Dialogic Exec to Address Impact of Web 2.0, HD Codecs at ITEXPO

In 2010, HD voice and video will become a greater extension today’s landline and mobile networks.

 

But how do you ensure you’re up on the latest technology?

 

Just ask James Rafferty, product line director, Integrated Media Gateways, Dialogic. At ITEXPO East, held Jan. 20-22 in Miami, Rafferty will address two hot topics in sessions of great interest to executives and innovators.

 

The first, “The Impact of Web 2.0 on the Telco Space,” will focus on the radical changes that the new trends toward Web 2.0 and social media are having on customers’ expectations for their communication services. In the second panel, “Developing Superior Voice with HD Codecs,” Rafferty will talk about the nascent industry move toward higher quality voice and audio, and how this will enrich the communications experience for customers. 

 

“Both panels address game-changing trends for the telecom industry and this is a chance for ITEXPO (News - Alert) participants to get an update on these trends from industry experts and join the conversation,” Rafferty told TMCnet during a special pre-show Q&A.

 

The full exchange follows.

 

 

 

 

 

James Rafferty: Apple dominates this segment today with the iPhone (News - Alert) and will likely remain the leader until another company is able to come in and change the game as Apple did when they introduced the iPhone. The new Nexus One from Google will likely find an audience for users that want to run Google services on their phones, but the Android eco-system will be playing catch-up in terms of application support. The BlackBerry (News - Alert) continues to have strong support among business users, but RIM needs to encourage more developers to support their platform. 

 

 

JR: The drivers will come from multiple directions. Skype is already training consumers to expect higher definition voice and companies like Polycom (News - Alert) and Cisco are adding HD voice and audio into the enterprise environment. Now Orange has initiated HD mobile voice, so there is an alternative to the narrowband voice offerings of today’s cell phones. The move into the mainstream will begin in 2010 with early adopters and HD voice can be provided as an extension to today’s landline and mobile networks. The handset manufacturers can help accelerate this progress by making HD voice available in either mobile or WiFi environments.  

 

 

JR: I would vote for the various smartphones based on the Android (News - Alert) operating system, including the new Nexus One phone from Google, as there will be fierce competition to offer an alternative to Apple’s iPhone targeted to consumers, developers and businesses.   

 

 

JR: The main impact in 2009 was to extend the sales cycle and force additional industry consolidation. The move toward Voice over IP continues to be strong, but carriers are being much more careful about their expenditures in the weak economy. For 2010, we anticipate the economy will gradually get better and demand for solutions based on newer technologies such as Voice over IP and video over 3G and mobile broadband should accelerate, particularly in the second half of the year.  

 

JR: The Obama administration has been doing a lot of fire fighting due to the pressing issues in the economy and the need to manage U.S. involvement throughout the world. I’ve been pleased by the direction toward re-engagement with other countries, which should help create a more favorable environment for partnering between companies in multiple countries as the geopolitical climate encourages more economic cooperation. The change where the United States is now re-asserting a leadership position on climate change and encouraging adoption of green technologies is also a positive step forward. 

JR: I would drive the United States toward a massive investment in the infrastructure needed to make us competitive in this century, including investment in mobile and fixed-line broadband, upgrading the power grid and in smart approaches to transportation such as high speed trains. It is also important to invest in alternative energy policies and encourage related innovation that will greatly reduce U.S. dependency on traditional carbon-based energy sources and help us meet new goals in reducing carbon emissions.  

JR: Likely areas of market growth are in smart phones which will incorporate rich multimedia features such as mobile video and high definition audio, continued acceleration of the trends toward social networking for consumers and for business, and additional use of social media in go-to-market strategies. The telecom infrastructure will continue to migrate toward more and more use of IP, but we expect that SS7 will live on to support a variety of enhanced services with increased use of SS7 over the IP-based Sigtran and SIP-I / SIP-T protocols.  

 

JR: I’ll be talking on two panels which address hot topics which should be of great interest to executives and innovators within service providers and enterprises. In “The Impact of Web 2.0 on the Telco Space,” I’ll discuss the radical changes which the new trends toward Web 2.0 and social media are having on customers’ expectations for their communication services and how this changes the landscape for traditional telcos. In the second panel, “Developing Superior Voice with HD Codecs,” we’ll talk about the nascent industry move toward higher quality voice and audio, and how this will enrich the communications experience for customers. Both panels address game-changing trends for the telecom industry and this is a chance for IT Expo participants to get an updates on these trends from industry experts and join the conversation.    

 

 

JR: This will be a great year for sales of both pure play IP technologies such as border elements and media servers, and for leveraging existing customer investments in existing technologies using products such as integrated media gateways, SS7 signaling components and voice/fax boards.