Our track record demonstrates our ability to deliver significant results at accelerated rates. Over a sustained period of several years, we've installed our solutions in an average of eight new markets each month. So we've had ample opportunity to hone our skills in business process evaluation, application development, site preparation, installation, training and customer support.

This is the story of a company whose very foundation is rooted in change.

Fulfilling the need

In 1996 the massive consolidation trend sparked by cable deregulation was winding down. MSOs were turning their attention to integrating and retooling their infrastructure to handle an anticipated broadband boom. As a result, cable TV operators desperately needed traffic and billing software that could handle insertions across multiple networks and hundreds of headends.

LAN's product filled this need. With a single order line, cable operators could create and schedule spot placements across their enterprise, and apply one rate against them all. It also provided a unique vision into the future: dynamic scheduling of spots as far in advance as the operator desired. No other software offered this capability.

In the US cable market, these unparalleled advantages quickly generated more than just interest. Within six months, three major MSOs had signed on with LAN.

Crossover potential realized

In striving to meet its customers' considerable needs, LAN soon found itself seeking additional operating capital. The broadcast segment, LAN found, was experiencing many of the same problems, and had many of the same needs, as cable. Thanks to the flexibility of its product, LAN's leaders determined that radio offered the highest potential for quickly generating the needed revenue.

Impressed with the advanced functionality and real potential for LAN's cable product to solve similar problems in radio, a major broadcaster commissioned a consulting firm to investigate the software provider. Eight weeks later, the broadcaster informed LAN that it not only wanted a radio-purposed version of LAN's cable TV product - it wanted to buy the company!

LAN's investors accepted the offer. But before the ink was dry on the purchase agreement, the buyer was purchased by another broadcasting company. Once again LAN was scrutinized, and the findings were positive. And then the parent company was acquired by industry leader Clear Channel Communications.

Implementation at record-breaking pace

Over the next several years, LAN undertook what was to become the industry's largest-ever traffic and billing software conversion project. With over 1,200 stations, its new parent presented LAN with unprecedented challenge - and an equally unique opportunity.

The two companies worked closely together to perfect both the software and the support. LAN soon became expert at large-scale implementation rollouts. At the same time, its people retained their passion for providing and managing a value-intensive customer/provider relationship experience.

Simultaneous to its efforts in converting the radio stations to its software, LAN produced and distributed new releases. The company added significant enhancements three to four times a year.

What we've learned

This experience taught LAN to take a solutions-based, results oriented approach to software development. This perspective is formalized in the development process adopted by the company, Scrum, which makes it possible for LAN to produce a market-ready version of any of its products every 30 days.

Because its offerings are the result of listening to its customers and understanding the business processes they strive to implement, LAN's solutions hold the competitive advantage. Unlike many other high tech companies, LAN does not pursue technology simply for the sake of technology. Rather, its philosophy has always been to use technology as a tool for solving customer problems.

Because of LAN's inherently close ties to its constituency, its software solutions have benefited enormously from suggestions and requests from hands-on users. As the company continues to support existing Clear Channel radio users, it is now also making its impressive media revenue management experience available to the entire broadcast industry.