Richard Stastny picked up on Martin's VON insights, for which I'm at least partially accountable. VON Spring was my second VON and I really had a great time. Martin's captured the "user-centric" thrust that needs to happen.

While many suppliers use the "user" and "experience" word, talking about instant messaging and presence integration, I never felt I was hearing "speakers" that live it. It is not a technical exercise.

I commented to a few, that from a user perspective there was more to learn at CES (where Pulver had a great innovation tent). The devices that we use tomorrow were not generally the one's on the display floor. Similarly the retail buyers and companies making those products were not "visible". This is not surprising. In fact, the Pulver team worked hard to bring in "new themes" including "podcasting" which was way out in left field for the audience.

Richard sums up where the big "miss" is.

My impression in talking to mobile operators is that they are still spoilt by their past (and present) success, in do not see yet in their arrogance the upcoming signs of doom an the wall of their garden. They consider all IP Telephony, WiFi and Skype as toys, the real business will of course be IP, but in 3GPP/UMTS and IMS. They do not recognise that the device manufactures are undermining their business silently with more and more dual-mode and general purpose devices, and if, their first idea is how to prevent and block this. VoIP and ENUM