eComm - rethinking the thinking -

I’m looking forward to eComm on March 12 to 14. Although I had to wonder about “radical innovation” tied to Skype, Google and Ribbit.

eComm™ is a brand new telecom event for those interested in radical innovation and seizing the next opportunity wave. Skype will open day one, Google day two and Ribbit day three. eComm2008: Emerging Communications Conference

This is where I start to wonder… nope. They are big names indeed although not quite where the innovation is. By eComm we will know the outcome of the AppleSDK launch for iPhone. I’d also expect there will be more coming from Symbian in time. (Note David Beckemeyer’s comments on Nokia’s certification approach).

So my quick rethinking of the thinking.
1. Mobile Interfaces - We are at a really disruptive phase. (They are likely to smash the IM / Client style paradigm we have been expecting. Yet Apple will not be mentioned but in the pocket of more than 50% of the audience.
2. API’s and Mashups - Ribbit is but one. More are coming; how many are really required? What makes them really different?
3. Presence / Access /Identity: I see some of these themes there; I’m not sure I see the deeper “Directory” innovation.
4. Too little is done around billing. In a world of micro and free; billing seems to be both boring and why real options get limited. Someone with some billing smarts should step forward and empower the rest of us.