Announcements

I had the opportunity to get interviewed by CRN’s Andrew Hickey on the Polycom IP6000 and IP7000 and what these new conference phones mean to Polycom resellers. Take a read here.

I have decided to take the plunge and start using twitter to supplement my blogging and Facebooking. You can add me here. If you follow me, I will follow you.

One of the biggest blessings I have working for a company that is growing so fast (we have increased headcount almost 40% in the last three months with even more on the horizon) is that there is an unlimited supply of things to do.

It can also be a pain if you have a lagging “side project” that you want to finish and release to the general public.

Although this is not ideally how I wanted to (or envisioned the launch), I am going to go the 2.0 way and launch it at 75 - 80% and add improvements and additional functionality as time permits.

Before I give a high level of what it is, let me tell you what it is not….

It is not a new company.

It is not a new piece of software or application.

It is a consumer generated review, comparison, forum and blog/news site dedicated to what I believe is the next big thing in the VoIP world. When it launches, it will be mostly reviews, news and insights, with the comparison functionality coming down the pipe (I can only do so much as I am not a programmer).

While not yet perfect, it is a great start and I believe it will provide a ton of value to consumers and companies in this sector.

Stay tuned for the announcement in the next few days.

I first heard on Saturday that Russell Shaw had passed away.

I always take death’s hard. I am not a big talker (like I usually am) when it comes to death.

That’s why it has taken a few days for me to process the loss of Russell.

Many do not know this, but when I first got involved in the VoIP blogsphere in late 2005, Russell was one of the blogger’s generous enough to give me advice on how to go about this body of work that is now Smith On VoIP. A complete stranger, helping out someone they had never heard of, for a singular reason:

They loved what they did and wanted to help another person accomplish the same.

Although I only had the pleasure to sit face-to-face a handful of times with Russell, we shared many an email dialogue over the last two years. He always impressed me with his knowledge of the industry, his ability to see through the fluff and get to the real details/purpose and good nature.

Russell thanks for all that you have done for everyone and for the time you donated to help me and my pursuits. I hope to one day repay those to some other “newcomer” in the future. You will be missed.

On Wednesday night after a long day at the IT Expo and a night on the town with a few customers, my colleagues and I got a craving for a mid-night snack. There was not much open near my hotel, expect for this tiny, no thrills storefront diner across the street called Cheeseburger Baby. Honestly, it did not look like much, so i was not expecting to be completely blown away with not only the friendly service, but with one of the best hamburgers I have ever had.

Cheeseburger Baby is definitely not a five star restaurant, but at 1am, who cares right?

They have a no thrills menu that features the huge 1LB 100% Angus beef double cheese burger. Their menu is not for the faint at heart. When you come her, be ready to eat. Without fail, I order the 1Lb double cheese burger and add some bacon to it for good measure. The burger was awesome!

The best thing about the whole experience was the fact that Cheeseburger Baby was not trying to be something it was not. While in South Beach, so many restaurants, eateries and diners tried to sugar coat sub-par food with glitz, glamor and a little presentation, but not Cheeseburger Baby. They simply delivered great food that really hit the spot that night.

Thanks guys!

I just finished backing my bags and have only a few short hours until I hop on my first class flight (Hi five to Amex) with colleagues Cory Andrews and Ben Sayers headed towards Miami for the spring Internet Telephony Conference and Expo. These next three days should are jammed pack. Fifteen meetings, two dinners, two breakfasts, two lunches, the expo and a couple of sessions, I will be happy if I find time to sleep (and blog).

For those of you headed to Miami for the Internet Telephony Conference and Expo this week, drop me a line and maybe we can meet up to chat!