VON Community Hunts Event Organizer as Pulvermedia Collapses
VON conference organizer Pulvermedia is “closed for now,” a spokeswoman for the company confirmed Monday, declining to elaborate. The comment is all Pulvermedia has said since layoff rumors spread in late March.
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Rumors of Pulvermedia’s demise dotted the blogosphere starting late in March, but Pulvermedia released no formal information. Talk continued this month after murky exits by director Jeff Pulver and VON community developer Carl Ford. In an April 24 blog post, Pulver wrote: “Just wanted to share the news that I have resigned as a director from PulverMedia. And I am not able to say anything else nor can I address any questions about this.” On May 2, Ford titled a blog post “So Long its been Good To Know You,” but offered no explanation.
Pulvermedia blogger Jonathan Askin realized matters were amiss when his March work went unpaid, he said in an interview. Pulvermedia hired Askin early this year to write a blog on VoIP policy. He hasn’t blogged since March 25.
The VON community lives, and needs to fill the void, said Askin. Pulvermedia’s demise leaves a “desperate need” for a new forum in which to discuss VoIP’s future, he said. The next VON leader must divine VoIP’s “next big issue,” a task at which Pulvermedia failed at the last VON conference, Askin said.
VON and Jeff Pulver had a “huge role” in shaping the VoIP industry, said Jim Kohlenberger, VON Coalition executive director, in an interview. “As things sort out, I'm sure that Jeff will take the opportunity to give people a better idea of what’s happening” and his future VoIP industry role, he said. VoIP continues to grow quickly, and Pulvermedia’s collapse shouldn’t be seen as an omen of doom, he said. Pulvermedia’s shutdown has no effect on the VON Coalition, a separate body that lobbies for VoIP in Washington, D.C.