Jenaro García, General Manager of Iber-X, Spanish Telecommunications Exchange: Not dying of success and surviving the Internet

There was a time when everyone was convinced that being the most aggressive executive on earth and having the most guts in the world was what it took to succeed in the business world. The speed of business had to match the speed of thought (Bill Gates). Now business has slowed down, and as a result, some companies are missing unique opportunities that will never come again. Here are some guidelines that can help increase that speed.

After a few years in which we've seen the initial internet boom deflate, we can draw one conclusion from the frenzy and frenzy we experienced: "the speed of business is an essential requirement for success in the new landscape offered by the web." The internet offers companies the opportunity to modernize their operations, reducing costs and increasing productivity. However, the companies that thrive will be those that react to the new possibilities and move faster. The opportunities offered by the web are only seized by those who accelerate their business operations.

When the winds of crisis blow, many companies cut costs across the board and wait for better times, failing to realize that opportunities to grow their businesses are plentiful. Speed and boldness remain fundamental characteristics in the technology and telecommunications market. Boldness is crucial to break free from the negative undercurrent that prevents many executives from taking the necessary steps to stand out, thus losing the advantages afforded by the current climate of uncertainty.

Currently, we find operators who have capitalized on market bargains. These operators have acquired companies in dire financial straits with a clear objective: to grow and eliminate rivals. A fierce battle is underway in the market to determine the ultimate survivors of this power struggle. The operators that achieve greater size (small or medium-sized enterprises that can grow rapidly through acquisitions) face a significant number of challenges.

Because of our work, at Iber-X we have a comprehensive view of the market that generally allows us to predict emerging opportunities while also identifying serious errors. Our perspective is ideal for auditing these types of events. That said, companies in the growth phase shouldn't let their increased size cause them to lose the very appeal that made them successful. We have classic examples of how companies that have grown rapidly have lost their competitive edge in customer relations or administrative processes (many end customers tell us they are tired of billing errors or months without service due to database migration problems between merged companies). If these companies lose these competitive advantages, they will lose their customers and ultimately fail due to their own success.

We specialize in helping companies stay focused on what's truly essential: their core business. We handle telecommunications. For companies acquiring another business or its assets, we offer network management. This way, we prevent customer dissatisfaction, which, as I've already explained, is the primary cause of subsequent crises and damage to a business's reputation. All of the above should be complemented by a key element for growth: doing so rationally by outsourcing some of the company's activities, thus allowing it to concentrate on the areas where it truly excels.