The Copper Wire

For anyone that has seen the stunning clarity and detail that high definition TV delivers, one company is now looking to bring that same amazing picture to your computer. In article in MIT's Technology Review, Matrixstream has introduced technology for streaming real-time, interactive HDTV signals to computers over the Internet. With HD signals being transmitted across the Internet, it is only another sign in how the Internet is evolving and changing the way we communicate.

Making HD possible across the Internet are new technologies in compression. However the proliferation of bandwidth also plays a critical role in making this a reality. As mentioned on The Copper Wire before, increased bandwidth will be a key factor in increased usage of the Internet as a platform to deliver content. More bandwidth enables us to utilize more interactive applications and view streaming video like an HD picture. And with the ability to stream an HD picture to a computer, media outlets have a whole new channel for delivering content. The ramifications for this are far reaching. For starters advertises will be able to target even closer to their target group.

Just to provide one example of the impact HDTV can have, Major League Baseball already provides a service that allows fans to watch every baseball game online. Now if fans can get those games in HD on their computer, will it increase viewership on the Internet, now that it can send a bigger, more pristine picture across the Internet? Which leads to the next question, will there be a day when more people watch events like the Super Bowl, World Cup, or World Series over the Internet than across traditional TV airwaves?

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As bandwidth increases, so will how we use the Internet to communicate. And one area that will reflect this will be in Web advertising. While the Web is already considered a big media outlet, the recent advertising announcement between the two Silicon Valley heavyweights Google and eBay point to the fact the Web is becoming even bigger. In fact, the Internet now only trails TV in reach. While we will still sit back and enjoy watching those Super Bowl commercials for quite some time, the fact remains that as increased bandwidth becomes more widespread, so will Web advertising, And not only will it be more targeted, but the Internet provides a vehicle for reaching us at work -- something TV is not able to do.

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A recent article in Network World on the advancements in Ethernet technologies is a refreshing sign and reinforces the fact that the way we connect and communicate is changing. A new 10Gbps Ethernet is now possible over a twisted-pair copper wire based on advancements in cancellation, analog-to-digital conversion, cabling enhancements, and coding improvements. The increased bandwidth should be a welcome sign as we continue to download more video, use Web based applications, and split the line for voice and data services.

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Communications have come a long way from the days of the telegraph. An article posted on space.com today “Wireless Network Helps Unlock Secrets of the Universe” help to bring home that point each day. Scientists are now using a new high speed wireless microwave network to beam down digitally captured images from mountain observatories. This enables astronomers living thousands of miles away to see images immediately. The network operates at 45 megabits-per-second per second (about 30 times faster than DSL). This communications system helped astronomers discover a rocky planet (10 planet?) beyond Pluto. Clearly, as communications continue to evolve at a rapid rate the flow of information will be distributed at an even faster clip.

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In Michael Lewis’s book “Moneyball” he writes about how a team like the Oakland A’s can compete competitively with limited resources against big market teams like the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, and LA Angels. While these big market teams outspend the Oakland A’s for players by a huge margin, the Oakland A’s are repeatedly making the playoffs and are considered perennial World Series contenders - up until this point.

By taking an approach that relies on statistical analysis tilted toward obtaining players that have certain traits such as having a high on base percentage (that means they walk a lot) and a game day strategy that is focused on not giving up outs (no stealing bases or sacrifice flies) the A’s have found a way to cut costs by not spending money on superstars, and a gane day strategy that allows them to compete competitively.

While the world of managing telecom and IT expenses is not as glamorous as managing a major league baseball team, companies are finding these same principals can apply. By using a strategy that is centered around centralizing telecom spend across the entire organization – the end result is having more visibility to telecom spend. And companies that are doing this are seeing tremendous results. Not only can they compare costs across differebt carriers, but are able to drill down to see the details behind costs like circuits, routers, etc. Another real advantage is the ability to catch billing errors as they happen, which enables companies to short pay invoices.

In the end, by using a telecom expense management solution to gain enhanced visibility to telecom spend, companies are in a better position to make more intelligent decisions about the types of services they need to purchase. This not only leads to increased savings over the long run, but has a direct impact on the bottom line. And that is the equivalent to making the playoffs year and year out on a shoe string budget!

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We all know that the famous line in the play “Little Shop of Horrors” about a plant that would not steep eating. Well the Internet is requiring that it be fed with more and more bandwidth – which is a good thing. The days of dial-up are slowly fading away and more interactive technologies are being utilized on the Web that require higher speed connections. In addition, on-demand applications are growing a fast clip as corporations become more comfortable with hosted solutions.

Much of the anticipation around increased bandwidth is centered around fiber optics. Once fiber reaches homes, it will be a whole new ball game in terms of the types of services that can be delivered. It is also going to impact who connects us to the Internet. A recent article in today’s Wall Street Journal discusses the impact fiber is going to have in terms of cable’s ability keep pace.

It is also a safe bet as we have more access to bandwidth, even more technologies will evolve to enhance the way we communicate.

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If you live in New York, odds are that while waiting on line at Starbucks you will see someone playing with their Blackberry. A quick search on Google Trends reveals that the term Blackberry is searched most in New York and popular in most major metropolitan cities in the United States. The Blackberry is another example of how mobile devices are being embedded into corporate culture and keeping us constantly connected.

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With telecom technologies advancing rapidly corporations more and more are looking to telecom expense management solutions. These solutions provide a centralize place to view all vendor invoices, along with maintain an accurate inventory of all services (cell phones, leased lines, routers, etc).

For a company, its communications network is a critical component to doing business. While new technologies facilitate provide tremendous advantages, not having an effective way to manage these services can quickly leave companies in a maze of confusion and hinder the adoption of next generation services. Telecom expense management solutions are helping to bridge that gap and provide a clear example of how complex communications networks can be managed.

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It was not so long ago when long distance rates were costing companies millions. As a way to monitor these costs, companies installed call accounting solutions that enabled them to track phone calls, see which employees were making the most long distance calls, to get a handle on what these calls were costing.

Today with long distance rates down to mere pennies, overall cost and the distance of the call is not so much an issue. Even the federal government conceded that fact by repealing the Federal Excise Tax on long distance. So you would think call accounting might go by way of the dinosaur?

To the contrary, companies can use call accounting to determine when it makes sense to install VoIP lines or increase the bandwidth on a circuit based on call volumes. In addition call accounting solutions are effective in providing a record of when phone calls took place. So while the technologies may evolve and costs many change, some things will still remain the same.

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