SUBSCRIBE TO TMCnet
TMCnet - World's Largest Communications and Technology Community

CHANNEL BY TOPICS


QUICK LINKS




Teluu Shares Industry Insight with TMC

Asterisk

January 16, 2009

Teluu Shares Industry Insight with TMC

By Rich Tehrani
CEO, Technology Marketing Corporation

Share

Teluu, a company providing a compact, full-featured framework for multimedia communications over the Internet, delivers products that run on Microsoft Windows platforms, Mac OS X, Linux, Symbian (News - Alert), Windows Mobile, and more.


The company’s products connect reliably to many other clients, servers and devices.
 
Based in the United Kingdom and established in 2006, Teluu is managed by
Perry Ismangil and Benny Prijono.
 
Ismangil recently took some time to discuss the future of communications, the current economy and how Teluu is doing amidst the recession. Technology Marketing Corporation President, Rich Tehrani asks Ismangil some interesting questions. Their exchange follows.
 
RT: Who has influenced you most in your career and why?
 
PI: It would be Steve Jobs (News - Alert). I remember reading about him in Time Magazine, he was on the cover. I must be about 12 or so, early eighties. Even before the Mac. My first computer was an Apple IIe clone. After that it was PCs for the next 25 years. I finally went Mac last year. The other influence was my family. It was because of them I now
 
RT: What excites you most about our industry?
 
PI: Communicating. It's one of the basic human needs everywhere, and knowing we are helping in achieving that gives me a great buzz. History has proved anything that enhances communications will succeed.
 
RT: What areas do you wish you could devote more energy/attention/resources?
 
PI: I am an immigrant from Indonesia, a developing country. Millions of people there, in the 21st century, still live in poverty. I would really like it if somehow I can help alleviate some of that. I'm involved in some charitable work, but I always wish I could do more. And of course, the stock Miss Whatever answer: world peace!
 
RT: What pain does your company take away for customers?
 
PI: Dealing with low level protocols, on multiple platforms. They can instead focus their attention on the value of their application and services. We'll take the pain of keeping up with standards, platform changes, and ensuring interoperability.
 
RT: How did your company get to where it is and where is it headed?
 
PI: Open source. We started with a pure open source project, and build a business around it. From a business point of view, it's like having an unlimited trial license. No sales pressure. We let them know we're easy to get in touch, and then stepped out of the way.
 
We will keep on strengthening our current multi platform support, with a mobile focus this year. We will add more features where it makes sense, that is it helps developers more.
 
RT: What does your dream mobile device look like?
 
PI: It would be thin and small, with both a keyboard and a multi-touch screen.
Phone functions as good as Nokia (News - Alert), Google integration, killer UI. And capable of running our software, of course. So a hybrid of Nokia N97, G1, iPhone, and Palm Pre!
 
RT: If you were forced to head Nokia, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, GM, Cisco,
Nortel (News - Alert) or the US... Which would you pick and why?
 
PI: Um, as I write this Nortel has filed for bankruptcy protection, so that's out. Nokia then. Because they're not the typical Silicon Valley company.

Anyone able to transform from selling toilet paper to smartphones must have real vision. Even more so without creative stock options and massive remuneration.
 
RT: Poof - you become President Obama's top advisor on tech. What should
He do to foster more technology use in the U.S. and abroad?
 
PI: He should remove all barriers to technology use. The main barrier I see now is fear. Fear from users that technology damages Planet Earth. Fear from tech companies that their idea gets stolen. Fear of governments that their citizens will become smarter. So green tech, open source, digital democracy can play a part in removing these fears.
 
Oh one more thing I would advise him is not to use the military to drive innovations...
 
RT:  How has open-source changed our space and what more can it do for us?
 
PI: Open source can show us that collaboration and transparency is the key to innovation, not litigating each other to death. Umair Haque from Harvard Business Online calls this the new DNA of business, and open source captures the very essence of this DNA.
 
RT: When does Microsoft (News - Alert) become a major force in communications?
 
PI: Not until they overcome their inherent non-communicative software primadonna. Windows and Office was designed to meet the needs of the past: non-connected PCs. But it does provide them with plenty of cash to hold their breath longer!
 
RT: Apple? RIM, Nokia?
 
PI: Apple is already a major player. RIM, I don't know. They seem to be doing OK, but their closedness is only rivaled by Apple. It's a risky tactic.
 
Nokia is now playing the open source game. Nokia will do good if they can get into U.S. Which is why they should buy Palm (see prediction below!)
 
We should see by 2010 how this shakes out.
 
RT: What surprised you most about 2008?
 
PI: That many, many really smart people couldn't see the economic bubble bursting. Or at least couldn't see how toxic the bubble was. If I think about it I get depressed. I mean, if those smart people couldn't see this coming, what hope a geek-turned-businessman like me have? So I don't think about it (too much).
 
RT: Assuming we need it (and who couldn't use some extra cash), what do we
tell Congress to get a multibillion dollar US government communications bailout?
 
PI: Don't bail us out. Maybe some pain killers, but we need to row our own boat to the finish line. World champions learn to endure and overcome. So just block it out and start rowing!
 
RT: Is the green movement dead now that oil is plummeting in cost?
 
PI: No. Now that we've got a taste of hydrogen economy, innovators and disruptors are ready to take over. Just like oil disrupted the steam economy. Not anytime soon though.
 
RT: How does IP communications help in a recession?
 
PI: In a recession, everyone needs to act light and fast. No need to have big strategy meetings with 5 year plans! Constant stream of communications is needed for all the team, anywhere. Chatter, chatter. IP communications provides the flexible conduit that can carry instant message chatter, cost-effective routing, web/pod/broad-casting. Oh yeah, voice as well.
 
RT: You are speaking at ITEXPO which takes place Feb 2-4 2009 in Miami. Why do people need to hear what you say, live and in person?
 
PI: I will deliver pragmatic and actionable tips on how you can use open source for your NAT Traversal solution. Along the way you can ask me about the business of open source SIP and media stacks as a whole.
 
RT: Make some wild predictions about 2009/10.
 
PI:
- Nokia will buy Palm.
- Fuel cells the size of current gadget batteries.
- We realize that trading money/debt for money on its own is bad, and go back to trading tangibles.

Rich Tehrani is President and Group Editor-in-Chief of TMC. In addition, he is the Chairman of the world�s best-attended communications conference, INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO (ITEXPO). He is also the author of his own communications and technology blog.

Edited by Michelle Robart


Related Asterisk Articles








Technology Marketing Corporation

2 Trap Falls Road Suite 106, Shelton, CT 06484 USA
Ph: +1-203-852-6800, 800-243-6002

General comments: [email protected].
Comments about this site: [email protected].

STAY CURRENT YOUR WAY

© 2024 Technology Marketing Corporation. All rights reserved | Privacy Policy