Some of the world’s most recognizable brands have undergone sales transformations from being primarily product focused to, at least in part, focused on service or solution offerings. Solution offerings are generally a combination of physical products or software combined with an organization’s unique knowledge to offer a customer a complete solution versus a stand-alone, one-transaction product. A few examples of these include:A global telecommunications company, who has long been known for their significant presence in the world’s mobile handset and telecommunications hardware markets, has undergone a transition from primarily hardware focused sales to more solutions focused. While product-portfolio leadership is still a top priority for them (especially in the 5G network market), a substantial portion of their revenue is now derived from service oriented business units. This expansion has broadened their offerings from product and hardware to complete service packages, including the design, build, roll-out and operation of a new telecom network.A major technology company, who is often associated with the personal computer (PC), has undergone its own transition toward more solutions focused sales. The association with the PC is largely outdated as this company sold off it’s personal computing business units in the mid-2000’s. Through a series of sales, acquisitions and organic growth, they shifted themselves from a traditional hardware manufacturer to a provider of service-oriented customer solutions. These offerings were formally organized with the launch of a consulting business unit in the 1990s and further expanded with the acquisition of the consulting arm of a major accounting firm in the early 2000’s. Now through its consulting unit, they offer customers both IT oriented solutions (design, build and operation of IT infrastructure) as well broader management and strategy consulting services.A global technology company, who has manufactured a wide array of computing related products (computer and infrastructure hardware, consumer electronics, etc) for over 60 years, has also undergone its own transition in recent years. In the early 2000s, this company acquired an external consulting group and formed its own consulting business unit. They are now a world leader in information technology consulting, with revenue from IT services among the top 5 companies globally.