backtalk

Quotables

"We have more of a vested interest in figuring out IP phone than anyone else in the world."

— Comcast President Steve Burke at a recent Bear Sterns conference

"[This site] is dedicated to hacking cable modems. We find this a fun hobby."

— the proprietor of www.cablemodemhack.com

"We’ve lost more market share in Omaha than any other major market…Telephone companies used to be local, but we’ve been taking a mass-market approach. The result is we let Cox take that market."

— Annette Jacobs, executive vice president, consumer unit, Qwest

COX Communications

Marcie Anderson, Cox vice president of business development in Herndon, Va., has won the 2003 Women in Technology Award. It’s sponsored by Women in Cable & Telecommunications, and co-sponsored by SCTE and Communications Technology magazine.

Anderson was instrumental in the nationwide transition of Cox’s high-speed Internet customers from Excite@Home and RoadRunner services to the MSO’s self-managed service under the Cox brand. She also helped plan and execute the launch of high-definition TV at Cox’s Northern Virginia office, and currently is working on additional new product development projects including digital video recorder, home networking, wire assurance, and tiered-speeds for Cox high-speed Internet service, among others.

Check out next month’s issue of Communications Technology for more details on Anderson’s accomplishments.

Gibson Technical Services CTO Michael McCracken (shown here speaking at the Emerging Technologies Conference in Miami) was recently elevated to Senior Member of the SCTE. Senior Membership is the highest grade in the Society, and is awarded to those individuals who have demonstrated technical competence, participated actively in Society and industry affairs, attained a degree of seniority and maintained a high standard of professionalism.

Besides being a proven engineering professional, McCracken’s a self-deprecating jokester as well. Earlier this year while moderating an SCTE ET ’03 session, he feigned happiness that the proceedings weren’t being taped in high-definition. "That’s a relief," he told the audience. "You know, I’ve heard that stuff makes you look like you’re overweight and losing your hair."

Mamas don’t let your babies grow up to be…broadband engineers? Time Warner’s Don Shackelford showed off his urban cowboy prowess at this year’s Broadband Leaders Retreat at the Carefree Resort in Arizona, sponsored by Communications Technology. No mechanical bulls were hurt, but a few of the industry’s finest were seen walking slightly bow-legged on the golf course the next day.