing their executives to our clients products and partnership solutions as an executive Business overlay to their internal teams.
How are you forging partnerships?
Monday, June 13, 2011
Surprise Surprise: No Entrepreneurs and no Jobs
The front page of USA today reported that entrepreneurial activity in America has reached a 20 year low. Yet politicians continue to be baffled with the economy's failure to create jobs. Meanwhile large business profits and productivity are soaring. While big business continues to improve margins by a) sending jobs overseas (employers > 500 employees had a loss of 1M jobs between 2001 and 07, while SMB's added 7M jobs over the same timeframe. All while the economy was decent) and b) favoring investments in capital over labor.
Meanwhile, the bailouts, government takeovers and Stimulus 1 and 2 continue their focus on supporting large businesses, who have a long history of not creating jobs for America. Here's an idea, focus some government stimulus on small and medium businesses. How about enticing entrepreneurs to invest and create jobs. No, refunding a few payroll tax dollars after 12 months is not working and never would work. For pennies the feds could use the SBA programs to entice both the employed and unemployed to exercise their entrepreneurial spirit. For example, the SBA program could be used to help entrepreneurs lower their risk profile in this unusually risky environment. If people are unwilling to buy real estate at 50 cents on the dollar, why would we anticipate they would invest in risky start ups at 100 cents on the dollar. I believe unemployment could be cut within 18 months to under 7% by instituting the following program: for every dollar that an entrepreneur invests in a start up, the sba provides .50 in non lienable loans and .50 in equity investment up to $500k in total investment. Current SBA loans require the entrepreneur to accept a lien on their house (not happening and little equity in real estate anyhow to recover). The equity portion would be payable to the government on liquidation with a liquidity preference but no appreciation. Sounds a lot like what the car makers and banks received.
In this program an entrepreneur would be heavily enticed to invest, since they could double their chances of success. The government would still recover their money from all the successful start ups while not further punishing those who lose their investment further by taking their home. Meanwhile, we would be assured that the stimulus would be heavily spent on job creation because local, small and medium businesses are labor intensive and proven job creators.
Why do I need to break from running my company to figure this out for these baffled politicians? The reality is that SMB's don't get the carrot because they don't pay the piper. They don't typically make big political contributions, hire lobbyists or have the time to woo their local politicians. They are too busy running their companies. Wake up media, politicians and pundits... No start ups No Jobs.
Meanwhile, the bailouts, government takeovers and Stimulus 1 and 2 continue their focus on supporting large businesses, who have a long history of not creating jobs for America. Here's an idea, focus some government stimulus on small and medium businesses. How about enticing entrepreneurs to invest and create jobs. No, refunding a few payroll tax dollars after 12 months is not working and never would work. For pennies the feds could use the SBA programs to entice both the employed and unemployed to exercise their entrepreneurial spirit. For example, the SBA program could be used to help entrepreneurs lower their risk profile in this unusually risky environment. If people are unwilling to buy real estate at 50 cents on the dollar, why would we anticipate they would invest in risky start ups at 100 cents on the dollar. I believe unemployment could be cut within 18 months to under 7% by instituting the following program: for every dollar that an entrepreneur invests in a start up, the sba provides .50 in non lienable loans and .50 in equity investment up to $500k in total investment. Current SBA loans require the entrepreneur to accept a lien on their house (not happening and little equity in real estate anyhow to recover). The equity portion would be payable to the government on liquidation with a liquidity preference but no appreciation. Sounds a lot like what the car makers and banks received.
In this program an entrepreneur would be heavily enticed to invest, since they could double their chances of success. The government would still recover their money from all the successful start ups while not further punishing those who lose their investment further by taking their home. Meanwhile, we would be assured that the stimulus would be heavily spent on job creation because local, small and medium businesses are labor intensive and proven job creators.
Why do I need to break from running my company to figure this out for these baffled politicians? The reality is that SMB's don't get the carrot because they don't pay the piper. They don't typically make big political contributions, hire lobbyists or have the time to woo their local politicians. They are too busy running their companies. Wake up media, politicians and pundits... No start ups No Jobs.
TelcoSource Partner Program Launched
This past Thursday we unveiled the long anticipated Partner Program for the TelcoSource platform. This program is off to a fast start and has the ability to help our partners solidify their strategic importance to their customers while bringing in some very healthy new revenues.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)