“Consumers are going to drive what applications are successful,” said Doug Wenzlaff of Solarus, in this video interview with Roger Bindl. Wenzlaff points out that one of the big changes in the telecom industry is that providers have had to shift from a culture of “build it and they will come” to one where the “customers build the services they want”. Wenzlaff points out that telecom companies need to build networks that are flexible enough to adapt to unforeseen customer-driven applications.
Wenzlaff describes how this philosophy is not much different than when Wood County Telephone, Solarus' former name, started its operation more than 100 years ago. The focus on customers, service and improving community was the impetus for launching Wood County Telephone and those same motivations were behind its offering of video and broadband products more than 10 years ago. In this video, Wenzlaff explains some of the lessons learned as they have transitioned to a broadband company and that they have enjoyed, "interesting times," this past decade.
