The networking and communications arena moves quickly. Resellers, SIs, and VARs are constantly sifting through and having to effectively evaluate the many supplier marketplace solutions. Business customers’ requirements and expectations continually change too. So, choosing the best strategies, partners, and technologies to position your company for success isn’t easy.
The good news is that you’re not alone. There’s a group called The IDeACOM Network that provides resellers, SIs, and VARs with many member resources.
Valley Tel Service is among the companies that has benefitted from membership in The IDeACOM Network. The Oregon company offers Intermedia, NEC, and Zultys solutions. It installs and maintains VoIP systems, IP cloud services, IP surveillance, access door controls, and more.
This family-owned business is owned and operated by Travis Feltz and his sister. They bought it from their father, a former Bell system employee who founded the company in 1985.
Travis Feltz
In 2016, Travis joined the IDeACOM Network. He was attracted to the increased buying power that membership could provide Valley Tel Service. Being a part of the association offered Valley Tel access to a national buying consortium, resulting in major savings.
But, when Travis attended the association’s annual event, he learned that’s just one of the many IDeACOM Network membership benefits. One of those additional benefits is access to, and collaboration with, other resellers around the country. And Travis quickly used that capability to his advantage.
When some Valley Tel clients were ready to graduate to more advanced communications systems, and solutions from Valley Tel Service’s manufacturer partners at the time didn’t fit the bill, he asked his IDeACOM Network colleagues for their input. They suggested a third supplier. And that manufacturer flew to Oregon to meet with the Valley Tel Service technical team to discuss its solutions and explain how they enabled cloud migration. That was useful information for Valley Tel, which is expanding from an interconnect to a more IT-centric business.
In addition to increased buying power and becoming part of a network of peers,
The IDeACOM Network membership benefits include receiving a higher level of support from voice and data manufacturers. IDeACOM members also receive marketing assistance. IDeACOM helps its members’ marketing efforts by providing access to customer newsletters, sales training, and web development services. The Network also provides its members with preferred relationships with service providers, access to repair vendors, group health care, better leasing options, travel benefits, and much more.
And association members gather once a year at its annual IDeACOM Conference . This invitation-only gathering allows members to network and share best practices, meet with suppliers, and learn from speakers.
IDeACOM Conference 2018 will run April 8 through 10. It’s expected it will draw more than 100 independently owned telecom/IT resellers, VARs, and network integrators.
FCC CTO Eric Burger will be speaking at the event. Steve Grady, author of “IoT Transform – The System that Drives Successful Business Transformation using the Internet of Things”, is also a featured speaker. Rich Tehrani, founder of INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine and CEO of TMC, will also provide a keynote.
Prospective members are encouraged to reach out for an invitation to attend. To learn more about this event, or to get information on how to become an IDeACOM Network member, contact Rich Gralto .
Edited by
Mandi Nowitz
