Alec Saunders SquawkBox

DSL unbundling continues

News.com reports that Verizon has begun allowing some customers to buy naked DSL.  The story is framed in the context of second line service being a declining service, due to cell phone competition.  They also report that in 2001 and 2002 the number of active lines serviced by the RBOCs decreased for the first time in a century, due to cell phone replacements of second lines.

Despite ongoing resistance and the increasing importance of service bundles, some believe that the Bells will inevitably face the day when local phone service will no longer be the linchpin to their business.

Later on in the story there are some interesting quotes from various RBOC executives, like this one from SBC:

SBC is also sticking with its strategy to bundle its local phone service along with other offerings at reduced prices. Why would the company “abandon a strategy that’s now penetrated more than half its customer base?” an SBC representative asked.

It’s clear that SBC is going to have some interesting cultural challenges in the new world.

How will former PC’s vote?

Don over at Talk Canada has been writing about former PC voters, such as myself, who are supporting the new Conservative Party.  He noted that I had written previously of my disagreement with Alliance Policies, but that I now support the new Conservative Party.  I still stand by what I had written in disagreement.  However, the new Conservative Party has backed away from the triple-E senate, and citizens initiatives, for the time being.  People also know that I disagree with many Conservatives on the subject of gay marriage. While I think the approach of allowing MPs to “vote their consciences” is a cop-out, it’s probably the only approach which isn’t political suicide.

Stephen Harper gets full marks from me for his pragmatic approach to building a more inclusive and electable party.  He knows the job he has to do, and so long as I have a voice as a party member I am content.  Now let’s go teach the Liberals a lesson in humility.

By the way, do you think that Paul Martin has changed his last name to McGuinty?  His health care promises certainly sound familiar…

Ottawa startup looking for CTO to join founders

Maybe youre a key player in your first or second start-up and realize the upside to your options just isnt what youd envisioned. Or maybe youre in a Fortune 1000 company and find yourself continually drawn to giving the startup game a run.

Whatever the case, if youre seriously ready to take the plunge (or another plunge), help create a business from the ground up, and earn a share of the company in the process, this could be your moment!

Iotum Corporation is a seed-stage startup building innovative software applications for voice over IP targeted at consumers and small business. Were a well financed start-up with an experienced executive team. Our two founders are a visionary marketing expert, and a results oriented serial entrepreneur, with both startup and big business experience.  Were currently seeking a Vice President of Product Development / CTO to round out our senior management team. This position provides leadership for the architecture, development, integration and delivery of Iotums unique VoIP applications.  Nobodys funding wannabes these days, so were looking only for experienced players.

You will be the primary holder of the technical vision of the company.  A dynamic, results oriented, and hands-on leader, you are comfortable in environments where change is the norm.  Youre passionate about excellence in design, execution and delivery of new technologies. You will focus on new applications for VoIP technology and drive innovative technology and product solutions for Iotum. Working hand in hand with marketing and product management, you will exploit product technology to influence tactical implementations of features and functionality.  You own Iotums patent and intellectual property portfolio. 

In summary, you will be the strategic force in technology for the company.

A constantly creative out-of-the-box thinker, youre also a serious IP development expert. You have a demonstrated ability to plan, source, and manage out-sourced development. You have experience with consumer client, web, and embedded applications. You have demonstrated that you can assess, from a technology perspective, build-vs-buy decisions and integrations with selected technology partners. And, you have personally designed, lead, and retained a group of engineers/developers/creative-types in the development of VoIP applications. 

Position Qualifications:

-          BS degree in Engineering or Computer Sciences. Advance degree preferred

-          Minimum 10 years of software development and management experience.

-          Five years applications development and web architecture experience are also required

-          Demonstrated success in bringing consumer software to market

-          Windows and .NET development environment and frameworks expertise

-          Exceptional knowledge of and experience with XML

-          Good written communication skills

-          Prior VP-level application software experience in other venture backed software firms is also a plus.

Think youve got what it takes?   Give me a call.

Contact: Alec Saunders, CEO Iotum Corporation, alec@iotum.com, 613-482-1331

Writ to drop today

Well, there you go.  According to the Globe, in just a little over an hour, Mr. Martin will ask Governor General Clarkson to dissolve parliament.  I just got a very excited call from a lady in Miramichi, asking me to send more money to the Conservatives, which I did.  I also put up a sign on the lawn last night, for the local candidate, a young guy named Pierre Poilevre.  The election is upon us!

Nick Berg

I had a sleepless night last night.  By now, the whole world has no doubt read about the horrific slaying of Nick Berg in Iraq.  The reason for my inability to sleep was that I searched out the video on the internet and watched it. The horror of what I had seen kept replaying in my mind as I tried to sleep.  It affected me far more deeply than I was prepared for.

What the news reports fail to capture is just how medieval the whole scene was.  While his killer finished him off, the others stood by chanting “Allahu Akbar”.  The closest thing I could compare it to would be the baying of the hounds on a fox-hunt. Every so often they would stop, as if transfixed and shocked, themselves, by their own actions.  Then they would start baying again.

Most of the blogs I have read today are incandescent with rage.  This murder smacks of honour killings, and the beheadings and arbitrary killings during Hussein’s regime. I think, however, that the killers have miscalculated the impact of what they have done. I don’t believe that this was revenge for the Abu Ghreib humiliations, but if, as claimed, it was carried about by Al Qaeda, it was politically motivated.  The impact, however, will not be the withdrawl of the Americans.  Rather, this will steel the administration with resolve.  In one fell swoop, the news has shifted from Abu Ghreib back to the barbarism of the Iraqi insurgents.  In the process, they have given Bush a much greater chance for re-election, and dramatically demonstrated to the world how unready Iraq is for self-government.