We're Looking For Successful IT Consultants

You're a seasoned information technology professional. Have you already taken your skills to the next level of success by forming your own consulting company? Perhaps you offer your personal expertise in the design, implementation and troubleshooting of voice and data networks. Maybe you've gone further to become a certified partner with one or more equipment vendors so you can earn extra income from selling the hardware and well as your knowledge. Are you that person? If so, we want you.

What is it we're offering? It's a chance to boost your level of business with additional prospects located in your service footprint and additional service lines. Now, don't worry. There's no cost to get involved and no big learning curve, either. Think of it as an fast and easy incremental boost to the business you are already building.

Interested? Good. Here's what's involved. The opportunity I allude to is the VAR Network. You probably already know that VAR means Value Added Reseller, the industry term for businesses that offer consulting and support services related to the hardware they sell. The basic idea behind the VAR Network is to provide an efficient way to connect businesses that need digital voice and data products and services with independent experts who are already selling to exactly those types of businesses. This doesn't change anything you're doing. It just hooks you up with more customers who may not be aware of your availability.

The VAR Network is so efficient because it's based on Web tools that capture customer requests and route them only to VAR Partners in the right location with the right product line and/or skill set. It handles everything from wiring installation to routers and security appliances, to complete enterprise VoIP solutions including handsets, IP PBX, networking and line services.

Line services? Yes, by becoming a partner of the VAR Network you also become enabled to offer your clients voice and data line services such as T1 lines, DS3 bandwidth, Ethernet WAN connectivity, MPLS networks, VPN solutions, and metro to long haul fiber carriers. This is likely business you've been leaving on the table because you don't have the background or relationships with telecom carriers to make any money from line services. Now you will. All you have to do is gather the customer's requirements and the bandwidth specialists assigned to the VAR Network will put together the best price quotes and handle the contractual paperwork. For literally a few minutes work on your part, you can enhance your income with a cut of the monthly commissions on any line services your customers order.

Whether you're an independent professional or manage a good size consulting firm, it's well worth your while to take a few minutes and check out the VAR Partner Network. That will give you an idea of the range of products and services covered and a view of the online customer interface.

TalkSwitch Supports both VoIP and Legacy PBX

The decision on whether to go with a traditional analog or digital TDM PBX phone system or the newer VoIP telephone system can be a perplexing business decision. Well, why take a big chance when you can hedge your bets with a TalkSwitch system that supports both types of phone technologies?

This is where TalkSwitch is playing the commercial telephone market smart. Take the hybrid TalkSwitch 244vs, for instance. This desktop PBX system supports 2 incoming phone lines, 4 extensions for analog phone sets, and a wealth of user features including voicemail and music on hold. This low cost system also includes support for 10 remote extensions, which are cell phones, home phones and phones on other systems that can be reached by dialing a 3 digital extension. It's like the remote phones are part of the PBX, even though they do not directly plug into the system.

If that sounds like a traditional PBX system, it is. But the TalkSwitch 244vs also supports 4 VoIP trunks and VoIP extension phones. The VoIP features use your company LAN and WAN rather than dedicated telephone wiring. Whether to use analog or IP phone extensions is your choice. It's largely influenced by what you have already in the way of handsets and wiring.

The type of trunk lines to use is also a personal choice. You can simply plug in analog phone lines from your local phone company to the RJ-11 jacks on the back of the PBX console. Or you can use a VoIP provider with the equivalent of 4 lines called "VoIP trunks." Another popular option is to use T1 Integrated service that combines traditional phone lines and broadband Internet service onto a single T1 line.

The target market for TalkSwitch products is small companies or companies spread over multiple locations, perhaps with remote workers. The PBX unit itself can be held in your hand. Multiple units can be networked to a maximum of 16 traditional phone lines, 16 VoIP trunks, and 64 local plus 40 remote extensions.

Remote workers, often operating from their home offices, connect with the main company PBX by using a VoIP Gateway. A typical gateway is the Mediatrix 2102. The teleworker plugs an analog telephone, FAX machine, and computer or wireless router into the Mediatrix. The user's broadband modem plugs into the WAN port of the gateway. This allows the office PBX system to include the remote worker on the phone system via the Internet as if they were located down the hall rather than across town or across the country.

Over 2,000 of Your Competitors Are in This Network

Are you in the business telephone systems or computer networking business? What do you suppose your competitors are doing right now to generate more business? Unbeknownst to you, they're getting free leads from interested business users in their service areas from the VAR Network. While you're waiting for the phone to ring, they're getting email requests to call warm prospects and bid for the jobs. Perhaps that's why their trucks seem to be everywhere on the road while you're wondering how come those expensive ads you placed don't seem to result in inquiries.

Take heart. You can be part of the VAR Network too. It only takes a few minutes to join and you don't have to pony up any cash to get listed. Once your business is listed online, the leads will start rolling in.

Here's the secret of success that many people in the voice and data business don't know yet. Yellow Pages and newspaper ads have their place. So do cold calls, flyers and personal recommendations. That used to be all you need. But in this Internet age, many, many high value customers are savvy enough to be looking around the Web even for local businesses. That's especially true before and after normal business hours when owners have the time to shop for services that they can't quite get around to during the day.

This increasing piece of the business pie is what the VAR Network was designed to capture. It's an automated database system that intelligently assesses the appropriateness of suppliers to the inquiry data provided by prospective buyers. Type of service required, make and model of equipment requested, and geographical location are major factors that determine which dealers are informed about any particular opportunity. The buyer knows that they'll only be contacted by dealers who are ready, willing and able to meet their needs. Sellers know that they'll only be notified of prospects who will be worth their while to pursue. This approach is orders of magnitude more efficient than typical media ads.

So how does a potential buyer find the VAR Network? Mostly through online search engine listings that are specific to what they are looking for, both technically and geographically. Also through online paid ads and offline marking efforts by network agents. The agents are telecom marketing professionals, not competing equipment dealers. Their whole job is getting the opportunity in front of high value prospects needing equipment, installation, and service.

The VAR Network also comes with another strategic advantage. It's owned and operated by Telarus, Inc., a major broker of voice and data telecom line services. If you've ever sold a PBX phone system or Internet router and then told the customer to call the phone company for line service, you've left money on the table. By partnering with agents at the VAR Network, you can offer T1, DS3, PRI, and Integrated voice and data lines to your customers along with equipment and installation for one stop shopping. The VAR Network experts will take care of closing the line sale, including all the contractual paperwork. For a few minutes effort in entering the line service lead into the system, you'll receive a generous monthly commission for the length of the contract. It's like bonus money on every job.

Heard enough to be interested? Remember, there is no up-front cost to be listed or receive leads. You contribute to the VAR network only on sales you are actually paid for. Line sales cost you nothing, you get paid for referring leads that close. Take a couple of minutes and have a look at the VAR Network now. If you like what you see, you can get more information on the business opportunity and enter your application anytime through the VAR Partner site. It's the easiest thing you'll do today to increase your earnings.