About
Gerlach Research is a strategic advisory firm dedicated to providing actionable insights about emerging and disruptive technologies. Gerlach Research is led by Charles L. Gerlach, its founder and principal analyst.
Biography
Charles L. Gerlach currently operates After Edison, an LED lighting solutions provider, and is also involved in a number of market research and a web marketing activities. He brings twenty years of experience as a strategy consultant, market analyst, lawyer and academic. Prior to After Edison, Charles served as Managing Director for Consulting at In-Stat, a technology market research firm that is a part of Reed Business Information, a unit of Reed Elsevier, the global publishing and information company. Before joining In-Stat, Charles was president and founder of Gerlach Strategic Advisors, a consulting firm serving telecommunications and technology companies. During this time, Charles also launched Gerlach Space Systems, a company focused on space resource development. Charles was the Communications Sector Lead for IBM’s Institute for Business Value where he managed a team responsible for development of industry-focused strategic business analysis in support of IBM’s Communications Sector services teams (telecommunications, media and entertainment, utilities). Charles joined IBM as part of its acquisition of the strategy consulting firm Mainspring in June 2001. At Mainspring, a venture-capital-funded Internet strategy consulting firm, Charles focused extensively on the evolution of both the telecommunications and media markets. During this time, Charles authored many articles on communications, media, and electronic commerce and was widely quoted in the press.
Charles joined Mainspring from the Gemini Strategic Research Group where he managed operations and client engagements for Gemini Consulting’s team focused on “Digital Age” issues. Charles managed more than forty strategic consulting and research engagements in the areas of electronic commerce, the Internet and on-line services, terrestrial and satellite communications, electronic publishing, consumer electronics, and digital television. Among the highlights of Charles’s Gemini career was managing a path-breaking, eleven-month study on the future of electronic commerce in Europe for the European Commission, including principal authorship of the CONDRINET report documenting the study’s findings and recommendations to European governments, businesses, and citizens.
Prior to Gemini, Charles was an assistant professor at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. Charles began his professional career as an associate at Mayer, Brown & Platt (now Mayer Brown LLP), a global law firm based in Chicago.
Charles holds a bachelor of arts with high honors in History and Literature from Harvard College and a Juris Doctor with honors from Harvard Law School.
Charles is also a triathlete and competitive cyclist.
Charles Gerlach in the News
Charles has been quoted widely in leading publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Business Week, Telephony, Telecommunications, Wireless Week, E-Commerce Business, and Forbes. Below are links to selected articles about or quoting Charles:
“Gerlach and Long run away at Kewpee/Lima YMCA Triathlon,” Lima News, July 26, 2009.
“Kentrox Monitors Cell Sites,” Light Reading, April 1, 2008.
“Kentrox Helps Wireless Carriers Eliminate Top Cause of Subscriber Churn,” Mobility Wire, March 31, 2008.
“Numbers are adding up for international callers / Internet services help to cut consumers’ phone bills,” San Francisco Chronicle, June 21, 2007.
“VOIP Use in U.S. Households Is on the Rise,” eWeek, December 27, 2006.
“Residential VoIP Users Number More Than 9 Million,” InformationWeek, December 26, 2006.
“Residential VoIP Users Number More Than 9 Million,” ChannelWeb, December 22, 2006.
“In-Stat Makes Marked Investment in Consulting Practice with Hiring of New Managing Director,” Press Release, In-Stat, March 8, 2006.
“Service Prices Trending Downward,” Light Reading, February 27, 2006.
“CONNECTIONS - The Digital Home Conference and Showcase Wrap-up,” Home Toys, June 2003.
“SuperComm 2003 Show Guide,” Network World, May 26, 2003.
“IBM Looks to the Future,” Wave Report, Issue 317, May 30, 2003.
“Spring 2003 VON Tradeshow & Expo Recap,” The Pulver Report, April 8, 2003.
“Service Providers and The Digital Rights Dilemma,” XChange, March 1, 2003.
“Nanotech Start-Ups Suffer from Telecoms Surplus,” ZDNet Australia, May 28, 2002.
“Telecom Companies Put Tiny Tech on Hold,” News.com, May 27, 2002.
“Sells Printing: A Migration Plan,” Informationweek, May 14, 2001.
“That’s Wireless Entertainment,” Wireless Review, April 15, 2001.
“Cashing in On Convenience,” Wireless Internet Magazine, March/April 2001.
“Don’t Wait to Implement Portal-Based e-Care,” Sybase Magazine, Spring 2001.
“A Long Way from Self-Service Mode,” Telephony, December 18, 2000.
“Coming to America,” Telephony, December 4, 2000.
“Phone.com and Software.com Plan Merger to Provide Unified Messaging,” CNN.com, August 11, 2000.
“Strike Up the Bandwidth,” Business 2.0, June 2000.
“Trading Exchanges Have the ‘Big Mo,’ But Users Should Proceed With Caution,” SupplyChainBrain.com, June 2000.
“Microsoft Struggles for Product Definition,” Indian Express, May 23, 2000.
“E-volving the Equipment Vendor,” Telephony, May 8, 2000.
“Will Application Service Providers Solve the Technology Challenges Faced by Business in Today’s Market?” Intelligent Wireless Solutions, May 2000.
“Microsoft’s 1st Battle Is Wall Street,” Associated Press, April 30, 2000.
“AT&T launches record IPO,” Eagle Tribune, April 27, 2000.
“TeraBeam Wins Confidence Vote from Lucent,” Telephony, April 17, 2000.
“Self-Publishing Has Never Been Easier,” Fox News, December 29, 1999.
“Grinch Steals Xmas from Toy Site,” Wired News, December 28, 1999.
“Holidays May Trouble Glitchy Retail Sites,” News.com, September 7, 1999.
“E-Retailers Take Time to Nail Down Virtual Shelves, Service,” Computerworld, September 6, 1999.
“On-Line,” Wireless Review, December 15, 1998.
In addition to his duties as principal analyst at Gerlach Research, Charles is also founder of After Edison, an LED lighting solutions provider, and is involved in a number of strategic marketing and business development activities associated with emerging technologies. He brings twenty years of experience as a strategy consultant, market analyst, lawyer and academic. Prior to Gerlach Research, Charles served as Managing Director for Consulting at In-Stat, a technology market research firm that is a part of Reed Business Information, a unit of Reed Elsevier, the global publishing and information company. Before joining In-Stat, Charles was president and founder of Gerlach Strategic Advisors, a consulting firm serving telecommunications and technology companies. During this time, Charles also launched Gerlach Space Systems, a company focused on space resource development. Charles was the Communications Sector Lead for IBM’s Institute for Business Value where he managed a team responsible for development of industry-focused strategic business analysis in support of IBM’s Communications Sector services teams (telecommunications, media and entertainment, utilities). Charles joined IBM as part of its acquisition of the strategy consulting firm Mainspring in June 2001. At Mainspring, a venture-capital-funded Internet strategy consulting firm, Charles focused extensively on the evolution of both the telecommunications and media markets. During this time, Charles authored many articles on communications, media, and electronic commerce and was widely quoted in the press.
Charles joined Mainspring from the Gemini Strategic Research Group where he managed operations and client engagements for Gemini Consulting’s team focused on “Digital Age” issues. Charles managed more than forty strategic consulting and research engagements in the areas of electronic commerce, the Internet and on-line services, terrestrial and satellite communications, electronic publishing, consumer electronics, and digital television. Among the highlights of Charles’s Gemini career was managing a path-breaking, eleven-month study on the future of electronic commerce in Europe for the European Commission, including principal authorship of the CONDRINET report documenting the study’s findings and recommendations to European governments, businesses, and citizens.
Prior to Gemini, Charles was an assistant professor at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago. Charles began his professional career as an associate at Mayer, Brown & Platt (now Mayer Brown LLP), a global law firm based in Chicago.
Charles holds a bachelor of arts with high honors in History and Literature from Harvard College and a Juris Doctor with honors from Harvard Law School.
Charles is also a triathlete and competitive cyclist.
Charles Gerlach in the News
Charles has been quoted widely in leading publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Business Week, Telephony, Telecommunications, Wireless Week, E-Commerce Business, and Forbes. Below are links to selected articles about or quoting Charles:
“Gerlach and Long run away at Kewpee/Lima YMCA Triathlon,” Lima News, July 26, 2009.
“Kentrox Monitors Cell Sites,” Light Reading, April 1, 2008.
“Kentrox Helps Wireless Carriers Eliminate Top Cause of Subscriber Churn,” Mobility Wire, March 31, 2008.
“Numbers are adding up for international callers / Internet services help to cut consumers’ phone bills,” San Francisco Chronicle, June 21, 2007.
“VOIP Use in U.S. Households Is on the Rise,” eWeek, December 27, 2006.
“Residential VoIP Users Number More Than 9 Million,” InformationWeek, December 26, 2006.
“Residential VoIP Users Number More Than 9 Million,” ChannelWeb, December 22, 2006.
“In-Stat Makes Marked Investment in Consulting Practice with Hiring of New Managing Director,” Press Release, In-Stat, March 8, 2006.
“Service Prices Trending Downward,” Light Reading, February 27, 2006.
“CONNECTIONS - The Digital Home Conference and Showcase Wrap-up,” Home Toys, June 2003.
“SuperComm 2003 Show Guide,” Network World, May 26, 2003.
“IBM Looks to the Future,” Wave Report, Issue 317, May 30, 2003.
“Spring 2003 VON Tradeshow & Expo Recap,” The Pulver Report, April 8, 2003.
“Service Providers and The Digital Rights Dilemma,” XChange, March 1, 2003.
“Nanotech Start-Ups Suffer from Telecoms Surplus,” ZDNet Australia, May 28, 2002.
“Telecom Companies Put Tiny Tech on Hold,” News.com, May 27, 2002.
“Sells Printing: A Migration Plan,” Informationweek, May 14, 2001.
“That’s Wireless Entertainment,” Wireless Review, April 15, 2001.
“Cashing in On Convenience,” Wireless Internet Magazine, March/April 2001.
“Don’t Wait to Implement Portal-Based e-Care,” Sybase Magazine, Spring 2001.
“A Long Way from Self-Service Mode,” Telephony, December 18, 2000.
“Coming to America,” Telephony, December 4, 2000.
“Phone.com and Software.com Plan Merger to Provide Unified Messaging,” CNN.com, August 11, 2000.
“Strike Up the Bandwidth,” Business 2.0, June 2000.
“Trading Exchanges Have the ‘Big Mo,’ But Users Should Proceed With Caution,” SupplyChainBrain.com, June 2000.
“Microsoft Struggles for Product Definition,” Indian Express, May 23, 2000.
“E-volving the Equipment Vendor,” Telephony, May 8, 2000.
“Will Application Service Providers Solve the Technology Challenges Faced by Business in Today’s Market?” Intelligent Wireless Solutions, May 2000.
“Microsoft’s 1st Battle Is Wall Street,” Associated Press, April 30, 2000.
“AT&T launches record IPO,” Eagle Tribune, April 27, 2000.
“TeraBeam Wins Confidence Vote from Lucent,” Telephony, April 17, 2000.
“Self-Publishing Has Never Been Easier,” Fox News, December 29, 1999.
“Grinch Steals Xmas from Toy Site,” Wired News, December 28, 1999.
“Holidays May Trouble Glitchy Retail Sites,” News.com, September 7, 1999.
“E-Retailers Take Time to Nail Down Virtual Shelves, Service,” Computerworld, September 6, 1999.
“On-Line,” Wireless Review, December 15, 1998.
