Telecom Solutions - What a Difference 7 Years Makes

I have been very fortunate in my lifetime to have been able to travel to Europe several times. As my career path took me into the world of telecommunications, I was always curious about the systems in place where I visited and how much they compared to ours in North America. What I saw 7 years ago shocked me into hysterical laughter - situations like the ones pictured below were commonplace.

 

 

I had been planning a family trip to Italy and was excited to use this theme for my blog. Imagine my surprise... 

In previous visits, telecom cables - sometimes mixed with power cables - were draped from window to window, resembling bunting, coiled into bundles and tacked to an outside wall or just lying on the sidewalk waiting to be tripped on or run over by car or pedestrian. As much as I looked for these outside plan nightmares on my recent visit, I could not find a single instance. What happened during the time I had been here? 

Well, a couple major things had happened - both of them interconnected, pun intended. In one word - data, and especially high speed data. We here in North America have become accustomed to instant access to information via our laptops, smartphones, and tablet devices. We need them to perform even the most basic tasks now - tasks we never would have thought of doing on these devices 15 to 20 years ago. In Europe, these services existed only in the domain of big businesses and government, certainly not ordinary citizens. That has changed and the countries that have embraced technological advances have made huge strides. I was amazed that every airport I visited had free Wi-Fi, something you do NOT see in most US airports, as well as many free mobile hot spots. There is even a name for the new look of the people using devices as they go through their day - iFace. Stand in front of a mirror and look down at your device and just move your eyes to see in the mirror what you look like. They used to be called double chins :) 

There is a second factor in the mad rush to technology. All of those cables dangling around were made of copper. Not only did copper become a very expensive commodity - and therefore subject to rampant theft and loss of services - it was not a good media for high speed data. Enter fiber optic cable - capable of carrying unlimited amounts of data over a strand about as thick as a single hair. So, decisions started being made about what to do in this situation - replace the copper to bring service back quickly or plan for an intensive fiber optic network build? As I mentioned in my previous blog regarding Smart Cities, many countries and municipalities teamed up with telecom, datacom, and broadcast service providers to design a buried network that would carry all of the traffic and build it at one time, causing huge disruption to streets and customers, but only once. These fiber networks also carried traffic, street lighting, irrigation, and security systems. The result is an amazing view of beautiful cities as they were intended to be viewed - without the obstruction of unsightly cables. And, and added bonus of instant data availability. On one stop in Lyon, France, there was evidence of a sense of humor as the communications tower below was made to look like a replica of the Eiffel Tower. 

I thought I would be disappointed not seeing all of the rats nests and gloating about our superior infrastructure, but instead I just enjoyed the beautiful views. Just don't get me started on the Autostrade - where the standard driving speed is 81 MPH...I aged five years on those drives. 

-Suzanne Beck
VP Business Development
Telecom Solutions - Telamon Corporation

Energy Solutions: Validating Our Message & Telling Others

Telamon Corporation and our Energy Solutions team were extremely busy in the month of May. For this month's blog, we decided to focus on some of the latest news and events that have allowed us to offer our message of treating energy as an asset.

We are very happy to have external attention and validation of our message of treating energy as an asset. This month, we received our second invitation this year to speak on the topic of energy management strategies for enterprise and public sector customers. Mark Brown will have the opportunity to present at the Indiana Energy Management Conference in August and again at the World Energy Engineers Congress in October.

We also had the unique challenge of exhibiting at two different conferences 1,300 miles apart on the exact same days. The energy solutions/solar team was well represented at the AAAE (American Association of Airport Executives) Annual Conference in mid-May in San Antonio, Texas with a team of four in attendance. This included Dr. Vincent Liu as a speaker at the convention on the topic of Diverse Revenue Sources at General Aviation Airports, which was attended by an abundance of airport executives.

The display booth focused on the management of utility cost as an asset and therefore how to reduce your utility cost and usage over time. Most of the discussions centered on providing self-generated solar electricity to be used within the airport property. In addition, Telamon promoted its status as the developer of the IND Solar Farm at the Indianapolis International Airport, the largest airport-based solar farm in the world.

Booth at AAAE Annual Conference.

Meanwhile, 1,300 miles away in Las Vegas, Telamon exhibited at the RECON 2014 show from the ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers) with three of our energy solutions partners: Village Green Global, Performance Building Solutions, and Tridium/Cochrane Supply, launching our new branded service, "energie" - a turnkey solution covering energy conservation, management, and generation services acting as an empowered agent on behalf of our customer.

Booth at ICSC RECON.

As we enter the second half of 2014, we see news stories daily that validate our message: proactively managing energy and sustainability is a new "best practice" and is necessary to reduce risks and costs to energy consumers.

Business Process Solutions - Business Process as a Service (BPaas)

Gartner defines business process as a service (BPaaS) as the delivery of business process outsourcing (BPO) services that are sourced from the cloud and constructed for multitenancy. Services are often automated and where human process actors are required, there is no overtly dedicated labor pool per client. The pricing models are consumption-based or subscription-based commercial terms. As a cloud service, the BPaaS model is accessed via Internet-based technologies.

Cloud computing is nothing new and is now used more than ever to transform and innovate businesses, not just to support commodity processes. Senior IT executives and business process owners should evaluate process visibility, accountability, and adaptability of BPaaS to see if a cloud service can support business process change.

One new entrance into the BPaaS model, however, is the concept of an "outcome based" business model. In this model, the client doesn't care how many transactions you process or how many people you employ to complete the project, they simply pay for improved outcome. This could to be tied to a percentage of the company's revenue for this project, or simply a Pay for Perfection - only those processes that are done right.

In a recent article published by IBM, Ajay Mohindra stated:

"The services industry is shifting its focus away from the delivery of IT outcomes and towards the delivery of business outcomes that result from IT services. Traditional IT-based services focus on reducing IT costs for the enterprise through automation and standardization. The performance metrics are not surprisingly in the language of IT; mean-time-between-failures, average service utilization, average storage utilization, the service-level agreements, or the number of servers that can be managed by a system administrator. Clients are increasingly using measures of revenue, profit goals, and other metrics that indicate positive impact on business performance. This shifting focus is helping companies that adopt this approach to increase sales, reduce the cost of customer aquisition, and more effectively retain existing customers.

Some industries such as healthcare and government are particularly ready for an outcome-based model as they seek to contain costs while simultaneously investing in projects that add value to the organization. For example, to reduce costly patient re-admittance rates, government agencies have passed laws that penalize hospitals if a patient is re-admitted within 30 days with an estimated savings of $8 billion over ten years. IT service solutions that address patient transition care are designed to allow hospitals to manage their patients more effectively, with the objective to reduce re-admittance rates and avoid penalties. Another example is services solutions for clinical trials of drugs, which once were aimed primarily at cutting costs in the trial process but increasingly will target revenue growth by focusing on accelerating the launch of a new drug, thereby increasing market revenue potential and reducing operational expenses for clients. The project's goal is to systematize outcome based business methodology".

Explore your BPaaS options with Telamon by contacting:

-John Owen
VP of Sales
Business Process Solutions - Telamon Corporation
john.owen@telamon.com
317-818-6697

Telecom Solutions - Traffic, Traffic, & More Traffic

The word traffic probably inspires more dread in anyone requiring transportation from a motorized vehicle. It conjures up lateness, frustration, and anxiety. The same can be said of those network managers who are responsible for looking at the traffic on their telecom/datacom networks. More and more bits and bytes are trying to get onto an already crowded highway, causing concern in keeping up with it.

In previous blogs, I have written about the sophistication of enterprise networks as well as the "Internet of Things". I recently read an article about how municipal governments working with urban planners and developers are turning their communities into smart cities. Unlike the traditional telephone provider, these partnerships are building the network, creating content for its users, and gathering data. Of course, this is causing traffic on the networks, however, these partnerships are utilizing telecom/datacom experience to design "future tolerant" networks - certainly not future proof, for as we know, things change way too fast for that.

One recent success is the city of Barcelona, Spain. Although Spain has been battered by the recession, Barcelona and its forward thinking leadership have created an outstanding model of government/private cooperation, which has created thousands of jobs and attracted new residents and businesses. The street lighting is equipped with sensors to illuminate the area based on movement detection, saving energy while maintaining safety and security. Parking spaces and waste/recycling bins have sensors built in so that drivers can find parking quickly and disposal companies can pick up trash more efficiently - both reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Businesses are also jumping on this bandwagon by advertising themselves through these networks. Once can be in town and your favorite local shop or club can let you know about specials or events and tell you the best way to get there via public transport or personal vehicle. Government services are also made easier - get a permit or license easily and quickly. See a pothole in the street and immediately report it to the proper authority. In addition, the push for renewable energy is evident in the large number of EV charging stations and solar PV/thermal mandates for large commercial buildings adding to the "smartness factor" of the cities.

All of this information gives new meaning to "traffic" - one that personally, I don't mind. If this kind of traffic helps communities grow and come together, I'm all for it!

-Suzanne Beck
VP Business Development
Telecom Solutions - Telamon Corporation

Industrial Solutions - Why Supplier Diversity Is a Good Thing

“Shouldn’t we be past this by now?” We are nearly half way through 2014 now. One would think that the need for Supplier Diversity initiatives should be a thing of the past. Haven’t we, as a society, especially in the United States, figured out that what makes a person valuable is determined by what is in their head and their heart and not their ancestry or the color of their skin?

For the most part, we have come a long way over the past 150 years but recent scandals over the previous few weeks have shown us that there are still many out there that fail to acknowledge these simple truths:

1. We may not all look the same but we all love the same.  
2. We may not all come from the same place, but we all have the same basic priorities (providing for our families and making this world better).

The companies that choose to participate in Supplier Diversity are supporting and encouraging one of the greatest entrepreneurial encouragement initiatives this country has ever seen. What makes it special is the fact that real value and innovation are real drivers at work here. Go to a Supplier Diversity event and talk to the company owners and you will hear stories of the American Dream. The additional benefit of Supplier Diversity is being reminded that we all have struggles but when we work together, we do amazing things.

As the business world shows the positive side of working together, regardless of background or ethnicity or any other potentially divisive issue, the rest of the world will follow. Let’s no longer focus on what divides us, but rather, let’s make an effort to focus on uniting one another. Won’t it be wonderful when Supplier Diversity events are no longer needed? Until then, let’s press on and set good examples for the rest of the world to see. It is better to show than to tell. It is better to see than to hear. At Telamon, we want to the world to believe us so, we walk the talk. Come, follow us!

-John Weeks
Director of Sales
Industrial Solutions - Telamon Corporation

About Telamon Industrial Solutions:

Telamon Industrial Solutions provides Assembly, Kitting and Third Party Logistics (3PL) services in a culture of quality and efficiency that reduces our customer’s total cost of ownership using robust, unique design processes while creating a worry-free, cost effective purchasing experience.

Energy Solutions - Addressing Rising Energy Costs

As you may recall from Mike Morley’s blog on April 11, electricity cost has risen an average of 7.3% for the last seven (7) years: http://bit.ly/1nc01LB. The bigger question is: What is going to happen for the foreseeable future? According to several sources, (Edison Electric Institute, U.S. Energy Administration, Purdue University, and the L.A. Times) electric cost will rise by an average of 40% over the next eight (8) to ten (10) years.

Fixed budget agencies such as municipal governments, state-supported universities, K-12 public school corporations, and many hospitals will have to contend with these rising costs. We all know they simply cannot turn off the lights to reduce energy cost. We also can predict with certainty the state will not increase base budget dollars to offset the increased utility cost each year. Therefore, something has to give. If there is a set amount of money and energy cost rises, what options do they have? In our homes we can address this issue by reducing the number of times we go out to eat or go to the movies or fewer pizza deliveries, etc. etc.  

In governmental agencies these choices are much more impactful and can cause harm to the public:  Do they reduce public safety officers in order to leave the street lights on? Do I increase class size to air condition the school? Do I eliminate services and send patients to a different hospital? These are very difficult decisions for our elected and non-elected officials responsible for these agencies.   

At Telamon Energy Solutions, we are suggesting to these agencies to not wait but to address energy consumption now. We suggest they address this dilemma by first investigating energy savings options. We are offering to do an energy analysis for these clients. This analysis addresses many high energy users such as HVAC systems, hot water heaters, kitchen areas if they have them, and luminaries inside and outside. We then meet with the decision makers and suggest ways they can update equipment to reduce energy costs. We have seen in many instances payment for this new equipment can be paid via energy savings in the first 2 to 4 years of savings.  

We also do an analysis of using self-generated solar energy for a portion of their energy needs. The key here is to produce a portion of your energy needs on-site. Here is an example: The typical elementary school of 700 students burns about $100,000 of electricity per year. If you self-produced $40,000 of solar electricity on the roof of the school, you reduce your cost for electricity to $60,000 per year for 20 years (assuming no other changes). Even after eight (8) to ten (10) years when energy cost has risen 40%, your new adjusted cost goes to $84,000 still saving $56,000 per year ($60,000 X 1.4 compared to $100,000 X 1.4). The cost to produce this $40,000 of electricity varies by region but as Mike referenced in his April 11 blog, the cost to self-produce electricity is reducing to the point you can pay for your solar array in three (3) to five (5) years.

Telamon is excited to be able to provide these energy cost-saving options to cash-strapped governmental agencies to help find ways to prevent difficult decisions later.

-Bruce Breeden

Director Business Development

Telamon Energy Solutions

Business Process Solutions - Busines Process Outsourcing vs. Business Process Solutions

Many people have a bad taste in their mouth regarding the traditional business process outsourcing (BPO) model. This model is where a third party provides services on your behalf, typically off-site, on-shore, or off-shore. The value proposition is typically the same – we can cut your costs by over 50%. Sometimes the costs savings is all that clients look for in ways to survive. This model, over time, has led to many companies bringing back the very process they had originally outsourced. Why? There are several reasons below why organizations have reversed their outsourcing decision, including, but not limited to:

• Costs to manage the outsource company outweighed the savings
• Scalability of outsource partner was limited, savings made little impact or took too long to achieve 
• The standard overpromising and under-delivering the actual skill sets promoted 
• Process outsourced was a key client function, client satisfaction decreased 
• Corporate philosophy and vision of the two companies were not aligned

While many organizations are familiar with the traditional BPO model, many may not be aware there is a move towards business process solutions (BPS). You might ask – what is the difference? The chart below explains just a few of the differences:

 

BPO	BPS
Removes entire function(s) and/or processes completely from the organization.	Looks to integrate with the clients existing staff, becoming an extension of your existing business operations.
Removes Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).	SMEs are kept on-site, while lowering cost of transaction related, non-client activity off-site
No skill sets are retained for existing business unit.	Skill sets of existing staff are upgraded to more client focused activities.
Cost to manage is high due to entire process outsourced.  You spend a lot of time managing the vendor vs. reaping the savings.	Cost is proportion to the amount of work you assign. Workflow fluctuates with your business. You assign only what you need to.

While you may think BPO and BPS are the same, talk to any client of Telamon’s that has used our BPS services and you will find a scalable, true cost savings model that is sustainable. Many of our clients often tell us our model is refreshing because our focus is not solely on exchanging labor. At Telamon, we first look to automate any existing manual processes then provide the necessary resources, if required. Our “extension of your business office” approach allows our clients when to decide to outsource based on their schedule and provides instant scalability. They retain the SMEs and our people simply fill in the gaps. Call us today to find out how we can bring a refreshing outsourcing model to your organization.

-John Owen
VP of Sales 
Telamon Business Process Solutions
317-818-6697 
john.owen@telamon.com