Service providers are trying to find new ways to bundle fixed phone service, broadband access, IPTV, and mobility while learning how to more efficiently deliver converged multimedia services. Meanwhile, they are experiencing increased competition from both traditional carriers and nontraditional entrants that are leveraging Web 2.0 technologies to deliver innovative new services. The result? Telecom executives are looking for new ways to collaborate in order to compete more successfully as they continue to evolve their business models.

This session will discuss how service providers can leverage Web 2.0 technologies to establish a collaborative environment that enables new, cost-effective business models. We'll also illustrate how telecoms can leverage social networking techniques to foster innovation in their companies.

Attendees will learn the following:

• What the key requirements are for fostering innovation
• What the benefits are of a Web 2.0 environment to telecoms
• How Web 2.0 affects the launch and management of trials for new services
• How to organize employees, partners, developers, and subscribers into a collaborative community using Web 2.0 tools.

Geoff Parkins Solutions Manager, Industry Platforms and Frameworks, Global Telecommunications Industry IBM

Mr. Parkins has global responsibility for managing IBM's business portfolio and strategic initiatives for industry platforms and frameworks, including industry standards strategies and solutions governance for telecom service providers. Most recently, he expanded his role to include the impact of Web 2.0 technologies and the associated culture shift on IBM's telecom customers' business models with an emphasis on social networks and consumer-generated content.

Alberto Baravaglio Service Layer and Messaging Innovation Telecom Italia

Mr. Baravaglio's research activities deal with the relation between Web 2.0 and telcos. He has been working in European projects in the Sixth Framework Programme, mainly SPICE and OPUCE. Mr. Baravaglio joined Telecom Italia Lab in 1995, where he worked in several domains: IT, telco, and mixed. He first worked on ERP systems and system integration and participated in several research projects in service lifecycle management, dealing with new paradigms of service creation, execution, and invocation. Mr. Baravaglio graduated in computer science at University of Turin.

Patricia Lopes Vice President, Marketing Alcatel-Lucent

Ms. Lopes heads a team supporting customers in creating an effective environment to develop, launch, and manage applications and services as vice president of Services Transformation at Alcatel-Lucent. Prior to joining Alcatel-Lucent, she led an ASP and was a strategic management consultant with Booz Allen & Hamilton. Ms. Lopes holds an M.Sc. in management of technology from MIT Sloan.

Zygmunt Lozinski Technical Leader IBM

Mr. Lozinski is responsible for IBM's solutions for telecom operators in SDP, IMS, and NGN security as they move to next-generation networks. His major interest is in the application of modern software technology to the next-generation network: Web 2.0 models in the telecom industry, including the linking of social networks and virtual worlds with existing communications networks, new architectural approaches such as SOA in the design of the service layer and the SDP, software technology such as Web services and Java for service creation, and carrier-grade middleware in the development of network platforms.

Ron Raffensperger Director, Core Network Marketing Huawei

Mr. Raffensperger has more than 30 years of experience in product management and marketing positions in the telecom industry. Prior to Huawei, he was senior vice president of marketing for Sylantro Systems, a U.S.-based provider of advanced voice applications. Mr. Raffensperger has held senior positions at Network Focus, Siemens, ROLM/IBM, Telebit Corporation, and General Telephone. He was also vice president of marketing at Objectivity and vice president of sales and services at Upshot. He earned a B.S.E.E. from Iowa State University and attended the M.B.A. program at Santa Clara University.