Twitter infiltrates telecom: Kevin Thau to speak at MobileBeat 2010

We just landed another great speaker for VentureBeat’s MobileBeat 2010 conference: Kevin Thau, Twitter’s director of mobile. Thau is leading the charge to integrate Twitter with carriers and handsets at a time when devices are increasingly reliant on software partnerships for differentiation. That gives Twitter, and Thau in particular, serious clout among legacy device makers and carriers.

Thau was behind Twitter’s recent integration with Japan’s fastest-growing cellphone carrier, Softbank—a deal that put Twitter on the homescreen of the carrier’s 14 newest devices. As head of mobile business development, Thau is also in charge of answering the oft-asked billion dollar question: how will Twitter make money? Catch his panel at MobileBeat July 12-13 in San Francisco. Early-bird tickets are available for just three more days. Grab one here before they expire this Monday, May 31.

Thau is responsible for Twitter’s mobile strategy, products, and partnerships focused on making the service an essential part of everyday communication. Prior to Twitter, he worked on introducing the world to Internet email, picture messaging, the first mobile Web browser, SMS shortcodes, and version 1.0 of mobile app stores at Software.com, Openwave, and Qpass, where he worked in sales, product, and corporate development roles. He is just happy that all those years of telling people that they will use their cell phones for something other than talking on them is finally here.

We’re also very lucky to have a great group of sponsors supporting the event, including GetJar and Placecast as Gold Sponsors, AdMob and Open Market as Silver Sponsors, and Nexage and Offerpal as Event Sponsors.

In addition, we’re proud to partner with GetJar, the world’s second-largest app store, to present The Gettie Awards 2010, a competition for talented mobile-application developers. The winners of the awards will be announced at a ceremony to take place on the evening of July 12, immediately following the first day of MobileBeat. The Getties ceremony will include dinner, entertainment and the awards announcements themselves. Submission guidelines and event information can be found here. To purchase tickets to the Getties, click here.

Don’t miss MobileBeat 2010, VentureBeat’s conference on the future of mobile. The theme: “The year of the superphone and who will profit.” Now expanded to two days, MobileBeat 2010 will take place on July 12-13 at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Early-bird pricing is available until May 31. For complete conference details, or to apply for the MobileBeat Startup Competition, click here.