Are the RBOCs (Regional Bell Operating Companies) going away? Unlikely. Through reinvention and reinvestment, they will retain a strong position. There may not be openings to steal market share from the big guys, but William Quigley of Clearstone Venture Partners believes there will be plenty of peripheral opportunities for the innovative entrepreneur.
Network convergence continues to drive change in the field of telephony. Mr. Quigley points to fixed mobile convergence - the integration of wireline and wireless technologies - as a particular area of interest. People are no longer tied to a physical place. They require phones for both inside and outside of the office or home.
Mr. Quigley targets the development of applications that enhance the next generation of telephony services. The shorter design cycle for applications means smaller investment requirements and a quicker path to profitability. Diagnostic, security and other management and delivery tools will be required to support the impending new trends in voice services. Venture capitalists will focus on the ever present need for new and improved monitoring and management platforms.
William Quigley is a managing director at Clearstone Venture Partners and focuses on Clearstone's communications investments. Quigley joined Clearstone Venture Partners in 1999 from Mid-Atlantic Venture Funds, where he invested in early stage communications companies targeting the software, equipment, and service sectors. At MAVF, he was responsible for investments in Integrated Chipware, a real time embedded OS developer, Wisor Telecom, an OSS vendor to telecom service providers, and NexTone Communications, a manufacturer of voice over IP equipment. Some of Quigley's investments include Crimson Microsystems, DiVitas, Meru Networks, and SiNett.
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