RHetoric

Twisted Pair Solutions - wiring you ask? Actually, maker of WAVE software - the industry's leading Radio-over-IP (RoIP) platform for integrating disparate radio systems and other communications technologies and applications into a single, manageable standards-based solution. What does this mean? Let me tell you.

When all of the world is dependent upon communications interoperability - unfortunately too much emphasis is placed on what you can "see" and "touch" - hardware!

And so disparate technologies have forced different cultures. Teams have settled to work within their own jurisdictions, operating on their own islands of operability.

But nine years after 911 and billions of dollars spent bridging the communications divide, how is it so that neighbors are still incapable of interoperating with each others' older, newer or different technology? The fact is three fold:

1. It's hard to teach an old dog, new tricks. New communications budgets are set - and decision makers grab a radio catalog and get to work. It's not fun to buy software. It's outside of a comfort zone. And, it doesn't pump up a work force the way a shiny new radio will. However, it is the future - it works in ways hardware can't.

2. There is a general lack of understanding - even education - about the software over hardware message. Put simply, regardless of how many new radios you add to your legacy arsenal - no matter how many upgrades you make, it won't all work together seamlessly. Software is the missing link. Software unifies communications.

3. No one likes to plan. Buyers get money - and it burns their leg. Pressure is put on them to address any litany of issues and disasters - through new products, upgrades etc. Money is spent instead on "what" people communicate with instead of "how" communications barriers are broken. The result is a big box of bandaids - instead of an investment in the advancement of better communication.

So keep this in mind, while you may not get warm fuzzies about software, it is peace of mind for those heading into a building when everyone's running out - that they are indeed receiving every message that matters. And, as new decision makers replace old - and digital natives replace digital immigrants, software will be an obvious choice (and hey may even BE the plan - after all, with software that unifies communications, you have to worry less about what hardware works together or doesn’t - right?).

So I ask you to follow us: @TalkwithWAVE, spread the word and until next time, stay tuned (like a Mobile Communicator for BlackBerry*)!

*Mobile Communicator for BlackBerry is Twisted Pair Solutions’ newest upgrade to WAVE - a first-of-its-kind carrier agnostic push-to-talk application that turns ordinary smartphones into two-way radios!

The latest trend in stock-picking? Watching the TV series "Undercover Boss." According to research by the Wall Street Journal, the share prices of all but one of the companies featured on the show have outperformed the rise in the S&P 500.

"Senior management has been coming under fire throughout this downturn, so to show management in a more favorable light, to show they have an interest to see what's going on in the front lines of their business and show they're not bigger than the rest of us, there's got to be a popular sentiment around that," said one of the analysts sought for comment on the findings.

Many companies, public and private, struggle with outsider perceptions - often misperceptions - of management's approach and strategy. Sometimes a little media limelight can go a long way to turning that around.

Teasers began running on CBS last week for the next episode, featuring 1-800-FLOWERS. Check out the chart.

Now that a year has passed since the stimulus act became law, it's worth considering it's impact.  Many of our clients are selling into the government, healthcare, and education markets - and the impact has been significant.

On the one hand, our clients that sell to government agencies and education saw sales hold steady during the recession.  However there is new fear that the stimulus has mostly been spent and things will fall off a cliff in the year to come as massive holes open up in municipal budgets.

In healthcare, our clients saw a huge stall in 2009 as the promise of stimulus caused IT buyers to pause and wait for rules to be issued over what is or isn't covered by stimulus money.  However there is new optimism that money is starting to flow and the impact will hit in 2010.

Our client Onvia tracks this data down to the penny and told Fox Business News today that just 25% of the stimulus project money actually left Washington in 2009, yet the majority of it will reach the private sector this year.  Onvia also says that nearly half of all GDP is government spending - this is an astounding figure that may indicate anyone who ignores the government market is shelving half of their business development opportunity.

We'd love to hear from you if the stimulus has impacted your business, for better or worse.