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| Peter Radizeski of RAD-INFO, Inc. talking telecom, Cloud, VoIP, CLEC, and The Channel.

February 2016

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VoIP Tidbits (Part 2430)

February 29, 2016

ANPI announced that it was launching a residential package. That will be hard to do on a Broadsoft platform, because the licensing is deemed too expensive. One telecom exec mentioned that ANPI was following the Vonage model. I disagree.

Winstream's Blunder Customers, Agents Are Paying For

February 22, 2016

In the news, Windstream on its trek up-market is plowing through a field of customers and partners.

"In December, Windstream sent letters to 171 small-to-midsized business (SMB) customers and their partners explaining that negative or low-margin accounts would be subject to significant rate increases, or these customers were also given the option to move to another carrier without penalty. As part of an ongoing effort, more letters will be delivered to partners and customers in March."

Is it the customers' fault that WIND signed a contract to deliver services they couldn't afford to?

Windstream quoted an MPLS network for me a few years ago.

What is Verizon Doing?

February 22, 2016

After the rumors a couple of weeks ago that were covered by me, Rich Tehrani, TMC's TechZone and Ramblings, Verizon put an offer on a slightly used CLEC with fiber and spectrum for $1.8 Billion. VZ will be buying it directly from Carl Icahn who owns XO. VZ might not be able to take ownership for 2017 due to approvals needed.

According to Bloomberg, "Verizon Communications Inc. agreed to buy fiber-optic networks from Carl Icahn's XO Communications LLC and lease spectrum for about $1.8 billion, giving the nation's largest wireless carrier more Internet bandwidth for corporate clients and airwaves to test faster wireless technology."

It Will Be an Outsider That Kicks Your Butt

February 22, 2016

Bloomberg has an article about Facebook at Mobile World Congress and how FB looks like a competitor to telcos. FM Messenger, WhatsApp (that FB owns), SnapChat, Skype, Slack, and many other messaging apps are video and voice enabled (in many cases thanks to WebRTC). More minutes are moving away from telcos. At least, the US cellcos have realized that they are in the dumb pipe bytes business.

And Who Else Got Acquired?

February 18, 2016

Who knew that Microsoft acquired 22 companies since January 2015? Here are six: Equivio, Revolution Analytics, Adollum, VoloMetrix and Secure Islands. And don't forget Swiftkey.

Ingram Micro is being acquired By Tianjin Tianhai to become a part of HNA Group.

Telecom Tidbits #2429

February 17, 2016

PRIVACY

First up is Apple versus the FBI over end-to-end encryption on the iPhone. For privacy nerds, Barry Eisler's new book, God's Eye View, was a scary realization that the NSA has too much reach -- and very little oversight.

Over at AVC, there is a discussion about privacy - or rather whether you think Apple should bother - or if all info will be hacked, why not just let it out to stop terrorists and child porn??

Channel Relationships

February 16, 2016

Sales are Relationships. Especially when you are Solution Selling. Even more when you are selling through indirect sales distribution channels.

"People do not buy goods and services. They buy relations, stories and magic." - Seth Godin

Open Source Versus Commercial Software (Part 3)

February 16, 2016

Some M&A

February 10, 2016

ThinkingPhones has re-branded as Fuze, a video conferencing company it bought recently. Apparently they are running away from the idea of phones.

Muni merger in Virginia: "Duffield, Virginia-based Sunset Digital Communications announced last week that it will purchase the OptiNet Division of Bristol Virginia Utilities Authority, which operates a broadband network in Bristol, Virginia."

GTT made another acquisition; this time it picks off Telnes Broadband for just $18M.

By the Numbers

February 10, 2016

Some interesting stats I have seen.

Saw stats that Vonage has 514,000 business seats.

"Birch recently announced the addition of 80,000 buildings to its Metro-Fiber network in November 2015." I wonder which cable provider they signed a wholesale agreement.

"Broadvoice brings its significant growth trajectory to the initiative: It serves more than 200,000 customers, with its business segment growing by 125% in 2015 alone." [CV mag]

20 Years and what?

February 10, 2016

So we are at the 20 year anniversary of the Telecom Act of 1996. So many companies have come and gone. So many billions have been invested. And yet the largest telecom providers are Comcast, AT&T and Verizon.

Tidbits # 2428

February 5, 2016

IOT

Cisco buys Jasper Tech for $1.4 billion, because Jasper's IoT cards are inside GM cars, vending machines and car charging stations.

The number of IoT developers is growing exponentially - "According to VisionMobile's new IoT Megatrends 2016 report, 4.5 million developers are working on IoT applications." According to TechRepublic, these developers are buying into revenue, not hype. Well, I would beg to differ as noted by the shift away from Wearables.

A Big Deal in the Works?

February 3, 2016

The rumors are swirling about a couple of big deals in the works. I think many folks would like to see Comcast buy T-Mobile.

I don't think anyone wants to buy Sprint, whose wireline - the old Pin Drop fiber Network - is only bringing in $581 million in revenue these days. That won't help offset the $33.8 Billion in debt that is hanging over them.

How To Win at UCaaS

February 3, 2016

Wainhouse research says that the UCaaS industry will grow at a rate of 24% year over year. 8x8 is doing that with their revenue. "Total revenue of $53.2 million increased 29% year-over-year; service revenue of $48.9 million increased 29% year-over-year," despite still losing money.

Seeking Alpha wrote, "RingCentral's move upmarket is substantially increasing their revenue per seat and allowing them to drive the top line." Well, same thing at 8x8, which raised its ARPU to $369 from $305 last year.

Momentum Trolls Windstream (Going Up-Market)

February 2, 2016

I received this email yesterday from Momentum with the letter attached (with far too much private info not blacked out.)

"As many of you already know, Windstream is eradicating their SMB Business (Customers billing under $1500) and sending them letters like the one I have attached. Go get your customers and find them a happy home (preferably Momentum) before someone else does. Let me know how I can assist."

Windstream has decided to go up-market.

Monday Morning Thoughts on Sales and Strategy

February 1, 2016

This testimonial for ANPI by an RLEC is worth listening to just to understand the thinking behind moving to cloud comms. Try at least the first 90 seconds.

Seth Godin's blog today describes not a pyramid, but a Frustum. Seth uses the music business as the example, but I see it in the telecom industry today.

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