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Results 1-20 of 20 for Jeff Kagan.
OPINION

How Safe Are Home Security Systems?

I have loved the story of Ring doorbells ever since seeing CEO Jamie Siminoff on TV's "Shark Tank" several years ago. I also loved the story of SimpliSafe with CEO Chad Laurans. These companies, started by creative entrepreneurs, are changing the security industry. However, users need to be aware o...

OPINION

Motorola’s Razr Gamble

When word came out that Motorola was rereleasing its hit Razr smartphone, I was excited. Now that it has been delayed until the end of the year, the sizzle seems to be lessening a bit. Razr was hot more than a decade ago, but then it quickly faded away when the iPhone and Android stole the show. Mot...

OPINION

Amazon’s $10-a-Person Attempt to Wriggle Off Privacy Hook

I have been warning about online companies invading our privacy for years. Some very large companies now are under scrutiny by the U.S. government. As the pressure increases, Amazon seems to have come up with a creative solution. It has been offering to pay users $10 for permission to track them. In...

OPINION

When Retail Customers Take It on the Chin, Investors Win

I am a reluctant Costco shopper. My wife is one of the many customers who really love the chain. Me... not so much. Seriously -- someone should wake up Costco's top officials to the need to focus on their customers. After all, it's the customers who make Costco successful. When my family owned lots ...

OPINION

Where CEOs Go Wrong With Brand ID

Brand ID is key to every company's success and growth. Why then do so many senior executives at so many different companies screw it up? When you come up with a winning brand ID, it's OK to build on it and to change it for the better, but not for the worse. Customers buy from you based on your brand...

OPINION

What Happens to Sprint if T-Mobile Merger Fails?

Sprint's best shot at success is to merge with T-Mobile. Without the merger, I see the company continuing to struggle as a weak player in the competitive wireless battle. Then again, this is nothing new. Sprint has been limping along for decades, for many different reasons. If this merger fails, wil...

OPINION

How to Succeed With Micro-Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing continues to build steam, and more companies, large and small are getting involved. As powerful and as helpful as influencers can be, it's important to realize that not every influencer is right for every company. Selection of the right influencers to work with your company and ...

OPINION

What Matters Most in the Race to 5G Wireless

With 5G knocking on our door, a growing number of wireless competitors have been getting on their high-horses and trying to knock down the current leaders. All I have to say is, cut it out! No customer or investor is interested in all this meaningless industry-wide jibber-jabber. If you keep this up...

OPINION

T-Mobile’s Home Broadband Carrot

Not long ago, T-Mobile COO Mike Sievert said the company would start selling a wireless home broadband service. Now, it looks as though it has begun a pilot program of invited users. However, there is an important catch with respect to this new service: the motive behind it. If it works and is price...

OPINION

Can Facebook Solve Its Worsening Privacy Problem?

The good news is that of the many troubles Facebook has, privacy seems to be front and center for both CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg. The question is, will the actions they take to address the company's privacy issues be enough? If not, this is the kind of problem that can and will cau...

OPINION

Google Fiber Missteps Could Tarnish Brand

This winter has been very rough on Google Fiber, Alphabet's high-speed Internet service. An overabundance of snow, ice and water have caused service outages. Why do these issues not seem to hamper competitors? The latest news is that the service is leaving Louisville, supposedly due to a faulty inst...

ANALYST CORNER

Siri Needs an Attitude Adjustment

You would think that a successful company like Apple would want to learn what ticks off its customers about its products and services, and then fix them. You would think that it would learn that its negative-thinking artificial intelligence assistant, known as "Siri," is ticking off users. Few peop...

ANALYST CORNER

Can Sprint Get Out of Its Own Way?

There has been so much water under the wireless bridge. Sprint has tried to keep up with the big players, but even though it has a good quality mobile product and plenty of spectrum, it seems it just can't catch a break, win market share, and become more relevant. Based on its latest earnings report...

ANALYST CORNER

The Secret Ingredient for Social Media Success: Elbow Grease

Many people would like to know the ingredients of the secret sauce that will get their Twitter and LinkedIn follower lists to grow. I have tried some things that proved successful. I have learned from other successful users as well. Here are a few ideas that have worked for me. First, here's an upda...

ANALYST CORNER

Apple’s Slow March to 5G

Why is Apple taking such a slow approach moving toward 5G with its iPhone models and tablets? Just look around at all the buzz on the rapid rollout of 5G products and services. It seems every wireless carrier, every other handset and tablet maker, and every wireless gear maker is in a mad dash to be...

ANALYST CORNER

Why Is Wireless Caller ID So Often Wrong?

I have a gripe with the way Caller ID works -- or in fact, increasingly doesn't work -- on wireless phones. I've noticed that most very stinking time I get a call on my wireless phone, the Caller ID information is wrong. Sometimes the number is correct, but the city is wrong. When Caller ID was intr...

ANALYST CORNER

The Two Sides of the Artificial Intelligence Coin

The growth of AI has been astounding -- yet it is still in the very early stages. Where are we today with this new technology, and where are we heading? Which companies are struggling, and why? What's coming next? AI for years has been a staple of science fiction -- from the starship Enterprise's ta...

ANALYST CORNER

The Wireless Industry’s Two-Horse Race

There has been a lot of noise in the wireless industry in the last few years. Between the competition among existing wireless carriers and the challenges of new players, the industry has been growing and transforming. However, despite all the chaos, one thing has remained unchanged: Verizon Wireless...

ANALYST CORNER

The Danger of Underestimating Your Brand’s Value

A solid brand is key to business success, but over the years I have seen many companies try to commit suicide by killing the brand identities they spent so many years and so much money creating. Many are now gone. Others are still around, but in a weakened position. You must give the customer a comp...

ANALYST CORNER

‘Different Strokes’ Approach Can Damage a Brand

One fundamental element of building a brand relationship with customers is consistency. Widely franchised companies like Starbucks compromise consistency, however. They employ several different business models instead of sticking to one. This approach confuses customers and hurts the master brand, s...

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