About the Judges

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Mike Sapien
Principal Analyst of Ovum

Mike Sapien is responsible for Ovum’s US Enterprise Practice. Based in southern California, Mike is focused on North American and global enterprise telecom markets. This includes WAN, managed, and advanced voice and data services to address Global MNC, large enterprise, and SMB customers. His focus areas also include data center services, emerging cloud and hosted services, enterprise mobility services (including M2M services) and related product development, market launch, and channel programs of enterprise services.

Mike leads the design, development, and implementation of Ovum’s research and advisory services on enterprise network services and managed solutions in North America with a major emphasis on the tier 1 carriers, infrastructure vendors and providers. Mike works directly with clients to help them understand industry trends and develop; then implement recommended strategies from Ovum research, with his extensive telecom services expertise. He is a regular contributor to Ovum’s enterprise research, and provides analysis of industry, vendor, and product trends included emerging managed services such as SIP trunking, IPT, unified communications, VoIP, and complex managed services including cloud services. This also includes the coverage of vertical solutions and M2M ecosystem, platforms, alliances and operator strategies. Mike also has go-to-market experience in both direct sales and the development of new channel programs.

Mike has over 28 years in the telecoms and internet services industry including executive positions at large carriers, CLEC, and a data center provider. Before joining Ovum, Mike was a consultant advising carriers, vendors, and enterprise customers on business development, marketing and go-to-market strategies. This included the development, introduction, and marketing of data and voice services such as Centrex, DSL, ISDN, and SMB integrated bundles. Mike was one of the first published authors to write about ISDN applications for IT personnel (Mastering ISDN by Sybex - 1997).
Mike is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University (BBA & MBA) and Columbia University executive management program.

James Brehm
Senior strategist with Compass Intelligence

As senior strategist with Compass Intelligence, James Brehm’s primary responsibilities are to increase client value by evaluating, recommending, and creating innovative market strategies for Compass Intelligence’s high-tech clientele. Additionally, Mr. Brehm directs the content, product development, and vendor / customer relations activities as it relates to the M2M syndicated and portal services. This includes leading and conducting  primary and secondary market research, market sizing, forecasting, and other analyst responsibilities where needed.

The scope of his work deals with all aspects of the IP value chain; from delivery infrastructure and communication management to end user content and applications. Brehm is frequently quoted by media outlets such as The New York Times, Business Week, Computerworld and Wireless Week. He is a regular contributor to CNBC and has an ongoing blog on connected devices and M2M / any-to-any device communication. Brehm has also spoken to various groups on topics including mobile applications, mobile commerce, emerging wireless devices and vertical market deployment of Web-enabled services.

Brehm joined Compass Intelligence after spending nine years in multiple roles with Frost & Sullivan. Most recently, Brehm served as Senior Consultant in Frost & Sullivan’s Information and Communication Technology practice where he led much of the bespoke research for Frost & Sullivan’s wireless customers. Prior to Frost & Sullivan, Brehm worked in marketing, sales management and business development roles for Rackspace Managed Hosting and Interland (now Web.com), two of the largest pure play Web hosting companies in the U.S. His responsibilities included research on the competitive landscape of the market, developing new product offerings, assessing emerging markets, improving the overall value chain for Global 1000 clients, due diligence, and acquisition analysis. Brehm entered the high-tech arena in the mid-1990’s working in sales management within the telecom arena for MCI and later working for Gateway Inc. in multiple roles including product marketing, product management, training and sales management.

Carl Ford
Co-founder of Crossfire Media

Carl has become known throughout the Communications community for his ability to connect people (and, thus, businesses); be it in formal conference settings or through the well-planned serendipitous encounter. Carl’s diverse experience in technology spans the areas of Costing, Operations, Marketing, Regulatory, and Product Management. Carl’s technology experience along with his expertise in building a relevant, thought provoking conference program, makes him an invaluable asset to Crossfire Media.  As CEO of the company, Carl directs the programs and services offered by Crossfire Media.  As Community Developer he looks to facilitate discussions about advances in technology, market drivers and business obstacles.

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