Interview Q&A with Vivek Badrinath, Executive Vice President, Networks, Carriers, Platforms, and Infrastructure at Orange, and Chairman of the Broadband World Forum Europe 2009
Welcome to PR Vibes™, Created by Calysto Communications to provide you with key insights into the publications and events in the telecommunications industry. Today, we’re featuring a short interview with Vivek Badrinath, Executive Vice President, Networks, Carriers, Platforms, and Infrastructure at Orange, and Chairman of the Broadband World Forum Europe 2009. BBWFE explores convergence, interoperability and the transformation of carrier networks.
To help you better understand the Broadband World Forum Europe 2009’s focus this year and in the future, we asked Vivek to share some of his insight on the event and on the future of telecommunications in general. We hope this is helpful for you!
PR Vibes Interview Q&A
What are your thoughts/expectations around IEC’s Broadband World Forum event?
This event is a unique opportunity to learn and exchange about the latest broadband technologies and new services developed around the globe. I believe that partnerships with other international companies are one of the keys of our future success.
In this difficult economical context, experts from network technologies and information systems need to share views on the most recent innovative and creative solutions, of course for the benefit of our customers. The Broadband World Forum is unique in offering such an insight to the real issues of the telecommunications industry. So yes, my expectations around this networking opportunity are quite high, please also note that I am rarely disappointed.
What are your duties as the World Forum Chair? What were you charged with accomplishing?
It will be a great pleasure to chair this Broadband World Forum and to bring together the major forces in telecommunications, from Europe and around the world. As the World Forum Chair, I also worked along with IEC to propose business and technology issues that are critical to the attending ICT experts. On the web site and through the speaker’s tool, the participants helped in preparing an exclusive program; the conferences, debates and workshops will reflect the reality of our industry and give a glimpse of the future. I also like the term ‘innovation theatre’—that’s where the trends of new technology areas will be presented. As chairman, I aim to discuss not only today’s stakes and problems of our industry, but also to see that the forum showcases exemplary solutions which are tested or deployed throughout the world.
What is the main focus of the BBWF Europe?
The 2009 edition will focus on the latest broadband technologies, applications, components and services to construct innovative solutions. During the three days, some exclusive conferences and around 40 debates on current burning issues will be organized. They represent six large domains: General Public, Businesses, Software Enablers, Core Network, Access and Evolutions of the Ecosystem. The technology exhibition will complete our vision with the most current products and technologies existing in the marketplace today.
What do you expect will be hot topics at this year’s BBWF Europe?
Convergence challenges, new broadband possibilities for mass market and enterprise services, more sustainable developments through creative technical enablers are hot issues at the heart of this edition. Convergence and broadband evolutions, and notably all the ‘green’ initiatives, are among the topics that will be discussed in detail at this year’s event.
Who are you expecting to attend/exhibit?
We will welcome everybody interested in our industry and its future to come showcase, debate, learn and connect with each other. This event represents the perfect opportunity for suppliers, application providers, equipment vendors, information system developers, telecommunication service providers and international carriers to meet and create new synergies. A first this year is the official opening toward the software community: developers, IT and IS experts are more than welcome to join their hardware and network fellows at the conference – thus it will be even more interesting to discuss convergence issues and new services.
How many are you expecting to attend/exhibit?
It is difficult to announce forecasts in times of economical crisis, but we sincerely hope to greet as many attendees as in 2006, the last time the BBWFE was held in Paris. Meeting with up to 6,000 professionals from the telecoms sector would be a fabulous success, as we all now cope with slim budgets and travel restrictions. Of course, the program will remain very interesting, never mind the final number of attendees, and more than 100 exhibitors will showcase their products and services to decisions makers from around the globe.
What can attendees expect from the conference portion of the event?
The program of conferences covers the topics of service convergence, network evolutions, choice of enablers and developments for platforms and technologies. It will be an opportunity to learn and discuss all the key issues facing broadband market players such multi-screen entertainment, enterprise mobility solutions and services, innovation in software, cloud computing, the impact of IP on wholesale, next-generation mobile networks or green initiatives. Remember, some 200 speakers will share their vision of the technologies of the future.
You are scheduled to chair the plenary panel titled “Broadband Services Evolution: Opportunities and Challenges for Service Providers.” What can attendees expect at this session?
Along with my fellow panelists from Vodafone and Telefonica, Belgacom and BT, we will focus on broadband services for the mass market. It will give us the opportunity to discuss interoperability issues and, of course, convergence challenges. We will look further into IPTV, Mobile TV, interactivity, home networking or multiplay, while bearing interoperability and convergence in mind.
We would also like to give economics and infrastructure a thought and figure out how service providers will build their added value on growing bandwidth capacity needs by mastering our costs.
What special features/events are you planning for the show?
Among the highlights will be the the awards program dedicated to applications and advances judged to be the most unique and beneficial to the telecommunications industry. And then, of course, there will be the opening speech held by Didier Lombard, Orange president and CEO! We are very proud to have many exceptional speakers who will lead forty debates that promise three days of rich, pertinent and visionary exchange.
Orange was the Official Host Sponsor of the Broadband World Forum Europe 2006 in Paris. Why did you decide to partner a second time?
Broadband World Forum Europe is the only event that focuses on convergence and transformation of carrier networks. Orange could not afford to miss this opportunity to share about innovation for the benefits of all our customers.
If you have questions about this newsletter – or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment at https://www.calysto.com/blogs/.
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