Full Signal - Spring '14 by Full Signal

GRADUATE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM NEWSLETTER

SPRING 2014

SPRING PASSINGINTO THE ACTION TORCH With onset spring, wetowelcome 2 new team new on As thethe 2.0s and of 2.1s prepare land, they turnLDP to the 3.0smembers, and 3.1s to33carry interns and newSignal 3.0 members to the FullLeadership Signal team! the legacy of 4Full and the Graduate Program (p. 2). Lessons from #IceStorm2013: the ice storm sheds light onto our tender relationshi p with technology (p. 4).

Shavers, Cutters and Nevers: we explore the impact of OTT video service on the telecom industry (p. 7).

SPRING 2014 LEAD EDITOR/ DESIGN:

Samantha Brown DESIGN ASSISTANTS:

Erica Edwards Fabienne Lee

CONTRIBUTORS:

Ranji Bissessar Timothy Cheung Josh Gladstone Vera Qi-Lin Iris Wong Krista Wymenga

Editors’ Note: Happy Spring, Full Signal readers! This issue, we welcome aboard our new 3.0 team members: Erica, Fabienne, Josh, Vera and Iris! They took on both design and writing responsibilities for this issue, and did an absolutely fabulous job. We can’t wait to see where the team takes Full Signal in the future! Stay tuned as we bring some of the first Bell interns on board shortly, too. Read on for a humourous twist on #IceStorm2013, valuable public speaking advice, an in-depth recap of the Oscar’s, and much more. Wishing you warmer months ahead, The Full Signal Team

What is Full Signal? Full Signal is a bimonthly newsletter published by Grads in the Graduate Leadership Program. We feature articles on the telecom industry, interesting stories, as well as profiles of our managers, directors and peers.

Table of Contents aa

3 4 6

Updates from the LDP Team Lessons from #IceStorm2013 The Best Free Apps

7 8 10 11

Shavers, Cutters and Nevers Five Musical Lessons that Can Improve Your Speaking Skills And the Academy Award Goes To... On the Road to Worldwide Domination

Updates from the LDP Team Matt Lemaire shares the latest accomplishments and LDP team updates from this winter. Here at the GLP, even the winter can’t slow us down! We’ve had a busy start to the new year as we’ve pushed forward with the new Intern program, heading out to campus and finding some fantastic candidates. It has been a lot of fun getting to meet new people and seeing the same kind of passion in them that we’re used to seeing in our grads. But let’s not forget, we owe a debt of gratitude to all of our grads who have helped out with info sessions and interviews, taking the time out of their busy schedules to help this program be the best that it can be! As always, never forget that we’re here for you! Feel free to reach out at any time via IM, email, text or call and we’ll give you any help you need. Last but not least, here’s what our team has been working on: • Intern interviews are completed and we have reached out to 33 to start on May 5th. • 2.0s Finding Permanent Landing Spots: A round of applause for our 21 2.0s who have recently landed in permanent roles! • The Grad Alumni Program will be launching in April and we’ve got lots of fun things planned! Stay tuned later this month for more details... • Our team welcomes Ashley Whelan and Sara Robertson to the Leadership Development team on rotation!

Our 3.0s and 3.1s show off their competitive spirit during the March LaserQuest social!

Lessons from

#ICESTORM2013 The ice storm that burdened Ontario and Quebec this past D e cember taught Canadians valuable lessons about our tender relationship with technology in the 21st century. Article by Josh Gladstone I vividly remember waking up on the morning of the Ice Storm, astonished by what I was looking at. I was still lying in bed, tightly wound in a cocoon of blankets, mourning a battery-drained cell phone that had just died in my hands. I had yet to look out the window, to discover a beautifully ice-coated world, littered with ice-coated debris. I had yet to learn that over 600,000 Ontario homes had lost power over night, indeterminately. No, my first thought on the morning of December 22nd, 2013, was: my phone charger must be broken. After four different outlets failed me, I went to my last resort: a tired, archaic 2008 Macbook— the obsolete victim of today’s mobile revolution. I opened the computer and my jaw dropped as I stared hopelessly at the

dreaded “Server Not Found” screen. I shielded my eyes from the television in fear of being blinded by the nothingness it hissed at me. A sudden feeling of sorrow overcame me as I bemoaned the loss of my connection to social media that’s become as regular as my diet. It was only after my umbilical cord with technology had been severed that I became wise enough to venture outside.

Ice.

Everywhere.

Fallen trees lined the streets like snakes, some snakes barely missing the frozen cars. Luckily, my car remained unscathed, which owes thanks to either me attending bible studies as a child or parking my car under an Evergreen. Either way, it dawned on me to be proactive and to preemptively

move it. While inside the vehicle, a metaphorical apple fell on me from the sunroof and gave me my first bright idea of the day: to use my car as a temporary power outlet and charge my cell phone. While I mentally awarded myself a Nobel Prize for utter brilliance, my pride quickly vanished as I noticed that all my neighbors were doing exactly the same—I was just late to the game. In fact, as I looked more intently down the street, I realized something unnerving. Unlike other winter-wonderland days, today there were no children playing outside. There were no parents hoisting toboggans to the nearby park to enjoy this blissfully still morning. All I could see was running cars on icy driveways, all clad with bundled passengers swiping furiously at their smartphones.

I suddenly wanted to understand what my neighbours were doing instead of appreciating this frozen scenery. With the Pink Panther theme song playing shamelessly in my iPod, I pranced down the street, spying through frosted car windows. My neighbors were not texting or calling; instead, they were completely absorbed into the virtual worlds of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, vicariously reliving the Ice Storm through all eyes but their own. Exactly like what I had subconsciously planned to do. I was shocked by the sight of it, and sickened of my own previous intentions. So shocked and sickened, in fact, that I immediately ran to my charging iPhone and turned it on. Whether I was pretending to be a thorough investigator, or simply falling victim to my binary cyber addiction, I still do not know. Either way, I opened Facebook to be bombarded by photos and status updates of the ice storm, each post climaxing with the words

#IceStorm2013. Apparently, we are profoundly obsessed with the hashtag. Instagram and Twitter, pioneers of the trending “shift-3” sign, fared no better. It was staggering to see how many people couldn’t let go of technology for even a day. Despite widespread power outages, the social media frenzy

barely missed a beat. Almost instantly, I clearly saw how fragile our relationship with technology had become. Instead of living in reality and appreciating the fact that our front lawn leaves had become Picasso-esque frozen sculptures, we chose to experience the ice storm through our own virtual news feeds.

“Despite widespread power outages, the social media frenzy barely missed a beat.”

The Ice Storm of 2013 was a testament to how powerfully integrated technology is in human discourse. Even facing the most extreme of power outages— which would otherwise be the kryptonite of all technology— we still found a way to revive that part of us. We have come to rely on technology as a proxy for life. But of course there’s a silver lining to this story: ten years ago, a storm and power outage of this magnitude would have been crippling. But in today’s cyber connectivity, the mobile revolution allowed everyone to stay informed. It let cold citizens know where to go for warmth. It told hurried drivers to slow down and drive cautiously. It let the world know that we were okay, albeit with the risk of reinforcing the idea that maybe we actually do live in igloos. To the extent that I was perplexed by our reliance on technology to capture a moment, I was equally as impressed with the ability of technology to get us through a moment— specifically one coated in ice.

The best free apps Curious about must-have apps for iPhone and Android? Look no further! Article by Vera Qi-Lin For Getting Around the City: Waze There are likely few things worse in life than sitting in gridlocked traffic on the DVP or 401 (en route to the office, of course). If you’ve ever wished for an all-knowing traffic savant to bestow you with a faster, more efficient way to get from point A to B, enter Waze. Once opened, users passively contribute traffic data so the app can route the best way to get you to your destination by avoiding accidents, traffic jams and other road hazards as they occur in real-time. To look out for your safety, Waze has disabled text input while the car is in motion and will verbally communicate the directions to you if your car is Bluetooth-enabled.

For Tracking Down Your Favourite Songs: Shazam There is a singular song-identifying impasse that everyone has faced when listening to music: struggling to place the name/singer of a somewhat familiar or entirely new song. Shazam is the app that turns that uncertainty into newfound musical knowledge. As soon as a song piques your interest, simply tap the center of the app and let it take in a few notes before magically delivering you the artist and song name. If you’re interested in staying afloat of new trends, the app can also let you know the most popular songs other users are shazam-ing.

For Staying Active: Nike Training Club Leave it to Nike to create an app that makes sure you have no excuse not to exercise. NTC allows you to select from four categories of workouts: Get Lean (cardio), Get Toned (light weights), Get Strong (not-so-light weights) and Get Focused (targeting a specific area). The workouts vary based on your level of fitness (or motivation) and last between 15 and 45 minutes, with minimal equipment required. As an added bonus, the app allows you to play your own music while it’s open and even includes specially-designed workouts by Olympians, professional athletes and Hollywood trainers in case you’re looking for a particularly inspired session.

For Managing Your Personal Finances: Mint With the migration toward e-bills and online banking, it’s time to bring your budgeting skills into the 21st century if you haven’t already. Mint makes it easy for you by syncing with your debit and credit card, automatically documenting how much money is coming in and out of your accounts. You can also personalize your budget by creating your own categories and savings goals. To keep you on track, Mint will send you alerts when your bill dates are approaching and when you exceed your budget.

Shavers, cutters, and nevers. Article by Timothy Cheung Over-the-top (OTT) video service, where customers stream TV shows and movies over the Internet for a monthly subscription, caters to a generation of tech-savvy and budget conscious consumers. They are taking advantage of the availability of high speed Internet to avoid paying for TV subscriptions from traditional service providers, all the while benefitting from the conveniences of no-advertising and freedom to watch shows whenever they choose. It’s a compelling business model, as shown by Netflix’s 29.8 million subscribers, and the handful of other competitors that have entered into the foray, including Hulu, Amazon, Google, and Apple. Videotron has already done so with its illico TV service, but it carries mostly French programming—a void that Netflix has not filled. There are also rumours that Rogers will soon be releasing its own OTT video service.

The trend away from Pay-TV towards alternatives has become more visible over the past several years. The industry buzzword “cord cutters” refers to consumers who cancel their traditional TV subscriptions and instead rely on streamed content or free over-the-air-signals. The Convergence Consulting Group estimates that about 400,000 Canadian TV subscribers have cut the cord since 2011, which is about 3.5% of the market. Similarly, “cord shavers” refers to consumers cutting back on TV subscriptions in favour of alternatives, and “cord nevers” to typically younger consumers who have never paid for TV subscription and possibly never will. That is not to say, though, that TV is a doomed industry. In fact, the traditional TV business is fundamentally sound. As family households grow older and more established, they will be more inclined to upgrade to premium services. Sports programming will remain an important preventative measure against cord cutting. Furthermore, as lighter viewers decrease TV consumption, the most voracious viewers in Canada are also watching more TV, resulting in average TV viewing hours remaining relatively constant. Finally, the 87% TV penetration rate in Canada today is predicted to decrease very slowly to 69% in 2023. All of this means that the traditional TV model will continue to play a very significant role in the Canadian market for years to come. Bell’s strategic imperative “Expand media leadership” falls nicely in line with the progression of OTT video services. Having acquired Astral last year, we now have under our belt TV services like HBO Canada and The Movie Network, which have subscribership that rivals that of Netflix in Canada. Our ownership in the Maple Leafs and Raptors mean we are leaders in sports programming, and Bell Media’s broad range of assets include CTV, Canada’s #1 television network. Thus, Bell is poised to take advantage of the future of television.

Tomorrow just got better. 7

Five musical lessons that can improve your speaking skills Struggling with public speaking? The art of singing can lend a few helpful ti ps! Article by Iris Wong

The art of speaking is much like singing. Both skills are comprised of the same key ingredients: 1) the lyrics (the words we choose); 2) the melody (the tone and inflection of which we use to express ourselves); and 3) the style of the performance (the delivery of our words). Both are artistic forms of expression that require consistent practice in order to perfect. And much like singing, public speaking does not come naturally to the majority of us. Incorporating musicality in your verbal communication can create a fluidity that delivers more than just an elegant-sounding string of sentences. It makes your speech more impactful. It makes your conversations more easy to follow. And, most of all, it exudes confidence. Here are some practical tips on how to make your words easy on the ears:

With music, the lyrics to a song are critical. One misworded rhyme could turn a potential chart-topper into a melodic flop. Similarly, the phrases you choose to use change the way that you are perceived by your listeners. How can we build a stronger vocabulary? Well, the simplest and most effective method is by reading. Select literature that helps hone in on the type of vernacular you wish to emulate. Business authors are great for this type of training. The nature of their writing accentuates professional language in a condensed amount of reading, which also helps to eliminate colloquialisms in your daily speech. Not to mention, you can increase your business know-how AND build wider vocabulary for conversational use! LESSON 2: Practice reading aloud.

LESSON 1: Shape your vocabulary to reflect the type of linguistic presence you wish to make.

This goes hand in hand with tip #1. We can repeat lyrics in our head all we want, but

the moment we open our mouths the vocals might turn out completely different. Remember that speaking—like singing—does not come naturally to most of us. This is why it is imperative that we practice the pronunciation of words before we use them in conversation. The best way to do so is by reading high-level material out loud and enunciating new phrases to become comfortable with the sound of your own voice. You will gain a sense of confidence hearing your own rhythm as you speak more proficiently aloud. LESSON 3: Speak slowly. People have a tendency to rush through words in hopes of communicating their ideas as efficiently as possible. But imagine how a song sounds when its tempo is sped up beyond recognition. Not very pleasant, right? The content and message of the song is not as easily absorbed by the listener. The same rule applies with conversing. Strong speakers control the timing of their speech to highlight the importance of their content. A slower pace helps to build a sense of self-assurance that their words are worth listening to.

through your wording before sharing your opinion, which can be ideal in heavy pressure situations in the boardroom or debates. A brief stillness can even revive a conversation when your listeners have trailed off. It’s a powerful tool that can garner more attention to the person speaking and can make all the difference throughout conversation. LESSON 5: Volume is influential. The benefit of a song is that its volume is consistent throughout. How annoying would it be if the track you listened to fluctuated in sound and you had to readjust the volume the entire time? Or if the song trailed off before you could listen to the ending? The same rules hold true with speech. Volume helps to bring out the importance of a statement. It’s important not to decrescendo the end of your sentences so that your final few words are inaudible to your audience. Remember: your words are valuable. Make every one count.

LESSON 4: Use silence to your advantage. Think of the concept of “rests” in music— silent periods in between bars of music in order to pause sound temporarily. Musicians use this tool in order to collect themselves before continuing on with their piece. This concept is one that we should be able to apply in daily conversation. Like vocalists, you are encouraged to use a few moments of silence to “rest” and gather your thoughts before responding. Silence allows you to think

Important elements in a vocal performance, such as volume, can be equally useful to improve your public speaking skills.

And the Academy Award goes to... #Selfies, pizza, and more red carpet stumbles were just a few of the highlights as the film industry recognized top talent on March 2. Article by Krista Wymenga If you’re at all familiar with the film industry, Sunday was the night your favourite actors, actresses, and directors vied for the Oscar. With Ellen DeGeneres as host, there were some memorable moments like #selfies, ordering pizzas, and Ellen in an excessive gown and crown. The first Academy Awards began in 1929 with little anticipation as the recipients had already been announced 3 months earlier. At that time, the Academy Awards were a banquet and celebration for about 150 guests. However, the next year, the Academy kept the results secret, but distributed to newspapers the evening prior so they could be printed at 11pm the evening of the awards show. In 1940, the Los Angeles Times published the names of the winners early, so in 1941, the Academy decided to start the sealed-envelope tradition that still continues today. The first televised event was in 1953 seen by the United States and Canada. Now, the Oscars are played across more than 200 countries and reach an audience of over 40 million viewers. Over the years, best gone to iconic, classic • Titanic • Forrest Gump • The Godfather • West Side Story

picture has movies like:

And winners from more cent years include films, such • Argo • The King’s Speech • Slumdog Millionaire

reas:

This year had tight competition amongst the following nominees:

1. American Hustle

A conman, Irving Rosenfeld, along with his seductive British partner, Sydney Prosser, is forced to work for a wild FBI agent, Richie DiMaso. DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia.

2. Gravity

A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space.

3. 12 Years a Slave

In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.

4. Dallas Buyers Club

In 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is himself diagnosed with the disease.

5. The Wolf of Wall Street

Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government. Everyone has their own opinion on what and who should have won, but the rumours were dispelled by 12 Years a Slave winning best picture and Gravity taking home numer-

ous Oscars. Matthew McConaughey won Best Actor (Dallas Buyers Club), proving he has versatility beyond being the heartthrob in Romantic Comedies, and beating the long-time favourite Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf of Wall Street). As for the ladies, Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) won over the first-time nominee Amy Adams (American Hustle) and popular choice Sandra Bullock (Gravity). But Meryl Streep was not forgotten as her legacy from 18 previous nominations over the years continued with her performance in August: Osage County. And don’t forget the rivalry with Disney and Universal Pictures where Frozen (Disney) won the Oscar for best animated feature film and best original song leaving Despicable Me 2 (Universal Pictures) empty handed. Other highlights from the night included Jared Leto’s acceptance speech (Best Supporting Actor – Dallas Buyer’s Club) where he covered topics from family, to the crisis in Ukraine and Venezuela, to standing up for who you are; Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) showing her pure happiness and honour by winning Best Supporting Actress; Jennifer Lawrence tripping on the red carpet; Ellen calling out Jonah Hill’s “part” from Wolf of Wall Street; John Travolta butchering Idina Menzel’s name before she performed “Let it Go” (Frozen); and Bradley Cooper and Jonah Hill (plus his mom) bonding on the red carpet. So hopefully you’re caught up on the gossip and best films from this year and years past. If not, at least you have plans for the next rainy day.

On the road to worldwide domination Step aside, Apple and Samsung—we’ve got new players in the hardware game. Article by Ranji Bissessar As Samsung and Apple battle it out to produce the world’s most popular smartphone, several Chinese manufacturers have been plotting their own strategy to enter into an increasingly competitive mobile market. With the start of 2014, Bell introduced Alcatel OneTouch, a low-cost manufacturer focused on great design, simplicity, and most importantly, offering a lower cost product to carriers.

parts of Asia, Europe and Africa has proven the viability of their products in many different markets. These companies are well diversified in higher margin products and services - networks, enterA Different Business Model Alcatel OneTouch’s volume strategy prise services, and consumer electronhas also meant that the company must ics - providing the opportunity to crossrely on different marketing mediums subsidize the development and growth to promote their product. Much of the of their mobile divisions.As Chinese company’s sales strategy relies on car- manufacturers use products lower cost rier marketing, social me- pricing to forge partnerships with variBell introduced Alcatel OneTouch at Bell dia, and the opinions of ous tier one carriers, it is clear that an imSporting the latest device Alcatel OneTouch... other consumers. On the pact will be felt among the larger margin features and specificaother hand, larger manu- players. Apple, Samsung, HTC, and Sony focused on tions, Alcatel OneTouch facturers such as Samsung play in a high margin market and have great design, has solidified a place in and Apple have relied fortunately been able to maintain signifisimplicity, the previously undefined and most importantly, more on mass market- cant market share. However, the industry middle tier line up at Bell. a lower cost product ing to promote and reach will eventually witness a change in these With a selling price of a large global audience. big brands’ business models where busito carriers. $250 and features companesses will be forced to choose one of two rable to some of the latest Alcatel OneTouch is not paths: maintaining market share with superphones, it is clear that Alcatel One- the only manufacturer playing in the vol- new low cost models or sacrificing marTouch does not run a similar business ume market today. Xiaomi, who devel- ket share in an attempt to prevent marmodel to Samsung or Apple. Rather, oped a name for itself when Hugo Barra, gin erosion. As Chinese manufacturers their strategy is the sale of significant Google also move up the prodAndroid’s volumes to command a profitable return. Chief left for them, uct value chain creating higher margin products, has made significant The growth [of these Consumers have made it clear that device inroads in Asia deApple and Samsung will brand is not the only basis of a purchas- veloping low cost and new brands] in various see even greater coming decision. With Alcatel OneTouch ex- aesthetically pleasing petitive pressures against parts of Asia, Europe periencing great success at Bell [greatly handsets. Other mantheir business models. and Africa has proven beating internal expectations], the Ca- ufacturers, including the viability of their nadian wireless industry will continue to Huawei, ZTE, and BlackBerry and Nokia see the introduction of lower cost man- even Lenovo/Motorohave shown that the moproducts in many ufacturers. The benefits are clear: lower la, also intend to play bile industry can change different markets. overall subsidy impacts to our subsidy aggressively in this signficantly within the budget, diversification of our lineup, market using a stratspan of two years. The better negotiation power with other egy of running virtuemergence of new Chivendors, and more consumer choice. ally all their operations from China. nese manufacturers will present inherent benefits to both consumers and carriers. As Bell experiences success with new While many of these brands may cur- What remains to be seen is how today’s big manufacturers, it is almost certain that rently be unfamilar to the North Ameri- manufacturers will compete against the other national competitors will embrace can consumer, the growth in various new Chinese vendors. Only time will tell. these newer manufacturers to realize similar business benefits (Rogers already carries ZTE).