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Ervin Leibovici, Chief Executive Officer
 1) Briefly tell us what it is about your company/project that makes it so special?
BitBand's technology has been recognized as reshaping the world we live in, delivering a new TV experience to consumers and enabling future trends in entertainment consumption habits. It is all about progressing from the current linear broadcast of TV channels, "same content menu for all" where broadcast and viewing are simultaneous, to an "all you can eat, a la carte, individually profiled TV menu" future approach, where we humans access any content, when and where convenient, using any device we have available. The company develops its solutions employing a unique IPTV approach in order to maximize benefits to both end-users and service providers.
2) What country best facilitates starting a tech company? What single thing can a government do to encourage Technology Pioneers?
Looking at countries which display the highest concentrations of high-tech companies per capita, one will identify Israel in the first place. Other countries are Sweden, Ireland and specific states in the US i.e. California. An interesting discussion would be around the reasons for those countries' high innovation rate, distinguishing between government support and involvement rather than other factors, as the main facilitator to innovation in that country. In order to encourage Technology Pioneers a government can help with the funding of the operation, especially in the early stages before the company becomes self sustainable. Examples would be funding for international marketing activities, funding for high impact R&D, advantageous regulations supporting venture investments and depending on the products and local applicability, the option to field test the technology being developed by the relevant government entity in that country.
3) What makes an innovator?
In the core of Innovation lies the ability to think 'out of the box' and manifest the ideas despite what typically seems like a multitude of technological or business barriers. BitBand has been one of the first companies in the IPTV market, realizing the potential of Telcos getting into the streaming video and video on demand space, and acted upon an assumed to be largest market opportunity which now finally starts to materialize. An innovator typically demonstrates a relentless drive to improve life and make a difference, despite setbacks and in many cases failures to "make the dream come true".
4) How does your company directly contribute to improving the state of the world?
Through enabling 'intelligent access' to a wide variety of entertainment packages and video content, BitBand contributes to promoting human interaction, sharing of ideas and freedom of thought. What Yahoo and Goggle have done for written text BitBand and its partners will ultimately accomplish for video content – an effective, easy access to the video content world, rapidly expanding to sizes beyond our imagination and frankly beyond belief, eventually covering most content created by mankind.
5) What value do you hope to gain from being a Technology Pioneer?
BitBand's recognition as a technology pioneer should encourage other players in the high-tech market to aspire for higher values, promote forward thinking and advance the IPTV market space in general. The direct visibility and brand buildup generated both in the general press as well as with the attendees of the World Forum will hopefully have a significant and positive impact on the business of BitBand going forward.
6) What do you think the role of technology should be in society?
One of the contributions of technology to society should be providing means to make better use of 'leisure time', thus promoting and enabling well being of individuals in particular and of the society as a whole. Technological innovation should aspire to promote the well being of mankind as a community and refrain from focusing on the well being of privileged elite groups. Communication, Media and Entertainment have an enormous and growing impact on bettering our daily lives, improving human interaction, quality of life and stirring up the pursuit of the unknown. Technological revolutions like the Internet and Mobile communications are recent examples of technologies that have basically changed our lives in those respects.
7) What is the right balance in society between scientific interest and ethical concerns?
Scientific interest should take into consideration the sensitivities imposed by ethical considerations, yet aspire to make advancements that would contribute to a better understanding and new insights on traditional beliefs. Tolerance, freedom of thought and freedom of choice are crucial elements that have to co-exist along with parental control, law and order, safety and security for all.
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