There is no special sauce.The other piece is that WYSE has 3000 partners. Too bad a CLEC didn't think to buy it just for that new channel.
Dell is an interesting company because while it is known for hardware - PC's, tablets, gadgets and servers - Dell is making the move to cloud.
__PLACEHOLDER__
Going back to December 2010 when "Dell announces the acquisition of the cloud-based medical archiving leader InSite One to help healthcare organizations simplify retention of healthcare data." The PR says, "Additionally, like Dell's recent acquisition of Boomi, this acquisition builds on our strategy to help customers take advantage of the economics and scalability of the cloud in the way that best fits the requirements of their industry and the needs of their business." So while Dell chases the Cloud, it seems to be doing it in a hardware-services model. In other words, VAR's are used to selling hardware and wrapping one service around it. Dell is still doing it. InSite One was image archiving for medical - basically, managed storage.
Storage - like InSite One, Compellent and EqualLogic.
Networking: Force10 Networks and SonicWall. Both also spill over into Security in the managed security segment, which falls in with Dell's SecureWorks and KACE divisions. Security is supposed to be a big game to be in. Dell is buying into that space. I wonder how many VAR's it picked up with Force10 and SonicWall... 1000?
Next, AppAssure backup and recovery was an obvious move to become more of a managed services provider -- or to empower its VAR's to become MSP's. That might be the strategy: empower its VAR's to become MSP's all through Dell services (and hardware).
This puts Dell directly in competition with the VAD's - Ingram, Tech Data and SYNNEX. Who will get the attention of the VAR?
And to tie that strategy of a VAR becoming an MSP is the announcement that Dell Offers Partners 'Cloud Services & Solutions Certification'. That ties the MSP bow up.
]]>No one buys the way most service providers sell. That's why we are always searching for Consultative Sales Professionals. Because the whole industry sells what they want - and it is followed up by a series of me-too.
Just because one CLEC is selling Managed Security does not mean that the marketplace wants it or will buy it or that it will want it delivered that exact way. It also doesn't mean that the next eight CLEC's or service providers need to market that same offering.
The market is consuming technology differently. It enters the business via the consumer. About 70% of devices are owned by the consumer in the business environment. Only about 30% are paid for by the business. That means support for devices either isn't available or is imposed on the IT staff by the employees. That's a confusing (and expensive) way to handle it. Don't you agree?
Most of what Bova and Ochs presented had to do with mobility and Cloud. Mobility is a huge problem for most CLEC's as the model for cellular sales is unprofitable - whether they sign a wholesale, agent or MVNO contract - the margin on cellular is thin to none.
And what is prompting Cloud? Two things: ubiquitous broadband and a mobile workforce.
Ubiquitous is really hyperbole because even with 3G, 4G and wi-fi, you can't get bandwidth everywhere and even when it is available it is shoddy (like at tech conference hotels).
Mobile workforce means a couple of things. One that more businesses have accepted remote workers - whether at home locally, across the country or across the globe. The economic downturn (and all the consolidation) has translated into businesses having less workers but expecting more work. This means working at home, while on the road, etc. Hence, not just email, but the application data has to be available from any authorized, connected device. That is the beauty of Cloud.
Cloud changes the way business is done.
Read that again, because that means it has to be sold that way.
It's easier to sell email, because everyone has email and it is almost a requirement. Selling unified messaging gets more complicated. Unified Communications and Collaboration is just too complex of a sale, of an explanation, of an implementation, of a deployment. That's where the service providers want to go, but they neglect the challenge of the sale. There is a lack of the story, the sales triggers, the value proposition, the WHY, and of course the on-boarding.
One thing Bova pointed out was that VDI (virtual desktop) sales have grown in EMEA (Africa and Mid-East) while have stagnated in North America. One reason: VAR's have too big a quota with HP or Dell to take a 500 desktop refresh to VDI instead of selling 500 desktops. Not just the quota for the discount, but to sustain Gold level service. It's the same with Cisco, Microsoft, etc. VAR's will keep selling what they sell for 2 reasons: First, to maintain the current level of vendor support to continue to service current clients in the manner that is expected (or even contracted). Second, making the changes to shift business to an MSP or all service model is complicated and expensive. Bova suggested firing clients and employees to create the business you will need in 5 years, but that's easy to say from a consulting seat. Not so easy from a business owner perspective.
When EarthLink told its channel partners in Tampa that it only wanted Multi-Site multi-access opportunities, it didn't come right out and say that it would stop selling T1's, but that was the underlying message. (And ELNK did tell me that 1GB and 10GB private line, even ON-net, was not what they wanted to sell.) That's one way to start planning for where you want to be. Say no while being specific about what you are looking to offer.
As a whole I don't think the service providers have any idea what buyers are buying or why. Just because you WANT to sell MPLS with security or Hosted UC&C or whatever, doesn't mean that prospects will actually BUY it (that way).
When does something become a commodity? When the customer buys it directly online.
For non-commodity services, you need a well trained sales force that understands the brand, the value proposition, and the target. As an industry we aren't there yet.
I'm going to leave you with that.
Coming soon two posts: (1) Master Agents are like Pharma Reps. (2) Tech Data versus Master Agents.
]]>Back-up, like Conferencing, is a cash cow that Agents just don't sell. From archiving email per federal regulations to backing up laptops, smartphones, databases, customer records, billing and more "in the Cloud", online backup service isn't much different from Google (see Chrome ad) or Apple iCloud. Access to everything you need through an authorized device attached to the Internet is the beauty to Cloud services, but backing up data is vital to business continuity. How long can a business run without billing records or a customer database? Not very long. Think how flummoxed you are when you lose your contacts in your smartphone. Imagine that contact list was your business. That's why backup is important (to your customers). VAR's are already selling different versions of online backup: their own; a white-label from Remote Backup, DriveHQ or LiveDrive; and a resell of Carbonite (who is hugging Agents right now) or Intronis (who loves the Channel) or Anxient or many others. There are some like SugarSync or Mozy that backup your smartphone and your laptop to the same account.
Managed Security - most of the CLEC's (XO, EarthLink, Netwolves, Integra, Cbeyond), the RBOCs and the ILEC's (Windstream and CenturyLink) offer some type of security offering, usually Managed Firewall, IDS (Intrusion Detection Service) and Network Monitoring. As more data moves to the web (Cloud), security will become even more significant, in the form of email and application security, encryption, event and log management, and mobile device management. For example, Reflexion provides hosted email security, archiving and encryption services exclusively through the channel.
Hosting and email services - everyone has a website or blog; everyone has email. Why shouldn't you be offering those services too? XO started out as Concentric Network, a hosting company. This was Cloud before it was called that. XO sells Hosted Exchange and website hosting. Megapath just rolled out the Microsoft suite. Intercall offers Live365. It isn't big dollars, but it is a place to get your feet wet in Cloud and apps.
Managed IT - remote monitoring of servers and desktops - is a VAR service powered by software like Autotask, Connectwise, Kaseya and GFI MAX. As businesses are essentially dependent upon computers and technology to do business, managed IT services become an option when skilled technical support staff are too expensive, churned or unavailable.
A step past, Managed IT is the remote desktop - aka Desktop-as-a-service (a term I dislike) and VDI (virtual desktop infrastructure). In 1999, Wyse terminals were going to replace desktops for efficiency. It didn't happen (except in the POS space.) Now we are trying it again. MSP's offer this service - with a big fat helping of bandwidth. There are big names in this space, including Citrix, VMware, and Microsoft. There are also a number of providers, like IIS Group, who provide VDI through the channel. Navisite, which TWC owns, just chose Desktone as its DaaS partner.
Next to DaaS is HaaS, or Hardware as a Service. Don't ask me how this is different or how it isn't just leasing. Ask Chartec.
There are issues with selling cloud services - like the service provider's (SP's) financial position; redundancy and resiliency of the SP's architecture; SP's ability to scale in terms of on-boarding new customers properly and scaling tech support for end users; the end users' experiences as cloud services will change some business environmental factors; and licensing issues.
That being said, Agents should be surveying their current customers about the needs outlined here. Why? To get a bigger share of the customer's wallet.
Another way to look at it is: the customer is going to shop these services like he shops T1's, broadband, and voice. He might as well pay you to shop them for him, like he does for the telecom stuff. Get in there!
If you liked this, you might like this blog post too:
One addition, I interviewed VAR Dynamics (local boys from Tampa) at ITEXPO. VAR Dynamics is a private-label Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Cloud business apps provider selling exclusively through channels. Apps include Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft SharePoint, Zimbra, BlackBerry BES, email encryption, email archiving and more. There will be cross-over in what a provider sells. Just as VAR Dynamics sells the Microsoft software and email security, CLEC's that you are already familiar with - like XO and Cbeyond - offer a variety of services to sell deep into your customers.
]]>Not to get political, but privacy is a ship that has sailed. Google, Facebook and other sites track online activities. Credit card companies and Paypal can track both offline and online activities. CarrierIQ software on cell phones is able to see every keystroke. GPS tracking on devices, including your TomTom. Cellphone and Internet logging by ISP's for government agencies track you.
I'm not suggesting we just give up on privacy. I am suggesting that we take the advice of Sandberg and start focusing on the important stuff. Maybe Security is the Important stuff.
When Wikipedia went dark in the face of SOPA and PIPA bills, it caused many supporters in DC to publicly back away. Privately, however, they will back TransPacific Partnership, ACTA and other bills. Why? Hollywood and content companies want it. Just another example of industry influence over voters or common sense in DC.
In the midst of the privacy talk, why isn't there more talk about security? The latest breach at Zappos affected 24 million. Laptops and cellphones are lost daily. Experts agree that mobile threats and breaches are inevitable. We don't need more rules or laws, we have plenty now, including HIPAA and PCI DSS. We need enforcement and monitoring - or really big fines.
There are simple methods for security available, it might be time to do so. "
""I am angry. There are real problems facing the world, and we, as a society, are not doing enough to address them in the right ways, not the ways we know are possible. The old way isn't working, and we know it." This is the opening paragraph to a new ChangeThis manifesto titled Shift & Reset by Brian Reich. "What might be possible if we were really committed, as individuals and as a society?"
From another ChangeThis manifesto, "The real business opportunity is to become more relevant and meaningful to customers in ways that create sales."
]]>The Arab Spring of 2011 was a similar model: change was coming in the form of popular protests, furthered by social networks and the Internet, fought bitterly and fatally by the regimes in place, but to what end? Many dead and injured BUT CHANGE HAPPENED ANYWAY!
Many thought that after Napster, the music industry would stop being stupid and embrace the new music distribution models evolving. The Industry didn't, but the artists who did - like OAR, Dave Matthews Band and Pearl Jam (to name a few of my favorites) - have been hugely successful and profitable.
Why can't the rest of the Industry see that?
Radio is one way to listen to music, but let's face it, listening to the same 100 songs plus the syndicated DJ's is annoying. Because of consolidation in radio station ownership, the powers that be can only look at the bottom line. Wrong place to look. **Successful businesses think about Employees and Customers **(in that order). From that viewpoint can a successful business model is executed.
Albert Einstein said, "Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value." I take that to mean, "Give Value First and Foremost." All else flows from that.
With SOPA and ProtectIP, the RIAA and the MPAA hope to legislate morals nd protections. Why? Why not just give your customers what they want, the way they want it? Isn't that what a vendor is supposed to do?
After Napster, there were numerous other P2P sites like Limewire that popped up. Then a number of online radio sites, like Pandora, Grooveshark, Spotify, Rdio, and more. All have had some fight with the RIAA over licensing. Now we have Google Music, Amazon Cloud Player and Apple's iCloud, too. Do you see a pattern here? People want to listen to what they want, when they want, where they want, on the device of their choosing.
My buddy suggested that their be a website to donate directly to an artist. For example, you downloaded - legally or illegally - a song or album that you liked so much, you wanted to give some money to the artist. That's not a bad way to do it.
One comedian, Louis CK, who is maybe a B list-er, just made over $1 million in revenue on a comedy show, Live at the Beacon, that he produced and distributed himself online at $5 per copy.
The Internet works as a model for distribution. The content is key. CK proved that. So do many authors who self-produce on Lulu and Kindle. [Maybe the key is micro-payments, which I will define here as anything under $6.]
TechDirt is probably the one website that I read that is on top of the copyright-distribution-legislation issues. In a recent article, TechDirt kind of sums up the consumer thinking that WB (and others in the Netflix fight) don't understand: "It appears that WB is implicitly admitting that the strategy of delaying the rental period of a movie by 28 days has been a total failure, in the decision to increase the delay to 56 days. They're basically admitting that not enough people were "buying" in those 28 days... so they somehow think that doubling the wait will increase the purchases. It won't. If people really want to pay the extra money to buy the DVD, they're likely to do so pretty early on. It's not like they're waiting 50 days in and then saying "gee, I can't rent the movie, so I'll just pay a lot more money than necessary to own an obsolete piece of plastic." " BINGO!
People want to stream their content - video, music, TV, movies, etc. - through whatever device they have - blu-ray, xbox, PS3, Roku, GoogleTV, AppleTV, laptop, tablet, etc. [Same holds true for blogs, magazines, and books.]
TechDirt goes on to explain, "I do believe that [MPAA and RIAA] current strategies of alienating their best customers, relying on government protection, and pretending this is some sort of epic battle between good and evil aren't just doomed to fail, they're actively making things worse for themselves." [Sounds a lot like telco doesn't it?]
I'm not encouraging piracy. I actually despise it. We live in an immediate gratification culture. Vendors have to accept that.
We also live in an age where people expect a lot for free. Facebook is free, but people still bitch about it. So's this blog and same thing. Our Culture has a high expectation. It's about perceived value.
Content is really important. Government has to keep the masses entertained or they will revolt.
However, we have a spiraling problem: content costs a lot to make, while disposable income in America is declining. That combination is a disaster waiting to happen.
Let's look at the NFL. They just raised their fees to the TV channels that carry them by 60-70%! [Alan Quayle has a good piece on it.] So ESPN, which is already the most expensive TV channel for service providers to deal with, will be raising its rates to cover this cost. Even the extra $3.50 is just for one channel. What about all the other channels?
I have a rant about ESPN in general anyway. Are they really a sports channel??? Besides college bowl games and some college basketball, the only sport it televises is Monday Night Football, which had bad games all year. This creates a brand issue for them. PBA, Poker and other non-sport stuff is cheap to produce but it is just filler, since they can't run talk-shows and Sportscenter all day (just most of it). ESPN has the same issue as the music and movie industry: too much looking at profit, not enough good content to warrant the money.
We are seeing cord cutting, because the consumer dollars are decreasing -- and they would rather give up TV than cellphones. Cellphone bills average more than residential line bills used to. For a family of 4, it is easily 4 times what the home phone used to cost. Granted you can do more with it, but dollars are dollars. And with 16% of the population at poverty level start thinking what that means for the service economy engine - and all types of businesses.
You have economic and technological forces working to breakdown old school content systems. It will be interesting to see if any lessons are learned and applied in 2012. I highly doubt it because:
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One article details how the IEEE has found that as many as 2000 free smartphone apps carry malware. Who says free is good?
Smartphones are a gateway to corporate information, email, data on applications, passwords and more.This is one more issue that corporate IT has to deal with.
Last week, an Android developer named Trevor Eckhart revealed that Carrier IQ had installed a rootkit on smartphones that logs user keystrokes. "The new video Eckhart released, however, shows that the software also reports the content of text messages and even logs encrypted web searches," reports TJS. There is no way to turn the software off either.
"If this flap doesn't make people wake-up to the need for better privacy laws regarding what information tech companies can collect without user permission, we're not sure what will."
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I know that the M Forum was last week, but the news is tumbling out of Metaswitch faster than I can read it. It started at CPExpo when EarthLink Business confirmed that it was going Meta despite buying STS which was a Sylantro shop. Deltacom and ONE Comm had a lot of Metaswitches lying around (mostly unused :).
Optimum Lightpath (Cablevision) rolled out Next-Gen Hosted PBX for the mid-market and enterprise. It will be utilizing Metaswitch's MetaSphere multimedia application server for HD Voice, mobility, UM, visual voicemail, collaboration and conferencing.
One of the cool announcements was that Metaswitch inter-operates with the CloudTC Glass 1000, the industry's smartest IP phone. The CloudTC Glass 1000 includes a visual voicemail application that is fully compatible with the Metaswitch VoIP solution. The desk phone is an Android based device that is cool looking and one of the few desk phoens that actually utilize apps. (Not that others can't but this was designed to). Apps is where it is at. Thinking Different.
"Panasonic System Networks Company of America announced certification for interoperability of the KX-UT series of SIP telephones with Metaswitch Networks' platform, a recognition that signals admission into Metaswitch Networks' Mosaic Partner Program." More info about the phones at TechZone360. Panasonic is chasing the SMB market with these phones. They work with Asterisk too.
"Blue Mountain announced that its newly released hospitality middleware M-Suites enables hotel guestrooms to have carrier-grade VoIP services." Chasing verticals is the key to margin.
Finally, Lyrix introduced Mobiso, a new Cloud Based Speech Assistant to Metaswitch customers as a SAAS app. It's speech enabled auto attendant (SEAA).
Metaswitch got into the SBC market, because their clients didn't want to buy the market leader, Acme Packet. Level3 jumped into the SBC market with a new service: Managed SBC.
Skype bought Groupme for a rumored $80M. Groupme was a contestant at the second Startup Camp, that also had the makers of the Android desktop phone, Glass.
Interesting thought: Inter-op is about user experience, so is device choice. Think about deployment from the user's experience.
Telesphere partnered with CosmoCom to add cloud-based contact center solutions. That's one more customer that won't be using BroadCloud. Oops! BSFT bought web conferencing company, iLinc, for just $2.4M. The hope is that clients will use BroadCloud instead of third party companies (like Citrix, MegaMeeting or CosmoCom) to fill in the UC components needed for the complete UC experience.
Sangoma acquired all the key assets of Vegastream.
InterCall announced that it will extend its Smoothstone VoiceMaxx IP-PBX services with the addition of VoiceMaxx CE, a suite of service packages based on the Cisco Hosted Collaboration Solution. Both Smoothstone and Intercall are owned by West Corp.
Here's something startling: a company debuted at ITEXPO with "a 100 percent turnkey white label product that will not only include provisioning, support, billing and telco services, but will also incorporate all of RealLinx products (VoiceLinx, SecurityLinx and BroadbandLinx)."
RingCentral got $10M more in funding. Aren't they self-sufficient yet?
8×8 recently acquired cloud-based call center provider Contactual Hosting.
"NetSapiens' SNAPsolution is utilized by One Source Networks to power a hybrid of cloud-based and premise-based solutions, integrating all of the necessary service delivery components critical to the OSN VoIP infrastructure, such as accounting, provisioning, and call switching to enable OSN's end-user applications such as unified communications, virtual PBX, conferencing, and enhanced call center solutions."
"Virtual PBX Complete with VoIP Anywhere allows customers to use their smart phones and computers as VoIP handsets with complete business phone system capabilities."
CounterPath added SMS, chat and presence to its Bria mobile app. Counterpath also launched the Client Configuration Server (CCS), a carrier grade server platform specifically designed to allow enterprises and service providers the ability to efficiently and consistently deploy, configure, update and upgrade softphone and UC Client end-points.
Zendesk adds some VoIP functionality via Twilio. Zendesk Voice is a cloud-based call center that integrates with the startup's popular help-desk platform.
Vocal IP Networx now offers a unified communications (UC) platform, dubbed Vocal UC, utilizing Microsoft Lync software.
]]>The M&A targets are all fiber guys like FiberLight, AboveNet, Zayo, Sidera, Fibertower, Fibertech and XO. All are Ethernet players.
AT&T announced that come August 1st it is almost doubling the Metro Ethernet rates in the 9-state BLS region. What a bonus for customers.
Sprint launched Ethernet access in 25 new markets and expanded offerings in five existing markets. Ethernet is available for MPLS and IP products. Sprint finally leveraging their pin-drop network. [Don't want to play with Sprint directly, TNCI resells Sprint.]
FiberLight released a new IP network architecture based on Ethernet for governemnet and enterprise customers. Juniper and IBM are technology partners in this new IP platform.
In a similar fasion, Comcast and Ciena went on the road to train salespeople on how to sell Comcast Metro E. "Ciena's Carrier Ethernet Service Delivery (CESD) platforms are being deployed by Comcast as customer premise equipment for business services and wireless backhaul."
Media reports that wireless backhaul is a huge market - and it is slowly migrating to Ethernet. I think physics determines that wireless tower backhaul is a finite market - - you can only get so many bits into X amount of spectrum, no matter how many radios you use. So with everyone spouting off about backhaul opportunities, I don't know how many players will actually make a huge dent in revenue from it. I have seen figures that VZW pays less than $1000 per tower backhaul. That would take a lot of towers to move the revenue meter. And let's not forget that it is a competitive market -- RFQ and bidding war anyone? Especially after you told Wall Street how much the backhaul market would bring in. DUH!
In other Ethernet news in July that affects the Channel:
Netwolves announced that they can put multiple Ethernet providers with managed services on 1 invoice. NetWolves has relationships with over 50 different providers that sell Ethernet services. This allows us to find the provider that is best suited to deliver the service for you. We also have the ability to bundle multiple Ethernet providers onto a single bill for your customers.
Also, Airespring uses the lowest cost provider per area to build an inter-connected MPLS network. (Can you say NNI?)
NITEL is another carrier that can help Agents expand their product offering to with nationwide MPLS, Ethernet, dedicated Internet (DIA) and private line services.
EarthLink Business has nationwide MPLS, formerly sold under the New Edge brand. Since adding Deltacom, Ethernet should be available extensively in the Southeast.
All this Ethernet talk makes me think of the numerous Carrier Ethernet Exchanges that have evolved - from TELX and Equinix to Neutral Tandem and CENX. It's a lot of spots popping up to inter-connect using Ethernet. Basically, it's a meet-me-room with carrier ethernet switching gear (usually from Cisco) that allows the exchange of traffic at 100MB or higher. It is a cost-effective way to pay for peering (sort of), as you exchange traffic of HD voice, video, SAAS, mobile data, CDN and tele-presence packets. Carrier Ethernet Exchanges mean Ethernet sales and in many cases collocation sales for agents.
US Signal deploys Cisco ASR 9000 Series for enhanced Carrier Ethernet and a new managed Data Center service. The ASR will allow US Signal, a TCA vendor member, to scale its Ethernet offerings in the Midwest. "US Signal Managed Data Center service is built with dedicated resource pools designed to rapidly provision and host Virtual Private Servers accessible through the upgraded US Signal IP NGN." So we go from Ethernet to Cloud just like that.
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Craig offered up a history of social media. It's been around a long time - just the technology has changed (from town cryer to newspapers to books to twitter). Social media has had the same effect throughout the ages though: social change. Martin Luther learned a valuable lesson about social media: You lose control of the message. Today, the Internet is everyone's printing press. Tough to fact check all the stuff that gets added to the WWW every day!Fact checking is important, according to Newmark. I agree and he gave the names of many sites that do that. Web 2.0 has certainly had an effect on shining the light in some areas. These sites grade non-profits: Charity Navigator, GreatNonProfits.org, and Guidestar. Also, Donors Choose. These check political facts or money: Politifact and Influence Explorer, [I would add Open Congress here and mention that Politifact is a project of the St. Pete Times newspaper, which is owned by the Poynter Foundation. Local pride for Tampa Bay!]
He is working with some crime fighting nerds to check grant apps and vet veterans groups. Craig worries about journalism (especially since media empires are crumbling), since the Fourth Estate is supposed to keep our Democracy in check. For our democracy to survive, the press has to have integrity and be diligent in fact checking. I'm not surprised that The Daily Show wih Jon Stewart does the best job of fact checking, according to Newmark.
Craig has his hand in many pies that all revolve around social good, customer service and doing what's right. I'll leave you with 3 quotes from his speech.
"Listen to people and then do something about it. That's customer service. Try to listen to everyone because even a disgruntled customer can be right."
"Working together for the common good - whatever your version of that is."
"Sunlight is the best disinfective for government."
from GE's 2010 Annual Report. I liked the graphic and the slogan: Growth Starts Here! When I think about GE that brings good things to life, I think that they must have very good people and a culture to applaud innovation AND failure (because you can't innovation without risk and failure). This is what it must have been like in the hey day at XEROX PARC, AT&T Labs and 3M. Two other funny things I hear. One is how every service provider has the most talented tech person in the whole world. The other is that most of the problems with the service is really with the customer.
Here's the problem with this type of thinking: It's too cocky. It stops improvement and lends a bias to your company that you do everything right and everyone else is wrong. It makes for unhappy customers.
I understand that you pride yourselves on your technical know-how -- and for some of you your self-worth and identity are tied up in your technical ability -- but technology keeps making leaps and bounds and no one can know everything.
The alternative companies - the independent ISP, the VoIP Provider, the regional CLEC - all say that "it is all about our service". If that were true - and coupled with the fact that you know more about the tech than anyone - shouldn't you understand inherently that you are going to have educate - and re-educate - your customers about their service with you? Shouldn't you be thankful that instead of being frustrated and switching providers, they call to ask that you lend them a hand?
Most customers leave because you become a line item bill that they pay and aside from your billing arrangement, the customer has no other personal relationship with you, your company, your employees or your brand. (Social media can help with that a little.) So the customer care is the only chance to shine and show value (and build trust). Your culture shouldn't be about how dumb the customer is or what a pain-in-the-ass they are or that they ask for too much help. It should be (according to your value statement about your service and your people) about helping them use your service as best they can. (And this is where referrals and WOM (word-of-mouth) enter the picture.)
Just a perspective to keep in mind.
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We have seen the hardware distributors moving into the cloud space. We saw that SYNNEX launched Cloud SolvUC as a unified communications play. According to the PR, the first nationwide cloud UC product. Umm, just from that marketing spin alone, I would suspect that SYNNEX did not have its finger on the pulse of this space.