Archive for 2003
Helicomm Hypercompetes in M2M
The wireless telecommunications revolution continues at a fast clip in areas that many of us never notice. We rarely think of the number of machines in our lives until they fail to perform as expected. We think even less about monitoring these machines and adjusting their performance. Yet this is the province of a wireless…
Read MoreCo-Branding: Centuries of Stamina
This summer I had the pleasure of visiting Cesky Krumlov, a Renaissance city in southern Bohemia, now a part of the Czech Republic. Earliest inhabitants in the area date back to 4000 BC, but the city really began to pick up as a center for commerce, power, art, and philosophy after the 1200s. Outside of…
Read MoreShifting Paradigm: Automated Meter Reading (AMR)
The Automated Meter Reading (AMR) industry is big stuff. During the past decade, advances in radio frequency (RF) technology, software, and powerline signal transmission have enabled utilities to change business processes from reading meters manually to downloading meter reads automatically. The potential cost savings for utilities are enormous. Entire workforces that were once charged with…
Read MorePrepaid Metering: Clear Value, Clearer Hurdles.
Pre-paid metering for utility services is a win-win-win proposition. Prepaid meter makers such as AMPY (www.ampy.co.uk) and Landis + Gyr (www.landisgyr.com) directly benefit from the sale. Utilities, such as Louisville Gas and Electric (LG&E, www.lgeenergy.com) and Salt River Project (SRP, www.srpnet.com), are able to supply service to the 15% of their customers with a poor…
Read MoreAutomated Meter Reading (AMR) Market Confusion: Crossed Signals
When a utility purchases an Automated Meter Reading (AMR) system, they are making a very significant investment. Because of the size of the investment and the potential sale, one might expect vendors of AMR systems to speak directly to the concerns of the purchasing utilities, but this unfortunately was not the case at the 2003…
Read MoreIlluminating the Market
Since the invention of the tunable laser, scientists have enjoyed tweaking matter with its luminescence with remarkable control. Without it, our ability to control molecules was limited to little more than heating a sample over a Bunsen burner and observing the outcome. With it, we are able to isolate a specific sample of molecules, control…
Read MorePareto’s Fractal Nature: A Powerful Tool
Nearly everyone is familiar with “The 80/20 Rule.” Almost as many are familiar with its more accurate name, “Pareto’s Law.” The basic premise emerged from a study of income distribution in Italy by an economist named Pareto. He found that 80% of the wealth in the economy was concentrated in 20% of the population. It…
Read MoreBreaking Taboos
In many ways, the advice and commentary provided in The Wiglaf Journal are ordinary business suggestions: conduct market research; prospect for new customers; use resources to close sales opportunities; sales and marketing are integral to corporate strategy. If this were the extent of the Wiglaf Journal editorial bias, the Wiglaf Journal would have stayed at…
Read MorePreparing to Outsource
The decision to Outsource IT often begins in the area of corporate finance with a yearning to “save money”. It may be perceived that Computer Operations and hardware are costing the company too much in return for what’s received by top management. Add to this concept that the software business applications database and help desk…
Read MorePerformance / Execution Integrated Sales and Marketing
The Data-Driven Approach to Creating Customers and Capturing Profitable Revenue Management Science Meets the Creative and Relationship Edge Marketing is often considered a creative activity: images that convey the company brand; copy that excites customers to purchase; deliverables that convey the look-and-feel of the company. We can agree that marketing has a creative element, but…
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