Welcome to Ionary, offering consulting services designed to make competition work in the telecommunications, Internet, cable, wireless and information technology sectors.

Ionary Consulting isn't a single-purpose implementation shop, or a finance-oriented firm, a traditional strategy house or a pure regulatory boutique. We recognize that our industries are impacted by three distinct yet interacting areas, like the legs on a stool, and our consulting services take all three into account:

• Technology determines the possible, and provides a competitive edge to those who make effective use of it.

• Business factors modulate demand, and limit the rollout of technology when the supply chain leading to customers is incomplete.

• Regulation can help or hinder the deployment of technology to customers, and tends to follow, not lead.

At the heart of the practice is helping our clients deal with the ongoing change that has made our sector such a challenge.  A few of the hot topics that we've dealt with recently include new voice switching architectures, interconnection disputes, spectrum auctions, VoIP termination, wholesale carrier billing conflicts,  IPTV, intercarrier compensation, rural Internet access, and usage cost optimization.  We don't chase after the latest fads, but evaluate them based on their appropriateness for the specific client.  So while we love to deal with the latest VoIP and IPTV technologies, we recognize the value of existing TDM and HFC networks as well.

Among the services we offer, alone or in combination:

Strategic planning to help service providers assess new markets and develop ways to address them, and to identify new approaches that create a positive bottom line, including turnaround situations.

Technology consulting for service providers, equipment manufacturers, and enterprise customers.

Product opportunity and market analysis for suppliers, to determine product requirements, market opportunities, gaps in existing products and product lines, and market strategies.

Enterprise network consulting to help large users of telecommunications service optimize their networks, plan for the appropriate deployment of new technology, and deal with the uncertainty of the industry.

Litigation support in telecommunications regulatory cases, offering expert witness testimony and technical support services to competitive providers and the law firms that support them.

Startup planning for new service providers, to help design a winning business, or to help a company move into a new line of business.

Financial modeling for startup telecommunications service providers, especially startup CLECs  ISPs evolving into CLECs, and CLECs moving from UNE Platform to UNE Loop.

Ionary's consulting services are offered by the hour, the project, or on a monthly retainer basis.  We aren't "fifty percenters", and don't ask for a share of the take.  Our goal is to provide great service to our clients, whether they're a NYSE-traded giant or a mom'n'pop shop.

Ionary's principal, Fred R. Goldstein, has over three decades of experience in the telecommunications industry.

The Great Telecom Meltdown, by Ionary principal Fred R. Goldstein, is now available in hard cover from publisher Artech House and at other fine booksellers.