creative carrier solutions

Welcome to Creative Carrier Solutions

With over 15 years experience in telecommunications and data & internet consulting and 25+ years of experience with computers and networking, We've been blessed with success in working with companies on their telecom and data needs.

Our goals are to provide clients with professional consultation regarding their telecom expenditures, internet bandwidth and corporate connectivity.

We work with over 25 telecom and data bandwidth carriers nationwide. Not only do we work directly with clients on their needs. We network with a team of 30 companies that provide nationwide telecom and data equipment, structured cabling, security monitoring, cellular services and carrier services.

Our success lies in our accessibility for your IT and Telecom Departments. If your organization is looking for local, long distance, dedicated internet, MPLS, Private Line or any other telecom need, please don't hesitate to give us a call.

Specialties

• Traditional telecommunications.
• MPLS, VoIP, Integrated / Bundled Solutions.
• Complex problem solving.
• Identifying potential efficiencies within a company's current voice & data services.
• Contract negotiation, contract interpretation.

Who are Telecom Agents and Why Should You Use Them?

Date: January 29th, 2015 Author: Justin Rice

I’ve worked in technology for nearly a decade now, which is nothing compared to many of my counterparts who have experienced much greater change. Over these last 10 years, we’ve seen technology and telecommunications solutions change so drastically and so frequently, it leaves us wondering how we can keep up. It’s 2015, and telecom is a very complex industry that is changing every single day. Finding a telecom solution that meets the needs of your business can be a daunting task, and often overwhelming.

Independent telecom agents can help you embrace these changes. They help your business find solutions that can meet your needs, and help you propel your business into the future. You may be asking yourself, “What’s the benefit in using an agent instead of calling a solution provider directly?” There are certainly benefits both ways, but I’m here to explain a few reasons why an agent relationship can benefit you.

• One Agent, Many Carriers: Telecom agents partner with many carriers and solution providers that provide many different services. They understand the solutions that each carrier brings to the table, and can help facilitate the relationship between you and the carrier. They understand product benefits and disadvantages, and have in-depth knowledge of the industry. Furthermore, some solutions may require multiple carriers. In this situation, the agent can act as a single point of contact for you. Your invoicing and billing will be with the carrier, but the agent will foster the relationship.

• They’re not biased: Telecom agents aren’t biased. Their goal isn’t to pitch a product or service from their company, but rather to understand the needs of your business and find carrier solutions that meet your needs. They can negotiate with the carriers on your behalf. This eliminates the need for you to sit in dozens of carrier meetings, allowing you to be more productive.

• Agents have a vested interest in you: Telecom agents typically act on a residual commission from the carrier. Because of this, they have a vested interest in the long-term success of your business and building a solid relationship with you. Agents want happy customers to build a book of business with so they can acquire future customers. They will act as a member of your team. They will assist you in addressing any service issues with the carriers and solution providers, and help you understand any changes that are taking place in the industry.

Realizing that it's time to make an upgrade to your telecommunications solution is the first step. Actually finding a solution that meets your needs can be a scary second step. It can be overwhelming and downright stressful. Hiring a telecom agent often makes this transition substantially easier.

More and more solution providers are embracing the agent channel because it’s mutually beneficial and provides great value. The bottom line is that telecom agents work to understand your business, and will work for you to find the best solution that help you propel your business into the future.

The Top Reasons YOU Should Use Independent Telecom Agents

BY INFINIUM

Today’s telecommunications marketplace has grown into a huge industry, and one that is hugely complex as well. With all the options out there for handling your company’s telecommunications – including land lines, mobile, IP telephony, and cloud-based solutions – trying to find the right setup to grow your business can be extremely challenging.

That’s why more and more companies are turning to independent telecom agents to assist them with their telecommunications needs. But why, you might ask, should I pay extra money to someone when I can set up my phones for myself?

Here are the top reasons you might investigate independent telecom agents.

The Benefits of Independent Telecom Agents

• A single point of contact: In a modern enterprise, your communication needs may be spread out across a half-dozen different firms or more. That makes for a lot of accounts to keep track of, and a lot of contact numbers to search through when something stops working. With an independent telecom agent, you have a single point of contact you call whenever anything fails, and they take it from there.

• Save time: Shopping around for serious telecom integration services takes a lot of time. You might have to interview a dozen companies to find the one that fits your needs, even in a single area of communications services. Wouldn’t it be better to have someone familiar with the industry who does that legwork for you?

• Unbiased opinions: Qualified independent telecom agents have years of experience in the telecom industry, and know the “straight dope” on the major players. Rather than having to sit through self-serving sales pitches from the companies themselves, you can have someone give you the facts you need without forcing you to sift through propaganda to find them.

• They’re working FOR you: Salesmen want sales. They generally don’t care how well the service performs after you sign on the dotted line. An independent telecom agent, however, remains in your employ past the initial signup. It’s in their own interests to ensure you have the best possible communications setup since it’s their job on the line if your communications fail.

Add all this up, and you have a service which is a huge time- and cost-saver for modern businesses. The telecom industry has hit the point that you really need an expert to interface with it, and that’s why you should consider hiring an independent telecom agent.

Testimonial:

As a small nonprofit organization, we don’t often receive the star treatment from vendors or large companies. JR with Creative Carrier Solutions gave us just that and served as a tireless advocate for our needs. I can’t even begin to calculate the time and money he saved our group, allowing us to devote these resources towards our mission—where our members and partners expect it to be. JR is part consultant, part wizard: professional, enthusiastic, and amazingly well-connected. Each perceived crisis or challenge that comes our way is no match for his savvy. I wish I had a JR for all of our office systems and contracts.

- Stephani Pescitelli | Office Manager and Programs Assistant | Wisconsin Wetlands Association

Important EarthLink 2014 Rate Increases

Dear Valued Client,

As we continue to upgrade the network and update certain products and services, we have experienced an increase in underlying costs associated with those specific products. EarthLink is initiating a rate increase that will be effective January 2014. We will be communicating via bill insert to all customers on December 1, 2013. Click here to view the insert.

On our customer's January 2014 invoice they will see a 5% increase in the monthly recurring charges for certain services and features in each of the following categories of service if applicable to the service package: data, internet, local and long distance voice service.

The Administrative Support Charges will increase as follows:

Service/Product Type	Administrative Support Charge Increase
POTS Lines (BBL, Basic, Advantage, PowerPath analog, Direct analog), Centrex and Direct Centrex, ISDN BRI, Analog Trunks, Integrated DSL, Flexible Integrated and Customizer with analog voice	From $1.18 to $2.36 per line
Netflex, Flexpath, PowerPath Digital Voice, Direct Digital Voice and Customizer Digital Voice, Integrated NetflexXtra and Customizer with digital voice	From $28.32 to $56.64 per circuit
ISDN PRI, PowerPath ISDN, Direct ISDN and Customizer with ISDN, Integrated PRI, Converged PRI Customizer with ISDN PRI, and Ultra T1	From $5.90 to $11.80 per circuit

Some of Our Partnering Providers

TDS parent acquires Colorado-based MSN Communications

Telephone and Data Systems, parent company to Madison-based TDS Telecommunications Corp., announced the acquisition of MSN Communications, Inc., headquartered in Englewood, Colo., for a purchase price of $40 million. MSN Communications generated annual revenues of $99 million in 2012 with a team of 104 employees and will be part of TDS' Hosted & Managed Services subsidiary. By WTN News.

The Value of Hiring Experience

More often than not, choosing a candidate with less experience is a detriment, not an advantage, to your business.

We are in the age of the inexperienced entrepreneur making a fortune and leading the pack. At least that's what I see in everything from The Social Network to a recent Inc. article about a 20-something New Yorker moving to Dehli because his company's website is all the rage in India.

As a small business owner, you may think that hiring someone fresh out of college - maybe even fresh out of high school - could be a good change of pace for a position that normally requires a few years of experience. After all, someone young and fresh who isn't "bogged down" by experience may add some unique perspectives to your company.

There's some truth to this argument. And maybe you can find an entrepreneurial wunderkind who's willing to work for less pay. But, more often than not, choosing a candidate with less experience is a detriment, not an advantage, to your business. At my company, I've seen it time and time again.

Some things just can't be taught in a classroom. You can read and read all you want about great sales and customer service, but until you pick up a phone with an irate customer on the other end of the line, you don't know anything about effective conflict resolution. And it's not just customer service where experience counts - all problems boil down to the same core issues.

Experience teaches the problem-solving, people management and leadership skills that apply to all areas of business. Unfortunately, ambition and intelligence aren't enough.

Imagine your inexperienced but smart new employee is a whiz with Website design and coding, and you've given him a sizable Website project with a tight deadline. There's no way he can finish the project on time by himself. But he keeps trying because he lacks the experience to know the project requires more time and resources. He doesn't tell you until the last minute that it won't launch on time, and now you have to scramble to figure out
what to do.

A website designer with five years of experience has been there and done that. She knows her limitations, and what she can accomplish. Once she's analyzed the project and created an estimated timeline, she proactively shows you that the deadline is unattainable unless certain changes are made (problem-solving). She'll offer suggestions on how to proceed (leadership) and probably start working with freelancers who can help at reasonable rates (people management).

I'm not claiming that the 21 year old who comes in for an interview sporting a hoodie and torn jeans couldn't very well be the next Mark Zuckerberg. But Zuckerberg is an outlier, and taking a chance on inexperience can lead to more headaches than it can to hip ideas that will actually help your business.

If your position will allow someone with little experience to grow and learn, great. If not, place your bets on the candidate with the experience and insight to do the job right.

Posted by Michael Alter at 9:49 AM - via LinkedIn

AT&T Verbal Contracts

Many of us take advantage of the simplicity of AT&T's 1yr verbal contracts. We can make a quick call to the AT&T business services call center and have new service ordered within a few minutes for clients. We can get the new phone numbers immediately and get an installation date during the call. It's a great way for a small client to establish new service quickly.

But did you know AT&T doesn't send any terms or conditions or welcome information to the client? They also don't tell you the verbal contracts auto renew for 2 additional concecutive 1yr terms to ultimately complete 3years of contract.

AT&T will send the client a letter 30-60 days prior to the auto renewal, but if the letter isn't responded to, the original verbal contracts auto renews. Now, the client does have a 30 days window after the renewal to cancel and move service or cancel and opt for a different term, but no additional notification is sent after the renewal letter send prior to the end of the term.

So, although the 1yr verbal contracts with AT&T are fast and easy, please be aware of the terms and keep an eye out for a renewal letter approx 10-11 months after the new service is established.

FREE Virtual Private Cloud Service - US Signal 1st Qtr Promotion

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here

FREE VIRTUAL PRIVATE CLOUD for 3 MONTHS

Free 3 months usage of up to 3 Virtual Private Servers in the

US Signal Managed Data Center

Choose your Virtual Private Servers to be any of the available configurations (1 - 8 vCPU, 2 - 16GB Memory, 100GB - 2TB Gold or Silver Storage)

Access your Virtual Private Servers using a 10 Mbps Internet
port and a Cloud Based Managed Firewall

Download the pdf
Contact JR Ewings for additional information

Windstream's January Agent Training Schedule

Channel Development’s January Training Schedule
Training Initiative	In an effort to strengthen your market share and successfully grow and manage your PAETEC, now part of Windstream business, we bring you the “Windstream’s Weekly Webinar Series” full of information on the latest products, services and applications.
New Agent Fast Start Program	This class will give you a basic understanding of Windstream as a Company, an overview of our products and services, enable you to recognize applications, create proposals, manage your orders and access our online sales portal (PAETEC Online). Tuesday, January 3^rd, 2011 – Please pre-register *here*
January’s Weekly Webinar Schedule	All classes begin at 1:00 p.m. EST: Wednesday, January 4^th – Cloud 101 Wednesday, January 11, 2012 – DYIP Product & Online Portal Wednesday, January 18, 2011 – NEW Agent Online Quoting Tool – just released! Wednesday, January 25, 2012 – PAETEC Online, your online customer portal! Please select the email attachment to add these PAETEC trainings to your Outlook Calendar
Log-in information for Web & Audio	To Join the Webinar: 1. http://www.paetec.com/conferencing 2. Enter Conference Bridge Number: 800-501-8979 & Access Code: 1757576 3. Once the Chairperson has arrived, you will placed into conference To Join the Audio Conference Call: 1. Dial 800-501-8979. 2. When asked, enter the Access Code, 1757576. 3. You will be placed into the Audio Conference after the Chairperson starts the call. We appreciate your commitment and look forward to working with you and your team this month. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Channel Development
New Contact Information	Please contact us to add new or missing members of your organization to the PAETEC email announcements. Please be sure to include your agency name, contact name, contact number and contact email address.

Time Warner upcoming Webinars

Business Class PRI training for Agents
Agenda:
· Time Warner Cable in the Telecom Industry
· PRI Technology
· TWCBC PRI Offering
· Selling BC PRI
· Invoicing
· Installation
· Key Differentiators
· Resources

Webinar sessions:
Tuesday, October 18th at 2:00 p.m. ESTClick here to REGISTER for this session orvisit https://twcbc.ilinc.com/register/bbxyrmm
Wednesday, October 19th at 11:00 a.m. ESTClick here to REGISTER for this session orvisit https://twcbc.ilinc.com/register/yvwsxbh
Thursday, October 20th at 3:00 p.m. ESTClick here to REGISTER for this session orvisit https://twcbc.ilinc.com/register/hhfkjxh

Managed Security Solutions and Online Backup training
Agenda:
· Market drivers
· Managed Security Solutions Offering
· Technology and Installation
· Sales Objectives and Strategies
· Online Backup offering
· Tools and Resources

Webinar session:
Wednesday, October 19th at 2:00 p.m. ESTClick here to REGISTER for this session orvisit https://twcbc.ilinc.com/register/ccczjtv

Windstream to Acquire PAETEC

Source: Windstream Corporation
Date: August 1, 2011 05:00 AM ET

Windstream to Acquire PAETEC

Transaction is Another Significant Step in Company's Transformation

Combination creates a formidable national telecommunications provider with more than $6 billion in total revenue

Accelerates revenue and free cash flow growth profile with approximately 70percent of revenues from business and broadband services

Creates nationwide network with approximately 100,000 fiber route miles

Enhances capabilities in key strategic growth areas including metro fiber, Ethernet, data centers and managed services

Expected to provide approximately $100 million in annual pre-tax operating cost synergies and tax benefits with a net present value of approximately $250 million

Expected to be accretive on a free cash flow per share basis, excluding merger and integration costs, in the first year following closing

Slightly de-leveraging after synergies

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Aug. 1, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Windstream Corp. (Nasdaq:WIN) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire PAETEC Holding Corp. (Nasdaq:PAET), based in Fairport, N.Y., in a transaction valued at approximately $2.3 billion.

"This transaction significantly advances our strategy to drive top-line revenue growth by expanding our focus on business and broadband services," said Jeff Gardner, president and CEO of Windstream. "The combined company will have a nationwide network with a deep fiber footprint to offer enhanced capabilities in strategic growth areas, including IP-based services, data centers, cloud computing and managed services. Financially, we improve our
growth profile and lower the payout ratio on our strong dividend, offering investors a unique combination of growth and yield."

"Both PAETEC and Windstream are built on a customer and employee-focused culture. Together, with far denser network assets, an expansive fiber infrastructure, and larger data center footprint, I believe our brightest days are ahead," said Arunas A. Chesonis, chairman and CEO, of PAETEC. "Our combination now creates a new Fortune 500 company with the financial strength and scale to compete and win against any other provider in the industry. I'm confident that this transaction will deliver substantial long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders."

PAETEC shareholders will receive 0.460 shares of Windstream common stock for each PAETEC share owned under the terms of the agreement which was approved by the boards of directors of both companies. Windstream expects to issue approximately 73 million shares of stock valued at approximately $891 million, based on the company's closing stock price on July 29, 2011.

Windstream also will assume or refinance PAETEC's net debt of approximately $1.4 billion at the time of closing. PAETEC stockholders are expected to own approximately 13 percent of the combined company upon closing of the transaction.

Significant Synergies and Tax Attributes Drive Free Cash Flow Accretion

The transaction is expected to be accretive to free cash flow per share, excluding merger and integration costs, in the first year following the closing. The transaction is expected to generate annual pre-tax operating cost synergies of approximately $100 million and capital expenditure savings of approximately $10 million, which are expected to be fully realized by the third year after closing. Windstream expects to incur merger and integration costs of approximately $50 million in operating expense in the first year following the closing and approximately $55 million in capital expenditures over the first three years following closing.

The transaction will allow annual PAETEC net operating loss utilization of approximately $130 million in each of the first 5 years. The tax benefits will have an estimated net present value of approximately $250 million.

Enhanced Scale and Improved Business Mix

The combined company would have had $6.1 billion in total revenue and about $2.4 billion in adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization, which excludes non-cash pension expense, restructuring charges and stock-based compensation expense, on a pro forma basis for the last 12 months ended March 31, 2011. Business and broadband revenues would have comprised approximately 70 percent of total revenue.

The new company will serve business customers in 46 states and the District of Columbia and maintain approximately 100,000 fiber route miles across the country. Windstream will offer data center services across the United States and have improved capability to serve multi-location business customers.

Strong Balance Sheet and Liquidity - Windstream will continue to have a strong balance sheet and liquidity. The transaction will be slightly deleveraging, including synergies.

Committed Financing - Windstream has received $1.1 billion in committed financing in connection with the acquisition, which financing would be required if Windstream refinances the assumed debt.

Dividend Practice - Windstream pays an annual dividend of $1 per share and its board of directors expects to continue the current dividend practice after the transaction closes.

Approvals and Anticipated Closing - The transaction is expected to close within six months, subject to certain conditions, including necessary approvals from federal and state regulators and PAETEC shareholders.

PAETEC Overview - PAETEC is a competitive local exchange carrier and provides telecommunications services primarily to business customers in 46 states and the District of Columbia. The company operates seven data centers in the U.S. and owns approximately 36,700 route miles of fiber in portions of 39 states and the District of Columbia.

PAETEC has approximately 5,000 employees, including about 875 in the Rochester, N.Y. area. The company was founded in 1998.

Additional Information - Stephens Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC are acting as financial advisers and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is acting as legal adviser to Windstream in the transaction.

BofA Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. are acting as financial advisers and Hogan Lovells is acting as legal adviser to PAETEC in the transaction.

Conference Call - Windstream will hold a conference call at 8 a.m. CDT today to review the transaction.

To Access the Call - Interested parties can access the call by dialing 1-877-374-3977, conference ID 88434342, ten minutes prior to the start time.

To Access the Call Replay- A replay of the call will be available beginning at 9 a.m. CDT today and ending at midnight CDT on Aug. 8. The replay can be accessed by dialing 1-855-859-2056, conference ID 88434342.

Webcast Information - The conference call also will be streamed live over the company's website at www.windstream.com/investors. A replay of the webcast will be available on the website beginning at 9 a.m. CDT today.

About PAETEC - PAETEC (Nasdaq:PAET), a Fortune 1000 company, is personalizing communications and energy solutions in 86 of the top 100 metropolitan areas across the United States. We offer a comprehensive suite of network services (voice, data and fiber solutions), as well as managed services, cloud and data center services, software and technology, and energy services. For more information, visit http://www.paetec.com/.

About Windstream - Windstream Corp. (Nasdaq:WIN), headquartered in Little Rock, Ark., is an S&P 500 communications and technology solutions provider with operations in 29 states and the District of Columbia and about $4 billion in annual revenues. Windstream provides IP-based voice and data services, MPLS networking, data center and managed hosting services and communication systems to businesses and government agencies. The company also delivers broadband, digital phone and high-definition TV services to residential customers primarily located in rural areas and operates a local and long-haul fiber network spanning approximately 60,000 route miles. For more information about Windstream, visit http://www.windstream.com/.

A reconciliation of pro forma results referenced in the news release to the comparable GAAP measures is available on the company's website at www.windstream.com/investors.

The Windstream Corporation logo is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=8314

Windstream Acquires PAETEC for $2.3 billion

Verizon Communications delivered its second quarter earnings report Friday, and the numbers from its wireless unit look pretty good. The company added a total of 2.2 million subscribers, including 1.3 million postpaid subscribers, making for a grand total of 106.3 million connections. This equates year-over-year growth of 6.6%.
SOURCE: InformationWeek ( http://bit.ly/pbWIlH )

Smoothstone IP Communications announced that its MaxxConnect IP trunking services are certified to be compatible with IP telephony systems from ShoreTel.
SOURCE: Smoothstone IP Communications ( http://prn.to/qqrTyP )

Windstream Hosted Solutions announced it has begun a significant expansion to its Raleigh data center, one which will grow the facility's usable space by almost 50 percent to 32,000 square feet.
SOURCE: MarketWatch ( http://bit.ly/qEcdSu )

Time Warner Cable has launched its DOCSIS 3.0-based Wideband Internet tier in the Midlands area of South Carolina, including Columbia, Blythewood, Batesburg, Sumter and Orangeburg.
SOURCE: Time Warner Cable ( http://bit.ly/qsL1Qv )

Windstream Corp. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire PAETEC Holding Corp. based in Fairport, N.Y., in a transaction valued at approximately $2.3 billion.
SOURCE: Windstream Corporation ( http://bit.ly/qaAg7F )

XO Communications announced the following XO Ethernet services earned MEF 9 and MEF 14 certifications.
SOURCE: Market Watch ( http://bit.ly/ni4JFj )

Level 3 Communications, announced that it now offers connectivity to its colocation facility at London Stock Exchange Group's Data Center in the City of London. The point-of-presence (PoP) offers connectivity to the world's leading financial institutions who are co-located within the Exchange Hosting facility, using Level 3's global network.
SOURCE: Level 3 Communications

This message is brought to you by Telarus, one of the telecom industry's largest master agent for 35+ carriers. Telarus has patented instant carrier research and pricing technology to enable independent telecom brokers to research and sell carrier services more efficiently. For questions or suggestions on news, please contact Justin Chugg (Justin@Telarus.com) at (877) 346-3232.

Windstream acquires Paetec

MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW....

Managed Data Center

- - PRESS RELEASE - -

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. - US Signal, a leading service provider of data bandwidth capacity in the Midwest, announced its plan to add a cloud-based Managed Data Center offering to its Managed Services portfolio by the end of the second quarter. US Signal's Managed Data Center is built with dedicated resource pools designed to rapidly provision and host Virtual Private Servers accessible through US Signal Wide Area Networks. Adding Managed Data Center makes US Signal one of the first service providers in the Midwest to offer customers the opportunity to build Virtual Private Cloud environments.

What exactly is Managed Data Center?

Virtual Private Cloud environments allow customers the ability to augment or replace legacy computer hardware infrastructures without investing capital in equipment that may be insufficient or obsolete in a short time. Customers get the additional benefits of a virtual installation with the ability to add supplementary servers quickly.

"Our new Managed Data Center and security offerings provide customers with the performance, availability, and quality they have come to expect from US Signal at a price point that will help them address ever-increasing budget pressures," says Aaron Shaver, director of product development. "With the recent advancements in cloud-based computing and security technologies, we are able to offer carrier-grade performance at a fraction of an enterprise IT budget."

How it works

Virtual Private Clouds are created with customized Virtual Private Servers built with dedicated CPU, memory, and storage resources, offering customers a redundant computing environment with unparalleled security and storage not available in the public cloud.

Customers can access their cloud and storage environments in the Managed Data Center using US Signal's data products like MPLS and Virtual Ethernet or by using IPsec VPN in conjunction with Managed Security and Dedicated Internet Access.

US Signal's Managed Data Center offering is supported by the company's Network Operations Center. "Bringing together network and data center services provides an end-to-end Service Level Agreement unavailable with public cloud offerings," says Steve Vander Pol, product manager. "As technology evolves, US Signal continues to push the envelope of unified communications by providing comprehensive solutions for our customers that result in simplifying and streamlining their business network needs."

The Benefits

Virtual Private Cloud environments are particularly valuable in helping companies reduce costs while increasing data security. US Signal's Managed Data Center reduces customer capital expenditures by replacing large physical server deployments with rapidly scalable virtual environments. In addition, the Managed Data Center also increases customer data security by placing data behind US Signal's carrier-grade firewalls. US Signal's Managed Data Center is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) built on Cisco and HP platforms utilizing 3PAR Storage Arrays.

To learn more about US Signal's Managed Data Center, visit www.ussignalcom.com.

One Communications Partner Training

Upcoming Business Partner Training
Register Now for Sessions Beginning March 15th!

One Communications Partner training sessions are designed to help you learn
more about the products and services available to you as a One
Communications Business Partner so you can provide your customers' the right
solution at the right price, while continuing to grow revenue for your
business. To that end, our March Business Partner Training schedule has been
established and is now available for preregistration. Take a look at the
available dates and topics listed below and remember that space is limited,
so be sure to register today by clicking on the links below.

OneSolutions Product Training:
Session 1:
Topic: OneSolutions Product Overview - Business Partners
Host: Kellie Dooher
Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Time: 11:00 am, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)
Session Number: 683 121 189
Click here to register for this training session

Session 2:
Topic: OneSolutions Product Overview - Business Partners
Host: Kellie Dooher
Date: Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Time: 11:00 am, Eastern Daylight Time (New York, GMT-04:00)
Session Number: 686 251 543
Click here to register for this training session

Please note that our Business Partner training sessions do not require a
registration password. For questions regarding the above training and
registration, please contact your One Communications Channel Manager.

*One Communications Proprietary*
Not for Reproduction or Further Distribution without the Written Consent of
One Communications

Paetec Training

In an effort to continue giving you the tools you need to successfully grow and manage your PAETEC base of business, we bring you our Weekly Webinar Series full of information on the latest products, services and
applications.

March schedule will include:

All classes are at 1:00pm EST:

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011 – Equipment For Services
Wednesday, March 9th, 2011 – Ethernet Over Copper
Wednesday, March 16th, 2011 – Pinnacle SBOSS, Customer Management Solution
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011 – Network Based Firewall with Intrusion Detection & Prevention (IDPS)

This class will give you a basic understanding of PAETEC as a Company, an overview of our products and services, enable you to recognize applications, create proposals, manage your orders and access our online sales portal
(PAETEC Online): Tuesday, March 1st , 2011– Please pre-register with the attached form and return to Channel Development.

Instructions for joining this Webinar:
1. Access the PAETEC Website by pointing your browser to:
https://www1.callinfo.com/interface/guest.jsp?host=paetec&an=8005018987&ac=1757576

2. You will be asked for your Name, Email, Phone Number and Company. Please
enter the appropriate information so we can send you communications after
the call. Hit "Submit."

3. Once the Chairperson has started the conference, you will be entered into
the Web conference and your screen will display the discussion information.

To Join the Audio Conference Call:
1. Dial 800-501-8979.
2. When asked, enter the Access Code, 1757576.
3. You will be placed into the Audio Conference after the Chairperson starts the call.

We appreciate your commitment and look forward to working with you and your team this month. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Channel Development.

TELECOM NEWS 3-2011

LinkedIn Groups
• Group: Telecom Channel Updates
• Subject: TELECOM NEWS

Level 3 Communications, Inc. today announced a strategic long-term agreement with leading Middle East telecommunications operator Saudi Telecom to enable international IP and content distribution services in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East.
SOURCE: Stockhouse

Fibre-optic connectivity services provider AboveNet has completed its expansion in Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris. It now offers a portfolio of metro and WAN services to enterprises and carriers across Europe.
SOURCE: TELECOMPAPER

XO Communications Launches Cloud-Based Communications Service for Enterprises
SOURCE: marketwire

Sprint Nextel will offer a handset next month from HTC that includes Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 operating system.
SOURCE: Channel Partners

Intellifiber Networks, a subsidiary of PAETEC Holding Corp., says it has won a multi-million dollar contract to provide managed network services to one of the largest data centers in North America..
SOURCE: LIGHTWAVE

The House of Representatives passed an amendment to an annual spending bill that prohibits the Federal Communications Commission from using funds to implement controversial Internet rules the agency adopted in December but have not yet gone into effect.
SOURCE: Channel Partners

The Telecom Channel Updates group has added more than 5,000 members in the last 10 months.

Losses to continue to pile up at Clearwire, the Kirkland, Wash.-based company that is building a nationwide, fourth-generation wireless network.
SOURCE: Channel Partners

Cox Communications this week is kicking off an advertising campaign in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla., for its mobile phone and data services, as the MSO gears up to launch wireless in the market in the first half of 2011.
SOURCE: MultiChannel News

Broadview Networks plans to roll out its cloud computing services at the end of February. The suite, which includes infrastructure as a service and software as a service, will be available for sale through the company's agents. SOURCE: Channel Partners

Level 3 Communications, Inc. announced that it has extended its network infrastructure in Georgia with the construction of a full network point of presence and fiber node at Global Net Access, LLC's (GNAX) AtlantaNAP Data Center.
SOURCE: Business Wire

Broadview Networks announced that OfficeSuite, its hosted Internet Protocol (IP) phone solution, has surpassed 50,000 VoIP stations in service.
SOURCE: TMCnet.com

LightSquared, a company that has raised $2 billion to build a wireless broadband network that incorporates satellite technology, is in talks with a major U.S. mobile operator to help speed up the development of its infrastructure at a lower cost, according to a new report.
SOURCE: Channel Partners

Comcast has been testing upstream channel bonding for some time, and has seen upstream speeds as high as 75 Mbps in the labs. According to a Comcast engineer, upstream channel bonding should be production ready by the end of March, meaning you should see faster upstream speeds this year:
SOURCE: BroadBand

Verizon Business on Friday announced that it has met Cisco's prerequisites to sell, implement and support the Cisco Unified Computing System in the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands.
SOURCE: Channel Partners

Integra Telecom Inc. released a new online data storage product intended to help growing businesses accommodate for increasing data storage needs.
SOURCE: internet.com

Accelerating Time-to-Value

Accelerating Time-to-Value for IT Enabled Solutions (Part I)

CEOs are placing additional pressure on CIOs to deliver IT-enabled business
solutions in shorter periods of time that have an immediate impact on the
bottom-line. Not surprisingly, both business and IT leaders have a role in
meeting this challenge. From an IT perspective, traditional methods of
scoping, developing and delivering IT solutions need to be reconsidered.
From a business perspective, the idea of throwing projects "over-the-wall"
to IT doesn't work either. Both business and IT need to rethink their
respective roles as new IT-enabled capabilities are envisioned, developed
and deployed. This blog describes the first five of ten best practices that
you might find helpful as you work with your business colleagues to quickly
deliver IT-enabled capabilities. These have less to do with technology and
more to do with how business and IT work together. You'll have to wait for
part II of this blog to read about the remaining five best practices.

1. Pursue a Worthwhile Goal
In order to motivate a group to go fast, the goal has to be compelling. In
most businesses, the executive team, including the CIO, is required to
develop a business strategy that contains a set of initiatives that are
worthwhile, compelling and enable the company to compete effectively in the
marketplace. Many of these strategic initiatives involve some level of
information technology as a critical enabler. However, the complaint among
many business leaders is that these IT investments don't deliver the
requisite business value. To achieve this business value requires a close
partnership between business and IT, each stepping up to their respective
responsibilities. When all parties have a stake in a project's outcome and
are held accountable for results, they are more inclined to endorse and
sustain the effort versus abandon it. See my previous blog, "The business
value of IT."

2. Cut Through the Bureaucracy and Roadblocks
Does your company require IT projects to pass through a gauntlet of
unnecessary reviews, checkpoints, executive presentations and the like? Do
these reviews balance the need to identify and mitigate risk with a
discussion on how to accelerate project deployment and improve the
probability of success? Or have these reviews become more of a formality and
a way to spread accountability? A careful examination of barriers and
roadblocks that delay project completion should be pursued. Those that
aren't aligned with the objective of accelerating deployment and ensuring a
successful outcome should be eliminated.

3. Experience Matters - Use the "A" Team
Most experienced leaders know that a handful of very talented staff can do
the work of a much larger group of average individuals. This requirement is
true for both business and IT professionals assigned to the project. This
may mean pulling some of a company's strongest leaders out of day-to-day
operations for a short period of time. Go with "A" players that have a
demonstrated track record of successful project delivery versus "C" players
that just happen to be available. If a company doesn't have the requisite
number of "A" players to manage the execution of all strategic initiatives,
it can either engage outside resources to supplement internal staff or cut
back on the number of initiatives it is pursuing at any given time.

4. Set Aggressive Time Goals
When it comes to reducing time-to-value for IT-enabled projects, one is
reminded of the old adage - "nothing good happens after midnight." An
IT-enabled project that takes longer than six months will quickly reach the
point of diminishing return where nothing good can occur. In fact, three
months is an even better duration for an IT-enabled project. Application
development techniques like Agile programming can work within even much
shorter time periods - typically less than one month. Yes, it is possible to
deliver substantive, IT-enabled capabilities within a month. This doesn't
mean that businesses should limit their ambitions in terms of the degree of
change that is needed to remain competitive. It just means that they should
time-fence the execution of the change in six month increments or less.
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5. Provide Meaningful Incentives
Although the goal in and of itself can motivate high levels of performance,
other incentives can be quite effective as well. These incentives can
include performance bonuses, project participation for skill development,
public recognition, promotions and many others. In any case, incentives need
to be meaningful, performance (as opposed to effort) based and not perceived
as a token. It is also extremely important that business and IT participants
on the project share similar incentives. It is critical that annual
performance objectives for project participants also include successful
milestone completion and, as appropriate, realization of the project's
objectives (e.g. cost reduction, revenue growth, improved customer service)
as a key accountability. Finally, incentives need to be timely (e.g. upon
achievement of a significant project milestone) and not delayed until the
normal end-of-year cycle.

Recent column by Rick Davidson