Expo Comm Canada
Some tough times for the telecom industry in Canada seems to have done little to dampen the spirits of Peter Barnes.
And why should they?
The latest industry forecasts say the Canadian telecom industry is poised for a turnaround, and Barnes, who
is president and CEO of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) is about to play host at Expo Comm Canada Communications 2004, to be held May 4th and 5th at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto.
Barnes is confident the show will do well this year, despite continued tough times for most conference show producers.
CWTA has been lucky to some extent. Much of its membership comes for the wireless side of the technology industry, and wireless has been a lucrative niche.
“”Wireless never slumped,”” although industry growth has slowed from 25 per cent annually over the last three years to about 10 per cent this year, says Barnes.
Wireless is still a big part of the event, but expect more focus on other telecom areas including voice-over-IP, regulatory and policy matters, and real-world applications.
Barnes says a primary goal this year has been to bolster the show by having attendees hear more often from their peers, discussing not only the technology but looking at business benefits and return on investment issues.
At the same time, it’s not all about business either. Barnes says telecom vendors have made tremendous headway into the entertainment industry, and this year’s show will reflect that.
In fact, one of the conference presenters includes Lavalife, which will talk about how so-called short codes are a new way to use text messaging that lets consumers interact with media outlets.
Contact: Martin Slofstra mslofstra@itbusiness.ca
Wireless Live! not-so confidential
Catch IT Business Group editors Greg Meckbach, Shane Schick, Martin Slofstra and Dave Webb at next month’s Expo Comm conference and exhibition to be held at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre on May 4th and 5th.
Each editor will be participating in the Wireless Live! Conference, which is being held in conjunction with the show.
Instead of the usual panel format, Wireless Live! organizers Alan Kay and Rick Wolfe take a different approach: The focus is on everyone in the group taking part in the discussion, whether it’s telling a cautionary tale, reporting a technological breakthrough or sharing a business insight.
Sessions will focus on True Mobility: Promised Land or Deja Vu All Over Again (Tuesday, 8-11 a.m.), Great Technology: What about the brand and the users (Tuesday, 1-4 p.m.), The Business Case for Wireless (Wednesday, 8-11 a.m.) and The Outer Limits: What are the most promising uses of wireless on the near horizon? (Wednesday, 1-4 p.m.)
One of our four IT Business Group editors will be present at each of the sessions. Computing Canada, Computer Dealer News, Communications and Networking and EDGE are media sponsors of the event.
Contact: Greg Meckbach gmeckbach@itbusiness.ca
CDN recognizes excellence in the channel
Computer Dealer News will once again be sponsoring the Channel Elite Awards (CEA). CEAs will be presented to seven deserving channel professionals on June 24th, at the Kingsbridge Centre in King City, Ont.
CDN is also pleased to announce that Tech Data, Symantec, HP, NEC-Mitsubishi and Maxtor have come on board as sponsors.
CEA recognizes individual excellence in seven categories: Sales, Consulting or Services, Customer Service, Project Manager, Marketing, and Support Technician. The CEA judges will also award an individual, team or company who has created the best solution as Solution Champion.
Channel professionals, vendors and distributors have until May 21 to nominate anyone they believe deserves recognition for a job well done.
An independent panel of judges will review the nominees and select the winners in each category.
Those eligible to win include employees or owners of Canadian-owned or Canadian subsidiaries of IT channel organizations including resellers, integrators, consultants and service companies.
Vendors, customers and distributors are not eligible to be nominated for the CEAs, but they are welcome to nominate individuals in the channel.
As a bonus, CDN has engaged Technology Channels Group Inc. to present a two-hour educational program for attendees. The theme of the education session will be: Moving from rhetoric to more revenue. The speaker will be Mike Dubrall, the “”Channel Doctor”” who has been consulting on channel programs for more than a decade and his partners seminar is one of the most highly attended in the industry.
To submit a nomination, please visit www.itbusiness.ca/cea.
Contact: Paolo Del Nibletto pdelnibletto@itbusiness.ca
Communications & Networking
Check out the April issue of Communications & Networking magazine. The Viewpoint section includes some advice from industry veteran Ron Scott on factors to consider when selecting Internet Protocol telephony systems. It also includes coverage from two recent WiFi trade shows, and a look at the John Molson School of Business’s video conferencing systems. Watch for the May issue, which includes a feature article on networking operating systems, a case study on the new Terminal 1 at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport and coverage of some recent CRTC rulings.
Contact: Greg Meckbach gmeckbach@itbusiness.ca
Sales contact for all the above: Brad McBride bmcbride@itbusiness.ca