LATAM Telecom

"Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity." -H. Jackson Brown Jr.: Participants at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week got a chance to discuss new and exciting trends in mobile services like Location Based Services, Mobile Entertainment, Mobile Advertising and Advanced Messaging services. However, the single topic that stole the show is the economic uncertainty that mobile operators and technology companies are facing. The keynote conference that opened the congress on Tuesday says it all: " Sustaining Growth in Challenging Times "(1). No one can argue that these are tough times but doing nothing seems to be the current modus operandi of the industry. My friend Mark Pendergast referred to me a great article by Professor John A. Quelch of Harvard " Marketing Your Way Through a Recession ". Published almost a year ago, it is even more relevant today: "In a recession, consumers become value oriented, distributors are concerned ab...

Sad In Blue (a lyric) by Peter S. Quinn Sad sad sad in blue For sad sad sad you The moon is all bluish tonight The night is all dark out side. So what does one wear to a recession? It doesn't really matter as long as you show up! This week technology vendors and operators meet at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and designers get to show their collections at Fashion Week in New York City. Both events might not seem to have much in common, but one topic is grabbing headlines at both: the economic downturn. At Fashion Week this year the events are less festive than usual; journalists and fashion bloggers are noticing: " Fashion Weak: Where has all the glamour gone? " (New York Post); " Fashionistas have turned into recessionistas " (USA Today). According to Christopher Muther of the Boston Globe , "there are fewer gift bags for fashion buyers and editors, and the steady stream of opulent parties has slowed to a trickle. Instead of pricey runway shows,...