There is a whole whack of news that comes out of CES each and every year.
During this week of the show I will pick out a couple of news items that are out of the box. And, I know that is saying something given that this show is all about out of the box thinking and innovation.
The first comes from Alcatel-Lucent and its partner ICO Global Communications. They demonstrated in Las Vegas a fully integrated satellite-terrestrial network. This network is intended for mobile video and interactive two-way communications. This trial is only in the U.S. and is powered by one of the largest commercial satellites ever launched. You can see a video of the launch here.
Now the only question I have with this is that one of the areas ICO and Alcatel are targeting are cars. They did successfully demonstrate what it can do in a front seat environment that did not compromise driver safety. In this case the passenger watched the broadcast, while the driver navigated the automobile. While I applaud their effort, I think this is a bad move because it will give people who already use their PDAs or apply make up when driving a car that they can handle both. As I driver I know I can’t handle driving and the cell phone let alone watching sports highlights as I get to work.
I see more and more people having trouble walking and using their handheld devices. Don’t get me wrong. It is great to have this kind of technology available, but it must be used with some common sense.
Another video product also hit my eye at CES. It comes from a traditional innovative source 3M.
3M unveiled the MM200, a new design in the company’s expanding miniature projection product line. The MM200 offers amazing colour and VGA resolution and it is as big as my pinky finger.
Last year, 3M showed off a similar mobile projection engine at CES and has gone a step further in providing what is in essence an overhead projector that is incredibly portable.
The intent of the MM 200 is to be used with a cell phone or handheld device that can project potentially a 50-inch image. It uses up very little power; only one watt. For more you can check it out here.
I remember many years ago an article by a fellow named Sir Real about a futuristic device as big as a women’s compact that could project a large image anywhere. Well it did not take that long did it?
A lot of quick hits to start the New Year.
Big news out of Microsoft as long time senior executive Bob Muglia will be named president. His responsibilities will not change. He will still be the head of the server and tools division. Muglia, who joined Microsoft way back in 1988, will become the fourth employee at the software giant to achieve a president’s title. I have interviewed Muglia a couple of times and listened to his speeches many other times and I congratulate him.
I would be remiss if I did not comment on Dell’s major re-org. Out are Mike Cannon as president of Operations and Mark Jarvis, the head of marketing. I have interviewed Jarvis a few times while he was at Oracle and I am surprised at that move for sure because Jarvis is a high energy type of leader that has been able to get things done in his career.
Dell has created three product groups: Enterprise, Public and SMB. Dell’s channel chief Greg Davis, his boss; Paul Bell will now be in charge of the Public division. What that means for Dell’s channel plans is anyone’s guess. The Enterprise group will be in the hands of Steve Schuckenbrock, who was Dell’s CIO. The SMB division will be Steve Felice’s responsibility. He was most recently in charge of Dell’s Asia-Pac subsidiaries.
Lastly Jon Neville has been appointed the new GM of the Enterprise VPN Users Association.