I am happy to say that I have reached a milestone in my life over the past few days. I’m confident that looking back 20 years, I’ll remember it clearly.

Sunday I completed a four week span of world travel. Ten days in Panama meeting with some Powerlinx pilot companies, a few back in NYC, ten in Israel, with our technology team and more Powerlinx members. For the first time ever, I can honestly say that I was able to work seamlessly wherever I found myself, transit included (each plane had an electric outlet in the seat, keeping power and productivity up).

The connections we enjoy today would have been impossible only a few years ago. Constantly on the go, this is how I stay in touch:

Staying in contact with the team – WhatsApp, Viber and iMessage have made it easy to keep up with groups and family from anywhere. With WhatsApp processing 300 million monthly users and 31 billion messages a day (yes, billion), it is clear that I’m not the only one who thinks so. Even Skype Mobile has gotten its act together, and I had a number of crystal clear international skype calls over roaming data.

For more formal meetings: GoToMeeting, WebEx, Skype and other platforms continue to incrementally improve their offerings. There is still lots of room for improvement with these services, but numerous startups such as Fuzebox and Zoom and Google Hangout are pushing the label, and rising web standards such as WebRTC are taking strides to fill that room with the ability to start video conferences right in the browser and on your mobile devices.

I actually had a one hour long conference call on Skype for iPhone while sitting on a ledge overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem. Admittedly it was hard to keep track of the conversation, but for once, it was due to the breathtaking view, not the reception.

Data plans – Despite a small dispute with ATT over just how much data I used over the trip, the base plans for US companies all begin at around 120 MB for $30. Considering what we paid just a few years ago for 5MB, that’s really not bad, and is more than enough to send/receive your emails for a couple of weeks, WhatsApp to your hearts content and have a short Skype call or two. Just be sure to shut off your Dropbox background photo backup if you use it, or you’ll fly through the plan.

The Take Away

Following a month of engaging with businesses in Israel, Panama and NYC, I’m struck by the way each person finds the set up that works for them from the many options. I met with one executive who uses the beautifully re-designed voice notes feature in iOS7  to send short notes to his team. He says he started using it in the car, but now he finds himself using it all day. “It is simply faster than typing,” he said, “and my team can replay my voice to hear the nuances of my message.”

In so many different ways recent advances in communication technology are making it easier than ever to communicate with the people and companies who are helping you build your business, no matter where they might be found around the world.

All we need now is a brilliant and efficient way to find these companies. Enter Powerlinx.

Everywhere I go I encounter numerous businesses eager to and capable of transacting at a global level. Inspired to help businesses like these, we at Powerlinx are creating a platform for businesses to identify and connect with strategic partners outside of their existing networks who can help discover and seize new opportunities.

We can’t wait to show you what we’re building.

Until next time,
Yoni

PS On the last flight from TLV to NYC (12 hours long) the back-of-seat video entertainment systems went blank for five hours. Walking around the plane I noticed at least 2/3rds of open phones that I passed were engaged in rousing bouts of Candy Crush. Word around the block indicates the game’s creator is confidentially listing for an IPO. If my flight was any indication, the game really is as popular as they say.