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Consulting
What makes Convergence effective and unique?Data - Convergence continuously tracks and analyzes established and emerging market segments and company initiatives resulting in quantitative and qualitative data. Convergence rarely begins a project without an educated view of the market. Problem solving skill set and experience - Convergence comes to the table with a historical and current understanding of technology, business case, and product development. Change - Convergence has a proven track record for solving problems for established and emerging companies wherein markets are in transition, and the future and business case are far from clear. We help established companies' adapt and emerging companies make headway. Previous Engagements and Focus Areas Selected Multi-Product Strategy Projects During a multiple year engagement with a leading cable provider of internet, telephone, tv and wireless services, we financially modeled and provided segmented strategy on a go-forward basis from both an in-region and out-of-region perspective for all major product lines. We also provided competitive technology roadmaps on cable, fiber to the node and home, 3G/4G, Wimax and WiFi. Our 600 page deliverable demonstrated cost benefits in the half billion dollar range. Our deliverable was responsible for the cessation of a number of capex and opex endeavours, the recalibration of certain pricing strategies and competitive positioning perspectives. During a year long engagement with a major telco provider of internet, telephone, tv and wireless services we assessed competitive threats and identified opportunities, repriced and repositioned existing products, helped launch new products, and provided go-forward strategic direction including an assessment of fiber to the home and node, VOD and tiered internet service. Our work resulted in a radical shift in upper management's perception of the market and in financial improvements in several lines of business. Working with upper management at one the world's largest communication equipment firms, we quantified emerging opportunities and competitive threats in the IP market, and assisted in creating a strategic marketing plan. Our input resulted in increased IP market share. We were also retained to work with the company's clients (including start-ups) over a two-year period on product development, pricing and implementation, and strategic planning. Selected Content Oriented Projects For a national TV player we built a comprehensive strategy, business case and implementation plan to reformulate their websites and connect traditional with online. We began with a thorough assessment of the competitive state of dozens of local markets (both traditional and online, and broken down into content and information verticals), and utilized the data to create new products that cut across traditional and online including user-generated content, social networking and interactive services. We also modeled a number of potential acquisitions and how they could be integrated with the existing properties. During multiple engagements we provided substantiated recommendations for the business case and redesign of a national internet portal. The portal leads its key competitors in online display advertising. Based on our historical data and knowledge of the broadband access and network, online content, traditional TV and movie space, we have been engaged by both large cablecos and telcos to assess how the online distribution strategies of broadcasters, cable/specialty networks, pay-tv providers, movie studios, and consumer electronics vendors will impact the traditional content and access business. Our deliverables have included tailored assessments of threats and opportunities; first pass strategy to extend the VOD platform and the introduction of online video services. Selected Network and Technology Projects Our business, market, and technological assessment of an emerging content platform which had already been adopted by many players around the world, contradicted the then current wisdom and resulted in a coalition of leading content and distribution companies' reversal of strategy including the partial cessation of both capex and opex. The platform in question is now obsolete. During a one-year tenure Convergence worked in-house with an IP network start-up. Convergence recast the business case and marketing plan, and helped to develop both product offerings and pricing structure. Convergence was also critical in securing both equipment and capital investment. Convergence has been engaged numerous times by private, public and utility companies to devise go-to-market strategies for the long distance (voice), municipal fiber (data) and long haul fiber (backbone services) markets. Selected Other Projects Our one-year tenure with a global advertising firm to make upper management "smarter" by providing strategic input and customized research resulted in an exponential increase in new business. The tenure also resulted in, with the advertising firm's blessing, our consulting to two of their key clients. Convergence has been engaged by a number of institutional investors to both analyze and support investment strategies. At the early stage, Convergence has helped to assess the business and/or technological cases for broadband, bundling, fiber-to-the-home, fixed-wireless, online content, 3G/4G, VOIP. |
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