Volantis

This case tracks the development of telecommunications software provider Volantis from its launch in 2000 to March 2006. The company’s investors and founders had mis-timed its market opportunity and, by March 2006, had spent more than five years waiting for mass adoption of mobile data services. Its core product—a so-called intelligent content adapter—was directed at solving the telecommunications industry’s most complex challenges. However, the company was losing over $400,000 per month, and it needed to act quickly with an updated organization plan to capitalize on its new business opportunities. One opportunity would leverage the company’s core infrastructure, but would require considerable investment and resources. A second opportunity risked threatening its current operating model. In either case, Volantis was fortunate to have the luxury of such compelling prospects, after so many other wireless solutions companies had long since disappeared.