Business Planning and Charting Best Practices
Master-Talk GmbH and O2 Airwave

Austrian-based wireless operator Master-Talk GmbH wished to apply for a contract to provide digital trunked radio communications services, based on the TETRA standard, to Austria’s police, fire, and ambulance services. The company’s management retained Sequent Consulting to help them develop a unique business model and marketing plan based on a fixed-fee-per-subscriber formula.

As part of the planning process, Sequent Consulting conducted field research to identify the “best practices” in this emerging European industry. At that time, TETRA technology was being deployed in support of police and fire services in the United Kingdom. Sequent arranged visits to U.K. police and fire services so Master-Talk executives could learn firsthand about their experience in adapting to this new technology. In addition, Sequent arranged an in-depth exchange of ideas between Master-Talk’s top management and the senior executives of O2 Airwave, a subsidiary of mmO2.

O2 Airwave is Europe’s first third-party TETRA carrier, which won a national contract to provide wireless services to Britain’s police, fire, and ambulance agencies. Based on information gathered at these meetings, Sequent recommended a number of specific changes to the Master-Talk business plan, which helped to make the company’s application more competitive. Thanks in part to these changes, Master-Talk was awarded Austria’s nationwide TETRA license in 2002.