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InfoStack Topics:

1) Horizontalization:
a) Conferences like GlueCon and the ecosystems around them will be the weight that brings pressure to bear for horizontal restructuring of service providers.  Rather than glue, we prefer oil, as there should be less, not more friction, and greater flexibility.  A lot of the solutions featured here belong in the Middle Layers.
2) Upper Layers:
a) Here’s a silo response to LBS couponing services from Visa/Gap. (additional insight)  Cross retailer solutions: Groupon, LivingSocial, FourSquare, Shopkick, ScoutMob, Rewardli, BiteHunter, and GoMobo/OLO;  from list of 40+ & growing that I have.
b) More important Groupon’s announcement of e-coupons for General Mills’ products.
c) Keep in mind, EBAY/PayPal just bought Where, a local mobile payments company; some perspective from PayPal, which I happen to agree with 100%, but not much detail.  Always ask the question, “why do people want this?”
3) Middle Layers:
a) insurance driven telematics is an example of location solutions that make economic sense.
b) O’Reilly article on Mashape, a market for APIs.  Network effect for software dev.  Similarly there are moves afoot to create markets for data by Factual and others.
c) Article on content liberation & sharing; “Copying content is not problem, compensation is”.  Need for payment system for “orbital” content; ads travel too.
4) Lower Layers:
a) pole attachment cost issues will grow, particularly with fiber backhaul and distributed wireless networks (RANs).  Big cost is labor.  Market needs to find alternatives.

Market and General Interest Topics:

5) Industry Statistics and Events:
a) FTTH passes 21m homes in US, with 7.1m users.  Article discusses BTOP effect; still believe greater coordination and “singular” national pricing plans for backhaul are key.
b) 60% of VZW’s phone sales in Q1 were smartphones.
6) Business Strategy:
a) RIM Tablet supporting multiple app environments would make it winner in the enterprise space; but it won’t be available till H2 and will competition already respond?
b) MSFT/Nokia collaboration expanded on in this article.  Seems to be 2 losing strategies and sub-optimal set of products joined together.
c) great article on SocialMedia legs; “substitution of information for subscriptions”, or monetization of information.  I call it tying the commercial event to the communications event.  It’s centralized payment.  Just as NYT is trying to role out subscriptions; early stats are debatable.
7) Financial:
a) DCM raises $100m fund for just android apps and ecosystem companies.
8) Other:
a great discourse on the “me button” being the evolution beyond social media, which is “a new form of passive peer pressure or groupthink.”  From Trapit CEO.
b) what is the optimal size of social networks and how is tech affecting relationships?