Goodman Networks Inc. is a national telecommunications services company founded in 2000 that provides engineering, deployment, integration and maintenance services to wireline and wireless carriers and original equipment manufacturers.The Plano, Texas-based company this summer recently received $62 million in equity and debt financing from The Stephens Group L.L.C., which it plans to use to grow its business, including adding another couple hundred employees to its base of nearly 1,000. The company...

Read More "Goodman Networks: Firm aims to hire several hundred in coming months"

September 7 2009 - 6:00 am ET | Tracy Ford | RCR Wireless NewsView OnlineFresh off network wins with Clearwire Corp., Cox Communications Inc. and Leap Wireless International Inc., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. is on its way to nearly double its staff in North America by the end of the year.The Chinese infrastructure company has had a presence in North America since 2001, and has battled initial resistance from U.S. carriers that seemed wary of the vendor. However, Huawei’s self-described...

Read More "From RCR Wireless: Huawei to double North American staff as it secures contracts with Clearwire, Cox"

September 16 2009 - 6:00 am ET | Dan Meyer | RCR Wireless NewsView onlineCHICAGO – What's that old saying: I can't miss you if you won't go away. That seemed appropriate for day 1 of the 4G World 2009 event held this week in Chicago where while the focus of the conference is obviously on 4G technologies, those pesky 3G networks remained a major topic of speakers and attendees.Keynote speakers from both domestic (ATT Mobility's Kris Rinne) and international (Michael Rocca from Australian...

Read More "From RCR Wireless @4G World: 3G not dead yet"

Do you have a friend that is looking for a job?  You can now share job search results with them by clicking on the ShareThis link at the top of the page and in the job search results. 

Just look for the green ShareThis on any pages that you would like to share. 

Many thanks to all to joined us on Wednesday for the first in a series of local events.  We had over 40 speakers and 20 workshops for the event.  We are looking forward to the next stop and welcome speakers, sponsors and exhibitors to contact us directly at jmucci@ardenmediaco.com if they are interested in participating in future local events.

The press release below captures the essence of the event and provides a complete list of speakers and supporting organizations.

Thanks for the support.

Arden Media to Host Austin Tech and Job Expo  
on June 24, 2009
 
Event Kicks off Global Tour of Tech and Job Expos
 
Austin Chamber of Commerce to hold press conference at Expo to announce findings of
ground-breaking initiative on green collar jobs and smart energy

AUSTIN, Texas, June 22, 2009  -- Arden Media Company, the new publisher of RCR Wireless News and owner of other media properties, announced today that it will host the Tech and Job Expo on June 24 at the Palmer Events Center in Austin. The event is being presented in partnership with the Austin Technology Council and with the support of national and local business, professional and industry associations.  The Austin Tech and Job Expo is the first event of a multi-city, international tour of Tech and Job Expos hosted by Arden Media.    

The Expo will feature a press conference hosted by the Austin Chamber of Commerce announcing the details of the report of the Chamber's Green Job Task Force, a key study of smart energy deployment and green job creation that could lead to the creation of more than 25,000 new jobs in the region. Importantly, the results are expected to offer a blueprint that could be replicated in other cities and regions of the country.  Following the press conference, there will be a keynote panel discussion of the report and an update on the Pecan Street Project. Participants in the panel discussion include representatives of the Austin Chamber of Commerce, Austin Energy, Cisco Systems, IBM, the University of Texas and Workforce Solutions. 

"We're excited to be hosting this important event in Austin with the strong support of the Austin Technology Council," said Jeff Mucci, chief executive of Arden Media. "We also appreciate the full support of the Austin Chamber of Commerce and are seeing a lot of interest in the  press conference they will be holding at the event  to release the report of their Green Job Task Force. The schedule for the day has content that should appeal to participants at every level of the technology industry.  There will be more than 30 senior executives from leading tech companies speaking at keynotes and technical and job- focused panels, and there will be cutting edge, interactive exhibits and workshops."  

In addition to the range of informational segments of the Expo, there will also be events focused on existing and emerging jobs in the tech industry and the skills required for these jobs, providing an opportunity for companies and prospective employees to attend functions together and talk directly with each other.  Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with peers and company representatives in the interactive exhibit area.   Planned interactive exhibits include areas on mobile applications, tower infrastructure, gaming, the connected home and other topical subjects. 

Green Job Task Force and Pecan Street Project
 
In March 2009 the Austin Chamber of Commerce undertook the organization and implementation of its Green Job Task Force.  The report of the task force will provide a community roadmap for coordinating regional efforts to train and retain 25,000 Central Texas residents for green collar jobs and assist with the re-employment of unemployed Central Texans.
  
The Pecan Street Project is the nation's first and largest municipal-scale smart grid initiative that is aimed at developing a new energy system to enable multi-directional flow of data and electricity from a new energy grid. The grid would seamlessly interconnect energy storage, distributed generation, energy efficiency and electric vehicle technologies. It is projected that Austin's smart grid project has the potential to create over 25,000 jobs and attract $1 billion in investment for the region within the next 10 years.    

The Pecan Street Project is led by the City of Austin, The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, Austin Energy, Austin Technology Incubator, Environmental Defense Fund and the University of Texas at Austin. Research and Strategic Support has been provided by Applied Materials, Cisco, Dell, Freescale, GE, GridPoint, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Oracle and SEMATECH.    

RCR Wireless News to be Sponsor
 
RCR Wireless News, which was recently acquired by Arden Media and is slated for relaunch in the third quarter of this year, is serving as a media sponsor for the event.    

"We're particularly pleased to have acquired RCR Wireless News, which has built a reputation over many years as the leading source of information and intelligence in the wireless communications community," said Mucci. "We are working hard to prepare the publication for its relaunch with great attention to sustaining the editorial quality and insight that its loyal readers have come to expect. We want RCR to be involved in the Tech and Job Expos because we want it to be focused on connecting directly with its readers, and connecting directly with decision makers, companies, technologies and consumers, both through these events and through the online content will be providing going forward."  

Event and Contact Information
 
For information on the Austin Tech and Job Expo, to learn more about speaking opportunities, or for more information on bringing a Tech and Job Expo to your city, please contact us at events@ardenmediaco.com.
 
For information on online, event or customer lead generation programs, please contact John Scarborough at 512 565 4912 or at john@ardenmediaco.com.  

About Arden Media Company
 
Arden Media Company connects tech, media and communications organizations with customers and talent through the following companies, which are owned and operated by Arden:  

RCR Wireless News - Since 1982, the leading news source on all things wireless.
 
Telecomcareers - Since 1999, the # 1 Wireless and Telecom industry job board
 
ITjobs.net - Since 1999, a leading IT and Technical industry job board
 
Tech and Job Expo - A "local" event series connecting tech, media and communications
companies with industry professionals in 20 global markets
 
Tech and Job Magazine - A comprehensive guide "guide" to local, regional and global
industry associations, events and companies.
 
Visit http://www.ardenmediaco.com for more information about Arden Media. 

Austin Tech & Job Expo
Fact Sheet

Event Overview

• Event will be held June 24, 2009 in Austin, Texas
• Location:  Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Road
• Certain workshops begin at 8 am
• Austin Chamber of Commerce Press Conference is at 10:45 am
• Exhibit Hall open from 11:30 am to 8 pm
• Main Stage Presentations begin at 11:30 am
• After hours networking event begins at 5:00 pm
• Event is the first in planned multi-city international tour
• All details available on dedicated website, http://www.techjobexpo.com

Scheduled Speakers

• Willie Anderson, Vice President, Engineering, Qualcomm CDMA Technologies
• Tamara Atkinson, Deputy Director, External Affairs, Workforce Solutions - Capital Area Workforce Board
• Chad Bockius, Director of Product Marketing, Bazaarvoice
• Kathy Brabson, Regional VP/Operations, Central Texas Division, Time Warner Cable
• Sam Coursen, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Freescale Semiconductor
• Adil Dalal, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Pinnacle Process Solutions, International TM
• Casey Dennis, Director of Network Engineering, Texas Region, Time Warner Cable
• Aimee Doane, Vice President of Operations, West Division, Suddenlink Communications
• Andrew Donoho, Owner, Donoho Design Group
• John C. Dupree, Vice President, Enterprise and Federal, Sprint Nextel
• Russ Finney, Vice President of Information Systems, Tokyo Electron
• Rodney Gibbs, Studio Head, Fizz Factor
• Wade Gilham, Marketing Director, Broadcast Division, Silicon Laboratories
• Iain Gillott, President, iGR, Inc.
• David Jenkins, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, WhiteboardSelling
• Jim Keeler, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer, Wayport, now an AT&T company
• Ron Kifer, Group Vice President and CIO, Applied Materials
• Dawn Lacallade, Community Manager, Solarwinds
• Marny Lifshen, Marketing and PR Consultant, Speaker and Author
• Angela Loeb, Consultant
• Brad Massey, Certified Trainer and Franchise Owner, Sandler Sales Institute
• Courtney McCashland, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Talentmine
• Sean McDonald, Owner, Ant's Eye View
• Jack McDonald, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Perficient
• MaryBeth Mongillo, Founder and Owner, Factor5 Consulting
• William E. Morrow, CEO and Chairman, CSIdentity Corporation
• Thomas Myer, Owner, Triple Dog Dare Media
• Deborah Neal, Area Director, Enterprise, Sprint Nextel
• Elena Neira, WCP Liason, WCET Certification, IEEE ComSoc
• Carolyn Purcell, Director, Internet Business Solutions Group, Cisco Systems
• Melissa Simpler, Chief Executive Officer, Affinegy
• Helen Soto Knaggs, Director-External Affairs, Verizon
• Josh Stephens, Vice President of Technology aka Head Geek, Solarwinds
• Charlene Tomas, Austin Special Events Team Sales Manager, AT&T Mobility
• Shelly Van Dyke, Strategist & Market Analysit, Corporate Strategy, Freescale Semiconductor
• Jeff Vice, Director, Local Government Issues, Austin Energy
• Michael Webber, Ph.D., Associate Director, Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy, University of Texas at Austin
• Jim Welch, Corporate Vice President, North America Enterprise Markets, Enterprise Mobility Solutions, Motorola
• Connie Wharton, Entrepreneur and Leadership Development Expert
• Paul Williamson, Global Utilities and Energy Industry Solutions Architect, IBM

Supporting Organizations

• Austin Technology Council
• Austin Chamber of Commerce
• Austin Chronicle
• Austin Human Resource Management Association
• Austin Wireless Alliance
• Association of Information Technology Professionals
• Door64
• Women in Cable Telecommunications
• Digital Media Council/Skillpoint Alliance
• Independent Game Developers Association
• IEEE
• University of Texas Computing and Engineering
• St. Edwards Professional Development
• Austin Community College

Tech and Job Expo Update:  Nello, Gritz Towers, and Specialty Manufacturing will be creating a tower exhibit at the Expo to introduce professionals to the wireless infrastructure industry.  Representatives from the companies will be available to answer questions and help us understand the infrastructure that really makes our mobile phone work. 

When:  Wednesday, June 24th 8:00am - 8:00pm

Where:  Palmer Events Center, Austin, TX

Register Today

More Info: http://www.techjobexpo.com

For updates and information on the Tech and Job Expo, find us on Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook

The big news this week is the decision by the Austin Chamber to hold a press conference announcing the release of the report of its Green Job Task Force at our event at 10:45 am.  In connection with this press conference, we are now pleased to announce our second keynote presentation--a panel discussion of the Green Job Task Force Report and an update on the Pecan Street Project with members of the Task Force and representatives of the public and private sector partners in the Pecan Street Project.

In connection with these two events, we will have an executive level briefing and lunch where local business leaders can discuss the keynote topics with the speakers.

Finally, we will have a special pavilion area in our exhibit hall featuring Green Tech companies.  If your company is involved in this industry, you should take advantage of our exhibition and sponsorship opportunities.  Exhibition opportunities start at $299 for a table in the pavilion and $750 for a booth.  To book a space, please contact Amy Garfield at agarfield@ardenmediaco.com.

In other developments:

• Ron Kifer, CIO of Applied Materials, has finalized his topic for the first keynote presentation of the day.  He will present, "Managing Your Career in the Dynamic Technology Industry," in which he will discuss the growing trend of differentiation of core versus context work and the challenges and opportunities that creates for managing an IT career.
• We have identified the topic for our afternoon panel discussion on the gaming industry.  Rodney Gibbs of Fizz Factor will moderate a panel of gaming industry heavyweights entitled, "Casual, Portable and Profitable -- Current Trends in Gaming and Mobile Apps."
• To date, we have secured over 30 speakers for throughout the day from companies such as Qualcomm, Sprint, Solarwinds, Freescale, Verizon, Bazaarvoice  AT&T and Time Warner Cable.
• And our Guitar Hero Smackdown Contest, occurring during our after hours networking, should prove to be a great time.  Check out the Facebook event page we have put together for the contest here and start buying your entries here.

For more updates, don't forget to find us on LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter

We hope to see you in Austin!

www.techjobexpo.com

The Press Release for our new SAFE Certified product:
CSIdentity, TelecomCareers, and ITJobs.net Help Job Seekers Stand Out With Identify Verification and Background Checks
Companies also enable HR managers to quickly screen and verify applicant pool

(June 2, 2009) AUSTIN, Texas — Identity theft protection company CSIdentity (http://www.CSIdentity.com) is joining forces with TelecomCareers (http://www.TelecomCareers.net), a leading telecom, media and technology-focused career site, and ITjobs.net (http://www.itjobs.net) ,a leading IT niche job board, to offer employment screening solutions tailored for job seekers and employers during this challenging hiring market. Technology and communications-focused job seekers on the TelecomCareers and ITjobs Web sites can now become “CSIdentity SAFE Certified” by running their personal information through CSIdentity’s screening process. Candidates can then present themselves to prospective employers as “pre-screened,” signifying that their identity has been verified and authenticated and a background check has been conducted.

During difficult economic times, desperate job applicants are even resorting to identity theft to obtain employment. An estimated 30 percent to 40 percent of job applicants provided altered or fabricated information on their applications last year, according to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. And with identity thieves scouring job sites looking for employment, the job search process is becoming even more difficult for reputable, honest job seekers.

Thus, job seekers who sign up for CSIdentity’s background screening process on TelecomCareers.net or ITjobs.net will receive a CSIdentity SAFE Certified seal on their resumes, helping candidates separate themselves from other applicants and allowing hiring managers to more efficiently screen the pool of applicants under consideration.

“In today’s economy, job seekers need all the advantages they can get to be noticed by employers and HR managers,” said John Scarborough, general manager of TelecomCareers. “CSIdentity SAFE Certified effectively presents applicants to the employer as ‘ready for hire’ and makes their resume more enticing to review. Through our alliance with CSIdentity, TelecomCareers and ITJobs.net are able to improve the hiring process for applicants and HR managers and prevent the more than 2 million job applicants who use stolen credentials annually from getting hired.”
   
By interviewing and / or hiring job applicants who are CSIdentity SAFE Certified, human resources managers are able to:
•    Verify that the applicant’s identity information exists.
•    Authenticate that the identity belongs to the applicant and is not being used fraudulently.
•    Scour more than 350 million digital identity records for criminal histories that could be attached to the applicant’s name and name variations (i.e., spelling, maiden names, name changes).
•    Ensure up-to-date criminal history clearance for each certified applicant.

“With the job applicant pool rising every day, HR managers don’t have the time to read every person’s information, and nothing could be worse than going through the entire interview process only to find out that the person you are ready to hire doesn’t pass your background check,” said Bill Morrow, CEO of CSIdentity. “A resume and candidate that’s CSIdentity SAFE Certified gives HR professionals the peace of mind up front that they are evaluating a high-caliber job seeker who is a possible fit for their organization who also has verified credentials.”

The CSIdentity SAFE Certified process is Phase 2 of the TelecomCareers / CSIdentity strategic alliance. Phase 1, which launched in November, gave TelecomCareers’ business clients, including Ericsson, Alltel, Time Warner Cable and Verizon, the ability to run comprehensive background checks on their current employees or new applicants using CSIdentity SAFESM. CSIdentity SAFE is a Web-based pre-screening process that allows employers to quickly and easily verify and authenticate applicants’ true identities, determine if their names or dates of birth have been altered and also perform criminal and sex offender background checks on the information provided and on aliases. Additionally, CSIdentity SAFE offers ongoing monitoring of the identity as long as the person is employed.
   
About CSIdentity
CSIdentity is the technology leader in providing identity theft protection services to businesses and consumers. The Austin, Texas-based company offers a comprehensive suite of business and personal security solutions targeting all aspects of identity theft. Services include comprehensive background screenings; full-service identity theft protection, insurance and restoration; as well as, proactive breach preparation services from discovery to resolution. CSIdentity partners include leading entities such as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, IBC Bank, CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System), Security Service Federal Credit Union and an endorsement by the Texas Bankers Association. For more information, visit http://www.CSIdentity.com.

About Arden Media Company / TelecomCareers
Austin based, Arden Media Company provides tech, media and communications organizations with customer and talent acquisition programs through the following companies, which are owned and operated by Arden:
•    RCR Wireless News – Since 1982, the leading wireless news source on all things wireless.
•    Telecomcareers – Since 1999, the # 1 Wireless and Telecom industry niche job board
•    ITjobs.net – Since 1999, a leading IT and Technical niche industry job boarb
•    Tech and Jobs Expo – A “local” event series connecting tech, media and communications companies with industry professionals in 20 global markets
•    Tech and Jobs Magazine – A comprehensive “guide” to local, regional and global industry associations, events and companies.
Visit http://www.ardenmediaco.com for more information about Arden Media. 
 

CSIDENTITY CONTACT:      
KGBTexas                                                                                                
Melanie Thompson / Andi Narvaez
(210) 826-8899
melaniet@kgbtexas.com / andin@kgbtexas.com

TELECOMCAREERS CONTACT:  
Arden Media Company  
Jeff Mucci
(512) 431-8912
jmucci@ardenmediaco.com

"Casual, Portable, and Profitable - Current Trends in Gaming and Mobile Apps" panel to be moderated by Austin game developer Rodney Gibbs.

For more on the Tech and Job Expo coming up on June 24th in Austin visit our site www.techjobexpo.com

More on Rodney Gibbs:

Rodney runs Fizz Factor, a Foundation 9 game development studio.  Specializing in licensed console and handheld titles, Fizz Factor has released 12 titles over its seven-year history, including WWE: Smackdown vs. Raw, Tales of Despereaux, and SpongeBob vs. the Big One.
 
An active member of Austin’s digital media community, Rodney chairs the Digital Media Council, an industry-education partnership that helps prepare students for careers in digital media.  He is a board member of the Texas Motion Picture Alliance, Skillpoint Alliance and IGDA Austin.  He serves on the advisory committee of the E3 Alliance and Austin Community College’s game development program.  He co-founded Dorkbot Austin, a collection of people doing strange things with electricity. 

Find us on Twitter |  Facebook  |  LinkedIn for updates and more information on the event. 

The Tech and Job Expo | June 24th | Austin, TX  June 24th is fast approaching and the agenda for the event continues to come together.  We are thrilled that Ron Kifer has agreed to deliver one of our keynote addresses.  Ron is Chief Information Officer at Applied Materials and he will be talking about current technological developments and their impact on the IT workforce now and in the future.

We also have put together some great panels.  Our panel on Women in Technology is loaded, with Kathy Brabson of Time Warner moderating a discussion between five high level executives from the wireless, telecom and technology community.  And Jeff Mucci, publisher of RCR Wireless News will be moderating a panel on the RCR Wireless Ecosystem.  Participants on this panel include Willie Anderson, VP, Engineering of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies; Iain Gillott, President of iGR; and Wade Gilham, Marketing Director for the Broadcast Division of Silicon Laboratories.

We expect to announce two more compelling keynote-level presentations within the next week.  And we continue to finalize our afternoon Educational and Skill Mapping Sessions on a daily basis, so be sure to stay tuned for updates. 

Here's how you can stay informed and get involved:

Click here to view the Agenda at a Glance
Click here to register to attend the event
Click here to participate in the event as an Exhibitor or Sponsor

You can also find us on Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn for updates and additional information.

We hope we see you in Austin!

Take the RCR Wireless News Survey today and be automatically registered for a drawing to win a free RCR Wireless News Lead Generation Program (Webinar, sponsored content and sponsored newsletter to over 100,000 subscribers).  This is a limited time offer and is available to employers only.  RCR Wireless News, the leading wireless industry magazine is now part of Arden Media Company (www.ardenmediaco.com).

http://tinyurl.com/RCR-Wireless-News-Survey

Don't forget to discover your strengths today -- www.telecomcareers.talentmine.com. 

Follow us on twitter @telecomcareers

PCIA Impacts President-Elect Obama’s Infrastructure 2.0 Initiative

  From www.pcia.com press release

Download Report here www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/comments/1EA7.pdf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 21, 2009

TIA Forecasts 3.1 Percent Loss for ICT Industry in 2009 

First Overall Decline TIA Has Ever Predicted, but Recovery to Begin in 2010 as Broadband Stimulus Funds Are Injected Into Economy

Washington, D.C. – For the first time in its 23 years of forecasting for the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is projecting a 3.1 percent decline in revenue for the overall global ICT market in 2009 due to global economic conditions. In the U.S., revenue will suffer a 5.5 percent decline in 2009.

At a press conference held today, TIA released the 2009 ICT Market Review and Forecast, TIA's annual market intelligence report filled with data and analysis. (Watch a Webcast recording that includes the narrated presentation and a question and answer session.)

While revenue will remain weak in 2010, with a modest 1.2 percent increase, the longer-term outlook is much brighter. Globally, TIA projects a strong rebound for the ICT industry after 2010, citing a 6.4 percent revenue growth in 2011 and a 7.9 percent increase in 2012.

For the U.S., telecommunications revenue is expected to decrease by 6.4 percent in the next two years, but rebound by 14.4 percent during 2011-12. The effects of the current Stimulus Package, which carves out investment dollars for broadband, will enable growth throughout the ICT industry and beyond.

"Broadband will be a driver for recovery in all areas, from healthcare IT to smart grid technology, public safety networks to education, as well as for businesses and consumers," said Grant Seiffert, TIA President. "While TIA was instrumental in obtaining the $7.2 billion for broadband, other funding for energy, health IT and R&D will also spur recovery, especially in reviving some of the hundreds of thousands of jobs lost recently. The sum of increased productivity and revenue amongst all other industry segments whose growth broadband deployment contributes to is often underrated and perhaps immeasurable."

Growing demand for high-volume data applications is driving all segments, say the independent, unbiased analysts at Wilkofsky Gruen Associates who help to develop the Market Review & Forecast. Despite the recession, TIA predicts that wireless and business data revenue will grow by 73 percent during the next four years to $110 billion in 2012 from $64 billion in 2008.

Further analysis shows that economic recovery during 2011-12 will be driven by pent-up demand for equipment upgrades. Growth in data traffic will strain network capacity and stimulate investment; availability of financing will fuel investment; and broadband growth will expand the platform for VoIP and IPTV.

Recognizing that comprehensive market intelligence is more critical than ever for ICT companies positioning themselves to survive -- and thrive – when the economy begins to rebound, TIA is offering an interactive version of the Market Review & Forecast as part of the new TIA Market Intelligence Service. TelecomTV is collaborating with TIA in offering the new online service, augmented by value-adds such as news updates, webinars, industry analyses and more.

TIA's ICT Market Review & Forecast includes:

• Detailed activities and metrics from prior years
• Projections, trends and anticipated performance for short-term (upcoming year) and mid-term (3-5 years out)

The target audience includes equipment manufacturers, service providers, software vendors, content providers and the media. Sectors covered in the publication include:

• Landline
• Wireless
• Enterprise
• Network equipment
• Broadband
• VoIP
• Data transport
• Internet access
• Green ICT (to be delivered separately)

About TIA
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry through standards development, advocacy, tradeshows, business opportunities, market intelligence and world-wide environmental regulatory analysis. With roots dating back to 1924, TIA enhances the business environment for broadband, mobile wireless, information technology, networks, cable, satellite and unified communications. Members' products and services empower communications in every industry and market, including healthcare, education, security, public safety, transportation, government, the military, the environment and entertainment. TIA co-owns the SUPERCOMM^® tradeshow and is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Visit tiaonline.org.

TIA's Board of Directors includes senior-level executives from ACS, ADC, ADTRAN, Alcatel-Lucent, ANDA Networks, ArrayComm, AttivaCorp, Avaya, Bechtel Communications, Inc., Cisco Systems, Corning Incorporated, Ericsson, Inc., GENBAND, Inc., Graybar, Henkels & McCoy, ILS Technology, Intel Corporation, Intersect, Inc., LGE, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Qualcomm, Research In Motion, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corporation, Tellabs, Tyco Electronics, Ulticom, Inc., and Verari Systems. Advisors to the Board include FAL Associates, Orca Systems and Telcordia Technologies.

When looking for ways to energize your career, remember that it is the little things that make a big difference over the long run.

Many people scoff at the simple advice that is repeated by the top business authors, coaches and consultants. They rationalize that things that sound easy will not have any meaningful impact, and thus they make no changes in how they live their life.

Imagine it this way: If a pilot takes off from Newark Airport (in New Jersey) and aims his plane toward Los Angeles he is heading west. A slight change in course, just one or two degrees, will make no visible impact on how people on the plane (or on the ground) would view the destination of the aircraft when he crosses over Pennsylvania. But that slight change in direction will take the plane toward Portland, Oregon.... NOT L.A... over the four hour flight.

Los Angeles is a very different city than Portland. I have spent time in both places, and while both are fine cities, they are not the same in most respects. The life you would live and the things you would experience in either city are unique.

Over the long haul your life, your career, your relationships, etc... are equally effected by the little changes that you make now. Too often people want instant visibility to how these adjustments will recreate their future. With no clear view, they get discouraged and decide to do nothing.

Look at the art of sending handwritten notes. Sending five in one week may not have any impact on your career. Sending five a week for a year would mean 250 notes in a year that people would receive from you where you express your enthusiasm for meeting them or gratitude for their assistance. Still, maybe nothing. But what if you undertook the small effort of five notes a week for ten years? Do you really believe that if you sent 2500 handwritten notes to business professionals you encounter that there would be no impact?

How about reading books? If you read ten career / business books a year it might not have mean anything in year one. But over 20 years that would be 200 books. Could the information from 200 business books add to your body of knowledge and make you more valuable to your employer or future employers? I think yes.

Change course now and you will see the value over the next decade. Or stay on your current course. It is your choice (if you feel like you are on the right path, then good for you!... that is NOT a bad thing!!). If you want long term changes, then take action.

Have A Great Day.

Are you responsible for network security? Have you heard of BT-Americas?  BT-Americas is a division of British Telecom, a global leader in advanced telecommunications, IT, wireless, and network solutions.

They are quietly building their US presence using "narrowcast" marketing, which emphasis their thought and solution leadership position in network security.  Check them out on Twitter or Linked in.

Bruce Schneier is their CTO and is well know for his books on secret codes and "Secrets and Lies" on computer and network security.  Bruce's blog is www.schneier.com/blog.  Kevin Moss, director-BT Americas blog may be read at (mosske.blog-spot.com)

Over the past couple of months, I have had the good fortune of meeting with several BT executives while attending www.telecomcouncil.com events in Silicon Valley.  Derek Kerton and his team do an amazing job presenting industry leading technologies and the people behind the technology.  During Telecom Council's recent "Connected Home" presentation, Rob Hull, BT Innovation Group provided thought provoking insights on the wireless/wireline/content business models being deployed in the UK. 

I encourage readers to visit the blogs above, check out their white papers and keep an eye out for BT's stealth marketing plan.  Their career center may be found at http://www.btplc.com/Careercentre.

On March 30, 2009, Xchange Magazine reported that Dell had entered the service provider market by launching a MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) service in Japan.  Dell reportedly will be using NTT Docomo's network.  For those not familiar with MVNO launches, they were the craze in the US several years ago with Disney, Virgin and others seeking to leverage their brand names to market wireless services to loyal customers and niche markets.  Suffice it to say that MVNOs have not exceeded expectations; however, that was before smartphones, real broadband wireless service and netbooks.

The basic concept of an MVNO is that company will sign a "resell" agreement with a wireless carrier like AT&T, Sprint or Verizon and then the MVNO will be responsible for all customer marketing, sales, customer service and billing using their own brand name versus that of the wireless carrier.

To learn more about Dell's plan, please see article below from Xchange Magazine.

The Dell MVNO

Dell Computer is in a tough spot. As better wireless networks are built out, traditional desktop sales are faltering and losing ground to laptops, netbooks and even smartphones. The latest idea the computer-maker has to capitalize on the dawn of ubiquitous wireless broadband is forming an MVNO, according to reports.

The idea is to “offer notebooks with bundled HSPA access and call plans,” said Caroline Gabriel, analyst at Rethink Research. “In this new strand of the MVNO model, the network owner provides a connection and reaps a fee, usually based on data usage, but remains invisible to the end user – with the twist on traditional MVNOs being that the brand belongs to the device.”

An example of this would be the Amazon Kindle eReader: Amazon.com signed up as an MVNO in order to provide an integrated ability in the device to do wireless book downloads. End users don’t see an incremental charge for the network; Amazon pays the carrier out of the revenue from book downloads.

Sprint-Nextel Corp. has said that it is looking for similar relationships among gadget-makers interested in providing embedded 3G – something that could supercharge digital picture frames, portable gaming devices and more.

Of course, notebooks are a far cry from single-purpose devices that can monetize MVNO data usage via download subscriptions or even pay-as-you-go downloads. Gabriel notes that the Dell MVNO-ready laptops will have built-in HSPA cards, be priced between $500 and $2,000, and will ship with fixed amount of mobile broadband access that customers can replenish with a credit card.

Dell’s MVNO will reportedly launch in Japan on the NTT DoCoMo network, and will expand to other countries from there.

Dell also has been eyeing the smartphone market, but hasn’t been able to get to market with an offering yet.

With few revenue growth options, Verizon and ATT will be bundling netbooks into data subscriber plans.  The battle ground for consumer subscribers is shaping up nicely with Apple, Google, HP, Dell, Acer, Verizon, and ATT competing for the high ground.  By the way, don't count out Sprint/Clearwire/Cisco combination.....

Couple of key stats or articles for consideration:

• Business Week reported this week the following headline - "ATT and Verizon Wireless Bet on Netbooks- Facing cell-phone saturation, carriers are turning to inexpensive netbooks, and not-so-inexpensive monthly data plans, for future growth"
  
• According to CTIA,  87% of the US population is a wireless subscriber - 270 million wireless subscribers overall.
• See the article below for an update on netbook market share.  Thanks www.thinkpads.com

Netbooks get almost 20% market share, Acer surpasses Dell

by John Hobbes, posted 05/15/09 9:11 AM

Oh how times have changed: <$500 tiny laptops are taking market share hand over fist and Dell is sinking further in a hole.

According to a recent report from research firm DisplaySearch, netbooks have taken almost 20% of the notebook market in Q1 2009. Not surprisingly, almost half of all netbooks were sold in EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Asia), compared to 26% for North America.

HP is still leading the pack for overall notebook sales, but underdog Acer has moved up from its #3 position to pass Dell for #2. This is no surprise when you consider that Acer’s netbooks accounted for more than 30% of that market.

What is a bit surprising is how bad Lenovo is hurting. They are fifth in sales for Q1 09, falling behind Toshiba even. I have a feeling there will be a radical move of some kind soon, to end the hemorrhaging here. Does that mean a radical new product, or a radical restructuring of the business? Unfortunately it could be either…

   The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers has over 50 chapters nationwide and offers numerous opportunities to sharpen your saw (training and certification), network and get involved at the local and national level. Visit www.scte.org today to learn more.  

One of the hallmarks of SCTE is the "Cable Tech" games held by various chapters across the country. This is your opportunity to test your might against others.  Below is a recap of the most recent "Cable Tech" games held by the Texas Gulf Coast Chapter. Charlotte Strong is the President ad offers the following commentary (three cheers for the overall winner - James Turner from Time Warner Cable in San Antonio):

"I am the President of the Texas Gulf Coast Chapter of SCTE.  On April 23, 2009, we hosted our first annual Cable Tech Games.  The hugely successful event was held at the National Guard Armory in Corpus Christi.    We had almost 100 attendees (97 signed in).  Ten teams represented four different MSOs and one contracting firm: Charter Communications, Cable One, Grande, Time Warner Cable and COI Inc.  Thirty-eight participants traveled from Kerrville, Beaumont, San Antonio, Harlingen, Port Aransas, and from Corpus Christi.   They  competed in Cable Jeopardy, and the winner, Jimmy Smith from Time Warner, Kerrville won with a total of 2900 points. Gilbert Cuellar from TW Corpus Christi took home the gold in Cable splicing.  Top honors in meter reading went to Joesph Jones of TW Beaumont and MTDR reading went to James Turner of TW San Antonio.  The overall winners were: James Turner, from TW San Antonio,  with Silver and Bronze medals going to Kent Armstrong and Lonnie Conner respectively, both from Charter Communications in Portland, Texas.  Lonnie also won first place in optical splicing. The vendor hosts spent time teaching  participants how to read faults using a TDR; using a signal level meter, how to measure and record the input and output levels of a “black box” (box has a tap, DC, and splitter inside).  They must determine tap and DC values and match to the appropriate schematic.   Coax and optical splicing are games participants enjoy as they race against the clock.  The “unofficial” cable game using an OTDR to determine events and termination of fiber cable is popular with many of the participants as this is their first exposure to this type of task.  Participants claim that the networking opportunities as well as the learning opportunities and competitive fun make the Cable Tec Games an event they will return to year after year.

The event was followed by a fabulous Mexican food spread of chicken and beef fajitas and all the hot sauce, chips, guacamole, rice and beans you could eat!  Everyone is talking about making it bigger and better next year!

For information about the Texas Gulf Coast Chapter of SCTE, contact Charlotte Strong at charlotte.strong@twcable.com  or Neomi Gonzales at neomi.gonzales@twcable.com  or go to the SCTE Website http://www.scte.org/devams/cgi-bin/Chapterdll.dll/Info?chaptercd=TXGC ."

Charlotte Strong

About SCTE

The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) is a non-profit professional association that provides technical leadership for the telecommunications industry and serves its members through professional development, standards, certification and information. Since 1969, SCTE has continually expanded its resources and services to meet the changing needs of its members in a rapidly evolving industry. Today more than 14,000 CTOs, engineers, system operation managers, technicians, and field operations personnel from the U.S. and 70 countries worldwide depend upon SCTE to deliver the tools they need to maintain their competitive edge. SCTE has more than 68 chapters and meeting groups, and over 3,000 cable telecommunications professionals hold SCTE technical certifications. The Society continues to serve its diverse membership and the industry by offering a wide variety of educational programs and services.

The SCTE Standards Program provides an American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited forum for the development of technical specifications supporting the cable telecommunications industry. It is also recognized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). SCTE standards cover a wide range of industry needs from F connectors to protocols for high-speed data access over cable to digital program insertion. More than 140 MSOs, vendors and allied organizations are SCTE Standards Program members.

Click here to view a brief SCTE overview presentation

The economic crisis has many complexities. Job security and career paths can be turned upside down, leaving many people feeling unsure about their future.In times like this it is important that we get back to the basics. In good times and in bad, all opportunities come from people. Having a network and establishing a clear personal brand can make the difference.People are NOT a commodity. You cannot just assume that if you go out and meet people that they are part of your network. Real relationships...

Read More "Back to Basics"

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