To: djane who wrote (5954 ) 7/22/1999 8:07:00 PM From: djane Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 29987
Interview with I* President in Germany (via I* yahoo thread) Top>Business and Finance>Stocks>Services>Communications Services>IRID (Iridium World Comm. Ltd.) More Good News from Speigel Online by: shaggy_64 (M/USA) 21281 of 21309 This is an interview with I* Germany's President Web site is: speigel.de n Iridium: Successful Re-launch? [Spiegel.de] 07/21/99-Translated by C. H. Schott-Trouble around Iridium: What is the future of the global satellite telephone provider? Says head of Iridium Germany, Don Burns: "We will significantly exceed our sales goals. We are making progress." Spiegel Online: Motorola announced last week it would only make additional investments in Iridium if other partners participated in the rescue operation. As a result, the Iridium stock dropped. Analysts commented: "The stock should not move in response to statements by Motorola, but in response to the number of Iridium subsrcibers." Don Burns: I agree with the analysts. Motorola's announcement can be viewed from two angles. On one hand, Motorola is refusing to provide additional support. But on the other hand, Motorola is offering support, provided that the other partners support Iridium as well. The first of July was truly a new start for Iridium, and we changed many things. We drastically reduced prices and greatly simplified the pricing structure. In addition, there are reduced hardware [sic] prices. Spiegel Online: Have these measures already had an impact on subscriber numbers? Don Burns: Last week was the best week we've yet seen in Germany. We can say that we will exceed sales targets for the second quarter significantly, even at a time when most decision makers are on summer vacation. Of course these numbers help in the negotiations about extending our debt with banks in Washington. Spiegel Online: You have made radical changes in your marketing strategy. Don Burns: Yes, the old marketing message was completely wrong. Our new international CEO John Richardson already pointed that out when he was still CEO of one of the Iridium gateways. He knows the marketing problems at the roots. We are satisfied with the new decisions. Spiegel Online: How many subscribers do you need to break even? Don Burns: We have no doubts that we will fulfill our business plan for this year. So far, we have focused on the maritime, oil, and military markets. It is difficult to sell our products to the global business traveler who has ho experience with satellite technology. Nonetheless, the largest market is with international travelers. Most potential users have to catch up on understanding the system and its features. We did not give the market enough time to understand the technology. GSM and satellite telephony are not the same. Therefore, we are initially addressing potential customers who have experience with satellite technology, for example through the use of Inmarsat. In our next advertisement campaign, we will let users relate their experiences with Iridium. Posted: 07/22/1999 06:23 pm EDT as a reply to: Msg 21279 by shaggy_64 _____________________________________ Top>Business and Finance>Stocks>Services>Communications Services>IRID (Iridium World Comm. Ltd.) More Good News Part 2 by: shaggy_64 (M/USA) 21282 of 21309 Spiegel Online: By the end of the year, two competitors-Globalstar and ICO-will enter the market. Both have much lower operating costs than Iridium. How will you compete with these rivals? Don Burns: Neither of the two services offers the same service as Iridium. They don't cover the oceans and air travel routes. They also do not offer paging service. In addition, the market is large. Research indicates that, depending on the system, there are between 7 and 25 million users around the world. That means there is enough space for all of us. Spiegel Online: The GSM market teaches us that prices are a key criterion for the consumer. Is there room for further price drops? Don Burns: Prices were just lowered drastically. In the long run, prices will probably drop some more, but not immediately. The telephones will become smaller as well. All the lessons from the GSM market can be applied to Iridium. But, unlike the "nice-to-have" [sic] GSM phone, the satellite telephone is essential. For example, a company headquartered in Germany, with offices in Moscow and operations in Uzbekistan, would exclusively use Iridium for telephony. An engineer in Uzbekistan needs to send a message to headquarters-the price is relevant, but it is not the deciding factor. That is the situation of our customers. Spiegel Online: Is the Iridium network safe beyond the year 2000? Don Burns: Iridium is one of the few systems that do not have to rely on other networks. Many customers, especially banks, are buying our telephones for that very reason. They want to stay in touch with their branch offices in Africa if computer networks crash on January 1, 2000. Some government have purchased Iridium telephones for the same reason. For example, the U.S. just purchased 1,000 Iridium telephones. Posted: 07/22/1999 06:24 pm EDT as a reply to: Msg 21281 by shaggy_64