Press Release

Milestone Group Releases "Best Practices Survey" Covering Selling to Wireless Carriers

BARCELONA, SPAIN--(Marketwire - February 11, 2008) - GSM World -- Milestone Group, Inc., a consulting firm focused on revenue acceleration, releases a survey covering sales approaches to wireless carriers. The Survey shows that technology vendors plan to shift their sales efforts to the indirect channel, one featuring relationship marketing. Key finding: the overload of technology applications that respond to new data capabilities, rather than gatekeeper influence, is the cause behind a slowing process when selling to wireless companies.

"Carriers are being inundated by new partnership opportunities," says Gary Cohen, the head of Milestone Group's Wireless practice. "These days, a direct sales effort is being augmented with 'soft sell' activities that improve the efficiency of the sales process. However, those embarking on relationship management may be devaluing its key methods."

"The Milestone Group Best Practices Survey" shows significant agreement that increasing revenue will be a vendor's focus throughout 2008. The challenges they face include raising awareness for their technologies in a cluttered selling environment, and aligning their efforts to the cycles leading up to closing. "We see in the analysis that vendors are often focused on downstream concerns like managing budget inclusion, while the Carrier is focused on application selection," says Cohen. "Relationship marketing requires skill in enterprise-selling, plus timing activity in accordance with the Carrier's interest (as opposed to integration within the network)."

The Survey was conducted from January 28 to February 6, 2008 and was compiled through the responses of top sales executives in the Global Wireless Industry (totaling 50 members participating in an industry roundtable). Individual responses are kept confidential.

About Milestone

Milestone Group is a Silicon Valley-based consulting firm specializing in revenue acceleration for technology-enabled businesses operating in markets that are defined by complexity and rapid change. Milestone Group's client portfolio includes early stage startups and Global 2000 firms in the technology, media and telecommunications industries. The firm is privately held.

More information at: www.milestone-group.com.

Contact:

Stephanie Clark-Graybeal

Milestone Group

(650) 351-6464

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