Telus 2014 Annual Report Download - page 10

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 Investing in internal capabilities to build a high-performance culture and efficient
operation.
A consistent focus on the strategic imperatives guides our actions and contributes to the
achievement of our financial goals. See our discussion in MD&A Section 2.2 Strategic
imperatives. To advance our long-term strategic initiatives and address near-term
opportunities and challenges, we set new corporate priorities each year. See MD&A
Section 3: Corporate priorities for 2015 and progress on 2014 corporate priorities for our
2014 corporate priorities and progress, as well as our 2015 corporate priorities.
Business overview
Our principal markets, services and products and competition overview are described in
MD&A Section 4.1 Principal markets addressed and competition. Further details related
to competition can be found in MD&A Section 10.2. Competition.
Our assets and resources, including employees, brand and distribution methods,
tangible properties (such as our telecommunications networks and network facilities),
intangible properties (such as brand and wireless spectrum licences) and an overview of
foreign operations are discussed in MD&A Section 4.2 Operational resources. Further
details on our employees are provided below under Employee relations and further
details on our wireless spectrum licences are provided below under Regulation -
Radiocommunications authorizations and spectrum licences. Intellectual property, which
we own or which we have been granted the right to use, is an essential asset for TELUS.
Intellectual property enables us to be known and recognized in the marketplace through
our brand style, trade dress, domain names and trademarks. It protects our know-how
and innovative software, systems, processes and method of doing business through
copyrights, patents and information treated as confidential. It also helps us to increase
our competitiveness by fostering an innovative work environment. Each form of
intellectual property is important to our success. For instance, the TELUS brand plays a
key role in product positioning and our company’s reputation. TELUS aims to maximize
the value of TELUS’ intangible assets in the areas of innovation and invention by
ensuring that they are adequately used, protected and valued. Further information on
recognized tangible and intangible properties can be found in MD&A Section 8.1 Critical
accounting estimates.
We depend on various key third-party suppliers and vendors to provide us with
equipment and services, such as switches, network equipment and handsets that we
need in order to operate our business and provide products and services to our
customers. If these suppliers or vendors fail to provide equipment or service on a timely
basis or fail to meet our performance expectations, we may be unable to provide our
products and services as and when requested by customers. We also may be unable to
continue to maintain or upgrade our networks. Our dependence on suppliers and
vendors is described in MD&A Section 10.3 Technology - Supplier risks.
For revenue and other financial information on the two most recently completed financial
years with respect to our wireless and wireline businesses, see MD&A Section 5.4
Wireless segment and Section 5.5 Wireline segment.
An overview of the Canadian economic environment and the telecommunications
industry can be found in MD&A Section 1.2 Who we are - the environment in which we