Modularity Archetypes and Their Coexistence in Technological Development: The Case of a Telecoms Company from Analogue Voice to 5G

Modularity is a key concept in the research and practice of information systems. Yet, it has been variously interpreted. Synthesizing the literature, we inductively develop a two-by-two matrix encapsulating two dualities of modularity: architectural vs. governance dimensions, and bottom-up vs. top-down perspectives. This matrix groups the literatures into four archetypical approaches to modularity (Engineering, Ecosystem, Generative and Logical). We next illustrate these archetypes through a qualitative study of a large global telecommunications firm. Drawing upon archival data and interviews, we show how each of these four approaches to modularity become dominant at different times, but also how they overlap and coexist

Industry consolidation: the merger of charter communications with time warner cable

The following case study is intended to describe the evolution of the American cable industry and the corporate actions pursued by its operators and sponsors since 1990’s. Charter Communications and Time Warner Cable, respectively the fourth- and second-largest cable operators, have been chosen to represent the industry trend of horizontal consolidation. On May 23, 2015, both firms agreed to merge forming New Charter, along with parallel Charter’s acquisition of Bright House Networks. Even though the ultimate goal of this case is to analyse the merger transaction, a deep analysis of each company’s roots and a description of competition environment and regulation framework are also presented to provide the necessary insights to perceive its drivers. Being the terms of the merger and business valuation its cornerstone, this case aims to look into the acquirer leveraging up to finance the acquisition of a much larger company, after having been through a reorganization process under Chapter 11 for having too much debt, and a firm that spun-off its operations from its parent company, inheriting its name and management. Therefore, these two corporate actions are also presented in detail. For his key role on Charter’s growth, public exposure, personal wealth, and career accomplishments, as co-founding Microsoft the most noteworthy, a follow-up on the $12 billion investment of Paul Allen in the cable industry is also described

Analysis of the New Site Development Process for a Wireless Telecommunications Carrier

This thesis examines the new site development process for a telecommunications carrier. Evolutions in cellular technologies have led to an exponential increase in the need for network resources. This has translated into rising development costs for the industry, mainly due to the increasing negotiating power of landlords and to stricter regulations by government bodies. The existing new site development process was found to be missing return on investment (ROI) analysis and validation of the value provided by locations for new sites such as towers, rooftops and monopoles acquired by the real estate department. This paper proposes an updated process, to be adopted by the implementation team that would address these deficiencies and would guarantee that every installation carried out by the team would provide positive value for the organization

The Role of Efficiencies in Telecommunications Merger Review

As a result of the recent telecommunications industry slowdown and the rise of globally integrated communications networks, mergers and acquisitions have become a commonplace occurrence throughout the developed world. In this article, Calvin Goldman, Michael Piaskoski and Ilene Gotts review recent merger and acquisition activity and discuss how the decisions to allow or deny “M&A” are viewed by regulatory agencies in the United States, the European Union, and Canada. The first part of this article addresses these three parties’ approaches to M&A consideration and how the concept of “efficiencies” generated by consolidation enters those deliberations. The authors then explore the finer points of “competition review” in the United States, European Union, and Canada and then discuss the individual propensities of these three regulators to consider the proposed efficiencies of telecommunications mergers and acquisitions. The authors conclude that while Canada has been increasingly deferential to proposed efficiencies, and the United States and especially the European Union have remained somewhat reluctant to consider efficiencies arguments, that understanding the complexities of efficiencies review is increasingly critical in the developed world

The Role of Efficiencies in Telecommunications Merger Review

As a result of the recent telecommunications industry slowdown and the rise of globally integrated communications networks, mergers and acquisitions have become a commonplace occurrence throughout the developed world. In this article, Calvin Goldman, Michael Piaskoski and Ilene Gotts review recent merger and acquisition activity and discuss how the decisions to allow or deny “M&A” are viewed by regulatory agencies in the United States, the European Union, and Canada. The first part of this article addresses these three parties’ approaches to M&A consideration and how the concept of “efficiencies” generated by consolidation enters those deliberations. The authors then explore the finer points of “competition review” in the United States, European Union, and Canada and then discuss the individual propensities of these three regulators to consider the proposed efficiencies of telecommunications mergers and acquisitions. The authors conclude that while Canada has been increasingly deferential to proposed efficiencies, and the United States and especially the European Union have remained somewhat reluctant to consider efficiencies arguments, that understanding the complexities of efficiencies review is increasingly critical in the developed world

The Unbundling of Network Elements: Japan's Experience

With the advent of the Internet, the emphasis of communication policies has moved from the regulation of telephone networks to the unbundling regulation to enforce sharing of network elements. Since unbundling is often impeded by the renegotiation by incumbents over the control of essential facilities, it would be advisable to separate the company that owns local loop (LoopCo). Recently the number of subscribers of DSL in Japan has grown phenomenally due to the unbundling regulation. This suggests that unbundling can accelerate the proliferation of broadband, but this lesson cannot be easily generalized to other countries, because the success depends on the special conditions such as extremely low pricing of entrants and strategic mistakes of NTT that neglected DSL. If the unbundling regulation succeeds in increasing competition, the telecommunications industry in the narrow sense will shrink, making the universal services of telephone network increasingly difficult.