I love WhatsApp. I use it daily, especially to stay in touch with friends in Europe and elsewhere to avoid the costs of SMS. Sure, I can use GoogleVoice, but if those across the water don't have a US based GoogleVoice number it means an international SMS. Whatsapp helps me avoid that.
Recently rumors of a Google possibly making a purchase of Whatsapp made the rounds. And maybe there was some truth to it. Companies like Google always talk to smaller businesses about partnership or acquisition. Sometimes the negotitiations move along to a point where price is on the table, but often what Google and others like them are doing is looking under the hood to see if what's there fits into their long term strategy.
Candidly, the best buyer right now in Silicon Valley is Yahoo for WhatsApp, not the also rumored Facebook. The reason is simply this. Yahoo has basically moved in the direction of the mobile web, while Google is all about the browsable web. The fit between Yahoo and Whatsapp is likely better, as the Whatsapp team could likely be longer term players inside a new Yahoo and shape direction, while at Google it's all about Tim, Larry and Sergey and always will be for a long time. But at Yahoo, the opportunity has become more of a greenfield play.
But while all this is going on, and it goes on all the time, the best thing for WhatsApp to be doing is to keep driving user growth and to keep signing up mobile operators because in the end, those two metrics along with user retention and usage stats will be how the company is ultimately valued by whichever buyer pays the price.
But while Boingo (a former client up to their IPO date) has hundred's of thousands of accessible access points worldwide, the way the press release was phrased leads me to believe that the access is limited to only the actual Boingo owned and operated hotspots, most of which are in major airports and large commercial building or sports facilities.
The key phrase is "managed and operated by Boingo's subsidiary, Concourse Communications Group." Those are not all of the access points in the Boingo worldwide network, but are indeed the ones that Boingo can do things like guarantee a level of service and insure that access really works.
In a lot of ways this is good for Boingo, and their partners. Too often some providers of Wi-Fi hotspots lag in keeping up with all the new standards or implement odd ball authentication schemes that make it difficult for early adopters, or Mac users, to connect. Having experienced this roaming issue first hand as a multi-account Boingo subscriber, I have also expeirenced how effortlessly all my apps work when I connect at a Boingo operated airport vs. a roaming partners' network. VoIP, Video, collaboration and cloud services sometimes work at partner locations. At Boingo locations, everything works.
And for AT&T and their customers, the gold standard approach dictates that everything has to work, or the cost to support it outweighs the value offered.
A good friend in the telecom world, Kerry Ritz, who is the ex head of Vonage UK and before that was with 3 in London tipped me off to a move at Microsoft-Skype that is sure to cause raise some eyebrows over at WhatsApp in Mountain View and with their VCs I bet. If I was WhatsApp I would become even more agressive and start to look for more carrier and operator deals before Skyprosoft gets serious with their operator partners whom they are already deeply courting on all levels to sell services and solution. (By the way, if you're not using WhatsApp and you text across borders or send photos your missing out. I couldn't travel and stay in touch without it and iMessage as easily as I do.I just wish Whatsapp worked on tablets and had multi-device sync like iMessage.)
Ritz tipped me of about Ran Mokady, a veteran mobile exec who is credited by many as being the father of the mobile browser. Think of Mokady as the Marc Andressen of mobile. In March Mokady was made Senior Director of Program Management, Messaging and Async at Skype. Now at first blush the title has to be considered a mouthful, but given Ran's background, time served inside and around Microsoft, his work with Apple and vision, plus the ownership by Skype of GroupMe (a company that took part in one of Larry Lisser's Startup Camps at ITExpo a few years back) WhatsApp has to be looking over their shoulders.
Let's think about market rationale and opportunity. Skype is globally used and has massive penetration and market share with app usage on mobile devices climbing. Currently Skype's SMS is one way and basically useless compared to WhatsApp. On the otherhand iMessage and BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) have enourmous user bases which like Skype are OTT (over the top) service. In a note to me Kerry pointed out the Lync installed user base, which I feel becomes Skype accessible very soon. Add in the demise of Microsoft Messenger and one has to know that like everything Microsoft does, they tossed a pebble in one direction while preparing to roll a big boulder down the hill.
Take all the pieces-Skype, Lync and GroupMe, put together a service focused approach, store it in the cloud, and you have one more take money away from the carrier service. Also, with Microsoft adding federation to Lync and Skype (think what Xconnect has done with cable operators voice and video traffic) with messaging it totally goes after the markets held by not only the mobile operators, but also brings in an alternative to things like Twitter and email itself. Gone are the 160/140 character limits because the messaging is inside Skype. Want to go from chat to call to video to screen share...those are why the ASYNC in the title is the key....
If you can't build it, buy it. That's what Oracle Corporation seems to be doing as they venture deeply into real time communications related services, take aim at F5 Networks, Cisco and HP in the network services space and grow their sales portfolio. First was Acme Packet, a competitor to client Sansay, and today they entered into an agreement to purchase Tekelec, one of the leaders in signaling technology and policy management.
All of this is being fueled by the need to manage and control the way information flows and crosses boundaries. What is also obvious is what Mark Hurd learned while running HP is now being applied at Oracle.
Hat Tip to Todd Carothers of Counterpath for flagging this news.
Growing up, there was a television program called Land of the Giants. The premise was the human race was battling against a much larger species of creature and had to survive. And survive they did. While the program didn't have the run length of StarTrek, Bonanza or All in the Family, it could be a blueprint for how today's rising stars in WebRTC have to work and are. Out thinking the giants, being nimble, and resourceful to be victorious.
When I look at this week's Enterprise Connect line up of companies I see parallels to Land of the Giants with companies like Vidtel, AddLive, Twelephone, Zoom, Firespotter Labs (Craig Walker's company) for UberConference and client Magor, who are the kinds of companies who have the nimble and resourceful approach. Some of these are at the new VoiceCon conference, which was renamed Enterprise Connect to be more encompassing in brand name. I also see further "rise of the dump pipe" where carriers like AT&T and Verizon claim to support WebRTC by attending shows like EC, but really only end up enabling, much the way Skype was supported by Verizon Wireless and 3HK, but not really embraced, all the time having their lunch eaten by Skype and soon Microsoft.
Already today we see UberConference using and deploying their service to include WebRTC within GoogleChrome, eliminating the need for a phone or softphone app. That's change for the better and I predict those in the softphone biz will be migrating in that direction, not to replace what they have, but to support what they offer to enable those who can use WebRTC to be able to do more, with less. As a global nomad road warrior who has been using my iPads and Android Nexus 7 so intensively the last month, I can't wait until WebRTC and support for it comes to those and my iPhone, BlackBerry and Android devices.
Each of these small and nimble companies are embracing WebRTC, not fighting it. And more importantly, each is looking at how to really reshape the way people communicate, and engage more in conversations.
As the world migrates from Instant Messaging to Instant Conversations, we will leave behind SMS 1.0. The executioner of SMS, WhatsApp is proving that every day, and if they ever added WebRTC would redefine the idea of how to keep in touch instantly. We would leave behind the need for emoticons, as we'll be able to see, talk, share and refer to what we're thinking in real-time, one one one or in groups, all within the browser on our computers today, and soon on our smartphones and tablets. Make no mistake, WebRTC will first be an OTT (over the top) or UTF (Under the Floor) type experience long before it's mainstream, but as we're seeing with Skype and Google Hangouts, people in the workplace want to engage in the concept of visual conversations, not simply talk, text and share a screen. They want to work collaboratively together, regardless of distance, time zone or geography.
Oh, and at Enterprise Connect there's even a conference within a conference about WebRTC, as well as the Byte Innovation Showcase, two events that show off what's coming or what you need to know about. To me, the company that can blend all this together is the winner, not the compay that simply adds a tube inside the pipe.
In a prior era Skype was trying hard to get close to mobile operators. They had established deals with Three and Verizon Wireless and a few others around the globe. That all seemed to go on hold when Microsoft acquired the company and the focus became more surrounding integration with the rest of what Microsoft does.
Just yesterday news started to leak out of Russia that Skype is now supporting carrier billing meaning consumers can buy credit and charge it to there bill. To me, this is no surprise as Microsoft about 18 months ago started to view the mobile operators as their next channel of distribution. If you look at the mobile operators in the GigaOm post, Orange, Telefonica, T-Mobile, Telus and Verizon Wireless, all but Telus were on the short list of operators MSFT wanted to get close to first, starting in 2011. The others, AT&T and Vodafone, as well as China Mobile will likely come on board soon.
Fast forward to today. Dell becomes a major part of the Skype eco-system and the mobile operators and their billing platforms become the furture of online retail for Dell and all of Microsoft. The Microsoft - Dell loan is much like what Microsoft did many years back to help keep Apple alive, as it props up a competitor of sorts, but makes them a partner. But now, with the mobile operators and Microsoft being cozier, the distribution channel for Dell reopens in a bigger way. With Dell building tablets and PCs' as well as smartphones, one has to wonder why Microsoft needs Nokia much longer other than for manufacturing.
Now with Dell private, MSFT can make moves with Dell--possibly taking over the Nokia manufacturing facilities, using Dell's logistics and blending the clouds of Azure and BOOMI...
Tomorrow I say "cheerio" to London for the second time this year. And for the second time this year I'm not leaving London for home, but for an industry conference. In my mind the new year hasn't really started as I've only been home for five nights in my own bed before hopping on a plane. Well, I did create the idea of Working Anywhere so, I guess to life does imitate art of sorts. Tomorrow I head to Miami and the winter edition of IT Expo put on by the good folks at TMC. They have me moderating a few panels on Thursday and Friday, and of course there's the never ending number of meetings, briefings and impormptu catch-ups that happen at the IP communications winter fest.
But the event I'm looking forward to the most has to be StartupCamp, put on by pal Larry Lisser and his colleagues at Embrase. This years line up looks super impressive and Larry decided to enlist me to moderate the group of judges he's assembled and are they ever an illustrious group including:
Craig Walker, CEO of Firespotter Labs, a telecom focused incubator that's launched UberConference, Nosh, NoshList and Jotly since its founding in April 2011. Many of you know Craig from his days as founder of GrandCentral (now Google Voice) and before that at Dialpad, so he's no stranger to StartUps or IT Expo as he's graced the stage many times.
Also on tap to shape the fate of the four startups are:
Jeff Uphues, Vice-President, Cbeyond, a leading communications provider that delivers cloud services and communications to SMBs. and Gerry Dehaven, senior partner, QAdvisors, a top merger and acquisition firm deeply rooted in technology, communications and business services.
This year's group is also impressive. Larry tells me the choices were tougher this year, as the startups all seem to be upping their game even before they get to the event. The four will battle it out and then be judged by the trio.
Flowthru extends voice anywhere. By plugging into a provider's existing infrastructure with near-zero impact, we enable their service when & where it matters most to users, on smartphones, tablets, PCs.
Proteg-GO's "Guardian on the Go" app keeps you and loved ones safe and informed during an emergency, via its one-touch alert system, call center and social media components that together serve as a compliment to traditional 911 services.
ThruView reduces truck-rolls and makes customer care agents more effective for large providers of services to the home. Its mobile applications stream video from smartphones directly to the customer agent, offering the visual context agents require to deliver more efficient customer service.
VerbalizeIt delivers real-time access to human translators to make sure that nothing is ever lost in translation. We empower businesses and travelers with the ability to instantly connect with a live translator any time of day, anywhere in the world and from any device or application.
And if the competition wasn't enough, the whole night is made even more special with an appearance and fireside like chat with former Apple CEO, John Scully. Now that's really an event.
Today marks the end of a two week respite of sorts. By working from Cascais, Portugal and now Paris, France I was able to spend time with friends and still work remotely using a combination of blazing fast 60 meg symetircal broadband in Cascais, and mobile technology when I was out and about.
But, starting Monday, with Pepcom Digital Experience as a prelude to CES in Las Vegas, the January Juggernaut begins, with plenty of hardware and apps finding their way to us all. Right on the heels of CES in New York is the annual National Retail Federation conference and trade show begins on January 13. There, whats new for retail and e-tail makes their marks. Then over in Hawaii, the annual Pacific Telecommunications Council conference takes hold on January 20th before we end the month with IT Expo East starting on January 30th in Miami Beach, FL.
So what does this all mean? Well for starters it means a lot of NEW and a great deal of hype being played out. What's old doesn't make the news as much, and speculation on what will be the next big things starts to mount. In reality a lot of that work began months before and really goes live during the events, and surrounding activity points, taking what was once an ideal or concept, all the way through to the finished goods.
For the media it will mean long hours, races to beat their competitors to the news that will break down into there categories:
New and Shiny-this is where press releases rule, where notes about something new comes out, where testing and validation are not part of the news. Largely, the informaton comes from the companies, and sometimes a third party speculates.
Release and Review-here, what's new actually gets tested or reviewed by the reporter, with some degree of experience ranging from holding it in their hands, having someone show them the features to having actually used the product or app for enough time to share their views on how good (or bad) it is, or if it's worth buying, trying or should be passed up.
Insight, Perspective and Opinion-This is perhaps the most valuable but least found writing or coverage weeks of shows. It means someone takes the time to look at what's "new" and evaluate it's impact on society, business or the market at large. It's less about the wow factors that seem to envelope the news during show weeks, and more about the what it means and how things will change, could be different or be the means to make things different.
For those on the other side of the screen, it means information overload, too much delivered that looks to be the same, and the need for greater curation, aggregation and what none of us have. Time. Starting Monday, January 7, we become time famished, time challenged and time contrained. Hopefully some of the new products and services find a way to eliminate those...but I doubt it....
English: BlackBerry Bold 9000 connected to T-Mobile USA and a DD-WRT Wi-Fi access point. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
While the BlackBerry loyalist community eagerly awaits the release in late January of new RIM BlackBerries and the new OS 10, RIM has been updating to OS 7 with a key feature that those who still talk will like. As GigaOm's Kevin Tofel reports, RIM has officially released the previously in beta BBM Voice, making the compatable BlackBerry devices now a dual OTT device by making Voice an over the top play just like BBM is to texting/SMS as long as the device is connected to Wi-Fi. Ironically, it comes out at about the same time that T-Mobile is shutting down USA hotspots, and basically neutering their UMA based calling service as recent BlackBerries have not had that service book active on the soon to merge carrier.
This is important because it basically means that bundles of voice minutes can be reduced and that mobile operators to RIM are now being relegated to being pipes for distribution and connectivity, as they no longer can be seen as the only game in town for customers to connect to make voice call on a BlackBerry smartphone.
Wi-Fi calling on BlackBerries was always wanted, but never really easy. Vopium, a former client, cracked the code, and ShoreTel acquisition Agito also had hacked the Wi-Fi stack, to the ire of former RIM leadership. But fresher eyes, like Alec Saunders, who understand what was missing, have turned things around.
Client Truphone has also shown off Wi-Fi calling at BlackBerry Developer events, but for OS 10. My view is that everyone in the VoIP world that wants to crack the enterprise market will be working on an OS 10 BB client, except for Skype. Last I heard from their folks, there's no desire from them to be on BlackBerries any time soon.
Cablevision rushes to install hanging wires (Photo credit: Anthony Quintano)
I have friends who love Cablevision's Optimum Online who live the in the Metro New York City area and were not Fios friendly or simply didn't want to cut their copper connection to Verizon's landline network. Well for them, access to the Internet is going up by five dollars a month.
Given that Cablevision isn't behaving like Time Warner Cable, making noise about things like rate limiting and download caps, seeing a five dollar increase to help offset the buildout and upgrading of the network, the addition of a Wi-Fi network with access to 50,000 hotspots and all seems reasonable.
My guess is that Comcast and Cox, as well as others will make similar moves in time to increase speeds and capacity to help fight off the wireless offers that will begin to look more like cable TV companies' offers as Advanced LTE rolls out across the USA in the later part of 2013.
