orkings of a device or software module that result in some sort of operational value for the purchaser of the product. A benefit, "something that promotes or enhances well-being; an advantage," provides precisely that: an advantage that the product conveys to the customer; although it is typically interpreted as a technical rather than a market advantage, such as the ability to perform a hot swap of a component. Moving up the stack, we come to application, "The act of putting some- thing to a special use or purpose." An application refers to the manner in which a product is actually used-usually the reason that the customer purchased the item in the first place and the first occurrence of possible value to the consumer. Service, "an act of assistance or benefit to another or others," refers to the process of converting what is usually a generic application set into a more focused, almost customized treatment to address a specific set of needs for a client. Solutions, defined as "methods or processes used to resolve a problem," carry the specificity of services to the next level, addressing the customer's specific business requirements and often presenting a product directed as much at the customer's cus- tomer as at the actual customer. Finally, we come to value, something that is useful or important to the possessor and offers utility or merit. Value is the most critical of the seven elements, because it is universal and timeless. Value, custom- defined in the mind of each customer, is a personal, specific, and difficult- to-quantify essence unique to every client. The other ix-feature, function, benefit, application, service, and solution-are relatively static and time dependent. In other words, an application that is timely, useful, and effective today may not be six months from now. A solution that resolves today's vexing customer problem may not do SO this time next year. Value, however, is a constant, and has little to do with technology: It has everything to do, however, with a discrete knowledge and under