On Sunsets and Telecom

Another perfect sunset seen from Redondo Beach, California. Since arriving here in June I've had the pleasure of watching many sunsets while jogging or walking along the Redondo "Strand," and have yet to tire of the endless beauty of each individual sunset. Each one is stunning, each one is different. While jogging along this evening, watching today's contribution to my portfolio of California memories, the thought came to me that sunsets are a lot like the day to day activities that challenge our lives.

A Redondo Beach sunset has four major components:

· The sun

· The ocean

· Clouds (or lack of clouds)

· Weather

With this combination we have the ability to put together a different sunset every evening, never repeating the same sunset. Each sunset is very different, leaving a completely different emotion to the sunset participant. In Redondo Beach, the entire waterfront area appears to pause for about 10 minutes each day to watch the sun go down, indulging in explosions of color and emotion that accompany the event. Our business lives show some interesting parallels to sunsets. In my industry, telecommunications, we also have very few basic ingredients supporting business:

Cable and air (wireless) Electricity Computers Software Packet handlers (routers, switches, modems, etc)

When you think about it, each new company developing and deploying a new telecom-related product is using a combination of the above items ? they are just connected and marketed in unique models needed to fulfill requirements a market or industry. Thus, whether you are an Internet Service Provider, a web hosting company, a Voice over Internet provider, or a traditional telephone company, at some point in your business case your product will include all the above components.

Thus it is not magic to understand the technical portions of a telecom business. All telecom and Internet-related companies use the above components ? they are just put together and marketed in a different manner.

This also leads me to believe technology is not the discriminating factor in the success or failure of any business. That factor is more a product of understanding your market, developing a product with a well-prepared business plan, And then aggressively executing against your business plan. Technology can never stand alone, and very few successful businesses have ever been built solely around an emerging technology. The technology must be designed to solve a business challenge, or enable a new business model.

We have all gone through the exercise of taking an object, and determining what the purpose of that object may be. A sheet of paper may be a tool for recording written or printed information, it may be the raw material for a paper airplane or origami, just as it might be a tool for cleaning your teeth when you cannot find a pick or floss. The sheet of paper works well for all.

Computers and networks are similar. You ask what a computer is, and the response may be a word processor, or a communications terminal, or an emergency disk backup platform, or even a platform for playing games and entertainment. One computer may accomplish all the above, although the owner of each individual computer may give you a very different answer on how a computer should be used.

An Internet connection may be used primarily by one company for research and business intelligence, while another company may consider the Internet as a delivery system for disaster recovery backup and storage. Again, suitable for both, but very different in application.

Just as a sunset changes every day based on the presentation or conditions of its contributing components, the business must also consider technology as a tool to execute a successful business plan. It is important to first understand the business requirements, and then reach into the technology "tool bag" for the components needed to deliver.

(About the Author ? John Savageau is a managing director at CRG-West, responsible for managing operations and architecture for several of the largest telecommunications interconnect facilities in the US, including One Wilshire in Los Angeles)

---

Reclaiming Our Resilient Spirit

Our spirits are taking a beating. The daily barrage of... Read More

5 Simple Tips For A Better Life

How can we enjoy a better lifestyle?'Easy' I hear you... Read More

Do You Pay For Services Out of Obligation or Appreciation?

Have you ever paid for services rendered with a strong... Read More

Naomi and the 5 Life Lessons

Not long ago, I attended a seminar that featured Naomi... Read More

Time for Sunshine

Having spring around makes you feel different after such a... Read More

The Author Within You!

I always had an active imagination when I was young.... Read More

Put To The Sword

Direct Answers - Column for the week of December 23,... Read More

Re-Developing Your Vision

One of the most important things we can do for... Read More

Encouraging Blossoms of Achievement

The tiny dogwood sapling was only a twig when my... Read More

Care And Maintenance Of The Human Hard Drive

The human brain is very much like a hard drive.... Read More

Second Thoughts? Think Again!

Life is perfect. If you have read these articles long... Read More

Go Where No Man Or Woman Has Gone Before

"It`s life Jim but not as we know it." -SpockIn... Read More

The Theft of Fire

"Igne Natura Renovatur Integra" (By fire is nature renewed whole.)... Read More

On Sunsets and Telecom

Another perfect sunset seen from Redondo Beach, California. Since arriving... Read More

Anamchara - Living From A Deep Place

I live in a beautiful place.This is the village of... Read More

Wisdom of the Worlds Proverbs

You don't have to excavate diamond mines or oil fields... Read More

Doing the Remarkable

When it comes to meeting and conquering the negativity in... Read More

Teachers Pet

Direct Answers - Column for the week of October 20,... Read More

Why Not Reinvent The Wheel?

"Why go and reinvent the wheel?" It's a question that's... Read More

Love the Opportunity

Somebody said you have to love what you do, but... Read More

When Self-Growth becomes Self-Sabotage

Many of us invest quality time and energy into our... Read More

The Procrastinating Perfectionist

Are you a procrastinating perfectionist? I once read an article... Read More

The Importance of Friendship

My students and clients have constantly heard me stress that... Read More

Using Appreciation to Make a Difference

When in 1996 a local Secondary School opened, the staff... Read More

Magical Wreaths

Wreaths are like rings. They represent the Universal Circle ("Let... Read More

Virtual Chocolate

A second on your lips forever on your hips never... Read More

How to Get Over Emotional Misery

Whether it's a holiday, anniversary, birthday or a time in... Read More

Don?t Let the Boogeyman Steal Your Dreams

The boogeyman lurking in the closet scares the bejesus out... Read More

Bad Blood

Direct Answers - Column for the week of August 26,... Read More

Bus Driver By Day, Online Business Success By Night

Janine Wachowski, a long-time resident of South Elgin, Illinois, drives... Read More

Joy in Perseverance

I will persist until I succeed. Always will I take... Read More

Listening to Your Heart!

Trying to predict stock price movements is necessary, of course.... Read More

Withstand the Test of Time

As I drove home from work late one wintry afternoon,... Read More