| This week’s Channel Partners
Conference & Expo in Las Vegas flew by as 3,000 people convened on the
Rio for meaty education sessions and lively networking time.
The after-hours parties only made the show better. From Manage Mobility and Level 3 to
World Telecom Group, Intelisys Corp. and Access One, companies
wined and dined their agents in high style. Caviar, anyone?
The spring event kicked off with an invigorating keynote from football
legend Ron Jaworski. Channel partners love their sports figures and the
former Philly Eagles quarterback delivered a high-energy speech that
inspired agents to sell with enthusiasm and integrity. AireSpring Inc. and Magellan Hill
co-sponsored Jaworski’s talk.
XO CEO Carl Grivner
followed Jaworski with a state-of-the-industry update. The overall takeway
is that IP traffic will quadruple by 2011 and new players such as Google are
reshaping competition. For instance, as Google takes part in the ongoing
700MHz auction and snaps up inner-city fiber, the rules on cellular spectrum
will shift.
“It’s going to be a game-changer,” Grivner said of involvement such as
Google’s.
As seems inevitable in telecom, talk turned to regulation. Grivner agreed
with what many analysts have said of late: that regulation hinges on the
2008 presidential elections. Nancy Lubamersky, vice president of strategic
initiatives for
TelePacific, delivered an insightful overview of regulation and its
effects on agents. She, too, noted that the next president will play a
critical role in issues such as forbearance and net neutrality.
Then it was on to an afternoon of educational panels before the evening
grand opening of the exhibit hall. And what an opening it was. People
crowded the booths of 153 companies, searching for of cool schwag (anyone
else catch that ookily delightful stress ball at The Conference Group
booth?) and new sales opportunities. The momentum continued Tuesday
afternoon and Wednesday morning as exhibitors reported high turnout and
quality leads.
Exhibitors also made numerous product announcements, too many to list. Be
sure to check them out on the PHONE+ home page under “Industry News.” |
