What software solutions does Telrex provide?

July 02, 2008

Executive Q & A: Jim Roark, Vice President of Sales at Telrex

Q: What software solutions does Telrex provide?
A: Telrex provides IP call recording and call center optimization software. CallRex call recording software supports IP telephony systems, VoIP softswitches and unified communications solutions from Cisco, Avaya, Nortel, Microsoft OCS, 3Com, Mitel, ShoreTel, BroadSoft, Sylantro, Genband, Zultys, Asterisk, Pingtel, Fonality, TalkSwitch, Digium, Switchvox and more. CallRex API enables custom integration of the CallRex platform with business and communications applications.

Q: What trends are you seeing in IT spending for voice over IP (VoIP) solutions?
A: With budgets being tightened, we are seeing a renewed focus on smarter spending – investing in technologies that will directly improve customer satisfaction and will scale with changing business needs.

Q: How does your technology fit into these initiatives?
A: We have seen increased interest in our “pay-as-you-grow” subscription-based pricing because the licensing model allows customers to simply pay a monthly fee for the number of users being recorded. Many call centers are seasonal in nature, and subscription-based licensing allows companies to appropriately spend budget dollars during seasonal lows and react to the changing business environment. Subscription-based licensing gives companies the opportunity to turn what may have once been a large capital expenditure into a monthly, predictable operating expense. Now, CallRex solutions can be implemented without sacrificing expenditures on training, staffing, and infrastructure. Businesses utilize call recording and monitoring for dispute resolution, employee training, customer service, regulatory compliance and to address security concerns.

Q: From your perspective, what key elements should customers look for when selecting a technology vendor?
A: Flexibility. Seek out vendors that offer flexible licensing options, like subscription-based licensing, and that work with a variety of PBX and telephony vendors. Technology is constantly changing, and you want a vendor that will grow with you. In addition, make sure that your vendors are versed in multiple platforms, so that they can assist you with multiple projects and installations as needed.

Certification. Vendors that have achieved certification from telephony vendors like Avaya, Cisco, and 3Com, have likely gone through extensive testing on the telephony platforms. Certified solutions help to give you peace of mind that your installation will go smoothly.

Customer service. Look for vendors that treat you as a partner from the first interaction to after the sale has closed. As a call recording vendor, we are in the business of helping you provide superior customer service, and it is our job to set a good example from start to finish.

Q: Are Telrex software solutions certified with any telephony vendors?
A: Yes, the CallRex suite has been certified on multiple platforms from vendors like Avaya, Cisco, 3Com, Mitel, and more. In addition, we have partnered with companies like Microsoft, Siemens, Nortel, NEC, and others so that we can continue to innovate together in VoIP technologies.

Jim Roark is the vice president of sales at Telrex. Mr. Roark has more than 15 years of experience managing direct and indirect sales organizations within the technology industry. In addition to owning and managing his own company, Jim has held several sales and channel management positions at companies such as Avnet Hallmark, EMC2, GE Access, Sybase and Performance Enhancement (a Cisco IP telephony partner).

Learn more about Telrex at http://www.telrex.com/ or call 425.827.6156 x2.

Aastra Telecom Announces the Launch of AastraLink™, a Microsoft® Response Point Phone System for Small Business

Aastra Telecom Announces the Launch of AastraLink™, a Microsoft® Response Point Phone System for Small Business

Powerful, easy to use and easy to manage system offers three compatible phone models including a cordless option for the North American SMB marketCONCORD, ON, CANADA/HOUSTON, TX — MICROSOFT WORLDWIDE PARTNER CONFERENCE JULY 8, 2008 — Aastra Telecom, a leading provider of enterprise grade corded and wireless SIP telephones in North America, today announced the launch of AastraLink RP™, a Microsoft® Response Point™ phone system, designed specifically for small businesses that have up to 50 employees.The AastraLink RP phone system is comprised of the RP 500 Base Unit which hosts the Response Point system software, the RP 540 Gateway with 4 analog telephone ports, and a choice of three Aastra Response Point IP phone models. Setting up features such as auto-discovery and auto-configuration, or changing the system can be done by an average PC user in minutes with no special phone training or additional license fees. In addition to supporting both IP and traditional analog calling, other innovative system features include: a voice-enabled user interface, advanced call routing, built-in voice mail, automated receptionist and contact integration with Microsoft Office Outlook®.

Three different enterprise-grade phones have been developed for the AastraLink RP system; the entry level 6751i RP, the full featured 6753i RP, and the advanced 6757i CT RP which comes with a cordless handset. Offering larger display screens, superior audio, programmable keys, full duplex speakerphones, and POE support, AastraLink RP terminals deliver enterprise level features and functionality to the SMB market. In addition, the 6753i RP and 6757i CT RP models have headset jacks and support up to three expansion modules providing additional choice and flexibility to meet specific small business requirements. The AastraLink RP base unit will ship pre-loaded with the SP1 software release just announced by Microsoft providing a host of new enhancements including SIP trunking.

“The combination of Microsoft’s unique voice-enabled telephony software, and Aastra’s robust feature rich phones, offers a powerful yet affordable telephone system for Small Businesses that have 1 to 50 employees” said Yves Laliberté, Executive Vice President at Aastra Telecom. “When you add the choice of three phone models to the mix, it allows Aastra to deliver the most comprehensive and complete end-to-end Response Point system solution available in the market today”
We are pleased to welcome Aastra and the AastraLink RP phone system to the Response Point community,” said Xuedong Huang, general manager of Microsoft Response Point. “Small businesses and channel partners can benefit from Aastra’s industry-leading expertise in telephony and enterprise telecommunications, and their focus on providing leading hardware solutions to meet the changing needs of business.”
The AastraLink RP system is now available for ordering from Aastra’s authorized distributor Wesbell Technologies. List pricing for a complete starter system bundle that includes a base station, gateway and three phones is $2,400, with additional phones ranging from $139 up to $399.
For further information on the AastraLink RP system, visit Aastra at www.aastralinkrp.com or Wesbell at www.wesbell.com/responsepoint. For more information on Response Point, visit www.microsoft.com/responsepoint.

Connectivity e-News Alert

Connectivity e-News Alert

Alliant DataTel, Inc. - Atlanta, Georgia - Monday - July 7, 2008 - 770.441.9999
Wireless data communication tools are an integral part of today's mobile workforce. The trend for remote connectivity and data access is fueled by demand for real-time access to information including the Internet, corporate intranets, IP phones and e-mail. Sierra Wireless has teamed with Accel Networks and both are well positioned in the wireless market to deliver a range of solutions for your mobile application. Working with partners like Alliant DataTel, we have developed complete wireless solutions in sales force automation, public safety, transportation, e-commerce, health care and utilities. In each environment we offer an innovative wireless solution that meets customer’s needs.SOLUTION HIGHLIGHTS:• Alltel, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon 3G coverage (United States, Puerto Rico and Canada)• Speeds average 1Mb x 512Kb• Proprietary provisioning qualitative analysis process gives the client 100% accuracy with zerofall-out• Three-day installation guarantee• Bundled equipment option, reducing NRC cost• 100% Private Layer 2 PCI Compliant network, ideal for merchants & retailers• Low cost network continuity/backup options• Proprietary patent pending enterprise grade equipment (modem/router/antenna), no otherprovider in the market offers this level of technology• Free 30-day multi-site pilot with approvalBENEFITS:Serial or Ethernet connectivity • Highly secure (PCI/Visa compliant) • No professional installation requiredService Level Guarantee • Always connected • 3-day installation • Unlimited data • Low-bundled monthlycharge (service & hardware) • $95 non-reoccurring costs • Accel Networks patent pending proprietaryhardware • health status monitoring 24/7Contact us to today to learn more about this affordable WiFi option...• Great for residential or commercial Internet back-up• When T-1, DSL or cable is not available/practical• Remote locations; i.e. construction trailers, second homes• When quick install Internet and e-mail is required• Remote IP phones

You are Seconds Away from Finding the Best PSTN Carrier Service Provider
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Independent Telecom Agents - The Top 10 Reasons Companies Use Them 1. Mergers and Acquisitions Sales is already known as a high turnover profession, but the recent rash of mergers and acquisitions in telecom make it highly unlikely the representative who signed you to your term agreement will still be there to assist you within a year. After making it past the phase of bankruptcies following deregulation, the next phase is mergers and acquisitions. In the past couple of years, a few of the major mergers include Level3/Broadwing (Focal), XO/Allegiance, ATT/SBC/Bell South, MCI/Verizon, Paetec/US Lec, and Time Warner/Xspedius among many others. By using an Independent Telecom Agent, you can be sure that regardless of continued merger activity or bankruptcies, your Independent Telecom Agent will continue to have the same contact phone number and email address. He/She will not be laid off or fired, and will continue to supply you all of the options you need. 2. Single Point of Contact Regardless of whether your Independent Telecom Agent recommends a single carrier solution or a multi-carrier solution, you still have a single point of contact to deal with the person who knows your account best. During the pricing and evaluation process for a new carrier, it is typical to get at least 3 bids and have at least two appointments with at least three carriers. The number of appointments you have to schedule could easily reach up to a dozen before an educated decision is made on your company's communications. If you use a qualified Independent Telecom Agent, you can spend one appointment determining the best course of action, and just one more evaluating the best options available in your market. Having a single point of contact is a huge time saver! 3. Person who understands your company, how you make decisions, and why. Your Independent Telecom Agent acts as an assistant buyer once he/she understands your business needs and preferences. He/she gets to know your organization, your goals and long range needs, and how you make decisions and why. Why would you want to repeat that process every couple of years? 4. You get to hear the truth! Perhaps this should be ranked #1! When you use an experienced Independent Telecom Agent, you tap into a wealth of knowledge and experience of someone who has been in the field for many years-and most likely with multiple carriers. Your agent will typically have experience dealing with multiple carriers in your market, and can tell you how they really perform. Not the rosy picture they all want to paint for you. Who has the most reliable network? Who has billing problems? Who is going bankrupt? Who can make the desired install date? When using an Independent agent, you don’t have to listen to "The Company Story" for each carrier, as they always tend to dress up their deficiencies. You get to hear the truth. 5. Unbiased opinion of multiple carriers and their product lines Based on where your business is heading, whether that be expanding, streamlining, or contracting, your Independent Telecom Agent can put you in the right situation. Just like buying an inexpensive phone system that can't grow with you, and can create the need for a forklift upgrade sooner than expected, getting stuck with a carrier that can't meet your future expectations can be crippling to your operation. Since most carriers have gone to term agreements in the T-1 age of communications, it's key to get set up with a carrier that can move with your needs. Do they have MPLS? Do they do SIP trunking? Can they offer an IP-VPN solution for your remote sites? Your Independent Telecom Agent knows the carriers’ products and limitations, and can put you in the right solution for your company. 6. Agents are invested in your success long term This is an incredibly important concept to understand when choosing to use an Independent Telecom Agent! When you work with a direct sales representative for a telecom company, one that may be here and gone tomorrow (rep or company), they are paid only to bring in the sale. As we all know in the world of corporate sales, comp plans drive behavior, and sales reps are specifically told, "If the customer has a problem, send them to the Help Desk. Do not get involved. You are paid ONLY to bring in new business." There is absolutely no motivation, despite the direct representative's best intentions, for them to ever speak to you again after you sign the dotted line. It's sad but true. On the flip side, because Independent Telecom Agents are commission only and residual based, earning a small percentage of the monthly bill, it takes them, in many cases, up to 24 months to get paid what the direct representative will get paid in month number one after the sale. The entire motivation for someone even becoming an Independent Telecom Agent is to build a book of business of happy customers that don't have to find someone new every couple of years to deal with. This relationship only makes sense for the agent if you stay with them for over 24 months, so they have EVERY motivation to assist you in solving any service issues that you may ever have. A good Independent Telecom Agent isn't just another business associate; they become part of your team. 7. They don't have a quota to make One of the biggest issues I have with local RBOC/ILEC, is that if you call in to the call center to order new service, you will only be told about what THEY want to sell you. NOT what is best for you. Everyone LOVES to sell bundles in telecom, but let me ask you this. Why do you need Centrex calling features or voice mail on your alarm or elevator lines? Do you need call transfer or remote access to call forwarding on every line in your hunt group and on your fax lines? Do you have mysterious items in the back of your bill for web hosting or other items you are afraid to disconnect in case you actually use it? When I call the ILEC/RBOC directly from the agent channel, I get offered different packages, and more attractive packages, than I get over the phone through the call center. It is very common for Independent Telecom Agents to uncover up to 10-20% of pure fluff on your bill during the auditing process. Why does this happen? Simple. The direct representatives you buy from have a quota to make and will often sell you what is good for them, not what is good for you. They are directed to sell what is profitable for the carrier they work for, and are paid accordingly based on their ability to do so. Top Independent Telecom Agents, almost without exception; do not carry quotas with any carriers. Because they do not carry quotas, you will not find them pushing you towards a solution that doesn't feel quite right just to meet their numbers. Be frank and ask your Independent Telecom Agent if they carry quotas with the carriers proposed. If they do carry a quota, be sure to ask enough questions about the solution they are suggesting to make sure it is right for you. 8. Extra Incentives and Promotions The Telecom Industry is moving increasingly towards the Independent Agent Channel. In fact, last year, a local ATT/SBC agent manager said the Agent channel gained more business through their agent Winback program than they did their direct Winback program. Even they were shocked! There are several reasons for this. Independent Telecom Agents are typically more knowledgeable, better trained, set proper expectations with the clients, their clients tend to remain clients longer (since they were sold the right program), and it is more cost effective for the carriers to deal with Agents. They do not pay base salaries or benefits, in addition to commissions. Strangely enough, where I have seen this benefit the customer most, is in the form of special incentives and promotions offered only through the Agent Channel. It is not uncommon for agents to compete head to head with a direct representative for one of the carriers they are presenting. It is also not uncommon for the agent channel to have promotions or incentives that the direct representative has not been given for the customer, and the agent will typically win the customer because of that fact. If the direct representatives have promotions available, they are often compensated extra if they do not use them. Independent Telecom Agents will pull out any available promotions available in an effort to gain your business for the long haul, as they are typically not incented or penalized for use of promotions. 9. Same Pricing The exact same standard pricing is used in the Agent Channel and the direct channel. In spite of all of the additional knowledge you can tap into with Independent Agents, you can be sure you are not charged any extra for it. For large projects, special pricing is available to both Agent and direct channels at the same amounts. It's an incredible model that helps the customer and agent win, and insures all clients are treated equally. 10. They understand Next Generation Technology Independent Telecom Agents will typically be better versed in MPLS, IP-VPN, VOIP, hosted solutions, call center applications, and SIP technologies since they need to understand multiple carriers' offerings and have attended their trainings. Direct representatives will often know a few tweaks to their individual limited product line a little better than agents that do not exclusively sell their product, but they will not have the overall understanding of all that is coming with new technology. No carrier can be the master of all technologies and master of all niches. It's a business impossibility. So it follows that it is nearly impossible for a direct representative to have the same breadth and width of exposure to the applications you are facing decisions on. Business is fiercely competitive, and implementation of some of the new technologies correctly can literally save larger companies hundreds of thousands of dollars. That may be the exact edge your company needs to gain the competitive advantage in your marketplace for security, marketing, recruiting, or even retention. Likewise, implementing a bleeding edge technology that is not ready for prime time may cost you the same. Using an experienced Independent Telecom Agent who is looking out for your best interests may make all the difference. 770.441.9999

SIP PBX. The Smarter VoIP Solution. Zultys Technologies is a leading manufacturer of enterprise IP telephony systems based on the open standard SIP. Our award-winning products are designed to improve worker productivity while remaining easy to use, deploy and manage. Zultys combines the full suite of telephony, voice mail, presence, instant messaging, desktop faxing, call recording and network gateway functions into a single box that seamlessly integrates into your business. At Zultys we make it easy for your company to leverage the power that is converged communications.

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Copyright Alliant DataTel, Inc., 2008Since 1996, Alliant DataTel has been connecting businesses. Committed to keeping your business up to date with the latest technologies,Alliant provides the expertise required to get your solution right, the first time.
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AastraLink RP™ A Microsoft® Response Point™ Phone System

AastraLink RP™
A Microsoft® Response Point™ Phone System

Available July 2008

AastraLink RP™ is a powerful, easy to use communications solution for Small Business
Aastra has leveraged many years of experience in the analog, digital and IP terminal business to develop the AastraLink RP communications solution for Small Business. Powered by Microsoft Response Point phone system software, the AastraLink RP system is specifically designed to provide the Small Business market with a simple, complete telephone solution in a compelling and affordable package.Targeted for 50 users and under, the system is comprised of three components; an Aastra designed Base Unit, Gateway and new Aastra Response Point IP phones. With features such as auto-discovery and auto-configuration, setting up or changing the system can be done easily by an average PC user in minutes. For users, a voice-enabled user interface, advanced call routing, built-in voice mail, Automated Receptionist and contact integration with Microsoft Office Outlook® offer simplified access to advanced large scale PBX features.
The AastraLink RP solution offers:
- Sleek and stylish enterprise-grade, carrier quality phone system - A choice of three different telephones, including a cordless model and optional expansion modules- Voice-enabled user interface simplifying call management- Support for voice calls using both traditional phone service and VoIP- An easy way to reduce phone system management costs
See what a telephone system specifically designed for Small Business can do for your customers.
AastraLink RP™ Solution Components

AastraLink RP™ 500 Base Unit
- Stand alone Windows Embedded Server


AastraLink RP™ 540 Gateway
- 4 FXO ports- Stackable for scalability


Aastra Response Point IP Phones

6751i RP- 3 Line LCD display- Programmable Speed dial keys- Response Point button support- Response Point Auto-Discovery and Auto-Configuration integration- Full Duplex Speaker phone- Supports Response Point phone system software

6753i RP- 3 Line LCD display- 6 Programmable keys- Response Point button support- Response Point Auto-Discovery and Auto-Configuration integration- Full Duplex Speaker phone- Supports Response Point phone system software- Supports optional expansion modules

6757i CT RP- Full 144x128 pixel display- 12 Programmable keys- Response Point button support- Response Point Auto-Discovery and Auto-Configuration integration- Full Duplex Speaker phone- Cordless mobility with included handset unit- Supports Response Point phone system software- Supports optional expansion modules

Sierra Wireless AirLink X Modems Now Available on the Bell Mobility High-Speed Data Network

Sierra Wireless AirLink X Modems Now Available on the Bell Mobility High-Speed Data Network

(8/28/2007)


PRESS RELEASE

Sierra Wireless announces AirLink X Platform availability on the Bell Mobility high speed mobile data network

AirLink Raven X and PinPoint X enable robust wireless networking, business continuity and mobile data solutions

VANCOUVER, B.C. – August 28, 2007 – Sierra Wireless (NASDAQ: SWIR - TSX: SW) today announced that the AirLink PinPoint X and Raven X have been certified and are commercially available for use on Bell Mobility’s high-speed EVDO Rev A network. These robust, wireless devices support the latest in high speed data technology and are backward compatible to both earlier EV-DO and CDMA 1X networks.

The AirLink X Platform is designed to meet the needs of customers that require high-bandwidth wireless access to mobile broadband networks for applications as varied as fleet management, commercial wireless networking, remote monitoring, utilities, automation, and security. Compared to earlier models, the Raven X and PinPoint X offer increased system processing power to take full advantage of the network’s faster data speeds, with expanded memory within an enhanced and scalable architecture. Customers will benefit from download speeds averaging 600 to 1.4 Mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds averaging 500 to 800 kbps (kilobits per second).

As with all Sierra Wireless AirLink devices, the Raven X and PinPoint X are powered by ALEOS™ embedded intelligence and provide an always-aware, always-on connection. ALEOS simplifies integration by managing device connectivity, maintains a persistent network connection, and enables comprehensive remote device management via Sierra Wireless’s tools and utilities.

“Launching the AirLink X Platform devices on Bell Mobility’s high speed mobile data network will enable us to offer customers exciting new solutions.” said Justin Schmid, vice president of the Mobile and M2M group for Sierra Wireless. “These highly intelligent devices will enable Bell Mobility clients to take advantage of a variety of powerful mobile data and wireless networking applications.”

AirLink Raven X

The Raven X is a robust communications and networking device designed to deliver reliable connectivity for broadband wireless data and mission critical applications. To expand its functionality and simplify deployments, the Raven X is equipped with both Ethernet and serial interfaces. The combination of an enhanced, robust processor, high-speed Ethernet and data session persistence provided by ALEOS make the Raven X perfectly suited for commercial wireless networking, e-commerce and business continuity applications. The Raven X is also Class I Div 2 certified for use in hazardous environments and compatible with numerous machine communications protocols, making it equally suited for a long list of remote industrial solutions, including utilities, automation and infrastructure.

AirLink PinPoint X

The PinPoint X is a compact, intelligent and fully-featured mobile communications platform with multiple peripheral connections, including serial, Ethernet and USB. Its high-precision 16-channel GPS receiver, coupled with the rich embedded intelligence provided by ALEOS technology, makes the PinPoint X the perfect choice for a broad set of mobile enterprise, public safety, fleet management and AVL solutions. With expanded I/O functionality in a separate connector that includes four digital inputs, four analog inputs and two relay outputs, the PinPoint X also offers extensive remote instrumentation possibilities. The PinPoint X is compliant with environmental military standards for vibration, shock, drop, high and low temperature and humidity.

For more information about the AirLink Raven X and PinPoint X from Sierra Wireless please visit www.sierrawireless.com/product/airlink/ravenx.aspx and www.sierrawireless.com/product/airlink/pinpointx.aspx . For information on the Bell high speed mobile data network, please visit www.businessonthego.ca/airlink

ACCEL NETWORKS ANNOUNCES TWO NEW HIRES TO EXPAND SALES TEAM

ACCEL NETWORKS ANNOUNCES TWO NEW HIRES TO EXPAND SALES TEAM

Danielle Peterson and Jim Miller Join Accel as Regional Directors



St.Petersburg, FL., January 28, 2008 - Accel Networks, the leading provider of managed fixed wireless broadband services, has expanded its sales efforts with the additions of Danielle Peterson and Jim Miller. Ms. Peterson, based in Boston, will serve as Regional Director of Sales for the eastern region, and Mr. Miller has taken the position of Regional Director of Sales for the western region based in San Jose.

Ms. Peterson, a top producing technology sales professional with an outstanding track record of account growth and excellent new business development, has focused her career on selling communications solutions for major national providers such as Lucent and WorldComm, among others. She has a record of outstanding performance consistently exceeding quota and is a recognized sales leader. Peterson stated, “When I learned about what Accel was doing, I immediately recognized that this is a solution that the market has been demanding.”

Mr. Miller brings to Accel his proven experience and track record building valuable channel partner relationships, in addition to his recognized success in direct sales roles. “As a sales professional, coming to the table with real value gives you the confidence of knowing that you have a distinct advantage,” said Miller. At Earthlink, Mr. Miller deepened his understanding of data communications while being a top sales performer. He continued his success at Megapath and Telekenex.

Eric Sandoval, VP of Sales and Marketing stated, “Jim and Danielle are A-list professionals, and we are very fortunate to add their talents at this stage in Accel’s growth. Their enthusiasm and energy typifies our corporate culture; I know that they will be very happy and successful here.”

About Accel Networks
Accel is the leading provider of managed of fixed wireless broadband services in North America. Drawing on its experience in fixed wireless networking, Accel fused proprietary technology and intellectual property with the 3G GSM and CDMA networks and created the first PCI compliant broadband fixed wireless enterprise network. Accelerator™ brings together the availability, reliability, network management and security of terrestrial frame relay with the data throughput and price point of DSL, without the long lead times, complex installations, and high fallout rates of terrestrial broadband.

ACCEL NETWORKS ANNOUNCES NEW MASTER AGENT PARTNERSHIPS

ACCEL NETWORKS ANNOUNCES NEW MASTER AGENT PARTNERSHIPS
2008-05-08


ACCEL NETWORKS ANNOUNCES NEW MASTER AGENT PARTNERSHIPS

Rapid growth of master agents fuel Accel’s fixed wireless broadband sales

St.Petersburg, FL., May 5, 2008 - Accel Networks, the leading provider of managed fixed wireless broadband services, today announced four new master agent partnerships formed during the first quarter. Accel’s base of agents now includes highly recognized industry leaders including:

• Telarus, Inc. (Draper, UT)
• Realcom Solutions (Dallas, TX)
• Vision Telecom (Providence, RI)
• Advoda Communications (Denver, CO)

“We are very pleased to have such prominent and well respected master agent partners representing Accel” stated Mark Gianinni, CEO of Accel. “Given their knowledge of the markets and insight into customer demands, their decisions to add Accel’s service to their product portfolios is extremely gratifying to us.”

According to the company, development of an effective master agent channel is a core growth strategy. Accel hopes to engage a total of 25 of the industry’s most effective master agencies to its program in 2008.

“It’s exciting to build a channel program from the ground up using the agent’s business needs as a guidepost” added Eric Sandoval, VP of Sales and Marketing. “Consequently, we have seen a strong response from the agents.”

“Although we are new to Accel’s channel program, we are excited to be able to offer our agents a fixed wireless 3G broadband solution” commented Lance Akins, VP of Sales for Telarus, Inc. “As our agent base continues to grow in number and sophistication, having a product that can reach multi-location retail businesses who do not qualify for wired services – or who can not afford T1 services – is huge. Not only does Accel offer a great product, the channel program is staffed by professionals who we know by experience will do right by the agents.”

Highlights of the master agent program include: simple customer contracts, no minimum commitments, and generous evergreen commissions, which are paid monthly. Overarching these important details is the opportunity to offer customers a revolutionary service that cannot be sourced from any other provider. Accel is currently offering an early adopter master agent program, which will run through the month of August 2008.

“A relationship with a provider that gives us a workable “last” mile solution, coupled with a simple, easy to read and manage agreement makes Accel the kind of partner ADVODA needs,” added Ron Dunworth, CEO of ADVODA Communications. “We now have a service we can sell into our existing base, as well as market to new potential accounts that have a need for a reliable fixed wireless solution.”

Accel provides the broadest coverage and the highest data rates of any fixed wireless broadband provider. By taking a unique, multi-carrier approach Accel has the reach and breadth of the four top carriers combined which enables the Company to select the best possible service for every customer specific location. Then Accel optimizes the RF signal utilizing its proprietary antenna which incorporates patented filtering technology resulting in the highest possible fixed wireless data rates. Accel’s propriety monitoring tools enable Accel Networks to continuously monitor RF links ensuring the best possible customer experience. These three proprietary aspects of its PCI compliant service model: pre-qualification analysis, RF optimization and proactive RF link monitoring make Accel peerless in fixed wireless broadband service.

“Our agents and their clients have not been this excited about a product in years” said Charlie Bogart, CEO of Realcom Solutions. “We have seen phenomenal growth in our agent funnel since introducing Accel’s service in January. Today we have pilots running with more than half a dozen large brand name retailers. The clients could not be happier with Accel’s level of engineering knowledge and support. Private PCI compliance network architecture and extensive 3G coverage are two points that impress clients the most.”


About Accel Networks
Accel is the leading provider of managed fixed wireless broadband services in North America. Drawing on its experience in fixed wireless networking, Accel fused proprietary technology and intellectual property with the 3G GSM and CDMA networks and created the first PCI compliant broadband fixed wireless enterprise network. Accelerator™ brings together the availability, reliability, network management and security of terrestrial frame relay with the data throughput and price point of DSL, without the long lead times, complex installations, and high fallout rates of terrestrial broadband.

About Telarus
Telarus was voted the number one master agency in 2008 by the members of the Telecom Association and VAR Business Magazine. Telarus’ goal is to make agents and VARs more successful than they can be on their own or with any other master agent. Telarus provides agent tools, automation, and superior support in an atmosphere of cooperation and ethical community. One example of the tools Telarus provides its agents is real-time voice and data price quoting through its patent-pending GeoQuote technology. GeoQuote makes it possible for business shoppers to access instant pricing and availability information for over 30 broadband data and voice service providers which include Accel Networks, ACC Business, AireSpring, American Fiber Systems, AT&T, Cavalier, Covad, Level3, MegaPath, Network Innovations, NewEdge Networks, Nuvox, PAETEC, One Communications, PowerNet Global, Qwest, TelePacific, Telnes, Time Warner Telecom, UCN, and XO Communications.
About Advoda
ADVODA Communications specializes in telecommunication consulting to both small and large businesses. We partner with carriers and service providers to design and develop voice and data solutions for clients using services available from our partner providers. These solutions run the gambit from single voice connectivity to sophisticated voice and data networks, covering multiple locations- locally, regionally and nationally. Our broadband and packet networking knowledge is second to none in the industry.

About RealCom Solutions
RealCom Solutions is a vendor-neutral, client-advocate Telecom Agency providing best-of-breed solutions and pricing to our Clients and Agents. RealCom Solutions was awarded the 2007 Circle of Excellence from AT&T as a Top Performer and also was chosen for the Southwest Alliance Board of Advisors. RealCom Solutions a Premier Master Agency was chosen for the 2007 Qwest Advisory Council.

Is open-source ip telephony dependable?

Is open-source ip telephony dependable?

Perhaps your business has made the decision to upgrade to a premises-based IP telephony system. The question is: which route is best, proprietary or open source? Does your business choose a well-established supplier of proprietary IP PBXs or is it attracted to the often cheaper and more reactive route of an open source IP PBX? How important is the underlying hardware and software upon which your telephone calls will be made and received?

First we need to consider what is meant by ’open source’ in the context of IP PBX systems, so let us take an example: word processing applications, such Windows Word or Mac Pages, are proprietary applications as are nearly all the applications that a business will use on a day to day basis. That is, the behind-the-scenes source code cannot be amended in order to allow the implementation of any new features that may be required. This is an advantage is many ways as it is not often wise to allow anyone to amend software in this way – and therefore subsequently be responsible for retesting and supporting the amended version – as could be done if these applications were ’open source’. In other ways it may be a disadvantage, for example if a business really must amend the way an application works in order to suit special needs, this is not always possible when the software application is proprietary. In addition, as the development of open source systems is undertaken by a wide variety of people with a range of skill levels, and as open source software can run on relatively inexpensive off-the-shelf hardware, open source systems can be cheap. It’s a similar story for telephone systems: the operating system that controls an IP PBX’s may be amended, tweaked or re-written by anyone who chooses to do so – ‘open source’ – or alternatively, by design, it may not be modified – ‘proprietary’.

Open source IP PBX systems such as those based upon Asterisk, of which Digium-based systems have the lion share, have made some headway into the IP PBX arena. Although reputable proprietary systems often have a surfeit of functionality required by most businesses – such as click-to-dial, sophisticated in-bound call routing, automatic pop-up of CRM client details and the ability to make calls simultaneously via a number of interfaces – there is sometimes a need for businesses to tailor their telephone system in business-specific, non-standard ways. Or perhaps a business is forced to make cost the primary factor. So there can be a real and valid reasons to consider open source systems.

However, few open source systems are adequately able to support small to medium-sized businesses - certainly those who deem telephony as ‘mission-critical’ - as few systems can be scaled to cater for larger enterprises. Perhaps most important of all, fewer still can stand up to being rigorously tested and it’s often a challenge to obtain meaningful information on testing regimes and mean time between failure rates. In common with other open source applications, Asterisk-based systems are developed by a number of varying companies: there may be some advantages to this approach but these must be contrasted by the fact that no one system has significant enough market exposure to a large customer base over a protracted period of time. This can result in coding errors and security vulnerabilities remaining undiscovered and users finding themselves beta testers for what they may have been lead to believe were tested and released implementations.

For those businesses who feel they really must consider a highly-bespoke and non-standard telephony implementation it should be borne in mind that building and programming an Asterisk IP PBX is not for the faint-hearted; few businesses have the expertise to build a system in-house and so opt to purchase from Asterisk suppliers. In turn a robust support contract is needed which means making sure that the supplier that provides the Asterisk system is ’solid’ and will be around for the duration in order to provide any support you may require. Owing to the nature of open source systems there is rarely the option to rely on the back-up of a distributor or manufacturer. In addition, there are platform issues to consider: not every business runs Windows or uses PC’s.

Our best of breed premises-based IP PBX system from Zultys, however, provides client software that can run on a PC, a Mac OS X and Linux environment. This - coupled with the functionality, robustness and scalability that Zultys provide and their longevity and their many years of experience in IP telephony - makes Zultys our premises-based IP PBX system of choice. Long established since 2002 and developed in America’s Silicon Valley, Zultys are the best kept telephony secret in Europe!

Ask yourself this: would you be happy knowing that the software of the plane you’re flying on has potentially been amended by anyone when your life, and the life of everyone on the plane, depends upon its correct functioning? Or would you prefer for it to have been designed and tested by the manufacturer who built the plane? It is an extreme example perhaps but a parallel can be drawn here: telephone calls are often life-blood of a business.

Inexorably then, there seems to be a logical draw back to proprietary IP PBX systems, placing the open source systems to one side. Here at 500 we have considered open-source PBX systems - and we’ll continue to monitor the progress of Asterisk-based PBX systems and other emerging open-source IP PBX solutions - but of the three we have reviewed, all were ultimately found wanting. So, we must state that we believe that current open-source offerings do not truly provide mission critical business-grade telephony.

To find out further information on why or to talk to us on any other matter, please don’t hesitate to call us at 770.441.9999.