Aran Hamilton

Usque ad Optima – that was the motto of my high school (St. Pat’s High in Halifax, Nova Scotia). Loosely translated as “Onwards and Upwards” or “Work to your Full Potential”, it has served me as a personal motto since I graduated.

On that note, I’ve decided to leave EnStream / Zoompass.

I’ve had a solid time here – and really enjoyed the work and camaraderie with a really great team especially. Working incredible hours and sacrificing a lot of their personal lives, the awesome team here churned out some of the most advanced mobile commerce and payment projects in the world today, and there is more to come.  I’m proud that I’m leaving the team with a number of LOIs and MOUs signed sealed and delivered, so that EsStream will be busy rolling out some really great services over the next few quarters.

So while everything is in good stead and I’m looking forward to Zoompass’ continued success, It was a good time to take a pause and reflect.  I’m really looking forward to enjoying the rest of the summer – traveling a bit, and fixing up my new house – with a plan to likely start a new project after Labour Day.

Thanks for all of your kind words and wishes!

p.s. FIRST THING – I NEED SOME HELP RE-DESIGNING THIS BLOG! IT’S AWFUL!!!

Let’s be clear: I am not displeased with the advent of the HST, indeed, I believe that it should streamline the taxation process and overhead required to collect and manage the tax system.

And I am actually ok with paying more for semi-luxury items and services like dry cleaning and taxis.

However, I think we are making some bad decisions about what we tax.

According to the government flyer that showed up in my mailbox: new tax cuts, benefits, and credits have been put in place…but I have not seen any evidence of that yet.

Electricity is going up, so is natural gas, and oil and gasoline for our cars. We should be using less of these things, and a tax will help us keep that in mind…and I expect that there is or will be a benefit program to make sure that everyone has access to “enough” heat and power…right?

And then there are things that should never ever be taxed, period.

Internet access – it is simply stupid to do anything that might conceivably slow the uptake of he highest speed internet access available. The economic benefits of high penetration rates of Internet access are clear.

Fitness memberships and Vitamins – if people are helping to offset future health costs by keeping fit and healthy, subsidize that decision, don’t TAX it!

Camping – get people out of the city and into nature any way you can for crying out loud!

Hotel rooms – come on, we need all the tourists we can get! Especially if you’re gonna tax the flights and gas to get here!

Nicotine replacement products – These should be free, paid for by taxes and the cigarette companies, not taxed!

But while we are on this topic, why aren’t we taxing auto insurance? Could it be the massive lobby groups have the ear of the government?

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Monday, June 7th kicks off the 2010 Canadian Telecom Summit, organized by Mark Goldberg and Michael Sone – two great guys doing a lot for the telco market up here in Canada.

The Summit is three days long – wow – that’s a lot of opportunity for conflict! There is some serious animosity between some of the attendees, it could get interesting!

If you’re attending, please look for me. I’d love to get a chance to meet you.

On Monday, we kick off with a Keynote from Canadian Industry Minister Tony Clement, who is expected to announce changes or at least consultations to the foreign ownership restrictions on wireless companies.

Rob Bruce (President, Communications at Rogers) speaks soon after, and Zoompass will be discussed in the mobile commerce panel in the afternoon.

On Tuesday, I’m especially intrigued to watch the dynamics between the CRTC and Bell and TELUS’s heads of government relations.  Konrad von Finckenstein (Chair of the CRTC) is speaking for 30 minutes, followed by 90 minutes from the carriers in what’s billed as “The Regulatory Blockbuster”.   If you hadn’t heard, Michael Hennessey – SVP, Regulatory & Government Affairs at TELUS was posed a question by Mr. von Finckenstein last week. Apparently he didn’t like the circumstances surrounding the questioning and the widely quoted response was “Bite me. This is bullshit.”

On Wednesday, I’ll look to get an update on start-up Globalive from Tony Lacavera (President), hear from TELUS (Robert McFarlane, CFO), and catch up with Bernard Lord – President of the Canadian Wireless Telecommunication Association. Lord is a highly respected former premier of the province of New Brunswick, a member of the Conservative Party of Canada, and a widely touted possible successor to Canadian PM Stephen Harper.

Wednesday afternoon finishes up with a cryptically titled panel session that could actually include some of the most interesting material: Advanced Wireless Service featuring: John Boynton, EVP Marketing, Rogers Communications; Ken Campbell CEO, Wind Mobile; and Dave Dobbin, President & CEO, Mobilicity (and moderated by Iain Marlow the Telecom Reporter from the Globe and Mail)

As I said – if you’re attending, please look me up. For those not attending, check back here for my insight into the three days.

Monday evening, I’m visiting a very intriguing looking start-up to see if I can help change the home electronics industry. If you know much about home audio, drop me a line please!

I was in Halifax, Nova Scotia to attend the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors and show off Zoompass – Canada’s mobile commerce platform. Having grown up in Halifax, I was a natural person to be asked to help escort Guy Kawasaki from his hotel to the convention centre where he was giving the closing speech.

Simple task right? “Meet in the lobby. Show him the way (walk 2 blocks). Don’t be late.”

If that was so simple, how did I end up spending the next 14 hours with him and then wind-up in a private jet on a late night ride to Toronto with him and a major captain of Canadian industry?

…We met in the lobby at the appointed time – and we chatted as we made our way across the street.  Helping him get around, he didn’t seem comfortable, but I figured he might be getting in the zone for his speech. If you’ve read Guy’s post on the day, you’ll know that he gave a great speech.  Huge energy, really got everyone going, and he received a standing ovation – the whole shebang.

But he descended from the stage looking a little…grey. Turns out he’d been experiencing chest pains all morning and hadn’t said a thing.  He told me that he thought he’d overdone it in the gym the previous evening, but he was a bit worried it could be something more. All I could think was “This guy better not die here – that will not look good.”

So we decide to swing by the hospital. While Guy gets processed, he asks me to duck outside and call his wife: tell her it’s probably nothing, but he won’t be home in time for dinner. She’s understandably a bit un-nerved, and it is then that she asks me to “Tell him that I love him”…. and now I start to worry. This is a serious sentiment to deliver to someone. He had to get better, I did not want to have to call her with worse news.

So I spent the next ~5 hours or so sitting in the room with him. I had wanted to get a chance to get to know him a little, but this was a bit…awkward. I think I saw more of Guy in 7 hours than most people see in 7 years…and let’s just say I wish that I was in as good physical shape as he is.  What do you say to a guy you respect but who you’ve only just met in real life? “Hope you’re not dying of a heart attack man. Cuz otherwise, you know, it looks like you take care of yourself eh? Bummer.” ??

The whole time, Guy is being really unassuming, really down-to-earth, trying to joke with people, and set everyone at ease.  In the end, the doctor came in to tell us that Guy’s heart is fine – but bizarrely enough, he’s got pneumonia! That explains the constricting weight he’s felt on his chest. She prescribes some antibiotics for the rest of the week, and I kid you not, Guy’s (ultra polite) response was “So can I play hockey tomorrow?”

And then I join the Guy Kawasaki whirlwind for a few hours. Recently revived from his deathbed, he starts cracking all kinds of jokes and now wants to tour the Nova Scotian Crystal factory! They’re long closed by this time but Rod McCulloch and the team re-open to showcase their production line and to sell us a couple of pieces. Yes, Guy Kawasaki insists on paying full price.  Guy showed an incredible genuine interest in and appreciation for people he met throughout the day.

Getting the tour from Rod at Nova Scotian Crystal

We throw down a quick bite to eat and bounced around some jokes and thoughts. (Yes I asked him about working for Steve Jobs at Apple.) I could see that Guy reflects the total drive and dedication to projects that Jobs is known for… but also a great respect for people, and a sense of his place. When asked what he does, Guy’s answer was just that he “helps run a website, does some tech investing, gives some speeches -smile – and play a lot of hockey!”

Guy repacking (he makes an art form out of packing lightly, takes it very seriously)

We spoke about “trolls” – people building their own “fame” in social media circles on his name. He shrugged, “At least they know me. It’s better than being ignored.” I probed about his use of social media – his response mirrored my thinking since our last encounter: “I use social media for what I want. Other people use it how they want. There aren’t any rules. In general I think I help people get stuff done.” His interest in supporting people and spreading the word is pretty infectious.

Just when I thought the day couldn’t get any more bizarre, I got an email saying that we had to dash to the airport. We’d missed our flights while sitting in the emergency department, but a great Canadian businessman had graciously offered us seats on his plane heading to Toronto.

So when I thought I’d be sitting in the airport lounge trying to beg my way home stand-by, I find myself sitting on a plane talking with these two great guys – real business leaders – talking about our favourite technology, gadgets and snowboarding…AND getting lectures by them on the importance of daily exercise.  Neither one of them look their age, and I think they could take me in a fight, so I guess I’m hitting the elliptical tonight.

For the record – if you get a chance to choose between reading the Macworld article test-driving the iPad, and having Guy guide you through his personal iPad… choose the latter! (and yes, I did add my contact info into his Address Book when he wasn’t looking!)

In my job I get a chance to meet a lot of people who want to do fantastic stuff.  Some of the ideas I see are well thought-out, others… well…

This project is one that I really believe in: Helping the people of Southern Sudan tell their own stories.

Check out www.threadsofhopesudan.ca

Krista Pawley traveled to Sudan in January 2007 with CASS, Canadian Aid for Southern Sudan, a grassroots non-governmental organization that works to support the educational, economic and vocational needs of the people of South Sudan.

Pawley distributed 22 disposable cameras to Sudanese men, women, and children – former slaves, boy-soldiers, and community leaders. Their photos, collected together, and titled THREADS OF HOPE.

Once they were slaves – Now they are entrepreneurs.
Once they were child soldiers – Now they build schools.
Once they knew only conflict – Now they live with hope.

Today we launch Zoompass!

We’ve been working on Zoompass for quite a while and everything’s fallen by the wayside as we’ve worked hard to prepare for this day. I apologise for having dropped off the face of the earth!

Zoompass, Canada’s first mobile payment service is a new fast, safe, and convenient way for Canadians to send and receive money using their mobile phones. It is the first product launched by EnStream LP, a mobile commerce joint venture company owned by Bell Mobility, Rogers and TELUS — Canada’s three leading wireless operators.

Canada’s wireless phone companies decided to collaborate and launch the Zoompass service together with the vision that a common standard and interoperability for mobile money transfers across all networks would result in unprecedented convenience for consumers.

As VP, Strategic Partnerships for EnStream, I’m very pleased to share this news with you, and for more information (and to check out our pretty funny promo videos, check out www.getZoompass.com BUT WHATEVER YOU DO, make sure that you signup for a FREE account at www.Zoompass.com.

Zoompass makes it easy to split a lunch bill, request money from parents, collect sports team fees, solicit money for a co-worker’s gift, or even pay a babysitter – right from a mobile phone. If Canadians find that the service fits into their life as much as I’ve found over the past few months, I fully expect to hear more people ask one another “Do you want me to Zoom you the money?”

Please let me know what you think, I look forward to catching up with you soon