Did you have cake? #Skype

Last week Skype celebrated it's 9th Birthday. It was described by commentator Andy Abramson as the "the single most disruptive service ever to hit the telecommunications world" but what next for Skype now it's part of the Microsoft juggernaut?

A recent article from Gigaom speculates on some of the features and places we might see Skype appearing, but for a more focused discussion you might want to join in the discussion with @totaltelecom during our Disruption Eruption conference in November. Here you'll meet representatives of all kinds of OTT players, including a keynote from Andreas Bernstrom, Chief Executive at Rebtel, who are arguably Skype's biggest rival.

Historically of course VoIP services like Skype have run via desktop computers, but the move to enabling them over any device is front of mind. Tony Bates, president of the Skype Division of Microsoft spoke to USA Today and said addressing people adopting BYOD was their number one priority.

This is therefore an interesting fit with an increasing number of mobile operators who are seeking to improve their user experience by using Wi-Fi for competitive advantage. Indeed The New York Times recently wrote an article on the lessons from the London Olympics, highlighting the Benefits of Free Wi-Fi and this will no doubt be a subject for the Customer Experience Summit that Total Telecom are organising on the 14 November 2012.

Total Telecom World - the Disruption Eruption conference, takes place in London on the 13th November 2012. It is followed by a one day focused Customer Experience Summit on the 14 November. On the evening of the 13th November, you are invited to join up to 600 of the most senior executives from the telecom industry at the 14th annual World Communication Awards.

How fast is fast enough? #DisruptionEruption

Photo: flickr.com/photos/davidneff

Interesting to read the article by CNET's Stephen Shankland asking how fast is fast enough? This exactly mirrors the subject to be presented by Mark Kellet, CEO of operator Magnet where he will discuss how can smart pipes allow users to do more with less?

Stephen's article also quotes  John D'Ambrosia, chair of the Higher-Speed Ethernet Consensus group who points out "For 2015, we expect the bandwidth that needs to be supported to be 10 times what it was in 2010, and in 2020, 100 times what it was in 2010,"

This is just one of the disruptive issues facing telecom operators grasping the opportunities to deliver a profitable telecom business, so if this sounds like something you are grappling with, maybe you should attend Total Telecom World. Register by the 24 August for the lowest possible rate.

Paving the Way #DisruptionEruption

What happens when an OTT player diversifies? Someone goes Over the Top. In this case literally. Much has been made of Google's fibre project in Kansas City, but now one budding entrepreneur is looking to utilise the much vaunted new network to enable embed sensors in pavement slabs to capture data about potentially hazardous roadway conditions, such as cracks, potholes and traffic jams. The WSJ carried the story of  Integrated Roadways LLC.

Also spotted this week (via engadget),  the US MVNO Ting - famed for it's aggressive flexible price plans has done a deal to offer users the Samsung Galaxy SIII. That's sure to give traditional players some-Ting to think about!

These and other disruptive and innovative ideas are just the type of story we want you to hear about at Total Telecom World.