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Much like a jazz ensemble improvises, leaping into the unknown, wrestling
order from chaos, so too does business, in its own way. Business reacts
and interacts -- increasingly in real time -- refining its internal
processes, the better to outmaneuver competition and maximize the return
on it relationships with partners and customers. In jazz, as described in
the recently televised documentary by Ken Burns, the result is often a
"masterpiece by midnight." In business, which is more the realm
of well-lit cubicles than shadowy, smoky nightclubs, we could say the
result of business improvisation is ... a masterpiece by midday.
The analogy between jazz and business is especially apt to those
interested in communications solutions, for jazz demands exquisite
listening skills among its practitioners, as well as highly refined
collaborative skills and expressive power. In a word, jazz is about
communication. And so is business, especially given current trends
touching on business organization and structure, marketing processes, and
supply chain issues.
Internally, businesses attempt to reduce the number of management
layers while granting more autonomy to discreet workgroups. Externally,
small businesses attempt to project the image of large businesses, while
large businesses attempt to emulate the quick reaction time often
associated with small businesses. Businesses extend their boundaries,
temporally and geographically, with distributed and remote access
solutions. And, finally, businesses experiment with new distribution
models thanks to innovations such as e-commerce.
JUST A FEW NOTES
All of these trends are furthered by communications solutions, as
readers of this publication are no doubt aware. This statement about our
readers is no mere supposition. It has been confirmed by reader surveys
that not only describe the readership, but also reflect its interests.
Now, don't worry. As much as I'm fascinated by the statistics we've
generated for this publication, I'll refrain from a recitation of dry,
disconnected facts. I do, however, ask your indulgence while I cite a few
key findings, which I'll relate to larger and (truth be told) more
interesting business trends. And I don't mind saying that I'd like to do
so in the manner of a jazz musician.
In jazz, a musician may be said to introduce a new vocabulary --
innovative harmony or phrasing or rhythmic attack -- while weaving it into
the more or less familiar syntax of an established style. Similarly, with
the facts I cite about readership I intend to relate to mainstream
business trends, drawing conclusions that account for the role of
communications in furthering these trends.
NOT JUST BIG BANDS
To begin, our readership derives from businesses of all sizes. Small
companies, employing fewer than 50 people, account for 29 percent of
readers. Companies employing between 50 and 499 people, account for 19
percent; between 500 and 5,000, 21 percent; above 5,000, 30 percent.
Fairly even across the board.
In some respects, companies of different sizes may be expected to have
different interests. For example, smaller companies may be interested in
SOHO solutions and broadband access alternatives to T1 lines, while larger
corporations may be interested in elaborate contact center, CRM, and CTI
applications. On the other hand, a common theme is the increased
availability of advanced communications functionality to smaller
companies, including "underserved" small/medium enterprises (SMEs).
For example, LAN telephony and IP Centrex promise to bring rich
communications to broader and broader constituencies.
ALL KINDS OF INSTRUMENTS
Another telling statistic involves job titles. Approximately 70
percent of our readers indicate they have a job title signifying a
management role. Typical titles include CEO, CIO, sales/marketing
management, telecom/datacom management, business development, and MIS/IT.
I, for one, am not surprised by the variety of management titles. The
variety confirms the frequently cited trend towards the spread of business
responsibilities across once-rigid organizational lines, particularly
where marketing responsibilities are concerned.
And when I say marketing, I mean marketing in its broadest sense, not
just marketing in terms of public relations and marketing communications.
I mean marketing that encompasses strategic issues (which are often within
the purview of top management) and operational issues (which are often
within the purview of information services). Incidentally, marketing guru
Peter Drucker has written that whereas corporations were once led by a CEO
in the manner of an orchestra led by a conductor, the corporation today is
just as likely to operate as an ensemble -- a jazz ensemble?
In its broadest sense, marketing embraces all the processes relating to
business development, including "front end," multichannel
interactions with customers and partners, as well as "back end"
data mining and knowledge management manipulations. Thus, we're talking
about business interests ranging from CRM to ERP. By their nature,
solutions touching on these subjects should enjoy a wide constituency.
(Incidentally, 57 percent of our readers indicate that their companies
have a CRM strategy.)
COMPOSING ON THE FLY
Finally, 15 percent of our readers indicate they are developers of one
sort or another. This statistic is significant because it emphasizes that
our readers are not only users or implementers of communications
solutions, they are also creators of communications solutions: software
developers, integrators, OEMs, etc. I would go further and say that our
readership, and the industry it represents, is unique in constituting both
an enabler of communications, as well as a beneficiary of communications
solutions. To be more succinct, the communications solutions or
convergence industry is both enabler and exemplar -- which brings me back
to my jazz analogy.
Jazz, through its improvisational nature, erases the artificial
boundary between composer and performer. There need be no delay between
the composer's inspiration and the performer's realization. Hence, the
expectation of a Masterpiece by Midnight.
Similarly, business becomes more improvisational or, in other words,
more real-time. Indeed, given the importance of communications in enabling
real-time business, you could say your communications solution is your
business strategy. Hence, the expectation of... a Masterpiece by Midday.
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Right On Target
When we review our reader surveys, it becomes clear just
how broad an audience this publication serves and the entire scope of
people affected by the incredible communications market. It is with this
broad audience in mind that we have developed Communications
Solutions EXPO. In fact, as I write this, we have just completed
the conference program for this event which takes place, May 23-25 at
the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
I am very excited because this conference program is the
best work we have ever done in the 15 years that TMC has been putting on
communications shows! We spent a great deal of time reinventing our
conference program, constantly looking for a way to target exactly what
you need to know. Believe me, we have come up with something unique and in
my view, extremely useful.
No matter what demographic category you fit into, we have
a wealth of sessions that will affect you directly. If you are a
developer, a service provider, an enterprise customer or a government
user, we have a way for you to get the most out of this event.
Beyond focusing on every constituent who may benefit from
communications, we have also added case studies for every group. We are
excited to announce that we have tracks on every new and exciting area of
communications worth knowing about, including broadband, unified
communications, CRM, enhanced services, m-commerce, and much more.
What is the key differentiator? Each topic (such as
m-commerce) is discussed from your point of view. The chart on pages 14-15
shows the vertical and horizontal grid that we have designed to make our
conference program more targeted than ever.
I wish I had more room to elaborate, but I don't. Please
go to our Web site for detailed explanations of each session. I look
forward to seeing you May 23-25 at the Washington Convention center in
Washington, DC. Please register
for free immediately to avoid any delay (and the $100 charge) at the
show.
As you can see in the conference grid, there is not a more
targeted way to learn exactly what you need to learn in the communications
market. Until then, thanks for reading and good luck with all your
technology implementations.
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To The March 2001 Table Of Contents ]
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