Featuring a foreword by George GilderThe Qualcomm Equation provides readers with a fascinating inside look at how a small company stormed the burgeoning wireless industry and grew into a global multibillion-dollar powerhouse in less than a decade. This book examines how Qualcomm became so successful, chronicling the early history of the company, then provides an in-depth analysis of Qualcomm’s business model. Through this eye-opening, real-life case study, readers will learn:* how the company pioneered and commercialized a new technology in record time…and made it an industry standard* how Qualcomm’s revolutionary business model relied on licensing this technology * key business strategies that enabled Qualcomm to leapfrog the competition* how companies can encourage and use innovation to dominate their marketsIn addition to describing the development of the wireless industry over the last few decades, The Qualcomm Equation is a riveting look at a one-of-a-kind company.
If you’re a Qualcomm customer or stockholder, or in fact if you have a stake in almost any cellular service or even just use a mobile phone, you’re no doubt aware of the enormous impact on the development of cellular technology by actress and sex symbol Hedy LaMarr.
All right, perhaps you’re surprised. The telecom industry has never been short on surprises, and the above example is no exception. Nor is it an exaggeration. Read the book.
Similarly, it is not an exaggeration to say that Qualcomm, through a combination of technological superiority, cunning business acumen, and sheer tenacity, has become the undisputed standard by which telecom companies now measure themselves. In short order, they have also become a model of substantial and sustained growth that businesses in all industries should emulate.
Qualcomm’s rise mirrors that of the cell phone itself. Both are ubiquitous, both continue to evolve rapidly, and both turned the status quo on its head. The Qualcomm Equation reveals crucial but little-known information on the history of cellular and wireless technology some of which dates back to World War II and shows how the company grabbed the wave just as it began to rise.
How did they do it?
Even while most competitors were using an essential technology, Qualcomm believed in an alternative they had developed, and continued to refine and promote it until at last it caught on. The Qualcomm Equation details how the fledgling company, while their rivals simply duked it out for more customers, made a killing not only by offering great service, but also by leasing their superior standard technology to other telecom companies. While Qualcomm grew its own customer base, they had also, in essence, found a way to make more money the bigger their competitors got.
How can you apply the Qualcomm model in your industry, and in your company?
Following Qualcomm’s example, your company can:
- attract investors by presenting even complex products and technologies in customer- and market-focused language
- prove that its product is essential not only to customers but also to competitors? so that they come to depend on you rather than trying to defeat you
- make its product and its operations compatible with those competitors, turning rivalries into profitable strategic alliances
- learn from setbacks, and leverage the knowledge and strengths of your partners to overcome obstacles
- You’ll also learn crucial strategies to help you define and develop your core business; identify and maximize your company’s role and position in the value chain for customers and shareholders; strike a balance between sharing and protecting proprietary information; and handle regulatory and political concerns both domestically and globally.
In the last decade, Qualcomm has come to define dominance not only in the telecommunications industry, but throughout the global business landscape. The Qualcomm Equation presents their story, and the keys to their unparalleled success.
Not to mention the most important role of Hedy LaMarr’s career…
Dave Mock is a practicing engineer and consultant to the telecommunications industry, and has written extensively for online and print publications, including The Feature, Unstrung, and The Motley Fool. He is also the author of Tapping Into Wireless. Mr. Mock lives in Placentia, California.
“In the search for innovative excellence, set aside the stories of Intel, Microsoft, and IBM. They have had their day. Shun the likes of Sony, Cisco Systems, Nokia , and NEC. They still fall short. Normally known as the source of the next generation of wireless telephony, Qualcomm is in fact the inventor of the exemplary twenty-first century technology corporation.” George Gilder
“Mock has “cracked the code” on Qualcomm and in the process highlighted how successful companies use new IP business strategies to set the standard and create long-term competitive advantage.” ?Kevin Rivette, Executive Advisor on Intellectual Property Strategy, The Boston Consulting Group; author of Rembrandts in the Attic: Unlocking the Hidden Value of Patents
“Qualcomm is a great American success story and Dave Mock tells that story in its fullness. The Qualcomm Equation is a tale of entrepreneurial vision and the tenacity that made that vision a powerful reality. This book is a must read for entrepreneurs looking for role models as well as for anyone who wants to understand the wireless future.” Tom Wheeler, former President and CEO of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association
“Dave Mock has done it. He has proven how Qualcomm was able to create a telecom empire out of a technology that few in the wireless industry initially wanted anything to do with.” Stephen Wellman, Editor, FierceWireless
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