AireSpring Among 20 Most Promising Tech Solution Providers in 2016
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 Since AireSpring opened for business 15 years ago, we have consistently received accolades from the Telecom industry and that streak continues. AireSpring was recently honored as one of the 20 Most Promising Tech Solution Providers for the Telecom Industry by CIO Review magazine. This prestigious list is compiled from over 300 candidates by a distinguished panel of CEOs, CIOs, IT VPs and the editorial board of CIO Review.
AireSpring was honored for its Managed Connectivity solutions across a wide range of voice and data services including AireContact Cloud Contact Center, AirePBX Cloud Phone System, SIP Trunking, MPLS, Ethernet Private Networking, managed security and business Internet. By integrating voice and data services over its own next-generation, fully managed network which now spans 16 tier-1 providers, AireSpring reduces both cost and complexity of Unified Communications solutions for multi-location enterprises while ensuring end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS). Highly personalized service and robust implementation by expert technicians set AireSpring offerings apart from other providers.
To see the CIO Review magazine Telecom Technology Special Edition, including more about AireSpring’s award winning service, click here.
For more information about how Managed Connectivity can reduce the costs of and complexity of Unified Communications for your multi-location enterprise customers, contact your Channel Manager.
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AireSpring Expands Network by Partnering with Comcast, COX
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 AireSpring is expanding our network and service offerings again! We already offered the largest network footprint in the U.S., but we recently expanded our partnerships to include Comcast and Cox Communications. As a result of cementing these two important partnerships, AireSpring now has 16 major providers in our network. In addition to increasing the number of options available for broadband and Ethernet connectivity on a variety of AireSpring products, these new partnerships may result in lower pricing for customers and greater network redundancy. These exciting new provider options are already available in QuoteSpring. To learn more, contact your AireSpring channel manager today or log onto www.agentstar.net.
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Still offering the best SPIFFs around, 15 years and running...
This month, we are offering 150% on Connectivity Services, 600% on Voice/Cloud Services, or an $800 Cash Bonus on Long Distance.
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AireSpring is committed to building and growing the strongest relationships with our Channel Partners and we are once again hitting the road. If you are at any of the following events, stop by and catch up!
Join us August 14 - 17 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Washington, D.C. for Channel Partners Evolution! We will be at Booth #D34.
Catch us at these upcoming Telarus Technology Innovation Conferences:
September 20th, Adventure Aquarium, Philadelphia, PA
Register Here
AireSpring is also delighted to be a sponsor of the 13th Annual MicroCorp One-on-One. Join us in Atlanta, GA from September 18 - 19. We would love to meet with you at this event or at the supplier fair.
Finally, AireSpring is excited to be a sponsor for Intelisys Channel Connect October 12 - 14 at the Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa, CA.
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August Training:
Top 5 Security Threats
Small Businesses Need to
Guard Against in 2016
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 Security for small to medium-sized businesses means more than just preventing viruses and blocking spam. In 2016, cybercrime increased dramatically and SMBs were subjected to ransomware, denial of service attacks, and used as pawns to access and attack the networks of their large business clients. The average direct cost of a breach to a small business ranges from $38,000 to $55,000 not to mention the damage in reputation and lost business that can follow. Can your clients afford to take a hit like that?
Join Dell and AireSpring Thursday, August 25th, at 1pm as we review the Top 5 current threats that SMBs need to guard against and how they can keep their networks safe.
Register here!
Stay through to the end and enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card! We would like to congratulate Danielle Wickander, of Rock Telecom Solutions, for winning in July!
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Welcome to the latest edition in our series of profiles where we shine the spotlight on AireSpring's amazing partners. This time we're speaking with Nancy Ridge, Executive Vice President of Telecom Brokers.
Hello, Nancy. Thank you for agreeing to speak with us today. To begin with, please tell us a little more about yourself and your background and the history of Telecom Brokers.
I began my career in telecom as a consultant. It was in that context that I first learned about and worked with channel professionals. I accepted a positon as Vice President at URM Group in 1997, where I created the Telecom Division. We provided telecom auditing, bidding, consulting, and negotiating services to Fortune 1000 companies in the manufacturing, healthcare, municipal, and educational sectors. I quickly realized that rather than referring our customers to direct reps at the carriers when a change was recommended, a better way to control successful outcomes for my customers was to enter the channel, become a distributor, and manage the process ourselves. After 5 successful years at URM, I had an opportunity to join ATI, a wholesale telecommunications reseller as their Vice President of Sales, which was my first official job in the channel. I collaborated directly with the CEO to establish a “brand” for the company, and my hard work paid off. ATI won the 41st position of fastest growing privately held companies on the "Inc. 500" list in 2004. Creating sales with our excellent channel partners and our end user customers helped me realize that, at my core, I really enjoy being of service to and helping people.
In 2005, I joined Telecom Brokers where I currently serve as Executive Vice President. My role is to manage the majority of the direct sales team as well as the indirect channel. When I joined Telecom Brokers, we had approximately 10 or 12 partners and 5 service agreements with various providers. Today, we have agreements with over 60 providers, access to another 100+, and we service thousands of customers. I think a large part of our success is owed to our hands-on, service-oriented business model. Telecom Brokers has a total customer care attitude. With such a large group of partners, I am not beholden to any single product or provider. As a distributor, I have access to hundreds of vendors, allowing me to offer my customers the unique solutions they need. I am not forced to sell them something that’s not ideal because I only have one product or product line to offer them. Additionally, we provide extensive marketing and business development services to our agent partners to help them remain relevant and positively branded in the channel.
How long have you been partnering with AireSpring?
Telecom Brokers just celebrated their 11 year anniversary with AireSpring!
Why do you like partnering with AireSpring?
AireSpring’s corporate culture of service aligns completely with ours. AireSpring is responsive and it employs great people. I believe the foundation of any good business is its relationships, and this is particularly true for the channel. So when I need something for my customers, it is really great to be able to call familiar friends like Ron [McNab, SVP Channel Sales] and Daniel [Lonstein, COO] or even Avi [Lonstein, CEO], all of whom I know and trust to provide answers and resolve issues in real time. In addition, our awesome Channel Manager, Charlie Lomond, truly reflects the values and culture that we have here at Telecom Brokers. He makes such an effort to know what types of services different partners like. For example, he knows if agents prefer him conferenced on the line during calls with customers, if they want him in the background, or if they just want him to set up the deal and let the agent work alone. He knows how they like to receive quotes for those services, and what business habits they have. This kind of attention to detail and flexibility with customer preferences truly helps us close deals. Not only that, but he’ll remember their kids’ birthdays and talk to you about your favorite sports teams like he’s your neighbor. We really appreciate his level of professionalism and personal style.
AireSpring has also shown incredible consistency in service delivery, which is typically the hardest part of our business. As anyone in telecom knows, there are always hiccups in the activation and turn up process. I am often involved in escalations because carriers make mistakes during service activation and installation. Thus, the fact that AireSpring can deliver services with minimal errors each and every time is a huge help to me and my customers. I have noticed that AireSpring is remarkably nimble when delivering service. In an industry where we are forced to work with multiple vendors across multiple locations, AireSpring stands out as an expert in coordinating more complex projects. If something in the contract needs to be changed at the last minute, the entire AireSpring team, from the Channel Managers to the Project Coordinators, is always quick to respond. This is something that I have heard from our customers directly, which is why we are seeing AireSpring win more bids, and why we invited AireSpring to be a Platinum Sponsor and a member of our advisory board in 2016. We are very proud of our partnership.
What would you say is the secret to success in this industry and being a successful agent, VAR, MSP etc.?
It is easy to become excited when new technologies arrive in the marketplace. New trends, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Virtual Reality are hot topics in the technology sector and, as a result, businesses feel pressure to incorporate these new technologies into their product line. But if you are solely focused on technology then you probably are not listening to your customers. Across the board, you must continue to care about your customers and the problems they face. If you do that, then you will know what kinds of technology solutions to provide and you will win their business.
Another huge component of success is learning. This is more than attending lectures or seminars. This is a state of mind, whereby on a daily basis, you are absorbing new information and using it to improve yourself. This relates to my last point—businesses that are not open to learning often cannot tell when their customers need new or different solutions.
Finally, it is key for businesses to collaborate. We are in an interdependent industry, so it makes no sense at all to try and provide every single service. This again relates to the idea of transforming yourself to provide for your customers, rather than forcing them into your business mold. Attempting to provide everything is not possible. You will likely end up pushing less than ideal products onto customers, who will lose faith in you as a trusted advisor. Thus, partner with those companies who can provide those solutions, so that when your customers actually need those solutions, you can provide them.
What is the “next big thing” you think people should be aware of in 2016 and beyond?
Right now, data is everything. As a consequence, moving that data in incredibly large volumes and at high speeds will become the backbone of infrastructure around the world. Companies that can promise speed and security when delivering data applications and software will not only be sought after, but required, to satisfy the demand for these services. I recently heard a Gartner analyst say something that I felt captured the current sentiment well, “Information is the oil of the 21st Century, and analytics is the combustion engine.” I think that using data analytics at a high level is going to be a key differentiator in the coming years.
That said, while it is important to pursue these new technologies and methodologies so that you are prepared, I stand by my customer-oriented model. We at Telecom Brokers can provide these new technologies, but we are not going to force them onto customers just because they are trending. I will also dissuade overly excited customers from jumping onto the newest trend if I do not think it is going to help their business. Even if I have a chance to sell new products, I am not interested in sales for the sake of sales. Like I said at the outset, I am here to help solve problems and I think that customers appreciate us for that.
What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of telecom?
 I am very dedicated to Women in the Channel (WIC) (www.womeninthechannel.org), which I co-founded. WIC is a non-profit organization aimed at unifying, empowering, and mentoring women. The majority of our members are women in leadership or revenue generating roles in the telecom and IT channels, and our mission is three fold ― we collaborate with each other, support each other, and mentor each other. For those who have attended Channel Partners, you will know that we hold networking events at the shows which have become very popular. We are continuing to grow, with local chapters and outreach into schools on the horizon.
I am also a mother to two wonderful kids, or I should say young adults! I have a son named Niko and a daughter named Danielle. They are both in college and working—Niko is a lifeguard at Laguna Beach and Danielle is a marketing manager at San Lorenzo Bikinis. I couldn’t be prouder.
I also a volunteer at my local church and I have served in the children’s ministry for over ten years. In fact I will be leading our summer Vacation Bible School this summer. Last, but certainly not least, my other serious passion is horses. I have been a serious equestrian for many years. I compete as a jumper rider with my other baby, San Remo L.S.
Thank you Nancy. We don’t know where you get all your energy from.
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 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 Nancy Benoit, Lead Customer Service Representative.
Hello, Nancy. To begin, please tell us about your professional background and your role at AireSpring.
I started with General Telephone as a 411 operator in 1981. At the time, we were using microfiche and a Rolodex to look up phone numbers. After working the phones as an operator for 5 years, I entered the customer service division where I covered everything from repair to billing issues. I worked at GTE for 24 years, and I spent 15 years as a customer service representative. I was there so long that I joined the company when it was General Telephone, and left after it became Verizon.
Working for GTE and Verizon entailed a particular kind of customer service that is often present in large corporations. There were three floors of customer service representatives, and dozens of supervisors. It was policy to get a customer on and off the line in three minutes, regardless of what the issue was. Our calls were monitored and we were reprimanded if we allowed a call to extend beyond the limit or if we tried to escalate too far up the chain. Customer service representatives were also expected to upsell during trouble tickets, which as you can imagine, was a difficult task to accomplish in the span of three minutes. Even in repair, we had sales quotas to uphold. Basically, the system at Verizon was not designed to help us help customers. That became clear to me when I started my second customer service career in 2008 at a company called AireSpring.
What do you enjoy most about working at AireSpring?
At AireSpring, I have the freedom to really help people. We are not only allowed, but encouraged to listen to customers, take time to understand their issues, and spend as long as we need resolving them. We try not to send customers from rep to rep. Instead, we try to simplify their customer service experience so that they can deal with one person and get the issue resolved during that phone call.
I love working as a customer service rep because every call brings something new. I have no idea what I am going to walk into when I answer the phone—a part of the job that is both exciting and stressful at the same time! I also love the fact that we are a family. We definitely rally to get the job done when a customer needs it. On the customer service side of the building, we all work closely with one another, so when I need a Tier 2 technician to help me with an issue, I can contact them by name and they are right there ready to help. At a mega carrier like Verizon, I might just transfer the call to another department to someone I have never met. It’s not like that here at AireSpring.
Lastly, I appreciate that AireSpring encourages a fun atmosphere. We have little parties for the Holidays and try to decorate the office as often as possible. I am personally involved in office fun, as I am a member of the Fun Committee. We've done things like picnics and office games. For example, we set up a mini golf course throughout the office, which was really fun.
The staff are really passionate about certain holidays, especially Halloween. Before October even arrives, the Fun Committee begins to prepare. In previous years, we have set up games and activities for the staff to participate in, and just about everyone comes dressed in costume.
What are some of your hobbies or interests outside of the office?
I come from a very family-oriented background. I have 4 sisters, all of whom live within 30 miles so we get together all the time. If there aren’t more than 20 people at my house for a family party then there’s something wrong!
In my spare time, I practice photography and painting. I have a hummingbird feeder in my yard that more than 50 hummingbirds call home, so there is plenty of nature for me to photograph and draw from for artistic inspiration.
I am also very active in my church, where I do things like volunteer at the nursery once a week and help organize fundraisers. In tandem with my church work, I am involved with several charities. I do whatever I can to help my community!
Thanks, Nancy, for sharing a bit about yourself and especially for everything you do to help AireSpring deliver excellent service!
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AireSpring will be at Channel Partners Evolution, Booth #D34
August 14 - 17, 2016
Catch us at Telarus TIC
August 25th, Club Auto Sport, San Jose, CA
Register Here
September 20th, Adventure Aquarium,
Philadelphia, PA
AireSpring will be at One-on-One in Atlanta, GA September 18-19
Find us at Intelisys Channel Connect, October 12-14 in Napa Valley, CA
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