Comms Dealer

Venus Business Communications has launched a new reseller incentive scheme open to all active and new resellers in its partner programme. The winner will get on track behind the wheel of a supercar of their choice.

"Our incentive rewards scheme is an attractive part of our partner programme for resellers that brings friendly competition across the network and celebrates success," said Brian Iddon, Venus Business Communications' Director.

"Since introducing the scheme we have seen a 55% increase in turnover through the channel.

"Our latest incentive is designed to step sales of 10GB circuits up a gear. There is plenty of opportunities in the market and the scheme is weighted so resellers can get themselves into pole position faster by selling this type of circuit in preference to others."

Konftel has launched a free mobile-based app for one touch 'on-the-go' conference calls.

Konftel Unite enables users to join conference calls and online meetings quickly and is targeted at road warriors and remote workers.

Users can dial into conference calls with one click, join sessions in WebEx, Hangout, Scopia and other web meeting applications and also gain a complete overview of their day's events and meetings from multiple calendars simultaneously.

Users can also receive notifications and call alerts, take text and voice notes and share them with others - as well as see who has been invited to a meeting.

The app works seamlessly with traditional Konftel devices.

Konftel's UK Sales Director, Jeff May, said: "With the Konftel Unite app, users are just a click away from joining a conference call.

"A typical day for many of us includes back-to-back calls and meetings, and it doesn't matter where you are, you're expected to join and be on time. Dialing into conference calls, fumbling between the calendar and dial pad, trying to remember phone numbers and long pass codes is a hassle especially for road warriors and remote workers. That's why we created this free and really convenient mobile app."

Comms Supply has launched a new monitoring solution available via all mobile platforms enabling the company's partners to monitor their Comms Supply Internet connections in real-time, including checking uptime and throughput.
 
Karl Alderton, founder and MD of Comms Supply, said "By using this solution we believe our partners will be able to offer more efficient first line support.

"As long as they have a Wi-Fi or 4G connection engineers can instantly check for any connectivity issues, from latency to high-utilisation causing slowness for the end customer."
 
Comms Supply partners will also be able to use the software to prepare reports that can be presented in customer service reviews.  
 
The new software is available on web, android and IOS. 
 
"Most engineers spend a large part of their working week out on the road so it was vital that our solution was available on mobile devices as well as being clear and simple to use," added Alderton.

Pace Telecom has selected the ISTRA cloud UC platform developed by Centile Telecom Applications.

ISTRA delivers a portfolio of UC and FMC services and supports a range of certified SIP terminals.

Jamie Hughes, CEO at Pace Telecom continues: "Our pre-existing platform was giving us issues with scalability and reliability. The Centile ISTRA platform offers us not only the means to deliver the quality of service our customers were expecting, but also a clear road map allowing us to respond to changing customer requirements with new services."

TeleWare has routed, recorded and analysed a call in real-time through Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform in a fully encrypted compliant environment in what Microsoft has confirmed is a world first.

TeleWare enhanced its solutions to achieve a seamless call of the same quality as one using physical equipment, overcoming the issue of data packet loss and latency previously associated with using a pure cloud-based system.

This call was carried out with a TeleWare customer rather than a test environment.

TeleWare CTO Rob Corrigil said: "Many had advised that this wasn't possible. We've had to overcome some technical hurdles, but our technology teams have all pulled together with one common goal and achieved the 'impossible'. This is significant as it demonstrates that our overall goal of going 100% cloud is possible."

Steve Haworth, CEO, added: "This milestone has wide reaching implications, not just for us, but for the wider Azure and cloud community. This is a huge accomplishment."

TeleWare's fixed line recording product will be fully migrating onto the cloud with its MVNO product also planned to migrate in the coming quarters.

Managed services provider Claranet has achieved AWS Premier Consulting Partner status, one of only ten services providers in Europe to have gained the distinction.

The AWS Partner Network (APN) is a tiered programme designed to help partners build a successful AWS stream for their business.

Olivier Beaudet, CMO of Claranet, said: "We see AWS as a true enabler of business agility and it forms a critical part of our product roadmap and corporate strategy.

"Being a Premier Partner means that we will be able to work much more closely with AWS to help our customers take advantage of the platform and transform their businesses.

"There is a huge appetite for AWS in the market, but many businesses - particularly those in the mid-market - have historically been locked out because they lack the necessary skills. Partner programmes enable organisations to take advantage of the infrastructure offered by AWS, but with additional services and support."

Sky has entered the business comms market for the first time via launch partner Fluidata to offer a high capacity Ethernet solution.

Sky has formed a SNS Wholesale division that will leverage Fluidata's comms market experience and address up to 95% of businesses in the UK. The ISP will also provide a dedicated support team.

Fluidata MD Piers Daniell said: "Customers choosing to commit to long-term high capacity connections strengthen the growth potential in their businesses.

"Sky's investment in the consumer market means we can push 1Gbs connections as standard and ensure customer connectivity is future-proof."

Graham Sargood, Sky's Director of Telecoms Wholesale, added: "Our investment in a telecoms infrastructure to deliver voice, video and data services to our residential customer base also enables us to serve the business marketplace."

All services will be available with SLA+, Fluidata's standard guarantee of service up-time.

Intermedia has been acquired by Chicago-based PE firm Madison Dearborn Partners (MDP). Intermedia is known as the world's largest independent provider of cloud Microsoft Exchange email, generating annualised revenues of $200m with 75,000 customers, 6,000 active partners and 700 employees around the globe.

The deal sees Intermedia's shareholders led by Oak Hill Capital Partners sell their stake in the company to MDP and company management. Intermedia, which was founded in 1995, was acquired by Oak Hill in 2011.

The partnership with MDP is expected to accelerate Intermedia's growth trajectory through increased investment in the company's channel partner programmes and more acquisitions.

Michael Gold, who will remain Intermedia's CEO, said: "Over the past five years we've more than tripled our revenues, EBITDA, users and product offerings. We've also experienced dramatic growth of our customer and partner base."

Zaid Alsikafi, a Managing Director at MDP, stated: "Intermedia is successfully capitalising on the global shift to the cloud, and possesses tremendous upside potential to capture further opportunities with its reach, scalability, customer support offerings and enhanced product functionality."

Gold added: "Recognising that the channel influences 65-75% of IT spending, we've built our business to meet the needs of the channel. Intermedia's cloud applications and management platform provide a number of key benefits for our partners, including a private label model, as well as operational, technical, marketing, and sales support. With MDP, I look forward to further strengthening our leadership position in the $20+ billion cloud business applications market."

The transaction is expected to close this calendar year, subject to customary regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Dark fibre trailblazer Exa Networks and training company Copper Road UK show what is possible for CPs once they've seen the light.

Strategically, the move into dark fibre was a natural next step for Exa Networks and an evolution of the company's existing business model. Far more revolutionary are the great strides that have been made in how Exa Networks leverages dark fibre and the upsides are truly transformational for customers and channel partners. Until now there have been few if any dark fibre procurement options for companies such as Exa, due to scarce availability and high costs. But alternative pure fibre infrastructure providers such as CityFibre have unlocked the pent up potential for limitless capacity and end-to-end network control for smaller players with big ambitions.

"As an ISP we've been delivering connectivity services and content filtering into the business and education market for 14 years," explained Mark Cowgill (pictured), co-founder and Director, Exa Networks. "Although we have done well, we had no option but to use the same national and local infrastructure with the same restrictions as every other ISP. But running dark fibre and our DarkLight service is a game changer for us and our customers. It's not just opened new doors, it's kicked them off their hinges. Potential customers or partners we'd been trying to talk to for years, who simply wouldn't take our calls, suddenly came knocking on our door when we launched DarkLight. We have gone from being a competitor to a market leader with an offering that other providers simply cannot match."

To prove the point Cowgill cited two of examples. The price for Gigabit connectivity in the UK (for instance 1Gbps on 1Gbps leased line) is on average circa £13,000 per year. Exa's Gigabit on DarkLight is a mere fraction of that figure. "Another great example of dark over lit for customers is that if you take, for instance, a 100Mbps leased line on a 100Mbps bearer, if for any reason you needed to increase bandwidth for a couple of days (for example, a conference at a hotel) to 2Gbps, it is simply not possible. The customer would have to order a new 10Gbps line months in advance and then commit to the bandwidth and the line for a minimum of one year.

"On our DarkLight service, if a customer finds themselves in this situation they can give us a call and get a temporary increase, paying a tiny fraction of what the previous option would be, and just have it there for whenever needed."

Taking on dark fibre is technically not too far removed from adopting lit, noted Cowgill. "Yes, you need to have an understanding of the optical and transmission side and expensive termination and network equipment, but the key point is to have the right network from the outset. We are fortunate to have operated our own network and infrastructure from day one. Those wanting to start from scratch need to allocate time, expertise and money before they can deliver their first circuit. For this reason Exa's partner programme exists to help comms providers more easily deliver dark fibre to their customers.

"The concept of dark fibre is new to many end users and comms providers, but it is taking off rapidly. If you are not in a position to deliver these types of services soon, you are going to be in a bad place competitively speaking. Our reseller and partner programme gives CPs the ability to offer our DarkLight service right away, without needing either the network expertise or expense. The nature of the product means there is little to no competition and it is a unique opportunity for our partners to deliver a future proofed Internet connection to their customers today, and one that will generate recurring revenue for years to come."

For resellers wanting to climb aboard the rolling dark fibre convoy they should consider three important factors, advises Cowgill. Firstly, network availability. "It is no good having a product that only a couple of people can get," he stated. "You need as big a network as is financially and technically possible to reach as many customers as you can."

Secondly, price. To make a step change in Internet connectivity in the UK for business and education organisations there needs to be a competitively priced product. "It's not complicated," explained Cowgill. "If the investment for the CP or end user is too great, nothing will change. Finally, the ability to listen and respond is crucial. As an ISP we need be able to openly talk to our dark fibre suppliers and for them to listen to our requirements and concerns. Anyone who has been in this business for a long time will know this is a big ask, but it is vital."

According to Cowgill, alternative network providers such as CityFibre are best placed to meet all of these essential requirements. "Having a single main provider stifles growth and does not generate competition or technological advancement," he stated. "The country needs alternative network providers who are willing to invest in the UK and help ISPs such as ourselves deliver world leading connectivity and services to organisations throughout the country."

The undeniable benefits of dark fibre to the industry and customers are not the sole rationale behind its widespread appeal. The limitations of the copper-based infrastructure also reaffirms unassailable arguments in favour of a pure fibre future. Enter Copper Road UK, a company that specialises in helping ISPs of all sizes prepare for the journey from copper to fibre by refocusing their sales and commercial approach. Copper Road UK Director Marcus Dacombe commented: "The legacy infrastructure that exists will always have a use but copper is not going to keep up with the exponential increase in demand for data. Fibre is the natural successor.

"As an industry we have never stopped developing more secure, faster and more cost-effective ways of transmitting voice and data, and a pure fibre future is within reach of the mass market. Providers that grab the opportunity to help their customers to develop a connected strategy are going to be in a stronger position than those who just resell comms products."

Access to dark fibre changes the discussion from how to make the most of a scarce bandwidth resource without losing control of costs, to how limitless capacity and flexibility can be leveraged to differentiate, drive efficiencies and prepare a business for the long-term future. "The conversation still starts with what a customer is looking to achieve, but it should then demonstrate how fibre can grow and sustain the business, rather than a series of alternative connection technologies," added Dacombe. "Fibre is an enabler but the return on investment, perceived quality and ease of use are the real decision drivers. The savvy reseller helps customers to understand how fibre can underpin growth and then offers margin rich products based on OTT services. The provider becomes a partner rather than provisioner, pursuing an integrated approach where the connection and services are wrapped together in a value proposition."

Comms providers should sensibly question their current purpose and whether it dovetails with the needs of a fibre-based future, believes Dacombe, who pointed out that sales people will inevitably be required to adapt their approach to generating new business. "There is a great community of sales professionals within the provider community," stated Dacombe. "However, there are also a number of people who are reliant on their previous experience.

"A good sales manager doesn't treat the customer as a quick win sales prospect, but instead relishes the opportunity to build a lasting relationship and become that customer's go-to expert. Recruiting people who can learn and grow with the technology is essential. Fibre sold on its own is just another connection technology, but sold as part of a connected strategy it enables customers to operate in new ways that generate business growth."•

Denying an entire nation the benefits of dark fibre is simply not an option. But there is little that most comms providers can do against monolithic national operators dragging their feet, until now. Here, Commsworld CTO Charlie Boisseau explains how the availability of dark fibre enabled the company to master its own destiny and liberate customers from the constraints of an inadequate infrastructure model.

First question, what does the comms industry want? Answer, it wants massive national dark fibre availability followed by mutually planned routes to market based on staunch partnerships with alternative providers. Commsworld's response to CityFibre's dark fibre proposition has granted that wish. The second question is how to switch a higher number of comms providers onto unlit fibre and further advance a national connectivity revolution.

According to Boisseau, adding volumes of dark fibre to the armoury of the channel is a no brainer. "Throwing an abundance of dark fibre into the industry will make the supply chain richer, even if you're not able to consume it directly," he said. "The industry will attract new providers such as ourselves doing clever things with dark fibre, readily wholesaling it back to the rest of the market. For example, we're planning to launch national Layer2 access to 1Gb/s and 10Gb/s Ethernet using CityFibre under our Fluency network brand name. Alternative network providers are hugely important in this space."

Commsworld uses dark fibre as a means of backhaul between its metro PoPs as well as an innovative access circuit technology for providing connectivity services to customers. "The traditional fibre and Ethernet/leased line carriers struggle to deliver against their SLAs, but owning and managing the service end-to-end puts us in control and allows us to deliver over and above the industry standard," added Boisseau. "Dark fibre also promotes innovation way beyond the scope of traditional metro Ethernet and leased line services which are the core component of most offerings from providers.

"If the sector continues to be shackled by the same old ubiquitous access networks with the same products and services underpinning the country's telecoms industry we will continue to be frustrated by the status quo. With a lack of innovation and an obscenely slow drip-feed approach to the roll out of new products and services, we really can't rely on the usual suspects to revolutionise our national infrastructure. For this reason, companies like CityFibre, with its fresh approach to funding and investing in new build networks, are absolutely critical."

Commsworld already provides flexible bandwidth options to its customers, with the ability to go from 1Gb/s to 10Gb/s in just days instead of weeks or months and without the huge cost. "We are also selling our own brand of wavelength-based optical services for enterprise and service provider customers, all over our own infrastructure, under our own control and with disruptive pricing," added Boisseau.

Adopting a full dark fibre strategy was a natural evolution for Commsworld, and a welcome progression from its former piecemeal use of dark fibre in its backhaul network. "On occasion we found the opportunity to use dark fibre for customer circuits, but the lack of a dark fibre asset to tap into was the main block to being able to deploy more dark fibre-based services," commented Boisseau.

"The likes of BT, Virgin, Vodafone etc don't currently sell dark fibre, so it was only an option in select areas in cities where one of our fibre partners happened to have network. But CityFibre arrived and built hundreds of kilometres into cities where we operate. It has been a game changer. Having an abundance of dark fibre asset to consume, and the ability to influence where it is built is an unprecedented paradigm shift in our space."

Access to dark fibre has greatly advanced Commsworld's capabilities. In the past the company had to rely on managed access tails from providers such as BT even though it had its own national MPLS network. "At that time our products and services looked similar to the rest of the industry but we nevertheless achieved success in selling customers the benefits of our agility and willingness to do things you just can't buy elsewhere," commented Boisseau.

"However, our success was limited by our inability to take that innovation further and differentiate in new ways. But having access to a raw piece of glass between our network and our customers means there is no limit to that innovation. We are no longer seen as a tier 2 operator buying network components from others. Having our own on-net fibre capability with all of the flexibility and scope for innovation it brings puts us on a level playing field with large national operators. The only difference is that our network is the result of a partnership with CityFibre, and we didn't go bankrupt building it."

It is a boon to Commsworld that it has in-house optical expertise and the knowhow to install, troubleshoot and maintain networks consuming dark fibre. "If you're planning to take dark fibre as a component of your offering, I would recommend putting your engineers through a general fibre awareness course and invest in some basic tools," advised Boisseau. "No engineer should be without an optical light source and meter and a good set of fibre cleaners."•