Project Experience

New Product Rumors

Client Situation
A small, albeit established player occupying a market niche in the electric utility software services industry announced a contract with a major player in the unregulated energy services business. This contract signaled an effort on the part of this player to expand its product suite into an area occupied by our client, a venture-backed systems developer.

Fuld & Company Approach
Fuld & Company was engaged to better define this competitor's plans and capabilities with respect to its new product development. Speaking with contacts in the target company's organization, its new customer, and other partners, Fuld & Company was able to clearly identify the competitor's plans.

Benefits and Implications
With the understanding that this player was emerging as a real competitive threat, our client chose to revamp its own product development and marketing strategy. For more information contactMark Ferri at mferri@fuld.com

Client Situation
Our client, an ecommerce company providing utility bill payment, processing, and information services for large, multi-site commercial customers, was interested in expanding its business vertically by developing alliances with a number of different service providers including supply side exchanges as well as demand side energy management companies. These alliances were part of a network based business process outsourcer strategy.

Fuld & Company Approach
Fuld & Company was engaged to evaluate the client's strategy in consideration of the strategy of leading competitor and to make recommendations for changes to their strategy. Fuld & Company first completed an in-depth competitive profile of the client's leading competitor, which included discussions with the competitor's customers and senior management.

Benefits and Implications
Fuld & Company used the knowledge it had gained to participate in several planning and brainstorming s with the client's senior management and venture capital investors, assisting with the crafting of a differentiated strategy from that of the market leader. For more information please contactMark Ferri at mferri@fuld.comor 617 492 5900.

Client situation
A significant regulatory authority order changed the playing field in a state where our client, an investor owned electric utility, has major operations. The client wanted to ensure that it was able to detect and analyze new competitive activity engendered by these regulatory changes, taking a proactive, rather than a reactive approach.

Fuld & Company Approach
Fuld & Company set up a monitoring program intended to provide the client with early warning of competitive responses by the region's large aggressive players; to assess the implications of new market entrants; and determine the true implications of predatory activity by "national" energy providers. Fuld & Company provided this client with primary research on an ongoing basis, interviewing former regulators, current and potential customers, financial community analysts, competitor customers, service providers, industry experts and company insiders. Our research tracked and analyzed activities such as announcements of sales offices, hiring practices, marketing brochures, and offers made to large energy customers.

Benefits and Implications
By helping the client build an awareness of these practices and understanding their implications, the client develops appropriate strategies needed to combat its competitors. For more information please contactMark Ferri at mferri@fuld.comor 617 492 5900.