channel

The Energy Game

March 23, 2009

Did you know that as an agent you can broker energy? Paetec is plugging agents into the energy business - after it purchased an energy broker. I know a couple of agents that have been in the energy business for a while. I don't think it can replace its telecom business.

In other energy news, the telecom companies are also looking to get into energy management in the way of the smart home.

Posted in agents, channel

Times They are Re-Channeling

March 16, 2009

At the Channel Partners Expo, on individual calls with agents, and on a conference call with a bunch of agents today, I noticed something big: the Channel is shifting.

I have known for a while that VAR's would replace the traditional telecom dialing-for-dollars, save-you-10% agents. It's coming because sales cycles are longer; the product set is very different; and it's all about IP and Apps. (Net-head versus Bell-head).

There's another shift happening: agents are banding together every way they can to get leverage against the carriers, who hold too much power. It started bubbling in 2007 with my post called What's a Partner Worth?

Posted in agents, bellsouth agent, channel, commissions, telecommunications

Where's ACC Business Going?

March 12, 2009

ACC Business is a subsidiary of AT&T. It uses the AT&T network to provide voice, data and Internet services to small and medium business via agents only. ACC Biz does not have a direct sales force. Tech support and billing through ACC Biz is actually more customer friendly than using AT&T.

Posted in agents, channel, telco, telecommunications

Correction on Airband

March 11, 2009

As it turns out, Airband is NOT leaving the Indirect Channel altogether. My source corrected me that Airband did let two channel managers (East and West), but that these C.M.'s were not making their numbers. Airband did retain the channel manager in Dallas and is interviewing internally to fill a channel manager position. Airband will be putting some more focus on it. Maybe that focus is the result of the extra $3M in funding Airband got last month.

Final quote, "Just thought I would let you know it looks like they may have been shedding some dead weight, but not eliminating the channel all together." Thanks for letting me know.

Posted in agents, channel

AT&T Striking and Hiding

March 11, 2009

It looks like AT&T is heading for a strike. Most people at AT&T I know have already been cross trained (I use that term loosely) to handle union jobs. A wholesale account manager will be heading to Michigan to be a T1 installer. Nice. Glad I don't have any AT&T orders in the system.

Also, it looks like AT&T is keeping its sales meetings quiet.

Posted in agents, bellsouth agent, channel, telco, wireline

What Would You Do?

March 9, 2009

Let's say you had a Channel Manager who only checked email twice a day: 6 AM or 7 PM. Nothing in-between. You couldn't get much response out of him outside of that. It's affecting your ability to get quotes and answers and time to process orders.

Now let's say that you Google his phone number and find out that he has a second profession. Not just a Channel Manager but a whole second career. Wow!

What would you do?

The picture on the website for his second job clearly identifies him as the channel manager you have met. The contact info on his websites are identical to the ones on his telecom business card.

What would you do?

Posted in agents, channel

When the Agent Contract is Broken

March 9, 2009

At the Channel Partners Expo in Vegas last week, I helped man the booth for the newly formed Technology Channel Association, a non-profit agent association that was formed to create a community for best practices, a code of ethics, and solid training of the indirect channel.

Regrettably, the TCA received two separate pleas for help from agents. Both agents were no longer receiving commissions from a carrier.

In one case, the agent was wearing a shirt to advertise the lost commissions. The word I heard was that he had failed to meet quota for a few months.

Posted in TCA, agents, channel, commissions

Airband Says Bye-Bye to Channel

March 7, 2009

This was in my email inbox today:

Airband has decided to move in a direction which doesn't require Channel Managers. In this economy, tough decisions have to be made, in an effort to reduce SG&A expenses I will no longer be employed with Airband. Airband has an awesome product, granted it appears Airband is on the "bleeding edge" of the WiMAX space. They are attempting to get the processes in place to make the bleeding edge comment disappear. I am sure you will be contacted and served possibly by Direct Sales. I trust you will give them assistance in learning how we, Agents, conduct business.

Correction written here. (It was just a re-alignment of the channel).

Posted in agents, channel, economy, wimax, wireless

Working Channel Partners in Vegas

March 3, 2009

When you attend the Channel Partners Expo in Vegas, you have to bring your A game. (Rich Tehrani who is doing Channel Partners and CompTel is in a whole other league!) There are meetings from morning till evening. Parties and dinners. Gambling and shows. It puts your legs to the test, especially when Starbucks at the Rio is so full its SRO (standing room only).

Posted in agents, channel, expo

An Excel-lent SUTUS Bundle for SMB's

March 2, 2009

SUTUS, the maker's of the Business Central 200 office-in-a-box, have announced inter-operability with Excel SIP Trunking. The real news for the marketplace is that Excel and SUTUS (along with Polycom) are bundling a system for small business.

The Business Central 200 is developed specifically for businesses of up to 25 employees, Sutus Business Central™ comprises a wide array of advanced telephony, data and networking functions. It includes a business-class phone system, file server, email server, router, firewall, wireless access point, VPN remote access server, and automated backups. It has the ability to simultaneously support both standard phone line and VoIP connections and comes with an array of business productivity features.

Posted in PBX, VAR, agents, channel, economy, sip trunking, smb, telecommunications

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