We are excited to welcome veteran global channel leader, John Young, to the AireSpring executive team as Senior Vice President of Channel Sales. John will lead AireSpring's Global Channel Sales as we focus on our worldwide expansion and growing our global footprint. He is charged with managing the Channel team, our existing partnerships, as well as cultivating new relationships with master agencies, MSPs, VARs and sub-agents.

Before joining AireSpring, John was Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Global Channel Chief for NetFortris. He previously served as SVP of Global Sales at Fonality from 2013 until their merger with NetFortris in 2018. During this time, he oversaw the development of their North American and international sales teams and program from the ground up. John was responsible for Enterprise and Channel Sales, Channel Marketing and Account Management. He began with Fonality in 2007, soon becoming Director of Channel Sales North America, then VP of Global Channel Sales.

We look forward to John's strong leadership and vision as he helps drive AireSpring and the Channel Team into our next, global phase of growth.

Melvin Frederick has joined AireSpring's Partner Support group as Senior Solutions Engineer, further expanding the power and impact of the Solutions Engineering team led by Mike Chase, SVP Solutions Engineering.

Melvin's deep telecom and IT experience will be a valuable addition to the team, drawing on his stellar record during 18 years with Windstream Enterprise, where he achieved President's Club status and helped to close many of their largest multi-location customer accounts.

Melvin's special expertise in designing, building and implementing high-performing network solutions for SD-WAN, MPLS, UCaaS, hosted VoIP and managed services, perfectly complements AireSpring's award-winning list of leading products and solutions. By leveraging his knowledge and experience, Melvin has helped many start-up channel partners build multi-million dollar businesses. As an important member of the AireSpring Solutions Engineering team, Melvin will work nationwide, helping to close business and support AireSpring channel partners and their customer base.

AireSpring is leading the way in Global Connectivity! Our Executive and Channel Team look forward to sharing how AireSpring offers you an instant global presence! Get a DISCOUNTED Expo Hall pass and visit with AireSpring at Channel Partners Conference & Expo, Booth #439, where you can enter to win a $1000 Amazon Gift Card!

Click here to schedule a meeting with AireSpring Owners & Executive Team!

Join AireSpring for a gourmet luncheon and insider briefing on Wednesday, March 11th, at Delmonico Steakhouse. Hear from AireSpring President & CRO, Daniel Lonstein and special guest speaker, Chris Roy, Vice President of AT&T Wholesale and Partner Exchange.

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Delmonico Steakhouse, The Venetian

3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South

Las Vegas 89109

Eligibility: Contracted AireSpring Master Agents, their sub-agents and interested agents only.

RSVP Required! Click below or contact your Channel Manager today.

AireSpring Executives and Channel Team invite you to join us at the most popular golf venue on the Las Vegas Strip for a night of networking, fun, food, drinks and prizes!

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

TOPGOLF, near the MGM Grand

4627 Koval Lane

Las Vegas, NV 89109

Space is limited at this popular event, so reserve your spot now! 

or contact your Channel Manager to be added to the list.

Dallas SD-WAN Boot Camp

Sponsored by AT&T Partner Exchange

AireSpring's SD-WAN Boot Camps are off to a great start in 2020. Our kick-off event took place at the AT&T Foundry in Plano, Texas on January 30 and it was well attended. Partners were laser-focused on the presentation by Mike Chase, J.D., CCIE #7226, aka "Dr. Cloud", AireSpring's SVP Solutions Engineering.

Hear from some of our attendees on their experience at the SD-Wan Boot Camp:

"Great training event with the SD-WAN guru, Mike Chase, aka Dr. Cloud [SVP of Solutions Engineering]. Mike is amazing, he has so much knowledge.""

- Paul Feather, CISA, IT Compliance Services by Compu-Netics, LLC

"A big thank you to Mike Chase from AireSpring for filling my head with all sorts of ways to do cool things for my clients WAN and Cloud connectivity."

- Chance Sassano, Director Solutions Architecture, TrueWerks LLC

"Mike Chase is a powerhouse, shared a lot of info that was quite compelling. AireSpring is in the forefront, especially in SD-WAN."

- Anonymous

The second AireSpring SD-WAN Boot Camp in the new series was held on February 26, at Spectrum offices in Cerritos, CA, co-sponsored by Spectrum Business. The all-day session again featured Mike Chase, offering partners the opportunity to gain a competitive edge with a deeper understanding of SD-WAN technology and AireSpring's Platinum SD-WAN solution.

Cerritos, CA SD-WAN Boot Camp Sponsored by Spectrum Business

Mark your calendar - coming next in the AireSpring SD-WAN Boot Camp Series:

• Atlanta, GA - March 24, 2020
• New York, NY - March 26, 2020
• Ft. Lauderdale/Miami, FL - April 23, 2020
• Chicago, IL - May 5, 2020
• Denver, CO - May 7, 2020

Each Boot Camp session includes a catered lunch and time to network with Mike and other channel partners

AireSpring is continually working to make our popular real-time, online quoting tool, QuoteSpring, even more powerful and user friendly. The latest update introduces a new Master Service Order Agreement (MSOA) form that greatly simplifies the proposal process, saving you time and helping you build a complete resource for your customer.

The new MSOA allows users to include multiple proposals in one document, making it easy to quote multiple products and find the quotes all in one convenient place. Simply choose "Create an MSOA" from the Create a New Quote menu, select and add the proposals you wish to combine.

Once your MSOA is completed, simply enter the customer email address and all necessary forms and documents will be sent to the customer. NOTE: each proposal within the MSOA must contain the same customer name and agent ID.

For questions and more information about the new QuoteSpring MSOA, please contact your AireSpring Channel Manager. 

The Human Touch.

Our secret weapon in an age of Artificial Intelligence and IVRs.

Industry-leading AireSpring SPIFFs reward your hard work and keep on giving into the future. AireSpring Partners earn an amazing:

• 1X MRC on SD-WAN Services
• 1X MRC on Global SD-WAN Services
• 6X MRC on Voice/Cloud services
• $1,600 Cash Bonus on Toll-Free Services!
• $800 Cash Bonus on LD Services
• 1.5X MRC on Connectivity Services & MPLS

Build on top of the rewards with ongoing extra bonuses on these deals:

• 5% EXTRA Bonus Residual Commission on AireSpring Network & SIP LD

Underlying it all, AireSpring provides everything you need to fulfill your service and support requirements, including:

• Project coordinators & managed services engineers assigned to each order
• 24/7/365 NOC Network Monitoring
• 20-second response time to support calls
• Escalation list up to our CEO

Come to AireSpring for the Human Touch! In an automated world dominated by AI, bots and IVRs, you need someone to talk to. AireSpring stands behind our services and solutions with a company culture that stresses excellence in customer service. And we have the data to prove it:

• Customer Satisfaction over 98%
• More than 80% of Support Tickets Opened Proactively
• Average Speed to Answer (ASA) of 11 seconds
• Customer Escalation List Up to Our CEO

You and your clients need all the firepower you can get your hands on in this tough, competitive marketplace.

Make AireSpring your secret weapon with services like real-time access to quotes across 250+ countries through our powerful online quoting tool, QuoteSpring. On top of that, you get AireSpring's unique multi-location expertise with one bill, one point of contact and one responsible vendor.

It's all part of the One-Stop-Shop for Managed Communications, Network and IT Solutions, 

Reach out to your AireSpring Channel Manager today or call us at 888.389.2899.

You've heard the hype about 5G - now it's time to dig deeper and learn about key aspects of this exciting new technology. AireSpring has partnered with AT&T to help you prepare for the next big wave of change impacting the telecom industry.

Join Todd Zeiler, Assistant Vice President of Network Services, AT&T, for an in-depth view of 5G, its evolution, current impact, and what to expect in the next phase of 5G roll-outs. Come away with a deeper understanding of 5G architecture and how it will impact you and your clients' business. Get up to speed on developments including: 

• The difference between Sub-6 5G and mmWave 5G.
• Taking 5G to the edge.
• How fast is fast - and how much speed do you need?

Confused? You won't be after this practical yet in-depth look at the evolution of the wireless network and the fundamentals of 5G.

Complete our brief survey at the end for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card!

What: Evolution of the Wireless Network

Presenter: Todd Zeiler, Assistant Vice President of Network Services, AT&T

When: Tuesday, March 31, 2020 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

The Venetian Sands

Las Vegas, NV

March 9 - 12, 2020

REGISTER HERE

AireSpring SD-WAN Boot Camp

Atlanta, GA

March 24, 2020

Telarus Innovation Conference

Chicago, IL

March 24, 2020

AireSpring SD-WAN Boot Camp

New York City, NY

March 26, 2020

TBI Cloud Commission

Houston, TX

March 26, 2020

Telarus Innovation Conference

Dallas, TX

April 14, 2020

Telarus Innovation Conference

Atlanta, GA

April 16, 2020

AireSpring SD-WAN Boot Camp

Ft. Lauderdale/Miami, FL

April 23, 2020

Telarus Innovation Conference

New York City, NY

April 23, 2020

Telarus Innovation Conference

Denver, CO

April 30, 2020

Hello Isaac, to begin, please tell us a little about yourself, your agency, and your professional background in Telecom.

My interest in telecom was sparked early in life, when I started selling calling cards and national and international PIN cards in high school. I later accepted an opportunity to join a CLEC in the New York-Tri-State area as a sales consultant, selling T1s, PRIs and phone systems, as well as satellite TV solutions at a time when the country was going from analog to digital. As a result, commercial lodging institutions had to rework their TV infrastructure, creating a big opportunity in the long-term health care industry, such as in nursing homes which had TV systems providing service to all their residents. I subsequently gained a vast foothold in the health care industry which led us to solving another major issue. These facilities often had multiple legacy carriers and no real backup solutions in place. As a result of filling that need, I was able to develop tremendous sales volume.

I soon outgrew the company I was with and realized that the time was right to launch my own business. I began building a team focused on serving customers' needs. At LTC Technologies, we specialize in services that help clients resolve issues arising from dealing with multiple carriers and infrastructure problems. We build a relationship with clients by offering a complementary analysis of their bills and accounts, then show them a plan with recommendations for consolidating accounts to gain both efficiency and significant savings. As an example, we currently have a client that used a platform with 60 different POTS lines - a common situation in senior housing locations, where years of mismanagement led to an overlap in services. They grew frustrated going around in circles with their existing providers who gave them confusing or contradictory answers to their many queries. They needed someone who could consult with them on older technology questions for everything from A to Z. By bringing in a PRI over a stable broadband connection along with a robust backup, we were able to save the customer several thousand dollars a month. 

"Our goal is always to fill the gaps - and every company has gaps, whether in customer support, organization, or something as simple as figuring out the IP address on the modem. We identified a big gap in the market with companies that were wedded to legacy systems but reluctant to spend the money to update them."

Our goal is always to fill the gaps???and every company has gaps, whether in customer support, organization, or something as simple as figuring out the IP address on the modem. We identified a big gap in the market with companies that were wedded to legacy systems but reluctant to spend the money to update them. Recognizing the need for ongoing support to those customers, we brought in our own experts and built a network to dispatch technicians across the United States. We have a growing, dedicated back-office support team, delivering everything from coordinating the site surveys to installs and everything in between. We want to make it a no-brainer for customers, ensuring that we develop new and repeat business.

A great many customers are referred to us by managed service providers (MSPs) who are delighted to hand off these kinds of support services to a reliable provider. We specialize in serving the health care industry, giving us a deep understanding of their needs and how to help them get the level of service they need. In long-term health care in the last five years, there has been a tremendous volume of mergers and acquisitions, especially in the skilled nursing side, with new operators who want us to come in and rework or improve the current services, Most often we bring in new and more efficient services. We typically onboard between one and 20 of these facilities a month. The biggest opportunity for us to gain new business is found exactly at these transition times. They will need to onboard those buildings and redo the technology, phones and other systems. In a nursing home there may be coax fiber, hosted, phones, TV, and more, all with different needs. We perform anywhere from one to 25 transitions a month for these customers. 

What do you like about working with AireSpring?

We started out by giving AireSpring an opportunity on one account and over time they have grown to become one of our biggest providers, working together with Chris Abbott, Channel Manager. Perhaps the greatest advantage is that AireSpring comes in aggressively priced, and that's very important to my clients. They are extremely price-conscious, often taking over distressed facilities that are losing money.

The next great advantage is AireSpring's Escalation List. The ease of getting support is incredible. I've dealt with Amy [Amy Gallardo, Director of Customer Experience] and Ralph Romero [Vice President of Service Delivery]. AireSpring always has live people to talk with and it's easy to get through to them - it feels personalized, whereas other companies have an automated feel. At AireSpring, you feel that you're dealing with real people instead of an automated system. It's especially important to us because we like to stay aggressive and on top of our game. We appreciate the interaction.

"AireSpring always has live people to talk with and it's easy to get through to them - it feels personalized, whereas other companies have an automated feel. At AireSpring, you feel that you're dealing with real people instead of an automated system."

Another advantage is AireNMS, the automated WAN monitoring system. It is truly amazing. Recently there was a power cut to some of our customers in Florida and I was getting real-time updates from AireNMS all through the night, allowing me to monitor the situation. In another instance, a big nursing home group in Kansas took over a number of homes. They split up the locations and we acquired a portion of them. When their connections went down, those locations using the old provider had to notify their provider of the problem. Thanks to our AireNMS support, the customers who were with AireSpring got an alert before they knew there was a problem! If there are questions or issues with connections, we find that we can work as a team together with AireSpring to solve them and make the customer happy.

"AireSpring always has live people to talk with and it's easy to get through to them - it feels personalized, whereas other companies have an automated feel. At AireSpring, you feel that you're dealing with real people instead of an automated system.???

What would you say is the secret to being a successful agent?

The most important thing is to have the customer's interest at heart, and one way or another that will come through. Likewise, if you're only out for yourself it will show, and the customer will lose interest in you. You can't look only at the profit margin because a good company will grow and profit will take care of itself. If you only focus on profit, you're not looking at the client anymore and they will recognize your lack of concern. With technology issues that can arise at any time, what differentiates a good consultant and a useless one is how quickly and efficiently the consultant reacts. In the end, you don't want to give the technology keys to the wrong suppliers or you will end up dead in the water. 

As you learn which suppliers do a good job for you, use that experience and stick to carriers that perform. One of the reasons we use AireSpring is illustrated in a situation we encountered at a site in Texas. We had five buildings on one campus, and we brought in AT&T fiber. It was going well until there was a problem, then it became a nightmare. We were going in circles with AT&T trying to get resolution. By switching fiber providers, I was able to save them money and I never had a repeat experience at that site. This is a great example of how important it is to know who brings in the right solutions for your customers. 

A lot of businesses fail when people just stick to whatever they're accustomed to and refuse to adapt to change. It's vital to remain flexible and that requires learning the new technologies and staying on top of industry trends and offerings. 

What is the "next big thing" you think agents should be aware of for 2020?

By far the biggest thing will be cybersecurity. Hacking is the big story of the last decade, and the single biggest threat to anyone in technology. A health care technology company in Wisconsin is an example of this problem. They are an MSP with hundreds of nursing homes, and we've worked with them extensively. They were hacked and much of their data was stolen, it was a disaster. Such a thing wouldn't happen in the facilities that we work with, because we ensure that the MSP in place has a robust emergency plan and takes daily backups on a separate server. Clearly, cybersecurity must be the number one focus of everything you do. I have seen hackers get into facilities through cordless phones and other third party devices, hacking into the system and making international calls.

Connectivity is another serious concern in today's environment where every business needs to be connected at all times. By having the right solutions you can ensure the right outcome. Rural areas need to be sure of redundancy and maintain secure connectivity. There are many options available, like 4G which is a more affordable option where applicable. Many of our customers' buildings use a mix of fiber, internet and 4G, allowing us to keep their costs relatively low.

Finally, agents need to understand the impact of the cloud, together with SD-WAN offerings. People want to be mobile, be on the road and still have access to all their files and data. The cloud enables that, especially as more people work from home. Some of our employees work remotely out of their homes and some in international call centers, without any reduction in productivity. If you identify people of good character and give them the proper training, you have a great resource and more flexibility no matter where they are located.

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

First and foremost I put in a lot of work hours, so I try to be a family man when I have free time, nurturing family relationships, doing meals together. We have a lot of get-togethers with extended family. I also take time to continue my personal studies, learning more about my heritage. It sharpens my mind and gives me a good perspective on life. If we travel it tends to be local, occasionally visiting relatives out of town. I enjoy playing ball. In fact, I was a bit of a softball star, but injuries have crept up on me, so now I'm sticking more to basketball.

Hello. To begin, please tell us about your professional background and how long you've been in the telecom industry.

I've been in telecom for about 17 years, starting with SBC Communications in the days of dial-in and DSL. After I had been there for several years, SBC was acquired by AT&T and I stayed on as a Tier 2 Technical Support Rep for AT&T DSL. When an opportunity came up at TelePacific Communications (which was later renamed TPx), I decided to make the move.

At TelePacific I worked in Local Tier 2 Repair for about five years before being made a leader. As a result of interacting heavily with our Provisioning team, I was invited to join them as a Provisioner, which I enjoyed for another six years. After my manager left TPx, I took an opportunity to move on to a position at Utility Telecom as a Repair Technician, Tier 3. It was about a year later that Ralph Romero, AireSpring VP of Service Delivery reached out to me. I knew Ralph from working with him at TPx. Ralph introduced me to the people at AireSpring and after meeting everyone, I was pleased to accept the Senior Project Coordinator position. All the experience I've built up gives me the ability to contribute to many sides of the implementation function, having served in data repair and voice repair, and as a provisioner. 

Tell us about your role at AireSpring and how long you've been with the company.

I've been at AireSpring for about one year, performing a similar role to my previous position at TPx. As Senior Project Coordinator here, I work with the team to implement provisioning for orders coming from customers and agents, including new telecom service and add or change orders. We actually manage and implement the total life cycle of the project from start to finish, acting as liaison with internal departments and multiple telecom carriers, gathering information and coordinating with the customer. We arrange installations with the start-up team, whether it's voice, data or other services and I manage all hosted AirePBX projects as well, through to completion of the order. 

What do you enjoy most about working with AireSpring?

I really enjoy working with our partners. They are technically savvy and they know what they want in terms of the telco implementation. There are some agents that used to be with TPx and they remember me and have requested me on their orders. I have a great supervisor in Yousra Mesbah, Senior Project Coordinator, who is extremely knowledgeable. We mesh well and have similar working styles. The upper management at AireSpring are so supportive whenever it is needed, including Ralph and Darren Sandford, SVP Operations. There is just a lot of knowledge here, especially when it comes to installation.

The benefits are great and the HR group is really helpful. Communication is great all the way up the line. One of the most enjoyable things about working at AireSpring is the in-house Accession IM chat, which is a component part of the UC solution that AireSpring sells through partners. Most companies don't have that open chat line. It makes a big difference in helping to feel more connected to co-workers, especially as a remote team member.

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

I am a home body, but after work in nicer weather, I usually ride my road bike about 5 miles daily. It's very lightweight and fast. I take my dog on long walks. He's a Rottweiler - a 143 - pounder which is only a little under my weight. He's almost six years old, which means he is actually in his prime. When I'm out walking him he attracts attention. I also enjoy attending music festivals, along with some good friends. They're a fun way to bond and meet new people, and I'm actually very social. The type of music varies, mostly I prefer EDM-electronic music and light rock.

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Contact your AireSpring Channel Manager!

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:

• AirePBX UCaaS
• MPLS Mesh
• SD-WAN
• Global SD-WAN
• SIP Trunking
• Managed Firewall
• Dedicated Internet Access
• Analog/PRI/POTS
• Wholesale Long Distance

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.

sales@airespring.com | 888.389.2899 | www.airespring.com

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