Fred Pope comes from an economics background and says he entered the satellite sector “by accident.” But as CEO of Satcom Resources, a business that relies in large part on an interactive Web site launched in 2000, he helps customers understand and acquire the solutions they need to set up communications networks.
“Looking at the industry from an economics perspective, the industry itself lacked a online superstore and distribution channel, and while most other mature industries have this, we thought that as the industry continued to grow, this distributor-like niche would be a natural result stemming from the evolution of the market. … Satcom Resources was launched to make the technology more accessible. We used to get calls from clients with the question “Can I do this over Satellite?” Hence we launched Satcom Resources with a Web-centric focus in an attempt show the breadth of the industry and the myriad of solutions possible from a hardware perspective. With our Web site we introduced a new way to research, design, integrate and purchase Satcom equipment, or just kick the tires on a potential solution.”
We act as an extension of our customers business, part of their network in many cases, providing them a cost-effective outsourced procurement, logistics and support arm. You might call us a next-generation company catered to next-generation networks.
Pope discusses the development of the business and Web site with Via Satellite Editor Jason Bates.
Via Satellite: Was this service not being provided before you launched Satcom Resources?
Pope: I would say definitely not in the way that we were, or are, currently approaching it. When we debuted in 2000 with our Web site, there was nothing that came close, and I think today, we can still say that. Furthermore, what we have done with the business model in a refinement of the original concept is not matched anywhere in the industry.
Via Satellite: How hard was it to get customers to accept this model? Has anyone else tried to replicate it?
Pope: We are different in that we sell hardware, and only hardware, but we are also different in the way that we deliver it. We’ve chosen to focus on that one thing and have since continued to innovate on how we can create value in this small niche. We were a bunch of field technicians that were mired in the details of the equipment. We’d been that guy in the field who got to stay a long weekend where we did not want to be waiting for one connector that was missed on the shipment. Integration details were paramount to us, and we could measure the expense associated with the additional field time that came from an improperly delivered terminal.
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