Most channel executives will tell you that the 2 biggest products for 2012 will be MPLS and SIP. It makes sense since the PSTN is being phased out as the telecom infrastructure turns to an all-IP network. It also makes sense that not all traffic can travel (safely, securely or timely) on the Internet, so MPLS becomes the WAN solution for control and privacy.
Ethernet will be the product of choice. No more T1. Everyone is going to want an Ethernet hand-off at 10MB, 100MB or a GigE. Even Telarus has added Ethernet to its GeoQuote tool. XO, TelePacific, MegaPath, Paetec and Mammoth Networks have all announced EoC (Ethernet over copper wires) availability. [Now if all 5 carriers had a shared database for EoC availability THAT would be worthwhile.]
Of course, we will hear all about Cloud services from every carrier, including Cbeyond and Integra Telecom. We will hear cloud a million times in 2012. Maybe the conversation will turn to Cloud Differentiation. IN other words, what kind of Cloud are you selling? Is it redundant, resilient, duplicated, backed up, SAS 70, PCI Compliant and secure? How so?
But Cloud means that we will be hearing about Managed Services, especially Managed Security. EarthLink has been talking up its Managed Security offering for its MPLS customers. Integra Telecom launched its Cloud Firewall Service at ITEXPO. Netwolves has been selling this kind of stuff for years. Even TelePacific is jumping in this space (of managed security) due to its recent acquisition of Telekenex.
The question really becomes: What will the Channel sell?
Agents will continue selling POTS, T1, PRI, broadband - but what will be the breakout product for them?
Will it be cellular? If so, it will likely be 3G/4G backup for broadband.
Will it be Ethernet? Probably, because it can be sold as a replacement service for T1. (But agents will need to learn how to sell DIA over broadband, which many will likely not even try.)
And selling SIP trunking as a PRI replacement is currently happening. however, Agents need to remember that they need to check for interoperability between the SIP provider and the PBX (or customer equipment).
The Cloud folks wish that Agents would sell their stuff, but I don't see that under the Christmas tree this year for them. Maybe 2013.
agents apps att broadband broadsoft cable cableco cellular channel partners clec cloud communications cloud computing commissions data center FCC fcc fiber financials hosted pbx internet itexpo marketing master agency mergers politics sales security sellecom selling strategy TCA telecom is broken UC unified messaging VAR voip vz vzw wireless wireline
- AI (4)
- Add category (2)
- BPI (10)
- BPaaS (10)
- CALEA (2)
- CLEC (250)
- FCC (200)
- FTC (10)
- IOT (17)
- IPTV (14)
- ISP (60)
- Internet (248)
- Marketing (283)
- PBX (180)
- PR (27)
- SDN (46)
- TCA (72)
- TEM (16)
- TMC (26)
- VAD (9)
- VAR (149)
- VDI (10)
- Web 2.0 (48)
- Yahoo (9)
- agents (446)
- amazon (23)
- apps (122)
- backup (41)
- bandwidth (70)
- bellsouth agent (22)
- books (15)
- broadband (235)
- broadsoft (124)
- cableco (200)
- cellular (243)
- certification (17)
- channel (432)
- cloud computing (286)
- colocation (43)
- commissions (103)
- communications (66)
- compliance (22)
- comptia (5)
- conferences (66)
- conferencing (68)
- crm (8)
- cybersecurity (2)
- data center (128)
- disaster recovery (35)
- duopoly (71)
- e-book (4)
- economy (129)
- email (27)
- ethernet (23)
- expo (117)
- fiber (124)
- glossary (2)
- hosted uc (266)
- im/chat (28)
- jobs (32)
- linkedin (38)
- managed services (54)
- master agency (68)
- mergers (395)
- metaswitch (12)
- mobile (57)
- mpls (55)
- msp (50)
- off topic (48)
- organizations (82)
- outage (19)
- politics (136)
- privacy (41)
- saas (92)
- sales and selling (271)
- satellite (17)
- sdn (28)
- security (94)
- sip trunking (83)
- smb (65)
- social network (76)
- spectrum (68)
- startup (27)
- technology (134)
- telco (253)
- tele-presence (22)
- telecommunications (229)
- training (42)
- twitter (44)
- unified communications (258)
- vc (9)
- video (86)
- voip (436)
- webRTC (16)
- wi-fi (29)
- wimax (33)
- wireless (167)
- wireline (179)
- xmpp (5)
- xo (54)
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
Featured Videos