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Competition. It's the hallmark of a healthy market and a boon for innovation. It's the foundation of capitalism.

And it can be really, really scary.

Not always scary in a bad way, but certainly unsettling for companies that, for years, have enjoyed market domination. For years, now, Pipeline has devoted an issue to the ongoing struggle between cablecos and telcos, who are, increasingly, battling for the same bits of market-share. Moreover, we were planning on speaking to the proverbial second front that both types of companies have been dealing with from over-the-top providers.

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I used to hate Skype.

See, I had this job where I worked remotely, but if you weren't logged-in to Skype, you weren't considered to be 'in the office'. This meant that we were all effectively chained to our desks. What's the point of telecommuting if I have to be in the office all the time? As far as I'm concerned, there isn't one. That's why I think the new Verizon Wireless-Skype partnership is groundbreaking (If only it was in effect when I had that lousy job). This relationship is perhaps the first major example of an incumbent carrier embracing and implementing the new, 4G-like service model – not just wireless broadband capacity - we've all been talking about for the past few years. Moving Skype, a voice-centric app, onto the VZW 3G network effectively breaks down network, geographic, carrier, and billing barriers to provide a seamless, community-oriented service for the sake of creating new value for customers. It also helps sell data plans in a smart and tangible way.

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This month, we got a number of reminders that consumers continue to want all the functionality they have at home and at the office available anytime, anywhere. Video and other mobile applications will continue to accelerate, as the presentations, announcements, and product launches at CTIA Wireless 2010 showed, which, of course, means a corresponding increased need for OSS/BSS services.

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What made Henry Ford special?

He didn't invent the automobile. Karl Benz is generally considered the inventor of the modern automobile, though even he was preceded by electric and steam-powered vehicles dating back to the late 17^th century.

He didn't necessarily even "invent" the assembly line, per se. Clock manufacturers, Chicago meatpackers, and even, by some accounts, Venetian shipbuilders utilized assembly lines, in one way or another.

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In their quest for market share, telcos and MSOs have become serious competitors as each has crossed over their traditional market lines, leaving both to focus on triple play, quadruple play, Ethernet services to businesses, IPTV, video on demand and the digital home. Telcos have targeted residential services with fiber to the home initiatives like Verizon's FiOS and AT&T U-Verse.

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Leveraging the power of multi-processing technologies requires OSS/BSS providers to overhaul the entire application architecture

For years, software developers and hardware manufacturers have been looking forward – dreaming – of the day that these two independent pursuits would finally come together and realize the power in their combined quest.

As processing speeds have continued to increase and applications have eagerly gobbled up that additional power, the outer limits of silicon's base properties are being reached. The heat generated by faster processing speeds would, ultimately, lead chips to self-destruct in a blaze of glory.

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Every May for the last 10 years, TM Forum has put together its showcase of many of the most interesting voices in the OSS/BSS space. With a level of specificity and focus that few other events demonstrate, we can honestly say that Management World has solidified its spot as a preeminent show for the OSS/BSS set.

The setting, of course, doesn't hurt. The show will take place May 18-20 in Nice, France (and, I think it's safe to say that late May is a swell time to head to the Riviera). However, it's the crowd that makes the trip worthwhile, from a business standpoint. In a time when other events shrink or disappear, altogether, we are watching with interest to see whether this year's Management World can match last year's attendance.

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Appearances by leading cable industry CTOs and CIOs will highlight a deep technical program at The Cable Show 2010 in Los Angeles, May 11-13.

With a thematic focus on the future of television, The Cable Show 2010 will offer 12 technology-themed panel discussions, including plenary sessions featuring CTOs and CIOs from top cable operating companies. They'll discuss investment priorities and key initiatives for 2010 and beyond.

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Cableco vs Telco

"It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles."

Competition is a brutal, beautiful thing. It rewards the strong and punishes the weak (and, along the way, creates opportunity for the clever and the lucky). It rips through market segments like wildfire and, like those deadly blazes, allows the strongest and sturdiest to emerge victorious.