SAN DIEGO-At the CDPD Forum’s membership meeting here last week, proponents of Cellular Digital Packet Data technology, industry analysts, customers and potential customers agreed that CDPD needed a stronger presence in the marketplace, but differed on how to go about facilitating that.
Some of the chief points expressed about increasing CDPD’s market penetration included:
Focus marketing efforts toward individual clients in vertical markets first, before horizontal markets. In vertical markets, users know they have a specific need for wireless data today, whereas in horizontal markets, vendors and carriers might have to work harder to convince potential users that they need this product or service. The CDPD vendors and carriers gain economies of scale by servicing large groups, which leads to lower prices for future markets.
Market the technology together-vendors, carriers and others involved in CDPD-to achieve growth.
Wireless data is still abstract to end users, so come to the table with a CDPD device in hand.
Present CDPD to potential clients in a unified package of hardware, software and services. This cuts their legwork and eases their decision because a complete solution is in front of them.
Do not focus marketing only on CDPD’s technical strengths, but on how products and services can be the solutions for specific needs.
Remember price is a factor, whether it should be or not. Companies won’t make a decision based on CDPD service’s merits alone.
