To Future Proof or Not, That is the Question

"To be, or not to be" is the famous opening phrase of Hamlet’s well-known soliloquy in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. In the soliloquy, Hamlet questions the meaning of life, and whether or not it is worthwhile to stay alive when life contains so many risks and hardships. He concludes that the primary reason people stay alive is due to a fear of death and the uncertainty of what lies beyond. Now what does this passage in Hamlet have to do with future proofing a business or monetization?

Click to read more ...

From ‘Simple’ to ‘Simplistic’ to ‘Bad Idea,’ the Dangers of Dumbing Down Your Business (Part 2)

In my last blog, I talked about how there’s nothing new about subscription services since they’ve been around for generations. Now I’ll relent a little and admit that there is something new about many of the subscription services out there. What’s new is what is no longer there. Traditionally, the whole point of subscription services was to create a two-way commitment in which both the service provider and the customer benefits.

Click to read more ...

What does Doorstep Milk Delivery have in Common with Subscriptions? (Part 1)

Some of our customers and billing industry contacts are somewhat intrigued (or even bemused) by the upsurge in attention being given to the concept of “subscriptions”. Some are concerned that they’re missing something because, after all, subscriptions have been business-as-usual for most of us for years. So why all the fuss? Does the growth of subscription-type services delivered over the Internet indicate there’s some exciting new business model out there? Are we seeing fundamental changes in the way companies are doing business?

Click to read more ...

What Stood Out from the Nice Blur?

Many battle-hardened CSPs took off their combat helmets and flak jackets for a few days of strategic planning on the Cote d’Azure. If you were in Nice for the TM Forum’s annual extravaganza you are most certainly trying to make sense of the meetings, presentations, panels, and perhaps looking to find a pattern in the chaos by reflecting on what you heard. In preparing the Nice debrief for our own team, a pattern did emerge.

Click to read more ...

In 2013, Don't Simply Consider Change, Act (Part 4)

In the last blog, we talked about how 2013 was the year of change for service providers. Why? Because when you are in survival mode, it is no longer an option to simply consider change, you must act.

Click to read more ...