Project List

Below is a partial list of some of the marketing, product marketing and product management consulting work the 280 Group has done for clients in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area:

Adobe Systems, Inc.
(Application Software And Acrobat - San Jose, CA).
Multiple projects performed over a period of nine years.

• Performed market and business analysis to determine overall viability of a potential new product (Adobe Acrobat Viewer for Java)
• Served as acting product manager during product life cycle, including working with engineering to finalize the product specifications, working with major customers to deliver licensing proposals and gather feedback to incorporate into the product, determining business model and pricing, and managing a major product launch at Sun's JavaOne conference.
• Led Adobe's efforts in the areas of electronic books (ebooks), including business development with key third parties, analyzing the overall marketplace and making recommendations for Adobe's strategy, and running Adobe's booth at the Book Expo America trade show.
• Market analysis and validation for new Acrobat-based product, including interviewing customers, sizing the market, creating a P&L analysis, delivering an initial MRD and running a customer pilot program.

Intel.
(World's leading chipmaker- Santa Clara, CA)

• Licensed 280 Group Product Manager's Toolkit for use by Intel IT department
• Provide consulting expertise and advice on internal IT product planning process

GuardianEdge Software.
(Security & Encryption - San Mateo, CA)

• Interim team of Product Managers managed all phases of the product lifecycle for all product lines
• Created company-wide product roadmap for future products
• Designed product process and corresponding document templates (MRDs, PRDs, Launch Plans)

Untangle (formerly Metavize).
(Networking & Secuirty Appliances- San Mateo, CA)

• Re-launched company with new name, brand and messaging
• Wrote marketing and launch plan and hired and managed PR firms and ad firms.
• Extensive pricing analysis
• Supported rollout of products to rapidly growing VAR channel

TellMe.
(Voice recognition software - Mountain View, CA)

• Provided interim Director of Product Management and Product Manager
• Managed all phases of the product lifecycle for multiple products
• Defined and planned new product offering to bring to market
• Provided advice about creating overall product process for the company
• Assisted with hiring full-time Product Managers

Primex Wireless .
(Clock synchronization hardware and software - Lake Geneva, WI)

• Interviewed customers and gathered data regarding potential new software product
• Delivered detailed PRD outlining required features for first version of the produc

ExtendBenefits.
(Online Insurance Service - San Francisco, CA)

• Delivered MRD for complete re-architecture and redesign of website
• Hired and managed website developmnet firm
• Developed core positioning and messaging for all marketing collateral & website

Exploit Prevention Labs .
(Anti-virus and security company - New Kingston, PA)

• Wrote w hite written to describe a software solution to end users to educate and convince them about the new security threats posed by exploits in the context of Web 2.0

Duel Systems.
(PCMCIA hardware manufacturer - Santa Clara, CA)

• Launched PCMCIA hardware adapter into retail market.
• Managed packaging, warranty, support and all other product components, including finding and evaluating vendors and finalizing contracts.
• Ran 150 person beta program to ensure product was ready for shipment and product delivered excellent customer experience.

Quiver, Inc.
(Acquired by y - Search and Directory Technologies - San Mateo, CA)

• Acting Vice President of Product Marketing
• Finalized feature set/positioning and launched 1.0 version of website & client at Demo 2000 conference
• Wrote Market Requirements Document for next generation of the product
• Defined overall product process & began recruiting efforts for the Product Marketing team

Telocity
(Broadband Services/Internet Service Provider - acquired by Hughes - Cupertino, CA)

• Acting Director of Product Marketing
• Managed launch of new dsl connectivity and ISP service in BellSouth region: 8 states and 30 cities launched in less than 60 days
• Delivered market requirements document for next-generation product and service offering
• Defined role of Product Marketing and created six month plan

Palm Inc.
(Handheld PDA software and hardware - Santa Clara, CA)

• Worked on core PalmOS positioning
• Created presentations and sales tools for licensing team to tell PalmOS and Enterprise story
• Delivered content for PalmOS website (top 10 reasons to choose a PalmOS device)

Netcom
(Internet Service Provider acquired by MindSpring and then Earthlink- San Jose, CA)

• Wrote a 2 year company-wide business and strategic plan
• Created 2 new email and web-based collaboration service products. Work included writing an overall business case for the executive management team, working with engineering to spec out the products, competitive analysis, determining features/benefits/unique selling proposition, and creating a P&L to determine overall financial viability

Tadpole Computer
(SPARC notebooks and network acceleration hardware)

• Served as acting VP of Marketing during re-launch of company after management buyout
• Responsible for all demand and lead generation activities, product marketing, messaging, sales tools, and online newsletters and marketing activities.
• Launched Google adwords program to increase website traffic
• Managed PR and advertising firms

Good Technology
(Wireless handheld software and hardware - Sunnyvale, CA)

• Wrote comprehensive reviewer's guide
• Crafted press and PR presentation for product rollout
• Wrote technical white paper for in-house IT developers

Omniva Policy Systems (acquired by LIquid Machines)
(Enterprise e-mail policy management products - San Francisco, CA)

• Wrote reviewer's guide for product launch and press briefings
  

Remedy Corporation
(Enterprise Software - Mountain View, CA)

• Performed pricing analysis for Remedy Help Desk software and presented findings to CEO and executive staff

Collabria
(ASP/B2B On-Demand Printing Solution - San Mateo, CA)

• Wrote Market Requirements Document for next major version of Collabria's products

Planet Intra(acquired by Vialect)
(ASP/Intranet Software - acquired by Inclusion Technologies - Mountain View, CA)

• Delivered "Adopt an analyst" plan to increase company's presence in analyst community
• Wrote comprehensive reviewer's guide for the product
• Delivered sales tools, vision paper, and marketing plan

 BroadQuest
(Enterprise Portal Startup - San Jose, CA)

• Crafted top-level company and product positioning and marketing messages
• Wrote content for data sheets, self-guided demo, and various white papers

InfoSquare, Inc.
(Internet Startup - Intranet Publishing Server Software - Santa Clara, CA)

• Wrote a comprehensive reviewer's guide for the product for use by key customers, press, and analysts as well as content for data sheets and other collateral

FusionDesign, Inc.
(Product Development Firm - Campbell, CA)

• Wrote 2 year business plan, including overall company strategy, competitive analysis, headcount and resource requirements, marketing and sales plans, and P&L analysis.
• Served as acting marketing manager while ramping marketing and sales activities and hiring.

Software as Service
(Enterprise ASP Software Database Company- San Francisco, CA)

• Wrote MRD (Market Requirements Document) for 1.0 version of product. Worked closely with engineering team to assess market and determine what was feasible for initial product given the window of opportunity.
• Delivered a comprehensive competitive and SWOT analysis of overall marketplace.
• Provided input on initial VC presentations, company and product positioning, pricing and go-to-market strategy.

SEMI
(Semiconductor Trade Association - Santa Clara, CA)

• Worked with Engineering to finalize feature set and launch SEMI OneSource, an online directory for the Semiconductor industry.
• Created a comprehensive set of selling tools, including customer presentations, data sheets, FAQs, a 25/50/100 word description sheet, marketing content for the website, order forms, multiple sales contracts, a one page "Value Proposition" overview, a competitive pricing & features overview, a demo script and a selling one page "Cheat Sheet".
• Finalized pricing & initial promotions
• Briefed and trained the regions (Japan, Taiwan, Europe, Singapore) on how to sell SEMI OneSource and provided them with localized selling tools
• Developed the UAT (user acceptance testing) criteria for declaring the software ready for shipment
• Search engine optimization work including developing keywords, metatags and content
• Recorded voiceover for a self-running Flash demo
• Ran a pilot and beta program. Met with 15 companies to recruit them. Convinced 10 to participate, sign agreements, upload content and provide early product feedback.
• Launched initial marketing programs to generate awareness: email and direct marketing programs.

HI-TECH Software
(Embedded Compiler Software Company)

• Conducted a customer survey to determine current perceptions of brand and products
• Created an integrated marketing plan including overall budget and results tracking
• Expanded Google AdWords campaign
• Optimized the content and structure of website to ensure high ranking in search engines
• Oversaw development of marketing materials: new advertising and a revamped website
• Headed up PR efforts: created boilerplate templates for press releases and presentations, wrote press releases, communicated with key press and publications and secured coverage
• Wrote customer testimonials
  

Propel
(Internet Acceleration Software - Santa Clara, CA)

• Competitive Analysis for internal & external use, including master feature list comparison and competitive selling sheets for use by sales team
• Worked with team to develop requirements for next release and overall product roadmap
• Developed marketing materials and content: features & benefits, comparison chart of new features
• Wrote technical market briefs to help sales team understand customer objections and questions
• Worked with third parties to negotiate co-marketing deals and develop term sheets

ValleySpeak
(Project Management Software- San Jose, CA)

• Created overall marketing plan for company
• Updated website content/look and feel
• Search Engine Optimization
• AdWords campaign
• Re-launched with new positioning, messaging and sales process

Halloo
(Virtual PBX software - Burlingame, CA)

• Developed core positioning and messaging content
• Delivered updated data sheet

Clients

   Client List

   Project List

   Testimonials

  Samples of Work

The 280 Group provides high quality, professional Marketing and Product Management services to software and hardware companies in Silicon Valley. Clients have included Netcom, Adobe Systems, Sun Microsystems, Apple Computer, PalmSource, Telocity, Quiver, InfoSquare, Broadquest, Software as Service, Planet Intra, Fusion Design, Remedy, Tadpole, Good, Omniva and others.

Contact the 280 Group if you need an acting Vice President or Director of Marketing/Product Management, or if you need an interim Product Manager or Marketing Manager. For help with product launches, competitive analysis, writing MRDs (market requirements documents), customer research, market analysis, sales tools, positioning, pricing or other Marketing or Product Management tasks call the 280 Group.

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