Our Team

The Diffusion Group is a "think tank" comprised of some of the nation's most accomplished consumer technology analysts, each with a unique expertise and industry background.

 

Michael Greeson
Founding Partner, Principal Analyst
Home Networking, Value-Added Services, Broadband
Formerly: Vice President of Research & Strategy for Parks Associates

Michael covers a variety of topics related to consumer technologies with a particular focus on broadband adoption, home networks, value-added fixed and mobile services, and the future of the "connected consumer." To date, Michael has authored or co-authored more than 50 reports on these topics, including seminal work in residential gateways and broadband diffusion. He is widely considered to be among the world's leading consumer technology and digital home analysts.

Michael graduated with honors from the University of Chicago, earning a Master's of Art in Interdisciplinary Social Science in which he blended studies in sociology, psychology, social theory, and philosophy. Prior to Chicago, Michael graduated with honors from the University of Central Oklahoma, earning a Bachelor's of Arts in Philosophy.

 

Andy Tarczon
Founding Partner
Member Research Programs, Broadband Media Ecosystem, Custom Projects
Formerly: Director of Product Management, JP Mobile

Andy has spent the past 13 years in consumer computing with focus on storage, media devices, and mobile systems. At JP Systems, he created the first consumer wireless data service that incorporated devices from Palm, Motorola, and mobile phone platforms. While at Vast Solutions, he managed the wireless platforms to extend mobile devices to corporate mail servers. At Walker Associates, he was responsible for creating an interlinked regional wireless network between traditional land mobile dealers.

He is currently focused on working with members and clients on developing strategies for the broadband media ecosystem.   

 

Colin Dixon
Practice Manager
Broadband Media
Formerly: Senior Executive at Microsoft/Web TV, Liberate and Oracle

Colin Dixon is a well-known and respected industry analyst who manages TDG's efforts in broadband media. He has led numerous teams from Microsoft, Oracle, and Liberate. Currently, Colin is working with major companies in developing their market strategies in the emerging "Over the Top" markets and open broadband delivery. 

Colin graduated from the University of Reading in England with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. He holds a Masters in Engineering from the University of Florida and has post-graduate business education experience from Stanford.

Colin was voted one of the Top 50 most influential people in IPTV by IPTV Evangelist.

"Colin is among a few who truly understand how the surging video industry is likely to play out across the three screens and the implications as consumers connect up their TV's, mobile and PC's to watch quality IP delivered video." - Tom Burton, FierceIPTV 


Predrag Filipovic, Ph.D.
Senior Analyst
Networked Multimedia, Convergence Platforms
Formerly: Vice President and General Manager, Digital 5

Predrag is a seasoned business executive and consultant with diverse experience in networking and multimedia technologies. He has served as chief strategist, VP, and system architect and has extensive experience in the development and marketing of connected consumer electronics, multimedia and communications, and embedded networking. He has first-hand experience in the design and implementation of RTOS for embedded systems; 802.11x, HPNA, and HomePlug MAC layers and drivers; cross-layer design and optimization of TCP/IP; and real-time extensions over RTP/RTCP and cross-layer QoS.

Predrag also served as an adjunct professor at Drexel University, where he taught a series of course on digital signal processing. He has a MS in ECE and PhD in ECE System Control from Drexel University, as well as a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Belgrade.

 

Mugs Buckley
Contributing Analyst
Advertising and New Media Development
Formerly: Interactive Sales Manager, Comcast Spotlight

Mugs Buckley is a consultant specializing in advertising and business development strategies in the new media arena. Formerly, she served as an Interactive Sales Manager for Comcast Spotlight, a division of Comcast Corporation. She began her career at the Discovery Channel where she was the Executive Producer of Discovery's award-winning multimedia production unit. As ZDTV's (now G4) first employee, she was the Director of Operations, then the Director of Business Development. She served as the Vice President of Business Development for RespondTV and the Director of Business Development for Liberate Technologies.

Mugs holds a BA from Tufts University and an Ed.M. in Technology in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

 

Ted Theocheung
Contributing Analyst
Consumer Digital Media and Entertainment and Connected Home
Formerly: GM Edge Products & Solutions, Hewlett-Packard / Compaq Computer, Startup Entrepreneur and InvestorT

Ted is a veteran general manager, marketing & business development executive with expertise in internet, mobile & wireless, connected home, digital media, storage and entertainment. He has served in Vice President, General Manager Roles for fortune 500 corporations and startups, including over fifteen years with Hewlett-Packard and Compaq Computer.

Ted has held various capacities from board advisor, management consultant, to executive management positions in marketing and business development for several technology startups including Mirra, an innovative digital content appliance, acquired by Seagate; Axentra, a home server and digital media software platform. Ted led strategy & business planning, product marketing/management, outbound marketing, advertising & communications.
Ted received his BSME from Santa Clara University and Stanford GSB (SEP).

 

 Brion Feinberg, Ph.D.
Contributing Analyst
Mobile Media Applications, Digital Home Services, Social Networks
Formerly: Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Product Management, Sereniti Inc.

Brion Feinberg has over 27 years of experience working on software products and telecommunications networks. Besides his broad background in software development, consumer technology and digital networks, Brion specializes in business analysis and bringing new technologies to market.

Prior to joining Sereniti, Brion worked various product management jobs for Viola Networks (Voice over IP performance management), Apogee Networks (billing and enterprise chargeback systems) and Lucent Technologies (network management software systems, including the NetMinder®, OneVisionTM and VitalSuite® products). Through this work, Brion has four patents in the areas of congestion management for voice and data networks, using network data for directed marketing efforts, and implementations of multi-party revenue sharing models.

Brion holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Princeton University, a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, and a PhD in Engineering-Economic Systems, also from Stanford

 

Nicholas R. Givotovsky
Contributing Analyst
Interactive Media, Technology and Policy
Formerly: Co-Chairman of the Rights Management and Protection group, TV Anytime

Nicholas R. Givotovsky specializes in strategic consulting for interactive media, technology and policy. For more than a decade he has worked to advance the leading edge of interactive media design and development, innovate cross-platform publishing and advertising models, develop digital rights management, inform privacy policy, and set international standards.

Recently, he co-chaired the Rights Management and Protection working group of the TV Anytime forum where he forged agreement across industries to enable the adoption the digital video recorder rights management standards now endorsed by hardware manufactures, broadcasters, software companies and content owners. As Secretary of Contecs:DD, a consortium that includes representatives from the Motion Pictures Association of America and Recording Industry Association of America, he contributed to the creation and adoption of a key interoperable rights "data dictionary" now formally standardized through ISO/MPEG21.

A graduate of St. Andrews University he spent his early career working in music, interactive media and documentary film in Edinburgh and London. He lives with his wife Laura Kirk and their children in northwestern Connecticut.

 

Alex Kasten
Contributing Analyst
Digital Media / Healthcare Convergence; Online Social Networking Strategies
Formerly: Global Marketing Director, AT&T Corp.

Alex Kasten has spent almost two decades serving media and communications companies and joins TDG to examine the convergence of mobile technologies and healthcare. Recently, he served with the Global Marketing arm of AT&T Corp in business development. As a senior editor and analyst with Future Systems Inc. and a featured journalist with Video Software News and CD-Rom Power, Alex has written on a broad range of subjects, including online healthcare information and healthcare / new media convergence, interactive technologies, and the expanding role of the Internet as a strategic medium for business and advocacy.

Alex is currently completing a master's degree in Communication at Johns Hopkins University with a focus on digital technologies. He earned a bachelor's degree from Connecticut College, where he graduated with distinction in Anthropology, receiving the Claire Garber Goodman Award for his leadership in advancing the values of the discipline. A native of Washington, DC, Alex lives in Bethesda, Maryland with his wife and their two sons.