By Wedge Greene and Barbara Lancaster, LTC Internaional

Toward the end of every TMW show, the old timers get together in small groups to informally recap and “judge” the success of the show.  This year the consistent view was that the service providers, analysts and old time vendors considered it a success.  The active vendors on the Expo floor were somewhat more reserved or (should that be realistic?), noting that all deals take a long time to close.  Anyway, by Thursday noon, everyone was exhausted; a clear indication that minds and bodies were kept at a marathon pace for 3-4 days.  This was a working meeting and while interacting with peers is among the greatest of pleasures, no one could consider this meeting a junket.

It was a well-attended conference with some 1500 members of the OSS/BSS community converging in Dallas, Texas for the biannual conference of the TeleManagement Forum,And the TeleManagement World (TMW) Americas.  The number of attendees and the number of vendors (near 80) on the Expo floor gives a strong indication that the American OSS/BSS market is emerging form its long doldrums.  While still well below the record attendance figures at the height of the bubble, when sheer size drove the TMW to the larger conference facilities in Las Vegas, this year’s attendance represents a large growth over last year in vendor booths (sprinkled with a few organizations and providers) and an increase of about 300 in the number of attendees.

Likely because of the universal cuts in business travel and conference budgets, the two TMWs have evolved to become more like two annual regional events, rather than the “twice-a-year cannot-be-missed” event it was from 1997 – 2002.  The fall/winter Americas show is still much smaller than the spring European show.  Not all of the size difference is attributable to the more desirable conference venue of Nice, France over Dallas, Texas.  The shows echo the effects of the much deeper crash in America and the slower climb back.  As a result, in America, things are just waking up.  And that metaphor is a good one for this show - it felt like most participants were still a little sleepy and doing their morning stretches.  A few early risers were preparing for a morning run, but most were still on their first cup of coffee and quietly contemplating the world.  The speakers were vocal, mostly insightful, sometimes strident, but the audiences were for the most part quiet and attentive.  When the audiences get strident and the speakers attentive, then the TMW show will begin to rock again.

Inside the TMF Advisory Board Meeting

This is the meeting at which the TMF staff provides a formal progress report of the past half year to the TMF member leadership.  While the size of the board has remained constant, the number of advisors has significantly increased over the last few years - reflecting the large influx of new members which now totals more than 500.  However, the typical new member is small and cannot devote the resources to the TMF that once rapidly advanced interoperation agreements.  Mergers and acquisitions have reduced the number of large American and European providers, but the Forum has successfully attracted a broader range of company types and a significant new membership from East Europe and the Asia pacific region.  Cable companies are now joining and a new TMF marketing effort is targeting media companies with IPTV tie-ins and significant web presences (MSNBC News sent a keynote speaker, but he did not warm to the TMF product).  Among groups still conspicuously absent are the American replacements to the