Telecom 99 - the final analysis

This year's Telecom show in Geneva (10-16 October) represented the biggest ever coming together of the computing and telecoms worlds. And believe it or not, despite the utter madness of 200,000 people and hundreds of companies all pursuing their own agendas at the event, it did highlight some of the major issues of the day.

First, IT is sexier than telecoms - at least when you can tell the difference. We've all heard about the telecoms mega-mergers, the billion dollar market capitalisations and so on, but when it comes to the masses turning up for a keynote address, IT wins hands down.

Telecom 99 - four years on from the last event where the birth of the Web and deregulation were still big news - saw Bill Gates, Larry Ellison and Carly Fiorina pull in the punters.

By comparison, words from AT&T boss C Michael Armstrong and various other telecoms bosses didn't cause the same excitement.

Perhaps the answer lies in what the computing people had to say. Both Gates and Ellison, normally a sure bet for conflict, agreed that the mobile device - and mobile Internet access in particular - is The Next Big Thing.

Speaking at the opening of the Interactive Summit, which was set-up to complement the established event, Oracle CEO Ellison charmed the socks off the mainly European audience by claiming: "You're smarter than us [Americans]" - apparently because Europeans have adopted mobile technology ahead of PCs.

He forecast Europe will soon overtake the US in terms of Internet usage because the Net will be used from mobile devices.

Alcatel, Motorola, Ericsson, Nokia and others - in spite of having fingers in many pies - all see mobile Internet access and services as a huge opportunity, as of course do the dozens of other companies at the show involved with WAP (Wireless Application Protocol). For content providers and operators with mobile ventures, it's also a no-brainer. Nice to have some kind of consensus amongst such confusion.

So what about the future of the event? Ever since the show's inception a few decades back, there have been the 'never again' conversations. But Telecom will continue - nearly everyone there and some of this year's high-profile absentees (BT, IBM and Orange) are already making plans - but what form will the event take?

While there are those that would like to see Telecom moved to a bigger city with simple things like better roads (Berlin is in the running for next time), Geneva is likely to hold the crown because of its international qualities, tax breaks and tradition.

Several vendors, understandably, are looking for a more focused event or series of events - but there are bound to be those who'd still feel the need to attend everything.

Marketers from one next-generation telco told Silicon.com that they already have their planning underway for next time, even though they don't know yet the precise nature of their involvement.

Others claim the day of the telecoms Olympics is over - the industry just moves too fast, and the rate of change is more like four months than four years.

However, Steve Pallavicini, VP of marketing services at DSL specialists Pairgain, insisted: "Four years from now, all these people will be knocking each other over trying to get the biggest and best stands and grab the limelight."

And from the nose-bleed inducing heights of the seven floor Motorola stand, Tim Stone, VP and director, wireless Internet applications, told Silicon.com: "When we're here next time, we won't all be dressed in suits, but relaxed, like we work for Internet companies - because that's what we'll all be."