I started as a corporate wonk. Working for IBM, AT&T, Mitsubishi, Citibank and others, I designed and built global networks and information systems. But after a while I saw a need. I started my own business with the idea of bringing the technology available to the large corporation to the SME market at an affordable price. The strategy worked well. My customers got cutting-edge technology, and it gave them a business advantage. Well, I think now the landscape has tilted, with the advantages moving toward the SME, and it may be time for me to rejoin the corporate workforce.
You see, back in the day, BigCo had the advantage. They had research and development. They had big budgets and talented personnel. And the SME market had a lot of “computer engineers” that really had no clue.
What’s changed? Well, lots of things. Dropping prices for computing power, open source software, and affordable gear designed for the SME market all have played their parts, so much so that it seems clear to me that innovation is now flowing the other direction. What starts in the SME market, now percolates to BigCo. As the larger companies try to put lipstick on their pigs with a more “human” presence, they face the daunting task of trying to re-learn how to innovate and adapt. It may be time for me to try to make my mark once again with a forward-looking BigCo, to see if I can bring the lessons I’ve learned from my smaller customers back to the world where I started. Seems like a daunting task, but if I find the right environment, I think I can make a difference. I’m gonna start polishing up that resume.
January 12th, 2009 by routerguy | No Comments »