VAR

Channel Partners Need a Net-Head

March 1, 2010

Arrived in Vegas for the Channel Partners Expo (in conjunction with VoIP Nation). Seems everyone I speak with is looking for sales. We have at least as many channel agents as we have always had, so why the growing need for sales?

I think one reason is that most of the channel partners are TDM. Plug and play.

Posted in Internet, PBX, VAR, agents, bandwidth, cellular, channel, conferencing, fiber, saas, telecommunications, wi-fi, wireless

Reclaim Some VoIP Gear

February 23, 2010

Posted in VAR, technology, voip

Freeside's new CEO

February 8, 2010

Freeside Internet Services, Inc. is the company behind the open-source telecom billing system named Freeside. Peter Bowen was named President and CEO on January 1, 2010. Ivan Kohler steps down as president but remains as the chief architect for the software.

Posted in VAR, voip

Winning the Battle for SMB VoIP

January 25, 2010

Posted in PBX, VAR, sip trunking, unified communications, voip

Why You Are Going to Need The Channel

December 22, 2009

Hello, VoIP Providers. How are the sales going on your Hosted PBX? I'll bet you are selling SIP Trunking -- at a savings on regular PRI pricing, right? Nice. Lower the revenue while fixed costs increase.

Posted in PBX, VAR, agents, channel, sip trunking, voip

Will You Be Extinct?

December 9, 2009

Yesterday I had lunch with XO's Tom Gorey and Peter Davis. We spoke about the fast changes taking place in the channel space. Tom used to work for Ingram Micro, so he understands the VAR space as well.

The big issue for both VAR's and Agents is that the price pressure on hardware and telecom services is shrinking margins and commissions fast. We all remember when Internet T1's were $1500.

Posted in Internet, VAR, agents, channel, cloud computing, commissions, xo

IS MPLS HIPAA Compliant?

November 9, 2009

Speaking with Peter Davis, Partner Channel Manager in the Southeast for XO, about MPLS and HIPAA. XO recently held a webinar describing how their MPLS Solution can enable healthcare organizations to be HIPAA compliant.

The wording here is important. Transport is neither compliant or not.

Posted in VAR, agents, backup, compliance, data center, privacy, xo

Channel Shift

September 10, 2009

The Channel is Shifting - and by that I do not mean a paradigm shift. I mean, that some telecom company channel programs are shifting away from a typical Agent focus and aiming squarely at the VAR Channel.

XO has a distribution deal with Tech Data that gives them access to a ide and deep VAR base. Once the VAR's figure out that taking the WAN piece isn't that difficult, the value added reseller will become what the system integrator is to Microsoft Partners: the glue that small business needs to mesh it all together.

The Systems Integrator doesn't just install software, they right API's or drivers or database hooks to make data flow in an easier fashion through the system. The basic MCP just sells licenses and Exchange seats.

Posted in VAR, agents, channel

The Stimulus Spend is Opportunity

July 23, 2009

I talk with many CLEC's and ISP's that are looking at the BTOP and BIP programs to see if there is opportunity for them. As I said in the podcast with Occam Networks, most of the funds are earmarked for companies already collecting USF funds. Why do I think that? Because it is a safe bet and politics is about safe bets.

I'm attending Tech Data's Technology Solutions Tour. This morning started with TD SVP Pete Peterson discussing how to translate the stimulus spending into technology opportunity.

Posted in VAR, agents, broadband, channel, cloud computing, economy, technology

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