What's Inside

AireSpring Holds Industry Roundtable

On April 27, 2023, AireSpring held its 3rd annual industry roundtable discussion on the “state of the channel” with executives from some of the industry’s leading technology solutions brokers (TSBs). They discussed in-demand technologies in the wake of a possible recession, how TSBs can best serve their trusted advisors, and the effect that recent mergers and acquisitions have had on the industry and partners.

The panel, moderated by Peter Radizeski, RAD-INFO Inc., included: Renee Bergeron, COO, AppDirect; Drew Lydecker, President and Co-founder, AVANT Communications; John DeLozier, President, Intelisys; Justin Marano, CRO, Sandler Partners; and Adam Edwards, CEO, Telarus.

“The economic uncertainty is real and it’s going to create some shifts in our industry, impacting the end-customer, providers, and the channel as a whole. This means partners must do additional due diligence on financial aspects as well as technology as they look at solutions for their customers that will support them on an ongoing basis.”

Renee Bergeron, COO, AppDirect

“If you look at everything that we’re doing in the channel, it’s tied to the ‘as a service’ industry. Companies are looking to make massive changes to the ‘as a service’ movement, and customers need trusted advisors to be the ones telling them that they’re the ones representing that entire industry. If you look at what’s hot and being sold, ‘as a service’ is it. It’s an exciting time.”

Drew Lydecker, President and Co-Founder, AVANT Communications

“When hard times hit like pandemics and recessions, companies are trying to be more efficient, and there’s tremendous opportunity in that for the partner. This work-from-anywhere concept is here to stay. It’s for our customers, it’s for our partners, and it’s for our employees…with the cloud and all the technology progressions that have happened, we’ve gotten smarter, more efficient, and more price-sensitive, and I think that will continue.”

John DeLozier, President, Intelisys

“What’s always differentiated the great partners from the good ones is the great ones own all the technology needs of their customers. They’re building a wall around those clients, and not allowing someone else to come in and capitalize on being the trusted technology advisor and maybe displacing what they’re doing for that client directly. Our organizations provide those options and are the gateway to be that well-rounded, trusted advisor for their customers.”

Justin Marano, CRO, Sandler Partners

“Consolidation is natural, and it also yields more benefit for the channel. We’re seeing growth, and since consolidation has been happening, more tools, more resources, and more education are emerging, which can create a lot of value. The role that the TSB plays in the ecosystem is becoming more apparent as consolidation takes place.”

Adam Edwards, CEO, Telarus

If you missed this webinar, the replay link is available on AireSpring’s YouTube Channel.

AireSpring is pleased to announce that it has been named by The YGS Group, CRN’s marketing and recognition partner, as a 2023 Partner Program Guide member. The CRN Partner Program Guide lists the most notable partner programs from industry-leading technology vendors that provide innovative products and services through the IT channel to help push positive change and growth.

AireSpring received recognition not only for its for its 100% commitment to the channel, but also for its outstanding products and services and continued expansion in the United States and globally. Over the past year, AireSpring has increased the number of channel managers working with agents and channel partners and created a broader regional footprint to support partners locally. As a large Managed Services Provider with Managed SD-WAN and Managed Security offerings, AireSpring is also expanding its global presence and continues to offer a broad, innovative line of products combined with industry-leading customer service and many free managed services.

“We’re honored to receive recognition from a major industry voice like CRN,” stated Daniel Lonstein, AireSpring President and CRO. “Inclusion on this prestigious list speaks to the deep commitment AireSpring has to our partners and to delivering outstanding customer service as well as a comprehensive set of products and services that help the industry grow in an innovative direction.”

AireSpring is pleased to announce that Michael Brinton has joined the team as Regional Channel Manager for the Florida Eastern region.

Michael brings over 20 years of sales experience to the role as well as the many partnerships he’s developed throughout his time in the industry.

Prior to joining AireSpring, Michael served as Regional Channel Director at Nitel, where he specialized in security, Global SD-WAN, and cloud connectivity. During his tenure at companies such as Expereo and CenturyLink, Michael played a key role in the recruitment, development, and support of partners throughout the Florida region, and implemented solution-based sales strategies to drive and manage growth opportunities around SD-WAN, UCaaS, contact centers, and hosted technologies.

“We’re excited to welcome Michael to Team AireSpring,” stated John Young, AireSpring Senior VP of Channel Sales. “Michael’s deep experience in the channel along with the relationships he has developed over the years will be invaluable to AireSpring as its presence in the Florida region grows.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining AireSpring,” stated Michael. “AireSpring has a reputation in the industry for being an outstanding family owned and operated organization focused on partner and customer success. I really admire the executive leadership and look forward to contributing my experience to the team.”

• Get up to speed on SD-WAN, the technology that improves control, management, up time, business agility, security, and data encryption of Wide Area Networks.
• Get an overview of VMware, Fortinet and Cisco-Meraki SD-WAN solutions.
• Take a deep dive into AireSpring’s Global Managed SD-WAN solution and Global Private Network (GPN).
• Learn more about AireSpring’s international expansion and internet circuit procurement.
• Discover how SASE can reduce your customers’ exposure to security risks.

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Wendell Nelson

Bradley Port

SVP Strategic Partnerships

Director of Voice Operations

What: AireSpring June Partner Training Webinar

Date: Thursday June 22, 2023

Time: 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM (PT)

Presenter: Wendell Nelson, SVP Strategic Partnerships, AireSpring & Bradley M. Port, Director of Voice Operations, AireSpring

Please complete the survey after the webinar for a chance to win a

$100 Amazon gift card

To begin, please tell us a little about yourself and your agency.

I founded Comtura Networks with a colleague almost 25 years ago. When we started our business, we had both been in telecom for a long time - 20 and 15 years, respectively.

The company we worked for was abandoning support for legacy technology, and we saw an opportunity to provide both support and a migration path toward new platforms. In the early days, we felt confident about providing technical support and advice, but had to spend a lot of time learning the business side of things. We both wanted to do business “our” way, without the bureaucracy our clients encountered dealing with big companies. We were fortunate to have served large enterprises which already trusted us, including a large insurance company, newspaper, and three regional hospital systems. Within the first five years we had over 50,000 seats of PBX telecom under contract. However, we did not want to allow success to create a disconnect with our clients.

As our base expanded, we added staff judiciously to stay aligned with our clients. We recruited a mix of telecom veterans and young, talented engineers who were eager to be part of a growing managed services provider (MSP). We invested in training, certification programs, and self-development tools to help them grow.

It was rewarding because we didn’t want to be the “cheaper alternative” to the big tech companies we were replacing; we really wanted to be an advocate for our clients. Sometimes it resulted in recommending they collapse into a smaller tech footprint to save maintenance costs. Our customers got it – we were making suggestions which lowered their costs even if it lowered our fees, and this built significant trust.

Creative solutions were needed to solve many client challenges, so we nurtured relationships with software companies, innovative hardware developers, competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), and our book of business grew. We deployed solutions at enterprise scale including wireless handsets, hospital operations software, and more. Our in-house team developed integration to meld older PBX systems with newer VoIP platforms like Cisco Call Manager and Avaya. This allowed our clients the freedom to move at their own pace, instead of all at once, resulting in multiple completed projects.

Over the years, we’ve also shared our success with our community; we donate our money, time, and materials to provide technology support for non-profit food and clothing banks, women’s shelters, schools, and other non-profits.

My business partner retired in 2019, and I focused on reimagining Comtura Networks as a consulting practice. Being a client advocate was still my focal point, and to do it effectively required education and exposure to many competing companies and solution sets. Conferences like Channel Partners and IT Expo helped me understand trends and emerging technologies.

One notable example was manifest in Microsoft Teams Voice. When COVID-19 hit and everyone began using Teams, Zoom, and other video collaboration tools, there was so much interest in using those same platforms for conventional voice; it became the “missing link”. I decided to learn as much as I could about MS Teams Voice integration approaches, and it has been a big catalyst for discussions. One client chose us (including my recommended solution provider) for MS Teams Voice in Europe, Latin America, and the United States, but then added SD-WAN and global network WAN connectivity. The result was a highly distilled solution with high availability and service level agreements for all resources whether internal or external, across their global footprint.

What do you like about working with AireSpring?

“AireSpring’s focus on global solutions takes the cap off limitations and allows me to solve problems everywhere.”

The exceptional things about working with AireSpring include the culture, leadership, team and expertise. Their culture promotes extending beyond the primary needs of the client to adapt when changes arise. Corporate leadership including Avi Lonstein, CEO, and Daniel Lonstein, President and CRO, AireSpring, who are 100% accessible, active in day-to-day operations, are always ready to make things happen and overcome barriers. Their team and expertise include my local support, Regional Channel Manager, Scott Bender, Solutions Engineer, Melvin Frederick, thought leadership from SVP Solutions Engineering, Mike Chase, and guidance from upper management like VP of Account Management, Yvonne Napoleon.

They all go above and beyond to make things work. AireSpring’s focus on global solutions takes the cap off limitations and allows me to solve problems everywhere.

AireSpring has continued to incorporate more products as technologies mature. Good examples include 5G Managed Wireless WAN and POTS Replacement. Both technologies have had high variance depending upon which technology platform was chosen, and AireSpring evaluated extensively before settling on the options with greatest performance and reliability.

I think the answer is embedded in the question – if you are trusted, you will be successful. I follow a basic tenet: advocate for clients and the money will follow. Being a trusted advisor is more important to me than being a sales agent; I always lean on the advocate persona to inform the sales agent role. As an independent advisor, I am not obliged to limit my solution set, so I maintain high expectations from those providers with whom I choose to align. My key role is to identify a limited number of vendors from a plethora of options to best suit my client’s needs. My reputation is at risk each time I endorse a provider to my client, so it’s critical to use my experience and industry knowledge to distill the pool of options to only those most qualified.

“ It’s more important to listen than to speak, but when you speak, do so with candor and honesty.”

I have a dear friend who is a leading expert in the healthcare-finance space. His advice to me has always been simple: “people buy from people they like and trust”. This resonates both on a business and personal level. It’s more important to listen than to speak, but when you speak do so with candor and honesty.

"I don’t think the concerns around AI are overblown and believe there’s going to be a rapid expansion of the use of AI as a tool by hackers and other threat actors."

It’s apparent Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity will be two of the biggest topics in the next few years. Our industry has always been wrapped up with change, but these two ideas seem to be coalescing to magnify one another.

The inflection point is already here with AI. While AI and automation have been discussed for a long time, I believe we are looking at “AI 2.0” in offerings such as ChatGPT and Google Bard. We as an industry will need keen awareness of the positive and negative potential it holds.

It is fascinating yet frightening. I don’t think the concerns around AI are overblown and believe there’s going to be a rapid expansion of the use of AI as a tool by hackers and other threat actors. AI adds completely novel methods to amplify social engineering, network penetration, and vulnerability exploitations.

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

Although I spend a lot of time trying to stay informed and relevant (for instance, getting my AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification last year), I love my peaceful life at home with Penny, my wife of 25 years, and our miniature schnauzers. We live in the woods not too far from civilization, family, and friends. We enjoy traveling and adventures. I have a passion for competitive chess, and frequently participate in weekend tournaments (in the lower sections) where games can last five hours each.

I grew up traveling as an “Air Force brat”. Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, I have dual citizenship, and have lived in Germany and many areas of the United States. My wife and I still visit family in Newfoundland regularly. Cape Spear in Newfoundland is just a few miles from where I was born and has a magnificent rocky shore overlooking Atlantic Ocean waves, often breached by whales close by. There is a promontory on Cape Spear, and when you stand on that spot you are as far east as you can go and still be in North America.

Tell us about your professional background and roles you’ve held prior to joining AireSpring.

I began my career at Skytel, which was the paging arm of MCI/WorldCom, and most of my career has been in telecom. During my time at companies such as Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T, I drove sales for portfolios of domestic and international products, including wireless mobility solutions, data-networking, IP services, internet, corporate wireless plans, managed hosting, disaster recovery, hardware, and consulting services.

I got into the channel through a mentor who encouraged me to build my partner base to get ahead. My past roles have also included Regional Channel Manager at Sangoma, Broadvoice, and Consolidated Communications, where I specialized in Network Connectivity, Mobility, SD-WAN, Security, CCaaS, and UCaaS.

What do you like about working at AireSpring?

In addition to getting to work with AireSpring’s renowned product set, I am really pleased to have joined a family-owned company. Seeing the AireSpring representatives at mutual events piqued my interest in joining, and I also have several friends I’ve made in the channel who happen to work here. I like that there’s visibility from top to bottom, we’re strategic about how we do business, and we have an identity. It’s a happy place to work, and the support from my peers has been great. At AireSpring, we’re straight shooters. We do what we say we’re going to do, and I really appreciate that in a company.

Tell us about your new role at AireSpring and your goals for the channel team.

My role at AireSpring includes building on the deep relationships I’ve developed in the Dallas, north Texas, and Oklahoma markets. I’m focused on constantly engaging with partners about why AireSpring is successful and demonstrating how we can bring value to them, utilizing all my Technology Service Distributors (TSDs) to make introductions to AireSpring, leveraging social media, and employing a “7-touch” approach I learned during my career that ensures I’m reaching out to partners in some way seven times before starting the process again. My goals also include being a resource to folks that need help in a similar role and give them the opportunity to thrive. Educating and training partners, whether it’s virtually or in person, is key. This strong ecosystem of partners will help us grow exponentially in the region in the future. The reception has been positive in the partner community so far, and we’re creating great building blocks for growth.

Tell us about your hobbies outside of work.

I’m a former athlete, so I like to stay active, whether it’s doing anything outside, going for a walk, or playing tennis. I used to be a golfer, and I’m trying to return to that. I would love to get back into an over 40 baseball league. My girlfriend and I are also foodies, so we like to go to nice restaurants and try different things.

I also like to travel. I haven’t been to Europe in a while, but when I went, I visited 9 different countries. I was excited to see those countries and cultures. Italy is my favorite. The trip to Southern Italy was amazing. It was great to see the history in person, and to experience it and absorb it. I’d love to get back there but there are several other countries on my list to see first. I’m also a big fan of standup comedy. I think it’s healthy to laugh. Comedians I recommend are Tom Segura and Sebastian Maniscalco.

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