Counting the days until LinkedIn Opens.

While those who know me will never accuse me of having product development skills, I like to think that I can at least appreciate good development when I see it (or use it). With so much 'Open' talk these days though - from Google all the way to Verizon, of all companies - it's getting more difficult for someone of my skills to evaluate just how open platforms or products are going to be.

Facebook has clearly set the bar for openness; every time I log in I see a boatload of new widgets and applications to ignore. Given Google's track record I have to assume that their open, will be really open - as long as it can sell more advertising. As for Verizon, the jury is surely out by what I read. Great concept and a great step for telephony, but they are after all an 'old' phone company.

This brings me to LinkedIn, something I have used since well before the average person felt obliged to try it. And while I like it, I have pined for it to be more meaningful in my broader networking efforts. Yes, it gives me a simple way to grow my posse, but my access to people in my network - or worse, to those once removed from me - is the furthest thing from instant. Some time ago, they announced 'open' intent, but with few details. Still few details are available to this day. We are starting to see some external movement around it, including the SightSpeed announcement I posted about earlier this week. But nothing yet that has changed my LinkedIn experience.

I want presence in my LinkedIn. I want to know when people in my network are online so I can quickly IM, voice or video communicate with them to achieve whatever networking benefit I am after. This may even accelerate the process of getting in touch with those separated from me by a degree or two. Today, I just don't bother anymore if the target is not in my own network.

Because of the job they have done in building these personal databases, there are many other wonderful 'open' possibilities. Conference calling, SMS, integration to your corporate UC applications, to name a few. But this brings me full circle - I just don't know how open is open. Lets hope it's wide. I want a better LinkedIn.

What to wear to a video conference?

In my daily quest to convert mere phone users to video callers, I often get the same rookie push-back: Video sounds cool but then I would have get dressed for my conference calls. Not so. Yes, you should wear something but just because someone can see your face, does not mean you need to be in a suit. Besides, video (at the desktop at least) is built for home office folks. And we don't have dress codes, as my clients remind me every time I forget to shave. Maybe a mirror next to screen would not be a bad idea...

SightSpeed - evangelists themselves - recently published a Top Ten of how to prepare for the video world, from the equipment you need through to what you should wear. Yet another push for those of you not yet being seen over the Internet.

As for me, well I converted two new video users in the last month. And they are officially addicts.

Videoconferencing for everyone.

My rant on video continues. With a little support from my friends at Skype and SightSpeed (although they in themselves may not be friends...). While companies like Tandberg, Polycom and others continue to change the way innovative enterprises communicate, there is plenty of help on the way for small business.

As with so much else in telecom today, video is coming to the SMB in the form of SaaS (see my acronym post for more on this). SightSpeed, long a leader in the delivery of high-quality, low cost video-calling has stepped up its offer significantly to push video past it's novelty phase. With productivity features like multi-user calls and online file sharing - on top of its indisputable video quality - SightSpeed makes a very good case for adding video to your monthly telecom spend. By this time next year, you'll be hard pressed to find laptop without a web-cam built right in, eliminating to the only real barrier to adoption. But it is truly a try-it-to-believe-it phenomenon. As I have repeated before, once you use video, a plain old phone call seems pretty light.

SightSpeed Business, it's called. I am still testing it and will report back.

Skype - ironically - announced a deal with Logitec around the same time the SightSpeed Business product was released. Using Skype video and some new equipment from Logitec (around $100), supposedly you can go full screen with any degradation. I must say, that would indeed be impressive. I did not receive my trial camera as yet...To learn more about this, go here.

My Big Video Day

What a day for video conferencing. At least in my life. This morning I caught up with Peter Csathy, CEO of SightSpeed - a superb IPVT start-up in Berkley - and got a heads up on his new 'For Business' solution. Some early details can be found here. Looks to me like they have hit the sweet spot by delivering collaboration features that SMB's need at prices they can afford. Worth a try for anyone who hasn't yet.

This afternoon I met with Tandberg, a leading manufacturer of enterprise video conferencing solutions. In fact, as of just recently, now the leader in market share. Ahead of Polycom. Wow - what a user experience. It was like being next door. The meeting I had with them was without question one I would have normally travelled 5,000 miles for. Not necessary. Sorry, United Airlines, not this week.

Video continues to emerge.

Life without Skype.

Wow. A Skype meltdown. While I was buried in the Canadian woods with only dial-up to choose from – which I chose against – Skype finally went down. Microsoft mistake, it seems.

While I was sheltered from the meltdown, millions other were not so lucky. Bad timing, really. Skype and its partners are increasingly trying to convince business users that they are more than just a family and friends solution. But in business, we have little – if any – patience for service interruptions. If we can’t put up with dial up anymore, we certainly can’t be without our dial tone.

As an offshoot, it has been fascinating to watch as competitors move without hesitation to take advantage of others’ failures. AT&T win-backs from Vonage. Everybody soaking up SunRocket’s customers. SightSpeed and others reaching out immediately to Skype users. Sometimes we forget that the Internet is in fact a double edge sword; it enables to business to both win and lose at warp speeds.

I use Skype for Business. Kind of.

Perhaps it's Bay Area arrogance, but it still surprises me whenever I run into to someone who asks me - with a straight face - what Skype is. I don't use Skype because it's cheap; I use it because it's productive. It's my core IM service and, because I have clients who use it, increasingly I use it for video. SightSpeed probably delivers better quality in this regard but as these are peer-to-peer applications, I use what people ask me to.

This said, I don't use SkypeIn and I don't use any of the endless options for Skype Mobile. And hence my point for today. While I am an above average Skype user, I sense I take advantage of a lot fewer partner services then they would like. And there are plenty, as was brought to my attention by a response to a Jeff Pulver challenge last week. Have a look at all these Partners .

So get on Skype for Business. And have a second (or first) look at all that you can do with it. You'll still be one of the first, in the big picture. Just don't use it for conference calls.