Brokering the Cloud for IP Telephony Services

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I wrote a piece, the special feature on @tmcnet, regarding why VoIP providers are leveraging cloud service brokers like Shango.

Titled Brokering the Cloud for IP Telephony Services, it is about the potential of cloud service brokers on communication service providers; below is an excerpt:

Most recently, the concept of “cloud services brokering,” a term defined by Gartner, has described the implementation of this premise to reflect a focus on the integration, aggregation and customization of third-party cloud services and applications.

For communication service providers (CSPs), especially IP telephony and VoIP providers seeking to leverage the cloud, this model can enable carriers and service providers, including Internet telephony service providers (ITSPs), to overcome expensive, legacy operational complexities that typically plague service fulfillment across disparate applications, partners and platforms.

Read Brokering the Cloud for IP Telephony Services (TMCNet – requires subscription).

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Dell is going Private (2013)

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A month after I wrote Dell to exit global smartphone business, now I hear rumors that Dell is going private.

Many years ago I was predicting that an Asian company would buy Dell, but I wasn’t expecting Dell going private.

The Dell story kind of upset me. Dell, which is right on my “backyard”, is/was an Austin darling, used to rule the personal computing world. Today, I am not surprised of what is happening at Dell; I have been saying this for years. The Round Rock, Texas company missed the boat in a major way. You need to understand that this didn’t happen over night. It has been a slow but expected process/result — I am talking about 10 years, which is the same time-period that it took personal computing/Mobile to evolve into what it is right at this moment — just look around and you know what I am talking about: Smartphones, Tablets, personal information devices. This mess all started during the days of Kevin Rollings.

For Dell, Mobile always meant laptops. The company wasn’t able to understand that personal computing was transforming, right in front of their eyes, into the new form of Tablets and Smartphones. Actually, some inside the company did, and they created prototypes and Tablets and Smartphones *but* without a proper business-plan and without proper vision. They thought they were in control, but they weren’t. Then, they couldn’t adapt fast-enough. They couldn’t make it happen; didn’t know how-to. Technology leadership requires vision and investing in R&D — Dell didn’t do either. Then Apple and Google-and its partners all ate Dell’s lunch. It wasn’t a tech problem, but a total lack of vision — a business (management) problem. Shame on you Dell management.

Rumors say that Microsoft would invest $2 billion on the deal. Good money — but Dell would once again miss to identify root causes. Dell needs to understand that part of the reason it has failed and is failing is truly related to its dependency on Microsoft for all things Software. Dell needs to realize and learn that Software is where differentiation comes from. Software runs the world. It must take ownership and leadership both on software and hardware.

It is no surprise why both Dell and Microsoft missed the personal computing boat — the mobile opportunity. It is a problem with the way of thinking and lack of vision (that is, lack of proper leadership).

As I wrote recently, moving forward, Services and Cloud is perhaps what Dell should focus on, and forget about the rest. The problem is that Dell’s dependency on PC revenue is still at 70%; it is a tough problem to solve.

The new personal computing (aka Mobile) is perhaps too late for Dell at this point. But with the right leadership, anything can happen. If Dell insists on addressing the personal computing market, it must do a re-boot, and bring totally new minds (business and tech) into the equation — something they should be able to do now if they go Private.

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NASA’s Space Shuttle – From Top to Bottom (Infographic)

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I found this pretty cool Infographic below about the Space Shuttle (via Space.com).

I like to remember and share the special time I spent working in the Space Shuttle program. It was an awesome program, people, and manned-space transportation system. One of the coolest areas of the whole system is the Launch Pad, and the little room called the White Room; scroll down towards the middle of the Infographic and you will see where it is located. Back in STS-60 I had the chance to spend time up there in the White Room (Launch Pad 39A) while Discovery was being prepared for the following day’s launch — a cool February morning.

A good summary of my time in the space program is documented here: Looking back at the Space Shuttle Program. And a short video that I took of the last Space Shuttle launch is here: Launch of STS-135 Atlantis (final mission of the Space Shuttle); you can see/listen and feel everyone’s excitement. Some of my last contributions to the Space Shuttle included the I/O profile design in support of GPS (which displaced TACANs) and preliminary work towards the very cool Glass Cockpit, photographed below.

My brother (who still works at NASA) was chief engineer for the heat tiles (thermal protection system or TPS). We both are Silver Snoopy recipients for our contributions to the manned space program; I am not sure how many brothers are there who have received a Silver Snoopy and/or who have worked together on the same space mission (I bet very few!).

Awesome times, and great memories… there is nothing like the space program (private or not).

Godspeed to the next generation of Astronauts, and to the private and government-funded space programs. And I may sound biased here, but I cannot wait to see Blue Origin (which I almost joined back in 2005) and its New Shepard make it to space.


A graphical representative of NASA’s space shuttle.
Source Space.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration

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Geo Track Me Not! (T-Shirt)

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I have been spending some time designing Tech-themed t-shirts (with mobile focus).

The T-Shirt below, titled Geo Track Me Not!, is an evolution of an design idea I had years ago. I think I am finally close to finishing with a design that I like (where simplicity is a goal), and your input will help determine this. I am producing one for myself, but I will produce more if there is interest. It would be awesome if you would share your thoughts — see survey below.

CEnriqueOrtiz_GeoTrackMeNot_T-Shirts
(Click on picture to enlarge)

Please take the quick survey (3 questions):

Thanks,
ceo

Frisbee Freestyle Jam (Austin Winter 2013)

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It was a gorgeous, windy, cold day in Austin, Texas. With Todd Brodeur, John Titcomb, Johny Trevino, Mike Galloupe, Eric Gibbons, Glen Whitlock and others — at Zilker Park.

Austin Jamming – Panorama #1

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(Click on picture to enlarge)

Austin Jamming – Panorama #2

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(Click on picture to enlarge)

It was great to meet and play with these great players, and also to re-connect (totally by chance after so many years) with my old Freestyle friend/pal from Puerto Rico, Carlos (Pipo) Lopez — another world champion player, with whom I spent so much time, years ago, playing Frisbee on the beach Isla Verde.

With Mike Galloupe:

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With Todd Brodeur:

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These guys are top USA and Canada Freestyle players, from left to right: Todd Brodeur, John Titcomb, Johny Trevino, Mike Galloupe, Eric Gibbons, Glen Whitlock — at Zilker Park:

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Bye bye 2012…

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It is the end of 2012 — I wish all of you a very super happy new year, a 2013 full of great health and prosperity.

Bye bye 2012…

2012 will be remembered as a very interesting and challenging year. But in restrospect, it was a good year — it could have been much better and much worst.

Below is my yearly recap (for 2012, mainly for documentation for myself, as I look back through out the years):

* After 4 years, left Motive (ALU) and re-entered the startup world. At Motive I helped bring to market a comprehensive customer care, and device management products and solutions for global telco operators. I am grateful for the time there, the great people that I met and work with, and what I learned, which was a lot with respect to the intersection of Products-Business-Dev-Go-to-Market and the world of Telco;

* The first part of 2012 was a bit tough, but survived it (welcome to the startup world!). What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. While not for everyone, there is no other environment that keeps you on the edge, regardless of age, as working-on and/or running a (high-tech) startup business;

* Spent a number of months working on mobile apps where I helped deliver the Starbucks app for Android and the VolunteerSpot app for iPad, and other — I met and worked with great folks and customers, including my friends and partners at Appficient – thank you all;

* I spent time teaching (to around 12 students) Android Programming at the Austin Community College using as source the Android in Action 3rd edition book that I co-authored in 2011;

* With Steve Guengerich and the Austin community, continued the effort of updating the Austin Mobile Scene mind map;

* Wrote a couple of popular tech articles including Parse cloud-based services for Android apps and Introduction to jQuery Mobile;

* Created the content on Mobile Development for Socratic Art‘s XTOL (Experiential Teaching On Line) — on line masters degree programs that will be offered by well known universities.

* Co-founded with other Austinites the Austin Awesome Foundation. This is an awesome group of people with an awesome purpose. During 2012 we gave grants to 9 awesome people or group of people from educators, to engineers and artists who are all making a difference in Austin;

* It was a good year for Mobile Monday Austin. This is an all volunteer-run organization. Today we have close to 500 registered members. Many thanks to Carlo Longino and the rest of the organizers and members-participants, and many thanks to our Sponsors! We had a great App Showcase at the Texas Wireless Summit, great socials and events. As part of our evolution, in 2012 we founded the Austin Mobile Community LLC, a legal entity to help grow, protect its Directors, and run MoMo Austin and Android Dev Austin and other. The goal remains the same: bringing together mobile practitioners, academia and aficionados and help promote mobility and related research and businesses in Austin;

* Had a couple of speaking engagements including Google I/O Extended, InnoTech, SXSW Interactive, other;

* Ended the year by joining Shango. Around 4-months ago I joined Shango and its management team. I am having a blast at Shango, helping take the Austin startup to next level; I’m very excited about the opportunity, the potential and the people I work with. At Shango, with its cloud services brokerage platform, we are changing how communication service providers buy, sell and manage IP services;

* And last but not least, the world didn’t end on my birthday Dec 21 2012, as the Mayan calendar end-of-days lunatics, I mean, interpreters, predicted.

None of the above wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my lovely wife, family and friends — thank you, I owe you all, I love you all.

Hello 2013!!!

To all, best wishes — have a wonderful 2013.

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