MobileBeat: We’ve added free session for developers, including operators

We’ve added a special pre-event session to MobileBeat next Thursday, July 24.

This will be a free session for developers focused specifically on the trends we’re seeing on services platforms (Nokia’s OVI, for example) and operating systems (Apple’s iPhone, Google’s Android, etc.) and how they’re impacting developers writing mobile apps.

In addition, we’ve invited some operators to provide perspective on the challenges and benefits of building third party applications for their networks.

This session is meant to be an introductory session which will be followed by more specific topics to be explored at forums like Monday Mobile Monday (Fall) and Mobile 2.0 (November 2008.)

The session will run immediately before the MobileBeat programming, where we’re featuring a high-level group of panelists, experts and start-ups along with exclusive announcements.

We have limited space for this. If you’re interested, contact Jacob Mullins, provide your name and please write “Developers” in the headline. Even if you already have a ticket to MobileBeat, you’ll need to do this. We’ll send confirmation that you’re in.

Here are the details:

Subject: Overview of key trends in (a) service platforms and (b) operating systems impacting developers of mobile applications.

Time: 9:30am-10:30am

Why: Coffee and donuts!

Speakers:

Moderator: Gregory Gorman, Tertius (left) — Gregory is a consultant with more than two decades of experience in mobile (including at HP and Bell Atlantic). He is co-organizer of the Mobile 2.0 conference. His firm advises startups on business strategy, building mobile ecosystem partnerships and fund raising. Among his clients is Soonr, a MobileBeat best company nominee that lets you read documents on the go.

Matthew Fix, Vodafone Venture — Matthew is a principal at Vodafone Ventures, a $200M fund focused on mobile and digital media. He has invested in and is an active board observer for Amobee, Evolution Robotics, and Caringo. Previously, he was an investment manager at Intel Capital, where investments included Financial Engines, Datallegro, SpikeSource, BlackDuck, BayPackets (acquired by Genband) and Incesoft. He founded a small communications company while an undergraduate at UC Berkeley.

Satya Mallya, Director at Orange Labs — Mallya and his group in South San Francisco is responsible for innovation in mobile, road-mapping products, technology, terminals, personalization and emerging wireless standards. Satya is also responsible for managing the Orange Developer Center and hosts Edge and 3G base stations enabling developers to test their applications on Orange devices and network. Prior to joining Orange in 2002, Satya worked at Bell labs(now Lucent), Octel communications, Aspect Software, Caritasoft and Humanconnect

Dr. Richard Koo, SVP of Augmentation Services, Augmentum — Koo has over 15 years’ experience in designing, developing and deploying enterprise software systems. Prior to Augmentum, he was chief architect at Vitria Technology. At Vitria, Dr. Koo also oversaw Vitria’s offshore outsourcing partner in the development of a broad, multi-platform line of connectivity products. Before Vitria, Dr. Koo held senior engineering positions at Tibco Software and Sun Microsystems.

Mike Rowehl, SkyFire — Mike is an mobile entrepreneur, hacker and programmer. He’s now architect at mobile browser company, SkyFire. He’s the organizer and co-founder of the Silicon Valley chapter of Mobile Monday and co-organizer of Mobile 2.0. He’s the former Director of Technology at AdMob, and co-founder of Mowser (a mobile content adaption service sold to dotMobi in May of 2008).