Telephony Partners - Telecom Master Agent

Job Opening at Telephony Partners

janderson — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:18:00 GMT

Telephony Partners is looking to hire a backoffice support person. The job description and requirements are below, but most important is personality. We're looking for someone who can fit in with our informal but aggressive culture, who is ethical and reputable and who is looking to stay with us for the long term. Our business is built on our reputation and our relationships, and even our backoffice personnel must reflect that.

If you're interested, use the Contact Us link to forward us your resume/CV.

POSITION TITLE Operations Support Specialist
LOCATION Telephony Partners offices, 1715 N. Westshore Blvd. Suite 250 Tampa, FL 33607	STATUS Full-time, salary	REPORTS TO Josh Anderson, CEO
COMPENSATION Salary plus structured bonus

Summary
This position is intended to perform back office support functions for sales agents selling data services and local and long distance telecommunications services from a variety of carriers. These functions will include pre-sales support, order preparation support, order submission to carriers, management of pending orders to ensure timely implementations, regular communication with agents regarding order status, post-install support related to the submission of trouble-tickets to carriers. The primary focus of this position will be to provide exemplary support in order to help retain agents and maximize customer satisfaction.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Maintain access to current pricing and product matrices for carrier services.
Work with business development staff to create pre-sales price analyses based on bill copy and carrier rates using our existing price analysis templates.
Record pre-sales activities in our web-based sales tracking system.
Prepare and/or review and approve order paperwork prior to submission to carriers.
Maintain organized records of past quotes and orders.
Maintain customer contract information in order to alert business development staff of upcoming contract expirations.
Provide occasional order preparation training to new agents.
Manage implementation schedules for orders and communicate progress to agents.
Organize and maintain carrier information and other paperwork such as agency contracts.
Track trouble tickets and service issues using our web-based issue tracking system.
Interact with carriers to follow up on service issues reported by agents and their customers.
Participate in regularly scheduled strategy sessions to provide business tracking, assess benchmark goals, and determine whether/how adjustments should be made.
Support agent recruitment initiatives.

General Description
The primary focus of this position is to manage the back office processes of the Company. Approximately 55% of the position’s time should be spent supporting agents on new orders and service issues on existing customers. Approximately 20% of the position’s time should be spent organizing the data and paperwork we collect during the course of doing business. The remaining 25% should be spent performing pre-sales support activities. However, these time allocations may change from time to time. In all cases this position must maintain focus on supporting the continued growth and success of the Company.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

Knowledge and understanding of telecommunications fundamentals, including data products; or at minimum technology savvy.
Experience with back office and administrative processes, preferably in a telecom-oriented indirect channel or other technology industry.
Computer proficiency – Internet and Microsoft Office products, specifically Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, required.
Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize workload, and adapt to changing demands in a fast-paced environment.
Personable and capable of developing relationships with agents.
Ability to maintain client focus and serve as a client advocate.
Highly analytic with the ability to synthesize data and research findings to make actionable recommendations.
Self-organized, detail oriented, motivated and directed, requiring minimal supervision.
Professional written and verbal communication skills.

Too Big for the Channel?

janderson — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:57:00 GMT

In the latest of my PHONE+ posts, I talk about some carriers' tendency to view the channel as the little guys, with no business pursuing large enterprise accounts. Read it on PHONE+, or see the reprint below:

Last week I found myself in the middle of a battle that’s all too familiar – trying to explain to a large carrier why an agent who brought a large enterprise deal should be paid on its growth. This battle has been waged before, even over this particular deal. By the end of it I couldn’t help but wonder if many large carriers simply believe that big deals just aren’t for the channel, as if the channel is only worth paying on deals that a carrier doesn’t want to hire internal resources to pursue.

In this instance, the agent has been paid on the deal for nearly a decade. Over that time, the decision-making executive has changed four times. The account has both grown and shrunk, sometimes by more than $50,000 at a time. The agent, for his part, arguably has continued to provide meaningful value, placing employees on-site to perform consulting services for free, sometimes for over a year at a time. This isn’t a case of an agent selling a small deal, then going on vacation while the carrier grows it and he cashes the checks.

Six months ago I met with an executive at the carrier in question and this account came up, along with a few others (our 10 largest accounts, in fact). The message communicated was that I would be wise to make sure our agents continued to bring value to the accounts or we might find ourselves muscled out. Most of these accounts were customers that this carrier had no knowledge of prior to the agent bringing it. In one case, what started as a single long-distance T1 ended up growing into a multi-product account billing more than $100,000 per month.

As agents, we are often at the mercy of our carriers, particularly on enterprise deals, and it seems like many carriers recognize this and use it as leverage. Very few enterprise deals can be successfully won by an agent without engaging the carrier, and that engagement often – rightly – turns into a relationship between the carrier and the customer. It seems like carriers understand that it would be suicide for an agent to attempt to leverage his relationship with a customer to encourage that customer to back him up in a compensation dispute. Not only do customers not want to get involved in that mess, it would be hard for the agent not to lose some credibility in the process.

Is this just the dirty nature of the beast? I know I’m not the only one in our industry to deal with these types of tactics, and although we generally succeed in protecting the agent, it’s guerilla warfare. There’s no hard-and-fast strategy I’ve found to prevent these types of attempts by carriers besides fighting tooth and nail with whatever tools are at my disposal. What have you experienced and what have you done to protect yourself? Are these types of disputes more common these days? Are some deals really just too big for the channel?

Deltacom July Mid-Month Customer Promotion

janderson — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:52:00 GMT

Because you can never get enough of a good thing, Deltacom is re-introducing the July Mid-Month Customer Promotion.

Through July 24, offer customers terrific bonus incentives to sign now with Deltacom.

$400 bill credit signing bonus for each new Simplici-T^SMand Simplici-T Plus^SM
$550 bill credit signing bonus for each new IP Complete^SM
$600 bill credit signing bonus for each new Simpli-Business^SM

For your convenience, the promotion certificate is available to complete and print online. Visit the Promotions and Contests page of the Dealer Extranet.

Follow the simple instructions. Please complete all required fields and ensure the accuracy of the information.

Questions? Contact your Regional Channel Manager or call 866.239.9000.

Rules

Promotion valid July 9-24, 2009 only.

New acquisition/location accounts only.

Eligible products include the Simpli-Business, Simplici-T and IP Complete suite of solutions.

Promotional certifications must be completed and submitted to ensure customer credit.

Credit applies only to the base package USOC and additional line USOCs.

Special pricing or additional VL items are not eligible for promotion credits.

Promotion may not be used in conjunction with other Deltacom customer promotions.

Customer will receive either a $400, $550 or $600 bill credit in their second monthly statement (excludes taxes, surcharges and long distance usage above what is included in the base product.)

Minimum three-year term required.

AT&T Roadshow

janderson — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:27:00 GMT

Solutions Providers,

Great news. We are planning a Complex AT&T Services Roadshow in Orlando on May 13^th between 10am and 3pm. Many of you have requested the ability to participate in a live environment to discuss the National Services we are now selling throughout the region and country. Although, I do not have the exact specifics today. I expect coverage of the following services and process: Hosting, VIOP Solutions, MIS, and the ABN contract process. I would appreciate participation of a minimum of two representatives from each SP organization currently active in the program. Please follow up with me at your earliest convenience with an approximate headcount from your organization and the names and email addresses of those participants.

Thank you,

Rey Perez

Channel Manager

AT&T Business Solutions

407-245-2114

Qwest 2008 Earnings Summary

janderson — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:53:00 GMT

On Tuesday Feb. 10, 2009, Qwest reported earnings for 4Q08 and full year 2008. The company's results are impressive, given the current economic climate and the associated challenges most businesses face. Among the Qwest highlights in 4Q08 - earnings exceeded analysts' consensus estimate.

As you finalize your assessment of Qwest, particularly its overall ability to serve U.S. operations, the Qwest account team respectfully requests that you factor this very relevant information into your evaluation.

Financial Results: Qwest's Business Markets

- Revenue grew 4 percent year-over-year* and 1 percent sequentially

- Data and Internet revenues grew 9 percent in 4Q08

- Strategic products** make up approximately 2/3 of business revenues (better than peer group)

- Segment income grew $394M in 4Q08, a 9 percent YOY increase and 7 percent sequentially

- 4Q08 segment margin improved 150 basis points to 37.5 percent year-over-year;

- 37.5 percent segment margin represents sequential improvement of 220 basis points

- Thirty-nine percent of federal government RFPs and Statements of Work decided in 2008 were awarded to Qwest

* The services proposed by Qwest are the same services fueling Qwest's nationwide revenue growth.

** Qwest Business Markets unit outperformed (revenue growth) AT&T, VZ and Level 3 in 4Q08.

2. Corporate Performance

- Income before taxes grew 17 percent in the year-over-year quarter and 66 percent in 2008

- Adjusted Free Cash Flow was $593M in 4Q08; $1.44B in all of 2008

- Adjusted EBITDA was $1.14B, up 4 percent year-over-year and 9 percent sequential growth

- Adjusted Free Cash Flow was $593M in 4Q08; Adjusted FCF in 2008 was $1.44B

- 2008 Net Income was $681M; 4Q08 Net Income was $185M*

* The 49 percent year-over-year (4Q08 to 4Q07) decline in net income reflects an increased tax expense in 4Q08 as the company began recording income tax at normal effective rates beginning in 2008. Due to the company's net operating losses (NOLs), Qwest does not generally pay income taxes until the NOLs are used.

** The 77 percent decline in full-year comparisons reflects the recording of income tax at normal effective rates beginning in 2008 AND a one-time tax benefit of $2.1 billion in 2007 as Qwest was able to reverse the valuation allowance against the majority of our deferred tax assets, including NOLs.

3. Qwest's Strong Financial Picture:

- Cash Position Is Solid

- Cash and cash equivalents totalled $565M in 4Q08

- Adjusted Free Cash Flow in 4Q08 was $593M; $1.44M for the full year 2008

- Qwest paid four dividends in 2008 ($560M), further demonstrating the company's overall confidence in its ability to perform

- Manageable Debt Maturity Profile

- Investment grade treatment for the majority of debt

- Removed $420M in debt from Balance Sheet in 4Q08; $600M in all of 2008

- Prepaid $250M in 2009 debt maturities

- As of 4Q08, total debt was $13.7B; Total Net Debt dropped to $13B

- Cash on hand, solid Free Cash Flow and an $850M undrawn revolver are sufficient to cover Qwest's upcoming debt obligations

- Debt ratio improved to 2.9 from 3.0; proof that Qwest is managing debt effectively

4. Other Relevant Information To Consider

- Industry analysts assert enterprise customers desperately want service provider options beyond AT&T and VZ

- Gartner analyst Ted Chamberlin welcomes a call* from anyone at to discuss Qwest's ability to serve as primary U.S. carrier

- Significant growth in Qwest's flagship iQ Networking (MPLS) services

- Qwest is taking share from its competitors

- Positive customer experiences differentiate Qwest in the business market

- 2008 customer references grew 92 percent; video customer testimonials grew 257 percent!

- Qwest is the national service provider alternative to T and VZ

Summary

The strength of the financial results reported on Feb. 10, 2009 compelled the Qwest account team to share this information with as quickly as possible. We trust you will agree Qwest's 4Q08 results are impressive, given the current state of the U.S. and global economies. Moreover, considering the major telecom service providers that reported 4Q08 earnings, only Qwest reported revenue growth from its business market operations. We urge the management team to examine Qwest's Business Markets results and the reasons for that growth (which appear above). We are confident you will find the Qwest story even more compelling. To that end, this performance overview provides ample justification as to Qwest's ability to serve current and future networking needs in the U.S.

Tech Might Does Not Make Right

janderson — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:16:00 GMT

In my last post, What Have You Done for Me Lately? (also on PHONE+), I discussed the impact of commoditization on the value proposition of our industry and how that commoditization, when paired with out-of-whack incentives that discourage long-term considerations, negatively impacts the ethical foundation of our industry. I outlined how the environment is such that “the system” appears to be designed to push for incremental account acquisition, often at the expense of retention and customer satisfaction.

These concerns are daunting alone, and even if we do take steps to resolve them there is still an ethical challenge built into our industry that is even more insidious – selling a technical product to a non-technical consumer imposes certain ethical challenges that are sometimes difficult to address, even for the most straight-laced among us.

I consider these challenges insidious because they are so easy to get wrong and they can do significant damage to the relationships we seek to forge with our clients. There is nothing that will kill a relationship – and your future sales prospects – faster than a customer suspecting that they were sold a bill of goods or were sold something they did not need. What’s worse is that such suspicions can arise not due to real wrongdoing, but simply because the client does not understand the solution.

Ethically, there is clearly some black and white, but the gray area dominates. None of us would dispute the despicability of the salesperson who willfully misrepresents a complicated technical product as the cure for all ills, relying on the uninformed client’s deer-in-the-headlights response to instill fear and take advantage of the client’s desire to do best by his company. Likewise, most would agree that the salesperson who takes the time to educate his client and to explain both the advantages and disadvantages of a new technology solution is ethically squeaky-clean. However, in reality most of us play somewhere in between.

The size of the gray area here makes it difficult to pin down what is ethical and what isn’t, and exactly what constitutes our responsibilities as service providers and consultants. The fact that we as an industry are experts in telecommunications and our clients are experts only in their field of business can make it easy to slip into some key ethical failures.

The most common failure is that of glossing over a solution’s shortcomings in an effort to win the sale or to satisfy the customer. As salespeople we will always push the envelope by over-committing, but we have to be able to recognize when we’re taking advantage of our clients’ inexperience to force a sale. We know when the client is relying on our expertise as guidance, and for us to breach that fiduciary duty is unethical.

Similar, but less clear, is the tendency not to learn enough about the client’s requirements to be able to produce a suitable solution. We have to resist the urge to listen for what we want to hear, becoming in the process the guy with the hammer to whom every problem looks like a nail. A warning sign of this thought process is the belief that we know the client’s business needs better than they do.

The best guide is to remember that we in the indirect channel are generally expected to be advocates for both our carriers and our customers. We should not forget that we have at least some responsibility to represent and guide our clients – we shouldn’t be blindly drinking the Kool-Aid fed to us by carriers about the latest and greatest product being the end-all and be-all. A healthy dose of skepticism helps us to maintain our intellectual honesty, a critical component to the effectiveness of anyone performing a consultative sale.

It’s not always easy since most of us have a deep understanding of the technical aspects of our industry, but recognizing that our clients’ relative lack of understanding creates a responsibility for us (not an opportunity) will help to keep us in line. If we’re doing our jobs then we will know when we’re pushing the limits of ethical conduct.

Deltacom Announces 2008 4th Quarter and Year End Results

janderson — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:24:00 GMT

As our valued partner, we want to be sure you don't miss Deltacom's latest press release announcing our 2008 4^th quarter and year-end operating and financial results. A summary overview of those financial results is also attached.

Deltacom had a record year in 2008, with continued customer growth, investments in network enhancements and new products, significant cash flow generation, and a strong balance sheet. We are making considerable investments - in our network, our back-office, and customer service initiatives - to deliver long-term value and efficiencies to our customers and to you. Some highlights of our 2008 results include:

Record financial performance - ~$500M in revenue and $84M in adjusted EBITDA*, the highest in Deltacom's history, due to network and back office investments and optimization.
9% growth of core retail facilities-based voice lines (last 12 months) - new customers recognize significant value in Deltacom helping them efficiently manage their telecom needs.
Operating and financial momentum - 2008 results compared to 2007 include 7% growth in core local and data revenues, a 9% growth in adjusted EBITDA, and an increase in our cash flow provided by operating activities from $23M in 2007 to $63M in 2008.
$20M self-funded network upgrade - network upgrade initiative largely complete, providing customers higher capacity services, increased service availability, and greater on-net reach. $17M was invested in 2008, with the remainder to be invested during 2009.
Strong liquidity position enabled investments in network and new products - our adjusted unlevered free cash flow of $19M included the investment of $17M in our network upgrade initiative. Excluding that $17M network investment, adjusted unlevered free cash flow would have been $36M in 2008 compared to $27M in 2007.
Strong balance sheet and committed investors - July 2007 refinancing reduced debt by more than $50M and annual interest expense by $25M, and was led by long-term investors on the basis of the company's strong operating performance.

Get Warmer With Cold Calling

janderson — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:05:00 GMT

Face it. No one enjoys cold calling. It is laborious. It takes time. It stinks.

In a recent survey amongst 1100 business owners for my latest book, 87% state they dissatisfaction for cold calling. Ask any selling professional or business owner and they state disdain for cold calling. Rejection is the key component. No individual enjoys negation and unfortunately too many align cold calling with negative affects.

True, there is much rejection in cold calling but there are certain things you can do to be more effective.

1. Call Preparation

Call preparation is the single most imperative idea about cold calling. Before you make a call, you should understand the client, the industry, and perhaps any competitive issues. Never call a client without premise. Doing so is as foolish as selling those gadgets and gizmos through television infomercials.

Since your mission is to establish a relationship, you need to consider whom you will call and your call motive. Names of those to call can be purchased through database management systems, or obtained through referrals or reading industry periodicals.

2. Competitive Analysis

Once you obtain the required company information, it is necessary for you to conduct competitive analysis. Useful information related to prospective competitors to the buyer is helpful in understanding industry issues affecting the client. A sincere understanding of client issues assists in promoting a stronger relationship.

3. Value Proposition not Elevator Speech

The proliferation of both the Internet makes it easier for prospective clients to gain information on you. In addition, with so many competitive players, detailing your services to clients begins to sound ubiquitous to them. Heard one, heard them all as the cliché goes. Organizations today require focus on two complicated issues productivity and profitability- your mission is to create a succinct message that addresses these concerns. In other words, you need to depict your value and outcomes in a succinct method so that prospective clients understand your differentiation.

4. Call Opening

When you begin your call, state your name, and affirm the name of the person to whom you are speaking. You need to be certain you have pronunciations correct. In addition, have with you paper to take copious notes. Then provide an introduction based on an issue the company is facing. To exemplify,

Hello this is Drew Stevens, am I speaking with Aaron Ross?

Mr. Ross am I correct in understanding that you are responsible for Call Center Operations? I understand the center lacks customer retention and profits lag.

Then keep silent and await a reply.

5. State the Issue

Once you receive affirmation, state your value proposition. Integrate the value into the issue.

"Mr. Ross, we dramatically accelerate business growth and we assist organizations with profitability and productivity."

Pause quickly, and then ask a question. Would this be of interest?

6. Provide past work

After you gain affirmation to continue, provide succinct preferably bullets that describes previous work.

Here is an example:

We can provide you with advantages in the marketplace which include:

Reasons why staff becomes unmotivated and unproductive
Non-compensation retention and motivational methodology
Techniques that drive proper customer service and referral sales strategies

7. Action Step

One you achieve affirmation of the issues, provide value and gain interest, it is now time to bring the call to close. Ask the prospective client if they would like to obtain more information about the issue. If the action step is literature ask them when an appropriate time and date to follow up. If the next step is a direct meeting, then ask the prospective client a convenient time and date. Do not terminate the call without obtaining a date and time. Remember your mission is to gain an appointment, not close a sale.

8. Closure

Thank the prospective client for their time. Confirm the date the date of the next call and any action steps, i.e. reading brochure materials, fee schedule etc. Once complete terminate the call and place your notes and action steps in a follow up folder or file for review in the follow-up call.

9. Evaluation

The most nefarious act of any cold caller is terminating the call and then dialing another. Never simply "dive and dial". Take a few moments with each call to determine the ebbs and flows for needed adjustments. Review every call so that each one following is better than the first.

By Drew J. Stevens PhD. Stevens helps organizations to dramatically accelerate business growth. He is the author of Split Second Selling and is the President of Stevens Consulting Group.

AT&T to Invest $1 Billion in Global Network, Services for Businesses in 2009

janderson — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:51:00 GMT

AT&T Accelerating Delivery and Management of On-Demand Network Applications

Dallas, Texas, February 23, 2009

AT&T* today announced plans to invest approximately $1 billion in 2009 to continue building out its global network, while driving new services and network-based applications to businesses ranging from the largest multi-national corporations around the world to the smallest companies served within the United States.

AT&T's investment is focused on the network infrastructure, services and support for companies requiring "anytime, anywhere" access to the systems, suppliers, customers and employees needed to successfully run their businesses. Spurred by continued demand for business applications made possible by the proliferation of high speed communication networks and mobile devices worldwide, the '09 program includes:

1. Applications- Delivery and support of network-based, on-demand applications - such as managed hosting, content delivery and management and telepresence.
2. Mobility Offers and Applications- Rapid roll-out of mobility solutions and applications to businesses of all sizes.
3. IBM- The continued integration of IBM's global network operations under the two companies' expanded agreement.
4. Global Network- The continued build out of AT&T's global network to deliver services and applications to the markets and geographies where multinational companies today are doing business and/or housing their operations.

"With today's announcement, AT&T is making good on its commitment to provide companies with the network-driven capabilities and applications they need to successfully compete in a difficult economic environment," said Ron Spears, President and CEO of AT&T Business Solutions.

"Regardless of size, the companies that seize the power of IP technology and services to transform their businesses, are the companies that will be best-positioned to lead the global recovery," he added.

AT&T is capitalizing on the ongoing shift in network traffic from voice to data and video - and more importantly to IP-based data and video - as customers migrate from legacy data networks to MPLS-based Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and managed applications.

Including this year's planned investment, AT&T will have invested more than $3 billion since 2006 in business-focused network, systems and applications to provide a globally consistent set of robust and secure services to the more than 3 million companies it serves.

The 2009 investment plan detail:

Network-Based Services and Applications:

Enhancements and additions to AT&T's virtual private network portfolio, wide area network (WAN), telepresence, unified communications, hosting, applications performance, and digital media solutions, all of which helped to drive double-digit IP data growth as reported in AT&T's recent fourth quarter earnings.
AT&T Telepresence service availability in China in collaboration with local service providers, to extend AT&T's ability to connect different companies using the service.
Managed IP telephony & local area network (LAN) services in China, India, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Mexico.
In the hosting and utility computing space, AT&T is:
o Increasing data center hosting capacity in Atlanta, Annapolis and the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area in the United States, as well as in Hong Kong, Tokyo and the United Kingdom globally. Today, AT&T manages data centers with more than 2.6 million square feet of secure hosting capacity in 10 countries.
o Scaling the AT&T Synaptic Hosting^SMplatform in our recently announced super IDCs in Singapore, Amsterdam and three sites within the United States.
o Increasing the level of automation for delivering AT&T Synaptic Hosting services as we continue to drive down implementation cycle times for our customers.
o Expanding application services in the super IDCs by enabling more on-net managed applications, such as Oracle and SAP.
o Supporting more virtualized customer applications by expanding managed hosting services onto the client premises.
Extending the AT&T Intelligent Content Distribution Service reach into Mexico, and enhancing service in high growth areas such as Brazil, India and China. Plans also call for expansion of capacity in existing service countries and jurisdictions in Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, China and Taiwan. This expansion will cover services such as Flash, Windows Media Format, Move Networks and Silverlight that support large file downloads and video formats. AT&T is also expanding its SSL security capabilities.

Mobility Services and Applications:

Accelerated deployment of mobile conferencing solutions, portal capabilities and business mobility applications for companies of all sizes in vertical industries like finance, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, education and government. AT&T is continuing its investment in platforms to support mobility application deployment including:
o Location based services - field service automation and fleet management applications for enterprise customers, leveraging advanced location technologies, such as GPS and enhanced Cell-ID, backed up by privacy management, charging and deployment management platform.
o AT&T Mobile Enterprise Applications platform for enterprises to efficiently and securely develop, deploy and support enterprise applications. This will build on AT&T's alliance with Antenna Software, and expand by adding business workflows that mobilize key enterprise processes.
o Enterprise On Demand (EOD) - our service delivery platform for customers to flexibly self manage large wireless data deployments of specialized vertical devices. The EOD platform is widely used for machine-to-machine deployments. Example enhancements include expansion of Web Services Interfaces for continued automation.
o External Access Gateway - a platform for third parties to use the AT&T network for network transactions such as network location based services queries.
Global management of multiple mobile operator contracts to support the wireless needs of multinational companies (i.e. order processing, invoicing).
Device protection and control and other security capabilities to ensure that companies can safely access applications and work tasks anytime, from any enabled device.
Fixed-mobile convergence capabilities, building on AT&T's Mobile Extension service announced earlier this year.

AT&T's business mobility services and applications will continue to be powered by the broadest wireless global coverage of any U.S. provider. AT&T has voice roaming available in more than 210 countries; access to e-mail, the Web and other data applications in more than 160 countries; and access to mobile broadband 3G networks in more than 65 countries. This is complemented by AT&T's expanding global WiFi footprint - now totalling more than 88,000 hotspots worldwide.

IBM Network Integration:

Continued integration of IBM's global network operations acquired through the 2007 expanded agreement with AT&T. AT&T and IBM have teamed together to deliver networking and computing technology and services to multinational companies. Through its agreement with IBM, AT&T last year added on-the-ground support and networking expertise in 48 countries worldwide, and closed more than a dozen new contracts.

Continued Global Network Expansion:

Deploying new subsea fiber optic cable capacity to Alaska, Australia, Asia Pac, India, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, and on trans-Atlantic routes to Europe. Today, AT&T has ownership interests in 83 subsea cable systems, covering 488,000 route miles. In total AT&T's network has over 888,000 route miles of fiber.
VPN services will be extended in an additional 18 countries, giving VPN access in a total of 149 countries worldwide.
Extending access options to additional countries in every global market so that by the end of the year:
o VPN Ethernet access will be available in 38 countries increased from 34 today.
o VPN DSL access will be available in 44 countries increased from 38 today.
o VPLS access will be available in 31 countries increased from 15 today. AT&T's OPT-E-WAN^SMEthernet Virtual Private LAN is the only certified, fully unified global carrier Ethernet service based on a seamless MPLS/VPLS infrastructure available with coverage in the US and worldwide.
IPv6 deployment - to meet the global requirements of governments and companies, AT&T is deploying a multi-year plan to deliver a full complement of IPv6 networking services that will also preserve customers' existing IPv4 investment.
Deploying new network capabilities:
o AT&T Wavelength Private Line, a versatile, long-haul, monitored and managed service that can support multiple protocols that include gigabit Ethernet and 10 gigabit Ethernet LAN and WAN configurations.
o Enhanced AT&T Ultravailable Network Services so that businesses can take advantage of network monitoring and management tool sets, expert support and visibility through AT&T BusinessDirect^®.
o AT&T plans to continue to grow global backbone capacity by 1) introducing new and faster 10 Gb edge equipment, 2) increasing backbone bandwidth and 3) adding more Cisco CRS1 routers on key routes.
o Expanding network- and premises-based firewall capabilities, as well as the AT&T Internet Protect^®suite of capabilities including My Internet Protect, Private Intranet Protect, and DDoS Defense to the Asia-Pacific region.

In its most recent report**, the market research firm Ovum concluded that AT&T has the most complete footprint for enterprise managed services contracts among the top five global service providers, and could be the fastest growing global service provider in 2009.

* AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

** Ovum, Enterprise Strategy Review: AT&T completes the deal, David Molony, Mike Sapien, Jan. 2009

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services, the nation's fastest 3G network and the best wireless coverage worldwide, and the nation's leading high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of their three-screen integration strategy, AT&T operating companies are expanding their TV entertainment offerings. In 2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 in the telecommunications industry on FORTUNE^® magazine's lists of the World's Most Admired Companies and America's Most Admired Companies. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available athttp://www.att.com/.

© 2009 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

PHONE+ Blog Post: What Have You Done for Me Lately?

janderson — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 15:00:00 GMT

As part of my participation in the PHONE+ Advisory Board, I'm writing blog posts for the Peer-to-Peer blog on the PHONE+ site. The latest can be read on the PHONE+ Peer-to-Peer page and is reproduced below:

My initiation into the ethics in the telecommunications industry was not unlike a fraternity hazing. I began as a subagent of a master who ultimately decided that my commissions were better suited to his bank account than mine. I then moved to another master and within a year was told that they couldn’t pay me because, well, they needed the money more than I did. Surmising that simply operating ethically could be a major competitive advantage, and not wanting to continue buying Italian sportscars for the CEOs of slimy master agents, I decided to found Telephony Partners and try to do it right.
Since then the industry has grown up a lot, but it seems like the question of ethics is still lurking beneath the surface. The nature of the business and the way the incentive systems work, it’s naïve to believe that simply talking about ethics will bring about change. In this and my next two blogs, I’ll discuss some of the characteristics of our industry that appear to encourage ethical abuse, and I’ll make some suggestions on how we as an industry can try to turn the tide.
It’s important to start by looking at how ethics can be so seemingly unimportant to the main actors in our market. Our industry – like most other technology industries – sows the seeds of its own demise by commoditizing its products and services. In a commoditized industry, soft values like customer service and pre-sales support lose their luster, and what’s left is a rabid focus on more and more new sales. How often have you had the “what have you done for me lately” conversation with your carriers or agents?
The resulting culture is not unlike that of a stereotypical car salesman, whose common refrain is, “What can I do to have you drive this baby home tonight?” However, even the auto industry has picked up on the problem and begun putting incentive systems in place that meticulously measure and reward customer satisfaction and loyalty. In telecommunications, the incentives that are being stressed are almost entirely based on sales accomplishments – our inboxes overflow with SPIF offers, but when is the last time you saw an SPIF tied to retention or to customer satisfaction? Indeed, we can all recall instances where carriers specifically penalized renewals with lower commissions.
When we do see incentives based on retention or customer satisfaction, they usually comprise the stick portion of the carrot-and-stick system. We suffer the consequences of poor customer service by losing the customer and are penalized for poor retention rates. Even if your business is based on residual incomes, as ours is, the security of our collective incomes is driven fundamentally by the acquisition of new business.
We’re not going to stop the commoditization of technology products and services, but we as an industry have control over the market we make. We will always have commodity sellers, but it’s not inconceivable that the rewards system could be changed to move the focus away from the churn-and-burn status quo and favor instead a longer view. The question is whether the industry as a whole could achieve such a change.

Deltacom's flagship Simpli-BusinessSM service is now even better!

janderson — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:40:00 GMT

New 6 line minimum Six lines is the new standard, minimum line count for Simpli-Business, without an increase in the base price! New 48-month term and 20% Your customers can now choose a four-year term on Simpli-Business, which provides the 20% loyalty discount on the base package from day one. To secure quotes using this new pricing and/or the new 48 month term, please contact your agent manager.

Qwest Online Training NOW AVAILABLE!

janderson — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:40:00 GMT

We're pleased to announce that Qwest's new Web-based training management system is now available. The LearningQ offers Qwest Business Partners and sub-agents a variety of product, process, sales, systems and technical courses. You’ll find the LearningQ on Q.Partner > Education > click the LearningQ icon. The first time you access the Learning Q, you’ll need to complete a new user profile. Once you have submitted your profile, you’ll be able to log in. You can find out more about the LearningQ by reviewing the navigation demo on the QBPP LearningQ landing page.

For questions and comments, please e-mail: rick@telephonypartners.com

PAETEC NEW YEAR SPIFFS

janderson — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:57:00 GMT

You said you wanted more bonus opportunities in 2009, so we give you more. Start with the loop, add in the service, and top it with some value added applications. With over 30 ways to make additional bonuses, 2009 is the year you can obtain huge payouts.

Click on the below links to learn more about each specific data promotion

PAETEC’s Data Local Loop Promotion
Not just a one-time spiff! Earn a residual payment on MPLS & Internet local access loop charges. All bandwidths from DS1 through OC12 payout, and Internet can be either Dedicated or Burstable.

PAETEC’s Simply Progressive Payouts
Earn one-time payments on Integrated T-1 or Dynamic IP orders. Increase the MMF and you’ll increase the payment. Increase the term; you’ll do the same. Increase both, and the bonuses stack. Simple, progressive, cash in your pocket

PAETEC’s “Pick Your Price – Pick Your SPIFF” Promotion
Earn 100% of the MRC you sell on an Internet circuit as a one-time SPIFF + 30% of the NRC. Available on Internet from DS1 through OC-12

PAETEC’s Value Add Data Promotion
Sell a “value add” data service to an MPLS data network or a Dynamic IP order with Local and LD, and earn an additional $150 payout for each service sold. There are 5 data products to choose from including Network Firewall, Data Backup and PAETECs Email Security Suite.

PAETEC Agents Win with PINNACLE
Earn a 5% commission on the sale of the PINNACLE Communications Management Suite or 60% of the Hosted or Managed Service fee in the event an MRC deal is sold.

PAETEC Year End Bonus - Extended
Earn an additional $200 per T1 for the first 5 T1s you sell in McLeod territory. Sell 6 or more and you earn $350 for each T1 sold in the month. © 2008 PAETEC

NY Agent Receives $80,000 in upfront commissions for Playmakers Spiff

janderson — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:05:00 GMT

Only 15 Selling Days left for 4^th Quarter Playmaker Spiff (22 Calendar Days)

While our competitors struggle to stay afloat, XO flexes its financial muscle and debt free position to offer huge commissions on new sales!

100% upfront Commission on Nx-T1 Products and above

50% upfront Commission on Single T-1's and PRI's

EMBARQ Pricing Tool Training

janderson — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:23:00 GMT

EMBARQ is pleased to announce a hands-on EMBARQ Pricing Tool demonstration! The 1 1/2 hour interactive training session will include step-by-step walkthroughs of the Dedicated Internet Bundle and Ethernet products. This is your opportunity to ask questions of the expert. Please make every effort to attend. Please also note that this training replaces the Web Site Orientation training scheduled for December 9. What: EMBARQ Pricing Tool TrainingDate: Tuesday, December 9 Time: 11:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. CST How to join:

Audio Conference: 866-420-3822, Conference ID 75772657
Live Meeting: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/intercall1/join?id=93SDD9&role=attend&pw=partner

FIRST-TIME USERSTo save time before the meeting, check your system to make sure it isready to use Microsoft Office Live Meeting. http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=90703 TROUBLESHOOTING Unable to join the meeting? Follow these steps: 1. Copy this address and paste it into your web browser: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/intercall1/join 2. Copy and paste the required information: Meeting ID: 93SDD9 Entry Code: partner Location: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/intercall1If you still cannot enter the meeting, contact support:http://www.webconferencesupport.com

tw telecom - Performance-Management Techniques Get Results

janderson — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:36:00 GMT

What is performance management? It's the antithesis of the old way of thinking, which says that an employee should be able to set goals for the year and greatly improve performance simply based on one all-important, make-or-break annual performance review. By contrast, performance management is an ongoing process involving goal-setting, a dash of career coaching, frequent feedback and constant review of employee performance.

But performance management is also about giving employees the space they need to use their creativity and chart their own course. How do you mix these two seeming contradictions to produce a performance-management system that works for your team?

Key components of performance management

A quick Internet search for "performance management consultants" yields a list of armies of consultants ready to train your staff in performance-management techniques. But many of the most effective performance-management methods are easy to implement immediately:

Give feedback that's specific — instead of simply saying "good job on that project," specify what was good about it.
Give feedback that's timely (close to the event) and frequent.
Focus on behavior rather than personality when giving constructive feedback.
Be sincere in trying to help correct mistakes and ineffective behaviors.
Ask permission to give constructive feedback: "I'd like to give you some feedback on how you ran today's meeting — is that OK with you?"
Ask for your employees' view of situations and give them chances to identify behaviors that they agree to change, ways to improve communication or ideas for increasing output. Then summarize your agreements before ending the discussion and set a date to review employees' progress.

In the world of performance management, constructive feedback is not necessarily negative — and it isn't the opposite of positive feedback. Constructive feedback is a way of helping employees understand how their performance measures up to company expectations so that they can empower themselves and set goals to meet those expectations.

Benefits for you and your organization

All but the most recalcitrant or belligerent employees will benefit from performance management. Managers find performance management exciting because the coaching-based approach works by convincing employees to make behavioral changes without damaging their dignity. The method also improves productivity along the way because it encourages employees to take ownership of projects and use their own creativity and skills more effectively.

On the other side of the manager's desk, employees find that performance management teaches them methods of goal-setting and improved communication skills that serve them well in other areas of life.

Shifting your managerial focus to performance management has great benefits for you, your organization and your employees — and it all starts with a little feedback.

Be an XO PLAYMAKER and Earn Big Bonuses

janderson — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:56:00 GMT

Cash Bonus up to 100%
of MRC when you sell
selected XO services in
November and December

XO Communications is offering its agents a chance to earn big cash bonuses for being an XO Playmaker in November and December. Get a one-time cash bonus of either 25%, 50% or 100% of the MRC on selected XO services sold between November 1 and December 31, 2008:

? Dedicated Internet Access
? IP Flex
? IP Flex with VPN
? ISDN PRI
? MPLS IP-VPN
? SIP

25% of MRC	50% of MRC	100% of MRC
MPLS IP-VPN	DIA: DS-1	DIA NxT1, 10 Mbps via all access types, DS-3, OC-3, 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps
IP Flex with VPN	IP Flex 1.5 Mbps	IP Flex 3, 4.5 & 10 Mbps
	ISDN PRI	SIP 3, 4.5 & 10 Mbps
	SIP 1.5 Mbps

Deltacom offers an additional $500 per T1

janderson — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:04:00 GMT

Deltacom is pleased to launch a new Dealer Promotion offering generous bonus cash for selling our T-1 services. Significantly increase your Deltacom check by closing those T-1 deals.

Effective immediately and running through 1/31/09, Deltacom will pay: - $500 per T-1 sold with an MRC at or above $400- $200 per T-1 sold with an MRC below $400

Drive T-1 sales over the $400 mark to earn considerable cash payouts! Don’t forget to call your Dedicated Dealer Sales Support Desk (DSSD) at 888-358-7767 for proposal and pricing assistance. Sell those Deltacom T-1s this winter, and your payouts will really heat up!

Promotion Rules:

- Bonus paid on NEW acquisition T-1s. - Bonus paid on existing customers adding NEW T-1 (Conversions do not apply.)- LD T-1s will have payouts of $200.- Point-to-Point circuits will have payouts of $500.- Bonded T-1 products will have payouts of a flat $800 regardless of how many circuits are delivered.

- DS3 and MetroE do not qualify.

- T-1 bonus available for orders submitted from November 1, 2008 thru January 31, 2009. T-1s sold at $400.00 or above will get payout of $500. T-1s sold at $399.99 or below will be paid at $200. - Bonus and commission paid upon billing.- Charge back will occur for customer non-payment or if customer disconnects within 180 days of installation.- All other terms and conditions of your Dealer Agreement will apply.

- Deltacom reserves the right to refuse any contest bonus payout.

- Deltacom is a registered trademark of DeltaCom, Inc.

Telephony Partners will payout 70% of the total SPIF to the agent.

IPv6 is now available in Tampa!

janderson — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:34:00 GMT

TAMPA, FL/9/16/2008 Tampa's premier provider-independent Internet Communications Service Provider, E Solutions Corporation announced today that it has enabled IPv6 as part of the it’s preparations for the U.S. Government’s mandated IPv6 platform. E Solutions has successfully upgraded it’s infrastructure to support the IPv6 network, making it the first data center in the state of Florida to utilize the next generation IPv6 network and provide this platform to it’s customers."Our exclusive availability of IPv6 bandwidth coupled with our available power capacity and premium data center space, has E Solutions well positioned as an area leader today and well into the future, the dramatic spread of Internet adoption has dictated that IPv6 is where the Internet is headed," said Richard Nicholas, E Solutions’ CEO. "We are excited to take the lead in the state of Florida as the only Data Center offering IPv6 bandwidth."IPv6 is the successor to IPv4, which is the current IP protocol version used on the Internet. With the increase in Internet use, bandwidth and capacity demands, the IPv4 address space is likely to be exhausted, therefore IPv6 remains a technology that is gradually being adopted by technically savvy network operators. The U.S. Federal Government and the Research and Education community represent some of the earliest adopters of IPv6 across North America and Europe.More Information: IPv6 is a service provided by E-Solutions to customers. It is also the upcoming standard of IP connectivity throughout the US and in particular Govt agencies in the US. http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/egov/b-1-information.html#IPV6 Dates have been set by congress by which all branches of the military must be migrated to IPv6. At the moment, E-Solutions is the only facility in this region that can offer these services.

Jeffrey Gitomer's Sales Caffeine issue 357

janderson — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:52:00 GMT

Be prepared!

An excerpt from Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Red Book of Selling

What do you need to know about the prospect's business to engage? I mean if you just walk in the door and say, "Tell me a little bit about your business," how unprepared does that make you look? Answer: TOTALLY UNPREPARED. Prepared is going to their website and printing out several strategic pages, reading them, and making notes so you can ask about what you don't understand, or need elaboration on -- not asking about them from TOTAL IGNORANCE.

NOTE: Just so we understand each other, "Tell me a little about your business, " is the third dumbest thing you can say to or ask a prospect. The second is "Let me tell you a little about my business." The prospect couldn't CARE LESS about you or your business, and probably already knows enough to not want to hear it again. The first most dumbest? I'll tell you later. Let's talk about where to find out information about a prospect and his or her business before your sales call.

1. The Internet. Don't just look up their site. Enter their company name on Google or other search engines like dogpile.com and see what pops up. There may be an article or other important information. Then enter the name of the person you're meeting with. Then enter the name of the CEO. Then tell me why you're not meeting with the CEO. (Just a little jab there.) By the way, if you look up the name of the person you're meeting with and you find nothing, that also tells you something.

2. Their literature. Even though it's we-we, it has the basic "brags" covered and may talk about shifts in emphasis and market coverage. It also tells you what they think of themselves and their products.

3. Their vendors. Usually reluctant talkers, but they can tell you what it's like to do business with them and all about how you are going to be paid. Valuable information to say the least. Vendors are a rarely used resource.

4. Their competition. Oh man, talk about dirt, here it is. Just ask casual questions about how they win business -- it will tell you what it will be like to negotiate with them. By the way, the more their competition hates them, the better they usually are. Competitors hate the people who take business away from them.

5. Their customers. Customers talk. And they are the real word on delivery, organization, quality, and the subtle information that can give you an insightful competitive advantage.

6. People in your network who may know them. A quick e-mail to your inside group asking for information will always net a fact or two and may just be the bonanza you were looking for.

7. Their other employees. Occasionally the admin will help, but don't count on it. A better bet is their PR department or their marketing department.

8. The best and least used resource: Their sales department. Salespeople will tell you anything. You can get details you won't believe.

8. 5 Google yourself. Want some pain? Look up your own name. Where are you? What's your Internet position? Suppose they are looking you up. What will they find? If it's nothing, that's a report card on you.

And it's not just Internet preparation. It's other research like finding mutual friends, calling a few vendors, maybe a few customers. Getting VITAL information as it relates to the buying of your product or service. There's one more thing in preparation: Be prepared with an objective or two about what you want to accomplish in the meeting.

Proper preparation takes time, but I assure you it's impressive to the prospect. He or she knows that you have prepared, and is silently impressed. It's an advantage that very few salespeople use. They make the fatal error of getting all their own stuff ready. PowerPoint slides, samples, literature, business cards -- you know, all the same things the competition is doing. Biggest mistake in sales. And almost every salesperson makes it.

And it's not only preparation about the sale -- it's your personal preparation for sales -- your personal training. How ready are you? Get ready baby. Turn off the TV and get ready.

Want a list of places you can gather information about the sales call? Sure you do. Go to www.gitomer.com, register if you are a first-time visitor, and enter the word RESEARCH in the GitBit box.

Click here buy the Little Red Book of Selling V-Book
now from Amazon.com

QWEST / VERIZON WIRELESS UPDATE

janderson — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:27:00 GMT

Qwest recently launched sales of Verizon Wireless Services, including to customers in Business Markets. Verizon Wireless services, however, are not yet available to be sold through QBPP.

In the next few weeks we will be finalizing details of Partner participation that will include a
separate Partner application process – subject to approval by Qwest and Verizon Wireless, background and financial checks, and a separate contract with Qwest if all approvals are obtained. Commissions, if any, on sales of Verizon Wireless are also still being determined by Qwest.

We appreciate the many expressions of interest in this new service and we will keep you posted as we progress.

PHONE+ and Channel Partners Conference Announce 2008-09 Advisory Board Members

janderson — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:03:00 GMT

PHONE+ magazine and the Channel Partners Conference & Expo have selected the 2008-09 members of their joint advisory board. The advisory board is composed of master agents, independent agents, carriers/service providers, VARs, resellers, dealers/interconnects, attorneys, consultants and representatives from several industry associations, including the Agent Alliance, Technology Channel Association, WIBOC and TAG National.

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) August 18, 2008 -- PHONE+ magazine and the Channel Partners Conference & Expo have selected the 2008-09 members of their joint advisory board. The advisory board is composed of master agents, independent agents, carriers/service providers, VARs, resellers, dealers/interconnects, attorneys, consultants and representatives from several industry associations, including the Agent Alliance, Technology Channel Association, WIBOC and TAG National.

The advisory board members are:
Master agents: Adam Edwards, CEO, Telarus; Jay Bradley, president of Telecom Services, Intelisys; and Josh Anderson, CEO, Telephony Partners.
Agents/subagents: William Leutzinger, president, TelecomMedic, and James Lockhart, president, Telecom Management Inc.
Carriers/service providers: Brian Snortheim, director, alternate channel marketing, Time Warner Cable, and Jeff Howe, vice president and general manager - agent channel, PAETEC.
Resellers: Michael McLelan, senior vice president, PowerNet Global, and Sarah Graham Linares, vice president, product development and revenue assurance, TMC
Dealers/interconnects: Ben Stiegler, CEO, Synertel, and David Blau, chief strategy officer, Consolidated Technologies Inc.
VARs: Ben Henkels, principal, Communication Management Partners, and Roger Thomas, CEO, TeleComp
Consultants/attorneys: Ben Bronston, partner, Nowalsky, Bronston & Gothard; Bill Taylor, president, Corporate Ladders; and Neil Ende, Managing Partner, Technology Law Group
Associations: Dale Stein, co-founder, TAG National; Dany Bouchedid, CEO of ColoTraq for TCA; Bill Power, CEO, Agent Alliance; and Mark Landiak, president of Market Dynamics for WIBOC.

"We are excited to have our new advisory board in place to advise us on PHONE+ and the Channel Partners Conference & Expo," said Khali Henderson, editor in chief of PHONE+ magazine. "We had more than 70 qualified applicants apply for board positions and feel that we have selected a board that will add valuable insight to these resources and the channel."

Advisory board duties include providing story ideas and blogging for PHONE+ as well as assisting in planning the Channel Partners Conference & Expo.

About PHONE+
PHONE+ magazine is the country's leading resource for communication distribution channels. For more than two decades, PHONE+ has been the undisputed leader in providing news and analysis to alternate distribution channels serving the communications industry. It is the unrivaled resource for resellers, aggregators, agents, brokers, VARs, systems integrators, interconnects and dealers that provide network-based communications and computing services and associated CPE, applications and professional services.

PHONE+ includes a monthly print publication, a Web resource (http://www.phoneplusmag.com/), a weekly newsletter as well as special issues, such as the Channel Program Guide and an annual buyer's guide.

About the Channel Partners Conference & Expo
Hosted by PHONE+ magazine, the Channel Partners Conference & Expo is the telecom industry's only event exclusively for the channel. The fall event is taking place this week at Boston's World Trade Center. The spring conference is set for March 1-3, 2009, at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. For more information, visit http://www.channelpartnersconference.com/.

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Interesting 1960's-era Bell Pamphlet

janderson — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:40:00 GMT

These scans of an early Bell Telephone pamphlet give some interesting suggestions on how to properly display phone numbers.

Deltacom Introduces National Mobile Offering

janderson — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:54:00 GMT

Telephony Partners is now certified to sell wireless services using Deltacom's new Simpli-Mobile offering. This service must be sold in conjunction with Deltacom network services.

Simpli-Mobile^SM

Staying connected is crucial in today's real-time business environment. Even when you are outside the office, Deltacom and Simpli-Mobile keep you linked to what is going on in it. If one of your goals is to increase productivity and efficiency, our leading edge devices from Motorola and Sierra Wireless will help you achieve it.

Our plans offer the flexibility of pooled minutes which enable you to share minutes by plan - not by device. Plus, you enjoy the convenience of a single bill and provider who coordinates, evaluates and provides a complete and accountable business solution allowing you to concentrate on your business not your business solutions. Enjoy the power of Simpli-Mobile and realize the freedom of limitless productivity.

Flexibility of pooled minutes packages ranging from 300 to 25,000 per package
Opportunity to pair minutes package(s) with mobile phones in the way that best suits your unique business requirements
Confidence that your mobile phones are high quality, leading edge Motorola products
Freedom of high speed, secure Internet access on your laptop anywhere within your mobile coverage area using the Sierra Wireless Air Card modem
Convenience of receiving only one invoice for your entire mobile solution

Click Here for Devices & Features
Click Here for Coverage Map
http://www.deltacom.com/fiberoptic_network.asp

Huntsville, Ala., March 3, 2008 - ITC DeltaCom, Inc. (OTC: ITCD.OB), a leading provider of integrated communications services to customers in the southeastern United States, today announced the launch of Simpli-Mobile, a mobile voice and data product targeted at small and medium sized businesses in its southeastern footprint.

Simpli-Mobile offers nationwide mobile access to voice, email, text and internet connectivity. Customers will be able to select cell phones and PDAs from a leading manufacturer and to utilize Deltacom's hosted exchange services to integrate office-based e-mail, calendar, and contacts programs with Deltacom mobile devices without purchasing expensive network hardware or maintaining in-house technology experts.

"Deltacom is committed to delivering the most innovative solutions in the communications market. Simpli-Mobile delivers the convergence of mobile and business application technology that small business owners require in today's fast paced workplace," said Randy Curran, Deltacom's CEO. He added, "Simpli-Mobile is a simple and powerful solution managed by Deltacom so that our customers can focus on doing what they do best - managing and growing their businesses".

Simpli-Mobile will only be available as a bundle with Deltacom's integrated land line voice, data, and equipment solutions. Customers will receive a consolidated bill for all Deltacom services and have a single point of contact for support. Deltacom's customers already have access to a highly customizable solution in Simpli-Business, an offering that combines the Deltacom network, NEC phone systems, Lexmark printers and Lenovo PC's as an "all in" managed solution for the small business owner. Simpli-Mobile further simplifies the communications needs of small businesses by integrating mobile and office-based communication services.

ABOUT ITC DELTACOM, INC.

ITC DeltaCom, Inc. ("DeltaCom") headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, provides, through its operating subsidiaries, integrated telecommunications and technology services to businesses and consumers in the southeastern United States. DeltaCom has a fiber optic network spanning approximately 14,500 route miles, including more than 11,000 route miles of owned fiber, and offers a comprehensive suite of voice and data communications services, including local, long distance, broadband data communications, Internet connectivity, and customer premise equipment to end-user customers. DeltaCom is one of the largest competitive telecommunications providers in its primary eight-state region. DeltaCom is a certified competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) in Arkansas, Texas, Virginia and all nine AT&T states. For more information about DeltaCom, visit DeltaCom's Web site at http://www.deltacom.com/

J.D. Power and Associates Study Ranks Qwest Business Markets Group Highest in Nation for Customer Satisfaction

janderson — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:57:00 GMT

Release Date: June 25, 2008

J.D. Power and Associates Study Ranks Qwest Business Markets Group Highest in Nation for Customer Satisfaction
Large Enterprise Customer Respondents Give Qwest Highest Honors in Five of Six Factors for Data Services

DENVER, June 25, 2008 — Qwest Communications International Inc. (NYSE: Q) today announced it was ranked highest in customer satisfaction among four major providers in a nationwide J.D. Power and Associates customer satisfaction study of large business customers purchasing data services.

J.D. Power and Associates issued a public statement disclosing the results of its 2008 Major Provider Business Telecommunications Study and found Qwest’s Business Markets Group outperformed its competitors and can claim “Highest Customer Satisfaction among Large Enterprise Data Service Providers.” The national study was fielded in March through May and included a sample of 1,004 large enterprise customers, defined as companies with more than 500 employees that purchase telecommunications data services, such as digital subscriber lines, Ethernet and frame relay.

"Qwest Business Markets Group is focused on providing service excellence to businesses nationwide,” said Tom Richards, executive vice president, Qwest Business Markets Group. “This award underscores Qwest’s commitment to create exceptional customer experiences through our delivery of world-class communications solutions."

Qwest earned the highest score in customer satisfaction for the large enterprise segment with an overall index score of 692 on a 1,000 point scale, giving Qwest an advantage of 27 index points over the major provider average.

Qwest ranked highest in five out of six factors, including the following in order of importance to customers: performance and reliability; sales representatives and account executives; billing; cost of service; and, offerings and promotions.

About Qwest

Qwest offers a powerful combination of award-winning broadband, video and voice solutions for residential customers, businesses and government agencies. Customers coast to coast turn to Qwest's industry-leading national fiber optic network to meet their evolving communications and entertainment needs. Qwest employees are the driving force behind the company’s nationally recognized Spirit of Service. Qwest is a participant in Networx, the largest communications services contract in the world, to provide innovative voice, data and video services. For more information on Qwest please visit www.qwest.com. For information about the products and services Qwest is offering in the Networx contract, visit www.gsanetworx.com

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The Qwest logo is a registered trademark of Qwest Communications International Inc. in the U.S. and certain other countries.

Contact Information:

Qwest Media Contact
Melissa Reffel
303-965-3424
melissa.reffel@qwest.com

http://press.qwestapps.com/?fa=press.print&PressReleaseId=56794