The Week's Top Stories: CenturyLink Slashing Exec Pay, Happy Windstream Partners

Awards, hirings and happy partners. Not a bad week for the channel.

Our latest weekly roundup begins with one of our patented large-telco-working-through-financial-challenges stories, but the rest of the stories are rather positive. Windstream, whose channel executives have been navigating the repercussions of its company’s decision to enter bankruptcy, welcomed praise from some of the more influential partners in our industry. And a contact center vendor revealed which of its partners are bringing in the most business.

We’ve compiled our top six traffic-generating stories of the last five days for your information and reflection, dear readers. Scroll though our little aggregation piece to see if there’s anything you missed this week in the world of channel. Then clock out, close the laptop and charge into your Memorial Day weekend with no looking back.

6. CenturyLink Shareholders Say No to Exec Pay as Stock Continues Dropping

CenturyLink stockholders shot down a “say-on-pay” measure that would have compensated top executives.

The decision reflects CenturyLink’s stock price hitting a 27-year low. Meantime, CEO Jeff Storey earned $35.7 million in 2018.

The decision at first glance reads like a major contrast to Windstream, which requested its bankruptcy court to allow it to keep an incentive program that would award up to $20.1 million in bonuses to its top executives.

Read more about the vote.

5. Advantix Hires Former Kore Telematics Exec to Lead Channel Development

The provider of telecom life-cycle management solutions tapped Brad Renville to direct its strategic channels.

Renville previously worked for Kore Telematics, a company that specializes in M2M and IoT technology. He boasts more than 20 years in direct and indirect sales, and his new job title looks similar to what he had at Kore.

Get details on the new hire and his new duties.

4. AT&T to Partners: Offer ‘Game-Changing Solutions’ via These 3 Technology Trends

The new leader of AT&T Partner Exchange shared her vision for the channel last month.

We posted the video of Sara Straley’s keynote speech at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, in which she posited three hot technologies partners can sell. Two of those trends were IoT and 5G, but the third might not be one you’d expect from AT&T.

Take a look at Straley’s keynote

3. Telarus Bests TBI, Avant, Intelisys, Named Nice InContact’s Top Master Agent

Nice inContact congratulated Telarus for earning a higher number of bookings than any other master agent in 2018.

Telarus’ win reflects a major push to sell contact center solutions. The company has hired specialized personnel in the last year, but its most important move was buying CarrierSales, one of Nice inContact’s most prolific allies.

The contact center vendor also recognized masters Avant Communications, TBI and Intelisys in its recent partner awards as well as two popular carriers.

Visit our article to see the full list of winners.

2. Hosted PBXs Customers Love: Nextiva, RingCentral

Three-thousand IT manager customers weighed in on which PBX providers they like.

John Malone, president and CEO, Eastern Management Group, penned a piece about a recent hosted PBX satisfaction study his company conducted. While the two companies in the headline drew positive reviews, the survey examined 14 other vendors. His article includes interesting…… firsthand observations that are invaluable for partners making tough decisions about their portfolios.

Read Malone’s blog.

1. Windstream Keeps Big Masters Happy During Bankruptcy Process

Several partners praised the carrier last week, bucking a trend of complaints about Windstream’s chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

Although the feedback wasn’t unanimous – as an earlier outcry from some of the smaller shops indicated – larger companies including Avant, Telarus, Sandler Partners and WTG told Channel Partners that they have been treated fairly. Despite Windstream’s consolidation of its various partner agreements into one, the program remains “financially compelling” for one master agent and its subagents.

This story, as well as our gallery recapping the sequence of events in the bankruptcy saga, got the most attention this week.

Read Edward Gately’s latest installment of the drama.