Upcoming Meeting Notice


SAVE THE DATE:

OCTOBER 6 - 7, 2008
TECH EXEC FORUM for technology resellers
Hyatt Regency - Chicago, IL

OCTOBER 2, 2008
Regional Midwest Meeting
The Loon Cafe - Minneapolis, Minnesota

OCTOBER 23, 2008
Northeast Regional Meeting
Dinner at the Meadowlands Racetrack - East Rutherford, NJ

JANUARY 21 - 24, 2009
Annual Meeting
Hard Rock Hotel - San Diego, CA

(Click here for more information.)

NATD in the news
Cisco
Company profile
Energy wars
Leasing
Nortel
TEM
Toshiba
Whaleback

NATD in the news

Extreme Networks, Avaya, and Empire Technologies deliver converged network and IP telephony
Extreme Networks, Inc. and Avaya announced that the Township of Middletown, New Jersey, with the help of Avaya Platinum BusinessPartner Empire Technologies, has deployed converged network and IP telephony solutions that allow it to increase consistency of communications, response times and productivity by more than fifty percent. When it implemented IP telephony from Avaya, Middletown also upgraded its network to support its requirements for data, VoIP and related unified communications, and to attain the transmission speed and reliability required for the new, high-performance applications.  The Township had to support video surveillance, VoIP for phones and traditional applications and its IT staff spent time at the Avaya interoperability lab. After experiencing Extreme Networks and Avaya converged solutions in action, working with it, and realizing the depth of integration for a complete converged network solution, the choice became clear. Empire Technologies, which specializes in supporting the integration of advanced voice, video and data, was chosen to bring it all together.
Visit www.extremenetworks.com, www.getempire.com or www.avaya.com.



Ethics complaint filed
An ethics complaint was filed by Maggie Gregory ([email protected]), Telecom Solutions Inc., 8131 Kingston Street Suite 500, Avon, IN 46123, Telephone: 317-272-8800, NATD Member and NTTN Subscriber against:
 
Mr. Jeff Domer
Jeff Domer and Son
P. O. Box 90358
Novi, MI 48377
Telephone: 382-376-7009

We want to inform you that Jeff Domer and Son has chosen not to participate in our ethics process and as a non-member of the North-American Association of Telecommunications Dealers (NATD) and a non-subscriber of the NTTN, they are not required to participate and this should not be construed as an admission of the facts.
 
If you have any questions regarding the details of this complaint, please contact one of the parties involved.

Information regarding our Ethics Process can be found by clicking on:
http://www.natd.com/public/pages/codeofethics.asp

NATD members can find a list of ethics violators and non-participants on the NATD home page by signing on to www.natd.com with their ID and Password. ^Back To Top

Cisco

Cisco announces WebEx online meetings promotional package for small businesses
With gas prices so high today, commuting to the office and traveling to customer sites by car or air has become very expensive. Small businesses and individual professionals feel the pinch acutely, and are seeking new ways to serve customers and interact with colleagues while saving travel expenses. Many are discovering they can take care of business very effectively -- at far less cost -- with WebEx online meetings. WebEx makes it possible for people to share presentations and documents, and demonstrate applications over the web, much like they do in person. They can even share their webcams to create a face-to-face experience. WebEx is a great way to make sales presentations, consult with remote clients, provide training, and have routine staff or project meetings. People can host and join online meetings from any Internet-connected computer, anywhere in the world. A special Meetings Plus promotional package is currently available to small businesses. It is a limited-time offer, and runs through October 25, 2008.
Visit Meetings Plus offer or Try WebEx for free.
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Company profile

Slumpbuster: Used IT equipment for cheap
Move faster and take more risks. Those are lessons that Vibrant Technologies CEO Jennifer Larson learned during the dotcom bust. So when she saw the beginnings of an economic slowdown last year, Larson was ready to pounce by acquiring new inventory for her company, which sells used IT equipment. The Minnetonka, Minn., firm earmarked $1 million for a buying spree, scooping up used routers and servers on the cheap as companies began downsizing and selling off unneeded equipment. Increasing her stockpile of goods from $3.5 million to $4.5 million leaves Larson prepared for the crush of IT brokers and other firms looking for refurbished units to outfit their offices at a discount. She is also bolstering staff to 50 from 40 to handle the rising volume of orders and boosting the marketing budget 25%, to $500,000. As a result, Larson anticipates 2008 revenue of $52 million, up from $45 million last year, and expects sales to explode 40% in 2009. Larson knows that her situation is unique because demand for her products spikes during downturns. But she also knows that just like other small-business owners, if she doesn't innovate and implement smart growth strategies, the slumping economy could crush her.
Visit www.vibrant.com.
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Energy wars

Nortel vs. Cisco: the energy calculator
Nortel has produced an online energy calculator, now available to everyone. The calculator has been used by Nortel and independent consultants for a while. It can be accessed at http://www33.nortel.com/energycalculator/registration.html once you register. So why is this important? Gartner predicts that energy costs will be the second highest bill to IT after salaries within the next year or two. Very few IT departments receive the electrical bill and therefore do not use energy consumption to compare products.

Let’s assume that the calculator is accurate when Nortel and Cisco products are compared. At the March 2008 VoiceCon conference, Nortel had a side-by-side demonstration of comparable Nortel and Cisco products. It was obvious that Nortel used less power. Since this is a Nortel sponsored site, you may be a little skeptical of the results. However, it demonstrates that power consumption should be part of the future RFP. VARs should make energy conservation part of their sales pitch.  As a side note, the cost to cool the IT equipment is not included. Take the energy savings and multiply by .86 to calculate the cooling energy cost reduction and add it to the Nortel calculated savings.

The calculator is discussed in the seminar “Managing and Controlling the IT Power Bill,” presented in Chicago on September 22-23 and New York on December 15-16.
Visit http://www.bcrtraining.com/course-info/mpc.php.
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Leasing

CIT's core commercial businesses reflect impact of difficult period
CIT's recently filed 10-Q for period ended June 30, 2008 shows that its commercial finance business revenues and net income declines were mostly the result of poor performance reported by its corporate finance and vendor finance business segments. An analysis of the first six months 2008 revealed that CIT's corporate finance revenue and net income were off 42% and 87%, respectively from the same period last year. Revenues for the first half were $455.8 million compared to $784.3 million for the first six months last year. Net income was $38.5 million, down from $299.4 million. Similarly, the company's vendor finance business revenue was $546.4 million, off 26% from last year's first six months revenue performance of $734.0 million. More dramatic, however, was this year's first half net income of $17.6 million, which was off about 88% from last year's net income of $146.5 million. Higher provisioning charges of $50.8 million compared to last year's $16.2 million was partially responsible for the decline. Overall, CIT's commercial finance business segment revenue and net income were $1.8 billion and $291.5 million, respectively down from $2.2 billion and $657.8 million in the first half of 2007.
Visit www.cit.com.
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Nortel

INNUA begins board election process  
INNUA members will be voting on all Board of Directors' positions in an online election scheduled for August 29 to September 12. A recent INNUA governance initiative has resulted in several changes to the association's nominations and election policies. Under the new processes, the Board of Directors will be elected via a slate of candidates prepared by INNUA's Nominations Committee. Write-in candidates will also be accepted.  All board positions are up for election, including the President, Vice President/President Elect, Treasurer/Secretary and nine Directors. Regions will no longer appoint regional trustees to the board. The new board members will take their seats on October 1, 2008, in conjunction with INNUA's fiscal year.
Visit www.innua.org.
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TEM

Avotus announces global TEM implementation with Motorola
Avotus Corporation announced that it has been awarded a multi-year contract with Motorola to manage the company’s expense management of billing for voice, data and wireless telecom solutions globally. As part of the project, Avotus will manage Motorola’s global fixed and mobile device inventory and spend tracking along with providing other key communications management technology and managed services. “During the past year, we’ve seen acceleration in all sectors of the TEM market, especially as enterprises begin to see the value in improved processes and greater control over one of their largest indirect expense areas,” said Eric Goodness, vice president, Gartner Group. “The move toward more comprehensive TEM solutions that include wireless and mobile management, as well as eProcurement and Usage Management goes beyond simple cost reduction and now includes higher-level business process outsourcing functions that challenge corporations to approach TEM from the top-down to transform the way they manage their telecom spend. This is particularly critical for multi-national companies and firms that have a global reach.”
Visit www.avotus.com.
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Toshiba

Toshiba brings quality, reliability and affordability to 1,152-port market
Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., Telecommunication Systems Division announced the launch of its new Strata CIX1200 VoIP business communication system, bringing Toshiba quality, reliability and affordability to medium-to-large companies. Supporting up to 1,152 ports, the Strata CIX1200 is designed for 200 to 1,000 users and delivers networked applications for as many as 128 sites. Toshiba’s Strata CIX1200 is the only system of its size to allow the user to adapt capabilities to their specific needs. Using FeatureFlex, Toshiba’s feature adaptability and customization tool, the system can be tailored well beyond its standard system features, administrative options and programmable features. It allows enterprises to create user-definable features companywide, by department or for individual users.  Existing features can be modified, and new ones can be created, including features in CIX call processing, as well as blended features that work between all system applications and resources.
Visit www.telecom.toshiba.com.
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Whaleback

Whaleback Systems expands channel sales program
Whaleback Systems announced a new comprehensive channel sales program to support its aggressive expansion into key regions throughout the United States. The managed service provider, which is riding a wave of market momentum with a 30% per quarter growth rate, designed its multi-faceted channel program to scale distribution and drive sales opportunities for its CrystalBlue Voice Service. Whaleback is a Managed Service Provider (MSP) and is the first and only company to deliver an end-to-end broadband business telephony service for Small and Medium Business (SMB) customers that features a managed, premises-based IP PBX with Key System Functionality along with a broadband-based telephony service infrastructure. Whaleback's CrystalBlue Voice Service features an all-inclusive, unlimited nationwide calling package that makes the most advanced technology immediately affordable for companies that need between 5 and 1,500 phone stations. The CrystalBlue Voice Service includes a separate "voice only" broadband connection inclusive in the monthly price, and the entire service is monitored and maintained around the clock.
Visit www.WhalebackSystems.com.
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