Silicon Valley Skyline LLP

Payments

• ISO Agreements.  Watch out for the noncompetes.  Be careful with survival of residuals.

• Payment gateways.  Integration?  License?  EMV and PCI compliant?  How are you going to make money?  These get interesting quickly, and the consequences of a transaction will continue for years.

• Crypto currencies and block chain technology.  You may be tempted to think that Bitcoin is an interesting side experiment with limited real-world impact, but you would be mistaken.  Block chain technology and consensus transaction validations are likely to augment and possibly even replace the current payments infrastructure, and to power the global financial markets into the future.  If you are bank, or if you rely on moving funds globally through the SWIFT financial network, you should understand this space.

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Commerce, Point of Sale and Omnichannel

• Point of Sale.  Point of Sale (POS) technology has just gone through an inflexion point.  Micros and NCR are still there, but the transition to cloud-based POS systems is now inevitable.  Every payments company needs a POS solution, but an organic solution may not be the right choice.  When you think Point of Sale, think about cloud-based solutions that can consolidate SKU-level data in the cloud and can drive sales and inventory analytics. 

• SKU-Level Data.  Physical commerce technology could be a channel for SKU-level data monetization.  That is where you can collect and update commerce data real-time, and that is where you can monetize it.  If you have the data, make sure you don't give it away.   If you don't have the data, let's figure out how you can get it. 

• Omnichannel.  Omnichannel functionality gives you the 360-view of customer engagement.  Online ordering, in-app purchasing, table reservations, deliveries, dynamic pricing, and payments integration.  If you don't do it, someone else will.  So do it, or have it done for you - just make sure you control the process and manage the right KPIs.

• Online Commerce and In-App Ordering.  Online commerce is fast, efficient and lucrative.  How can you get a bigger chunk?  And how can you keep your competition from chipping away at your customers?

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Data Analytics and Data Monetization

• Commerce Data.  Loyalty programs, SKU-level data reporting, consumer profiling, purchasing behavior analytics, inventory management, CRM, and so much more.  Do data monetization well and figure out how to charge for it, and you may just be the first Trillion Dollar company.  Just watch out for privacy and security issues, and make sure you don't lose control of that data.

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Cloud Computing and APIs

• Cloud and Back End Reporting.  Terabytes of data, ever-increasing and evolving applications, and virtually infinite computing power.  The cloud can power your business to the next level, but watch out for privacy and security issues.

• APIs.  If you have the data, be careful who can pull it from your cloud.  Manage your APIs, and be careful how you license it.  If you don't have the data, think APIs and let's figure out how to get it.  In commerce, data means improved customer experience, higher profit margins and billions of Dollars in valuation.

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Software and SAAS

• Legacy Software v. SAAS.  Legacy software licensing is good for cash flow and net profits.  SAAS is good for smoothing revenue and gives you a higher valuation multiplier.  Investors are going back to basics and are once again asking for profitability and positive cash flow.  The picture seems more complicated than ever, but it really is not.  Think GAAP, balance revenue growth with cash burn, track the right KPIs, make sure you don't run out of money, and you will be in good shape.  We can work with your auditors and implement the right legal framework to take you and keep you at the top.

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Data Privacy

• Security and Privacy.  With data and power come responsibility.  Don't look at data privacy as just a burden and a risk.  Instead, look at privacy as part of the data deal: you got the data, now take care of it and of the people and businesses who gave it to you.  Enterprises and financial institutions will force you to sign up to broad indemnification obligations and security compliance frameworks, so be proactive and ready for it.

• Challenges and Rewards.  International deals, clouds and back ends located in foreign countries, data flowing across borders, consumer data analytics and monetization, the decision whether to anonymize or not, and so on - these are challenging issues, but you are fortunate to be faced with them. 

• Be Responsible.  Embrace data privacy, and your customers will be happy.  And when your customers are happy, your business will succeed.

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Social Networking

• It is an implied social contract:  as consumers, we get free tools to manage our lives, market ourselves and stay in touch with friends and family, and in return we share data with companies that can monetize it.

• If you are a company in this space, congratulations.  But remember to be thoughtful about data privacy, inbound and outbound licensing arrangements, predictive analysis, advertising laws and regulatory frameworks.  Let us know if you want to talk.

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Marketing, Sales and Demand Generation

• Top companies today leave nothing to chance.  Online marketing, social media branding, proactive customer engagement, CRM, demand generation, SEO and outbound lead generation are just the beginning of what it takes to continue to grow revenue on your way to unicorn valuation.

• Sales leads conversion rates, Sales and Marketing costs, customer profitability, LTV and CLV computations, customer attrition and retention, CSAT scores, contract renewal rates, cohort analysis and other operational KPIs are another part of the equation.

• And good people management, smart recruiting, employee satisfaction and motivation, fair compensation, performance management, training and respect and fairness in the workplace are the rest.

• Let us know if you want to discuss referral arrangements, inbound and outbound services agreements, SLAs, employment practices and other operational issues of your business - we may be able to help.

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Web Services

• Hiring, employee benefits, intranet, business operations, document management, corporate and personal taxes, financial management, and other services - the world has moved to the web.  It should be better, cheaper and faster, but is it really?  And is it as efficient as it should be?  Let us know if you want to discuss implementing, commercializing, administering and maintaining your web services infrastructure.

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Image and Data Compression

• This is what keeps the world running, and we like this space a lot.  Without data compression, there would be no video, no digital images, no Internet, no medical imaging, and no cell phones.  MPEG, P frames and I frames, Zip, encryption, PGP, and hash keys - we speak your language.  If you operate in this space, we should talk. 

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Wireless Technologies

• Cellular technology, WiFi, Bluetooth, Near Field (NFC), RFID, and other wireless communication frameworks.  We still marvel at the concept of sending increasingly higher bitrates wirelessly, at the speed of light, using carriers and modulation that are virtually immune to noise.  So many applications, including new emerging areas in commerce and payments.  We get it, and we can help.

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Mobile Communications and Devices

• Deals in the wireless space are different.  Did you notice the new pricing models for mobile phones at AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, which include monthly payments for mobile phones?  They look like the old programs, but they are different under the hood.  Have you wondered what drives those new pricing models?  It is revenue recognition, operating leases, syndication of debt, and SAAS. 

• If your company sells hardware in connection with software, let's talk.  SAAS and bundled pricing are probably in your future.

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Energy, Storage and Green Technologies

• Clean energy is certainly the long term solution, but the world is more complex than that today.  Some green technologies as not as clean as  you may think, and some of the traditional energy and gasoline companies are doing interesting things in the sustainable energy space.

• Clean energy raises complex issues these days, including generation, cost, storage, recycling and regulatory compliance. 

• Solar power, fuel cells, Hydrogen, wind turbines, higher altitude wind generators, nanotechnology capacitors, rapid charge systems, and software management.  Let us know if you are dealing with any of these technologies, and we may be able to help.

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Semiconductor Manufacturing and Yield Management

• Deposition, ALD, CVD, ECD, CMP, reticles, steppers, photomasks, packaging and RoHS.  Yes, we speak your language and we have done deals in this space.

• Inspection, testing, metrology, and yield management.  We know that building the chips can be an expensive mistake if they don't work.  We have worked in this space and can help you.

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Microprocessor and IC Design

• X86, ARM, cache, pipelines, predictive branching and execution, parallel processing, DSPs, signal processing, and processor architecture.  We know about these and have run complex transactions in this space.  We know that software is great, but without the right hardware it does not do much.

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Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs)

• Many people don't know that PCBs keep their mobile phones, computers and cars running by routing and transmitting information and power to ICs.  But you know, and we know.  PCBs are interesting and complex, and there are many technologies that go in them to make them work.  If your company works in this space, we like this and can probably help.

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Other Information Technology Areas

• If it deals with the flow or storage of electrons, whether it is DC, AC or energy generation or storage, we probably have a pretty good understanding and could help.  We particularly like engergy and power optimization.  Let us know if you need help, and we will tell you quickly if we we think that we are the right legal counsel of you.