While smartphones remain a popular device for businesses and consumers, alike, the applications themselves will likely serve as the dominant tool for users, the head of a Huntington Beach, Calif.-based provider of telepresence and videoconferencing services, told TMCnet.

 

And thanks to consumers’ love of gadgets and new technology, greater advancements in the mobile phone industry will soon follow, Robert McCandless, CEO and chief technology visionary for BrightCom, told TMC (News - Alert) CEO Rich Tehrani in an interview, printed in full below.

 

Beyond the mobile space, the telepresence industry will also see a boost as businesses continue to look to cut costs and increase their competitive edge.

 

McCandless, who will be speaking at a session called, “Technology Innovations in Videoconferencing,” at ITEXPO (News - Alert) East 2010 in Miami next week, also said that the next few years will serve as a time during which great innovation will develop globally.

 

“We are coming off a long period of a lack of technological investment and innovation in the U.S.,” McCandless said. “The market will grow where the greatest innovations are occurring.”

 

The exchange follows.

 

 

Bob McCandless (pictured below): The smartphone market seems to be split along the traditional business user/personal user market segmentation with the Blackberry and similar phones dominating the business side and personal application driven smartphones, like the Apple (News - Alert) iPhone, being more attractive to individual users. My personal belief is that the application driven idea will eventually dominate over the business specific use phones in the long run. This will occur because the multiple revenue streams for application centric phones are higher. Whoever builds the best, most sustainable application delivery network and end user device will be the winner. Today, I feel that is Apple.

 

 

BM: The major limiting factor here is network carrying capacity and bandwidth cost. Advances in cellular network build out and GSM capability will help drive this technology. The current advertising campaigns from Verizon (News - Alert) - ads showing the lackluster cellular coverage “map” from AT&T - and the counter ads from AT&T - ads showing the lackluster GSM coverage from Verizon - have helped consumers understand these issues more clearly. This is a great boon for consumers as the pressure is on for carriers to solve these issues as fast as possible.

 

 

BM: In 2010, I think we will see a great advancement in mobile phone technology. The carrier networks are getting to a point that they can now begin to develop more advanced applications that could change the face of communication.

 

 

BM: At BrightCom we experienced a significant rise in demand for our videoconferencing, telepresence, and data sharing products. I feel this was due to firms looking to reduce their costs and also gain a competitive advantage through innovations in communication.

 

 

BM: I think the obstacles facing this president and the last (in their first term) are simply staggering. Mr. Bush did not sign up for 911 and Mr. Obama did not know that the greatest economic challenge since the great depression was about to hit the United States when he began his campaign. That being said, I feel things are getting better. Sure, I would like to see more investment in technology (for example); but all in all I am happy with the direction of this administrations policies and plans.

 

 

BM: Wow, there is really not enough room on this page for that type of question. The U.S. is significantly behind in energy production, alternative fuels, carbon reduction, food and agriculture innovation, manufacturing shipping and distribution innovation. Not to mention the technology sectors.

 

 

BM: I believe the next few years will be a time of great innovation for the entire world. We are coming off a long period (since the Dot Com Bubble – in my mind) of a lack of technological investment and innovation in the U.S. The market will grow where the greatest innovations are occurring.

 

 

BM: I will be talking about the growing capability to converge voice, HD video, and data into what we at BrightCom call Integrated Telepresence (News - Alert). Anyone interested in lowering their communication and travel costs while increasing their firms ability to innovate should attend the session.

 

 

BM: Tremendous consolidation of players -RDM