World Telecom Group

World Telecom Group Announces the Appointment of Jeremy Hopkins to CFO/CIO

Salwa Scarpone — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:48:46 +0000

World Telecom Group (WTG), a premier Master Agency with the most diverse telecom portfolio in the industry has appointed Jeremy Hopkins to the position of Chief Financial Officer/Chief Information Officer. Hopkins primary responsibilities will include managing all financial and technological matters within the organization. He will report directly to CEO, Vince Bradley.

Bradley stated, “I am extremely excited to have someone of Jeremy’s caliber as part of WTG’s management team. As we approach 100% complete automation overlay, his expertise will allow us to take our CRM to the next level.”

Hopkins is an accomplished consultant in delivering highly effective Sales Force Automation (SFA) technology applications. In addition to over 12 years of technology management consulting experience spanning North America, Asia and Europe, he has built up seven years of targeted expertise in deploying CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems for both Fortune 500 companies and Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). Hopkins specializes in systems analysis, data modeling, user interface design and project management in the development B2B Web Portals, servicing centralized call center operations, distributed retail and wholesale/broker-based business. He has been entrusted to develop multiple projects with eight figure investment portfolios.

Hopkins said “I am elated to be working with such an impressive team of individuals and look forward to working with our Provider and Agent Partners in the near future.”

Hopkins holds an MBA degree from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a top-five program in the United States and the Midwestern powerhouse of finance, banking and economics. In addition, he has served as an adjunct professor of marketing in the undergraduate business division of his alma mater, Pepperdine University.

To contact Jeremy Hopkins directly, please reach him at 310.456.2200 x 303 or via e-mail JHopkins@wtgcom.com. For more information about WTG please go to www.worldtelecomgroup.com.

About World Telecom Group

World Telecom Group (WTG) is a premier Master Agent providing exceptional service to agent partners since 1996. WTG has the most diverse portfolio in the industry with over 100 Providers, including local, long-distance, data and internet. It also includes the following specialty Divisions with dedicated extra support: LEC, award winning Wireless/Mobility, Equipment, Wholesale, Cost Containment (TEM, Logistics and all other Cost Containment) and Energent, its extremely fast growing Energy Division (Electricity, Natural Gas and DSM). WTG Agents have the ability to sell and consistently expand their business without commitments or quotas. WTG is 100% partner driven and pays top commissions in the industry. WTG exceeds expectations with a dynamic approach to automation, partner support and its commitment to success.

Press Contact:

Salwa Scarpone
sscarpone@wtgcom.com
310.456.2200 x 304

4G Is a Game-Changer

WTG Marketing — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:53:39 +0000

By Vince Bradley, Founder, President and CEO, World Telecom Group

The revolution of mobile broadband is upon us … quietly spreading across the nation. 4G networks are not everywhere yet, but most of the major metros have seen the likes of double-digit latency in wireless … something that we have all been anticipating for some time.

While 3G download speeds were game changing, 4G is more disruptive in many ways. While we were previously limited to three-digit latency and “much slower than ready for prime time” upload speeds, 4G technology has taken things to a new level. For example: Why would an SMB employee come back to the office to fight for bandwidth on a DIA T1 when they could get four times the download and two times the upload speed with latency in the same ballpark for a fraction of the cost? It seems to be a rhetorical question, hence the label of “disruptive game-changing” technology.

While presenting at recent National Agent Partner events, most recently in the two core markets of Chicago and Dallas, we have demonstrated what I have been calling “VoW” or “Voice/Video over Wireless.” We tested the most delay-sensitive technology on the market — “HD Video conferencing,” which is 60 frames per second. We were getting 4-8mbps download and at least half of that speed on the upload. But the key was the latency, which was in double digits, which truly challenges Tier 2 ISPs, and had not been anywhere near to being achieved on 3G networks.

Our Agent Partners were impressed if not a bit scared of it, which is completely understandable considering that most of them of have dozens if not hundreds of clients with DIA circuits. This first wave of 4G technology is just the beginning of what will be the most disruptive technology product in many years. While mobile 4G (WiMAX) goes up to 40mbps, fixed 4G (WiMAX) can scale up to GigE speeds. As 4G proliferates across the country, the light bulbs will turn on in companies, and they will realize that they can have both cost savings and increased productivity.

FMC (Fixed Mobile Convergence), with its nomadic capability of being on a Wi-Fi network and driving into a 4G area, begs the question: Will telecommuting and mobile workforces be the future of communications?

They certainly will be a factor, if nothing else. Why else would investors like Google, Intel, Comcast and Time Warner be interested? While Sprint and Clear have brought WiMAX to the table, rolling out core and tier cities in 2009 and early 2010, the edge of the networks and biggest markets like New York City and Los Angeles will be rolling out by yearend. LTE (Long Term Evolution), another 4G spectrum/technology, will be here from Verizon and others in 2010. So, the revolution of wireless technology is coming.

4G is game-changing and disruptive to your business model; it’s only a matter of time when that decision maker you’ve known for years will say, “We want to go with 4G.” Carriers will be ready for the mass migration to 4G; the question is, will you?

Photo Gallery

WTG Marketing — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 04:01:24 +0000

To view photos from our 2010 Tee and Sea Event, Click Here

To view photos from our 2010 Tee and Sea Event taken by Niel Toyama, Click Here

To view photos from our 2010 Tee and Sea Event taken by Haini Whittington, Click Here

To view photos from our Channel Partners Las Vegas Show, Click Here

To view photos from WTG at the Masters with TWBC, Click Here

WTG Swims with the Sharks!

WTG Marketing — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:46:50 +0000

WTG Swims With the Sharks
03/16/2010 14:37

Salwa Scarpone, Marketing Manager
marketing@wtgcom.com

More than 150 guests sipped cocktails and ate all things chocolate-covered while viewing spectacular exhibits of aquatic predators at the World Telecom Group (WTG) “Swim with the Sharks” Event at Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef Aquarium in Las Vegas, March 2, during the Channel Partners Conference and Expo.
The event was supported by WTG and premier sponsor XO Communications, platinum sponsors Time Warner Cable Business Class and Sprint, plus gold sponsors New Edge Networks, PCCW Global, Smoothstone, Telx and BlueStar Energy.

Guests underwent a total sensory experience in the largest exhibit, a 1.3 million gallon shipwreck, where they encountered an almost 360-degree view, teeming with 15 species of sharks and fish, through an acrylic tunnel which actually surrounds you as you walk through this “echo chamber surround sound” one-of-a-kind, aquatic experience.

Music was provided by top Las Vegas radio station 98.5 KLUC. Guests enjoyed drinks and robust appetizers as well as the hit of the evening: a chocolate fountain where guests dipped strawberries, marshmallows, pretzels and more. (Editor’s note: More would be the brownies and Rice Krispies Treats – we spent a lot of time loitering around the fountain.)

Change the Channel – Join TCA

WTG Marketing — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 06:36:48 +0000

By Vince Bradley, Founder, President and CEO, World Telecom Group

As the Spring Channel Partners Conference & Expo quickly approaches us, I am pleased to say that we will be able to celebrate the all important two-year anniversary for the first non-profit association ever in the telecom industry! Below are some reasons why my peers and I opted to form the Telecom Channel Association (TCA):

• Provide trusted leadership in addressing industry challenges
• Deliver value-added programs and services to meet the identified needs of its members
• Leverage the collective voice of the indirect sales channel community to ensure its success
• Advocate the indirect sales channel as a viable, sustainable alternative to the direct sales
• Develop a knowledgebase of best practices to foster the growth and success of the indirect sales channel and its businesses
• Consolidate market data and metrics to support the impact of the indirect sales channels on the overall success of the industry
• Develop and promote industrywide standards of conduct through collaboration of indirect sales channel partners and vendors

Value is created by becoming a reliable and expert advisor for your clients and their needs. What happens when the value you work so hard to create is undermined by those with lesser scruples than your own? These are the challenges presented to agents on a day-to-day basis, where competition can be fierce for account ownership. Protected account lists, direct-side involvement and price undercutting places a bitter taste in the customers’ mouths and creates smaller margins for all involved. Policies and procedures must be created to ensure fair account practices and equal representation to the agent. Employee groups monitor best practices on the parts of their employers and respond accordingly. Should there not also be a similar group of individuals to address the needs and challenges of the channel, especially given the double-digit percentage of revenue for which agents represent today?

TCA promotes the idea that business can be transacted symbiotically through a code of ethics shaped and formed by the voices of its members (agents and vendors). Through involvement in the association, a forum is fostered where agents and vendors can openly exchange ideas on how to address coming trends and shifts in the channel. We desired to create a proactive body that not just responded to present challenges but also operated with foresight to address the landscape of tomorrow.

Collectively, TCA functions as a body that gains vendor awareness and increased mind share through its hundreds of members. This mind share created by a collective governance of peers ensures that problems are realized and addressed. By working through these problems, we create a channel that is esteemed not only for the monetary value it brings, but also for the best practices it promotes.

Do you have the remote? It is time to change the channel! Check out the TCA site for more information: and feel free to drop me a line at vbradley@wtgcom.com.

Don’t miss the WTG 2010 Kick-Off Meeting!

WTG Marketing — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:37:55 +0000

Don’t miss the WTG 2010 Kick-Off Meeting in Manhattan Beach, CA on Tuesday, January 26
Come hear from: WTG CEO, Vince Bradley, on his vision for 2010
Qwest, Verizon, Level(3), PaeTec, Masergy and Glacial Energy!
See this week’s Agent Update for more details.

WTG wants to support you at the highest level possible!

WTG Marketing — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:41:47 +0000

WTG wants to support you at the highest level possible!
In order to do that, we need your feedback!
See this week’s Agent Update to take our WTG 2010 Agent Partner Survey

WTG Adds a Myriad of Providers to its Roster

WTG Marketing — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:30:24 +0000

2009 was a great year for development of the WTG Portfolio. By adding a bunch of new niche & boutique Providers to help round out the portfolio we are giving more business solution options for your customers.

Log into Agent Support to see this week’s Agent Update.

Why Wait To Add WiMAX?

WTG Marketing — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 09:29:45 +0000

Tem Wu
12/02/2009

The opportunity for WiMAX will soon be growing at a rate that telecom agents will be struggling to keep up with. Providing a faster and cost-effective way of accessing the Internet wirelessly – whether used for VoIP, mobile multimedia, live video casts, HD surveillance or in-vehicle communications – WiMAX brings about a host of applications to sell around.

Additionally, the enormous support and backing behind WiMAX has manufacturers churning out hundreds of products to work with this technology based on IEEE 802.16 standard. Embedded WiMAX chips are much cheaper than their 3G counterparts. This will make new technology products more affordable and we will see more embedded toys and gadgets. For example, WiMAX provider Clearwire Corp. has more than 400 devices in development. Sprint Nextel Corp. is scheduled to release the first CDMA/WiMAX phone by Samsung with the Android OS in 2010. All of these devices will not only change the portfolios of equipment dealers, but also of telecom agents as the demand for WiMAX service increases.

In addition to mounting demand, agents can’t ignore the revenue opportunity WiMAX provides. This is one of the few wireless products that pays both an upfront bounty and a residual. The payout for an agent is very lucrative with WiMAX. Even if the service is added only to 5 percent of agent’s existing customer base, it can produce a healthy margin.

As an agent, you should be considering the benefits of adding WiMAX to your portfolio of offerings, that is, if you haven’t already. Here are a few tips for adding WiMAX to your pitch – it’s easier than you think.

Know where to find it. The first step to selling WiMAX is finding out if it is even available in the area in which you’re trying to peddle it. First, find out who the providers are. There is a lot of consumer advertising for WiMAX service, but not a lot of visibility into business service providers, so it might take a little bit of research. In the United States, there are more than 20 suppliers utilizing WiMAX technology spread out all over the country. A lot of providers are just doing small areas – for example, AT&T Alaska is offering WiMAX home Internet in select cities. Across the continental United States, you have fixed WiMAX provider Broad Sky Networks in about 35 markets, CLEAR and Sprint have mobile WiMAX in about 13 markets and expect to have coverage to around 80 markets by the end of 2010. If you want your own WiMAX network, CONXX Inc. designs multifunction networks that can extend WiMAX into rural America.

Once you’ve pinpointed the providers, check out their Web sites for coverage maps to make sure it’s available in your area. You can’t sell something if it’s not there, and you’re really doing yourself a disservice and the customer too, if you raise excitement about the service and then can’t provide it.

Identify the target audiences. Since WiMAX is a mobile product, the customers who can take advantage of it the most are the ones with mobile workforces and/or laptops already in the field. WiMAX is not meant to replace the customer’s T1, but rather offer them increased bandwidth and mobility at a low cost and with low latency and as a backup failover service. The great thing is that with so many businesses supporting mobile workers these days, your current customer base is probably already full of leads for selling WiMAX.

Another prospective customer is one in an area or building where wireline access is unavailable or cost-prohibitive. Fixed wireless is an ideal option for an SMB that’s out of the loop.

Understand how it compares to wireline. Pitching WiMAX to a customer is always going to bring up questions of how it compares to their current T1 or DSL solutions. When it comes to speed and latency, WiMAX provides results comparable to or better than wireline service. The obtainable speeds vary by plan – you see speeds anywhere between 2mbps and 10mbps down and up to 1mbps up. Generally, WiMAX will come out faster than DSL and 3G wireless. Additionally, the latency for WiMAX is lower for WiMAX, coming out closer to the 100ms range compared to 200ms to 250ms for 3G. Applications like voice and video that were previously “not ready for prime time” on wireless now are with WiMAX.

Compared to most products traditional telecom agents are selling, install times for WiMAX are very short. Installation literally can be done in a few days as compared to two to three months with a wireline service.

Also, because it is a wireless service, a lot of the issues that come with copper wiring will not be present with WiMAX because it is transmitting through the air.

Offer it as a backup solution. If you’re selling in an available market, WiMAX should be pitched to every client. At some point, one of your customers is going to need a backup solution. WiMAX is a low-cost option and offers true redundancy since it differs from a primary wired network. And if backup solutions aren’t something the customer is interested in, steer your WiMAX discussion toward whether they need to support a mobile workforce or if they just want faster Internet in-house.

Don’t be scared. Agents need not be afraid of WiMAX – it’s just another circuit. Agents really don’t need additional skill sets to sell the product since it’s already so much in line with what they’re currently selling. There are no additional features or bells and whistles to learn – it’s basically another Internet connection, with or without a static IP address. Not unlike quoting T1s, once you identify if the service is available where the customer is and what speed they desire, you can get the pricing in a snap. WiMAX might be just another data product – but when you consider its growth forecast and how easy it is to add to your portfolio, you’re missing out if you don’t get in the WiMAX game soon.

Tem Wu is the wireless manager at Malibu, Calif.-based master agency World Telecom Group and has been in the wireless industry since 1996.

WTG Gathers Partners, Providers for the Holidays

WTG Marketing — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:37:34 +0000

World Telecom Group (WTG) hosted its 11th Annual Agent Holiday Event at the “Manhattan Beach Marriott Hotel” in Manhattan Beach, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 4. The event was supported by Premier sponsor Level 3 Communications, Platinum sponsor Fonality and Gold sponsors XO Communications and MegaPath.

In addition to seminars by each of the sponsors, demos were conducted by Conferencing Advisors and an amazing international presentation was given during breakfast by Japanese carrier KDDI. All agent attendees were invited to participate in follow-up Web conferences with each of the sponsoring providers.

An action-packed day of training was followed by nine holes of pitch n’ putt golf, and then guests geared up for an evening of festivities. The reception provided drinks, appetizers and demos of wireless technology. Santa Claus was also in attendance, taking holiday photos with guests. WTG CEO Vince Bradley gave a speech on the “state of the state” at WTG and the industry in general. After the sit-down dinner, DJ “Orion” had guests dancing the night away while others played Rock Band and Nintendo Wii bowling. The fun continued into the wee hours of the morning in the presidential suite.

More than 100 guests were in attendance throughout the event learning about various new products, enjoying golf, networking and socializing. Event giveaways included AMEX gift cards, Taylor Made drivers and wedge sets, Cradlepoint wireless routers, a Sprint Palm Pre, two HD TVs and much more.

Some of the big winners were agent partners Nick Mulholland of Zoom Communications with an HD Television from Conferencing Advisors, and Joe Grauman of James Communications, who took home the Sprint Palm Pre for the “Most Fantastic Shot” during golf. Grauman actually sliced the ball, ricocheting off a tree and landing just a foot from the hole.

“Celebrating the holidays with our agent and provider partners while building new relationships is a great way to wind down the year while gearing up for 2010,” said Bradley.