Technology trends are exciting to watch and when looking back to 2010, it becomes easier to anticipate what will emerge for 2011.

According to Jim Machi, senior vice president of marketing at ITEXPO East 2011 Platinum sponsor Dialogic (News - Alert), the most significant trend of 2010 was the ability of the Internet to be accessed through mobile devices via advanced wireless technologies like 3G and WiFi (News - Alert).

Machi recently participated in a TMCnet interview in anticipation of the upcoming ITEXPO East 2011 event. Machi noted that cloud computing is growing and is a huge opportunity for Dialogic. He won’t make predictions on the mobile winners in 2011 and still likes his news and magazines in hard copy.

Asked whether tablets are the future, Machi noted it is a hard one to answer as we are in a “hyper hype” phase right now, but he does think they will have a place. He does not believe that app stores will change the future of computing and Dialogic is using social media to reach its customers. As for social networking, Dialogic uses the Dialogic Exchange Network for collaboration. When asked about net neutrality, Machi simply stated it is a complicated issue. Machi believes the greatest technological development in 2011 will be the rollout of LTE (News - Alert). 

He will exhibit at ITEXPO East because he believes it is a good place to meet current and potential customers. For those interested in learning more about the merger between Dialogic and Veraz, the Dialogic booth is a great place to stop. Machi will also showcase some Dialogic initiatives to tie in the open source communications solutions community. For 2011, expect to see a strong portfolio from the company as they extend the value brought on by Veraz.The entire conversation follows:

What was the most significant technology trend in 2010 and what impact will it have in 2011?

Worldwide, it is the ability of the internet to be accessed through mobile devices via advanced wireless technologies such as 3G and WiFi. We are seeing all kinds of innovation in the mobile devices and in the applications enabled by these devices. This is spurring growth in the telecom industry from the infrastructure required to the endpoints.

What impact will the continued growth of cloud computing have on the communications industry in 2011?

Cloud computing is certainly growing. Being able to “supply” enterprise applications remotely, rather than via a CPE (customer premise equipment) solution is a huge change-agent. It is a threat and an opportunity depending on which side of the fence you are on. Dialogic is viewing this as a huge opportunity since our business is both in the enterprise and service provider markets, so we see an opportunity to bring our enterprise customer base to the service providers who supply the cloud computing solutions.

Who will be the mobile winners in 2011 out of Google Android (News - Alert), Apple, Microsoft, Nokia and RIM?

I don’t like to predict winners and losers. After all, I think I said in writing something about the New York Football Giants going to the Super Bowl. I saw that end on a punt return recently. They didn’t even make the playoffs.

In what format do you read your news and magazines (i.e., hard copy or digital)?  Why?

Hard copy. I like sitting down with a coffee, or on a plane, and reading. I also have a horrible feeling I’ll sit on my iPad and break it in half, so I don’t use it for other than work right now since I feel like I’ll let my guard down.

Are tablets really the future?

That’s a tough one. I think we are in the hyper hype phase now, so everything is quite unbelievable. I do believe they will be around for sure and have a place. They are very good if you are only “consuming” content and not creating content, so I don’t think they’ll be replacing laptops for instance. I wrote a recent blog about using my iPad on a business trip.

Will app stores change the future of computing?

No. Most of the popular apps I see so far are either games or a shortcut for a website. The over the top nature of the apps stores is what is interesting. 

What impact has social media had on how you interact with your customers? How do you measure its effectiveness?

We definitely are using social media and have a relatively large number of Twitter followers for instance, but we are also active with YouTube and LinkedIn. We look at usage of these sites and how they are being used. They are another tool to measure our reach.

How have you leveraged social networking as an internal collaboration tool?

At Dialogic we have something we call the DEN (Dialogic Exchange Network) that we leverage for partner collaboration. You can get into it from our homepage.

The FCC (News - Alert) has recently voted to support net neutrality.  Is net neutrality necessary, or will it present more challenges than it will solve?

This is a very complicated issue. There are good arguments to both sides. That’s all I have to say on this right now.

What will be the greatest technological development in 2011?  Why?

LTE beginning to be rolled out. It will just continue the mobile internet ball rolling along.

Why have you chosen to exhibit at ITEXPO East in Miami? 

ITEXPO has been a good place to meet our customer and prospect base.

What is the most important reason attendees should visit your booth at ITEXPO?

As some of your readers know, Dialogic recently completed our merger with Veraz Networks in October of 2010. If you are interested in an update, please stop by. Also, we will be showcasing some of our initiatives to tie in to the open-source communications solutions community at ITEXPO, as well as showcasing our gateways with Session Border Control capability for enable SIP Trunking.

What new and exciting products/solutions can we expect to see from your company in 2011?

Our portfolio got quite a bit stronger with the Veraz merger, such as inclusion of a Session Border Controller. We will also have updated mobile video products in 2011.

To find out more about Dialogic, visit the company at ITEXPO East 2011. To be held Feb. 2-4 in Miami, ITEXPO is the world’s premier IP communications event. Visit Dialogic in booth #806. Don’t wait. Register now.