Managing strategic market entry in challenging times
Edgematrix

Goal:
To gather critical market data needed to plan EdgeMatrix's launch into the U.S. wireless marketplace.

Approach:
EdgeMatrix is a wireless communications firm that provides micro-browser and multi-channel communications solutions to the international marketplace. Offering a full suite of wireless communications solutions, EdgeMatrix is most widely known as the developer of WAPman - the world's most frequently downloaded micro-browser for personal digital assistants (PDAs).

EdgeMatrix retained Stephenson Group (SG) to initiate relationships with key opinion makers in the wireless and related communications technology industries within the United States, and to gather critical market data to use in planning its launch strategy for the U.S. wireless marketplace.

SG immediately arranged a series of meetings between senior EdgeMatrix managers, top industry analysts, and journalists at critical wireless trade and general business publications. The pre-launch strategic briefing program included:

• Confidential briefings with analyst firms, including Forrester, Jupiter, IDC, Zona, Summit, and Cahners.
• Media briefings and information exchange with key technology publications, including CNet, EETimes, ComputerWorld-Asia, and JavaWorld.
• Daily competitive research and industry analysis.

Results:
The media and analyst briefing tour provided senior-level managers with privileged market information that proved critical to EdgeMatrix's market launch strategy. Within four months, EdgeMatrix executive management had gathered enough industry-confidential information and market opinion to conclude that an immediate entry into the United States marketplace was not in the firm's best interest, and that continued development of the more mature Asia/Pacific and European markets offered greater returns on investment.

The resulting information provided essential data for EdgeMatrix to use in evaluating the timing of its U.S. market launch, saving significant expenditures in the short term and positioning the company for a stronger market entry and greater growth in the long term.