Sometimes I still can’t believe I was in the room when the information and communications tech revolution started. No, I wasn’t standing next to Marty Cooper when he made the first mobile phone call in 1973 – I’m not that old!
But I was in the room for Sprint Spectrum’s launch of the first digital wireless “personal communications service” network (PCS – remember that acronym?) back in 1995 – as a public relations representative for the mobile device manufacturer Nokia. And then just a year later, I was in the room as part of the team that launched the first Internet of Things (IoT) technology, BellSouth’s Cellemetry®. Of course, we called it machine-to-machine (M2M) communications back then…
Personally, I think the launch of Cellemetry was truly where the information and communications technology (ICT) revolution started. Because being able to transmit bits and bytes of data across wireless networks allowed information to be shared in ways we never even imagined. And Cellemetry – which of course started primarily as a cheaper and easier way to read utility meters – marked the beginning of the IoT industry, which has played a key role in the emergence of new industries such as artificial intelligence. After all, without the ability to glean data from IoT devices and easily share information across many devices, the “intelligence” part of Artificial Intelligence (AI) wouldn’t exist.
Those of us who were there during the early days of telecommunications knew that we were at the beginning of something big – VERY big. Of course, I’m not sure any of us realized how big this communications revolution would really be. I mean, back then, did anyone predict there would be 16.7 BILLION IoT devices worldwide less than 30 years after Cellemetry launched? I know I didn’t.
But 25 years ago, I did know I wanted to be one of the visionary professionals shaping this new industry. That’s why I launched Calysto Communications back in 1999. I was passionate about the industry, and I wanted to create a PR and marketing agency filled with professionals who felt the same passion about the communications industry that I did and wanted to contribute to the success of those companies driving it. When I launched Calysto, we first specialized in the mobile, wireless and telecom industries. In the past 25 years, Calysto has continued to expand along with the industry, moving into IoT and most recently adding several AI clients. We learn new things every day, as Calysto continues to integrate AI tools into its services. We seek to serve clients more effectively through AI-based campaign customization, market research, results measurement and more every day.
Currently, members of the Calysto team can be found around the country and around the world. That’s because back in 2006, I realized that I knew many industry insiders who had a passion for the communications industry – but far fewer who were passionate about living in Atlanta, where Calysto was headquartered. As I result, I moved Calysto to a work from home (WFH) model back in 2006, way before cloud and more than a decade before the remote workplace became popular during Covid.
But one thing hasn’t changed since I launched Calysto back in 1999. We are still exclusively focused on the ICT industry.
Today, Calysto exclusively employs industry insiders – and each one has 20+ years of experience in PR and the communications industry. Unlike the PR teams at other agencies, the Calysto team includes former analysts, journalists, ex-CMOs, PR consultants and others – all of whom are passionate about this industry and creating awareness for our clients. We take on a limited number of clients so that we can invest the time to understand each client’s business, their differentiators and exactly what they want to accomplish with their PR program.
We also work with our clients to design a flexible project, program or fixed-fee plan (NO RETAINERS) that links directly to their individual business goals and their target audiences – with a focus on results and ROI. We have thrived in the last 25 years by being more than just a partner to our clients. Instead, we serve as an invaluable extension of their internal marketing team.
To celebrate Calysto’s 25th anniversary in business, my team and I put together a timeline of some key milestones in the information and communications technology industry since Marty Cooper’s first mobile phone call. You can download the infographic here. Feel free to share it with others who are as passionate as we are about this amazing and ever-evolving industry!