VON Reflections: Update on my Life Journey

"The Pulver Report" was first published between 1996 and 2008. With the relaunch of VON, I am bringing back this report. My intention is to continue sharing my insights and observations on what is happening with technologies I am passionate about. You will also catch some of my personal stories along the way.

Background: In September 1996 I co-hosted the first business conference about Voice and Video on the Internet in North America. In 1997 I started the VON conferences and it was at VON where VoIP grew from a technology used by hobbyists to a technology used by all telecom operators around the world. VON was the trade show and conference for the VoIP Industry.

VON was the place ideas were shared and disruptors gathered. Where communication technology protocols became commercially adopted. Entrepreneurs came to VON looking for direction and left VON with inspiration. VON attracted both investors and investment bankers.

For a moment in time we were "deal central." From 1997-2008 over 120 of our exhibitors at VON were acquired by 7 of event sponsors and 36 members of our community went public. And then one day in 2008, without warning, VON ended.

I have been thinking about bringing back VON for years. Until the start of 2023 this was only a thought and nothing more. I felt the inertia and this was enough to stop me.?

?It would have been very easy for me to turn the reboot of VON into the equivalent of a Jeff Pulver “Greatest Hits Tour.” VON: Evolution turned into just the opposite; instead I have created a new event, with a new mission and an almost entirely new cast of characters. For those of you who are fans of Star Trek, think of Kirk from Star Trek meeting up with Picard from Star Trek: Next Generation. Looking at the people speaking at VON: Evolution, the event I am hosting on April 18, 2023 is energetically much closer in practice to VON: Next Generation.

During different moments in my life I have dealt with the natural law, The Law of Readiness. I was not ready to re-think VON until now, no matter how much I may have wanted to do so before. One can not force readiness. I am now feeling VON: Evolution happening. I am not seeing one stand alone event, but rather a series of global events which flow into each other and grow. I know I am once again doing what I should be doing. I am grateful I am able to come back after all these years and do something I love.?

?During the past 15 years, VoIP has become a dominant part of the almost two trillion dollar global telecom industry. VON: Evolution builds on this by looking at the Future of Communications and explores the nexus between Telecom / AI / 5G / 6G and Blockchain.

I am grateful to the speakers who are flying in from around the world to New York City for this in-person event. I am exited to work with the generation of people who are poised to make their mark in the communications industry.

This is a "shout out" to the growing list of giants whose shoulders I have been able to stand on for the financial support needed to produce VON: Evolution. Our sponsors include: Agoric, AgreeWe, Phone.com, Sansay, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, Aug X Labs, TSG Global, EMG, TNID, Xenesis, One Albuquerque Economic Development, Prescott-Martini, Cloudphone, Unified Office and Broadband Breakfast.

Thank you for being part of my journey. I am back.