But when you win the "right one" it's really sweet

So since my lament of over a week ago, I've been dark on here, just haven't had a muse to motivate me. That changed last evening when I reviewed the final version of the press release we sent out this morning on our new agreement with Ascensus. If I was whining about people "not getting it" last time, I need to be shouting from the highest mountain top about those who "do get it" this time.

I opine (often about many things) that C4 IP - our flagship product - is like a giant buffet. And those with broad appetites and tastes are the ones who appreciate it most. A small single location office of say 10 people can really only benefit so much from presence, desktop video and Web collaboration. They are much more apt to just stand up and talk to each other over the tops of their cubes. A 1,000 person organization spread across six offices is a different story. They're going to "belly up" to the buffet and try a little of everything.

I'd be hard pressed to find a more perfect customer story than Ascensus.  A long time customer of Cypress (for more than a decade), we've provided traditional digital PBX services at one of their larger locations. When the time came to look at a next generation deployment, they took the diligence process very seriously, which is always a benefit to us. Smart people really digging into the details are our best prospect. At the end of it, Cypress was their choice, and we'll now move to serve 100% of their needs well into the second decade of our relationship - and certainly beyond.

And the reasons for their decision to stay and grow with Cypress match the values we think we bring to all customers just perfectly:

Capital conservation:  The deployment of an all new infrastructure across six locations, including an advanced contact center of over 300 associates is not a small expense; and in today's environment achieving that goal while not funding an enormous upfront amount was paramount to Ascensus. We met that need - deploying "on our dime" and providing a highly predictable cost model going forward.

Technology Management and Integration:   I love this sale! Ascensus will use almost every aspect of our capabilities and in some cases even expand them!  Ascensus will be using the full breadth of our C4 IP platform and have us integrate it with Microsoft OCS; we'll also integrate their intelligent call routing and IVR platforms into our CS2000 to manage the inbound calling to both of their call centers; and we will deploy Call Recording and Quality Management which will allow them to not only record voice, but to capture what's happening on the screens of their associates during call and provide a platform for managing and coaching them. This isn't just some "plug and play" stuff - and having a trusted partner take on the role of technology integrator and manager makes incredible sense.

Business Continuity:  Anyone who knows me well - or maybe even at all - is sick of my Business Continuity shtick. But it's real - and it really matters to Ascensus. The ability to have a highly available, highly survivable solution is paramount to a business that serves its customers via phone. We will provide Ascensus with a degree of continuity that would have been very difficult and expensive to replicate in a traditional premises-based deployment, and it was already designed as part of our solution.

I could probably babble on for several more pages - but I'll stop here.  Let me close by saying we are really good partners, and we are really good collaborators. How else could we take a 10+ year relationship and nearly double it in size and length. We're not here to "sell you something." We here to help you succeed in your business and then succeed along with you. If you engage us in a conversation, I think you'll see that quickly. Winning one is sweet - winning the right one is sweetest of all.

(This is for Reed and John - thanks guys!)