Judging the Awards
Entries will be judged by an independent judging panel on the basis of the information provided on the entry forms. Details of the judging panel discussions will not be disclosed.
The decision of the judges is final in all matters. At the judges’ discretion an entry may be transferred from one category to another if this is deemed more appropriate.
Judging the Awards
Entries will be judged by an independent judging panel on the basis of the information provided on the entry forms. Details of the judging panel discussions will not be disclosed.
The decision of the judges is final in all matters. At the judges’ discretion an entry may be transferred from one category to another if this is deemed more appropriate.
Meet Our Judges
Simon Forrest - Futuresource Consulting, Principal Technology Analyst
As Principal Technology Analyst for Futuresource Consulting, Simon is responsible for identifying and reporting on transformational technologies that have propensity to influence and disrupt market dynamics.
A graduate in Computer Science from the University of York, his expertise extends across broadcast television and audio, digital radio, smart home, broadband, Wi-Fi and cellular communication technologies. He has represented companies across standards groups, including the Audio Engineering Society, DLNA, WorldDAB digital radio the Digital TV Group (DTG) and Home Gateway Initiative.
Prior to joining Futuresource, Simon held the position of Director of Segment Marketing at Imagination Technologies, promoting development in wireless home audio semiconductors, and Chief Technologist within Pace plc (now Commscope) responsible for technological advancement within the Pay TV industry.
Caroline Gabriel - Co-founder and Research Director, Rethink Technology Research Senior Contributor, Analysys Mason, Next Generation Wireless
Caroline has been engaged in technology analysis, research and consulting for 30 years and since 2002, has been focused entirely on mobile and wireless.
As co-founder and research director of Rethink Technology Research, Caroline has developed a significant research base and forecast methodology, based around deep contacts with mobile and converged operators round the world. This addresses critical issues and trends in mobile and wireless infrastructure, and particularly operator deployment intentions for 4G, 5G, small cells, Cloud-RAN and other technologies.
She is also a senior contributor to Analysys Mason’s Next Generation Wireless research programme.
She has led research and consulting projects with a wide range of clients, including mobile infrastructure vendors, large and start-up operators, regulators, trade bodies, government agencies and financial institutions. Her advice and forecasts have helped inform strategic decisions at a wide range of vendors, operators, start-ups and finance houses.
Prior to setting up Rethink, Caroline held various executive positions at VNU Business Publishing BV, then Europe’s largest producer of technology related B2B reports and publications. She was the European content and research director, and was a member of the leadership team for VNU’s online business. She holds an MA from the University of Oxford.
Adlane Fellah - Senior Wireless Analyst & Marketer
Adlane Fellah is the Senior Wireless Analyst & Marketer of Maravedis, a leading wireless analyst firm and Wi-Fi 360 the only content marketing agency dedicated to the Wi-Fi industry. Mr. Fellah, authored various landmark reports on Wi-Fi, LTE, 4G and technology trends in various industries including retail, restaurant and hospitality. He is regularly asked to speak at leading wireless and marketing events and to contribute to various influential portals and magazines such as RCR Wireless, 4G 360, Rethink Wireless, The Mobile Network, Telecom Reseller to name a few.
Chris Pennell - Principal Analyst for Futuresource Consulting
Chris Pennell is a Principal Analyst for Futuresource Consulting and is responsible for researching and reporting on technology trends across the different industries. Chris’s research has focused on working with vendors and end-user clients to understand how emerging technologies are disrupting and transforming the delivery of services. His main areas of focus include the digital transformation of front- and back-office services through emerging technologies as well as the increasing use of connected services to improve outcomes for end users.
Prior to joining Futuresource Consulting, Chris has spent the past 12 years researching government’s use of technology to drive better outcomes for citizens, most recently as Research Director, Government Insights at IDC.
Frank Rayal - XONA Partners // Founding Partner
Frank Rayal is founding partner at Xona Partners, a boutique management and technology advisory firm specializing in telecom, media and technology. He worked over the last 20 years to bridge the divide between technology and market by leading new product introductions for startups and established companies. Frank co-founded small-cell backhaul pioneer BLiNQ Networks. He held senior product management, marketing and business development positions at Ericsson, Redline, and Metawave. He holds a BS in electrical engineering from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, and an MASc in electrical engineering and an MBA from the University of Toronto, Canada. He is a senior member of IEEE, and a member of Professional Engineers Ontario.
Monica Paolini - Senza Fili Consulting, President
Monica Paolini is the founder and president of Senza Fili. She is an expert in wireless technologies and has helped clients worldwide to understand technology and customer requirements, evaluate business plan opportunities, market their services and products, and estimate the market size and revenue opportunity of new and established wireless technologies. She has frequently been invited to give presentations at conferences and has written several reports on wireless broadband technologies. She has a PhD in cognitive science from the University of California, San Diego (US), an MBA from the University of Oxford (UK), and a BA/MA in philosophy from the University of Bologna (Italy). You can contact her at monica.paolini@senzafiliconsulting.com.
Senza Fili is an analyst and consulting firm that provides advisory services on wireless data technologies and services since 2003. At Senza Fili we have in-depth expertise in financial modeling, market forecasts and research, white paper preparation, business plan support, RFP preparation and management, due diligence, and training. Our client base is international and spans the entire value chain: clients include wireline, fixed wireless, and mobile operators, other service providers, enterprises and other vertical players, vendors, system integrators, investors, regulators, and industry associations. We provide a bridge between technologies and services, helping our clients assess established and emerging technologies, leverage these technologies to support new or existing services, and build solid, profitable business models. Independent advice, a strong quantitative backing, and an international perspective are the hallmarks of our work.
Phil Kendall - Executive Director, Service Provider Group
As Executive Director of the Service Provider Group, Phil is responsible for providing strategic and tactical support to leading telecoms operators, equipment vendors, and software companies around the world. He is a regular speaker at industry conferences and has authored major reports on operator expansion strategies, Wi-Fi market evolution, TMT convergence and service bundling, customer segmentation, tariff initiatives, 5G use cases and business model development, and the evolution of broadband networks.
Prior to joining Strategy Analytics, Phil was a research analyst at CIT Research, where he was the principal analyst covering a diverse range of telecoms markets, including mobile communications, fixed network services, satellite and cable TV communications.
Phil holds an MSc in Economics from Birkbeck College, London, and a BA in Economics and German from the University of East Anglia. Phil’s background in economics and econometrics informs his highly respected analysis of both micro-economic trends in end-user behavior and macro-economic industry dynamics.
William Webb - CTO of Access Partnership
William is the CTO of Access Partnership, a company providing independent advice and advocacy support. He was one of the founding directors of Neul and became CEO of the Weightless SIG. Prior to this William was a Director at Ofcom. He was IET President 2014-2015, has published 18 books, has multiple honorary doctorates and awards.
Kyung Mun - Mobile Experts LLC, Senior Analyst
Kyung Mun is a Senior Analyst at Mobile Experts LLC. Mobile Experts is a network of market and technology experts that provide market analysis on the mobile infrastructure and mobile handset markets. Over the course of his 20+ years in wireless and cable industries in a dynamic range of roles from engineering to product management and technology strategy, he has contributed to the advancement of mobile communication, while working at leading companies in the mobile value chain including Motorola, Texas Instruments, Alcatel-Lucent, and a few startups in between. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and Georgia Tech, and studied finance and strategy at Southern Methodist University.
Andrew Spivey - ABI Research, Senior Analyst
Siân Morgan - Dell'Oro Group, Research Director
Phil Solis - Connectivity and Smartphone Semiconductors, Research Director
Phil Solis is Research Director for IDC’s Enabling Technologies team for wireless and mobile connectivity technologies and semiconductors and smartphone semiconductors. Mr. Solis’ core research area includes the evolution of Wi-Fi, cellular, and other connectivity technologies. The other part of his core research area is smartphone semiconductors, including the main processors, accelerators, cellular modems, RFFE, and mmWave components.
Before joining IDC, Phil did work with Tractica on the computer vision market, with SAR Insight & Consulting on WiGig and wireless power, and served as Chief Product Officer for FashionTeq, a small wearable startup. Prior to that, Phil was a Research Director at ABI Research, covering robotics and AI. Over his 14 years at ABI Research, Phil produced industry-leading research around wireless connectivity, Wi-Fi, WiGig, 4G, 5G, smartphones, and smartphone semiconductors, among other areas. He spent 14 years at NYNEX / Bell Atlantic / Verizon before that.
- MBA in Marketing and Information from Pace University
- Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from Stony Brook University
- Frequent speaker, panelist, and moderator at industry conferences and cited in many publications including the BBC, The Boston Globe, EE Times, Fierce Wireless, Financial Times, Fortune, Network World, The New York Times, PC World, and RCR Wireless.
