Big Data, Big Plans to Drive Industry Growth

By Mark Dzuban

Now that spring and summer finally have arrived, I can tell you that what warmed my heart through a long winter was the latest run of good news for our organization: a pivotal success for SCTE•ISBE Cable-Tec Expo®, the industry’s leading trade event; an overwhelmingly positive review from cable’s Organization Review Committee; and strong support — dare I use the word ‘endorsements?’ — by some of the industry’s most important figures.

There’s much to savor. The best-ever lineup of C-level executives, the unprecedented thought leadership and the buzz of business that made Expo one of the best ever. The Review Committee’s acknowledgement of relevance that placed SCTE•ISBE at or near the very top of all industry organizations. Remarks by Charter’s Tom Rutledge and Comcast’s Tony Werner that underscored the value we bring to the cable telecommunications community.

But here’s the thing: While we’ve relished the praise, we understand that what’s more important than accolades is how we evolve to build upon our achievements. We’re making ourselves more flexible and more agile so we can: increase the impact of Expo in the years to come; act on Review Committee recommendations to increase alignment with operators, programmers and technology partners; and work across the C-Suite — the top of the “boots to suits” workforce — and with our association brethren to drive technology innovations on which new revenue opportunities will be based.

I’m incredibly proud of what we accomplished under Tony Werner’s chairmanship. Since last fall, we’ve been working with Liberty Global’s Bill Warga, Charter’s Tom Adams and the rest of our board to continue our commitment to self-assessment and improvement. In the coming year we’ll be preparing the industry for what’s next in technology and innovation; strengthening core programs such as learning and development, standards and engineering, and membership and chapter activities; and expanding our leadership into new areas via the SCTE Foundation and partnerships with associations within and beyond the cable telecom ranks.

Among the targets on our ‘hit list:’

• Leveraging data analytics and psychometric analysis to unlock the full value of the CORTEX Expert Development System™ by broadening awareness of training offerings, helping cable operators plot and track training progress at the individual employee level, and enabling a 360-degree view of each employee’s most pressing educational needs;
• Strategically and proactively working with the smartest technical minds to provide the Standards foundation needed to drive faster, more cost-effective infrastructure upgrades and new product deployment, boosting bottom lines of operators and technology partners; and
• Expanding our role as the global hub of technology sharing, networking and deal making by bringing together Corporate Alliance Partners, Standards Program members, individual members and association partners around the world for exclusive events, chapter meetings and, of course, SCTE•ISBE Cable-Tec Expo 2018 October 22-25 in Atlanta.

We’ll also be using the SCTE Foundation to benefit new constituencies via key partners: diversity initiatives in conjunction with WICT and others; veterans’ programs together with the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Affairs office; and scholarships and grants that can ignite the creativity of young engineers through the FIRST Robotics League.

We’d love to rest on our laurels, but there’s just too much that needs to be done. Now, more than any time in our five-decade history, SCTE•ISBE is breaking the mold in which we’ve been cast, and blending applied science and innovative thinking to create new business opportunities for cable telecommunications. We can’t wait to get to where we’re taking the industry, so we can get started on what’s next.

Mark L. Dzuban

President/CEO, SCTE
mdzuban@scte.org

As President and CEO of SCTE•ISBE, Mark Dzuban is continuing a lengthy career of telecommunications leadership. Mark has been instrumental in positioning SCTE•ISBE as a leader in energy management and technical education, driving creation of the Energy 2020 program, the CORTEX Expert Development System™ and other programs and services that build value for the cable system operators, technology partners and individual members. Mark was honored with the prestigious NCTA Vanguard Award in 2011.

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