Updated
11/3/10 By Dan
Baldwin, TA Executive
Director, 951-251-5155 email
Last month TA launched our monthly "First Friday
Conference Call" series where on the first
Friday of every month TA updates and educates
TA's members and vendors via an audio and web
conference call. First we update members and
vendors about what TA's doing for them and how
they can take advantage of upgrades benefits.
Second we host a vendor "shootout" so members
can learn the differences between different
vendor solutions.
8:00 - 8:55 am Pacific - TA Member & Vendor
Updates:
Call 605-475-6402, PIN 804429
TA's Executive Director Dan Baldwin will
discuss upgrades to TA's agent and vendor
programs including what has transpired over
the last month and what is scheduled for the
rest of 2010 and planned for 2011. The call
will cover agent specific matters first and
then vendor related matters second.
Questions will be entertained.
9:00
- 10:55 am Pacific - Shootout Vendor
Presentations:
See time & access information below
11:00 - 11:55 am Pacific - Judges Comments &
Recommendations:
Call 605-475-6402, PIN 804429
BYOB Hosted VoIP
Solution Shootout
November's TA vendor "Solution
Shootout" on the 5th is going to compare BYOB
hosted VoIP vendors (vendors
that allow customers to use their existing
Internet connection) where BYOB stands for
"bring your own broadband". This event will
educate TA's members about the pros and cons of
one vendor's BYOB solution over another BYOB
solution and hopefully answer the following
questions:
A. What sort of business customers (size,
verticals, geography, etc.) are most
attracted to your solution? How many
customers do you have and what has been the
"evolution" of the solution?
B. What specific applications or unique
features/benefits does your solution deliver
that is most valued by your customers and
distinguishes you from your competitors in
the space?
C. How is the solution configured, what
phones are used, what sort of platform is it
riding on (Broadsoft, Asterisk, other, etc.)
and how "big and strong" is your hosted VoIP
network?
D. Anything else that
specifically shows how your solution is
better or different from your competitors
explained in a manner that customers can
easily understand and appreciate.
Shoot-Out Participants
The following TA vendors that provide BYOB
hosted VoIP solutions have agreed to
participate:
Broadview
- Based in New York, Broadview has been
providing their solution for some time and
have recently announced
50,000 hosted VoIP "seats in service".
Broadview's presentation
will be from 9:00 am - 9:25 am Pacific
on 11/5/10. The webinar dial-in
information is:
Video:
https://cc.callinfo.com/r/1g5yqtnxoix36
Audio: Call 800-615-4580, access
code 404 5219
Extra Questions: What type of customer
does this solution work well for?
What upsell opportunities have you seen
as a result of a customer purchasing
this product?
What is the main advantage this product
has over your competition?
When would you not recommend selling
this product via BYOB?
MegaPath/Speakeasy
-
MegaPath's
acquisition of Speakeasy this year
evidenced their commitment to the BYOB
hosted VoIP space.
MegaPath's
presentation will be from
9:30 am - 9:55 am Pacific on 11/5/10.
The webinar dial-in information will be
posted here shortly.
Video:
Click here Meeting Number: 574
307 744 Password: speakeasy
Audio: Call 877-566-9343, access
code: 012 8516
SimpleSignal
-
SimpleSignal
defines their competitive advantages in
their unique unified communications
applications like
hosted call recording and others.
SimpleSignal's
presentation will be from
10:00 am - 10:25 am Pacific on 11/5/10.
The webinar dial-in information will be
posted here shortly.
Video:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/join/589744657,
Audio: _______________, access
code:
589-744-657
Vocal IP
- With over 1,500 customized IP
installations to date, Vocal IP positions
itself as the TA vendor that specializes in
VoIP installations that treats every
customer opportunity as a unique project.
Vocal IP's
presentation will be from 10:30 am -
10:55 am Pacific on 11/5/10. The webinar
dial-in information
is:
Video:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/join/793316459,
Audio: Call 646-558-2105, access
code: 793-316-459
(If you're a TA vendor with a
BYOB hosted VoIP solution that would like to
participate, please contact
Dan@TelecomAssociation.com ASAP)
Judges Review - From
11:00 to 11:55 am Pacific, the nine BYOB
shootout judges below will discuss what they
liked or disliked about the shootout
presentations and then give their agent and
end-user recommendations about how to best
choose hosted VoIP. To listen call
605-475-6402, PIN 804429.
Shoot-Out Judges
The following TA members have sales and
marketing experience in the area of BYOB hosted
VoIP and have agreed to listen to the shootout
participants and then share their opinions about
the material the vendors presented and clearly
state "who they'd lead with and why" qualified
any way that they like. The judges will also be
allowed a couple minutes to comment on the
subject in areas not related to the vendor's
specific presentation.
Andrew Cohen
- VP
of
ATEL Communications, a full service
business technology solution provider in San
Diego that started 25-years ago as a NEC
phone system dealership, Andrew specializes
in selling
IP-PBX, hosted VoIP or even TDM business
phone solutions to ATEL's 3,800 business
customers and prospects.
Ben Hanni
-
Co-Founder of
BP Innovations, a telecom VAR that's
an Avaya, Digium, Switchvox and ShoreTel
partner that also provides Hosted PBX
offerings, Ben's company manages their
customer's needs from the dial-tone to the
desktop phone and from the data access loop
to the router & firewall.
Braun
Mincher
-
President
of
PCG
Telecom,
Braun
is a
VoIP
sales
pioneer.
He
literally
made
a
million
dollars
building
and
selling
a
successful
Altigen
dealership
(one
of
the
first
business
IP-PBXs).
Braun
is
now
equally
adept
at
selling
IP-PBX
or
hosted
VoIP
to
his
customers.
He's
even
written
many
vendor
neutral
"Business
VoIP
Buying
Resources".
Daniel Pentecost
- Founding Director of
Anyion Group,
over the last 7 years, Daniel has
personally trialed, tested and done due
diligence on over 54 VoIP Trunking and and
Hosted PBX providers for clients of his
enterprise services consultancy. He
maintains an active test bed in his office
and home office. Daniel is considered by
many to be the first person to call when
Google does not turn up needed information.
Jeff Ott
- President of
Total Carrier Solutions, Jeff is
consistently one of the highest producing
agents in the telecom network services
industry month after month. If Jeff likes
it, and he thinks it's right for his
customers, he can sell it.
Jeff Uphues
- Having held executive level positions for
Bandwidth.com and Voila IP, Jeff has seen
our industry from all sides. He knows most
of the C-level executives at most of the
VoIP companies and knows who's got the "DNA
to succeed".
Harry Brelsford
- After founding
SMB
Nation to help IT professionals manage
Microsoft business servers, Harry founded
TelephoneNation to help telecom VoIP
professionals and business end-users with
their hosted and IP-PBX challenges.
Larry Lisser
- Larry's expertise is understanding and
evaluating a service provider's "go to
market" strategy and message. He can answer,
"Will anyone buy what this firm's selling?"
Laura Bernstein - Owner of
Cost Recovery Associates or "CRA", Laura
has a rich experience with selecting BYOB
for her business clients and her own office.
CRA brings 35 years experience to their
corporate clients.
(If you're a TA member with
experience evaluating and choosing BYOP
hosted VoIP solutions for your business
customers and would like to participate as a
judge, please contact
Dan@TelecomAssociation.com ASAP)
Upcoming Shoot-Out
Events
The
following
shoot-outs are tentatively
scheduled for the coming months (dates are
subject to change). Email
Dan@TelecomAssociation.com if you're a TA
member or vendor and you're interested in
presenting, being a judge or suggesting a
shoot-out title.
| |
Date |
|
Title |
|
Description |
|
Invited
Vendors & Judges |
| |
12/3/2010 |
|
Mid Level
Hosted VoIP |
|
Dedicated
T1 connection required |
|
Broadview,
ColorBroadband, MegaPath, NewEdge, SimpleSignal,
|
| |
|
|
New York
Metro |
|
CLECs &
Master Agents, etc. |
|
Broadview,
One Communications,
OutReach, Transbeam |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
1/7/2011 |
|
High End
Hosted VoIP |
|
MPLS
required |
|
Alteva,
Smoothstone, Telesphere |
| |
|
|
LA Metro |
|
CLECs
& Master Agents |
|
TelePacific,
WTG, |
| |
|
|
Energy |
|
Energy
savings & resale |
|
AUS, 5 Star,
Great American, Outreach, WTG,
R. Stevens |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
2/4/2011 |
|
IP-PBX |
|
Premises
based solution |
|
ATEL
Communications, PAETEC |
| |
|
|
Chicago
Metro |
|
CLECs
& Master Agents |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
3/4/2011 |
|
SIP Trunks |
|
SIP carrier
providers |
|
AireSpring,
|
| |
|
|
Dallas/FW
Metro |
|
CLECs
& Master Agents |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|