Mobivox Introduces CRM Capabilities

Mobivox has introduced "CRM over Voice," allowing insertion of context-sensitive, unobtrusive messaging into user interactions while they are occurring, Mobivox says. That capability is made possible by two innovations, the ability to integrate and update a unified address book into the voice session, irrespective of what type of voice device or access network is used, and the ability to connect to transaction data bases.

“Mobivox partners can now perform all-important CRM in the course of service delivery, rather than before or after it, by dynamically inserting context-sensitive, unobtrusive messaging into user interactions,” said Diedrich.

Messages about special rewards or promotions based either on past behavior are one example.

“Over time, the platform’s multilingual voice user interface, or VUI, establishes a unique and very cost-effective relationship with the user,” Diedrich said. “Our network-hosted address book and user database allow for insightful user profiling throughout the customer lifecycle. By mashing the VUI with rich and relevant behavioral database information, we have created an unprecedented set of highly contextual CRM processes, executed in real time.”

Thomas Howe to Head Jaduka

Jaduka has promised "big news" at eComm, and one would have to say that some of that news already is leaking out. Consultant Thomas Howe has shut down his consulting business and now is the new Jaduka CEO.

NetworkIP, Jaduka's parent, clearly has decided that it cannot get the traction or valuation it seeks without a recognizable name at the top of its executive ranks.

I believe people refer to this as "street cred."

Social Network Humor

An amusing bit of social networking humor. Click on "related article" at bottom of this post.

It isn't quite the classic that "if operating systems were airlines" (http://ipcarrier.blogspot.com/2007/12/if-operating-systems-were-airlines-part.html) is, but is chuckle-inducing, nevertheless.

Shorter Sales Cycles for Communication Services?

Life always is so much more interesting than one suspects. Consider the conventional wisdom that enterprise buyers are spending more time than they used to making communications decisions.

Arunas Chesonis, PAETEC CEO, says sales cycles now are shorter than they were three to six months ago. "People are being forced to make decisions much faster," he says. A client was looking at buying an MPLS network. The chief information officer said he was going to make a decision in about 10 days. 

"Typically, you'd see something like that goes 60 days before they make a call," says Chesonis. "I can't quantify exactly for you how fast people are making decisions, but the economic pressures are absolutely affecting sales cycles on operating type services, something that would affect operating expense.

"If you're talking CapEx, a lot of these people are just deferring the decision till later this year, early next year, they're trying to conserve cash just like a lot of folks that are out there," he adds.

Lots of executives say sales cycles are stretching out. But Chesonis may be on to something. 

Nokia Mulls Making PCs

Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo has hinted that the Finnish handset giant could soon enter the laptop market, reports Reuters.

IKallasvuo says the firm is "looking very actively" at the opportunity. His comments appear to confirm long-running speculation that the world's largest handset vendor will diversify into laptops. "We don't have to look even for five years from now to see that what we know as a cellphone and what we know as a PC are in many ways converging," Kallasvuo said.

The vendor is rumoured to be developing computers based on ARM's new 'Sparrow' processor for netbooks and Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) and is reportedly looking at a 2011 launch.

Ethernet Installs: Mostly Follow-Ons?

IU.S. demand for business Ethernet service ports expanded at a rate of 43% during 2008, Vertical Systems says.

Spurred by lower bandwidth costs and higher service availability, enterprises of all sizes purchased carrier-based Ethernet to support their business networking applications, according to Vertical Systems.
 
"Despite a near paralysis of new telecom spending at the end of the year, there were tens of thousands of new Business Ethernet service installs during 2008," said Rick Malone, principal at Vertical Systems Group. "Deployments were most active in the third quarter before many enterprises implemented spending freezes or staff reductions. Customer installations in the fourth quarter consisted primarily of follow-through on in-process network conversions."
 
Based on retail customer port installations, AT&T maintained its U.S. market leadership in 2008, although considerable momentum by Verizon narrowed the gap. Attaining a position on Vertical Systems Group's 2008 Business Ethernet Leaderboard with 5% or more of the market are eight service providers in the following order by share: AT&T, Verizon, tw Telecom, Cox, Qwest, Cogent, Time Warner Cable and Level 3.
 

Will Rural Broadband Create Jobs?

The general notion about broadband spending mandated as part of the national economic “stimulus” plan is that it will create jobs. To be sure, construction of the access networks will drive some direct employment.

Some 128,000 jobs (or 32,000 jobs per year) could be generated from network construction over a four year period, and each job would cost $50,000, according to Dr. Raul Katz, adjunct professor at the Columbia Business School.

Beyond that, such new broadband facilities are supposed to spur economic development as well. But will it?

Unfortunately, says Katz, research on the productivity impact of broadband indicates the potential for capital-labor substitution and consequently, the likelihood of job destruction resulting from broadband deployment, as well as some incremental job creation. So the issue is whether net job creation exceeds net job destruction, and by how much.

You might think bringing broadband access to any community can only be a plus. As it turns, out broadband creates jobs and destroys them as well.

Since broadband tends to enable the outsourcing of jobs, a potential displacement of employment in the service sector from the area targeted for deployment might also occur, says Katz.

Also, some job creation in the targeted areas could be the result of relocation of functions from other areas of the country, and therefore, should not be considered as creating incremental employment, he adds.

Still, Katz says, the study results indicate that some job creation aside from the actual construction jobs is feasible. “Our estimates indicate that over four years the network effects could range from zero to 270,000 jobs over four years (approximately 67,500 jobs per year), although anecdotal evidence would point to the lower end of this range,” says Katz.