Category Archives: Cloud Computing / Virtualization

2021 Review from the CXTech Newsletters

This weblog provides a round-up of the main programmable communications headlines through 2021. It’s been another busy year. Identity verification keeps getting hotter and could enter a phase of industry convergence in 2022 between enterprise / web and programmable communications industries. We’re already seeing similar convergence from the cloud infrastructure providers like AWS, Microsoft and […]

The Great API Con

Happy New Year! I thought I’d kick the year off with the Great API Con, as its resulting in systematic failures of innovation projects that should be seeing far more business success. This article is for API providers not consumers. “Wait! What? Aren’t you an early proponent of APIs? Recommending copying the lead of Web […]

What is a CPaaS? TalkingHeadz with Dave Michels and Evan Kirstel

I was fortunate to be invited to take part in a conversation with Dave Michels and Evan Kirstel, TalkingHeadz. The focus was: what is a CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service)? I consider the term CPaaS to be as dumbass as Cloud Communications. They were both created when referring to cloud was ‘essential marketing cool’. And […]

What is it that you do?

I’m asked this question surprisingly often, “Alan, what is it that you do?” My stock answer is, “I wander the world helping people.” Which generally results in a wry smile from those who know me; else a questioning or annoyed look from someone who was expecting a straightforward answer to a straightforward question. When I […]

UCaaS is a subset of CPaaS

Its always before Enterprise Connect the confusion on CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service) and UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) rises. Here are two simple definitions: UCaaS is a PBX in the cloud, its a telecom application (granted a complex one, but a telecom app nonetheless). CPaaS is a telecom application server in the […]

What’s going to happen at MWC 2017?

I’ve not attended MWC (Mobile World Congress) for quite a few years, and I’ll not be at MWC 2017. I reviewed back in 2015 some of the reasons in this weblog, MWC is Broken. For this year, you’ll likely see most of the usual faces, but for many of the vendors there will be fewer demos […]

The need for an industry reset on services

Its 2015, in case you didn’t notice 😉  IMS is still not pervasive, tier 2 telcos continue to buy NEW soft-switches in preference to IMS as its too expensive / complex, and RCS is nowhere as discussed in this weblog – a big thank you to all the contributors in the comments.  VoLTE is making slow, painful […]

IMS and IP Communications, Two Different World Views?

Telcos are faced with a tough choice by some of their vendors, “IMS, what choice do you have?” If telcos’ services do not work reliably they suffer through public humiliation.  Remember when AT&T had an exclusive deal on iPhone in the US?  Jon Stewart from the Daily Show said about owning an iPhone in NYC […]

BBWF 2013: History keeps repeating itself…

Better late than never, I’ve finally got around to the BBWF (Broadband World Forum) summary.  No 2014 trends weblog this year, its simply become too passé.  I’ll likely do something in the summer on trends. BBWF is a great litmus test across the whole of the telecom industry.  This year the theme that hit me […]

delivery.com. Your Neighborhood. Delivered. With Telecom APIs.

I had the opportunity to chat with Pierre Davidoff, VP Technology at delivery.com. They focus on truly representing the local businesses within a neighborhood.  And it’s not just food, its groceries, wine and spirits, and recently announced cleaners.  You’ll see the local businesses in a neighborhood, not just some instance of a big corporate chain.  […]