What's Inside

1. AireSpring Wins 2019 INTERNET TELEPHONY Hosted VoIP Excellence Award
2. Product Update – Level 3/AireSpring IP (Century Link) Access Network Expansion
3. AireSpring on the Road
4. AireSpring 4th Quarter Promo – Give Thanks for SPIFFs a la Mode
5. Partner Training – Top 5 trends that will Save Your Business in the Next 5 Years | Don’t Get Left Behind! Peter Radizeski, RAD-INFO Inc.
6. Visit AireSpring at These Events
7. Partner Spotlight – Zina Hassel, President, ZLH Enterprises
8. Meet the AireSpring Team – Jesse Michaels, Regional Channel Manager

AireSpring's industry-leading 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 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

The Fall leaves are blowing and the clock is ticking on AireSpring’s special 4th Quarter Promo!

We're taking you from Fall through the year-end holiday season, with an extra reward to make things exciting!

With two months left in 2019, you have an extra reason to sell AireSpring’s services. Bring us deals from October 1 through December 31 and you could earn an Amazon gift card—up to a $1,000 value—on top of our usual industry-leading SPIFFs and commissions! Reach one of 7 tier levels to earn a higher and higher value gift card! At the same time, you'll be earning even higher SPIFFs, bonuses and commissions!

Come to the One-Stop-Shop for Managed Communications, Network and IT Solutions, with a complete lineup of products, from POTs to Global SD-WAN, supported by high-touch, white glove service. You win with AireSpring’s unique multi-location expertise with one bill, one point-of-contact and one responsible vendor to keep networks humming and customers happy.

We have over 18 years of experience delivering award-winning service and staying true to our 100% channel focus.

What:

Top 5 trends that will Save Your Business in the Next 5 Years
Don’t Get Left Behind!

Presenter:

Peter Radizeski, President and Founder of RAD-INFO Inc.

When:

November 21, 2019 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM PT

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

FUSION AT&T PARTNER SOLUTIONS
Dallas, TX
November 4-7, 2019

TELARUS INNOVATION CONFERENCE (TIC)
Boston, MA and
November 7, 2019
REGISTER HERE

TCG CHANNEL SOURCE
PGA Palm Beach, FL
November 19, 2019
REGISTER HERE

TBI CHICAGO CLOUD COMMISSION
Chicago, IL
December 5, 2019

Welcome to the latest edition in our series of profiles, shining the spotlight on AireSpring’s amazing partners. This month, we’re speaking with Zina Hassel, President of ZLH Enterprises Technology Consulting.

Hello Zina, thank you for agreeing to speak with us. To begin, please tell us a little about yourself, your professional background and ZLH Enterprises.

My career began in the 1970’s in health care administration where I held various positions, including as Associate Administrator, Human Resource Director and Assistant Administrator/Business Officer. This timeline was just after the Carterfone decision that allowed the interconnection of devices on the AT&T telephone network, and basically allowed for the private ownership of telephone systems. It’s amazing to see how that has morphed today, evolving all the way to the UCaaS platform!

As Business Officer for a New York State Mental Health facility, we were looking at potential cost savings by moving away from a 400+ Centrex environment to the premise-based PBX offering. We had studied the savings of more than $1M and bids were out to the marketplace. The entire project was under my direction and it was an exciting time for me and my staff. Overseeing the project management and ultimate installation/cutover was fascinating. It was then that I made the decision that if I ever moved out of health care it would be to technology. A few years later that opportunity came my way and I moved into the world of interconnect (sales and installation of phone systems) with Standard Telephone (which became JWP Telecom), a CPE supplier to companies like Northern Telecom and NEC.

I next moved on to start up Telecarrier Services, becoming a CLEC co-owner, tariffed in 13 states and selling Verizon, TCG (Teleport Communications Group), Sprint and cable and wireless services, to name a few. Ten years later, I launched ZLH Enterprises, the consulting agency where I am today. My expertise has been in equipment, cabling and all facets of CLEC operations. As head of a start-up operation, I was getting down in the ditches and had to be involved in all facets of the business, from provisioning to troubleshooting, billing and of course, extreme customer service!

What do you like about working with AireSpring?

We work with AireSpring as a supplier in our portfolio because of their quick response time, network reliability and ability to get to the right person in the event that there is an issue. Impromptu technical calls with a client are never an issue with AireSpring. Whether it be pricing, engineering assistance, provisioning response, or service and support, we are confident in the sincerity and commitment of top level management (yes, from the CEO, Avi Lonstein on down) to maintain high level delivery to the end user client. We know that AireSpring has the option of being a single biller for multiple services, and we intend to take advantage of that for our clients. Their ability to provision multiple underlying carriers is certainly an attraction.

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

Our experience is that you need to put yourself in the place of the client—how would you want to be treated by your service provider? Coupled with that is balancing on the fine line of also maintaining sensibility to the carrier when a client’s expectation needs to be tempered. Early in our company’s career (back in 2007) we were proud to be the recipients of the customer satisfaction award from AT&T, where they surveyed customer and solution provider relationships with customers.

It is also extraordinarily important to keep a pulse on the marketplace and the technology field. I try to be involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) advocacy and mentorship for women in technology. I am always amazed that when I look around a room (whether at a conference or even smaller, carrier-endorsed training sessions) that there is still a real lack of female representation. In 2019, I was fortunate to be recognized as a Bronze Award winner for Woman of the Year for Business Services Industries at the Stevie Awards, and by the Alliance of Channel Women for the 2019 LEAD Award. The LEAD Award is an honor given to women in tech who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in the channel. I will continue to encourage young women to enter the field and not to be put off by the myriad of obstacles that are out there.

The responsiveness that I feel our company offers our customers is very important and I wouldn’t be able to ensure that without our terrific team. My VP, Jodi Hassel, is an integral member of that team and her presence in the company and her tenacity astound me. She is a wonderful example of a young woman who entered this field and has taken off!

What is the “next big thing” you think agents should be aware of in 2020?

I think that we all need to be cognizant of the technological advances that are coming on board with greater presence—AI and machine learning, the 5G explosion, the benefits of SD-WAN, Cyber Security and Compliance. We also need to be aware of attacks on all fronts that are always trying to infiltrate our customers—from competitors in similar lines of business, from the MSP and VAR space who are rapidly offering the same services, and from some carrier-suppliers, who seem to think it’s okay to solicit a client once they have been provisioned on their backbone. It is increasingly important to communicate with our clients and let them know that we are growing and changing with their needs and according to the industry benchmarks.

We work hard to continue to educate our clients about new technology and service offerings; we hold webinars, send newsletters and make phone calls. One recent webinar that we held for our sub-agents was how to navigate the murky waters of compliance and a neat assessment tool that we have at our (and our sub-agents') disposal. It is important that our clients are aware of the changes in technology and compliance/regulations that may affect their businesses, such as the recent DYFS 500 (the Shield Act). Although this might appear to be limited in scope, there are some overarching compliance regulations that need to be tended to right away.

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

My first priority is my family and I love to be with them. I’ve been married to my husband Scott forever—he was even at my Sweet 16. We just celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary! It’s fantastic to be working with my daughter, Jodi and I’m very proud of my comedian-actor daughter Tracey (who is now making her way to L.A.). The next most important interest is travel, preferably with the family. I love it and love the fact that the mobility of this industry allows me to be anywhere at any time, and still manage the business and respond to clients. We also have tried to attend at least one Yankees game a year together.

Zina, thank you for taking time to talk with us today.

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 another key member of the AireSpring team. This month we are talking with Jesse Michael, Regional Channel Manager - Southeast.

Hello Jesse. To begin, please tell us about your professional background.

My first job out of college launched me into the telecom field as an Account Executive with Allegiance Telecom. They were one of the first CLECs, a successful publicly traded company that served institutional users in major metro areas, starting in the NFL cities. The job provided me with a great opportunity to learn about telecom and the channel.

By the time Allegiance was acquired by XO Communications in 2004, I had moved on to work for NTC/Light Networks as a Major Account Manager. I sold VoIP, local, long distance, web hosting, VPN, and data solutions. When the company was bought out, I moved on to aggregator Netifice Communications as an Account Executive II, relocating to Southern California to accept the position. That was during a tremendous boom in the mortgage banking industry, and after a few years, I was recruited by Countrywide Home Loans as a Senior Loan Consultant. I stayed with them for over five years and it was an amazing time to make a great deal of money. Eventually, the home mortgage market crashed during the recession, just at the time my Dad’s health was failing. As a result, I moved back to Georgia to be near family and to get back into my chosen field of telecom.

In Georgia, I went to work for Windstream as an Account Executive, acquiring new and managing existing customers. It was yet another great learning opportunity, focusing on recruiting new partners, agents, VARs and MSPs. It gave me a chance to become more familiar with the channel, which led me to make the move to ComSolv, dedicating myself to the channel. The business began to downsize, leading me to accept a position as a client executive for Verizon Business Markets. Then about one year ago, I saw that AireSpring was looking to hire a regional channel manager in the southeast, so I applied. Ron McNab, AireSpring SVP of Channel Sales offered me the regional channel manager position. I was very excited to come to work for the company that had always been my favorite carrier and number one choice for my clients.

What do you enjoy most about working at AireSpring?

Above all else, I love the sales culture here. Working for Ron McNab and Shane Speakman, VP of Channel Sales and Operations, is the perfect fit for me. They are there when I need them and they’re genuine people who care. I don’t hesitate to tell people that this is the best job I’ve ever had, and the reason is that AireSpring is a private, family-owned company. After always working for publicly traded or holding companies with constant mergers, layoffs and uncertainty, at AireSpring you’re working for a company owned by the three Lonstein brothers [Avi Lonstein, CEO; Daniel Lonstein, President and CRO; David Lonstein, Executive VP Product Management] who understand technology. I tell all our channel partners that one of the best things about doing business with AireSpring is the stability. You want to give your customers a stable provider, where you’re not going to have to find them a new one in six months or a year. I think that aspect is often overlooked when someone is just looking for price. To me, stability is the biggest differentiator in the marketplace. Also, I love letting people know about our Escalation List. Every company may have one, but ours actually goes up to Avi Lonstein, the CEO.

The main reason I had made AireSpring my number one choice when working as an agent is that you get access to the rock solid carriers, including ATT, Verizon, Comcast and others, but without being subject to their limited support and excessive paperwork. You get all the good stuff without the drawbacks. The pricing is competitive and that’s a big time-saver, so you can quickly move on to the next deal, and there is always someone to handle it when issues do come up.

The fact that we’re 100% channel focused is something to brag about. You don’t have to worry about inside competition. I tell people that we’re not perfect but the real difference here is that no matter what your issue might be, there is always someone who will get you the answer you need quickly.

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

My interests have changed now that I have a family. I have two daughters, 5 year-old June (aka Junebug), and 8 year-old Morgan. June just learned how to ride a bike, so together with my wife, Holly, we love to do things like bicycling on the BeltLine around Atlanta. The BeltLine is built onto old train tracks right through the heart of the city, now revitalized with a trail, bars and restaurants. It’s all flat and goes on for miles.

Before kids, my hobbies were gardening, snowboarding and mountain biking. I can still do the gardening because it’s in my backyard and I still get in some snowboarding. Last year we got Morgan up on a snowboard for the first time and she did really well. We like to go to Maggie Valley near the Cataloochee Ski Area, right on the border of Georgia and North Carolina. It’s about a three and-a-half hour drive, but considering we live in the south, it’s worth it, even though there’s more ice than snow.

My wife, Holly, works part-time at June’s Montessori school doing their accounting. It started out as a volunteer thing, and she did it so well that it has turned into a near full-time job.

Jesse, thank you for sharing your story with us!

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