Bud Michael

The advent of 3G technologies has brought a new dynamic to the wireless marketplace. Pricing is no longer the only differentiator among carriers fighting for subscribers - now more than ever, customer service is key. Encouraging consumers to adopt 3G services in the United States, and supporting them when they do so, will be a major challenge, especially as carriers fight to reduce costs and offer the lowest possible price point to savvy consumers. Competition between operators is reaching new heights - pressuring each carrier to squeeze operating costs as much as possible. As a result, a new customer service challenge has emerged in achieving greater customer satisfaction, faster, with the same resources. Yet, the move to 2.5G and 3G technology will actually expedite the move to online customer service. The successful carrier providing 3G services will be able to mee... (more)

Selling Software in China

Technology companies have been taking a beating lately because of their efforts in China. Google and Yahoo are torn between the evil of government censorship and the prospect of doing business with the world's fastest-growing economy. Microsoft, Adobe, and content providers like the American movie studios face serious problems with piracy. A recent report by the China-Britain Business Council stated that only one in four people in China has purchased software legally. Imagine my surprise then when I took over a San Jose-based enterprise software company with virtually no sales t... (more)