Response to Jason Calacanis’ newsletter “Is Facebook unethical, clueless or unlucky?”
Response to Jason Calacanis’ newsletter “Is Facebook unethical, clueless or unlucky?”:
I am not sure if I would call Facebook clueless or unlucky. Maybe envious or a bit jealous of what Twitter and others who chose to setup their platforms / networks as open to the public from the get go. Though it is important to look at what your competition is doing and constantly innovating / making changes to stay ahead, you can’t do that at the expense of your customers / users. In a conversation that we had on Friday evening at the meetup, you talked about the culture and past leadership at AOL You mentioned they were very marketing driven and because of it had some of the highest CPM on their homepage but weren’t product driven and lost the concept of what their users wanted. What Facebook is doing reminds me of what AOL once did. People came to Facebook because it offered a sense of privacy. Unlike MySpace it was a closed network which made users feel safe. Despite the changes I can assure you the average user still thinks that is the case.
When logging into Facebook today there was a new event in my list titled “Phone is gone…..need numbers.” an event / trend that has become popular amongst the younger Facebook users. There is no easier way to get your phone numbers back when you lose your phone than asking “your” network of friends to respond with them. Within hours there were quite a few people that responded openly with their numbers. They are assuming that those numbers are only being seen by their network of friends. I don’t think they will be to happy to find those numbers in Google search results and live on the web.
Gary Vaynerchuk Keynote @ LeWeb 09: DNA + Culture + Customer Service
DNA + Culture + Customer Service = Winning the game!
Did taxpayers help pay for Telco infrastructure?
There was a great deal of discussion around Fred Wilson’s blog post, “Protecting Business“ this evening. In Fred’s post regarding Net Neutrality he referenced the need for government regulation in the access business to help foster competition.
Fred states, “I also believe that government should be fostering a lot of competition in the access business. That was the idea of the telcom reform act. But it hasn’t played out that way. We have an ever increasing consolidation of power in the access business. Just like we had in the banking and brokerage business. This is not good.”
I completely agree with Fred around the need for competition in the access business. This can only be accomplished by requiring through regulation the Telco’s and cable companies to provide open access to the network infrastructure. Open access helps keep network providers like AT&T, Verizon, Time Warner and Comcast honest. Competition leads to consumer choice which ultimately leads to better pricing and more importantly better service for consumers.
Whenever open access is discussed the opposing argument always includes the notion that the Telcos paid for the infrastructure why should they have to open it up to competitors. Unfortunately that argument isn’t completely true as in many cases the infrastructure costs were offset by the consumers and tax payers.
The discussion reminded me of a letter from SBC California to their clients within the greater San Diego area that I dug up and have included below. The letter states on 03/03/2005 SBC with the “endorsement” of the city of San Diego filed an application with the CPUC to add an additional monthly surcharge to their client’s bill. The surcharge would cover the cost of undergrounding the overhead telephones lines in the City of San Diego. This surcharge which is approximately 94 cents per month would be in place for the entire length of the project. They anticipate the project would start in 2006 and end in 2022. Each client that has service through SBC or a CLEC would pay approximately $200 over the 16 year period to cover the cost of SBC/AT&T moving the lines.
It is obvious that it would not be advantageous for SBC to install new copper lines as everything is moving to fiber. One can easily infer that they in fact would be installing fiber. So the question becomes, is this project truly meant to beautify the city of San Diego? Are the phone companies really paying to install their fiber networks? It is evident in this case that it is the consumers paying to have them installed and the phone companies are benefiting from it.
Many people have eluded to the notion that if the phone companies didn’t have to open up their networks that the price would be cheaper. I urge those people to look at the price of cable Internet service which is double and sometimes triple the cost for DSL service. Competition within the industry not only helps to drive cost down for consumers but forces providers to provide better customer service. As the FCC reopens discussions around open access I hope they take this into consideration.
PowerVPS.com launches new cloud computing services for small businesses
PowerVPS, a leader and pioneer in virtualization and cloud hosting services, launched a new website at www.powervps.com to help businesses take advantage of new cloud computing solutions to meet their IT needs and save money. These next generation service offerings – known as Fuse, Force, and Ignite – simplify the choices in the marketplace and make it easy for small businesses to enter “the cloud.”
Customers of PowerVPS get the best of both worlds – maintaining control of their IT setup without having to purchase hardware and software or hire on-site technical staff. That translates to lower costs and fewer headaches, simply by allow ing the expert team at PowerVPS to handle the burden of purchasing, hosting and managing servers, operating systems, network devices, storage and security.
“It’s not just about cutting edge technology, blazing fast servers, or industry leading resource allocations. We have those, of course. But we also back Fuse, Force and Ignite with round-the-clock customer service and technical support at a very competitive price point,” said Thomas Kiblin, founder and CEO of Virtacore Systems Inc., the parent company behind PowerVPS.
Businesses performing due diligence to find the right cloud computing and virtual private server (VPS) provider should be looking for a solution that is easy to migrate into, fully scalable, well supported, and “always-on” – meaning high availability and virtually 100% up-time. PowerVPS fits the bill and makes enterprise-class technology and service affordable for small businesses.
Many other cloud services in the marketplace provide lower-end or rented and resold equipment and facilities, with minimal end user support. PowerVPS owns all of its high-end servers and network equipment and hosts your business in best-in-class facilities such as Equinix IBX and CoreSite data centers.
In addition to email and web based helpdesk support, PowerVPS is now offering our customers across the globe access to live telephone support, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our Los Angeles-based call center is staffed with an advanced team of support professionals dedicated to making sure your small business needs are met.
“If you are serious about your website and IT and want the best available technology and support for your small business or organization, our new PowerVPS services are for you,” said George Naspo, Chairman of Virtacore Systems Inc. “Fuse, Force & Ignite can get you started with just a few clicks and you’ll wonder why you didn’t make the move sooner.”
If your business or start-up is looking to make sense of all the cloud computing options, let PowerVPS and Virtacore Systems take you on a tour. Register at http://walkinthecloud.eventbrite.com/ to meet-up on November 19th at 5pm in Ashburn, VA with our hosting community and chat with leading cloud vendors, including Equinix and Parallels.
Get in the Trenches and Listen
DNAmail was excited to sponsor a giveway of 20 copies of Gary Vaynerchuck’s book Crush It on episode 24 of This Week in Startups. In Gary’s video blog post below he explains why Social Media = Business. Most importantly Gary discusses why participating in social media isn’t about selling something. It is an extension of your customer service. It is getting in the trenches and listening to your clients.
Companies that realize that participating in social media is more about service than sales will find the true value in participating. Participating and being open in both good or bad situations will make your company transparent. That transparency will build a brand of trust and ultimately lead to a thriving business built on trust relationships.
DSL Extreme Opens ‘Business Plus’
LOS ANGELES, CA, October 27, 2009 – DSL Extreme, a leading provider of high-speed Internet access and business communications services, announced today the availability of a new offering for business customers named Business Plus (www.dslextreme.biz). The premium business website offers a complete menu of services including high-speed Internet connectivity, hosted email communications, and web hosting services.
Business Plus makes it easier for small to medium-sized businesses to order a full suite of Internet services from one vendor. “Many of our customers wanted expanded connectivity offerings beyond residential Internet speeds and email. Business Plus offers a layered cake of services to choose from, all on one bill supported by our unique 24/7 dedicated Business Customer Care Team,” said George Mitsopoulos, Vice President and General Manager of DSL Extreme. “Our customers prefer a single point of contact for their Fiber, DSL, T1, Email, Collaboration Tools, and Web Hosting. It simply takes the hassle out of knowing what to order, how to pay, and who to call.”
DSL Extreme’s core connectivity offerings include Fiber Extreme, priced at $49.95 per month for speeds up to 10.0Mbps and $179.95 per month for speeds up to 50.0Mbps. Fiber Extreme is now available to millions of businesses in 17 states. DSL, ADLS2+ or Fiber Services are generally suitable for businesses with up to 25 employees. DSL Extreme also offers T1 or Direct Ethernet Service more suited for larger businesses with over 25 employees.
With high-bandwidth fiber, small businesses can layer the latest communications tools for their employees – including messaging, calendaring, collaboration, document sharing, and video. DSL Extreme is a Microsoft Gold certified partner and Blackberry Alliance member and provides Microsoft Exchange hosted email and Outlook, SharePoint 3.0, and Blackberry support. In addition DSL Extreme offers Google Apps Premier Edition for always-on communication and collaboration services including Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar, Google Sites, Google Video, and Google Docs.
DSL Extreme has also expanded into specialized IT hosting for businesses through a partnership with sister company Virtacore Systems, Inc. New offerings include virtual private cloud systems, specialized virtualization, dedicated servers, and managed hosting services.
“Small businesses that are resource constrained can benefit from Business Plus. The layered services expand as your business expands, but billing and support stay consistent through one provider,” says George Naspo, CEO, IKANO Communications, Inc., the Salt Lake City-based parent company of DSL Extreme and Virtacore Systems, Inc. “Business owners can focus on their core business by outsourcing communications, mobile email services, and hosting services to DSL Extreme.”
To learn how to order Business Plus Internet services from DSL Extreme, call 800-949-3759 or visit www.dslextreme.biz.
Future of the Net: Insight from Web 2.0 & Startup School 09
I had an opportunity to spend part of the day watching videos from Startup School 09 and Web 2.0 Summit 09. I am always intrigued by some of the success stories, hardships and visions of some of the great leaders / entrepreneurs of Internet based companies. Below are a few videos from the Web 2.0 conference with Sergey Brin from Google and Tim Armstrong from AOL which are both companies IKANO is fortune to work with. Moving forward content and applications / communication tools that drive people to that content will continue to be a large part of the focus for Internet companies like Google and AOL. Fortunately in my opinion there is a great deal of room for content providers and unique application providers on the web. Though a number of things will be driven by larger players in the space I think there is plenty of room for smaller niche players which will continue to drive innovation.
Web 2.0 Summit 09: Sergey Brin and John Battelle, “A Conversation with Sergey Brin”
Web 2.0 Summit 09: Tim Armstrong and John Battelle, “A Conversation with Tim Armstong”
ONA09 Keynote: Leo Laporte On Media, Tech and Journalism
Leo really hits the nail on the head when it comes to what advertisers are looking for today. As online mediums like Google, Bing and Facebook have allowed us to target highly qualified individuals looking to purchase our services, we look to more traditional or “bridge” media to do the same. With Leo’s highly targetted audience and direct community relationships that he builds with his audience he is able to deliver similar results.
Take Care of your Customers or your Competitors will
Last week I had an opportunity to meet off site with my management team for a leadership training session. The session was one in an ongoing series being led by Dr. Alan Spizman of Management Resource Associates. I feel strong about the continued development of my management team and the role it plays in our ability to achieve sustainable growth. As Alan has worked closely with the likes of former GE CEO Jack Welch, the team is very lucky to have him working with us.
Part of our session included presentations prepared by our respective departments to share their teams accomplishments, failures, opportunities and challenges with the entire group. It is important for individuals and teams to periodically take a step back and think about these things especially in a fast paced environment that a technology service provider lends itself to. It proved to be extremely beneficial for the group as it gave everyone an opportunity to share, discuss and exchange ideas that will help us overcome our challenges and exploit our opportunities.
In one of the presentations led by our customer service manager, she included a couple of quotes that resonated with me.
“If we don’t take care of our customers, someone else will.” – Unknown
“In the world of Internet Customer Service, it’s important to remember your competitor is only one mouse click away.”- Doug Warner
Though very simple, these two statements are very true and often forgotten in the customer service world. Our DSL Extreme vision statement starts off stating that we provide Internet and Hosted Application services but goes on to further define that what we truly provide “superior personalized customer service and support.” That is what clients expect and pay for. If you do not strive to provide that on every interaction with your client they will be looking to your competitor to provide that. Despite how long they have been a client or how many wonderful experiences they’ve had, studies show that approximately 57% of clients terminate service after just a single bad customer service experience.
In Seth Godin’s blog post “Win the fight, lose the customer,” Seth discussed the notion that you can’t be right and have empathy for a client at the same time. Though I think it is important to explain to clients your policies / procedures to help them understand why you took the action you did, at the end of the day if you do not empathize with them, work towards correcting their underlying issues and prevent them from occurring in the future, you will lose that client to your competitors.
Understanding your Customer
I spent twelve of approximately the last twenty-four hours behind the wheel making a quick trip from Los Angeles to the Bay Area and back. In an effort to save time we opted to pick up food on the way and eat in the car so we could keep driving. We had important business to accomplish so time was of the essence. A few hours into our trip I took the exit towards the 58 off of the I5 North and made a quick stop at Carl’s Jr. Other than a few fast food restaurants and gas stations there didn’t seem to be much around the area. It looked like a classic highway ghost town.
After giving my wife our food the Carl’s employee said something very simple that resonated with her. “Have a safe trip.” Despite not knowing who we were he understood it was a great possibility we were traveling. It’s likely that 99% of the people that picked up food in the highway ghost town were on a trip. He had an understanding of who his customers are and by knowing that he could serve them better. More importantly he made what could have been a quick an impersonal transaction a personal one . It’s important for employees at all levels to understand who there customers are. In doing so they will be able to better server that customer’s needs and create a personal memorable service experience. That level of customer service, simple as it may be, keeps customers coming back. In fact…we stopped there again on the way back.
Despite the grueling drive, being able to hold our new born nephew for the first time was well worth it!
