VoIP Blog - Tehrani.com

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The Power of EVDO

I never thought to try it but I can stream a 64 kbps radio station while working and I don’t even notice the strain on the connection. The hotel I am staying at had great internet access until an hour ago so I decided to switch over to Verizon's service. Occasionally the music pauses but it is fine nonetheless.

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Traveling to Tech Data Conference

I am here on my flight to Florida to speak at the Tech Data reseller conference and the plane is surprisingly empty. Of course you are reading this after I have landed. One would imagine there would be less free seats to Florida in January. As luck would have it I am positioned just below a TV so I have to strain my neck to see it. I am also as far as possible from the TV ahead of me meaning I can't really see it.

I guess that means I'll be working on this flight. I could change seats but it is just too much effort at this point. Besides there is no one ahead of me so there is no chance of having a reclining seat/laptop catastrophe. I suppose my lack of television viewing is great news as I have some interviews to write up and a column or two or three to write.

As Greg Galitzine reminds me more and more frequently (and I paraphrase/quote), "You launch lots of new magazines and you get lots of new column deadlines."

I already wrote my column for SIP Magazine and next up is IMS. SIP Magazine looks amazing so far. I get to see the final draft of issue number one when I land tonight. I can't wait.

On to IMS which mails in one month. I am pretty sure of what I will write. I just have to sit and get it done.

I do relish not having Internet access on planes because it allows writing without having to check e-mail every few minutes. I should enjoy this while it lasts I suppose.

If you haven't subscribed to these print and digital magazines and want to, please go to http://www.sipmag.com or http://www.ims-mag.com for more information.

Blogged via Blackberry

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ITEXPO Plug

Here is an informational e-mail we are about to send out. I think it is blogworthy because so many people have been e-mailing me with questions answered by this e-mail. The energy level in the VoIP space is incredible and I can’t wait to host this show in sunny Florida. Interestingly it isn’t as cold as it normally is in the northeast at the moment which means you probably can still get good prices on plane tickets to attend the show.

One would imagine that in two weeks it will become much colder in the midwest and on the east coast and you could conceivably be enjoying the sun in Florida on your way to ITEXPO while simultaneously escaping the frigid temperatures that are bound to hit us sooner or later.


---------------------------------------------------
INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO East 2006 January 24-27, 2006 - Ft. Lauderdale Convention Center www.itexpo.com
---------------------------------------------------

Build Your Business at INTERNET TELEPHONY

First VoIP Conference of 2006 Begins in Two Weeks!


The most compelling reason to attend INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO this month (yes, we open the show in 14 days!) in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, Florida is to see how to use VoIP to improve your business. Whether you are a service provider or enterprise or reseller, VoIP represents an opportunity for you in a different way.

For everyone attending the event, this conference presents the valuable opportunity to network with thousands of other individuals at a technology event. Every attendee, speaker and exhibitor you meet is focused on using VoIP to save money or make money. You will undoubtedly make contacts and establish new business relationships that can help build your business.

Don't be surprised if you find new partners, suppliers, suitors, or even acquisition targets among the new colleagues you meet.

Please use this link to register free online and avoid the $50 onsite fee:

http://www.tmcnet.com/voip/conference/voip-06/fl-06-registration.aspx

There are thousands of companies participating in the event, from Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurial businesses, next-gen service providers and VARs.

I know you'll find your time at the event very well spent. The face-to-face networking at trade shows is invaluable. It is a unique opportunity for you to spend one, two, three or four days building your business.

Visit the show site now for complete details, keynote and networking reception schedules and show hours: www.itexpo.com

Exhibit Hall Hours:
--------------------
  Wednesday, January 25: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
  Thursday, January 26:  11:00 am to 5:00 pm
  Friday, January 27:    11:00 am to 3:00 pm

Please register now at www.itexpo.com. Remember, you must pre-register online to avoid the $50 onsite fee.

I hope to see you at the show. And please don't hesitate to reply with any questions.

Regards,
Rich Tehrani
TMC President & Conference Chairman

While at the conference, please visit the booths of our sponsors:

Diamond Sponsor:
----------------
Digium... www.digium.com
 
Platinum Sponsors:
------------------
Aculab... www.aculab.com
AT&T... www.att.com
AudioCodes... www.audiocodes.com
Citrix... www.citrix.com
Iwatsu... www.iwatsu.com
Netcentrex... www.netcentrex.com
Nortel... www.nortel.com
Sansay... www.sansay.com
Vonexus... www.vonexus.com
 
Gold Sponsors:
--------------
ABP... www.abptech.com
Brooktrout Technology... www.brooktrout.com CallOne... www.calloneonline.com Excel Switching... www.excelswitching.com Quintum... www.quintum.com Sangoma Technologies... www.sangoma.com Time Warner Telecom... www.twtelecom.com Vegastream... www.vegastream.com Xelor Software... www.xelorsoftware.com XO Communications... www.xo.com

Silver Sponsor:
---------------
Syntellect... www.syntellect.com

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Tech Data and Mitel

I have had a few people mention the Mitel and Tech Data news recently. Since I am speaking at the Tech Data conference tomorrow, people want to make sure I am up to date on all happenings at the Florida based distributor.

In short Tech Data is now carrying Mitel gear.

Here is a salient quote:

“This agreement signals Mitel's commitment to expanding its presence in the IT market place and channel,” said Kevin Johnson, Director, Channel Marketing at Mitel. “Tech Data’s Telephony SBU will help us provide a greater number of reseller partners with the broad range of solutions they need to address the IP convergence of voice, data and applications nationally.”

I saw the news yesterday but just didn’t have time to blog it myself. Thankfully Dan York does a great job of covering the news. Yes he works for Mitel but the post is pretty unbiased.

It seems the distributors are finally coming back into the communications market. Ingram Micro was a huge player in the space back in the late nineties and then abruptly pulled out around 2000. Now Tech Data is back with a vengeance and Ingram is pretty silent. I wonder if competition between the two firms will heat up once again.

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Speaking Today in Florida

Later today I travel to Florida to speak at the Tech Data conference for resellers. The reseller channel is crucial in the VoIP market because without healthy resellers there is no way to get products installed and serviced. Sure, a small company can potentially handle some of the telephony chores themselves but as systems get larger you want a professional to help you figure out the best combination of software and hardware for your organization.

In addition a reseller can help you deal with security and QoS issues.

As I wrote about earlier today, the opportunity for resellers is absolutely immense and if you are careful who you work with you can do very well in the VoIP business.

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Make Money in VoIP

How to make money in VoIP is perhaps the most often asked question in the business. The market is exploding with growth but not everyone knows how to generate an income from such a fast growing market. What are the tips and tricks you need to know to ensure you come out on top of the VoIP revolution?

Lately I have been thinking about all the varied ways companies and people are finding to make a living by selling VoIP products and services. Some people for example have done an amazing job as affiliates meaning they get a piece of every sale they direct to a company. Vonage for example has a great affiliate program that many webmasters subscribe to and lots of sales that Vonage makes are attributable to such partners.

The affiliate route has its benefits as long as you have a base of people that you have access to or perhaps visit your site.

But this is just one way to get into VoIP and perhaps the easiest. If you don’t have a website that generates lots of traffic how do you get into this business?

Simple, you become a VoIP reseller. You can sell IP PBXs or you can sell a hosted service. The question is which is better? Perhaps it is good to have a mix of both? Services generally generate longer-term but smaller revenue streams but depending on your customer’s needs you may want to have both arrows at your disposal. After all you just don’t know what a customer wants until you have spoken with them about their needs and desires and the problems they need to solve.

Once you decide what you want to sell you need to decide what questions to ask your potential partner and as importantly how to work with your provider. How do you avoid getting burned? How do you craft agreements to ensure that you and your customers are protected. What are your needs? What are the pitfalls of partnering? Have you examined the relationship from all angles?

I recently had a conference call with my panel at the upcoming Internet Telephony Conference & Expo focused on How to Make Money Selling VoIP. I will be joined by two esteemed panelists, Robert Messer of ABP and John McDonald of Kayote Networks. Check out this great article John just wrote called When Everyone Wants to Be Your 'Partner' … Be Careful Who You Walk Down the Aisle With.

The VoIP market is expected to continue the rapid growth levels it has achieved recently for many years into the future. The companies that jump into this market early with a clear vision of where they fit into the massive VoIP ecosystem have the best chance of making money in the long run.

In addition picking a series of partners that are committed to your success is critical. You must be aware of the pitfalls of aligning yourself with partners who aren’t the ones who have your best interests at heart. In addition you must ensure the products and services your resell are a fit for the skills you posses.

The VoIP market is one of the most lucrative ways to make money but if you don’t know what you are doing you can end up with more red than black ink.

I wish all of you looking for a way to make lots of money selling voice over IP services and products tremendous success in the future. If you find good partners and focus on customer success you will no doubt do a great job making money selling VoIP.

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