Letter from the Editor

By: Tim Young

“Do not fear mistakes. There are none.”
- Miles Davis

“Without a deadline, baby, I wouldn’t do nothing.”
- Duke Ellington

You know, somewhere between these quotes from two of the greatest jazz musicians who ever lived, I think there’s a pretty solid lesson about innovation.

Miles says there are no mistakes. I guess that’s true in jazz—but a little less true in technology. I mean, fail fast, sure, but eventually the idea is to succeed, right? At some point, you may need to at least glimpse at the proverbial sheet music. Because eventually, you need to deliver. That’s the deadline, baby. That keeps us honest.

Innovation is all about finding that balance. Reaching for great heights, but understanding that an idea can’t be transformative if it never leaves the whiteboard.

In this issue of Pipeline, we explore a cross-section of innovative ideas in the communications space: brain-machine interface, AI, open optical systems, distributed intelligence, IoT, and lots more. We examine network trends for the future, track the next advances in customer experience management, and discuss how innovation requires exploration.

Enjoy.

Tim Young
Editor-in-Chief