Essay - Business Applications Among Telecommunications Companies, Verizon Has a Highly-developed, Well-integrated...

Business Applications

Among telecommunications companies, Verizon has a highly-developed, well-integr*****ted research function. The company utilizes each major type of research in order to meet its diverse strategic needs. A couple of factors contribute to *****'s strong research focus. One is that the company operates in a technology-based industry, so the culture of research is well-developed. The other ***** that the ***** is highly competitive. Th***** emphasizes the importance ***** quality research in the plann*****g process. Subtle insights can translate into incremental market share gains worth millions of dollars.

Verizon has long emp*****ized applied research on the technology side of its business. New technology has come rapidly to ***** telecommunications industry in recent years. The result of this has been an increased emp*****is on applied research as a source ***** competitive adv*****tage. When new technologies are developed, the company and ***** key technology suppliers must determine the different ways in which ***** development can be applied to the marketplace. ***** result can ***** an innovative new product worth ***** of dollars.

Verizon has become adept at translating the research ***** of its ***** departments into the marketing ones. At the core ***** Verizon's ***** strategy is the Verizon Information Research Network (VIRN). This network was set up to address the problem of having many research questions, but limited re*****s available to deal with the questions. VIRN is a self-serve model that provides Verizon employees ***** research from over 20 different sources.

The ***** has even been able to utilize the VIRN system to provide research to its customers, thus developing a B2C function for what ***** originally designed as an internal application. The ***** ***** a highly automated system that provides research both to in-house clients and to external ones as well. ***** system has streamlined the research process in that it uses search technology as well as ***** concept of a central portal to provide its employees ***** research ***** ***** already been gathered by other parts ***** the company ***** by external sources.

***** also contracts out some of ***** market research ***** polling firm Gallup. That ***** conducts surveys to ascertain information regarding ***** service levels and customer satisfaction with regards to their ***** *****ferings. This has allowed Verizon ***** maintain a high profession*****l standard with respect to their research function while controlling costs. However, it takes some control of the research function away ***** the end users in ***** and product development. It is reason***** to assume that these ***** help guide the research ***** ***** extra layer ***** communication in between the end users and the researchers can render the process less efficient.

***** effects of Verizon's comprehensive research program are felt through***** ***** organization. These *****clude their reputation as an innovator in the telecommunications field ***** "********** points of differentiation." ***** differentiation is the result ***** Verizon's abil*****y to synthesize two distinctly different *****s of research. One is the applied research in which *****y consistently have demonstrated an aptitude. The ***** is with ***** cus*****mer