Here is some info on my research so far. This is going to be a long post so sit back, relax and read away. I have spoken with 5 distributers this am, 4 in Canada and 1 in the US. All but one said interest was very high and were bullish. Here are my notes from the contacts. My comments are in ():
"Had inquiries but have not sold any. Not lined up at gate to buy them." (He is only involved in emergency services. Expects increased interest after Iridium.)
"Definitely getting interest. A lot more interest than Inmarsat. Have lots of quotes out. Just starting but have lots of contacts."
"Selling lots of phones. Have lots of interest. Need data. 9600k will beat Inmarsat?s 4800k. Feels G* will be low cost producer for packet data" (lotto sales transmission, etc.) "Very bullish. Wants G* to come out with big push to Iridium customers. They are giving 300 rebates to Iridium subscribers which cuts into their margins and wants help from G*."
"Starting to get interest amongst industry, shipping, recreational sailors and backpackers. Irdium put black cloud on market which will take time to overcome. Lots of skeptics amongst industrial prospects. Want the system but need to be convinced that it will work and remain viable. Feels big market for leasing."
"Large wood products company wants the phones for South American personnel both permanent employees and those who travel there frequently from headqtrs. Large complaint is that there is no communication there. Will buy when convinced that the service will work there." (I thought it already did?!!)
"Need pagers." (The system does not have pagers.)
I have saved the best for last: This is from one who is selling the phones and is an excerpt from a memo he sent to his sales force. I have deleted some of the info so as to not disclose his identity.
"Hey All!
I wanted to share with you my adventure to (a canyon)on the (somewhere) border to demonstrate the Globalstar phone for (a utility company), the operator of the
dams on the (some) River. The main reason we went is because they currently are using Iridium satellite phones, and Iridium will be forced to shut down on the
17th of March if they can't find a buyer willing to take on their debt.
(This canyon) is the deepest canyon in North America, (I guess that is a clue) the walls where we
eventually ended up are over a mile high, and very nearly vertical. The Iridium
phone does not work well, and I was a little bit nervous about how our phone
would perform, because there is not much sky. It's kind of like being in a
large city, with mile high skyscrapers surrounding you, and you think that patch
of blue over your head just might be the sky, or a very clever neon sign telling
you which soft drink you should be drinking... At any rate, we arrived in the
bottom of the canyon, turned the phone on, dialed the number, and... it worked!
It worked in every possible scenario we could think of, from standing close to
huge electric turbines, to standing right next to the canyon walls. Areas that
the Iridium phone wouldn't work! The gentleman that was using it was very
excited, and couldn't hide his big grin as he wandered about trying to drop the
call, but to no avail. I think the only person that wasn't happy about the demo
was the one on the other end of the phone trying to do his job, but being
constantly interrupted by our overzealousness.
The bottom line is that no matter where we attempted to use the phone, it worked
without incident, and with perfect voice clarity. This product is not going to
be for everyone, but for those that need it, there is no better choice anywhere
in the world, for any price. Sell it with confidence knowing that it will work
well, virtually anywhere one travels."
Pretty good testimonial!
I am feeling good and a little less annoyed although still mildly annoyed. It is clear that marketing is in the early stages in that the mass distributors are just now getting up to speed but nearly everyone feels confident about the market. I was mildly annoyed to learn that I knew some things albiet not much that they some of them didn't know like South America supposedly is already up. Most are looking to G* for more marketing guidance and want it ton be more aggressive. So Maurice it looks like you may have to be both CEO and VP of Marketing.
Finally, I got the distinct feel that Iridium has does more damage than imagined. How G* reacts to this issue will be a real test of how many beers they have in their six packs. Time will tell.
I guess I better get back to my real job for minute assuming I still have one. |
