Food and discussion begins at 12:30 pm. Everyone invited.
At $120 bn in operator service revenue alone (latest 2009 full-year figures), China represents one of the world’s largest telecom markets. China has thriving mobile and Internet infrastructures that represent the largest growth portion of the operators’ service revenues. Furthermore, China boasts the latest in smartphones and tablets, with the iPhone, iPad, numerous Android devices, and the Blackberry freely available. Many innovative applications are downloadable to complement the capabilities of these devices. These developments are certain to continue, while at the same time China will continue to push the envelope in commercial 3G offerings and subscriber growth, 4G trials, and market expansion of smartphones and tablets via Android products that will head toward $100 and below. Chinese telecom companies will receive substantial benefits from these advances – particularly the operators – but foreign companies will also earn substantial revenues. For example, China became Qualcomm’s largest geographical market in Fiscal Year 2010, representing 29% of Qualcomm’s total global revenue of $11 bn.
Bio:
Neil Jablon, Ph.D.
Director, Product Management
Qualcomm CDMA Technologies
San Diego, CA
Tel. 858 845-2525
Neil has 25 years of experience in telecommunications with several of the world’s top global companies. Neil joined Qualcomm in 2006 and is currently Director, Product Management. He is leading several software initiatives to further develop the smartphone ecosystem for the Qualcomm CDMA Technologies Division, also known as Qualcomm’s “chip division.” In this role, he works very closely with China, making frequent visits there. Previously at Qualcomm, Neil led the Sales Forecast Team in the same division, which every month forecasted the 12-month demand for over 600 million wireless semiconductor devices per year. That role also involved close contact with China. Previous to that, he was the Global Financial Modeling Lead for the Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies Division, based in the International Business Development Department. Over a several-year period, he completed 35 mobile TV Service Operator business cases in 17 countries, and delivered Business Case Workshops to Executive Teams at partners around the world. He also led the San Diego-based MediaFLO India Business Development work for a while.
Neil was Executive Consultant at IBM Global Services, Beijing from 2003-2006, where he prepared strategic sales proposals for IT outsourcing mega-deals to telecom and airline clients in China, Taiwan, and Thailand. He was at Vodafone Group, Tokyo from 2000-2002, where he led initiatives in corporate strategy, retail distribution, and financial modeling at Vodafone’s Japanese subsidiary. Neil was at AirTouch Communications, Walnut Creek, California from 1994-2000 (prior to purchase by Vodafone), where he was co-founder of the Mobile Satellite Services Group and technical lead for a $120 mn Globalstar handheld satellite phone procurement contract. He began his career at AT&T Bell Laboratories, in New Jersey and California from 1986-1994, where he did DSP algorithm development and systems engineering for consumer telephony product development.
Neil received his M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 1982 and 1985, respectively. His research was supported by a Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship. While at Stanford, he also studied the Chinese language. Neil subsequently received his MBA in General Management from the UCLA Anderson School in 1999.
Neil’s major outside interests are contemporary Chinese affairs, global markets and macroeconomics, and corporate strategy. He is an avid traveler and a fitness enthusiast.