Networked products create new business opportunities : MBA thesis in marketing

Abstract: This work is performed as a pre-study to investigate new business opportunities for companies who are product-centric oriented but want to move in the direction of being a customer-centric organization by using technologies based on networked products. The study describes IntelliCom, which is a company selling network enabling products. IntelliCom has also developed a customized server solution making it possible to network remote installed products and collect data from these products over Internet. This technology that IntelliCom have knowledge in could be a platform for providing data and different kind of services by connecting customer’s devices, which aim to generate a value for the customer and be a new business opportunity for product-centric companies. The research is mainly based on observations and dialogs with management and sales people of IntelliCom to investigate how the marketing strategies and marketing mix is used when selling products. To be able to collect data and information about the customer’s value and opportunities, I have made an Interview with a potential customer of IntelliCom who is an OEM company already proving products and services in line with a customer-centric business strategy. This customer is Woodward and manufacturer of GenSet controllers within the energy/electrical segment. The observations and information collected from customer were analysed to understand and to be able to describe how customer’s value chain and smart services opportunities relate to each other. The study shows that the opportunity for IntelliCom to start using the new technology to increasing the sales of data and services, not only products, is good. The study points out that IntelliCom should chose a business model that targeting OEM companies. IntelliCom should limit the offer to provide unprocessed data and let the OEM customer process data to provide smart services to their customers worldwide.