Web Briefing

Meeting the Differentiation Challenge:
Competitive Positioning in a Converging World

July 27, 2006
8:00 am Pacific – 11:00 am Eastern – 16:00 London (Duration: One hour)
(Free for ITSMA members)

Registration Closed

Overview

In a world where buyers have nearly limitless options—whether it’s to buy from an offshore provider, a global software or professional services brand, or from a highly specialized niche player—the only way to avoid being seen as a commodity provider is to differentiate, and to differentiate well.

Technology companies today need to position themselves in such a way that customers perceive their services as truly unique, and therefore unavailable from any other provider. But as the tech industry matures, this kind of competitive positioning becomes harder and harder to maintain.

In this Briefing, ITSMA's Lori Weiner and Julie Schwartz will explore:

• How to establish a high-level message for your technology services and solutions business that is truly different from your competitors’
• How to ensure that your message is adaptable to the company’s most important offerings, segments, and accounts
• How to effectively communicate differentiation in a crowded market

Julie and Lori will also share some key findings from new ITSMA research and provide case study examples from companies that are working to position their services and solutions as truly unique.

Special Guest Speaker: Stephanie Porter, Director of Customer Programs at Amdocs, will speak about how Amdocs built and manages its "High Impact" reference program so that its references reinforce the company’s messaging.

The briefing is complimentary for ITSMA members and $95 for nonmembers.

ITSMA Presenters	[TOP OF PAGE]

Julie Schwartz
Senior Vice President, Thought Leadership
jschwartz@itsma.com

Julie oversees ITSMA's thought leadership development and custom research. She has authored numerous reports and articles on technology services trends, marketing, branding, and sales topics, and is a frequent speaker at public events and client meetings.

Lori Weiner
Associate Vice President, Research
lweiner@itsma.com

Lori develops and manages ITSMA’s multiclient brand tracking studies, performance benchmarking studies, and leads custom research engagements with select member companies.

General Information	[TOP OF PAGE]

ITSMA's Online Briefings offer recent research findings or survey results from thought leaders on a variety of services marketing topics. The Online Briefings can be viewed individually, or in groups composed of people within the same company. The briefings are available anywhere in the world that has telephone service and access to the Internet. A typical program runs 45 minutes followed by 15 minutes of questions and answers. The person making the online presentation speaks into a telephone and advances the visual portion of the presentation via their computer connected to the Internet. At the end of the presentation. and at the presenter's discretion, the listeners are invited to ask questions. Each listener with a question identifies him or herself and is listed in a queue and taken one at a time by the presentation monitor. The monitor also manages the question and answer session by giving each questioner access to the phone line to communicate with the presenter.

Technical Requirements	[TOP OF PAGE]

This briefing will be administered by Connex International. All participants are required to test their browsers on Connex International's Website 24-48 hours prior to ensure they are ‘Java-enabled’. This test can be done at www.connexpresents.com, by clicking on the "Equipment Check" icon.
You will receive a pass code and dial in number 24-48 hours prior to the briefing.

The technical requirements for this ITSMA online briefing are:

• Direct or dial-up Internet connection of 28.8 kb/s or higher. An AOL or wireless connection is not recommended.
• A separate telephone line to access the audio teleconference.
• If participating from your company, ask about your company’s Internet Firewall 48 hours prior to the event. This will enable your technician or a Connex technician to reconfigure connections to ensure access to the Internet portion of the briefing.
• No plug-ins or software downloads are required.
• System Requirements: Windows 98 SE or higher with JAVA enabled, Internet Explorer 5.x or greater or Netscape 4.75, 4.79, 4.80, or 7.1. The following operating systems "may work with limitations," although they are not supported: Mac OS X family with Safari 1.0; Linux Redhat 6.2 with Netscape 4.7x; Solaris 8 with Netscape 4.7x.
• Works through 99% of all firewalls and proxy servers.

Fees and Registration	[TOP OF PAGE]

Aside from the telephone call, the fee for the presentation is complimentary for active ITSMA members, and $95 per location for non-members.

Note: Registration is on a first-come/first-served basis. You must register by 5:00 pm ET, July 26, 2006.

About ITSMA
ITSMA specializes in helping companies market and sell services and solutions. As a membership organization, we work with the world's leading technology, communications, and professional services firms to generate new business, strengthen customer loyalty, and increase brand differentiation. Through research, consulting, training, and community we provide the insight companies need to improve marketing impact, sales performance, and business results. ITSMA is based in Lexington, Massachusetts, and has offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Learn more at www.itsma.com.