By Khali Henderson

Do you like to volunteer? Here's a cause you can really get behind — the Channel. Apply to be part of the 2010-11 PHONE+/Channel Partners Conference & Expo Advisory Board so that you can be the critical link between the channel community and its trade show and publication. Click here and submit your application today.

If you made it to this sentence, it must mean you are not sold on this idea and you have questions. That's understandable. Hopefully, I will have the answers. Here goes:

Isn't the board mostly ceremonial? Not at all. This is a working board that meets regularly and has specific obligations.

Don’t the same people get picked year after year? No. The board turns over completely every year; there has not been a repeat in three years. Every thoughtful application is considered seriously.

Will it take up a lot of time? That depends on your definition of "a lot," but the basic requirements are to attend monthly conference calls, submit a blog every other month and answer queries from the PHONE+ and Channel Partners Conference & Expo staff as needed.

What's the ROI? Good question. Among the numerous perks of membership is ongoing recognition in the magazine as well as online and at the biannual conferences. You also will have opportunities to provide input to the magazine and post your views on the Peer-to-Peer Blog on the PHONE+ Web site. And, you will have influence over the conference agenda and speaker selection. Most importantly, you will have a role in helping us to shape new products and services for the channel.

Still not convinced? Don't take it from me. Ask a board member:

"Being on the board gave me the ability see the channel from a 50,000 foot view." — Greg Howard, US Telecom Group

"It helps when [suppliers and customers] have other avenues like this to see who you are professionally. This alone is worth the time and energy required in serving on the board." —Dan Vidal, TELECOM ADVISORS

"The all-volunteer advisory board members are all accomplished industry professionals with very busy schedules. Yet they use their knowledge and energy to support the needs of others -- both experienced and new to our profession — to strengthen the channel." — Jeffery Ponts, Datatel Solutions Inc

"Not only was I able to provide some good input on my understanding of the industry, it was good to see others views on where our industry is heading." — Matt Duray, The Connect Group

"It’s been rewarding to help set the tone and agenda for the shows and then to see the agenda that we have discussed come to fruition." — Michael Machonkin, GLOBALINX

"The contacts and 'insider' information that I have gleaned from this experience is irreplaceable and will benefit our efforts going forward. I would recommend for anyone who desires to improve business partnerships or enhance market awareness to consider this as a significant professional step." — Cary Bush, Logista

Are you finally inspired? I hope so. We need you! Click here to apply today. Selected applicants will be notified by July 31.

By Doug Allen

Unified Communications: so much potential, so much confusion. Not unlike cloud services, another space subject to great hype and hazy definitions, unified communications (UC) has become the darling of vendors, providers and industry pundits alike. Especially when it comes to hosted UC services.

But after talking to a clutch of hosted providers, CPE vendors and channel partners, it seems there is little consensus as to just what UC is, beyond a sort of lowest common denominator understanding of the service elements involved (voice, video, presence, collaboration, and messaging). After that, the sky’s the limit in terms of the functions integrated and how they’re accessed.

This of course leads to all kinds of FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) for network managers and IT staff, who are interested in the technology, sure, but have lots of questions about implementation, and hey, do I really need all this stuff?

How else to account for the relative lack of customer adoption in UC for 2009, according to a recent Frost & Sullivan report, which found that, in contrast to a 30 percent spike in hosted IP telephony that year, “...[the concept of] unified communications continued to make inroads into enterprises, [but] it did not gain as much traction as originally anticipated. As a result, although many hosted service providers took 2008 to retrench and include more UC offerings in their portfolio, the market segment targeted by hosted services was not ready for unified communications, and UC adoption rates and revenue impact were minimal.” Yet the same report predicts UC (admittedly helped along by the inclusion of hosted VoIP) will top several billion dollars by 2015, largely driven by hosted or cloud service delivery models.

So UC is here to stay. But to return to my original point, how does the business customer, from SMBs to the large enterprise, decide on the right implementation for them?

This is where agents, partners, and VARs come in, because just like cloud services, UC – whether hosted, managed, premises-based,  or some combination of the three – will never truly take off as an all-purpose service without educating the customer on all the options and features available, and helping them understand just how UC tools can not only show a relatively quick ROI but more importantly critically impact business processes, speed communications and workflow, and improve customer interactions.

It’s not that this problem is unique to the UC space. But it’s the channel, not necessarily vendors or providers, who can best work with a customer to uncover their true UC requirements. Acting as a trusted advisor that takes a long-term view toward customer relationships and measures success not in widgets sold but in business efficiencies enabled, these partners stand the best chance of establishing clear expectations and guidelines for a UC deployment optimized for a particular business.

Fair enough. But here’s where it gets tricky. In addition to the long consultative sales process typical to UC, and the advanced application integration expertise required to fully enable any but the simplest of implementations, the channel is ultimately responsible for helping their customer Get It (UC, that is) Right.

That means, essentially, not just determining the right combination of UC elements and features for a given customer, but also right-sizing that solution as well. We’re not talking about the number of seats or users covered here; for the channel, success will be measured (at least in the eyes of their customers) by how well the overall solution fits the work habits and needs of employees on an organizational, divisional, and workgroup basis.

In other words, each end-user should be able to activate a full communications experience from their phone and escalate that communication as needed; as one hosted UC provider said, everything on your desktop should integrate with your phone. But depending on the employee’s responsibilities, there’s a wide range of UC functionality out there that they probably just don’t need, and unless some hosted providers move to a lower-cost, all-you-can-eat-per-seat pricing model, that just leaves network and IT resources stranded.

Conversely, some business employees and/or executives are best-served by more advanced UC features, such as hosted integrated business analytics that mine the relevant communication records for analytics and business intelligence. It’s a great feature, but probably overkill for those who just want to see their vmails show up in their Outlook Inbox. Likewise, some vendors supply integrated CRM and other business applications through their CPE, on top of the more basic UC feature set. But unless the company is trying to future-proof itself in preparation for the day when more advanced capabilities are needed, or extending communications feature parity to all workers, remote or centrally located, the customer is probably better served by a more targeted, role-specific implementation. This can lower costs as well as employee frustration.

But that’s just part of the code the channel will have to crack. There’s also genuine confusion about when to go with a hosted UC provider or a CPE approach, and the debate is about more than just cost. Partners will have to steer customers through a wide array of options that take into account control and privacy issues, whether a multi-vendor best-of-breed solution makes more sense than a single vendor or provider implementation (which often lacks the full functionality of a purpose-built offering), or when to embrace a managed service that allows customers to outsource certain functions to reduce complexity and IT costs, while maintaining more mission-critical or highly-sensitive apps and data on-site.

Then there’s the nagging issue of integrating these UC features not just with business apps (where required), but also with key third-party business partners that likely run an entirely different communications platform. Though UC federation, or interoperability, between companies is just starting to get some play now, some well-established vendors are looking at it as an important feature down the line.

Add to that the exploding number of UC options from provider and vendor alike that the channel must absorb to stay fully educated on the best solution for their customers, while trying to maintain healthy sales margins over the course of such a resource-intensive, long-term consultative sale, and it’s clear the channel has its work cut out for it.

To make matters worse, there is some feeling among the providers and vendors I spoke with that they had found a significant number of partners did not really have the market understanding or application integration expertise necessary to really offer their customers the fullest menu of UC solutions, although the same players maintain that this is improving slowly.

But it doesn’t matter. While there will surely be a market for relatively simple, cookie-cutter UC deployments that follow a basic template, the only way forward toward mass adoption lies with those channel partners that can truly offer their customers the full range of features, flexibility and support that the technology offers, something no single provider or vendor can match.

By Jeffery Ponts, Executive Vice President, Datatel Solutions Inc.

The most overused and watered down description is the coveted trusted adviser role. Do a search on PHONE+ or the discussion boards and you will find more articles than you can read.  I am now part of the crowd by writing this blog.

A couple weeks ago I was invited to a carrier training event that had invited both their direct sales team and the channel. I listened in amazement to the direct sales force use the term “trusted adviser” liberally when they discussed how they introduce themselves to the customer. I know that two of these direct sales team members had different professions just six months ago. 

No one is happy with his title anymore. Here are a few, but I am sure you can add many more to the list:

• Sales – Trusted Adviser
• Janitor – Facilities Engineer
• Garbage Collector – Sanitation Engineer
• Secretary – Administrative Executive

I still believe sales is a noble profession. Aside from the government, few employers could exist without a well-trained sales force.  However, to be a trusted adviser you need to have done something already that put you above the curve and gave the customer reason to trust your advice in other matters.

How to become a trusted adviser:

1. Earn trust, not immediately, but over time through a series of small steps.
2. Build trust, not over a transaction, but through a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship.
3. Listen, listen, listen, and then advise only after you have exhausted all potential issues.
4. Make sure the customer truly understands all options.
5. Always tells the truth.

I am not telling you anything that you do not already know, and would be happy if you would add additional comments below.

New technology demands we stay ahead of the curve to win the trusted adviser status. You sold the customer MPLS and it went well. Now they are considering cloud applications to run more efficiently and save money. Have you taken the time to educate yourself regarding moving trends? Do you have partners that can support the customer’s needs?

As a trusted adviser, you will be able to touch multiple points within the customer’s technology infrastructure creating a sticky customer. At the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, Sept. 20-22 in Washington D.C., there will be a panel discussing this subject, which I strongly suggest you attend.  The Trusted Adviser has sticky customers. Sticky customers become your best referral sources and long-term revenue streams. Kind of a no brainer, don’t you think?

Jeffery Ponts is executive vice president of Datatel Solutions Inc., a master agency he co-founded in early 2003.  Ponts and his business partner Daniel Langton have grown Datatel Solutions into a national entity with eight agent managers and more than 300 agents. Previously, Ponts was a vice president and general manager at Telepacific Communications, where he was responsible for the Bay Area and Las Vegas markets with duties covering technical, administrative, and direct and channel sales.  Ponts has more than 20 years of telecom experience covering LEC, CLEC, and integration/software with the vast majority of his experience in channel sales and management. He also is a member of the 2009-10 PHONE+/Channel Partners Conference & Expo Advisory Board.

Looking for a great way to find out about the buzz at the upcoming Fall 2010 Channel Partners Conference & Expo, Sept. 20-22, in Washington, D.C.? Hear it from your peers on Twitter. Just search for #CPexpo on Twitter. All tweets about the event will appear in one stream.

If you are tweeting about the show, don’t forget to add the hashtag #CPexpo to your post, so everyone else can see what you’ve said.

Before the show: Look for posts about education, special events, speakers, promotions, etc.

At the show: Find out about breaking news, live comments on sessions, speaker presentations, the 411 on vendor parties and more.

This is a great way to maximize your time at the event by participating in the activities and meeting the people that most interest you.

If you are not already on Twitter, this is one of the truly useful applications for this technology. It’s a way to find all posts about a topic you are interested in. For events, it extends the dialogue that you normally have with groups of four or five people at a time to all 2,000+ attendees. Let them be your eyes and ears. You just might learn something useful.

By Kelly Teal

In space, when forces of immeasurable strength meet head on, new galaxies are said to emerge. The principle applies here on Earth, too, and that kind of cosmic event shook the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas this week when 3,200 people gathered to take part in the Spring 2010 Channel Partners Conference & Expo. But this wasn't just any trade show – on the cusp of an economic recovery and meteoric tech innovation, this was something more: the channel's Big Bang.

One of the key takeaways from the recent recession – for partners, that is – is that businesses don't just want the best price, they want the best value. They want someone to manage their services, not just find the lowest transport cost. They also want outside experts to choose, install and maintain their hardware. That means traditional telecom agents and traditional data VARs have to expand their capabilities and specialties, and rely on each other to learn the ins and outs.

That was the main message from speakers this week during the Channel Partners show. Hosted services, unified communications, energy sourcing and equipment provisioning all are the answer to many end users' communications needs – and to agents' and VARs' business evolution musts. In the hallways, session rooms and expo hall, each of those topics dominated conversations. Entire tracks were dedicated to managed services, business continuity and more. Yet each conveyed a similar theme and one that Motorola Inc.'s Janet Schijns perhaps summed up best: Price has to matter and investments must hold value for customers. And if you aggregate the right combination of services, you will future-proof your revenue streams.

That's especially important as some carriers trim their agent commissions or axe indirect partners altogether. Partners are realizing that long-term network access sales are not sustainable. On the VAR side, experts are watching their traditional customer base drift away due to lower capex spending. So, like agents, they're shifting their focus, too, toward managed services.

And there's already no shortage of choices. For example, Alteva this week introduced its hosted platform that incorporates Microsoft's unified communications software, Exchange and open-development features. Alteva handles the billing and other back-office functions, among other tasks, and agents can sell role-based licenses – for executives, call center agents, telecommuters and so on. The company also sells equipment and offers one-time hardware commissions.

Meanwhile, Masergy is providing hosted IP VPN managed services through channel partners. Broadview just launched its internally created hosted VoIP system. Developers can control the features and functions through cloud access. World Telecom Group (WTG) and colo firm Telx talked up their new partnership that lets partners add data centers services to their portfolios. End users don’t have to pay for infrastructure or internal IT employees. A.C.T. Conferencing is putting audio, video and Web conferencing into a unified portal. And Cbeyond and ADTRAN are bringing together cloud services and the necessary gear.

Those few case studies illustrate just how the channel is moving into its next phase of growth and change. And partners are consuming all the information they can. Consider the standing-room only education sessions, like the one on energy led by WTG's Vince Bradley, and the 32 percent increase of partner attendees as compared to the 2009 Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Las Vegas (based on final registration). Overall, participation soared 43 percent – because that’s what happens when channels collide.

By Kelly Teal

It's been several years since I had the opportunity to attend a Channel Partners show. And I have to tell you, I was blown away by you, the partners and suppliers. The economy, horrific as it has been, has increased your resolve to be your customers' most valuable resource. For agents, some providers' unwelcome commission changes have pushed you to educate yourselves on new products and sign up with fresh vendors and masters. And for VARs, the reduced capex spending among your traditional base has you eyeing the telecom side of the data world.

All of that drove you to take advantage of everything Channel Partners had to offer. You crammed the education sessions and vendor presentations, clamored to the Peer-to-Peer networking mixer and fueled non-stop activity on the show floor. I overheard so many serious discussions and business deals in the works that I lost track of the number – honestly.

You all seriously impressed me, and I know you impressed one another. At least a dozen people talked to me about the industry's energy, how it feels invigorated and refreshed, on the verge of exciting change. I agree. And it’s all due to your eagerness to evolve, and due to the Channel Partners Conference & Expo (the result of many of my co-workers' earnest and intense labor). I don't know when I’ll see most of you again but when I do, I expect to see continued transformation and enthusiasm, and reports of ever-growing revenue. Thank you for such a great show!

You might be wondering why we are sending the first edition of Spring 2010 Channel Partners Conference & Expo Show Daily when the event, March 1-3, is a week away. It’s simple really – there is so much going on at this show, we wanted to give you a sneak peek.

You’ll also receive the Show Daily on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday before the show with more highlights of what’s to come and what you won’t want to miss.

• Top-Notch Education – this year we’ve promised to send you on an odyssey to discover “transformation.” We planned your itinerary, you just need to get on board, starting with a map of the landscape, some potential routes and advice from previous “travelers.”
• Nearly 150 Exhibiting Companies – the leading and innovative vendors run the gamut of carriers, resellers, manufacturers, distributors, managed service providers and more.
• New Products & Services – here’s a few we got the OK to release in advance.
• Exhibitor Giveaways & Parties – You know you want to bookmark this page for all the cool swag and hot tickets.
• Peer-to-Peer Networking for Independent Agents and Subagents – we are expecting about 150 for this the third Peer-to-Peer event, which this time is sponsored by PlanetOne.
• 2010 Channel Executive of the Year – The finalists have been named, but the winner won’t be revealed until March 1.

PLUS, we have some firsts for Spring 2010:

• First-Ever Partner Pub Crawl – have a drink on your favorite exhibitors.
• Telecom Agent Key Issues Study – Get this exclusive report with your paid full conference pass.
• SMB Nation VoIP Workshop – Get complimentary entrance to this colocated workshop with your full conference pass to Channel Partners.

I could go on and on about all this event has to offer, but hopefully this list will help you plan for Vegas!