First up is an overview of mobile payment solutions at CES in Las Vegas from Bruce Burke, @myintersperse Virtual Vegas: Cashless in Generation M!.

I am always a big fan of statistics and the next 2 posts both come from Andy Favell, editor of mobiThinking. Firstly, Andy’s analysis of handset and smartphone figures from Canalys, Strategy Analytics and IDC is well worth a read. The second post shows that 8.49% of pageviews are now from mobile devices.

Next up is James Coops, a regular contributor to COM with a review of some different mobile ad networks for media buyers and affiliates.

Last week’s host of COM, Antonie Wright, writes this week about the phone numbers and how we should be over them as an industry.

Next up is Tomi Ahonen, who writes a long post one year on from Stephen Elop’s ‘Burning Platform’ memo. Definitely worth a read.

Peggy Salz, the current driving force behind COM writes this week about M-Commerce and mobile payments which also includes the latest episode of her m-pulse video show with Rob Woodbridge of untether.tv.

Martin Geddes of Future of Communications suggests that the industry has reached ‘Peak telecoms‘ suggesting that it has ‘hit its maximum share of the economy’.

On a different tack however, Dean Bubley takes aim at the GSMA’s RCS and VoLTE initiatives with the viewpoint that “ubiquitous services are a thing of the past, and that the telecoms industry needs to embrace fragmentation, not fight it, in the future.”

Finally, long time contributor to COM, Ajit Jaokar gives his thoughts and analysis on white space network success stories and their future implications.

That’s it from me. Next week, COM#262 will be hosted by Tego Interactive.

Name, current job and company

Peggy Anne Salz, founder & chief analyst, MobileGroove (formerly MSearchGroove)

What’s your app of the moment?

That’s just it… I want more from my mobile app experience, so I’m buying an Android phone. Likely HTC…

What is your primary phone?

I’ve been a die-hard Blackberry user for a decade. True to my ‘Crackberry’ roots I’ll still keep my Torch. But it will take second place next to my new Android phone.

Which mobile startups have you got your eye on?

After writing the first-ever industry report on mobile search and content discovery technologies for Informa back in 2005-06 the space is exciting again. There was a period (pre-smartphone) when mobile search was dominated by Google, but that is history because our devices can deliver a much more satisfying user experience, encouraging us to conduct more searches and explore the world of apps and content at our fingertips.

High on my radar are the personalization, recommendation and AI start-ups that can connect the dots in our digital bread crumb trails to deliver personalized search results that are more like ‘suggestions.’ Companies to watch include Expertmaker, Primal, Chomp and Cortexica.

Keeping in mind that this is the ‘year of the ear’ (according to Mary Meeker), I am also bullish about voice. The excitement around Apple’s Siri tells us that personalization (Siri is your personal and smart assistant) and voice is a winning combination. My take: This service is sure to spark a raft of services and apps that harness new flavors of search around precision and voice. What can we expect? Disruption.

What are you currently working on?

It’s a good busy year at MobileGroove. Once again, Alexander Vlasblom and I can celebrate just having wrapped up the Netsize Guide by Gemalto, a mobile almanac and analysis I have written on behalf of Netsize for four years. It’s a must-read resource with growing ‘fan club’ (in part thanks to Alexander’s new passion for social media to spread the word), so I encourage everyone to download it here and join the movement.

With that work behind me I am focused on researching and writing what will probably be my best work to date: THE mobile marketing thought leadership resource for agencies, brands and industry professionals everywhere on the planet. I’m proud to collaborate with Millennial Media, an independent mobile ad and data platform company, and the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) to make this happen. This definitive work — which will include detailed market data, case studies, best practices and exclusive insights from executives and companies that have harnessed mobile to drive positive business results — is slated for release in 2012.

On top of that MobileGroove counts new clients (welcome Millennial Media!) and new projects. In addition to ‘print’ I have teamed up with UntetherTV to produce a weekly show discussing mobile trends, companies and cool stuff. We did a beta show before the holidays and the response has been extremely positive, so we’re taking it weekly. I’m also gearing up to launch a live radio show in the U.S. in February. Obviously, I am open to ideas for the video and radio shows, so I would like to do a ‘shameless plug’ here and stress that I welcome pitches from your readers and followers. Bring them on!

What will be the biggest opportunity in 2012?

Well, I got carried away in my answer to question #4 — so you can see where this is going…

I am also very impressed by Chetan Sharma’s survey of us — the mobile industry — and agree that mobile payments and commerce are moving up the agenda. The results are packed with insights and some surprises, and I encourage everyone to check out the 2012 predictions here.

Who are your 3 rockstars in mobile?

First, kudos to you, James, (!) for starting this series and already showcasing many of the ‘rock stars’ I read and admire.

For me, rock stars are people with passion — people who walk the talk and live the industry. This long list includes (in no specific order) a lot of the people you have profiled: Tomi Ahonen, Nora Goodman, Ilicco Elia, Jennifer Hiley, Helen Keegan, Andrew Darling, Marc Schmoeger… So, keep up this awesome series, James!

I could think of dozens more, but I will keep it to three.

Chetan Sharma, for his professionalism and invaluable industry insights. His events ROCK and I plan to make the trip to his next Mobile Future Forward in Seattle in September.

All the guys at GigaOM Pro for producing excellent analysis and research — and keeping a finger on the pulse of what matters most.

Expertmaker, because the thinking there is beyond path-breaking and I fully expect the company to redefine precision search. (Personal thanks here to Martin Rugfelt for the very invigorating discussions on Skype.)

Who were you working for 10 years ago?

I am freelance/ free agent to the core. I collaborate — and I have had the pleasure to work with a great bunch of people over the years. In 2002 I was writing special reports about technology and strategy for the Wall Street Journal Europe, and contributing regularly to the likes of New Media Age, EContent magazine and a range of Informa pubs. I also worked with some great guys at Nokia on TheFeature.com, a really cool destination exploring the future of mobile that was way way way ahead of it’s time.

Who was/is your best boss?

This is a hard one! I enjoy working with Lisa Ciangiulli at Optism and Mack McKelvey at Millennial Media — they are mobile women with a mission and a vision. I also have spent many, many hours working with Alexander Vlasblom on the Netsize Guide. He is totally dedicated to delivering his personal best, and that quality is rare.

Who else should we interview?

Rob Woodbridge, who is doing a great job over at UntetherTV

Matthäus Krzykowski, who is doing some fantastic work over at Xyologic.com.

Nuance — because voice is going to be big!

Name, current job and company

Florian Resatsch, Co-founder of servtag.com. Servtag is a Berlin-based company that designs and runs location-based services, such as www.friendticker.com and www.dealomio.com and an interesting mobile marketing solution is in the making.

What’s your app of the moment?

I really like EyeEm. It is a social photo-sharing app hand-made by Berliners. Although I haven’t uploaded many pics yet – mainly because I am still experimenting with the various photo filters they included in the app – I enjoy checking out other albums and follow my friends. The app is nicely made and has all the features I would want from a photo app.

What is your primary phone?

iPhone4S – after years of using the Nexus One until the power button finally failed.

Which mobile startups have you got your eye on?

ThinkNear. Google Ventures and others are betting on the fact that location and the distance to an offline store is key in the future of mobile marketing. ThinkNear wants to be a platform that delivers mobile ads based on the proximity to a store. With dealomio, an app that shows offers around you, we did the same and are now working on improving the relevance of ads further.

Further I personally am interested in how the mobile commerce sphere is developing. Local startup such as www.movendor.com are interesting in enabling existing shop owners to go mobile. However I think much more must happen to fuel the mobile commerce sphere.

What are you currently working on?

With my co-founders Martin and Uwe and our amazing team at servtag we try to change the way mobile marketing and commerce works. Think outside of the small devices in your pocket. We are constantly mobile with various devices – our iPads, Macs, iPhones etc. – this is mobile marketing. Where and when to reach a potential client with the best information and advertising that matches his current intentions. We try to come up with a system that delivers highly relevant, context-driven information instead of stupid banners. There is no way banners will be the future in mobile marketing. We need new ideas instead of adopting online marketing principles to mobile without further thinking about the user behaviour in mobile. If you search something on your phone – you want it now. Think about it.

What will be the biggest opportunity in 2012?

There is a nice new car-sharing service in Berlin, DriveNow (initiated by BMW and Sixt). To find the cars you use your iPhone app. To open the car you use a RFID chip. To communicate you have a mobile tablet in the car. To drive: up to you. I think all these various combinations of devices, technologies and services will be a big opportunity for 2012. How can you change the way we interact with real-life services to maximize user experience and increase process efficiency?

Who are your 3 rockstars in mobile?

If you think of a rockstar as someone who influences people in his domain, then I think those people who really invent in the mobile space are the rockstars – and the guys at Google. Why? Google has put mobile first in all its developments. Contrary to many other companies, Google has a clear understanding on what the future will look like: It will be mobile. They were working on an amazing services landscape and teamed up with relevant hardware companies. Then they started to shape things and constantly innovate. So the 3 guys who head the Google mobile department (whoever they are). Go on and rock!

Who were you working for 10 years ago?

I was still studying 10 years ago. But I had a couple of jobs: my own website design agency (like everyone else!), I worked for a market research company doing interviews on the phone, and I was working at a consulting firm in the information systems department programming HTML/XML and (haha!) .asp websites.

Who was/is your best boss?

I have never seen my bosses as being a boss. Most of my life I worked being my own boss. But if I have to pick one, then Guenter who ran the information services department at the consulting company. He always knew everything, had an excellent overview and awesome management skills. In the end, we also became friends and I even attended his wedding.

Who should we interview next?

Try to find a university student working in mobile business and see what they like most. This will probably be an interesting point of view.

Name, current job and company

Rhodri Thomas, Chief Commercial Officer at TouchType – makers of the SwiftKey input method for Android.

What’s your app of the moment?

I use so many Apps, it is difficult to remember my pre-Smartphone life! I use Gmail, Dropbox, Evernote and Google Docs daily as part of my working life; I love Pulse for getting the latest from my favourite feeds, and I’ve been exploiting the 10p Apps on Google. I spent the whole weekend playing Fieldrunners HD – so addictive!

(Obviously, I can’t say “SwiftKey“, right?!) – [you just did!]

What is your primary phone?

Galaxy Nexus – and I love it.

Which mobile startups have you got your eye on?

1. dressipi – a personalized fashion/shopping service. I know some of the team there and they are a great bunch. My big tip for 2012!

2. rapportive – this is a tool I discovered a few months ago. As a gmail user for work email, this is just such a great product. I get rich contact email straight away, whether I am the sender or receiver. Very handy indeed when you are always working with large clients and prospects. [I agree, it is my favourite Chrome plugin]

3. WhatsApp – it seems to me that no-one is talking about WhatsApp, but they have a huge volume of messages over their system and most smartphone users I know have WhatsApp. Who needs SMS anymore? For me, this is a great example of frictionless implementation. Stuff that “just works”.

What are you currently working on?

Bringing SwiftKey to the masses! We have had a phenomenal year – the top-selling paid App on Android three times and a great average rating of 4.6. This has really helped our profile and we are generally recognised now as having the leading product in our sector. We have lots of interest in embedding the product with handset makers for 2012.

What will be the biggest opportunity in 2012?

Things that I will be watching intently are:
- SmartTV: Apple and Google seem to be really investing here, plus Vizio, Samsung, LG et al seem to be doing interesting things – are we due a living-room revolution?
- mHealth: we have started looking at this sector and am sure some really interesting products and advancements will be made in 2012
– the potential emergence of a Third Mobile OS. This year has seen MeeGo, Symbian (remember that?) and WebOs fall by the wayside. I think there must be a third challenger to the iOS-Android axis: will it be BB10, Windows Phone, Tizen or something else?

Who are your 3 rockstars in mobile?

Aside from you, James? Well I’m going to pick one mainstream pick and name two future rockstars. If picking music rockstars, you don’t go for “U2 and Bon Jovi” do you? You pick the obscurer names that you think will be big in the future!

- Jeff Bezos at Amazon. Think about the perception of Amazon 3-4 years ago: an online bookseller. Now where are they? Well, they are outselling iPads at Best Buy with the Kindle Fire, they have a number of excellent cloud services and a huge consumer base who regularly go there to buy the latest content – for download or physical media. It all ties up into a really interesting end-to-end ecosystem. I don’t know how it is going to pan out, but Amazon are an incredibly disruptive force for mobile.

- Frederick Cheung, an ex-colleague of mine who is now CTO at dressipi. The best techie I have ever worked with, coupling ninja coding skills with a real appreciation for the business side of things. A rarity indeed!

- Finally, Joe Braidwood, our very own CMO. As mad as a box of frogs, but a touch of genius there. Watch out world, Joe is coming! (Hopefully he will hire me one day now I’ve said that.)

Who were you working for 10 years ago?

I joined a Cambridge-based billling software company called Geneva Technology Ltd. They had just been acquired by Convergys, a large US billing software company. I was thrown into the Product Management team with super-smart Cambridge grads left, right and centre. It was a fantastic environment to learn the Product Management ropes (I was one year out of Uni, so fresh faced and thought I knew it all already!). I still have some great friends from those days.

Who was/is your best boss?

I am lucky enough to have had a number of great bosses. Most memorably, I worked for Sarah McVittie at Texperts, and it was a great experience. Quite a topsy-turvy ride – my first start-up and “cash strapped” doesn’t do the experience justice. Sarah’s endless enthusiasm and energy was a fantastic pick-me-up when things got really tough!

Who else should we interview?

Sarah McVittie (@sarah_mcvittie) always has something interesting to say! She is now co-founder/CEO of dressipi.

Anne Thomas, COO, Wapple

What’s your app of the moment?

Other than gaming – and rarely does a day go by when I’m not playing Solitaire or Scrabble, (or dodgy alternative to, until EA and MS get it together) – the only other app I use a lot is my QR code reader.

What is your primary phone?

HTC Trophy (Windows Phone 7)

Which mobile startups have you got your eye on?

I am keen to see innovations in NFC so I guess companies like Tapit.

What are you currently working on?

Planning a competition for our community of thousands of Wapple platform users. Best use of the technology, best mobile web design etc. You heard it here first J

What will be the biggest opportunity in 2012?

Mobile web, mobile web, mobile web – marketing, commerce, location services etc. By 2013 you’re a dinosaur if you are not doing it properly!

Who are your 3 rockstars in mobile?

1) Whoever it was at Microsoft to decide that partnering with Nokia would be a good idea.
2) Whoever it was at Google who decided they should support their mobile advertisers with GoMo, ensuring the consumer is always taken to a mobile relevant advert.
3) Ray Anderson, CEO & co-founder of Bango. We don’t hear enough about Bango these days but they created the first mobile web (wap) billing platform (1999) from which were launched many mobile companies who have since changed and shaped the mobile landscape, including Wapple. This guy has true vision and needs an OBE or something.

Who were you working for 10 years ago?

Codemasters (I think)

Who was/is your best boss?

I’m not great with names (better with faces) and it’s been so long since I had a ‘boss’. I did have a female manager many years ago who scared the s*** out of me but motivated, trusted and rewarded appropriately. She was ace!

Who should we interview next?

Somebody who can easily recall names J. How about Ray Anderson, following my earlier shout out!

Name, current job and company

Raam Thakrar, Director, Touchnote

What’s your app of the moment?

Skype. I’ve finally got an iPad 2 at home, and realised how nice Skype is to talk to family.

Oh, and Google Maps seems to get used an inordinate amount.

What is your primary phone?

An iPhone 4, an HTC Sensation, a Galaxy S 2. My wife still gets annoyed when I change phone, as she has to start Angry Birds from the beginning again each time.

Which mobile startups have you got your eye on?

I find the highly-funded US startups really interesting – how the likes of Path and Color launched with such fanfare and are now mid-pivot.

I recently discovered the agency UsTwo, and were impressed and bemused by some of the stuff that they’re coming out with. I’m constantly amazed at how much beautiful UI is now expected by the average mobile consumer.

What are you currently working on?

Full time on Touchnote – reinventing how tech can help you to be a much better friend. First step – postcards from your mobile.

What will be the biggest opportunity in 2012?

- mCommerce (finally really coming of age)
- the continued trend around photography – that Annie Leibovitz now recommends the iPhone as best camera today suggests that this is only going to increase
- holding real stuff – Disney’s AppMATes is an early and pretty impressive example of this, and this trend will only continue
- phone paraphernalia – I find it amazing that consumers are all very worried about spending $1 or $2 on an app, but are happy to drop £100-£200 on a pair of Beats headphones (or £20 on an one of the Disney AppMATes cars for their kids). And of course £35 on an iPad case.

Who are your 3 rockstars in mobile?

- Mark Curtis has taught me a lot about mobile, as has Chris Wade – both seasoned (what a nice way to put it) and wise about the industry
- Harald Neidhardt at Smaato – all round, one of the nicest people in mobile.
- Ewan MacLeod – a Brit blogger who rants wisely about a host of (mobile) stuff
- And on a global level, Jeff Bezos of Amazon. Amazon has really shown that consumers are willing and able to buy a huge amount of stuff from their devices – whether from the Amazon shop or from the Android store. And the Kindle really seems to be nailing it.

Err, that’s 5.

Who were you working for 10 years ago?

I was working for Florin Bolchis at Kaiser Associates, a strategy consulting company. I was there for a couple of years, and learnt a lot – especially how big companies think.

Who was/is your best boss?

Ricardo Frohmader – I worked with him in Guatemala for about 2 years, and he taught me a huge amount about how to interact with people and get the most from them. Inspirational, I still think of him as a mentor even today.

Who else should we interview?

Ed Hodges – he kicked off much of my mobile thinking, and is doing some awesome things in mobile banking.

Name, current job and company

Alistair Crane, CEO, Grapple Mobile

What’s your app of the moment?

TuneTug, the social DJ – Brilliant and simple idea, allowing you to create and share playlists via Spotify. Quickly solves the office/party music squabble by allowing for voting up and down of unplayed tracks – No more Abba in the office.

What is your primary phone?

BlackBerry Bold 9000

Which mobile startups have you got your eye on?

Fetch Media – Winning a significant amount of new business in 2011, Fetch have quickly established themselves as an award winning planning and buying agency in mobile.

Linking Mobile – The latest start-up from the guys that started Lucidity mobile, Linking mobile is one of the first true affiliate networks for mobile and initial case studies are impressive.

Eagle Eye – Generating lots of interest due to the recent senior hires of Google execs Russell Buckley and Andy Smith, Eagle Eye have an easy to understand proposition for closing the mobile voucher redemption loop – Set to get really big in 2012.

What are you currently working on?

A) Continuing to extend Grapple’s lead as the leading supplier of mobile innovation to the worlds largest brands

B) Creating the ultimate concierge concept for the wealthiest mobile users in the world

C) Taking the age-old playground game of swapping collectable cards to the mobile

What will be the biggest opportunity in 2012?

Next year will be a busy one with both the Olympics and Euro Cup Finals providing ample opportunities for brands to propel themselves to the front of consumers minds.

The return on investment of extending products and services through mobile has become widely documented and as the new devices of 2011 become the common devices of 2012 we will see a large influx of relationships, interactions and purchases being driven by mobile.

Who are your 3 rockstars in mobile?

Jonathan Abraham – Google: Wildly entertaining to talk to and hugely knowledgable, Jonathan has had a rapid ascent from student start-up through to Google Industry Head.

Harry Dewhirst – Amobee: Typically eclectic entrepreneur, Harry is a great example of someone who makes things happen, selling his business Ring Ring to Amobee after 14 months from starting, impressive.

Nick Flood – Haymarket: Totally in tune with how traditional publishers should build out their mobile products, Nick has big plans for What Car? in 2012 and is widely respected among his peers for his forward thinking outlook to how to take traditional content mobile.

Who were you working for 10 years ago?

My headmaster – Mr. Jarret

Who was/is your best boss?

Jon Notley, now Commercial Director at Zoopla

Who should we interview next?

Jon Vlassuplos, CEO of Skyrockit – Jon owns one of the leading mobile agencies on the US West Coast and has significant experience in making money from branded content thanks to his career at Endemol. Skyrokit were responsible for creating the Zippo lighter app among many others and are also backing their own ideas in 2012, interesting to see what comes next out of their production team.

Name, role and company

Daniel Appelquist, Head of Product Management for BlueVia, which is a unit of the newly forming Telefónica Digital

What’s your app of the moment?

I pick the FT (Financial Times) Web App for iPhone / iPad. This Web application is really pushing the boundary of what you can do with the Web platform on mobile. It’s a great example of where the Web makes more sense as a development and deployment platform, both from a technology perspective and a business perspective.

What is your primary phone?

I have been carrying around an Android (Nexus One) since it came out but I have just switched back to iPhone (4). Yeah, it’s a closed environment is less developer-friendly but you know what? It actually works – to, you know, make calls and stuff? I loved my Nexus One dearly and the developer story is better than iPhone but the user experience is still inferior – sorry. The iPhone browser is also best-in-class. I might flip back to Android at some point we’ll see.

Which mobile startups have you got your eye on?

Chomp (@chomp) is up there – they are doing some really innovative / disruptive stuff with app discovery across platforms. Other cool start-ups I’m tracking these days include SwiftKey (@swiftkey) replacement keyboard for Android – One of the biggest things I miss about Android is my SwiftKey keyboard – it can predict what word you’re going to use next based on context and history – it’s uncanny. I’m very excited to see how @Clickslide develops. Finally, take a look at what Vox.io (@vox_io) is doing. These guys are trying to re-invent VoIP from the Web – and Slovenian CEO Tomaz Stolfa (@tomazstolfa) is a definite rising star.

What are you currently working on?

Building out the BlueVia platform is my new task at Telefónica Digital. I’ll be hiring product managers in Madrid and London and I’ll be working with our engineers to take BlueVia to the next level. In the process, I’m hoping to make it more Web-friendly. In my spare time, I’m ramping up on another @overtheair conference and hack-day with co-conspirators @mobilemaggie and @matthewcashmore – we’re aiming to do it at @bletchleypark again in early June – watch this space!

What will be the biggest opportunity in 2012?

I think “multi-screen” is a big opportunity and approach that will make itself clear in 2012. People are starting to consume services across different devices (PC / phone / tablet) according to context. In some cases, people are working across multiple screens during the same experiences – we’re seeing this with gaming and home entertainment, where kids are texting or using social networks on their phones and tablets while watching live TV – extending their experience of events. The Olympics games next summer will bring this type of experience into sharper focus as people around the world tune in across traditional and emerging social channels. The Web and Web technologies will be playing an emerging role here through emerging technologies being developed in W3C. (Hey, it’s me, so you knew there had to be plug for Web standards in there somewhere.)

Who are your 3 rockstars in mobile?

3 rock-stars. I’d go with Desigan Chinniah (@cyberdees) from Mozilla/Firefox – he’s making great strides in connecting the Web-centric Mozilla community together with the mobile community. Cathy Edwards (@CathyE) comes to mind. She’s CTO of (and the brains behind) one of my picks for hot app / startup, Chomp. Third rock-star … it’s tough because there are actually a lot of people working on very cool stuff right now, but my third choice would probably be Blaine Cook (@blaine). Blaine was one of the original engineering leads on Twitter. He invented OAuth. And now that he’s out from BT’s thumb he might have a better chance of making something truly disruptive and open happen in the social networking space – one to watch.

Who were you working for 10 years ago?

10 years ago is when I started working for Vizzavi, the joint venture between Vodafone and Vivendi. The technology platform we developed there became Vodafone Live!.

Who was/is your best boss?

I can’t say my current boss, Jose Valles (@joseValles49) because I’ve only worked for him for a week. It’s clearly, Reinhard Kreft (@rkreft) at Vodafone Group R&D. I worked with Reinhard on the launch of dotMobi, the W3C Mobile Web Initiative and many other industry-changing projects.

Who else should we interview?

Who else should you interview? How about Kevin McDonagh (@kevinmcdonagh)? He’s a successful entrepreneur. He’s the go-to guy for Android talent and expertise int he UK and he’s the organiser of the hugely successful DroidCon events in the UK.

Name, current job and company

Elvin Altun Noyan; MMA Turkey Co-Chair

What’s your app of the moment?

Blip Me, I have a few friends who likes practicing their singing skills and personalizing their messages accordingly.

What is your primary phone?

I-phone

Which mobile startups have you got your eye on?

Turkish app developer: i mobile code

Turkish mobile couponing solution provider: PENNA mobile soultions

Turkish mobile ad sales houses: mobilike

What are you currently working on?

Structuring MMA Turkey

What will be the biggest opportunity in 2012?

SoLoMo: “Social Location Mobile” has been one of my favorite saying recently. In addition to social and location, I would like to add Rich Media.
Rich Media in mobile is coming from every angle: smartphone penetration, mobile streaming, mobile tv…

Who are your 3 rockstars in mobile?

Melis Ertem cause she is the one that first introduced me to the mobile world.

Paul Berney cause he can speak on mobile in every continent.

Tomi Ahonen is simply the most inspiring mobile person I have met and listened to.

Who were you working for 10 years ago?

For my self in college.

Who was/is your best boss?

Even though I have had the opportunity to work with a lot of great minds in Turkcell, the most I have learned from have been our customers, brand managers & directors. This might sound like a cliche but my best bosses have been the customers.

Who else should we interview?

I think we need to have more brands speaking on mobile and on your precious blog. One suggestion is my fellow co-chair, Ozgur Kolukfaki of Unilever.

Name, current role, company

Nora Goodman/Creative-Suit and Conference Speaker/Cisco, Phillips, Whirlpool, Ogilvy – although none of them know it.

I am, @MsMobileConverg, although I should do a name change to @MsDeviceConverg or @MsMediaConverg, as that would more accurately describe me. I answer to a lot of clients and a lot of voices; some of whom and which are in my head, as first and foremost, I am a creative. A creative whose heart lies in digital media with a love for the mobile screen, and a passion for all things human and community with a firm foot in properly architected technology.

What’s your app of the moment?

Kindle for reading Plato and DH Lawrence; or maybe it’s my navigation app… each are incredibly important to me right now;

What is your primary phone?

Motorola Droid Bionic, yes, I am a droid-girl

What mobile start-ups have you got your eye on at the moment?

Mine! An IPTV and mobile tv/film channel for the independent producer;

What are you currently working on?

Integrating visual media as communication and marketing, and producing an edu-tainment and a transmedia program;

What will be the biggest opportunity in 2012?

The connected home.

Who are your 3 mobile rockstars?

1. You’ve already interviewed, Martin Wilson of Mobile Web Co (@indigo102; @mobilewebco – because he has, lives and breathes mobile with a keen understanding of search and seizing the retail moment of now, plus he introduced me to gin and tonics with a cucumber slice!;

2 – @ciscospmobility Cisco  because I applaud their understanding and desire for a proper and cost-effective means of infrastructure to insure delivery and quality of all that is cellular, wireless and video, and their appreciation of their customers;

3 – Lisa Ciangiulli @LisaCiangiulli – she completely understands the need for permission-based mobile marketing and strives to instill it.

Who did you work for 10 years ago?

Senior Citizens Television Network – Senior Executive (no pun intended…okay, pun intended)

Who was/is my best boss?

I don’t work for anyone, I have a policy about that … I work WITH them instead.  Side by side, is far better than behind and under … n’est ce pas?

Who else should you interview?

Let’s see … Thomas Jefferson, Socrates and Emperor Justinian are dead, you’ve interviewed my bf, Tomi Ahonen … so how about Gerd Leonard at @TheFuturesAgency or maybe, no, definitely Brian Groth the FourSquare Ambassador @BrianGroth www.BrianGroth.com, oh and Boingo @Boingo www.boingo.com – yes, I know they are a wireless company, but they really do so much for #mobile device connectivity when one is travelling!

[So those were the questions I asked. Below are some of the answers Nora gave to unasked questions!!]

What you didn’t ask, but may want to know about me:

The audience is my main concern and goal; any age, any platform, just as long as the #audience is able to gain value and glean a keen sense of accomplishment and have a great emotional experience.  The screen size never matters to me, tis the personalization that hits the hardest.  The ability to say what you need to say and to hold the audience and never give them a reason to look away … that’s success, that’s engagement; one person, one heart, one emotionally-driven moment at a time.

Why I like mobile (again, what you didn’t ask, but I felt compelled to tell you) and where I see it in the future:

I truly enjoy the addendum aspect of the mobile as a separate, yet integral device in platform and media convergence – information or entertainment or appware.  I believe the mobile is in an embryonic state when it comes to lifestyle value.  I look forward to the day when my devices, with the greatest of #UI ease, will connect my home, family and lifestyle with the single tap of a personalized communicative means. A means that will address all that is dear and necessary for my lifestyle; a truly connected home and hearth.  I look to the future when appliances and devices will have their own mind and will communicate with us rather than we having to initiate the communication with them first.

Other things you didn’t ask…:

My favorite color is purple, my nick-name is HollyRock, my favorite boss is filmmaker/TV Producer Dimitri Logothetis, my favorite teacher was Mr. Nathanson (English), my favorite instrument is the oboe and yes, I still play!, my favorite film studio is RKO, my favorite restaurant is Musso and Frank’s in Hollywood, my favorite app is the app that moves my day forward! My favorite flower is the gardenia, my favorite perfume is chanel no. 5.

And NOT a question you asked – what is my favorite mobile connected device

My favorite device is my mobile phone.  I adore being able to communicate, work and film all from my mobile device.  The immediacy of the communicative now and the personalization of the device is the greatest factor of my endearment.  The anytime, anyplace ability to accomplish is empowering; by freeing my mind to know that I “can” ”when and where ever”, if I so choose. To do anything while I am anywhere, because I have the power of technology and the passion to move forward.  With the mobile’s freedom of time and space also comes the ability and agility of #storytelling through #transmedia  creativity. A genuinely new medium of visual communication and art.  Brilliant. Bloody brilliant! My mind is fertile, exponential with ideas, and I am thrilled to be alive in this era of communication driven by mobile technology.