What They’re Saying About NXTcomm08 and the Industry

What do you see as the top challenges for our industry?

“One top challenge lies in the backbone networks and their ability to grow commensurately with the crush of high-bandwidth services flooding in from wireline and wireless broadband access networks. We all know that hi-def video and the like are straining network capacities and the operators find themselves in a real economic dilemma in upgrading the backbones from 10 to 40G, and eventually 100G. Service providers must find a way to fully utilize their 10G deployed optical networks and break the traditional – and increasingly shorter - cycle of continued capital investment in network upgrades, as we saw in going from 2.5 to 10 Gbs.”

Karl May,
CEO, OpVista

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Home arrow Conference arrow NXTcomm Programming arrow NXTcomm Programming June 17 arrow NP1301P-UC Panel
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Unified Communications: The Ultimate Outcome of Convergence

Tuesday, June 17 • 10:30 am - 11:15 am • Room S115 

Unified communications is destined to be the next “big thing” in the communications world. It's the ultimate outcome of a journey down a path that started with computer telephony integration and now towards convergence.  Our panel is focused on the journey to get there, explore the issues and improved productivity benefits, and talk about who can help get you there. Presenters will:

  • Define Unified Communication (UC).
  • Delve into what is a UC Road Map and talk about whose map it is.
  • Discuss the impact of Social Networking and and convergence.
  • Address some of the issues in UC integration and the roles that Integrators and Service Providers can provide.
  • Cover some UC challenges and benefits along with the role that different architectures may play.
  • Discuss how UC can lead to a lower total cost of ownership.

Download

UC: The Ultimate Outcome of Convergence (PowerPoint)

Moderator

Neal Shact, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, CommuniTech Services

Neal Shact is Founder and CEO of CommuniTech Services (1983), an Integrator of Unified Communications and Messaging products as well as CommuniTech, a company that was sold in 2004. Neal was also the founder and Chairman of the International VoIP Council now part of the IMS Forum.  Prior to founding CommuniTech Services and CommuniTech, Neal held management positions at Illinois Bell and General Telecommunication. 

Neal is a respected industry thought leader and has been quoted in numerous articles including the LA Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune magazine as well as telecommunications industry magazines. He has also written numerous articles in industry journals such as Internet Telephony, Telephony, Internet Week, Telemarketing and Voice Processing Magazines. A much sought-after speaker on the subject of VoIP and telecommunications, he has led the IEC Plenary Session at SUPERCOM(C) and spoken at VON, Internet Telephony, the Telephony’s Service Provider Conference, ICCM,TMIA and ACUTA.

A magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa alumnus of Clark University, Mr. Shact received his MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

Speakers

Tom Harper, Executive Director, The Messaging Industry Association
Fred McConnell, Senior Product Manager, Mitel
Tucker Maroney, Director of Voice Service Provider Offer Management, Level 3
   Communications
 Danny Windham, Chief Executive Officer, Digium

 

Tom Harper has over 37 years telecommunications experience, mostly with Bell Canada in operations and marketing. As Director of Product Management for Enhanced Services, Tom and his team were recognized as world leaders in innovative product introductions and marketing programs. While at Bell Canada he was a founding member and director of The Messaging Industry Association. Since 2000, Tom has acted as Executive Director of the Association. TMIA is an open forum for all providers and vendors with an interest in promoting the use of all messaging media in all market segments.

 

Fred McConnell  is a Senior Product Manager with 20 years of product management and development experience within the telecom industry. Focused on Converged IP applications with experience in Messaging, Contact Centers and Self Serve IVR. Four years experience outside the telecom industry in On-line Content Manage and Hosted Mobile Device Security.

 

Tucker Maroney, as Director of Voice Service Provider Offer Management for Level 3 Communications, is responsible for leading Level 3’s wholesale voice service provider segment and managing the segment’s profitability.

Tucker has seven years of product management, marketing and sales experience in the telecommunications industry. 

He holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration and Finance from the University of Montana.

 

Danny Windham currently serves CEO of Digium, a privately help Huntsville, AL based supplier of open source communications products and technology.  Digium is the original creator and primary developer of Asterisk, the industry's first open source telephony platform. Before joining Digium in early 2007, Windham was President and Chief Operating Officer of ADTRAN, Inc. Danny holds a BSEE degree from Mississippi State University (1981) and an MBA from Florida Tech (1994). Danny joined ADTRAN in 1989 through the acquisition of Processing Telecom Technologies – a company he co-founded in 1986.

Business interests outside of Digium include serving as a board member of the Hudson Alpha Biotech Institute, the Huntsville, AL Chamber of Commerce, and the Heart of the Valley YMCA, and as an advisor for ServisFirst Bank.  In 2001, Danny was selected as a Distinguished Engineering Fellow by Mississippi State University.