Due to a minor issuette with the Spanish DSL network that I am using while at 3GSM, yesterday's post was unavailable (anyone in Spain who wishes to have the function of critical network elements such as the DNS explained to them is invited to contact me and for a small sum I will explain). However just as with day 2, day 3 was busy with deals and sicussions happening everywhere.
Anyway to get down to the niitty gritty, it was suggested that I explain what I meant by giving the "Booth-Babe" award to CBOSS, I trust the image below is sufficient - note the large open space completely unfilled by CBOSS marketing folks keen to extol the benefits of their wares.
Other minor amusements concerned German giant Siemens. Firstly there was the intriguing joint venture to provide sponsorship of the roof support with Nokia
Then there was the case of Huawei & the Shanghai Maglev, which is the fastest ground based public transportation service in the world.
Huawei, as any reader of the trade press knows, demonstrated an interesting attitude to Intellectual Property rights with regard to the routers of a little company called Cisco and, although it seems that they have subsequently recognised that copyright and patent are indeed important ideas that deserve respect, they still seem unclear on the concept of correct attribution. As the photo illustrates they appear to be taking credit in their marketing material for the works of others since the Shanghai Maglev technology was developed and the lead parts constructed by a large German company beginning with S and so far as I know Huawei contributed nothing to the porject.
One thing that did most definitely strike me was the absence of certain companies. Last time I mentioned that Americans were thin on the ground, this time I think I'll be more specific. Firstly Google was absent from the exhibition hall (although I believe it did have a private meeting room somewhere). Now Google is not exactly a mobile phone supplier but it certainly is a mobile content provider and hence, given that 3GSM is the leading gathering for Mobile Operators one might have expected a little more publicity. Given that Skype has made all sorts of remarks about WiFi and VOIP and given that even giants like Nokia got around to annoucing WiFi and VOIP enabled phones Skype's absense was also rather surprising. I think it is true that Skype is hyped a lot but its absence allowed ts competitors free rein to say what they will without fear of contradiction.
The most common prize giveway at the show is an iPod - despite the lack of Apple A common and highly valued freebie is a USB flash drive - PS thanks very much Scottish Development International for both the flash drive and the wee drams but no thanks for the piper.
SDI, by the way, seems symptomatic as there are a lot of county or region specific booths where government development departments have sponsored the space to present what they hope are promising startups. As well as Scotland there were also country booths from at least Ireland, the UK, Finland, Sweden, Holland, Hungary, Iceland and two regions of France: Brittany and Sophia Antipolis.