BT enters the blogosphere

Two popular bloggers have recently joined BT, the global telecommunications company.

In September 2006, JP Rangaswami became CIO of BT Services Division in September 2006. JP blogs about enterprise software under the name "Confused of Calcutta". See commentary by telecoms analyst Martin Geddes.

Then in October 2006, BT acquired Counterpane Internet Security, the company founded by cryptologist and security expert Bruce Schneier. Bruce remains as CTO. See BT press release, comments by Bruce and his readers, and comment by Counterpane investor David Cowan.

I have long argued that the software industry needs to take telecoms more seriously. Many years ago the term "Information Technology" was introduced to denote the convergence of computing and telecoms, but quickly became treated as a synonym for computing alone. (So we had to invent yet another term: ICT.) Many recent innovations in software have been funded by telecoms. (Where would computing be today without Bell Labs for example.) And the foundations of SOA were developed as much by telecoms companies as by computing companies.

Meanwhile, I hope that these two high-profile bloggers within BT will encourage more blogging from telecoms insiders.