Successful African blogger and entrepreneur Isaac Twumasi Quantus says, “As growth opportunities diminish in domestic markets, companies in developed countries are increasingly shifting their attention to Africa and other emerging economies, which are touted as the markets of the future. According to management consultant McKinsey & Co, Africa currently offers the highest rates of return in the developing world and companies that enter the continent early will have great opportunities to create markets, establish brands and long-term relationships.”

Now, that is taking care of your company’s health and longevity. Same-same goes no where.

Ilissa Miller of Jaymie Scotto and Associates surveys telephony-related industry persons and recently when asking women what gets in their way of professional success, it appears to be quite often the lack of willingness to actively network. In fact, joint ventures between unlikely entities is what Techistan is pushing for … to change the world of business, to open up and use the new opportunities that are right in front of eyes. How can you and I, we and them … do that without networking? And yes, one will have to network with those who are different from anyone one has ever networked or completed a joint venture with.

In fact, at ITEXPO West 2010 in San Francisco, in an interview between Jonathan Sowah of AstraQom and Suzuki of Takenaka Partners discussed angel investors, mergers, acquisitions, buyouts and investments between USA and Japan. The conclusion between the two was that a lot of time is spent in evaluating how closely can the two cultures of the potential investor/investee or merger or acquisition get along for a successful future.

“Joint ventures are on the rise as global companies refocus on expansion plans that were shelved following the global economic crisis. The upswing in this mode of market entry, according to auditing firm KPMG, is expected to continue … With Africa’s vast natural resources, commodities and huge market remaining the overwhelming attractions, the most popular mode of entry for investors venturing into Africa today is a unique hybrid form defined by the spike of foreign direct investment from China … We are now seeing a growing trend of private Chinese entrepreneurial and investment activity in several African countries. Brazil, Russia and India – the BRIC countries along with China – have emulated the Chinese model of investing in Africa.

Establishing a joint venture can spread risks and provide valuable insight into a new market. A good example of this is the developments in the mobile telecommunications market where many operators are forming joint ventures to share networks, thereby reducing risk and financing costs,” says Isaac Twumasi Quantus. The African telecom sector is in the middle of mind-blowing transformation especially in the areas where they are ahead of the rest of the world, the convergence of telecommunications, financial services and information technology.

(Think PaymotTech and Paytoo mobile wallet success since November 2010, with millions of customers worldwide and the technology giant Google plans to roll out theirs in August 2011.) Check out Kenya’s mobile phone operator Safaricom and Equity Bank. They provide M-Kesho which enables its users to manage their interest-earning bank accounts via cell phones. Would be nice if they would offer their African clients international phone numbers (virtual phone lines or numbers) to compliment their businesses, too.

The last statement of Isaac Twumasi Quantus resounds exactly the premise of this writing, “The most fundamental criteria firms must adhere to are a financial and strategic fit in order to create a win-win relationship. However, extensive experience with alliances and joint ventures tells us that cultural coherence and the partners’ prior alliance experience are major factors predicting success. Every company entering a joint venture must be aware of the control it chooses to share.”

Forget the “glass ceiling.” Network like crazy. Find partners you can trust and be a success. Visit Techistan International Awards now to apply for the area or areas you and/or your company or others excel in. Be a winner in 2011.

Never a dull moment at Techistan and DIDXchange headquarters in the virtual and physical worlds! What an informative talk with two bright business people of the user-empowering company Golden Frog: Liz Kintzele, the Director of Sales and Affiliate Marketing at Golden Frog, Inc., and also Sunday Yokubaitis, the President. Where did Techistan meet them? At one of Jaymie Scotto and Associates’ Telecom OneonOne events during the week of ITEXPO East 2011.

Questions, topics and a summary of the discussion follow. Listen to the DIDX audio podcast interview to hear the complete interview.  

1. What is Golden Frog? What is a VPN, and what does it enable?

The company develops software. It was originally based in the Caymans with a service called VyprVPN. A VPN secures one’s connection to the Internet and to increase privacy. Probably most people think of a corporate VPN.

Golden Frog’s VPN product is a personal VPN for consumers to use while traveling, in a coffee shop, or any time they need increased privacy on the increasingly public Internet.

2. Who would be the typical customers? A description of them?

Sunday shares that the typical VPN consumer customer is a little more tech-savvy than most for various reasons. This person may realize how insecure the Internet really is such as one’s traffic can be tracked and one’s location can be targeted. These customers are sensitive to privacy, more so in Europe and Middle East than in the USA.

3. What areas of the world is this most popular in and why do you think that is so?

Privacy, security and/or freedom.

“Three reasons that people are using it. A desire for increased privacy first. We use the metaphor of “drawing the shades at home for complete privacy.” You are in your home, so you’re not anonymous. People know where you live, but you just want a little more privacy while you are out in the public Internet,” Mr. Yokubaitis responds.

People can prevent geo-targeting, hide their location and IP address. Looking at some of the geo-political stuff that has occurred around the world in the last 12 months … customers want to assert their individual rights.

Second reason is security which is probably the most common reason people use VPNs. For example, when we access our bank account online in a public place such as a coffee shop … we may want to secure that last mile of the Internet. Stop third party snooping into my connection. This encryption of the VPN secures your entire Internet connection: your email, the web …

The final reason is what we call freedom. The public Internet is increasingly becoming more restricted, areas are being blocked off, countries are blocking websites, social tools, and Internet services like Skype.

By connecting to a VPN outside one’s region, customers free up their connection and view websites in one’s language while traveling …

4. What conferences do you plan to participate in … in 2011? In what way? Website? Contact info?

“Visit http://www.goldenfrog.com. We can keep people updated on our Linkedin group of places where we will be in 2011,” says Liz Kintzele.

More about Golden Frog and the VyperVPN for consumers around the world? Their team cares about the Internet. Golden Frog lives online and recognizes deeper, broader uses for Internet technology in the broadband era. They’re passionate about cultivating and sharing the full potential of the Internet.

More about the two interviewees from Golden Frog:

Sunday Yokubaitis is President of Golden Frog. Mr. Yokubaitis is responsible for setting the company’s strategic direction and also leads future growth and expansion initiatives. His broad experience in business, technology and law brings a wealth of knowledge to Golden Frog.

Since 2004, Mr. Yokubaitis has also served as Vice President and General Counsel of Data Foundry, a provider ofwholesale and retail data center outsourcing, colocation and disaster recovery services. Previously, Mr. Yokubaitis practiced Intellectual Property law for a large law firm in San Francisco, California from 2001 to 2004.

Mr. Yokubaitis is licensed to practice law in Texas and California. He is a member of the U.S. Patent Bar, admitted to practice law before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

A Texas native, Mr. Yokubaitis received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Rice University in 1998. He earned his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 2001.

Elizabeth Kintzele demonstrates the company’s value proposition to partners, customers, and media.  While managing the Golden Frog sales and affiliate teams, Ms. Kintzele works diligently to drive revenue for the company via strategic affiliate relationships. She also administers the relationships among the company and global resellers, ISPs, and carriers. She takes great interest in Internet neutrality, online and personal privacy, security and freedom.

Get psyched about Golden Frog’s VPN while experiencing a virtual bike tour of Lyon, France.

Podcasts are produced by DIDX.net.

Making waves at the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC), One Source Networks shared that Orchid Cellmark, international provider of DNA testing services has selected One Source Networks as its primary voice and data communications provider for its U.S. locations. Orchid Cellmark chose OSN’s Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) to connect its four U.S. sites, which include Princeton, New Jersey; Dayton, Ohio; and Dallas, Texas. Additionally, Orchid chose OSN’s SIP trunking service to increase functionality and reduce cost.

OSN provides an innovative, single source solution to supply global communications services to large and medium enterprise clients in a highly cost-effective manner. Offering a full suite of voice and networking solutions, OSN simplifies the sourcing and delivery process by aggregating solutions from best of breed global providers through a single contract, with a single account and service team.

For more information on One Source Networks please visit, www.onesourcenetworks.com

About One Source Networks

One Source Networks (OSN) is a facilities-based, carrier agnostic network solutions provider based in San Antonio, TX. OSN delivers and manages wide area networks for large and medium enterprise clients by providing a single sourcing channel to deliver in-region solutions from over 100 suppliers around the world. OSN also provides leading facilities-based global VoIP services for its clients across their existing private or public WAN infrastructures.

The OSN network is specifically engineered to ubiquitously interoperate with top global providers, offering superior SIP services with an unmatched direct to on-net voice quality. OSN delivers all network and voice solutions to its clients under one contract, with one account and service team, on one invoice.

For One Source Networks media inquiries, please contact Jaymie Scotto & Associates at +1.866.695.3629 +1.866.695.3629 or pr@jaymiescotto.com.

About Orchid Cellmark
Orchid Cellmark (Nasdaq: ORCH) is a leading international provider of DNA testing services primarily for forensic and family relationship applications. Orchid Cellmark is one of the largest providers of forensic DNA testing services and its DNA results are used by the criminal justice system to assist with the identification of perpetrators, the exclusion of suspects and the exoneration of wrongfully convicted individuals. The company provides DNA family relationship testing to numerous child services organizations and individuals seeking to verify parentage. Orchid Cellmark also serves immigration and security authorities for DNA testing of individuals. In the agriculture field, the company provides DNA testing services for selective trait breeding. Orchid Cellmark’s strong market positions in these areas reflect the company’s accredited laboratories in the U.S. and U.K., its innovative genetic analysis technologies and expertise, and the company’s reputation for exceptional quality, reliability and customer service for nearly two decades. More information on Orchid Cellmark can be found at www.orchidcellmark.com.

Submitted and written by Ilissa Miller, Managing Partner of Jaymie Scotto & Associates.

Global Telecom Power Women Network at PTC (Marilyn Esposito, President)

The Global Telecom Women Network met up at PTC in January 2011 for a networking breakfast. Nearly 30 women from around the world, representing companies including WFN, Orange, Telx, PacketExchange, Sidera Networks, Verizon, Rogers, Telarix, GlobeNet (who was named 2010 Latin America Wholesale Provider of the Year by Capacity Media), Jaymie Scotto & Associates, and more convened.

The group supports and mentors women in the global telecommunications industry. The breakfast provided much fodder for networking as well as inspirational words of wisdom from some leading ladies including Diane Gauthier-Jette of Orange, who has been in the carrier space for over 30 years and would do it over again if given theopportunity.

Dawn Harms of Space Systems Loral, who broke through the cement ceiling in the industry by leveraging her electrical engineering degree with the power of words. She is now Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Space Systems Loral. Ilissa Miller, Managing Partner of Jaymie Scotto & Associates addressed the group about the power of social networking.

The group is now present on LinkedIn – Global Telecom Women Network – and all women are encouraged to join the conversation online.

The common sentiment is that behind a successful woman is a fabulous and supportive partner. From backgrounds in electrical engineering to multiple opera singers, the room was filled with women from all over the world including the US, Canada, France, Brazil, and England representing industry specialties from software, hardware to network in the sky, on land and undersea.

The Global Womens Telecommunications Network is next scheduled to meet up at the ITW 2011 event in Washington DC – more information will be provided as the time draws nearer.

 Women in Telecommunications are invited to join the Linkedin Group Global Womens Telecommunications Network and Facebook’s Women in VoIP group, whose last meetup was during ITEXPO East 2011 in Miami Beach and the next at CTIA Wireless 2011 in Orlando, Florida.

A group from Jaymie Scotto & Associates spoke with the CEO of Hibernia Atlantic, Bjarni Thorvardson, regarding their recently announced Project Express .

Ilissa Miller: What is Project Express?

Bjarni Thorvardson: Project Express is a new transatlantic fiber optic cable that will be almost 5000 kilometers (3,106.8 miles). It will connect two financial exchange superpowers – London and New York and offer a breakthrough latency of 60 milliseconds.

Ilissa Miller: Is there a need for a new TransAtlantic cable?

Bjarni Thorvardson: Financial traders, who are the most relevant customers of Project Express, are becoming ever more demanding and sophisticated about identifying and using the quickest route between the financial markets. With Project Express, we are literally taking a lure through a straight line, taking into account the curvature of the Earth, to bridge together these two continents. Since we already have the shortest latency path between New York, Boston and Halifax, we are just adding the straight cable connection between Halifax and London.

Today the most important financial markets are Frankfurt, London, New York, Chicago and Toronto. Until now, different operators, including Hibernia Atlantic, have found ways to decrease latency between London and Frankfurt as well as New York and Chicago. In each instance, operators are able to do so through incremental enhancements of their network. TransAtlantic cables are more substantial. By installing a brand new cable we are able to approach the lowest possible latency across the Atlantic, on par with the lowest latency cables already implemented on terrestrial systems.

Ilissa Miller: What is the Time Frame of Project Express?

Bjarni Thorvardson:We expect the new system to be ready in August 2012. We recently announced that we secured $250 Million in financing and our partnership with Huawei to implement the technical solution.

Ilissa Miller: What brings you to PTC?

Bjarni Thorvardson: Hibernia Atlantic services three vertical markets; the general wholesale market; media, where we link producers of content to distributors of said content – a very niche market that requires the highest service levels of 100%; and the financial markets – which is what we are building Project Express for. But we’re not stopping with Project Express.

We are expanding into key markets in the Pacific, and are now starting to offer low latency circuits to Tokyo and between the five key financial exchange markets. Singapore and Hong Kong connections will be added imminently.

Ilissa Miller: Thank you for your time, Bjarni. This is an exciting project, and we look forward to hearing more on the status from Hibernia Atlantic over the course of the year.

Techistan explains …
1. What is a transatlantic fiber optic cable? It is a submarine communications cable running under the Atlantic Ocean. TAT-1 (Transatlantic No. 1) was the first transatlantic telephone cable system. It was installed between Gallanach Bay, near Oban, Scotland and Clarenville, Newfoundland in the years 1955 and 1956.

2. List of Transatlantic telecommunications cables
TAT series TAT-1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12/13 · 14 ·
CANTAT-1 · 2 · 3 · PTAT-1
Private non-TAT Gemini · Apollo · AC-1 · Yellow/AC-2 · FLAG Atlantic · VSNL Transatlantic · Hibernia Atlantic
Other SAT-2 · SAT-3/WASC/SAFE · ATLANTIS-2 · COLUMBUS III

3. The picture at the top is of some of the Hibernia Atlantic team celebrating the Jets’ win (before being knocked out 1 game prior to the SuperBowl). Aw!!!!!

TelcoSource is the first e-procurement platform specifically for telecom buyers and suppliers!

 New York, February 1, 2011 – TelecomMarketPlace.net, a leading business solutions firm for telecommunications, announces the availability of TelcoSource (www.TelcoSource.net), an online reverse auction platform which empowers business buyers of telecom, IT services and equipment. TelcoSource provides an efficient online platform that manages the distribution of proposals and the collection of bids through a dynamic, web-based reverse auction system, thereby streamlining the procurement process.

TelcoSource empowers buyers through its proprietary, cutting-edge software by providing a vibrant and competitive environment for competitive bidding which yields substantial savings of time and money. The TelcoSource platform is a flexible solution that enables small and large businesses to request and purchase a variety of services, ranging from basic telecom services to complex national networks.

TelcoSource is an ideal tool for small, medium and large businesses as well as government leaders, such as the Mayor Maura R. DeNicola of Franklin Lakes, NJ. “In an effort to mitigate the tax burden on our residents we were seeking to reduce our telecom costs. In this instance we needed to both identify new solutions and procure them in the most competitive manner. TelcoSource helped us to define our requirements, distribute them to a greater number of qualified suppliers, streamline the procurement process, and create the competitive environment necessary to ultimately save over 50%.”

The TelcoSource e-procurement platform is free for buyers and allows them to contract directly with the selected supplier. Registered suppliers can participate at no cost, only paying a below-market agency fee when they receive revenues from buyers. Consultants, Agents and VARs are invited to participate in the Partner program to bring this powerful white-label platform to their clients.

“While expensive proprietary e-procurement systems are available, they do not cater to the unique and complex requirements of telecommunication services. TelcoSource is a game changer. Now buyers of any size and experience can simplify and streamline the way they design and procure telecom, IT services and equipment. Suppliers appreciate the fact that they are invited to bid on real deals, with clear specifications, while reducing their overall cost of sales. The benefits of e-procurement and reverse auctions are now available to all players in the Telecom industry,” adds James Martino, Managing Director of TelecomMarketplace.net.

 About TelcoSource

TelcoSource is the first e-procurement platform created specifically such that telecom buyers can design, manage and distribute RFP’s and RFQ’s to hundreds of suppliers, simultaneously. TelcoSource incorporates a dynamic reverse auction module into the e-procurement process which saves buyers time and money. Suppliers bid on real deals dynamically and only pay a reduced agency fee on revenue produced. TelcoSource is owned and operated by TelecomMarketplace.Net and Horizon Associates, Ltd. For more information, contact mailto:sales@TelecomMarketplace.net. Partners and Agents can email BeAnAgent@telecomMarketplace.net

* What is a Reverse Auction? 

 The roles of buyers and sellers are reversed. In a traditional auction (also known as a forward auction), buyers compete to obtain a good or service. The price typically increases over time. In a reverse auction, sellers compete to obtain business, and prices typically decrease over time.

In business, the term most commonly refers to a specific type of auction process (also called procurement auction, e-auction, sourcing event, e-sourcing or eRA, eRFP, e-RFO, e-procurement, B2B Auction) used in government or private sector procurement. Read more about Reverse Auctions on Techistan.

 Text CHILE to 64842 to Receive Free Calls

 New York, NY – March 3, 2010 – QT Talk a VoIP calling solutions provider announces today that in response to the recent Chilean earthquake, it is offering $5.00 in free calling to Chile in order to help friends and relatives connect with their loved ones.

 ”Our core goal at QT Talk is to connect communities,” states Gary Lane, VP of Sales and Business Development at QT Talk. “We were devastated to hear about this catastrophe that has plagued the people of Chile, and immediately wanted to offer our assistance to provide this service, for free, to anyone who needs to call Chile.”

 QT Talk’s PurosMinutos, a flexible international calling solution designed to save customers time and money, provides easy international calling capabilities from any phone, including cell phones. With no hidden fees, commitments, expiration dates, or the need to change carriers, PurosMinutos allows customers to place calls without the hassle of cards or PINs. By simply dialing its toll free number from any landline or cell phone, PurosMinutos enables customers to make important calls at reduced rates.

To take advantage of this offer, please text CHILE to 64842 and instantly receive $5.00 to call anyone in Chile.

### 
About QT Talk:

QT Talk provides smart VoIP calling solutions for Residential, Business and Mobile Services. The company provides flexible and affordable calling plans delivered through its Hosted VoIP platform, residential IP connectivity, business Internet and Mobile devices, replacing traditional telephone service, international calling plans and calling card programs. QT Talk services can be bought from a number of retail outlets, leading telephony consultants and directly by contacting 212-461-3669 or visit www.PurosMinutos.com. 

For media inquiries, contact:
Ilissa Miller
Jaymie Scotto & Associates
pr@jaymiescotto.com
Tel: +1.866.695.3629