ISP-Market Suggested New Year's resolutions

We at ISP-Market have decided to kick off the new year by taking a stab at what we would like resolved in the market we have come to love to work with over the last 6 years.

ISP Consolidation:
We have been hearing about consolidation in the small to medium ISP space since 1996 when there were around 2000 North American ISPs and Livingston PM2’s were selling like beer at a Cubs game.  Since then the industry has grown to nearly 9000 ISPs.   Despite this obvious growth industry analysts were quoted as saying things like: “there will be a major shake-out over the next few years resulting in about 200 ISPs by 2000” – April, 1996  and “ISP consolidation is well under way, and is expected to continue until the field narrows to a handful of players. Once dominated by small "mom-and-pop" ISPs, those players are now overshadowed by large regional players.” - February, 1999

Analysts, please stop talking about consolidation in a striving market where small to medium ISPs are serving internet access to more US households and businesses than AOL.

ISPCON
Get some ISPs to attend ISPCON. San Jose 2000 was a big cocktail party for vendors. There has to be someone within the ISPCON group that has to be concerned. Every booth we visited the discussion was the lack of ISPs at the show. At the San Francisco ISPCON in 1997, there was chaos like you have never seen, people waiting hours for badges, and then they just let everyone in the show without a badge. The first ISPCON in Baltimore, we waited for 3 hours a day before the show started to get a badge. Bob Holly was the “Human Punching Bag” for the vendors. The point is, getting into the show was a pain, but it was worth the wait. There was education in the air.

ISP Organizations
Let’s see some participation from the ISPs in these organizations. We know there are major time constraints when running a service provider business, but don’t complain about the organization if you’re not involved. There are tons of ISP organizations out there from the national ones like ISPBF, ISP/C, AISPA, USISPA, USIAA to the statewide organizations such as TISPA, FISPA, CISPA and so on. These organizations are fighting for your future by lobbying in Washington and keeping you informed of legislature and public policy.  Many of them run tradeshows and seminars and offer a variety of business services such as group buying, insurance and law services and more.  Many of them like the ISPBF have free or low cost memberships.  

Incremental Revenue
If we get a call from another company with a “revolutionary” idea to help ISPs add to their bottom line using an “Incremental Revenue” scheme we are going to puke.  A special new year message to you: “nobody has the time to implement your great solution on the off chance that someday you may actually pay them a few pennies”  - Can you say MyWay?

Acronym Overload
ISP, ASP, MSP, HSP, SSP, NSP, BSP, LSP, OSP, IISP, LSP, SSP whew!

How about a new one for 2001, PSP “Profitable Service Provider”? Oops that’s taken by “Payment Service Provider”. Can’t we all just get along?

Have a Happy and Profitable New Year!