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Agent Confidential
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"Agent Confidential"
by
Dan Baldwin,
TA Founder & Editor-at-Large
At long last I'm an
agent again.
Those who have known the
association from the beginning know that I was a fairly successful telecom agent
when I founded TA. In fact the primary reason I started TA was to
try and show
my agent peers how
spending so much time and energy selling
on price alone is not the best way to sell. Unfortunately though, as soon as I started the association,
an organization designed to bridge communications between agents and
vendors I started to become seduced by "corporate
telecom".
7/2/7
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An Auditor's View of "Value"
by George
Emmons, GTE Communications
Dan, I agree. You are both right. As Telecom Bill Auditors, we see
both sides of this issue. Businesses paying well over market pricing
and others spending much more then they think when you add in all the
other "hidden fees", surcharges, etc. When the client is truly
receiving "additional value" they don't change on price alone.
7/3/7
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Industry News
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Making the iPhone Better for Business While its new
smartphone is gorgeous and innovative, Apple should consider a
few tweaks to optimize the iPhone for the corporate world.
BusinessWeek 7/3/7 |
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A Telecom Con-Qwest for Private Equity? Richard Notebaert's
plan to move on—along with two other chief officers—could leave
an opening for a buyer. BusinessWeek 7/3/7 |
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GrandCentral: Where Six Become One This nifty online service
allows consumers to manage up to six phone numbers easily—for
free. All this and cool features, too? BusinessWeek 7/3/7 |
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Verizon's fiber-optic payoff Investors
squawked a few years ago when Verizon said it would spend billions
to take fiber to the doorstep. Now they're cheering. CNET 6/29/7 |
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Tech execs: Convergence to lift broadband demand
Transition to blended wireless, video and Net services expected to
happen quickly, boosting demand for high-capacity networks. Reuters
6/29/7 |
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Access One, Inc. deploys AMP, a custom version of the MasterStream
web-based instant quoting and management platform automated by
Salestream Software. 6/7/7
click here
for further information.
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Intel speeds up delivery of faster Wi-Fi Notebooks with
next-generation 802.11n chips will appear by the end of this
month 1/23/7 CNET |
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Vonage offers free calling to subscriber numbers Under new
service, long-distance and international calls are free for
anyone dialing a Vonage phone number 1/22/7 CNET |
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AT&T Results: How's It Growing? When AT&T Inc. reports
fourth-quarter earnings Thursday, investors will be checking to
see whether the new supersize company has solid footing for its
ambitious future projects. 1/20/7 WSJ (subscription) |
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AT&T Plans to Offer Free In-Network Calls To Wireless Customers
AT&T hopes the plan will appeal to small-business customers.
1/19/7 WSJ (subscription)
CNET story
NetworkWorld |
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Skype says time is not ripe for cell phone version Company's
CEO says the cell phone world is not ready for a version of
Internet telephone service that can be downloaded on any mobile
phone 1/10/7 CNET |
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AT&T to phase out Cingular brand AT&T will begin to
extinguish the cell brand to imprint its more-than-century-old
name firmly across its services 1/11/7 CNET |
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Sprint Nextel continues network build despite financial woes
Revenue remains flat and job cuts are planned, but that won't
stop company from building planned fourth-generation WiMax
network 1/9/7 CNET |
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Building a Business on a Mashup Entrepreneurs are combining
web applications, cell phones & 800 numbers into moneymakers
11/13/6 BW |
Level 3 Elopes with Broadwing
The smart deal gives Level 3 the means to transport data
traffic, upping its appeal—and cost—as a potential acquisition
for Google 10/18/6 BW |
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Tracking Trucks the Telematics Way Fleet operators are using
a combination of wireless, computing, and GPS systems to cut
costs and keep better tabs on drivers 10/9/6 BW |
Jajah's Mobile Ambitions
The company hopes to become the Skype of the cell-phone world,
and has introduced a service allowing users to call overseas on
the cheap 9/26/6 BW |
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Motorola Bellies Up to the Bar Code Its deal to buy Symbol
Technologies may help the cell-phone giant forge a unique model
marrying cellular with product scanning and tracking 9/20/6 BW |
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Verizon's managed TEM services monetizes wireless/wireline
complexity
TEM
Verizon Network World 9/11/06 |
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VoIP converts say good riddance to Centrex Leasing Centrex
phone lines could be wasting money and holding back advanced
telephony
VoIP
Computer World 9/20/6 |
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VoIP is here to stay Is VoIP reliable? Scalable? Ready for
prime time?
VoIP
Network World 12/6/6 |
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How to roll out 180,000 VoIP phones Bank of America's Craig
Hinkley walks us through massive deployment, shares lessons
learned
VoIP
Network World 12/6/6 |
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New tool tracks wireless minutes
Telecom expense management tool that alerts customers about their
wireless usage
NetworkWorld 2/15/6
Wireless
TEM |
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Overage, Wireless Headsets, and 411 Spike Business Cell Phone Use
MediaPost 12/7/6
Wireless |
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Cellular Callback Company MobileMiser Claims It Can Cut Your Cell
Phone Bill By Half CityNews 12/6/6
Wireless |
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Verizon Cans Hundreds of MCI Agents and Squeezes the Rest
Select MCI agents asked to sign on to what they say is a no-win
contract. CRN.com 11/27/6
Legal |
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E-mail service for basic mobile phones unveiled Company to
offer simplified alternative to BlackBerry communications services
for $10 a month. CNET 11/27/6
Wireless |
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Video a no-go on iPods a-go-go A new report from Nielsen Media
Research finds that while video iPods are popular devices,
consumers aren't exactly embracing the video aspect. CNET 11/23/6
Video |
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TiVo taps the Internet for content New features draw on Web
content from amateurs, networks and news outlets. But will they
attract new subscribers? CNET 11/14/6
Video |
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Cisco Joins High-End Videoconference Fray A growing number of
players are competing in the potentially lucrative telepresence
market that brings uncanny intimacy to remote meetings.
BusinessWeek 10/26/6
Conferencing |
Citywide Wi-Fi spending could hit $3 billion More than $3
billion will be spent during the next four years to build and
operate public wireless networks for U.S. municipalities,
according to a new research report.
CNET 10/25/6
Wi-Fi |
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T-Mobile callers can go from cell to Wi-Fi, only in Seattle
T-Mobile USA began offering a service that allows people to use
their mobile phones to talk over T-Mobile's cellular network as
well as Wi-Fi networks. CNET 10/24/6
Wireless Wi-Fi |
Wireless driving profits for big phone carriers
Wireless continues to be a saving grace for big phone companies,
which face increased competition from cable companies adding voice
communication to their bundles of services.
CNET 10/30/6
Wireless |
Verizon offers auto phone contact updates
Plaxo service takes computer-based contact lists from commonly
used e-mail systems, such as those of Microsoft or Yahoo, and
sends the contact details wirelessly to the customer's cell phone.
Reuters 10/31/6
Wireless |
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Vonage loss narrows, revenue more than doubles Vonage, said
its net loss narrowed to $62 million, or 40 cents per share, from
$66 million, or 48 cents per share, in the same quarter of 2005.
Reuters 10/31/6
VoIP |
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FCC to clarify rules for powerline broadband Commission
expected to classify BPL as it has DSL and cable modem, a move
that should help spur further investment in the technology.
CNET 10/31/6
Broadband |
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FCC: Boston airport can't block airline's Wi-Fi Decision by
federal regulators, a victory for Continental Airlines, could also
be boon to other community wireless projects.
CNET 11/1/6
Wi-Fi Legal |
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AT&T-BellSouth merger vote delayed for third time FCC has once
again postponed the vote because Democrats and Republicans cannot
agree on conditions of the telecoms merger.
CNET 11/2/6
Corp |
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VoIP providers face headaches galore Providers of voice over
Internet Protocol services face yet another regulatory issue.
CNET 10/2/6
VoIP |
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Rural areas left in data highway slow lane
As large carriers attempt to shed landlines in rural areas, their
customers struggle with dial-up Net access.
NYtimes 10/2/6
Broadband |
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For most, mobile Skype still a long distance away
Skype Co-founder: "Didn't realize the number of technical
obstacles." Reuters 10/2/6
Wireless |
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Mobile ESPN to close, move to licensing
Mobile virtual network run by Disney's sports channel will shut
down later this year, offer refunds on phones.
Reuters 10/2/6
Wireless |
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Nortel says fiber-optic demand edging up
More Internet traffic, new broadband and mobile services, eating
up bandwidth, creating need for optical gear.
Reuters 10/2/6
Broadband |
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Calif. cable TV market opens to phone companies Governor signs
bill creating single statewide market for cable TV by eliminating
city-by-city franchises.
Reuters 10/2/6
Broadband |
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Is Talk Cheap? Internet phone companies are starting to market
more aggressively to small firms. Some are taking the bait.
WSJ.com Sub. req'd. 9/25/6
VoIP |
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AT&T's Faulty New Connection—Broadband? With its new broadband
TV service, the giant phone company is betting consumers want to
watch TV away from home. But the perk is pricey
9/15/6 BusinessWeek
Enhanced |
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MySpace for the Office Venture giant Kleiner Perkins is
backing Visible Path in its bid to take social networking
corporate 9/15/6
BusinessWeek
Marketing |
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If I Had A Nickel For Every Click... A new service could help
users control—and profit from—the data they generate online
9/15/6 BusinessWeek
Marketing |
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Free conference calls in store for Yahoo Messenger Plug-in
from conference-call services and equipment firm will allow up to
500 simultaneous participants per call.
Reuters 9/11/6
Conferencing |
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Salesforce Dives Into the Mash Pit The on-demand services
company is teaming up with Google for online ad management
software BW 9/8/6
Marketing |
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Real Estate Ads Move to the Internet Real estate listings are
moving online, and newspapers are racing to protect their
classifieds market by following them.
BW 9/8/6
Enhanced |
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YouTube: Waiting For The Payoff The video-sharing Web site is
a runaway success - everywhere but on the bottom line.
BW 9/8/6
Video |
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California passes Wi-Fi user protection bill State's Assembly
and senate overwhelmingly favor security warnings on Wi-Fi network
gear. Reuters 9/7/6
Wi-Fi |
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DirecTV tests IP telephony As part of joint venture, company
to test a Net-based phone service for residents of apartments and
condominiums. CNET 9/7/6
VoIP
broadband |
Verizon drops DSL surcharge
Customer gripes lead to decision not to charge DSL subscribers a
"supplier surcharge." CNET
9/7/6
broadband
LDtax |
California passes bill easing cable rules
Bill eliminating city-by-city franchises aims to increase
competition with cable providers. Telecoms pleased.
Reuters 9/7/6
broadband |
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Switching from cell to Wi-Fi, seamlessly T-Mobile prepares
service allowing callers uninterrupted shifting between cellular
network, consumer Wi-Fi network.
CNET 9/7/6
wireless
wifi |
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Skype phones sans the PC Skype on Thursday announced new
cordless phones that will let users of its Internet phone service
make calls without a computer or Wi-Fi connection.
CNET 8/31/6
voip |
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Supreme Court sides with cities in phone tax dispute A state
law changing the way local governments tax telephone services was
tossed out Tuesday barely five weeks after it took effect.
KansasCity.com 8/18/6
legal |
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Trouble in Carlyle's Paradise The private equity firm's
investment in Hawaiian Telecom is proving tougher to manage than
expected. BusinessWeek
8/18/6
corp |
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Free Wi-Fi—at a Price Plans by cities to provide low-cost
wireless Internet access could crimp sales for smaller providers
and may spark a wave of consolidation.
BusinessWeek 8/18/6
wifi |
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Top 10 Municipal Wi-Fi Plans Some of the largest U.S. cities
have hatched big plans for providing low-cost wireless broadband
to residents. BusinessWeek
8/18/6
wifi |
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Citywide Wi-Fi equipment maker boosts speeds Cities using gear
from Tropos to build their citywide networks could have more
bandwidth capacity at their fingertips this fall.
CNET 8/18/6
wifi |
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Call centers ramp up VoIP Though adoption hasn't climbed as
swiftly as predicted, the outlook for growth is still positive,
report says. CNET 8/18/6
voip |
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Warning: Your Wi-Fi Is Vulnerable to Attack Researchers show
how hackers can take control of even encrypted Wi-Fi laptops.
BusinessWeek 8/6/6
wifi |
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Skype intros new Wi-Fi phones Skype announced three new Wi-Fi
phones that will allow people to talk over the Internet for free.
CNET 8/6/6
wifi |
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