Author: Ian Trelling
The Monte Carlo Grand Prix and Cannes Film Festival may have the glamor and glitz, but a lesser known and equally important event is also happening in the region (Nice) this month.
The TeleManagement Forum annual conference called Management World 2008 started last week in the city, and featured 10 C-level telco presenters giving fascinating keynote speeches focusing on the future of customer care.
The customer was at the centre of this year's keynote presentations, with a stark warning from Matt Bross of BT telling businesses that power was slowly moving into the hands of the people.
A number of business leaders commented on how popular online services such as Google, Facebook and Ebay were, suggesting that their strength was accessibility at any time of the day and night.
'Simplicity over choice' was another radical idea banded about over the conference period, with Telecom New Zealand's CEO Paul Reynolds explaining how the company cut 2000 pricing plans down to 17 resulting in a 30% rise in sales.
Although Management World 2008 does not have the style and media interest that the Grand Prix and film festival has, if the business leaders in attendance put into practice some of the customer focussed ideas suggested at the forum. It may have a much bigger impact on our lives.