It’s the end of the year and this editor feels pressure to say something weighty – inspired – meaningful, for heaven’s sake. But, I’ve got nuthin!

Technology keeps changing; faces in our business keep age-in’. (I feel like I’m penning a Bob Dylan song.) And the business side of our business keeps getting more and more cut-throat.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing, really. I get a kick out of the Comcast commercials that show The Big Old Phone Company in a Broadway-esque song and dance scene that tells how the LECs keep increasing their prices and do nothing for customers. (Not quite.)

I also like the Vonage TV spots that tell how telcos services have not evolved and how their offerings are unfairly priced.

Why do I like these spots? Because I like when you prove them wrong.

You see, there are many times in my social life that my friends and I end up in the proverbial cable-versus-telco discussion. (It’s true: I have no other conversational skills. And yet my friends remain. Telling, yes?) It can get a bit heated when we take sides. Then, out of nowhere, a storm takes out their home phone or their cable Internet is gone, and my point is made.

Or, even better, my friends ask me about “this IPTV thing.” I’ll give them the basic run down and they say it doesn’t sound much different than cable. I humbly say, “Well, you’ll have to wait and see it.” (Call me smug, but I know what you’ve got to offer.)

And I believe that The Phone Company, whether large or small, has an incredible wealth of new offerings that rival any cable company. Even better: the people behind today’s communications and entertainment businesses (i.e., The Phone Company) will out-perform any cable employee when challenged.

Why? Because I see it. I see the loyalty of technicians and OSP managers day in and day out. I watch the culture behind the companies that have stood the test of time and have evolved to meet the needs of their customers and employees. And I see that you continue to do your jobs without disparaging your competitors and beating your chests.

You have no need to scream and shout that you’re innovative. You will always meet the challenges of the marketplace. And if that means I have nothing to say, I’ll take it.

Happy Holidays.
Sharon

Questions? Comments? Contact Sharon via her email: sharon@ospmag.com