Ed Fontana

Background

About Ed Fontana

As a designer, worked to deliver products that customers preferred over all others: 1) In AT & T Bell Laboratories Notebook Power business, we applied force of will to package a solution in half the volume of the competing products. The customer list went from 0 to 5 major players; 2) With AT & T Cabinet Power System, we dominated the market - providing the equivalent of 100 person careers, 3) With the Network Power 1200, worked closely with a junior engineer to convince our company that we could deliver to exceed customer expectations. Results: Cisco compared seven competing products and ours won “hands down.' Chose to build goodwill in the community by guiding a group that team taught 207 3rd and 4th graders how to play chess, starting on a life-sized board. Worked with people to help them recognize their potential: 1) Recognized an opportunity to bring $50-100K per week straight to the bottom line through redesign of an existing product. Provided a concept model to make path obvious, using own time and money. Employer realized the benefit and reimbursed; 2) Led a brainstorming meeting to define the physical characteristics of our next generation product. A technician at that meeting suggested that the faceplate be the latch, which was a 'way out' idea at the time. To help bring that idea from 'way out' to reality, delivered the industrial design of that component showing good look and feel, and of equal importance, a degree of engineering difficulty that was now within scope for our development organization; 3) Provided system & industrial design and network design tools for market leading product that powers broadband services with good reliability even during AC outages. Defined an Eco Priority rectifier that allows wireless providers to power from Solar and Grid using only 1 SKU. Designed and delivered marketing models that helped the Gores Group sell Lineage Power for 5 times as much as paid, just three years after purchase.~40 patents.