AireSpring January Partner Newsletter

 


January 2016

The New Year has only just begun, but we are doing a lot to make this a great year at AireSpring! To start off 2016, we are excited to launch a brand new connectivity solution – Mobile Connectivity on AT&T’s reliable 4G LTE Nationwide Network! In the spirit of the New Year, we are sharing some lucrative resolutions for our channel partners to consider. In January, our partner training features Metaswitch’s Senior Manager of Market Development, Bryan Grimm, discussing Selling Business Services. Once again AireSpring will be at IT Expo, and we have FREE expo passes. Plan to hear our very own COO, Daniel Lonstein, discuss how Managed Connectivity can improve your cloud experience. In our Partner Spotlight, we feature Taslim Khan, the impressive CEO of Firstlight Consulting Group. Finally, we have a conversation with one of our amazing Quoting and Agent Support Specialist, Tanya Harvey, who talks about closing deals and being a soccer mom!

AireSpring Announces Mobile Connectivity on AT&T’s 4G LTE Nationwide Network

We are excited to announce the addition of a Wireless Mobility option for Connectivity from AireSpring, coming soon. With Mobile Connectivity, businesses can connect an array of data-only mobile devices including laptops, netbooks, tablets, hot spots, and wireless modems. This new solution is ideal for retail stores, construction sites, and temporary business locations where there is a need to add powerful and reliable connectivity to their operations.

Our new Wireless Mobility is easily scalable, user-friendly, and can be turned up immediately with minimal investment. Adding this product further diversifies our available connectivity solutions including primary and Managed Failover service.

AireSpring Mobility runs on AT&T’s world-class 4G LTE nationwide network, creating powerful data connections where wireline connections are unavailable. With the strongest LTE signal, AT&T covers more than 99% of Americans and boasts the fewest dropped calls of any carrier.

By partnering with AireSpring, this amazing network becomes even easier to access and more affordable. Just like all of AireSpring services, we will provide step by step assistance, helping businesses choose the best plan for the most cost-effective option – whether they are looking for connectivity where traditional solutions are not feasible or are seeking another layer of redundancy for business continuity. 

This new connectivity option folds seamlessly into our existing product set. Integrating mobile connectivity now adds another diversity option for Managed Connectivity Failover, our business continuity service.

For businesses looking to incorporate mobile data into their connectivity solutions, AireSpring can offer competitive pricing and excellent customer service with AireSpring Mobile Connectivity. Anticipated roll-out date is early Q1, 2016. Contact your Channel Manager for more information.

January Promo: Start 2016 Right with AireSpring

Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions yet? Do not worry, we have you covered.

To bring in the New Year, we made a list of strict resolutions for our channel partners – and each of them involves getting fat commissions and big SPIFFs! In 2016, resolve to earn even more with 5% EXTRA bonus residual commission on AireSpring Network LD and SIP LD. Before you resolve to quit eating sugar, get fat on commissions with a 150% SPIFF on Connectivity Services. Do not worry about saving money this year… spend, spend, spend with a 600% SPIFF on Voice/Cloud Services, and an $800 cash bonus on LD services!

We are continuing our bad habit of having amazing SPIFFs, and we are also continuing our Dollar$ for Demo$ promotion. For each qualified demo for AireContact or AirePBX, you can earn up to $250!

You might normally have trouble keeping your New Year’s Resolutions, but with SPIFFs and commissions this awesome, it will be hard not to resolve to reap the rewards!

For more details, contact your Channel Manager or view our January Promo to see the full terms and conditions.

See AireSpring at IT Expo

Once again, AireSpring will be exhibiting at IT Expo from January 26-28. We always welcome the opportunity to interact with our channel partners and share what is new at AireSpring. Stop by booth number 605 and enter our drawing to win a $500 Amazon gift card. We are also proud to announce that AireSpring COO Daniel Lonstein will be presenting “How Managed Connectivity Can Improve Your Cloud Experience” on January 27 from 1:30 – 1:55 p.m. in the MSP Theater located in aisle 100 in the exhibit hall.

If you do not have your exhibit hall passes yet, get them FREE compliments of AireSpring by registering here: https://www.tmcnet.com/scripts/events/spring16/registration.aspx?theplan=IT0116-D&sc=AIRESPRING

Partner Spotlight

Welcome to the latest edition in our series of profiles where we shine the spotlight on AireSpring’s amazing partners. This time we are speaking with Taslim Khan, CEO at Firstlight Consulting Group.

 

Hello, Taz. Thank you for agreeing to speak with us today. To begin, please tell us a little about yourself and your background, and the history of Firstlight Consulting Group.

Well, I have been in the telecom industry since 1998. I was part of one of the early AT&T “Feet on the Street” programs. That is where I started my career in telecom by selling POTS lines in NYC. During that campaign, our team switched close to ten thousand POTS lines in the lower and mid-Manhattan area in the course of 6 months. So that was a great start and a confidence builder for me. After being in the corporate environment for about 5 more years, my partner Iris Lentjes and I decided to start our own agency, Firstlight Consulting Group (FCG). Our goal was not only to be our own boss – but to build long term relationships with our customers based on trust, reliability and service. Yes, it is easy to sell a circuit that can lower their cost by 20%, but, it is equally, if not more important, to actually service that customer and account for the next 7 years. Our customers can reach us at 4 in the morning or at 6 p.m. on a Saturday evening and know that we will take his or her call and initiate the process of resolving whatever the issue may be. This practice makes FCG different from all the other firms and enables us to retain more than 85% of our customers for more than 7 years on average. We are in it for the long run!

How long have you been partnering with AireSpring?

I believe we started our partnership with AireSpring in 2006. I remember we were at a Channel Partner show (probably in Boston). Iris met Charles Lomond who explained the AireSpring Advantage to her. Iris came back to me pretty excited because she had found a partner who was channel focused, stable, innovative and incredibly service oriented. Of course, AireSpring’s industry-leading commissions and SPIFFs were also attractive. Iris and I sat down with Charles to learn more, and the rest was history…

What do you like about working with AireSpring?

Number 1 – the fact that AireSpring can offer service nationwide from a variety of underlying carriers. This enables us to bring a complete solution to a customer at the best available price from only one service provider. Now, I am aware that there are other carriers that can do the same; however, AireSpring can choose the best pricing/circuit from carrier A for one region and carrier B, C and D for the other regions and offer a consolidated solution to the customer that guarantees very competitive pricing with the best delivery method. The NNI enabled mesh network that AireSpring developed is truly a game changer. This puts AireSpring in a league of its own.

What I also very much like (as, I am really a salesman, at the end of the day…) is that Charles, Ron and everyone else at AireSpring is ready to do whatever it takes to win a partner. As independent agents, what matters to us is solid service reliability, accountability and last but not least great compensation. I am very happy to state that AireSpring gets an A in all three.

What would you say is the secret to success in this industry and being a successful agent/VAR?

It is true for us, as it has been true for all successful businesses and professionals for ages – hard work, dedication and determination. I truly believe that anyone can become successful by applying these three “secrets.” However, given that we are in the telecom industry, I would also like to offer an opinion/tip. Let us NOT sell on price. Unfortunately, for quite some time a trend has been set industrywide – to sell at the rock bottom price. Look, I have dealt with thousands of customers in my 20 year career. In my experience, customers are not necessarily looking to drastically lower their telecom costs; what they want is very reliable service with full back-end support. That costs money. Customers are willing to pay 20%-30% above market price to have that reliability. Having phones and internet service working consistently means that your customers can reach you always – that is real peace of mind. Even 50% cheaper phone service is not worth giving up that peace of mind. It is our responsibility as industry professionals to set the right expectation for the market place. If you expect basement level pricing then also expect basement level service. We have the right carriers and the right relationship – we can deliver the service that the customer so desperately requires and there are so few who can actually provide it… so why not charge the appropriate fee for it? Customers are not expecting you to work for free – no one is… it is only our own insecurity that is leading us to a price dropping race… winning a deal at any cost is not good business practice. Having AireSpring and a couple other very reliable carriers as partners, we can bring the right solution to the marketplace, keep the customers happy and be profitable – all at the same time. It is possible.

What is the “next big thing” you think agents and VARs should be aware of in 2016?

Cloud, Cloud, Cloud – everything is moving to the cloud. Gone (or soon to be gone) are the days of even PRIs…

What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of telecom?

To be perfectly honest, I do not have much time for a hobby given our busy schedule… although I try to go to the gym whenever I can squeeze in an hour or two. Interests? Music. I do like to discover and collect new and old gems. Although a bit late to the game, I am thinking of starting an LP collection. I will let you know how it goes…

 

Thank you, Taslim, for sharing your insights with us!

Customer Focus: Advent Lutheran Church

Founded in 1982, Advent Lutheran Church is located in Melbourne, Florida and has over 600 members between their two locations.

With such a large congregation, including two on-site preschools, it is absolutely essential that both locations remain constantly connected.

Reliable communications are critical for Advent Lutheran, not simply for the smooth organization of their numerous events and activities, but also in arranging for pastoral care in the event of member illness, family crisis, or death. Also critically important is the need for uninterrupted communication with their two preschools, both for parents with an urgent need to contact the preschool staff, and for the staff to use in case of an emergency. Given the various functions of the church, there is little room for an unreliable communications system.

In 2014, Advent Lutheran Church became a customer of AireSpring and currently uses AireSpring’s cloud business phone system, AirePBX.

Prior to this, Advent Lutheran Church was using an on-premises phone system that was no longer meeting their communications needs. Their IT team collected data about a variety of different providers and eventually reached out to AireSpring.

AireSpring’s hosted cloud business phone services are now used at both locations. To provide Advent Lutheran Church with sufficient circuitry to the network, AireSpring technicians laid down 1.5 mbps DS1 circuits at both sites, enabling a higher QoS and fully managed connectivity.  AirePBX provides all the features necessary for Advent Lutheran Church’s daily operations, including call-transfer, caller ID, and the ability to program multiple away messages.

Pam Miller, the Business Manager at Advent Lutheran Church, had this to say about AireSpring: “We had a problem-free installation and the ongoing support from AireSpring has been great, specifically the one-on-one training we received from their qualified trainer. The trainer was extremely knowledgeable and was able to answer all of our questions, help us understand the phone system, and show us how to get the most out of it. I am very pleased with the support from AireSpring and would highly recommend their cloud business phone solution.”

With AireSpring’s renowned customer service, it’s no wonder that Advent Lutheran has been very happy with their cloud business phone system from AireSpring.

Meet the AireSpring Team

At AireSpring, we know that it is our dedication to customer service that sets us apart and customer service begins with great employees. Here is your chance to get to know the AireSpring team that oversees your orders and delivers great service every day. This time, we are speaking with Tanya Harvey, Quoting and Agent Support Specialist.

Hello, Tanya. To begin, please tell us about your professional background and your role at AireSpring.

I started my career in the mortgage industry working for Countrywide Home Loans in 1998 as a customer service representative. I chose to work in that industry because I felt that I could help people realize the “American Dream.” I worked at a number of different mortgage companies over the next eleven years until 2007, when the mortgage crisis hit. I tried my best to keep working, but I soon realized that it was time to move on. That is when I made a career move to AireSpring. I did not see the same instability at AireSpring that I saw in the mortgage industry. There were a large number of long-term employees here at AireSpring, and I was attracted to that. I was a new mom, I wanted stability, and AireSpring was able to provide it.
I started my career in telecom working as a Quote Specialist at AireSpring. Despite obvious differences, I was able to utilize my experience working in the mortgage industry and parlay that into a career in a whole new field. Today, I still work as a Quote Specialist, but additionally support the Director of Agent Sales, Charles Lomond. Under Charles, I am responsible for generating sales quotes, which often require in-depth mathematical analysis and a high attention to detail. I also process new agent enrollment contracts, provide training on products, pricing, and our pricing tools. All the while, I work closely with agents and customers to ensure that all contracts are fully executed and processed in a timely manner. I work closely with the Special Pricing and Offer Management team concerning carrier pricing, ICB requests, new pricing, products and procedures.
In addition to my regular duties as a Quote Specialist, I leverage my seven years of experience at AireSpring to act as a liaison between different departments, particularly Sales, Operations, Account Management/Retention and the Credit Department. Every team has an individual objective, but it is vital that they can communicate. Since I work with multiple departments, it is often my responsibility to make sure that all these different parts work together in unison. I have great rapport with everyone, and I use that to make sure orders are processed correctly and in a timely manner.

What do you enjoy most about working with AireSpring?

I think the reason I am able to work as a liaison between different departments is because I love the people here so much. I can proudly say that many of the people I have worked with at AireSpring have become my friends.
I am also part of the fun committee, so I see firsthand how much AireSpring cares about their employees. For such a professional, successful company, we are pretty relaxed, and I think it is because we take advantage of holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving to keep things fun for our hard-working employees.
I also respect what we have accomplished as a company. When I joined seven years ago we were not half the size we are now. I remember we were putting out maybe a thousand quotes a week, whereas now we have over a million quotes in the system. There was only one office, and we had a handful of products. Now we have a full line of products and 200 employees with offices in Israel, the Philippines and India. Given my past experience in the mortgage industry, watching this company maintain stability while continuing to expand has been reassuring and worth my admiration. I am excited to see what the future holds!

What is the most exciting thing that has happened to you while at AireSpring?

Since joining AireSpring, I have seen so many exciting things. For example, we have been adding a lot of cloud services which are giving me an opportunity to learn new technology, but easily, the most exciting thing that happened to me at AireSpring was receiving a coin of excellence from Telarus. Not only did it mean a lot because they are an integral part of our business, but being a separate company, they had to reach out to award me this recognition. In their letter, individual Telarus agents hand-wrote me personal notes thanking me for my service. I spend a great deal of time getting those agents quotes and helping them close sales. I pride myself on my ability to guarantee a quote within 24 hours of a request, which can seriously affect their sales. A large part of closing sales is timing, and agents rely on multiple moving pieces to make sales happen. I am happy to be one of the more helpful tools they can utilize to do their job. And I am even happier to be recognized for it.

What are some of your hobbies or interests outside of the office?

Outside of the office, I do quite a bit to stay busy. For one, I run and operate my own catering business called TaylerMade Event Planning and Catering. I would not call it a hobby, but I love doing it. I singlehandedly cook all the food, organize the logistics, order the necessary equipment, budget with my clients, and hire outside staff. It is really a one-woman show.

Most of my time outside the office is spent with my daughter, Tayler. She is an incredibly gifted soccer player, and I am a full-fledged soccer mom. For six years now, I have supported her as she goes to practices, games, tournaments, and camps all over the coast. Currently, she plays on both a club team, Granada United, and in a rec league, where she coaches other girls her age. I do not know how to state it without bragging, but my daughter is really an amazing individual. For example, out of the 46 goals scored by her team over the entire season, she was responsible for 41 of them. She is currently being recruited by three separate elite clubs in the area, all of which provide resources to support her through high school and college. She has become so good at soccer that we recently had to have a serious conversation in our family about the possibility of her going pro. It is likely that she will be offered a six figure deal to play overseas when she turns 18, and we have decided that if the opportunity arises, we cannot deprive her of it. She has simply worked too hard and loves playing too much to not let her reach her full potential.

I have no worries. She is the most impressive human being I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I love being a mom.

Wow! Thank you, Tanya, for sharing a bit about yourself, and for all you do to help AireSpring’s partners and customers. We think you, like your daughter, are a pretty amazing individual.

IN THIS ISSUE

EVENTS

AireSpring will be at ITEXPO, Booth #605

Jan. 25- 28, 2016

Visit ITEXPO’s website

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Contact

Ron McNab

Sr. VP of Channel Sales

818.738.1912

ron.mcnab@airespring.com

ABOUT AIRESPRING

AireSpring is an award-winning provider of Managed Connectivity and Cloud Communications solutions providing fully managed and connected end-to-end, next-generation solutions for multi-location enterprise customers, including:

AireSpring’s services are delivered over its revolutionary nationwide MPLS Mesh Network, providing customers a fully integrated, end-to-end solution from a single vendor.

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