Exceeding industry expectations, the 2009 VON Conference & Expo ushered in a new era for advanced IP communications while demonstrating that, even in a challenging economy, service providers are innovating and seeking new markets and new alliances.

In fact, the restrictions on travel budgets imposed by the recession made for a more valuable experience for exhibitors and attendees. More than one exhibitor mentioned that there were fewer “window shoppers” and more decision-makers on the show floor, looking for new technologies and new partnerships to drive their businesses forward.

Trade shows seldom adhere to a pre-ordained script, but if VON ’09 can be said to have a theme, it was “Growth through openness.”

Operators and vendors alike have come to the realization that “if you stick to conventional, closed, proprietary systems – for devices, for platforms, for customer relations – you are going to find yourself on the sideline,” reported VON Editor-in-chief Richard Martin.

Employees are demanding more open IT and telecom policies, customers are demanding more open and interoperable systems, and suppliers and partners are demanding more equal access and inclusion in product and marketing decision-making, said Joe Burton, the CTO for unified communications at Cisco, in his industry address on Sept. 22.

In his own keynote, Skype chief strategy officer Christopher Dean said his company is more committed than ever to helping businesses through an open, Web-based ecosystem of services and applications based around the 400 million-plus Skype subscriber base.

This year’s VON Expo made news in its first hour when Fred Briggs, executive vice president for Verizon Business, said in a Q&A session that Verizon is committed to opening up its network and its services to third-party developers.

In addition to the well-attended panel sessions, which featured a speaker lineup that one analyst called “incredible,” of special note at this year’s VON were the Latin America Summit, which featured executives from the most important and innovative service providers in Latin America, and the CTO Summit, a dinner roundtable at which the CTOs and CEOs of America’s most innovative competitive service providers launched a new movement to create an independent IP-based peering fabric to carry advanced services like HD voice.