Product Description

The telecommunications industry has been repeatedly turned upside down in the past few years -- and change continues unabated, in every respect: technology, business models, competition, and regulation. Now, one of the industry's most respected experts presents a systematic guide to the "new telephony": where telecom has come from, where it stands now, and above all, where it's headed. Telcordia principal and fellow Steven M. Walters offers exceptional insight into the current telecommunications "battlefield," comparing the strengths, weaknesses, and business models of traditional service providers and new providers focused on Internet technologies. The heart of the book is a comprehensive framework for evaluating any service provider's chances of success based on seven key indicators: financial muscle, current assets, current liabilities, corporate mindset, responsiveness to changing customer requirements, regulatory issues, and the overall economic environment. For everyone concerned about the future of the telecommunications industry and the next-generation voice services it may provide, including investors; telecommunications managers and staff; Internet ISPs; managers responsible for purchasing telecommunications services; and analysts.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2952618 in Books
• Published on: 2002-04-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

From the Back Cover

The future of telecom: next-generation technology, next-generation business models.

The telecom industry faces non-stop change: new technologies, new business models, new competitive environments, and changing regulation. Now, one of the industry's most respected experts presents a systematic guide to the "New Telephony": where telecom has come from, where it stands now, and where it's headed. Telcordia principal and fellow Stephen M. Walters offers exceptional insight into today's telecommunications "battlefield," comparing the strengths, weaknesses, and business models of traditional and Internet-focused service providers. Walters identifies and thoroughly evaluates the key factors that will drive—or prevent—success in tomorrow's radically new telecom environment:

• Financial muscle: Revenues, margins, market cap, credit rating, cash, scope, and size
• Assets and liabilities: Customers, equipment, right-of-way, systems, processes, values, and human resources that promote or deter competitiveness
• Inertia: Corporate mindset and level of commitment to legacy products and services
• Responsiveness: Skill in introducing new products and entrepreneurial ideas, methods, and procedures
• Regulatory environment: Regulatory burden, compared with competitors
• Economic environment: Current economic environment—and likely scenarios for change

Whether you're a telecom manager, buyer, consultant, investor, analyst, or technical professional, this book offers a comprehensive framework for making intelligent decisions—for your company, your finances, and your future.

Foreword by Robert Lucky.

"Steve has put his finger directly on the key issue facing the telecommunications industry—what business model will allow communications providers to harness the opportunities and complexities offered by the explosion of new technologies, provide businesses and consumers with services they will pay for, and most importantly, do all this while growing revenues and profits. This book is rock solid technically... but the business insights are of fundamental importance."

—Bill Rabin,
retired, #1 Ranked Network Equipment Analyst,
J.P. Morgan Securities

About the Author

STEPHEN M. WALTERS is a Principal at Telcordia TechnologiesÕ Professional Services business unit. The firm's foremost authority on broadband networking, he has earned the Telcordia Fellow Award for a distinguished, sustained career of professional and technical achievement. Network Computing magazine named him one of the "Top Network Technology Drivers" in 1995. The following year, Network World magazine named him a Power Player. He also served as Chairman of the Board for the ATM Forum and has provided consulting support and briefings to the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission. A Fellow of the IEEE, he holds 8 patents.