Peter : On Rad's Radar?
Peter
| Peter Radizeski of RAD-INFO, Inc. talking telecom, Cloud, VoIP, CLEC, and The Channel.

agents

Channel Sales is Like Dating

February 14, 2014

As exhibitors get ready for the CP Expo in Vegas this week, they need to remember that selling through the channel is like dating.

And the first date is everything. That first date is the first order that the channel partner places. He trusted you enough to make the sale.

If I Was Starting as an Agent Today

February 14, 2014

Yesterday the TCA launched "The Voice of the Agent" Webinar Series to provide advice for channel partners by agents. It was good content from the panelists - Michael Bremmer of TelecomQuotes.com; Evan Gillman of TransitBroker.com in NYC; and Jeff Sumner of Corporate Technologies Group. TCA board member, Nick Enger of ATC moderated the panel. [BTW, these are free to members and are archived on the TCA website.

What to Do After Getting Shafted on Commissions

December 17, 2013

As many of you know, being a telecom agent means that at some point in your business, a carrier will stop the commission check. It could be the carrier files bankruptcy or gets acquired or just changes the plan on you. What do you do next?

The normal response is to yell at the carrier; vent at friends; talk to lawyers.

Agent Contract Terms

December 17, 2013

On a call today with an Agent, we were discussing some contract verbiage. Most agent hope for an evergreen commission contract. As long as the customer I bring to you is a customer, you should pay me on that invoice. Obviously, carriers, especially CFO's, dislike that clause.

Channel Programs Have Changed

November 29, 2013

Many companies are adding channel programs. Most look at the success that Microsoft and Cisco via their channels. The thing is most companies don't treat their channel the same way that these two giants did.

Microsoft knew that if people became certified they would sell, install and maintain Microsoft products.

Desktops Moving to the Cloud

November 19, 2013

Amazon is jumping in to the DaaS (desktop-as-a-service) and streaming services game.

This managed desktop offering from Amazon will be called WorkSpaces, "not to be confused with Cloud Workspace from IndepedenceIT, which EarthLink white labels.

I find it interesting that Amazon would get into a service that has a heavy demand for support, but then I remembered that they just added Mayday to the Fire HDX tablet, so maybe Bezos is ahead of this.

The real uphill battle is that there are a boat ton of laptops and desktops already collecting dust in offices and homes.

Why Agents Should Be Pro-Copper

October 11, 2013

The IIA is the perfect example of an astroturf trade group funded by and for the ILECs. The IIA put together a study to show that copper maintenance is eating up funds that could be used to deploy fiber-based broadband networks.

Fact: Windstream has penetrated 71 percent of its access lines with broadband and is making revenue from copper based broadband. In rural America, copper based broadband is still gold. Ask Fairpoint, Frontier, HT, C-Link or any rural LEC about how much revenue they make from copper in the form of POTS, T1, EoC, PRI, DSL and DS3.

No More TDM

October 2, 2013

In an effort to speed up the adoption of IP-based voice services (like SIP trunks and VoIP), AT&T has stopped compensating Agents for TDM. No more POTS lines or PRI's, folks.

It's funny that this happens now because I have been trying to get an order in for 3 weeks for a PRI in rural Texas. It only took 3 weeks for SBC's division of AT&T to say, "We can't port those numbers.

Comcast and Synnex Equals Added Value

September 26, 2013

I hear all the time how Agents don't "Add Value". Curiously, they never explain what that "added value" is supposed to be. Agents get paid to sell your stuff, isn't that value enough?

Even more curious, carriers think VARs will add value - again without expressing what that value will be.

AT&T's New Partner Program

September 12, 2013

Note that this is information I have heard from three different agents about AT&T's new partner program. One even attributed it to ACC Business. I have not confirmed it - nor have I seen the agreement.

There are many different types of distribution channels for AT&T - CLEC, wholesale, resale, rebill, agents, retail, brick-and-mortar and online.

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