The Situation
A European telecom provider engaged Sedulo Group to conduct research on the sales, offering, and distribution footprint of a telecommunications product across more than 30 European countries.
The client needed to determine:
- Whether the product was being offered or installed in specific European markets, with priority placed on the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium.
- Whether any Dutch entities (subsidiaries or third parties) were involved in sales or distribution activities.
- If publicly accessible installations existed in targeted countries that could support testing or legal verification.
This project supported the client’s due diligence process related to potential licensing, litigation, or commercial negotiations and required a precise, verifiable account of the product’s presence and activity across Europe.
Solution
Sedulo Group launched a rapid-turnaround research program to uncover and validate insights across the targeted geographies. The approach blended open-source intelligence with targeted primary research to address multiple investigative angles.
Research Methodology:
- Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT):
Sedulo combed through public records, press releases, industry publications, telecom infrastructure maps, and procurement databases to identify evidence of product availability, installations, or partnerships. - Primary Research (Indirect Sources):
Engaged subject matter experts, industry consultants, and buyers—such as technology integration hubs and telecom forums (e.g., 5GHUB)—to corroborate distribution presence and product use cases. - Primary Research (Direct Sources):
Outreach to Dutch-based subsidiaries of the manufacturer and leading telecom carriers (e.g., Vodafone, KPN) provided insight into local partnerships, deployments, and commercial activities. - Location Verification:
Investigated potential test sites and public installations such as hotels, universities, or commercial buildings, including follow-ups on historical installations known to have been removed or shuttered due to the pandemic.
Outcomes
The Sedulo engagement produced a timely and actionable research package that:
- Mapped Product Presence Across Europe:
Provided granular insight into where the product was actively sold or installed, with particular emphasis on priority markets including the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. - Identified Distribution Entities:
Validated whether any local (Dutch) subsidiaries or third parties were operationally involved in distributing the product, which was key to the client’s legal positioning. - Supported Legal Preparedness:
Equipped the client with evidence of commercial activity, potential distribution chains, and deployment footprint to support further legal or commercial follow-up.
Competitive Intelligence Manager
Sedulo delivered exactly what we needed—credible, actionable intelligence, right on time. Their ability to navigate both open and closed sources across jurisdictions was a key advantage.