
International Mobile & Web 2.0 products/solutions innovation architect
United Kingdom

International Mobile & Web 2.0 products/solutions innovation architect
United Kingdom
Global mobile/web 2.0 technology/strategy/innovation expert. Been a pioneer and thought-leader in mobile industry since 1990 and inventor of various patents. Implemented numerous wireless and Internet projects, including many industry firsts, and continue to invent new techniques for solving various mobile problems. Have trained, mentored and consulted for many wireless practitioners in major operators and leading companies globally. My book "Next Generation Wireless Applications" is widely use in industry and academia, with the 2nd edition now available, including major addition of Web 2.0 and Mobile 2.0 themes. Extensive business/industry experience on many continents. See wirelesswanders.com for more details.
Mobile/Web applications and ecosystems: Innovation, Mobile TV, DVB-H, IPTV convergence, SaaS, PaaS, Web 2.0, strategy, architecture, design, training, writing, thinking, creativity, innovation, invention, problem-solving, wireless solutions, product architecture, futurology, 3G, 4G, strategy, wireless email and PIM, games, iphone, Android, open source, J2ME, MMS, SMS, texting etc...
(Public Company; Telecommunications industry)
April 2009 — Present (4 months)
Telefonica Europe provides integrated mobile, fixed and broadband services in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, known by customers as O2, the leading mobile operator in the UK.
1. Responsible for influencing/developing innovation culture throughout O2, predicated on various "2.0" non-telco paradigms and patterns. Introducing patterns, paradigms, tools, thought-leadership about innovation in addition to specific proposals for innovation platforms, products and services.
2. Technical innovation consultant ("inventor") for new business ventures team. Moving beyond the "Telco mindset." Strategic vision, synthesis, cross-pollination.
3. Developer mindset insights for various initiatives, such as crowd-sourcing (e.g. O2 Litmus) and similar.
(Wireless industry)
December 2008 — Present (8 months)
Sendster are a young start-up with big ambitions in the mobile advertising market, aiming to bring innovative services to local businesses.
Responsibilities:
1. Tech/product strategy advisor
2. Architecture design
3. Technology evolution and patterns insights
4. Carrier/operator integration strategy/insights
(Wireless industry)
September 2008 — Present (11 months)
Providing technical and strategic expertise to mConnected (Singapore/China) mobile messaging and mobile social network platform and business.
(Wireless industry)
January 2008 — Present (1 year 7 months)
I help start-ups, operators and ISV/web companies to build businesses and revenue streams with mobile products and services. I focus on new product/service ideation, strategy and innovation using mobile/web 2.0 patterns and advanced thinking and problem-solving techniques.
I have worked in research, development, strategy, innovation and biz dev roles within large mobile companies/telcos and small start-ups, including my own. See my previous positions for examples.
Recent Mobile Internet 2.0 workshop/course for O2/Telefonica in UK. See the course here - http://wirelesswanders.com/mobileinternet20training
Recent analysis work for OMTP (via AMF Ventures) in area of QoS API support for handsets and SIM card APIs.
Recent design and architecture for ThumbJot.com iPhone jotting applications (in Ruby on Rails).
Recently worked on mobile applications portfolio for the professional sports market in UK - player/team collaboration, fan collaboration and many other exciting opportunities.
Current consulting role with O2 UK.
(Public Company; KGF; Retail industry)
January 2007 — Present (2 years 7 months)
B&Q is the leading DIY products and services supplier in the UK.
Responsibilities: Script-writer, researcher and production assistant for in-store 'How To' DVDs. I love writing, especially scripts. As an engineer and architect, I have developed a passion for writing and the writing process. This led to other opportunities, such as instructional video scripting. It is a skill that I can re-apply to mobile and technology through the use of story-telling as a design tool.
(Media Production industry)
January 2007 — Present (2 years 7 months)
Staff writer/editor for various corporate writing and media production assignments, including magazine writer/editor and video script writer. As an engineer and architect, I have developed a passion for writing and the writing process. This led to other opportunities, such as instructional video scripting. It is a skill that I can re-apply to mobile and technology through the use of story-telling as a design tool.
(Public Company; MOT; Telecommunications industry)
November 2005 — January 2008 (2 years 3 months)
Independent consultant for Motorola in EMEA/LAC regions, acting as Chief Applications Architect for mobile applications and services offered to carriers, service providers and media companies.
Key task areas:
1. Solutions architect for mobile apps group, newly set-up in the EMEA region. Large technology/partner ecosystem established. Worked end-to-end (network/handset). Responsible for: apps strategy, solution architecture and innovative use cases.
2. Mobile TV solutions architect (unicast, multicast, broadcast), TV convergence with IPTV and streaming/broadcast (e.g. DVB-H), mobilizing media services, user experience and related head-end services (e.g. EPG, CAS etc.) Heavy emphasis on converged (seamless) UX with cross-service personalisation.
3. Web 2.0 and Mobile 2.0 services and mash-ups. Chairman of internal mashing-room innovations lab to explore/create agile mobile/Web 2.0 apps using mash-ups. Pre-sales ideation and product prototyping.
4. Holding mobile applications and services workshops with leading customers and operators throughout EMEA region, including global media companies (e.g. Sky, Al Jazeera).
5. Extensive architecture and user experience design for pan-European youth-focussed MVNO project, including mobile payment, IM, video, music, blogging, push-to-talk. Particular innovation around self-care schemes with user rewards.
6. Working with corporate R&D Avatar labs to develop use cases and ideas for mobilization of virtual world ecosystems.
(Telecommunications industry)
May 1996 — November 2006 (10 years 7 months)
I founded one of the first mobile apps development companies in Europe and undertook projects for a wide range of prestigious clients throughout the world, including Motorola, IBM, Compaq, Glenayre, Lucent Technologies, Vodafone, Credit Suisse, Goldfax etc.
We undertook numerous projects in design and delivery of wireless/mobile products, mostly bespoke for various notable clients.
Many industry-first achievements including first wireless portal (Zingo/Netscape), first RSA-certified Microsoft Exchange WAP/Sync connector, early 3G multimedia concepts (NTT DoCoMo), 2-way text gateway (Lucent), Location-platform (CSL, Hong Kong), RSA-Certified WAP solution, Mobile TV/IPTV convergence etc. etc. See wirelesswanders.com for full portfolio.
Whilst running Magic E, I wrote the book: "Next Generation Wireless Applications" by Wiley, which became a leading "bible" in the industry, now in its 2nd edition. It is due for a major update in 2010.
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; MOT; Telecommunications industry)
April 2005 — November 2005 (8 months)
To work on customer propositions for IMS solutions, including Push To Talk (PTT) and Push-to-X solutions. Later on, I worked on an IMS applications portfolio and held numerous workshops to explore the applications potential for IMS within operator ecosystems, including mash-ups with Voice/Web 2.0.
(Wireless industry)
January 2003 — January 2004 (1 year 1 month)
Responsible for platform architecture and technical strategy for location-based services platform for Asian markets. Company based in Hong Kong.
(Public Company; MOT; Telecommunications industry)
May 1990 — May 1996 (6 years 1 month)
Variegated role in GSM/UMTS, principally in DSP related fields including chip architecture, novel MIMD/SIMD processor design techniques, low-power electronics, algorithm design, fuzzy logic interference reduction. http://www.hpl.hp.com/techreports/97/HPL-97-95.html
Extensive use of Matlab and advanced simulation tools for algorithmic development.
Introduced first-pass digital engineering techniques to company using Mentor Graphics simulation and hardware acceleration tools, including pioneering use of early ASIC design tools using VHDL and structured methods borrowed from software engineering disciplines.
Pioneered use of SES Workbench queue-based simulation tools for software and systems modelling in advanced GSM base-station architectures.
Conducted visionary research into mobile virtual reality and 3D compression techniques. Many patents awarded and nominated for patent of the year 1994. Submitted for early patents in location-based services techniques for context-based billboard advertising (not filed as not felt relevant to mobile systems at the time!)
MPhil/PhD , Mobile Virtual Reality and Fuzzy Logic (Part-time) , 1994 — 1996
Collaborative industry research whilst working as Wireless Research Engineer for Motorola, exploring visionary methods for conveying virtual worlds to mobile devices for VR and augmented reality applications.
After advice from faculty, subject was converted to more "conventional" mobile problem solving in field of co-channel interference due to lack of prior-art in mobile VR.
Published work in application of fuzzy logic to reduction of co-channel interference in mobile LAN systems - http://www.hpl.hp.com/techreports/97/HPL-97-95.html
Eventually left research program in 1996 to create start-up in mobile multimedia services and Internet (Magic E Company) and unable to complete PhD.
BEng (Hons) - First Class , Electronic Engineering , 1986 — 1989
Received IEE national prize for outstanding results in degree in Electronic Engineering.
Final year project was fibre-optic X.21 MUX designed for industry partner - was one of the first undergrad projects ever to be adopted by industry partner.
Received Von Nostrand Reinhold prize for outstanding innovation in 2nd-year project (digital music effects chain).
Offered PhD position with university - declined to pursue career in DSP chip design at Motorola.
Particle physics, film-making, script-writing, fitness training of all kinds, philosophy, writing, music creation (composing, recording, playing instruments), home schooling, creative thinking, cooking, reading, playing with my kids.
IEE Prize for outstanding educational achievement (highest degree result nationally)
Von Nostrand Rheinhold publishing prize for engineering innovation
Patent of the Year nomination (Motorola)
Mercer Award for outstanding national achievement in Geography (A Level)