Rolando Rosas is the Founder of Global Teck Worldwide, which offers business and office technology for seamless customer communications. In his role, he leads his team to provide insights on e-commerce trends, digital marketplace strategies, and client success metrics. Rolando is also the Founder of CircuitLoops.com, which uses AI to match businesses to the lowest-priced internet service provider. As an entrepreneur, he has founded three startups and hosts the What The Teck? podcast.
Dave Kelly is the General Manager of Global Teck Worldwide and the co-host of the What The Teck? podcast. He holds a bachelor’s in telecommunications management from the New England Institute of Technology, where he focused on the acceleration of networks transitioning from digital IP to support successful business communications. Before Global Teck Worldwide, Dave was the Account Manager at Jabra and the Territory Manager at Polycom.
- [0:00] Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly discuss the current state of retail in a digital-first economy
- [9:26] How companies are innovating to align with digital trends
- [13:32] The common pitfalls of collapsed retail organizations
- [19:10] Why Digital Equipment Corporation failed to resurge in the digital age
- [27:46] Compaq’s demise after competing with Dell, Gateway, and HP
- [35:07] How did Microsoft fuel the acceleration from hardware to software?
- [41:44] Dave and Rolando talk about Sunbeam’s failure to revive its brand
- [50:00] Navigating the competitive digital landscape
In this episode…
Technology and other digital trends can disrupt even the most renowned brands’ retail strategies. Household names like Compaq, Sunbeam, and Digital Equipment Corporation collapsed from increased competition, demand, and innovation. Why couldn’t these companies remain in business, and what can you learn from their failures?
According to research conducted by tech authorities Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly, formerly acclaimed businesses couldn’t rebound after struggling to innovate efficiently. For instance, Digital Equipment Corporation refused to transition from its proprietary mainframe to the modems required to adopt PCs. Similarly, after competing steadily with other computer companies like HP and Dell, Compaq failed to maintain effective channel distribution and met its demise after Microsoft pioneered software. For home appliance company Sunbeam, quality control issues and a lack of investments in innovation led to bankruptcy. Rolando and Dave maintain that unified communication and solid manufacturing, distribution, and innovation strategies are key to outperforming the competition.
In this episode of What The Teck? Rolando Rosas and Dave Kelly analyze companies’ failed comebacks. Together, they share how modern companies innovate to adapt to digital trends, how to navigate the competitive digital market, and the Toys-R-Us resurgence model.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Rolando Rosas on LinkedIn
- Dave Kelly on LinkedIn
- Global Teck Worldwide
- Circuit Loops
- “Work-From-Home: An Unexpected Economic Boom” with Nick Bloom on What The Teck?
- “The Future of Work With Steve Cadigan” on What The Teck?
Sponsor for this episode…
This episode is brought to you by Global Teck Worldwide.
We are a full-service online retailer of professional headsets, webcams, and speaker phones from top manufacturers.
Since 2002, Global Teck Worldwide has provided affordable, high-quality communications equipment and customized telecommunications services to organizations of all sizes.
Our specialists have invested hundreds of hours in technical training, certifications, and seminars to assist customers with purchasing decisions.
We have served thousands of customers in a variety of industries with value-added services, including ergonomics, employee work accommodations, and hearing-impaired services.
If you are a government agency, small business, or Fortune 500 company, contact us at https://circuitloops.com/contact-us/ to discover a solution that fits your communication needs.
Episode Transcript:
Rolando Rosas 0:00
What happened to digital well digital failed to shift from the mainframe which at the time was the way of the future and back in those days Dave the hardware manufacturer held all the power
Dave Kelly 0:13
Well what’s interesting about digital is being that they were using these proprietary systems seemed maybe like it was a strength at the time but that ended up biting them in the butt well compact had its struggles compact is now competing against Dell, but they had different go to market strategies compact relied on the distribution channel,
Rolando Rosas 0:32
it put them in a position of weakness, their strength was who they are, and now they became weak. Their stock started plummeting profits are eroding, and now HP comes in and acquires Compaq we’re talking about sun beam, they try to come back they brought in our chainsaw, Dunlap his approach work for a short period of time but during the process of cost cutting any cut too much of the development he went very far maybe too far. Welcome to What The Teck? your gateway to business strategies and tech secrets, shaping today’s workplace. You know, Dave, I was having breakfast today. And I heard that Toys R Us is making a comeback.
Dave Kelly 1:25
Oh, that’s awesome, man. But a good fit. That makes me warm and fuzzy inside and I remember going to the Toys R Us as as a kid it was kind of an event. You know, it was like a brand within a brand. But I actually did hear I did hear about that as well. Their go to market is a little bit different, right? Last
Rolando Rosas 1:44
time. Supposedly they’re launching more stores at Macy’s does that like that’s like that store within a store concept? Yeah, it’s very common. outside the US you go to like a supermarket if you get if you travel overseas, and you will see kiosks kinda like what you see with cologne and perfume and a lot of the department stores they have their own kiosks in the stint on they’re always trying to spray your career. It’s always fun to do your makeup. I know you like getting makeup on so I’m not surprised if I find you in one of those chairs getting your makeup done.
Dave Kelly 2:14
Can you imagine a high pressure toys salesman? That would be classic. The in the store store within a store model. You know, we were chatting about this earlier, it reduces their risk for sure. Alright, rent out some space. But it’s also like buying toys online is not all that exciting. I feel that Toys R Us was one of the first companies in my childhood in this consumer world, the toy world it’s like a try before you buy you know, you could you could push the buttons you could hear the sound and they get video purchase they would have the game consoles, the early console.
Rolando Rosas 2:51
That’s right and you could play them and that was really cool because I remember the games that that’s really you know, outside of the console the game you want to know if it’s worth buying right and you could play them and then eventually best buy up the experience with lounge chairs and playing gaming consoles there but you could try the games and see oh yeah mama and the mama that spent the longest time shopping was the kids who were on the game console the longest until
Dave Kelly 3:17
Jeremy get out of there we’re going on yeah right. There was always an older kid there that parents weren’t there he brought his bike to that bigger than ever use the he was the fifth grader and an eighth graders body the what I loved and hated about that model was you didn’t need a quarter so it was the first time you could go out you can play video games without having coordinate
Rolando Rosas 3:40
an arcade the kids that are nowadays may not even know what that is Dave an arcade man. Oh, everything rolls of quarters at an arcade. Everything’s
Dave Kelly 3:48
tickets shoot last time I went to an arcade up at the beach quarters were useless. You had to buy a card you innovation mode up the card. It made it easier to spend the money I guess. No, but there was something about walking around with a $20 worth of quarters man that felt like a million bucks. When you were at the Toys R Us playing we’re trying to kind of scary for a position to play. I think I did more watching them playing I was I was too young. The older kids were there so they could just bully me out of the way. Muscle
Rolando Rosas 4:20
you out of their bedtime. It was your turn. You got one minute. I remember that happened a lot like Oh, Jimmy left and I got on there plus press start and then I’m like, Oh crap matsclock in here. I could see her coming down the aisle. I know it’s it and she wouldn’t play she would like she wouldn’t even say she start pointing and telling me it’s time to go man, I’m
Dave Kelly 4:38
missing the toy stores. I’ve absolutely missed the toy stores. So that’s cool that they’re opening back up. I wish them I wish them some success with that. I hope the kids will find it as it you know, that’s the problem. The parents will find it nostalgic. Yeah, you know, to see the logo until you know kind of walk into that corner. But the kids the kids may not care so much about the brand or the name name of the store but I’m sure this there’ll be excited about the the toys inside you know the the non branded Toys R Us products the Playstations the the x box the Nintendo, of course whatever it might be,
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