“Remember the good old 1980s, when things were so uncomplicated…” Ticket to the Moon, ELO When Jeff Lynne wrote these lyrics in 1981, the Nortel Digital Multiplex System (DMS) voice switching platform was in its heyday. The voice business accounted for the majority telecommunications, and data connections were somewhat of an oddity, requiring a phone … Read more
Business moves at a breakneck pace. Every day, there’s more to do and less time to do it. This is not merely perception, it’s reality! A quick look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual index of labor productivity for wireless and wireline telecommunications carriers reveals that since 1987 (the first year for which this … Read more
It seems a bit ironic that our Labor Day celebrations involve, well… NOT laboring. This holiday was conceived in the late 19th century as a way to celebrate the social and economic achievements of the American worker. As with most holidays, it has evolved into another extended weekend where tending the grill is often favored … Read more
Back to school means different things to different folks. Parents of smaller children worry about letting their little ones go while high school parents sense a certain relief having them out of the house. Students may relate it to shopping, reconnecting with friends or going back to the salt mine… Personally, thinking about the place … Read more
The greater a team’s deficit at halftime, the more likely they are to lose. This linear relationship holds true, unless, the losing team is down by a small margin. With the NBA playoffs in full swing, I thought it was interesting that a 16-year analysis1 of all NBA games (corroborated by a 10-year analysis of all … Read more
On February 18th, NASA’s Perseverance rover concluded its 293-million-mile journey in style by sticking a landing within its designated 4×4 mile target on Mars. A trajectory deviation of 0.000001° (that’s five zeros!), and they would miss Jezero crater’s prime terrain. As I pondered the level of precision needed, I was reminded of the old 1 … Read more
Complexity is an unavoidable side-effect of communications service provider growth. A new system gets added, an old platform fails to be retired, a new vendor enters the fray, an acquired company’s customers remain on the old B/OSS, a new product is launched. While a “sunk cost” mentality that favors the status quo is tempting, this … Read more
Communications service providers know that the first few months of the year have an outsized impact on annual results. Known as the “rule of 78s”, this principle is often associated with recurring revenue sales, however, it also applies to recurring cost reduction. A netex dollar cut in February will save you $11 in 2021, whereas … Read more
