Technology:One of the less high-profile attendees at Davos has been Irish company Cicero Networks - named one of the 47 technology pioneers for 2007 by the World Economic Forum.
Cicero Networks was cited for its work in the area of wireless Voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP) products for fixed mobile convergence.
While VoIP is relatively common and easily done from PC to PC, when it comes to mobile telephony it is a much more difficult proposition. Cicero Networks has won plaudits at Davos for working on this "disruptive" element of the technology.
Chief executive Ross Brennan said the company was using the next generation of mobile handsets to allow a user to route VoIP from any type of IP network such as 3G, WiFi, Wimax, and so on.
"It takes mobile telephony away from the old circuit-switch world and brings it into the VoIP world, and makes it accessible not just to people who have licences for cellular bandwidth but to fixed-line operators, enterprise and individuals," he said.
Cicero is hoping the "stamp of approval" it received at the World Economic Forum will heighten its profile, especially when dealing with mobile-phone operators who are considering taking on its technology.
"It's great recognition and only a small number of companies are selected each year," said Mr Brennan.
"We also hope it will help the strategic decisions of operators to use our technology. We've been working in this space for the past five years and with handsets now becoming available that we can operate on, we have an opportunity to go to market with this."
