Posted 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 will be posted here shortly.
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.
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.
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 [email protected] 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 [email protected] ASAP)
Upcoming Shoot-Out Events The following shoot-outs are tentatively scheduled for the coming months (dates are subject to change). Email [email protected] 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 | |||||
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