Porter's Five Forces Analysis Of Verizon

The information revolution is sweeping through our economy. No company can escape its effects. Dramatic reductions in the cost of obtaining, processing, and transmitting information are changing the way we do business. “To get ahead in today’s business world, a company must utilize the right resources. One of the most effective, of course, is information technology (IT), which has become an essential tool for businesses across many industries” (2013). Information technology is more than just computers. Today, information technology must be conceived of broadly to encompass the information that businesses create and use as well as a wide spectrum of increasingly convergent and linked technologies that process the information. In addition to

“In 2014, Verizon’s Powerful Answers Award generated more than 1,870 submissions from around the globe” (2016). These ideas and innovations help maintain Verizon’s competitiveness.

Verizon and Porter’s Five Forces Model A Five Forces analysis of Verizon reveals its strongest horizontal threats are from industry competition and substitutes, while the strongest vertical threat comes from the bargaining power of buyers. The company faces less significant threats from new entrants to the market and the bargaining power of suppliers. The threat of competition in the wireless industry is fierce. Verizon 's biggest and most longstanding rival is AT&T. The typical customer profile for the two companies is similar, and AT&T claims the highest market share in the industry behind Verizon. Additional competition comes from T-Mobile, which has a smaller market share but, as of 2016, is adding customers more quickly than any other carrier, and Sprint, which has launched aggressive price promotions to turn around its sagging market

New entrants to the marketplace pose a very low threat to Verizon. The cost of establishing a wireless company and building a network that can compete with a low-budget carrier, much less an industry behemoth such as Verizon, is substantial. Verizon has been around since the early days of the industry and has spent years building its name. It is unlikely that a new company can arrive on the scene and clear the necessary hurdles to compete with Verizon.

Verizon 's suppliers have little bargaining power and represent an insignificant threat to the company. Verizon calls on suppliers for products to help build and expand network infrastructure and for components to manufacture physical products. The number of suppliers Verizon has to choose from is huge. By contrast, the number of companies as big and deep-pocketed as Verizon that these suppliers have the opportunity to do business with is not large. The threat of substitutes is perhaps the biggest one Verizon faces. The company would argue that service from AT&T, T-Mobile or Sprint is not a perfect substitute for Verizon service, as these companies offer less extensive coverage and, according to consumer surveys, inferior customer service. However, the chasm is narrowing between Verizon 's network and those offered by competitors, and lower prices are a constant looming temptation for Verizon