It CAN’T Be True, Can It?

So, LinkedIn tells me that this month is the 25th anniversary of the date I started CellCon Consulting. It’s not possible, is it? Has it been 25 years since we started consulting and teaching people on how to use a cell phone? (Get it now? Cell(ular) Con(sulting)??)

In that time, myself, the company and the industry itself has changed more than anyone thought even possible.

In the industry, we were selling “car phones” – the only thing close to a portable was what we called a bag phone or a transportable. No one even thought of the term mobile data. And today, while MVNOs (we called them “resellers”) and carriers (there only used to be 2 in each market — well, some things come back around, I guess) today fight over who gets LTE and what really IS 4G, we all had 1 technology – AMPS. I could program a phone. Hell, I could tell you whose service you had by the NPA-NXX (before there was LNP!). I even had a pushpin map of every cell site in the NY Market!

Us folks at Metro One (then at Cellular One, then Ericsson/GE, then Comcast Cellular, Geotek, etc. etc.) were all on the cutting edge. Hell, we WERE the cutting edge. WE did it first. WE launched new and innovative services (you’re welcome for Voice Mail, Audiotext Services and customizable data apps like Mobile Manifest – that was me and my teams.) And, I’m sorry for the annual contract (yup, that was me too.)

Oh, and as for those bands of merry men and women that I’ve worked with over the years – well, let’s say not only would I pick many of them to work with today (and I do!) but you guys all rocked. From the “drinking Thursdays” in Rochelle Park to the “what the hell is going on here” Geotek days.

As for CellCon, we’ve morphed from just teaching people how to use a cell phone, and how to get dropped-call credits, to a full blown marketing firm. We’ve never strayed from wireless – I guess at this point I’m a true lifer. From the days when the company would do 100 new net adds in a day, to today – when the US penetration rate is over 100%. Just freakin’ unreal.

As for me personally, I’ll leave that for another time and another place. Let’s just say that twenty-five years is a long time and lots of things change. Mostly good  but of course not all. I’m happy running CellCon Consulting and it’s (half) sister companies. I found a vocation that I’m passionate about (sometimes too much), and I’d like to think I’m fairly decent at. Some of you think so too – and I thank you for that very much.

So, please raise a (virtual) glass (or, even better – let’s meet in person!!) and toast to the first 25 of CellCon Consulting. It truly has been a long, strange trip. Here’s to the next 25!

Thank you all,

Adam