Telecom is not a particularly nurturing space for innovators, in spite of a few meteoric successes such as Cisco and a few other homegrown start-ups, especially when you consider today s tough financing environment. Generally speaking, it takes years for service providers to buy and implement new, innovative technologies. In fact, the more innovative a solution is, the harder it can be to adopt. Changing customer s buying habits is risky and takes a long time. Telecom, unlike datacom, relies more on small companies to develop new innovations and bring them to market.
Vendors typically acquire innovation, like a technology farm system.
Service provider innovation also comes from the smaller players. Not the incumbent local exchange carriers - they will be the last ones on the bandwagon. But, in the absence of an innovation tax or other self-supporting system, Innovators must crystallize their vision, value proposition, and execute flawlessly to make it to the next inning. Briere is CEO and Gage is vice president of TeleChoice, a market strategy consultancy for the telecommunications industry. Feedback Tell us your thoughts on this article or the issues raised in it.