Bud Michael

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 to learn that our main sales effort was in China. It's a big world, I thought, and surely we could find a safer, less controversial market. My skepticism didn't prevent me from investigating our possibilities there, however, and I'm glad it didn't. I have been pleasantly surprised by the rece... (more)

The Evolution of 3G Customer Service

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 ... (more)