December 15, 2007

Editor's Letter: Another Set of Voices

By Jonathan Tombes

Welcome to this year's edition of Communications Executive, which differs from that of previous years in several respects.

Whereas in previous editions we focused on CTOs on the multiple system operator (MSO) side, this year we aimed mostly at vice president and director-level executives. Related to that shift, this year's CE is organized around subject matter categories.

The first of our three groups is the broadest. In it, you'll find discussion of converged IP backbones, DOCSIS access technologies and plant metrics. This is also where you'll find big picture views on multiple service offerings, such as those from Mike Reynolds, the new president of Singapore-based Starhub, and John Schanz, Comcast's executive vice president of national engineering and technical operations.

The second group focuses on business services, and in particular business voice. Look here for two subject matter experts from two well-established players in this market: Kristine Faulkner, vice president of product development and management for Cox Business Services, and Jack Burton, director of systems engineering at Cablevision.

The third group takes us to digital video. A potent mix of competitive pressures, groundbreaking and silo-busting technologies, and consumer passion, ambivalence and confusion, this broad category features views from several video experts whose companies (for example, Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, Bresnan Communications, Suddenlink) have given them titles that include the even more expansive matrix of "advanced" or "strategic" engineering or technology.

As always, publishing this collection of level-setting interviews is a group effort. It requires coordinated efforts of our business, editorial and production teams; the support of those vendors who sponsored this year's initiative; and the cooperation of the technology executives who shared their views.

Thanks to all.

Jonathan Tombes
Editor
jtombes@accessintel.com

Section links

Advanced Video

GREG GRIGAITIS, SUDDENLINK

MIKE HAYASHI, TIME WARNER CABLE

DOUG IKE, CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS.

JAMES KELSO, COX COMMUNICATIONS

MICHAEL PASQUINILLI, CONCURRENT

PRAGASH PILLAI, BRESNAN COMMUNICATIONS


Business Services/Telephony

JACK BURTON, CABLEVISION

KRISTINE FAULKNER, COX BUSINESS SERVICES


Cable Data Networking and Plant

RICK BERNHEIM, JDSU

RALPH BROWN, CABLELABS

KEITH HAYES, CHARTER

MIKE REYNOLDS, STARHUB

JOHN DAHLQUIST, AURORA NETWORKS

JOHN SCHANZ, COMCAST

JOE SELVAGE, MEDIACOM

MOURAD VEENEMAN, UPC BROADBAND