Gavin Finn, Kaon Interactive
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What's in the box? Differentiating telecom products from the competition
There is irony in the fact that products designed to bridge communications are often the most difficult to talk about. The problem rests in the complexity of network and telecommunications products, and also the fact that it is nearly impossible to effectively demonstrate what is going on inside the box. Many pieces of network hardware often look like identical silver or black boxes, which makes it especially challenging to differentiate products against competitors' offerings. Major Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) often have vast portfolios of products, each with their own unique features, benefits, and value drivers. When you consider that products like rack servers, routers, switches, and storage hardware cannot function outside of their natural environment, demonstrating and differentiating all of these products at trade shows or remote sales meetings is futile.