PARTNER CHANNEL: BRIEFS April 2002

Posted: 04/2002

Briefs

* Telecom reseller
NUI Telecom announced that its agents now can offer an integrated bundle of communications equipment and services as part of the company’s Solutions Express package. The offer is made possible by the summer acquisition of TIC Enterprises LLC by NUI Telecom’s parent company, NUI Corporation, a $1 billion energy company.

TIC is a sales outsourcing firm that markets products and services for Nortel Networks, Nextel Communications, the United States Postal Service, AT&T Corp., Qwest Communications Internationl Inc., Verizon Communications Inc., BellSouth Corp. and SBC Communications Inc.

“Our agents are now able to sell phone system, voice and data hardware, interconnect services as well as the installation of local network products within most RBOC [territories] in the country,” says Tom McCrosson, vice president of alternate channels for NUI Telecom.

* Under a mid-February agreement, Insight Enterprises Inc. subsidiary Insight Services Corp. will offer data network procurement and management services from
Bandwidth.com enabling its small and medium-sized business customers to compare and review product offerings from major carriers as well as tracking orders for submission through installation online.

“Bandwidth.com allows our customers to obtain the same prices, promotions and service that they would obtain from each separate carrier without the aggravation of sorting through hundreds of pages of proposals and hours spent getting the service provisioned,” says Joel Borovay, Insight Services’ COO.

Bandwidth.com CEO and co-founder Henry Kaestner says the deal effectively increases its sales force from 12 (out of 29 employees) to 1,200. “It’s a big deal for [Insight Services] as prior to now they had been able to sell everything around the pipe (T1), but the pipe,” he adds.

Kaestner also said the agreement is further evidence of large distributors efforts to “offer more services to the customer base and to defend their turf against the carriers who are starting to sell routers and hardware along with connectivity.”

*
IDS Telcom, a local and long-distance provider in the Southeast United States, announced it has expanded its agent channel by launching a master agent program. The Miami-based CLEC and UNE-P reseller plans to enhance its agent base to penetrate the BellSouth Corp. markets and, by the end of second quarter, to expand into the Northeast, including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. William Rubio will spearhead the program as director of agent business. He has been national senior director for ISP Expedient, a senior manager for XO Communications Inc. and a contract manager for AT&T Corp.

*
TelePacific Communications, a broadband telecommunications provider in the Western United States, has appointed Ken Bisnoff, current senior vice president, strategic operations, to oversee its agent channel. Bisnoff has more than 12 years of experience in the competitive local and long-distance telecommunications industry. One of the founding members of the TelePacific executive team responsible for all sales and marketing, Bisnoff was involved in the creation and foundation development for TelePacific’s agent channel program.

“We think this investment of senior staff and resources will be good for everyone,” said TelePacific CEO Rick Kimsey. “Adding 100 percent of Ken’s extensive experience with the talented team in place demonstrates our commitment to this highly regarded sales channel.”