Dear Tandberg/Codian

I'm writing to all of you TAA/Codian sales people and engineers and I want to get something off my chest.

Both me and our collective customers are sick of hearing you walk into to opportunities and bad mouth Polycom and its products. Don't you have enough good things to say about your product that you have that you don't have to fill in the rest of the time scheduled by slinging dirt? Don't you feel comfortable enough with your products that they can stand on their own...that you don't have to compare them to ours? It really feels like you have an inferiority complex? We always finding you talkin about our products. I guess that says something.

Honestly, I can take the trash talk. You remind me of another competitor I had in my past. Back in the '90s I worked for Cisco Systems. In the beginning of the ethernet switch wars, we had one favorite competitor, Cabletron. You guys remind me so much of them... as they employed the same techniques. Incessant mud slinging, fear, uncertainty, doubt, and sometimes, outright lies. We always knew Cabletron was there before us, as it was always the same stories. And as soon as they'd start asking questions, we were always prepared to set the truth. Interesting thing is that marketing campaign didn't work well. There isn't a Cabletron any more.

So, I ask a favor....

Please spend the time talking to the customer about their business problems. Please work with them to figure out their requirements. If you guys have the right gear that fits their business problem than we do, you'll earn the business. You'll also free me up to spend more of my meeting time with those customers working through business problems and solutions. Right now... I have to waste time in meetings rebutting silly product feature issues you throw at them. If I'm at a Healthcare company that does critical care... do you think they care what DSP you use in your MCU? or do they care if we can fit into their solution that makes their job of saving lives easier? I think the answer is obvious.

Thanks,
Jeff