Topics on provisioning, standards, technology and life. http://www.incognito.com/blog December 11, 2012 I could never understand why someone would want the apple dessert from McDonald's. They sell burgers and fries, but oh, here's an apple pastry for just a couple of bucks more. When I finally succumbed to their marketing antics and ate one, I realized that McDonald's makes great burgers and fries, but if I want an apple turnover, there's a baker around the corner who specializes in pastry and does a much better job. And that's that. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/incognitosoftware/~3/t5TkBBt4QLM/want-some-provisioning-with-that http://www.incognito.com/blog/want-some-provisioning-with-that December 4, 2012 These days, there seems to be an app for anything. Whether it's an app for a smartphone or desktop, every app starts with with a vision that can only be realized through the systems that connect the device to various data and services. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/incognitosoftware/~3/gUtvw-sXeWg/a-truly-open-api http://www.incognito.com/blog/a-truly-open-api November 29, 2012 We're hearing more and more about the need for companies to be agile these days. Technology and industry standards continue to evolve, and as a service provider, you need to be agile in your service developments and offerings. But what does it really mean to be agile http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/incognitosoftware/~3/TlYsh-9amqE/agile-companies http://www.incognito.com/blog/agile-companies November 27, 2012 I don't rant very often but I will today. Over the last 20 years, the industry has built a large number of electronic consumables. These are generally home devices that bring you high-speed data, voice, and video. If you look at the landscape, you can see that most of these technologies are supported by an industry-built standard protocol. These include DOCSIS, RADIUS, PacketCable, SIP, and a number of encoding schemes for voice and video. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/incognitosoftware/~3/avNedv8X_w8/to-sip-or-not-to-sip http://www.incognito.com/blog/to-sip-or-not-to-sip November 22, 2012 If you look around today, you will find plenty of auto configuration server (ACS) vendors in the marketplace. While there has been an explosion of TR-069 devices, at the same time, there has also been an increase in the perceived lack of ACS support. I don't think that this a result of a lack of vendors but rather because many hardware vendors feel the need to provide an ACS with their devices. When you look under the hood of these packaged ACSs, you might be surprised to see where they came from. I have seen several vendors promote open-source ACSs, while others have licensed dated products. Another prevalent problem stems from "free" ACS software. I have heard of a number of cases lately where customers have ACS software bundled with devices, only to realize that their device is not supported. The customer is then forced to go out and buy a real ACS after wasting their time tinkering around with the "free" ACS. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/incognitosoftware/~3/L9j5cVkfJqQ/is-this-your-acs http://www.incognito.com/blog/is-this-your-acs November 20, 2012 I recently read a quote from marketer Seth Godin that really resonated with our support philosophy. For Godin, the simplest customer service frustration of all is: "Why isn't this as important to you as it is to me?" Whether you sell a product or provide a service, if you have customers, this question should be your guiding light. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/incognitosoftware/~3/9_UW6A2OJ6w/whats-your-support-motto http://www.incognito.com/blog/whats-your-support-motto November 15, 2012 I've spoken before about the benefits of a full-service TR-069 solution. Although this technology has been around for a few years now, I'm really excited about its potential to benefit the end user, your subscriber. And after all, the goal should always be to deliver a high quality of service and keep your customers happy. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/incognitosoftware/~3/VyCiHolxiO4/deliver-first-class-subscriber-service-with-tr-069 http://www.incognito.com/blog/deliver-first-class-subscriber-service-with-tr-069 November 13, 2012 Prepaid services have been used across the globe for 20 years, particularly in the mobile services industry, where prepaid has helped deliver service to the masses in developing countries. Today, prepaid is surging forward in developed economies, with the New Millenium Research Council predicting that one in three US mobile users will use prepaid services by the end of next year. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/incognitosoftware/~3/ZZsVNTcMkbw/drive-new-revenue-with-prepaid-services http://www.incognito.com/blog/drive-new-revenue-with-prepaid-services November 8, 2012 Attending SCTE Cable-Tec Expo is a ritual that I look forward to each year. While it might not be quite like going to the Oscars, it sure felt like I was part of something special. Each year, SCTE Cable-Tec Expo attracts more and more attendees from around the globe, with international attendance up three percent this year from last. It didn't matter where you were from, once you arrived, you instantly became part of a community that drives the evolution, advancement, and convergence of communications and entertainment. This three-day expo allows people in the cable industry to collaborate and share new ideas, catch up with old friends, and network with new ones - and this year did not disappoint. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/incognitosoftware/~3/J_OMD_ROOTs/highlights-from-scte-cable-tec-expo http://www.incognito.com/blog/highlights-from-scte-cable-tec-expo November 8, 2012 It has been four and a half months since World IPv6 launch, where do service providers stand on IPv6 readiness? Here's an update from one of our own customers: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/incognitosoftware/~3/l5WLtZFPulM/an-ipv6-update http://www.incognito.com/blog/an-ipv6-update