Message from PTC's New President:

This is the time of year, right after our annual conference, when many of you stop thinking about PTC for awhile. But for those of us on the "inside", this is the time when we most actively reflect on what worked well at PTC'06 and what we can do to give you an even better experience at PTC'07.

Under Ken Zita's active and able leadership, PTC'06 offered our best conference program in recent memory. We're looking for your ideas now on the broad themes and leading speakers you'd like to see at PTC'07. In addition to the program, we all know that the networking opportunities at PTC are what brings thousands of unregistered members of our community to Honolulu each January. We're very interested in your insights on how we can integrate these members of our community and their companies more fully into the PTC experience.

I'd like to close this message with a final mahalo to the PTC staff, volunteers and speakers who made PTC'06 such a success for you. And I invite your comments about PTC'07, while PTC'06 is still fresh in your mind, to me at david@hawaii.edu.

Aloha,
David Lassner
PTC President and Board of Governors Chair

Executive Director's Corner

The Business Buzz at PTCÕ06

As in past years PTC'06 drew thousands to Honolulu last month. They were attracted by two things that have become the hallmark of PTC; an excellent conference program and the potential to meet and do business with key Asia-Pacific region customers and vendors. Meanwhile, we continue to receive uniformly positive accolades for PTC's conference from both the content and the business exchange perspectives. You can read a few of these testimonials in another section of this Bulletin.

Informal research indicates that although PTC registered over 900 delegates from 57 countries, at least 2,000-3,000 additional participants conducted business in and around the sessions and events that made up PTC'06. Dozens of companies indicated that they brought 10-20 staff to PTC'06 but only registered 3-6 and sometimes none, because their main purpose in attending is to hold meetings with other attendees. Two companies further explained that they hold 40 meetings a year at PTC's annual conference and without PTC that would translate into 40 additional airplane trips. They emphasized how PTC allows them to hold very cost effective client meetings.

One effort we made to meet the needs of the non-registered attendee was a new program called the "Networkers Package." It was successfully introduced at PTC'06 with a tailored group of benefits designed to meet the needs of those who come for business exchange purposes. We plan to continue this program and welcome feedback from those of you who registered in this category so we can improve the package for PTC'07.

We have heard from commercial participants that improvements are needed in the process for booking hospitality suites and blocks of guest rooms. We are already working with Hilton to address these requests. Additionally, many delegates have encouraged PTC to develop a bi-lateral meeting marketplace at our annual conference and we are taking steps to add this feature to PTC'07 facilitated by a unique online scheduling function.

Top keynote speakers such as Vinton Cerf, VP and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google, speaking about the future of the Internet exemplified how PTC begins each year with strong program content that presents the latest ideas, important topics of the day, and challenges us all to be thought leaders within our own organizations.

Our Secretariat is working on significant upgrades to our online service capabilities. In 2006 watch for new online benefits that will help you build your business, knowledge base, and relationships.

As we begin to plan PTC'07, we urge all who attended PTC'06 to fill out the online evaluation form that can be found at www.ptc06.org/evaluation. We need your feedback in order to meet your needs.

Mahalo,
Stephen G. Tom

Progress in Honolulu at PTC '06 - A Message from PTC Advisory Council Chair

Aloha PTC Colleagues,

I am honored to brief you as Chairman of the PTC Advisory Council (AC) about some of the highlights of our meeting at PTC '06 in Honolulu. I will start with the people who make the organization move forward. Per the bylaws of PTC, the Advisory Council was augmented by appointments of the Board of Governors (BG) at the January meeting.

We welcome six newly appointed Advisors (organizations for identification purposes only): David Bross (Hannover Fairs USA); Tom Cooper (Emerson College); Heather Hudson (University of San Francisco); Hunter Newby (tel^x Group); Ed Simnett (Microsoft); Lily Zhang (Asia Netcom China). Some are long-standing members of PTC and some bring new perspectives to our work and activities.

We also have a departing Advisor, Yoshikazu Kobayashi (IBM Japan). Kobayashi-san leaves the Advisory Council to join the PTC Board of Governors, to which he was elected in the Fall 2005 members ballot. (PTC Bylaws do not allow membership in both AC and BG at the same time.) We appreciate his service to the Advisory Council and will be pleased to have his AC perspective strengthen his new role on the Board of Governors.

At the Honolulu conference, the AC reported the success of the Mission/Vision Task Force, whose work culminated in the Board of Governors adopting the current Mission and Vision Statements in fall 2005, which you will find on the PTC Website. AC Vice-Chair, Gregg Daffner, led this effort, with support from task force Advisors and many PTC members over the course of more than a year. Organizations need these statements as a value-foundation, yet these values only have force if the membership brings them alive. Please keep our Mission and Vision before you as you work in and represent PTC.

The AC also celebrated the Succession Planning Committee's work in support of the election for Board of Governors held in the fall of 2005. Tim Logue and Chris Vonwiller worked tirelessly on this necessary structural work that insures both effectiveness and transparency in PTC governance. There is a PTC election annually, and in the fall 2006 election, a significant portion of the Advisory Council positions will also be up for election.

Two other areas discussed in the Honolulu meeting merit further discussion - the development of a PTC Appeals Committee at the request of the Board of Governors, led by Tom Cooper and Jay Gillette, and the new and ongoing PTC Sustainability policy development with a stimulating presentation to clarify our thinking by Robert Frieden. We will cover these separately in upcoming Members Newsletters.

The Pacific Telecommunications Council has recovered its momentum after the downturn of our industry at the turn of the century. We can leave those down years behind us now, remembering lessons learned from them. The Advisory Council helped to restore the organization and will be pleased to continue to serve the Board of Governors and the PTC membership as we move forward in 2006.

Mahalo,
Jay Gillette
Chairman, PTC Advisory Council

PTC'06 Photo Gallery

Click here to view photos of the PTC'06 Conference. High-resolution files are also available for download.

PTC leadership update:

Congratulations to your new Board of Governors Executive Officers:

- President & Chairman:
  David Lassner, Chief Information Officer, University of Hawaii

- Vice President & Vice Chair:
  Robert Mao, President & CEO, Nortel Networks, China

- Vice President for Conference Affairs:
  Ken Zita, Managing Partner, Network Dynamics Associates, LLC

- Vice President & Executive Secretary of the BG:
  Robert Walp, President and Chairman Emeritus, General Communications, Inc (GCI)

- Vice President & Treasurer:
   Tim Shea, Managing Director and Sales Vice President, Loral Skynet, Asia-Pacific

- Vice President & Past President:  
  Bruce Drake, Executive Director, Pacific Region, Industry Canada

Welcome to new Board of Governors members:

- Yoshikazu Kobayashi, Senior Professionals Govt. Programs, IBM Japan, Limited

- Richard Taylor, Professor, Institute for Information Policy, Pennsylvania State University

- Way Kiat Wee, Managing Director, ST Teleport Pte Ltd.

Thank you to the departing Board of Governors members:

- Seiichi Tsugawa, Director, Geneva Liaison Office, KDDI CORPORATION

- Thomas Cooper, Professor, Emerson College

Welcome to newly appointed Advisory Council members:

- David Bross, Vice Chair, ISCe2006 and Director of Business Development, Hannover Fairs USA, Inc.

- Thomas Cooper, Professor, Emerson College

- Heather Hudson, Professor and Director of the Telecommunications Management and Policy Program, University of San Francisco

- Hunter Newby, Chief Strategy Officer, The tel^x Group Inc.

- Ed Simnett, Lead Product Manager, Microsoft

- Lily Zhang, Country Manager, Asia Netcom China

PTC'06 Evaluation:

If you attended PTC'06 and have not yet completed a conference evaluation, please go to www.ptc06.org/evaluation and complete the evaluation.

Your input is valuable and will contribute to our forward planning. Please act today!

As we wrap up a successful PTC'06 conference, you can prepare to join us in next January for PTC'07. Mark January 14-17, 2007 on your calendars and act early.

As a member of PTC, you receive significant discounts off of the conference registration fee and by registering early you may enjoy additional savings!

PTCÕ07 Mid-Pacific Marketplace Exhibits: Early Bird Booth Registration

Register by 31 March and Save!

Exhibiting at PTC'07 gives you the prime opportunity to showcase your latest products and services to visitors from over 50 countries, increase your company's visibility and reach qualified leads. Newly added benefits:

• Discount for early bird exhibit registration
• Discount when you purchase more than one booth space
• Referral program

Members enjoy a substantial discount off exhibit rates - an $840 savings! Reserve your exhibit space today and save. Click here to view PTC'06 attendee profile. For detailed information and early reservation, download the reservation form (PDF) or contact Dolores Fung at Tel: +1.808.941.3789 ext. 120 or Email: dolores@ptc.org

Membership Reminder: 

If your annual dues have not been paid yet, please watch for a reminder- the statement was sent out on February 7. Payments received before April 30, will avoid the 20% late fee.

We thank you for your continued support of PTC!

Welcome!  New PTC Members
Period from 12 Dec 2005 to 02 Feb 2006

Name: CPDI
Joined PTC: 14 December 2005
Company Overview: CPDI is a leading provider of turnkey prepaid platform solutions for the telecommunications industry. Since 1992, we have helped wireline and wireless telecom operators in 30+ countries by delivering differentiated prepaid voice and data services. Our product offerings are reliable, robust, and easy to deploy.
Website: www.cpdi.com

Name: Mr. Moriya Koyama
Joined PTC: 16 December 2005

Name: I.Tel (Hong Kong) Limited
Joined PTC: 20 December 2005
Company Overview: I.Tel is your ideal business partner for Executive Search in today's telecommunications, IT and Internet industries. Our multinational consultants have a comprehensive pool of specialist skills and an extensive network of contacts. This means international experience along with local market expertise throughout the Asia Pacific region, working for you.
Website: www.itel-international.com

Name: Unifone PTE Ltd.
Joined PTC: 27 December 2005
Company Overview: Unifone, an Asian-focus voice carrier, providing cool connectivity with innovative services that are competitively priced and backed with years of experience. Serving both corporate and consumer markets, Unifone is committed to bringing the best voice communication to our customers in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.
Website: www.unifone.cc

Name: Dr. Charles Buckley
Joined PTC: 30 December 2005

Name: Orbital Communications International
Joined PTC: 04 January 2006
Company Overview: Orbital Communications International is a business unit of Orbital Sciences Corporation; Orbital Sciences is a diversified aerospace company with approximately $700 million in annual revenue, half from spacecraft and half from missiles and rockets. Orbital Communications International is that part of Orbital which focuses on sales and manufacturing of commercial geostationary satellites for telecommunications, broadcasting, mobile, broadband, and other applications.
Website: www.orbital.com

Name: Telecom Asset Management
Joined PTC: 06 January 2006
Company Overview: Telecom Asset Management puts telecom equipment and circuits in the hands of the people who need it. Telecom Asset Management facilitates quick transactions, minimizes buyer risk, and maximizes return to sellers by providing comprehensive valuation and strategic marketing services. Telecom Asset Management can accommodate complex sales of both large, highly technical equipment and complex intangible assets such as IRU's, dark fiber and conduits.
Website: www.telecomassets.com

Name: VSNL International
Joined PTC: 09 January 2006
Company Overview: VSNL is a leading provider of International Communications Services and operates one of the world's largest undersea fiber optic systems. VSNL is the leading provider of International Long Distance services in India with ownership in all cables landing there and has a strong pan-India network presence. VSNL has over 30 Points of Presence in 12 countries in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Website: www.vsnlinternational.com

Name: Gilat Satellite Networks - Australia
Joined PTC: 10 January 2006
Company Overview: Gilat meets today's telecommunications challenges with always-on solutions that deliver data, Internet, voice and video faster, more efficiently, more reliably and to more remote places around the globe than ever before: via satellite. Helping to bridge the digital divide for enterprises, governments, carriers and consumers on every continent, Gilat provides a whole new world of opportunities to connect, share, learn, grow and serve: from schoolchildren in rural Colombia to a leading French automotive company to the United States Postal Service.
Website: www.gilat.com

Name: Wisdom Networks Co., Ltd
Joined PTC: 15 January 2006
Company Overview: Wisdom Networks is an IT consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Wisdom Networks provides a comprehensive menu of business development services in Japan for computer software, hardware, and telecommunications service providers, including Market Assessment, Partnership Development and M&A Arrangement.
Website: www.wisdomnetworks.co.jp

Name: MacDonald Consulting
Joined PTC: 31 January 2006
Company Overview: MacDonald Consulting, based in Toronto Canada, provides analysis and advice for cost effective business alignment of IS/IT technology based initiatives based on over 20 years advanced technology and business leadership expertise developed at telecommunications companies, Fortune 500 global businesses (technology and financial institutions), and in the dot.com creative environments.
Website: www.raymacdonald.com

Name: ATCi
Joined PTC: 02 February 2006
Company Overview: ATCi is a global satellite communications solutions provider specializing in custom systems and services that include: digital headends, uplinks, two-way communications networks, broadcast centers, fiber optic networks, plant equipment and components.
Website: www.atci.com

PTC News

FCC Convenes Katrina Panel:

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has opened an independent panel investigation to examine the effect of Hurricane Katrina on the nationÕs communications systems. 

Interested members of PTC and participants in PTCÕs recent workshop on disaster communications (see http://www.ptc06news.org/images/uploads/PTC06NewsRelease_010906.pdf) are encouraged to make your ideas and concerns known to the panel ASAP.  The panel must make its recommendations to the FCC by June 15, 2006.  You can read about the panel at

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0106/013006tdpm1.htm .

To view PTCÕ06 Conference Announcements and News Releases visits www.ptc06news.org

Industry Publications
*Look for exclusive member discounts*

MEMBERS ONLY: Log in here to view full descriptions of industry events and publications including exclusive member discount codes.

AmericaÕs Network
*20% discount on the annual subscription fee*

Connect-World
*50% discount on the subscription fee*

eStategies Asia Pacific
*Receive 6 issues for the price of 4*

Interfax China IT & Telecom Report
*Receive 15% discount on all annual subscriptions or complimentary four week trial subscription free of charge*

OSP Magazine
*FREE publication for all U.S. PTC members*

Philippine IT-Enabled Services Industry Perspective (ITES)
*10% discount on purchase price of publication*
Why is the Phillippines a cost-effective outsourcing location (pdf, 64kb)

Telecom Asia Magazine
*20% discount on the annual subscription fee*

Via Satellite
*FREE subscription for PTC Members*

www.SubCableNews.com
*Save €180 on a 14-month subscription*

Industry Events
*Look for exclusive member discounts*

MEMBERS ONLY: Log in here to view full descriptions of industry events and publications including exclusive member discount codes.

Mobile Content Summit 2006
27 February - 01 March 2006, Singapore

Mobile Network Optimization Summit 2006
28 February - 01 March 2006, Singapore

IPTV World Forum
03-08 March 2006, London, UK

Carriers World Asia 2006
06 - 08 March 2006, Conrad Hotel, Hong Kong

ATUG 2006
07-08 March 2006, Sydney, Australia

CeBIT 2006
09-15 March 2006, Hannover, Germany

VON Spring San Jose 2006
14-17 March 2006, San Jose, CA, USA

TelecomNext
19-23 March 2006, Las Vegas, NV, USA

COMPTEL PLUS Spring 2006 Convention & Expo *Save 15% on registration fees!*
19-22 March 2006, San Diego, CA, USA

IMS Asia 2006
20-24 March 2006, Singapore

14th Convergence India 2006
21-23 March 2006, New Delhi, India

Intele-CardExpo
21-23 March 2006, Miami, FL, USA

2nd Annual Mobile Broadcasting & Digital Content Conference 2006
23-24 March 2006, Singapore

VoIP China Forum Spring 2006
29-31 March 2006, Shanghai, China

The 6th Asia Mobile Location Services (MLS)
30-31 March 2006, Bangkok, Thailand

ISCe Conference and Expo *Save $400 to attend ISCe!*
13-15 June 2006, San Diego Hilton Resort, Mission Bay, San Diego, CA, USA

ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006
4-8 December 2006, Hong Kong, China

Click here for complete list of industry events

Contacting Us

PTC's online and email bulletin to members is distributed once a month. You should receive your next copy on, or soon after, 17 March 2006.

For more information on PTC, visit our website at www.ptc.org. Please send your questions or suggestions to Janice Claveria at janice@ptc.org.

If you or your company representatives wish to continue informing other PTC members of new or improved products, or of individual achievements via the Members' Bulletin, please express your wishes to Janice Claveria by emailing janice@ptc.org.

Please note that for news and headlines, we will only publish items that include a link to the cited article. This service is for PTC members only.