Letter from the Editor

By: Tim Young - do not use (default)

“Get your motor runnin’, head out on the highway. Lookin’ for adventure, in whatever comes our way ...”

—Steppenwolf, “Born to Be Wild” (1968)

There’s something special about a really good driving song. Standbys like Golden Earring’s “Radar Love” or “Take It Easy” by the Eagles have helped the miles melt away for countless motorists over the years. I’ve had a few, including Kings of Leon’s “Back Down South” and M83’s “Midnight City,” on regular rotation during long drives lately, and they tend to make the whole experience just a little more enjoyable.

What is it about songs like that? Ones that inject that extra something into an otherwise workaday activity have a transformative power. They remind you just how free you are; you’re untethered and capable of making your own way.

It’s too bad no one seems to write songs about mobile communications that have that same power. I’m sure there are a few about cell phones that are aimed at the tween crowd, but for all the mobility they permit, these devices really haven’t been given their musical due. Phones and other networked devices tend to be characterized less as tools of freedom through mobility than anchors that prevent true freedom from coming about.

That’s not fair, is it? Sure, mobile devices can make it seem like you’re never truly out of the office or disconnected from the world, but they also enable people all over the world to avoid the drudgery of chained-to-a-static-location centralized work and play and instead access entertainment, productivity and communications anytime and anywhere.

While mobile technology has become much more ubiquitous, the true mobile experience is only now beginning to emerge for most users. In this issue of Pipeline we talk about how CSPs can continue to enhance that experience for their end users, all while ensuring that those customers get what they pay for and remain loyal customers.

We’ll explore the complexities of bandwidth management and check out how examples of truly disruptive mobile strategies are providing important lessons for carriers of all stripes. We’ll reach into the mobile cloud to get the lowdown on monetization and talk about the role automation continues to play in innovation. We’ll catch a glimpse of how Rich Communication Services (RCS) are enabling the next generation of mobile services and discuss how mobile demand is being answered through innovative backhaul strategy. We’ll talk small cells, mobile money, self-organizing networks (SON), and mobile CEM, and we’ll bring you all of the latest news and opinion in the CommIT space.

So get your motor runnin’. We’ve got a long way to go.

Best,

Tim Young
Editor-in-Chief