The purpose of this CXTech Week 39 2023 newsletter is to highlight, with commentary, some of the news stories in CXTech this week. What is CXTech? The C stands for Connectivity, Communications, Collaboration, Conversation, Customer; X for Experience because that’s what matters; and Tech because the focus is enablers.
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Covered this week:
- Major William Peters, Plaintiff, versus Kaleyra, Defendant. Part 1
- TADSummit Podcast Episode 5
- US pays top dollar for mobile data
- TADSummit Latest
- TADHack Latest
- What Cisco learned about Mac vs. PC in the enterprise
- FlexifyMe Raises $1 Million In Seed Funding
- People, Gossip, and Frivolous Stuff
Major William Peters, Plaintiff, versus Kaleyra, Defendant. Part 1
The post that has shaken the industry to its core is the complaint filed this week by Major William Peters against Kaleyra, which owns the TCR. Its laid bare all the findings from the TCR Trilogy and Messaging Monopolies posts. And worse exposed behavior that can not be tolerated in our industry. People should be demanding action, not reading it and then being too worried to comment. If I’m willing to hold our industry to a higher standard, everyone should be too.
Our industry needs a Code of Conduct, like banking, that included ethics and compliance. Bill was doing the right things and has been abused by a corporation that Tata Communications is now buying. The deal is likely to close next week.
TCR is critical national communications infrastructure, it’s a monopoly over every 10DLC A2P message. People in TCR were abusing their positions. I’m outraged by TCR’s treatment of Bill and the abuse of their positions. This must never be allowed to be repeated, immediate action is required by the regulator and industry to restore trust.
Election SMS campaigns have been interfered with, there are recordings of further planning, it doesn’t matter what party you vote for, this simply can not be allowed to happen ever again. I see OFCOM is also looking at A2P SMS. Here in the US we have a case study on how not to do it.
I strongly recommend you read the complaint, it’s not for the faint of heart, and then comment on the Linkedin post and demand action.
TADSummit Podcast Episode 5
TADSummit Innovators, we focus on TADSummit sponsor Unifonic and their CTO/CPO Karim Zaki. Founded in 2006, Unifonic is a programmable telecoms powerhouse in the Middle East. They’ve built a strong business in the region, with communication solutions for enterprises across many sectors, and in compliance with each countries’ regulations. It’s a well-defended moat to outside competition. We cover many issues on the trends in the region, and where Unifonic is headed. I can’t wait to see Karim’s keynote at TADSummit, his demos will demonstrate their leadership globally, not just regionally.
Truth_In_Telecoms with Johnny Tarone
With the complaint filed, and available here, Johnny gets into some of the background behind the complaint and names some names not mentioned in the complaint. We discuss what should replace the TCR, a not for profit where the consumers and brands also have a say, not just the carriers. We cover a few of the elements that should be included. For example vetting should be open and verifiable. The phone number must be stored. Proof of agency must be included. Numbers need verifiable proof of ownership. I could go on and on.
We need a code of conduct for our industry that includes ethics and compliance. The complaint shows bullying, poor ethics, deceit, compliance avoidance, and much worse.
US pays top dollar for mobile data
This is not new news, I’ve been complaining for years about how uncompetitive the US is compared to most developed nations. The US is ranked 219th out of 237 countries, 1 GB of mobile data comes in at US $6.00, which is way above most other nations, particularly the developed ones.
Robocalling remains in a mess, with the Analytic Engines acting as a troll-tax on doing business over the PSTN. Beyond the mess of TCR. much more work is required. Even on the fixed broadband side, the lack of local loop unbundling has led to effective regional monopolies in parts of the country.
FCC just took out TCPAWORLD’S Version if Batman?
The FCC is correct, spam is spam, read the comments on the article to get a better picture. But the details of the story should have allowed perhaps a little leniency, the spamming was focused.
Given the mess over TCR, the ridiculously high mobile data charges, the continued robocall problem, AE trolls, and and effective regional monopolies on fixed broadband. They have so much other work to be doing.
TADSummit Latest
And now onto something much more uplifting. Reviewing all the in-person attendees for TADSummit , 19-20 Oct in Paris, at the Capgemini Invent 5G Labs.
- 63% are CxO or Founder
- 33% are senior developer / engineer
We have only ONE marketing person, Tim Dowling from stacuity, he’s allowed as he’s a great guy! There is no-BS at TADSummit. We’re fighting for the future of programmable communications, see above.
There are a couple of places left for in-person attendance.
TADHack Latest
Thank you to everyone who has registered for TADHack Global 2023, check out this guide to get the most out of TADHack. Its time to make sure you’ve signed up to the Sponsors’ Resources.
To win cash prizes you must hack on the global sponsors’ technologies. This year we have:
* Stacuity. Mobile connectivity for IoT. You’ll need a SIM sent to you in the mail, which can take 2+ weeks to arrive. Once you receive the SIM get is activated to make sure everything is working;
* Jambonz. Open source voice platform; and
* Radisys. Engage Digital is a programmable communication and digital engagement platform. The platform gives developers API’s, SDK’s and low code, no code visual design tools to develop AI based communication and Industry 4.0 applications for consumers as well enterprises; and
* STROLID. vCon is the new global standard, a ‘PDF for conversations’ (their resources are coming soon).
And that’s not all, we have a couple of additional resources:
- DLT Science foundation is looking for hacks Hedera, read more here. The Discord link for support is coming soon.
- Telesign is running TADHack Belgrade. We should know soon if people outside Belgrade can also hack on their resources.
The sponsors’ developer resources are constantly being updated. For example:
- Stacuity has added a Wireguard VPN, much easier to use than IPSec VPN. Here’s the how-to guide between Stacuity’s platform and Azure.
- Radisys have just upgraded Engage Digital with updates to the media analytics: enhanced accuracy in identifying objects within media content; optimized resource utilization; and accelerated model training.
Currently we’re at $16.5k in prize money across all the sponsors. Learn some cool technologies, solve a problem that matters to you, and win some cash.
FlexifyMe Raises $1 Million In Seed Funding
FlexifyMe, a health-tech platform dedicated to chronic pain management, has closed its Seed funding round, has raised $1 million with leading investment from Flipkart Ventures, Flipkart’s venture investing arm. The round also saw participation from GSF, iHub Anubhuti, Chandigarh Angels (CAN), Venture Catalyst, OneCapital among other prominent angels. The funds from this round will be used to further enhance the AI motion coach, making it available in local languages, and expanding the platform’s reach in the MENA and North American regions.
“Our mission is to leverage advanced technology for healthcare, and this funding reaffirms our commitment. Our platform tracks real- time patient movement and adapts exercises to boost engagement. Through AI, machine learning, and data analytics, we offer personalized Chronic Pain Management. We’re excited about expansion and tech upgrades that will enhance global accessibility and effectiveness. The future is bright, and we are committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for the betterment of humanity,” said Amit Bhayani, co-founder of FlexifyMe. Amit was the co-founder of Telestax.
Founded in Oct 2021 by serial entrepreneurs Manjeet Singh and Amit Bhayani, FlexifyMe is on a mission to transform traditional physiotherapy approaches with its innovative AI motion- tracking technology. The company said its focus is to use technology and ancient wisdom to help people in getting rid of musculoskeletal disorders (MSK) such as back pain, spondylitis, arthritis, knee pain and others in a natural way to free the world from pain.
Here’s Manjeet Singh‘s previous venture, Buudy4Study during the pandemic, https://blog.tadsummit.com/2020/05/25/manjeet-singh-buddy4study/. And then all the way back in 2015/2016 we have Elucit https://blog.tadsummit.com/2016/01/07/tadsummit-revisited-manjeet-singh/.
What Cisco learned about Mac vs. PC in the enterprise
A year-long internal trial revealed MacBooks were less vulnerable to cyber threats than PCs and less expensive over time.
MacBooks are more secure and offer more value over time than PCs, according to a year-long internal review by Cisco, between $150 to $400 over a 3 year period.
The tech company analyzed data from its workforce of 130,000 people after giving staff a choice between Apple laptops and PCs, Fletcher Previn, Cisco SVP and CIO, said during a Wednesday presentation at the Jamf Nation User Conference.
I moved to a Mac over a decade ago. I remember I was in Paris, I needed to boot up my Microsoft laptop to check on something, and it took 5 minutes of churning, making me late for a meeting. I regularly cleaned loadings at boot-up, but at 3 years old the PC was showing its age, and by 5 years it was unuseable. With Macs, the average lifetime is 7 years, and it’s normally a battery or keyboard issue, not the software.
Everytime Linkedin runs slow, takes a minute to suggest a name, gets trapped thinking I’m searching in a group when I’m back on the main page, I’m reminded Microsoft is in the background.
Another gripe is when a Microsoft-trapped enterprise tells me my email is not working, I explain the thousands of other people I email do not have a problem. Have they checked with their IT, and then they no longer have a problem with my emails. How Microsoft Teams makes you aware that you’re a second class citizen being an external party on a video call. All the issues with Microsoft Office on a Mac. Even though Xbox is a great gaming platform, I use Sony’s as its not Microsoft.
People, Gossip, and Frivolous Stuff
Tera Hudson is now Sr. Director, Brand Marketing & Activation at The Mom Project. I’ve known Tera since her time in Telesign.
Amos Manasseh is now Venture Factory Design Lead EMEA at Mach49. I’ve known Amos for over one decade, since his time at Axiata.
Kazuhito Yokoi is now an Instructor at Hitachi Academy.
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