February 2011

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Dash CS to Bandwidth.com

February 28, 2011

DASH Carrier Services, a provider of E-911 and other services to the ITSP sector, was acquired by Bandwidth.com. Interestingly, Bandwidth.com used to be the provider of VoIP origination and termination services for many VoIP providers, but since gaining the Google Voice contract has lost many customers due to a lack of support. To be fair, if you have one ivory whale like GV, and get another (Verizon), the rest of the pack are just minnows. Now they will get those minnows back with the purchase of DASH.

Already my phone is ringing with questions about replacements for DASH, since providers that left BW don't want to go back.

Andy thinks this means an IPO coming for Bandwidth.com.

Posted in mergers, voip

Tagged: e911, itsp, mergers, voip : Related Tags: bandwidth, services

How Important is Retention?

February 27, 2011

For service providers who understand the cost of customer acquisition, retention is an important metric. In fact, Wall Street calls it churn. It has to remain under 2% to be considered under control.

For agents, retention is just as important.

Posted in agents, channel, commissions, saas, sales and selling, security

Tagged: agents, commissions, customer service, microcorp, sales : Related Tags: retention important, agents retention, customer acquisition, retention, business, system

Consumer Telecom Dropping

February 21, 2011

With the latest quarterly financial reporting in, one item stands out: CenturyLink, Qwest, Windstream and EarthLink are all experiencing consumer decline.

"CenturyLink Inc and Qwest Communications International Inc both posted quarterly revenue declines in what is expected to be their last reports as independent telephone operators, as customers disconnected their home phones in favor of cellphones." [Reuters]

In the case of Windstream, Morningstar reports that "Consumer revenue, which accounts for about 35% of the business directly, dropped 3% versus a year ago, in line with the prior quarter and a significant improvement versus the first half of 2010. Demand trends weakened, however, with phone customer losses increasing sharply versus both the prior year and quarter. Internet access and television customer growth also slowed to a trickle during the quarter."

Posted in cableco, telco, wireline

Tagged: earthlink, financials, ilec, landline, numbers : Related Tags: fiber carrier, centurylink, business, fiber, revenue, quarter

Google Sued by VoIP

February 17, 2011

VoIP Inc. has sued Google over Click-to-Call patents. The Reuters story is here. Apparently, VoIP Inc. tried to sue Google over trade secrets before, when VoIP Inc. was basic defunct, having shut down its VoIP operations and laying off all employees. At that time, investors petitioned for a bankruptcy liquidation (according to the BizJournal). In 2009, the SEC revoked thier registration (so no longer public, I think). Interesting that Frontier owns a few patents and is suing Google as well.

Posted in voip

Tagged: google, lawsuit, patent, voip : Related Tags: google

A Revolutionary Agent

February 17, 2011

An interview (12 minutes) with Yvonne Fry of the telecom agency, Lines of Communications, who recently launched Revolutionary Strategies. Fry is an example of an agent who is making the shift and adapting to the current changes happening in telecom. Here's hoping more agents can make a revolutionary change in strategy.

Posted in CLEC, agents, channel

Tagged: agents, channel partners, podcast : Related Tags: revolutionary

A Mammoth Ethernet Movement

February 17, 2011

A podcast with Mammoth Networks CEO Brian Worthen talks with me for about 16 minutes about the deman for Ethernet. (The article mentioned in the podcast is here.) Brian concludes that It is the solution that the client is looking for. Our job is to deliver the solution that the customer wants. (We also talk a little about DSL and its future). See Brian at the Service Provider Summit in Orlando on March 23-25, 2011.

Posted in CLEC, ethernet

Tagged: ethernet, podcast : Related Tags: brian

Level3 Channel Update

February 16, 2011

Yesterday on its partner call, Level3 rolled out Level 3 Business Partner University. Most carriers that I have spoken with understand that educating the Channel is the key to revenue growth. "This training platform was designed to make these self-service modules easier to use with the information that you need to successfully sell Level 3 services - all at your own pace.

MPLS, SIP, Cloud, UC, Convergence - all of these changes are coming at VAR's and Agents at a time when they are still trying to survive the recent economic onslaught.

Posted in Internet, VAR, agents, channel, mpls, sip trunking, training

Tagged: agents, certification, channel partners, training : Related Tags: level, university

ILEC News

February 16, 2011

CenturyLink will be reselling VZW as an authorized agent.

Why AT&T will not be buying Echostar: Echostar has been on a tear buying up bankrupt assets of BDSD and Terrestar; then Move Networks; and now Hughes. It's too big to merge with Ma Bell. And Ma can't afford to wait over a year for that merger to be approved. Much better to strengthen the partnership to market cell/satellite bundles.

Minnesota postponed granting access to CenturyLink/Qwest merger.

National Broadband Map comes out tomorrow (2/17/2011)

Masergy, a network reseller specializing in MPLS, filed its IPO.

early Bird Special! ITEXPO Austin for just $99!

Posted in cellular, mergers, satellite, wireless

Tagged: att, cellular, centurylink, dish, ilec, mergers, satellite, vzw : Related Tags:

Keyon Marches On

February 16, 2011

Keyon Communications Holdings was the stalking horse for the CommPartner assets, but they lost that bid. (Probably for the better, because by all the noise I hear from service providers CommP is having issues.)

Keyon bought WREC of Nevada for integration into the rural Nevada WiMax network that Keyon is building with stimulus funds. [Details here.]Then Keyon bought ERF Wireless of Texas for $3M plus 100K of stock.

Keyon also sold its Colorado wireless network, Grand Junction, to Skybeam for $261K, according to a SEC filing.

Posted in broadband, mergers, wimax, wireless

Tagged: broadband, mergers, wimax, wireless : Related Tags: keyon bought, keyon

Satellite Merger

February 14, 2011

Gary Kim writes that Echostar is buying Hughes Communications Inc. A majority of Hughes is owned by investment firm, Apollo Management IV, which, according to the BizJournal already approved the deal. Of course, the FCC has to approve the deal too.

BTW, already there is a hungry lawyer in Florida ready to sue Hughes over the deal for not getting a better deal.

Echostar is in a bidding war with Phillip Falcone's Lightsquared over two bankrupt companies, BDSD and Terrestar. These three wins would give Echostar a dominant place in satellite TV, broadband and manages services associated with its primary business of set-top boxes and Satellite Services.

This news comes right after Echostar acquired Move Networks, an adaptive streaming company for OTT Video.

Posted in broadband, channel, mergers, satellite

Tagged: broadband, dish, mergers, satellite, TV : Related Tags: dealer network, echostar, satellite, hughes, services

Agent Podcast: Evan Gillman

February 11, 2011

A 22 minute conversation with my fellow agent, Evan Gillman of TransitBroker in NYC. We talk about the TCA's certification program (CTP), the value of the agent, carrier consolidation, energy brokerage, and Cogent. I know that it is a long call, but worth the listen.

Posted in TCA, agents, channel

Tagged: agents, certification, cogent, energy, podcast, TCA : Related Tags: agent

Please Leave a Message

February 8, 2011

Listening to panelists all week, I think that they only come in two flavors: one, those enamored with the technology and two, those that have to get their talking points out (like a politician). In both cases, they miss the mark. At least, the passion techie or geek is interesting to listen to.

Why do you think voicemail is so prevalent?

Posted in Marketing, social network

Tagged: advertising, marketing, sellecom : Related Tags: talking points, something relevant, marketing, doesn, audience, something

Agent Open Call

February 8, 2011

I am a Certified Telecom Professional now. On the TCA Open Agent call this Friday at 4 PM, we will be talking about CTP, tips and tricks, and trends that will affect Agent revenue. Register today here. This is the slide deck that I crafted as I was thinking about the call.

Agent Open Call slide deck

Posted in TCA, agents, channel, conferences

Tagged: agents, channel partners, TCA : Related Tags: agent

Congrats to AT&T Partners

February 7, 2011

AT&T announced the 2011 AT&T Business Solution Provider Champions. There are only 3 Gold winners: Cydcor, Presidio and Spearhead. One of the Bronze winners, JBS of Orlando, I have known for quite a few years.

Congratulations to these companies because working with AT&T is a Challenge.

Posted in agents, bellsouth agent, channel

Tagged: agents, att, channel partners : Related Tags: agent

Quick LTE Thought

February 3, 2011

So yesterday during the keynotes, @tomkeating tweeted "4G and LTE won't solve bandwidth problem - said Charles Vogt at #ITEXPO". I think that LTE and 4G are just marketing ploys. Its still physics. At the end of the day, new tech doesn't change the finite laws of physics or how much bandwidth that X amount of spectrum can deliver.

Posted in wimax, wireless

Tagged: 4G, itexpo, LTE, spectrum : Related Tags:

ITEXPO Dinner Plans

February 3, 2011

So last night was the dinner gathering where I invite everyone to come have a Dutch treat meal with some great conversation. Last night was no different. Maybe this show should be known as the end to end communications solution show because when you are here you meet everyone who touches the space.

End users looking for deployment and install answers.

Posted in Marketing, TMC, channel, sip trunking, technology, telecommunications, voip, wireless

Tagged: cvx, itexpo, startup : Related Tags:

On Rad's Radar?

February 2011