Podcast appearances and mentions of Doug Green

Dan Herscovici Dan Herscovici, CEO of Plume, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss why contextual intelligence—not raw speed—is becoming the next competitive frontier for internet service providers. As broadband markets grow more competitive and switching costs continue to fall, Herscovici explained that competing solely on price and bandwidth turns connectivity into a commodity and fails to reflect how consumers actually experience the internet inside their homes. Plume's platform applies contextual intelligence to understand what is happening inside each household in real time—device types, interference, usage patterns, and application needs—and dynamically optimizes the network accordingly. “Most ISPs are already delivering far more speed than consumers actually need at any moment in time,” Herscovici said. “What really matters is understanding context and optimizing the network for what's happening in that household right now.” This approach enables latency-sensitive applications like video conferencing to perform better, improves reliability for IoT devices, and allows networks to proactively address issues before subscribers notice degradation. The conversation also explored Wi-Fi 7 and next-generation standards, with Herscovici noting that higher peak speeds alone do not solve most real-world connectivity challenges. With the majority of devices still operating on Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6, ISPs must manage complex, mixed-device environments where intelligence, orchestration, and proactive optimization matter more than headline performance metrics. Ultimately, Plume's strategy centers on building subscriber confidence—delivering consistent, secure, and intuitive experiences across onboarding, daily usage, device additions, and support interactions. “When subscribers trust that their ISP will deliver a great experience—and fix things quickly when something goes wrong—they churn less and stay loyal, even if another provider is slightly cheaper,” Herscovici said. By enabling proactive, AI-driven network management and smarter customer engagement, Plume helps ISPs move beyond commodity connectivity toward lasting differentiation. Learn more at https://www.plume.com/. Software Mind Telco Days 2025: On-demand online conference Engaging Customers, Harnessing Data

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Raj Darji, Founder & CEO of Aarav Solutions, about the company's launch of two generative AI accelerators—InsightForge and Omni360—designed to help communications service providers modernize billing operations, sales workflows, and customer engagement. Aarav Solutions is a long-standing Oracle Communications implementation partner with more than a decade of domain expertise across Oracle BRM and related telecom platforms. Darji explained that this deep operational knowledge is embedded directly into Aarav's GenAI accelerators, enabling CSPs to adopt AI without disrupting existing infrastructure. “We are not experimenting with AI—we are applying it where telecom operators feel the most pain, inside billing and operations,” said Darji. InsightForge is a GenAI accelerator purpose-built for Oracle BRM that allows business, finance, and operations teams to query complex billing data using natural language—without writing SQL or relying on back-office specialists. By translating plain-language questions into database queries, InsightForge delivers real-time visibility into invoices, balances, taxes, and discrepancies, significantly reducing operational dependencies and response times. Omni360 extends this capability with an AI-driven CRM and CPQ platform tightly integrated with BRM. Designed for mid-market CSPs, MVNOs, and enterprise connectivity providers, Omni360 unifies CRM and billing into a single pane of glass and enables sales teams to generate products, pricing, and quotes through natural-language prompts. Introduced at Mobile World Congress, both solutions drew strong interest for demonstrating how GenAI can deliver immediate, practical value rather than remain a conceptual buzzword. Learn more about Aarav Solutions at https://www.aaravsolutions.com/. Software Mind Telco Days 2025: On-demand online conference Engaging Customers, Harnessing Data

“It doesn't matter how much a carrier charges—at some point, those copper lines are going to be shut off,” says Jake Jacoby, CEO of TELCLOUD. “The real question is whether businesses get ahead of it or wait until it becomes a crisis.” In the latest episode of the TELCLOUD POTS and Shots Podcast Series, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sits down with Jacoby to examine the accelerating reality of the copper sunset and the growing urgency for organizations still relying on legacy POTS lines. Jacoby explains how telecom networks have shifted almost entirely away from copper, leaving only 5–10% of that infrastructure still in use—yet costly to maintain. Deregulation in 2019 allowed carriers to raise prices dramatically, but even skyrocketing bills have not stopped shutdowns. Businesses now face two converging pressures: rapidly rising POTS costs and the certainty that service will eventually be discontinued, regardless of price. For many organizations, this issue surfaces unexpectedly, when once-modest line items suddenly trigger concern from finance teams and executives. Jacoby emphasizes that POTS replacement is not something most businesses have ever planned for, making it critical to choose a partner that can simplify the transition and deliver a long-term solution. TELCLOUD addresses this challenge by bridging legacy analog equipment—such as fire panels, elevators, and emergency phones—with modern, future-proof connectivity. The result is a reliable communication path designed to last for decades, paired with predictable monthly pricing that restores financial stability. For MSPs and IT providers that do not traditionally handle telecom, Jacoby notes that TELCLOUD's channel-first, white-label model allows partners to remain the trusted advisor while TELCLOUD manages the complexity behind the scenes. The episode closes with the Shots segment, recorded from Mexico, where Jacoby introduces Cascahuin No. 7 Reposado, a smooth, oak-aged tequila from Jalisco—an apt finish to a discussion centered on patience, preparation, and long-term value. For more information, visit telcloud.com or call 844-900-2270.

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sat down with Jeff Pulver of the vCon Foundation for an in-depth conversation on the rapid emergence of virtualized conversations (vCons), the intersection of AI and communications, and why the industry is standing at the threshold of an entirely new era. Pulver, widely regarded as a pioneer of internet communications and an early architect of Voice over IP, reflects on how lifelong curiosity—from amateur radio to building the first internet-based telephone networks—shaped his belief that communications innovation is always about enabling connections that were previously impossible. Today, that same philosophy underpins his work with vCons, which he describes as a foundational building block for the AI communications age. At its core, a vCon is a standardized container for conversations—voice, video, text, email, and more—designed to securely capture not only what was said, but also who participated, the context, consent, purpose, and related metadata. Often described as “a PDF for conversations,” vCons make it possible to preserve truth and memory across every interaction, while enabling AI systems to analyze conversations consistently and at scale. Pulver emphasizes that this matters because large language models were trained on open standards, including IETF specifications, making vCons uniquely well suited for reliable AI analysis without constant retraining or hallucination. Pulver argues that while 2025 marked the mainstream adoption of large language models, 2026 will be the year of the vCon, leveling the playing field between small and large organizations by giving all businesses access to deep conversational insights. From customer engagement and compliance to internal collaboration and operational efficiency, vCons allow organizations to move at the speed of AI—without sacrificing trust, consent, or accountability. A major focus of the discussion is the need for education and ecosystem building. Pulver describes the vCon Foundation's mission as combating the biggest obstacle to adoption: ignorance. By promoting interoperability, standards-based development, and collaboration among competitors, the Foundation aims to ensure that vCons become a shared industry asset rather than a fragmented set of proprietary tools. Pulver also previewed the upcoming Spring '26 vCon event in Dallas, scheduled for March 23–26, 2026. The conference will include pre-conference sessions on vCon strategy and theory, the first-ever vCon hackathon, deep dives into AI in business, and a vCon Foundation meeting—bringing together technologists, service providers, policymakers, and innovators to define what comes next. Looking ahead, Pulver believes vCons will soon become a strategic checkpoint for vendors, service providers, and investors alike. As AI and communications converge, organizations that embrace virtualized conversations will be positioned to create smarter services, scalable compliance, and entirely new business models. As he puts it, learning how to spell V-C-O-N is fast becoming another way to spell AI opportunity. To learn more about Jeff Pulver's work and the vCon Foundation, visit https://www.pulver.com/vconfoundation.

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sat down with Ian Richardson, Founder and CEO of Fox & Crow, to explore a topic that many MSPs underestimate until it becomes painful: lead qualification. While generating leads often gets the spotlight, Richardson argues that chasing the wrong prospects can quietly drain revenue, morale, and long-term growth. Drawing on his experience as a former MSP owner, Richardson explained how poorly qualified leads consume senior technical resources, distract sales teams, and can even damage existing customer relationships. “Landing a bad customer is worse than not signing them at all,” he said, noting that MSP onboarding often reveals fundamental misalignment only after months of effort and sunk cost. Richardson outlined a practical framework for qualification that goes beyond firmographics. MSPs must determine whether a prospect views IT as a strategic investment or merely a cost to be minimized—an insight that can only be uncovered through early conversations, often starting with frontline staff. This mindset distinction, he emphasized, is the real gatekeeper to sustainable, profitable client relationships. The discussion also addressed scale and focus, with Richardson cautioning MSPs against stepping outside their ideal customer profile in pursuit of larger deals. Even seemingly attractive opportunities can become “bad-fit accounts” that erode margins and stability. Through Fox & Crow, Richardson positions his firm as a strategic partner helping MSPs build disciplined, organic sales engines that prioritize fit, focus, and long-term value over raw lead volume. More information about Fox & Crow is available at https://www.foxcrowgroup.com/. Software Mind Telco Days 2025: On-demand online conference Engaging Customers, Harnessing Data

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Josh Flinn, Director of Product, Cloud Software at Digi International, about the company's achievement of SOC 2 Type 2 compliance and what it means for channel partners building secure, cloud-based IoT solutions. Digi International is a global leader in cellular connectivity for IoT, delivering secure, reliable connectivity for distributed devices such as remote sensors, smart city infrastructure, vehicles, and industrial systems. Operating as a channel-first company, Digi focuses on helping partners deploy and manage IoT solutions at scale through cloud-based platforms like Digi Remote Manager and Digi Ventus. During the discussion, Flinn explained that SOC 2 Type 2 is a significant milestone because it validates not only Digi's security controls but also the ongoing execution of secure development, auditing, and change management practices over time. For channel partners, this reduces friction in the sales cycle, simplifies security questionnaires, and provides confidence that core components of their solutions already meet rigorous security standards. As Flinn noted, “SOC 2 is not a one-time event—it's an ongoing commitment to secure operations.” The compliance attestation currently covers Digi Remote Manager for Digi 360 router and gateway platforms, as well as Digi Ventus, Digi's managed services cloud platform. Looking ahead, Digi is continuing to invest in security enhancements such as long-term support firmware, eSIM security capabilities, and automated compliance controls, reinforcing its cloud-first approach as partners and customers move toward increasingly distributed, IoT-driven environments. Learn more about Digi International at https://www.digi.com/. Software Mind Telco Days 2025: On-demand online conference Engaging Customers, Harnessing Data

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Travis Volk, Vice President of Global Technology Solutions and GTM, Carrier at Radware, about how artificial intelligence is reshaping the security landscape for telecom providers as the industry heads into 2026. The discussion focused on the accelerating pace of attacks, the shrinking window to respond to vulnerabilities, and why traditional, human-paced security models are no longer sufficient. Volk explained that telecom networks are now facing machine-speed attacks, where newly disclosed vulnerabilities are often exploited within hours, not weeks or months. “Recent CVEs are being exploited at breakneck speeds,” he noted, emphasizing that nearly a third of disclosed vulnerabilities are weaponized within 24 hours. This reality is forcing providers to rethink patching, maintenance, and runtime protection strategies—especially as attackers increasingly chain small flaws into large-scale, sophisticated attacks. A key theme of the conversation was the convergence of offensive and defensive security. As applications become more API-driven and agentic, service providers must adopt continuous, automated testing and inline protection that can detect business-logic attacks in real time. Volk highlighted Radware's use of AI-driven analytics and visualization to map API flows, identify abnormal behavior, and enforce protections such as object-level authorization at scale—capabilities that are critical for encrypted, high-value workloads. Looking ahead, Volk described “good” security in 2026 as a living, observable system that prioritizes risk, automates both pre-runtime and runtime defenses, and enables data-driven decisions without adding operational complexity. Radware is already delivering these capabilities through flexible deployment models—virtual, physical, containerized, and cloud-based—allowing carriers to implement unified policy frameworks today. As Volk put it, AI is no longer optional: it is essential to keeping networks secure, resilient, and available in an era where attacks move faster than humans can respond. Learn more about Radware at https://www.radware.com/. Software Mind Telco Days 2025: On-demand online conference Engaging Customers, Harnessing Data

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Ty Kircher (NSP Practice Lead, Cellhub) and Dennis Napoliello (Head of U.S. Sales, MultiLine at Movius) about a problem every mobile-first organization runs into: separating personal and business communications on one smartphone—securely and compliantly—without forcing employees to carry two phones. “The MultiLine solution gives enterprises control without forcing users to carry two phones.” Cellhub has been working with vendors like Movius to build an ecosystem of partners (including carrier T-Mobile) that helps channel partners deliver innovative mobile solutions to end-users. Movius addresses the security gap in employee-to-client voice, messaging, and collaboration by offering Secure Communications as a Service. MultiLine™ is designed for hybrid and mobile work: users maintain two separate lines on one device, each secure, compliant, and dedicated—with separate features like voicemail—and with multi-channel communications documented per line. This eliminates the need for separate phones/numbers for Teams, personal use, social media, and apps like WhatsApp or WeChat—Movius consolidates multi-channel communication into one unified, secure ecosystem. That's a strong differentiator for solution providers selling into healthcare and financial services, where organizations must ensure communications compliance with regulations like HIPAA and FINRA, including on personal devices, and across verticals such as government, transportation, and education. MultiLine is positioned as an AI-driven, mobile-first approach that unifies communications and collaboration. Cellhub is also coordinating with a roster of vendor partners to bring unique mobile and wireless computing products and services to market, including initiatives with Tri Cascade, SkyMirr, and its PC-as-a-Service program with Lifetime EndPoint Resource. Reach Cellhub at www.cellhub.com or email Ty Kircher at Ty.Kircher@cellhub.com. Contact Movius at www.movius.ai or reach Dennis Napoliello at Dennis.Napoliello@Movius.ai. Software Mind Telco Days 2025: On-demand online conference Engaging Customers, Harnessing Data

In this special podcast for the Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA) and Technology Reseller News, Doug Green speaks with Jeff Pulver of the vCon Foundation about the accelerating momentum behind vCon technology and why it will play a defining role in the next era of cloud and AI-powered communications. The conversation was recorded in advance of Cloud Connections 2026, where Pulver will be a featured speaker. Pulver, a long-time pioneer in internet communications and standards development, explains that vCon—short for virtualized conversation—is fundamentally a new way to capture, secure, and analyze conversations across voice, video, messaging, email, and other communication modes. Often described as “a PDF for conversations,” vCon provides a tamper-resistant, optionally encrypted container that preserves not only the dialogue itself, but also participants, attachments, metadata, purpose, consent, and AI-generated analysis. The result, Pulver says, is something businesses have never truly had before: truth and memory for every conversation. Why vCons matter now, Pulver explains, comes down to AI. Large language models were trained early on using open standards, including IETF specifications. Because vCon is emerging as an IETF standard, AI systems already “understand” its structure. This dramatically reduces ambiguity and hallucination when conversational history is analyzed at scale. Instead of constantly retraining AI to interpret proprietary formats, organizations can rely on a standardized conversational container that delivers consistent, reliable results across platforms. Pulver believes this shift creates an opportunity as significant as the rise of cloud communications itself. As AI and communications converge, new services, new revenue streams, and entirely new business models become possible. From “smart” SIP trunks and AI-enhanced collaboration tools to enterprise-wide conversational recall, vCons enable organizations of any size—from solopreneurs to global enterprises—to operate with greater efficiency, compliance, and intelligence. “The people who lose out,” Pulver notes, “are the ones who don't embrace AI.” Looking ahead, Pulver predicts that 2026 will be the year of the vCon, as the ecosystem matures and channel partners, service providers, and enterprises begin turning virtualized conversations into real-world value. For members of the CCA community, he sees vCon as a practical, accessible way to add intelligence, differentiation, and new revenue to existing cloud communications offerings. To learn more about Jeff Pulver's work and the vCon Foundation, visit https://www.pulver.com/vconfoundation.

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sat down with Larry O'Connor, Founder of Other World Computing (OWC), for a follow-up conversation focused on OWC's latest product innovations and the company's long-standing philosophy of helping customers get more life, performance, and reliability from their technology. OWC is an ASCDI member and has built a reputation for designing solutions that “just work,” allowing users to focus on their workflows rather than managing infrastructure. O'Connor explained that OWC's roots in memory and storage upgrades naturally evolved into leadership in Thunderbolt connectivity, direct-attached storage, and enterprise NAS platforms. Today, OWC technology is deeply embedded in professional media, creative, and enterprise environments, often powering workflows behind the scenes. “Our goal is to be the boring part,” O'Connor said, noting that once OWC products are installed, they fade into the background while consistently delivering performance. A key focus of the discussion was OWC's expanded Thunderbolt 5 lineup, including the new StudioStack, which combines high-performance NVMe and spinning storage with additional downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports. Designed for systems with limited expansion options, StudioStack effectively turns a single Thunderbolt port into a powerful external PCI-style expansion point, supporting high-resolution displays, additional storage, and peripherals without sacrificing performance. O'Connor also highlighted OWC's new dual 10-gigabit Thunderbolt network dock, built to address specialized but growing needs in media, broadcast, and enterprise workflows. With two fully independent 10GbE ports, the dock enables network segmentation, bonded throughput, and dedicated traffic paths—capabilities that previously required more complex and expensive setups. “It's a game changer for customers who need predictable, high-bandwidth networking off a single cable,” he said. The conversation concluded with an update on SoftRAID 8.6, OWC's flagship software RAID solution, now enhanced for Windows 11 and the latest macOS. O'Connor emphasized SoftRAID's unique cross-platform interoperability between Mac and Windows, along with its ability to segment drives into multiple RAID levels for optimized performance and longevity—capabilities not possible with traditional hardware RAID. These innovations reflect OWC's continued commitment to performance, repairability, and long-term value across the technology lifecycle. For more information, visit https://www.owc.com/.

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sat down with Elie Y. Katz, Founder, President & CEO of National Retail Solutions (NRS), to discuss how payments, telecom, and point-of-sale technology are converging to reshape small and independent businesses. Katz explained how NRS, incubated within IDT, was created to give independent convenience stores and small merchants the same tools and insights long available to large national chains. At the center of NRS's success is its integrated point-of-sale platform, now deployed in more than 38,000 locations nationwide. Katz described how NRS combines POS, credit card processing, payroll, cash advance services, and telecom products into a single system. “We didn't just build a register,” Katz said. “We built a platform that lets independent merchants compete with corporate America.” The conversation highlighted the accelerating shift away from cash toward cards, mobile wallets, and peer-to-peer payment apps such as Venmo and Zelle—especially among younger consumers. Katz noted that safety, efficiency, and cost are driving merchants toward cashless or low-cash environments. “The phone has become the bank,” he said, pointing to how mobile payments are now central to everyday commerce. Katz also outlined the opportunity this shift creates for telecom channel partners, MSPs, and resellers. By leveraging existing customer relationships, partners can expand into POS, payment processing, payroll, and cash advance services through NRS. “If you didn't pivot, you went out of business,” Katz said. “Our platform gives channel partners a new stream of recurring revenue using relationships they already have.” Finally, Katz detailed NRS's growing ecosystem of integrations, including DoorDash, Grubhub, and NationsBenefits, which help independent merchants increase revenue and compete more effectively. With offerings like NRSPay and flexible, no-penalty credit card processing, NRS is positioning itself as a long-term partner for small businesses navigating the transition to a digital, cashless economy. For more information, visit https://nrsplus.com/.

In the final episode of this four-part series on Telco Days 2025, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, speaks with Greg Goodwin, Director of Business Development at Software Mind, about the company's expanding role in global telecom innovation, the evolving MetaSwitch ecosystem, and the value of community-driven learning at Telco Days. Goodwin, who leads Business Development for Software Mind's telco division across the U.S. and the Americas, outlines how the company has grown to more than 1,800 specialists worldwide—including 200 telco-focused engineers—supporting service providers through OSS/BSS development, mobile applications, roaming solutions under its Amplitiv Telecommunications brand, and long-standing engineering expertise within the BroadWorks and Alianza ecosystems. “We really want to be seen as a trusted advisor—anticipating where the market's going so we can help our customers grow their business, cut costs, and stay ahead,” Goodwin explains, noting that Software Mind's model is built on innovation, co-creation, and delivering measurable value. Reflecting on the recent Alianza Navigate event, Goodwin describes renewed momentum among MetaSwitch customers as Alianza invests in new features and capabilities. “It was fantastic to hear the roadmap and see Alianza reinvesting in those MetaSwitch assets,” he says, emphasizing Software Mind's commitment to supporting operators preparing their systems for the platform's next generation of functionality. When discussing long-term partnerships, Goodwin highlights Software Mind's innovation-first approach, pointing to joint development opportunities where the company not only supplies engineering talent but co-creates new product features with partners. “Being seen as more than a technology provider—as a collaborator building the next generation of telco solutions—is core to how we work,” he adds. As the conversation turns to Telco Days, Goodwin describes why the annual Software Mind–hosted event has become a powerful knowledge hub for service providers. Featuring insights from partners like Alianza, AWS and Microsoft, Telco Days brings together global SPs to explore security, AI transformation, modernization strategies, and the real-world challenges facing telecom operators today. All conference materials and videos will be available at SoftwareMind.com. To learn more about Software Mind's services, engineering capabilities, and Telco Days resources, visit https://softwaremind.com/.

In this special ASCDI edition of the Technology Reseller News podcast, Doug Green speaks with Larry O'Connor, Founder of Other World Computing (OWC), about the company's long-standing role in extending the useful life of technology—and why repairability, reuse, and on-prem infrastructure matter more than ever. O'Connor describes OWC not as a traditional technology vendor, but as a company focused on helping customers get more value, performance, and longevity from the technology they already own. From memory and storage upgrades to connectivity solutions, direct-attached devices, and network-attached storage platforms, OWC designs products that integrate easily into workflows and “just work,” allowing users to focus on outcomes rather than IT overhead. That philosophy naturally extends into the ITAD and circular economy space. OWC has spent more than a decade supporting secure data destruction, recertification, upgrades, and reuse—particularly within the Apple ecosystem. O'Connor emphasizes that too much usable technology is prematurely retired, despite having significant second-life value. Through components, repair services, and resale channels, OWC works closely with ITAD partners to keep equipment productive and out of landfills. The conversation also explores OWC's strong advocacy for Right to Repair, including direct involvement in recent state-level legislation. O'Connor argues that repairability is essential not only for sustainability, but also for economic efficiency, workforce development, and even national readiness—pointing out the broader impact of proprietary restrictions across industries such as agriculture, transportation, and defense. Looking ahead, O'Connor discusses the growing re-evaluation of cloud-only strategies, noting rising costs, data ownership concerns, and resilience risks. OWC continues to invest in high-performance on-prem and hybrid storage solutions, enabling organizations to retain control of their data while achieving cloud-like collaboration and sharing—often with better performance and lower long-term cost. As an ASCDI member, OWC represents a bridge between hardware innovation, sustainability, ITAD collaboration, and practical infrastructure design. “We've been part of the circular economy long before it had a name,” O'Connor notes, underscoring OWC's decades-long commitment to technology that lasts. To learn more about Other World Computing, visit https://www.owc.com/.

“A customer paying $1,200 a month for a POTS line isn't rare anymore — and even at that price, the service may shut off any day,” says Jake Jacoby, CEO of TELCLOUD. “We're bringing back fixed, predictable pricing with future-proof technology.” In this latest episode of the TELCLOUD POTS and Shots Podcast Series, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, reconnects with Jacoby to examine the dramatic shift from historically low-cost, regulated copper pricing to today's volatile and often astronomical POTS rates. What was once a $15–$30 utility charge—kept low by FCC regulation and universal service requirements—has now become a specialty, loss-generating service that carriers are increasingly unwilling to maintain. As Jacoby explains, deregulation opened the door for carriers to raise prices in an attempt to recover the cost of maintaining infrastructure that only 5–10% of customers still rely on. That shift has triggered startling monthly bills—$100, $500, even over $1,200 per line in some markets—and still does not guarantee continuity. “These high prices don't mean the line will stay on,” Jacoby notes. “Carriers are still shutting off copper regardless of what customers pay.” This is where TELCLOUD provides clarity and relief. By bridging legacy equipment requirements with modern wireless and fiber technologies, TELCLOUD allows resellers to deliver a fixed, predictable monthly service that is fully backward-compatible yet engineered for the future. TELCLOUD's wholesale model empowers partners to restore stability for customers while protecting recurring revenue and eliminating the need for costly hardware replacements in elevators, fire panels, emergency phones, and other critical systems. “We’re not just replacing copper — we’re improving it,” Jacoby adds. TELCLOUD's platform delivers a modern IP backhaul, long-term service viability, and full compatibility with legacy analog interfaces, ensuring decades of reliability even as 5G, 6G, and satellite connectivity continue to evolve. As the copper sunset accelerates—with billions of global lines still needing migration over the next three years—MSPs, carriers, and technology advisors are increasingly seeing POTS replacement as a once-in-a-generation opportunity that opens the door to broader modernization initiatives. TELCLOUD supports partners at every skill level, from full white-label arrangements to integrations with major carriers and CLECs. The episode closes with the series' signature Shots segment. Broadcasting live from Mexico—home to TELCLOUD's 24/7 support center—Jacoby introduces a unique discovery: Don Ramón Punta Diamante Reposado, presented in a two-bottle gift box designed for sharing. A beautifully crafted tequila aged in oak and featuring elegant blue-glass accents, it reflects the artistry and heritage behind Mexico's finest spirits. The POTS and Shots series continues to blend education, opportunity, and culture — guiding partners through the telecom transformation while exploring the world's best tequilas. For more information, visit telcloud.com or call 844-900-2270.

At the Fall '25 vCon in Washington, D.C., Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, spoke with Jon Arnold, Principal of J Arnold & Associates, about why vCon matters, how it fits into the broader AI and communications landscape, and why legal frameworks around compliance and consent are as important as the technology itself. Arnold situates vCon—“virtual conversations”—as a response to a world where interactions are no longer just human-to-human, but also human-to-bot and bot-to-bot, generating vast amounts of conversational data that most organizations are not yet capturing or using effectively. Arnold explains that vCon is not a product but a standard—much like SIP was for VoIP—designed to create an open, interoperable ecosystem for conversational data. By encapsulating both data and metadata from calls, chats, and other interactions into a secure, portable container, vCon can help enterprises manage and analyze conversations across multiple channels, platforms, and use cases. This, he notes, is critical for domains such as UC, customer service, and broader AI-driven applications where structured and unstructured conversational data is becoming a strategic asset. A distinguishing feature of this event, Arnold observes, is the strong presence of legal and policy experts. With AI amplifying both innovation and risk, he underscores the centrality of compliance and consent. Without clear regulatory frameworks and governance, vCon-style capabilities could accelerate a slide toward a “surveillance society,” where every interaction is recorded and tracked without adequate safeguards. Getting lawyers and regulators involved early, Arnold suggests, improves the odds that vCon will scale in a way that balances innovation with consumer protection and trust. On the question of monetization, Arnold draws parallels to the early days of hosted voice and UCaaS: the ecosystem is still forming, a few players are close to real revenue, and many potential use cases are only now being discovered. As with other major technology shifts, he expects some of the most valuable applications to emerge “off-label,” driven by users who find unexpected value once the tools are in their hands. With an open standard, an emerging community, and early traction among sponsors and innovators, Arnold sees strong potential for vCon to become a foundational layer in the next era of AI-enabled communications. To learn more about Jon Arnold's research and analysis, visit https://www.jarnoldassociates.com/.

At the Fall '25 vCon conference in Washington, D.C., Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sat down with Dan Petrie, CEO & President of SIPez, to talk about the origins, purpose, and practical future of vCon technology. Petrie, who co-authored the original vCon draft and brought it to the IETF in 2003, describes vCon as a “standard container for capturing conversations” across voice, video, messaging, email, web chat, and more—bringing structure and consistency to interaction data that has long been fragmented across proprietary platforms. Drawing an analogy to Adobe's breakthrough with PDF, Petrie explains that just as PDF standardized how documents are represented and shared regardless of word processor or device, vCon does the same for conversational data. By abstracting common elements like parties, metadata, transcripts, and even AI-generated analytics into a unified format, vCons allow enterprises to capture, store, and analyze interactions from call centers, UCaaS platforms, and messaging systems in a consistent way. This unlocks deeper analysis—such as customer sentiment, agent performance, product feedback, and workflow optimization—without having to wrestle with dozens of incompatible APIs. Petrie stresses that vCon is especially valuable in an AI-driven world, where structured, well-labeled data is essential. “To get real value from AI, you need structured data,” he notes, pointing out that large language models like ChatGPT can only work on limited context windows and rely on upstream systems to extract, segment, and feed the right portions of conversation data. vCons provide that layer: a rich, extensible container that supports encryption, signing, redaction, amendments, and complex scenarios such as multi-leg call transfers and agent handoffs. Much of Petrie's advice is practical: don't try to build everything from scratch. SIPez maintains open-source vCon projects (such as PyvCon) and also offers a commercial vCon recording and AI analysis solution for the NetSapiens platform, giving service providers and MSPs a faster on-ramp. As more vendors add vCon interfaces and as small and mid-sized providers adopt these tools, Petrie believes 2026 will be a pivotal year for MSPs and channel partners to start monetizing vCon-based analytics and services across horizontal markets—from healthcare to customer support and beyond. To learn more about SIPez's vCon tools, open-source projects, and consulting services, visit http://sipez.com/.

At the Fall '25 vCon Conference, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sat down with Rebekah Johnson, Founder & CEO of Numeracle, for a timely and urgent discussion on the escalating global fraud crisis and the role identity must play in restoring trust to communications. Johnson, a long-time industry leader on identity assurance, shared insights from her panel on “the state of fraud,” which revealed troubling trends despite industry-wide mitigation efforts. Johnson explains that while robocalls may be declining, fraud itself is surging due to increasingly sophisticated tactics and AI-enabled targeting. “Despite all these mitigation efforts, we actually have a declining situation, not an improving situation,” she notes. Bad actors are using fewer touchpoints and more advanced tools, turning communications channels into highly efficient conduits for financial theft, often to fund organized crime, trafficking, and even hostile state activities. Central to Johnson's message is the need to bring Know Your Customer (KYC) principles into communications—just as the banking industry has done for decades. Without verified identity, she argues, consumers remain vulnerable. “If you're going to get access to communications… there should be a verification process to ensure you are who you say you are,” she says, emphasizing that transparency and verifiable identity are essential to helping consumers make safe choices. Regulatory momentum is building: the FCC's proposed rulemakings touch directly on identity delivery and KYC requirements. But Johnson warns that progress will hinge on implementation by carriers, who face technical burdens without clear financial incentives. Still, she sees identity adoption as inevitable—especially with AI now eroding human ability to distinguish real from synthetic interactions. AI itself, she says, will accelerate the need for digital credentials tied to trustworthy identity. As the conversation turns to Numeracle's mission, Johnson highlights the company's role in protecting enterprise communication channels from being mislabeled as fraud or spam, enabling hospitals, universities, financial institutions, and brands to reach customers reliably. Numeracle also supports UCaaS and CPaaS providers seeking to protect customer reputations across the network. Despite the alarming fraud statistics—estimated in the hundreds of billions—Johnson remains optimistic. “It's not doomsday,” she says. “I'm excited about the future and the role our engineers will play in it.” To learn more about Numeracle's identity and reputation protection services, visit https://www.numeracle.com/.

At the Fall '25 vCon Conference in Washington, D.C., Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, met with Mike Onslow, CTO of Clarity Voice, to discuss the company's hands-on work with vCons, the rise of AI-driven communications, and the transformative potential of standardizing conversational data across platforms. Onslow began by outlining Clarity Voice's 20-year journey as a communications provider serving small and very small businesses with voice, video, messaging, and increasingly, AI-powered tools. “When the customer wins, we win,” he notes, highlighting a culture centered on customer success across specialized business verticals. A major focus of the discussion was vCon, the emerging standard for representing conversations—described by Onslow as “a PDF for your conversations.” By standardizing call, message, and AI-generated analysis into a single interoperable format, vCons allow organizations to search, index, process, and share conversational data across platforms without reinventing the wheel. “Thomas calls vCons robot food,” Onslow says, noting that large AI models already understand the vCon structure because the specification predates ChatGPT. Onslow shared lessons from Clarity Voice's year-long practical deployment of vCons, including the need for strong data engineering and the importance of keeping raw recordings and raw vCons for future reprocessing as AI models evolve. He also emphasized the value of partnering with experts such as vConic and co-creator Thomas Howe to accelerate implementation, rather than tackling the open-source standard alone. One of Onslow's standout contributions at the event was his talk on using vCons for code review analysis. By transforming developer conversations inside pull requests into vCons, Clarity Voice built tools to detect burnout signals, identify subject-matter experts, and surface hidden collaboration patterns. The approach highlights the broader potential of vCons well beyond traditional UCaaS ecosystems—spanning healthcare, marketing, customer support, and any environment where interactions can be enriched with contextual data. Reflecting on the week's sessions, Onslow emphasized the value of the community emerging around vCon. “This community is the huge value,” he says. “We're figuring out what doesn't work and what does work—together.” He encourages newcomers to engage with the vCon Foundation to gain a smoother on-ramp into the technology and its ecosystem. To learn more about Clarity Voice and its work with AI-powered communications and vCons, visit https://clarityvoice.com/.

In this episode of Technology Reseller News' special series on Telco Days 2025, Doug Green speaks with Damian Mazurek, Chief Innovation Officer at Software Mind, about why the telecom industry is at a historic crossroads – and what it will take for telcos to move from commodity connectivity to AI-era value creators. Mazurek explains how rapid advances in AI, edge computing, LEO satellites and IoT are converging with generational change, especially Gen Z's preference for asynchronous, AI-enabled interactions. Traditional voice and human-to-human communication are giving way to data-driven, bot-mediated experiences. “The next generation will not even talk with us – their AI assistants will do it for them,” he notes, predicting a future where AI agents negotiate, schedule, buy, sell and resolve issues on behalf of human users. To avoid being trapped as low-margin bandwidth providers, Mazurek argues that telcos must evolve from telco to techco, building both an innovation culture and the cloud-native platforms needed to iterate at high speed. He outlines a three-layer framework for AI in the RAN – AI for the run, AI in the run and AI on the run – where AI improves network operations, monetizes unused capacity for AI workloads, and enables new services built on top of programmable, API-driven networks. Mazurek sees major opportunities in: Turning surplus network capacity and distributed edge infrastructure into an “AI grid” that hosts and accelerates AI workloads. Leveraging telco data and real-time APIs to power new services and revenue streams. Enabling sectors like agriculture, aquaculture and industrial automation with reliable connectivity, low latency and AI-ready infrastructure in previously hard-to-reach locations. Delivering proactive, AI-driven customer experiences that match Gen Z expectations for simplicity, personalization and immediacy. Ultimately, Mazurek believes telcos that embrace cloud-native transformation, programmable networks and AI-driven operations can do far more than survive the coming decade. “They can dominate the market and create new business value,” he says, by building the secure, trusted infrastructure that will underpin AI-to-AI communication at global scale. To learn more about Software Mind's telecom innovation initiatives and access resources from Telco Days, visit https://softwaremind.com/.

Ram Ramanathan, Vice President of Product at Ribbon Communications, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss Acumen, Ribbon's new AI-powered platform designed to accelerate autonomous networking for service providers and enterprises. Ramanathan explains that rapid shifts—5G adoption, cloud-native architectures, heightened security demands, and a retiring telecom workforce—have created urgent pressure for automation. “We focus on practical, pragmatic AI that delivers real ROI—not hype,” he noted. Practical Automation Across the Service Lifecycle Acumen provides end-to-end observability and automation using real-time data and ML. It is vendor-agnostic, spans OSI layers 0–7, and includes a low-code/no-code Builder that allows Ribbon to tailor automation workflows and chatbots to each customer's environment. Real Deployments Already Underway Ribbon is working with several tier-one operators, including a major mobile provider moving from 4G to 5G across a multi-vendor network. Acumen is helping automate fault management, speed root-cause analysis, and proactively inform customer-facing teams. “It's not just fixing issues faster—it's keeping everyone, including the customer, informed,” Ramanathan said. Looking Ahead Ramanathan cautions organizations to avoid AI hype by setting realistic expectations and focusing on high-ROI outcomes first. “Break it into stages and show progress along the way,” he advised. Learn more at ribboncommunications.com.

Nima Hakimi, CEO and Co-Founder of Convoso, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss one of the most pressing issues facing legitimate outbound sales teams today: how to reach customers when carriers are aggressively filtering calls. Convoso serves revenue teams in insurance, financial services, and home services—organizations that depend on connecting with leads who have actively expressed intent. But even calls to fully permissioned customers are increasingly mislabeled as spam, scam, or telemarketer, damaging contact rates and revenue. A Broken System for Legitimate Businesses Hakimi notes that carriers and analytics providers like Hiya, TNS, and First Orion are trying to stop fraud, but the system is far from perfect. “You can have consent, follow the rules, and still get mislabeled,” he explained. For outbound teams spending heavily on leads and labor, this results in wasted efforts, lost deals, and lower productivity. Convoso's response is Ignite, an AI-powered engine that monitors caller ID reputation, analyzes contact-rate drops, and automatically selects the best-performing number in real time. It deprioritizes numbers falsely flagged by carriers and optimizes outreach across voice and text to preserve compliance and improve connection rates. Solving the “Black Box” Problem Because no carrier provides a clear standard for avoiding flags, Convoso built Ignite to manage the number lifecycle automatically preventing declines that teams only notice after revenue is lost. What's Next Hakimi says 2026 will be defined by deeper AI integration, improved lead-quality prediction, and greater automation of dialer operations. “We're helping teams make better real-time decisions using the data they already have,” he said. Learn more at convoso.com.

In this Technology Reseller News podcast, Doug Green interviews David Erickson, CEO of Phound, about the launch of Phound for Business—a platform that goes far beyond traditional UCaaS. Built on the global CarrierX telecom backbone, Phound treats the phone number as a verified digital identity, enabling secure calling, texting, AI integration, and multi-persona management. “The SKU is the phone number,” Erickson explains. “It should be your global identity—voice, messaging, payments, even AI agents all roll up to it.” What Makes Phound Different Identity-verified profiles with blue-check authentication Multi-persona control for work, personal, and AI agents Advanced filtering & private caller groups to block unwanted calls AI-ready architecture, letting businesses give phone numbers and permissions to AI assistants SMB-friendly design for fast setup, secure communication, and simplified management Erickson emphasizes that Phound is built for the new AI era—where human and AI employees coexist and need trusted, secure communication channels. More at https://phound.app/

Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, interviews Helmut Minor, Managing Director of envenance GmbH and President of envenance SAS, in this special welcome podcast for ASCDI's newest member. Envenance delivers a next-generation, fully digital ITAD platform designed to support multinational enterprises with consistent, compliant asset disposition across borders. A Digital-First, Asset-Free ITAD Model Envenance operates as a software-driven orchestrator, not a recycler or logistics operator. The company centralizes global ITAD operations through: A single digital portal for orders, tracking, documentation, and ESG reporting Standardized processes that work across all EU countries, the UK, Switzerland, and beyond Pre-vetted logistics and recycling partners managed directly by Envenance One contract, one invoice, and unified compliance for all locations “We drain the complexity out of ITAD,” Minor notes. “Customers see one simple process. We handle everything behind the scenes.” Built for Compliance, Visibility, and Scale Envenance ensures strict adherence to EU waste regulations, country-specific documentation requirements, and verified in-country recycling. The platform provides: Near real-time status updates Full chain-of-custody documentation Recycling and ESG reporting needed for audits and EPR filings A People-Powered Network While Envenance is highly digital, Minor emphasizes that experience and relationships with local partners remain central to their success. “You can't replace people. The platform works because the network behind it works.” Global Capabilities Though Europe is the core focus, Envenance has delivered ITAD projects in the U.S. and other regions—especially where secure inventory capture and compliance documentation are required. Learn More Envenance's new website offers service details, videos, and updates: https://www.envenance-global.com/

“This really levels the playing field for ITADs of all sizes.” — Doug Hughes, VP of Sales Operations, ReturnCenter In this special ASCDI edition of the Technology Reseller News podcast, Doug Green speaks with Doug Hughes of ReturnCenter about how the company's digital platform is helping ITADs modernize their return workflows and better serve enterprise customers. ReturnCenter is a digital platform that connects all stakeholders in IT asset returns, enabling ITADs to accept, track, and manage orders with full chain-of-custody visibility. The platform supports two primary customer paths: ServiceNow Platform® integration — Large enterprises using ServiceNow can install ReturnCenter's two certified apps in just hours. They can schedule pickups, track shipments, retrieve all documentation, and—through the optional Automate app—have asset records updated automatically throughout the disposal workflow, eliminating manual work and reducing compliance risk. Branded ITAD portal (custom URL) — For customers not using ServiceNow, ReturnCenter provides a fully branded, no-development portal that lets ITADs offer an enterprise-grade online experience. End users can place and track orders, view documentation, and manage returns of any scale, while ITADs maintain visibility from a single dashboard. Hughes notes that digital connectivity is becoming a “ticket to entry” for ITADs engaging large organizations. ReturnCenter enables even smaller providers to offer a modern, audit-ready customer experience—while preserving their personalized service. ITADs benefit from centralized visibility, streamlined documentation, improved SLA management, and a platform that supports growth into the enterprise segment. To learn more or request a demo, visit https://go.returncenter.com/podcast.

In Part 1 of the Telco Days 2025 podcast series—produced in partnership with Telco Days 2025—Doug Green of Technology Reseller News sits down with Dawid Mielnik, General Manager Telco at Software Mind, a global software and technology services provider. With more than 25 years of telecom experience and a 1,600-person engineering organization across Europe and the U.S., Software Mind helps operators modernize everything from voice and signaling to OSS/BSS and cloud-native telco stacks. As Mielnik explains, “We're big enough to scale, but small enough to care—our clients always know exactly who is on the team and who owns the outcomes.” Mielnik highlights Software Mind's software-first mindset and deep telecom expertise as core differentiators. Unlike traditional integrators, Software Mind not only deploys technology but also builds, customizes, and fills functional gaps with tailored software. “Our clients appreciate that we know telecom from the inside—IMS, signaling, roaming, legacy architectures, BSS/OSS. That domain knowledge makes all the difference,” he notes. He also shared real-world examples illustrating how Software Mind accelerates modernization. For a major European telecom group, the company migrated a legacy voice system to a fully containerized Kubernetes environment, reducing deployment cycles from 12 hours to under two hours. Another engagement rebuilt a monolithic CVM platform into microservices on Google Cloud, enabling daily deployments instead of monthly releases. “It wasn't just a technical upgrade—it changed how the entire delivery team worked,” Mielnik says. Looking ahead, Mielnik points to cloud-native architectures and AI as the forces reshaping telecom for the second half of this decade. Operators continue to grapple with large legacy stacks, while AI is rapidly being embedded across operations, assurance, fraud prevention, and customer engagement. “AI is making its way into every layer of the telecom network, and cloud is the foundation for the next wave of transformation,” he explains. The discussion also introduces Telco Days, Software Mind's annual thought-leadership and knowledge-sharing initiative. What began in 2018 as a Kubernetes training program has grown into a global hybrid forum where operators and partners discuss modernization, AI, customer engagement, and data strategy. All sessions from Telco Days 2025 are now available on demand to the entire industry. Learn more at: https://softwaremind.com/

“Nobody can be an expert in everything — so you surround yourself with the right partners,” says Chris Young, CEO of Smartel. “That's how you deliver real value, reduce costs, and earn long-term trust.” In this latest episode of the TELCLOUD POTS and Shots Podcast Series, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, is joined by Jake Jacoby, CEO of TELCLOUD, and special guest Chris Young, CEO of Smartel, for a compelling look at how collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and unified connectivity strategies are transforming the POTS replacement landscape. Young introduces Smartel as a 23-year veteran in mobile solutions and wireless expense management, known for simplifying large, complex wireless ecosystems. Their approach centers on centralized management, data ingestion tools, standardized policies, and a responsive customer service model, all aimed at lowering costs and streamlining operations for enterprises nationwide. Jacoby explains why Smartel is an ideal partner for TELCLOUD's POTS replacement vision. As organizations confront escalating copper costs, service shutdowns, and outdated infrastructure, Smartel's audits often reveal both unused POTS lines and mission-critical lines at risk. By pairing Smartel's visibility with TELCLOUD's life-safety-grade replacement platform, the two companies deliver cost savings, continuity, and a long-term service model built to last decades. The discussion widens to the larger industry transformation. With the copper sunset accelerating and AI reshaping telecom workflows, both executives describe POTS replacement as a gateway opportunity — the immediate need that opens the door to broader conversations about edge connectivity, SD-WAN, IoT, backup strategy, and comprehensive modernization. As Young notes, “POTS is our biggest door-opener right now — everyone needs it, and it leads to deeper relationships almost every time.” Jacoby adds that while POTS is hot today, the service is required for the next 20 years, creating dependable recurring revenue for partners who can guide customers through the transition. Both stress that customers ultimately want simplicity, reliability, and cost control — and partnerships like TELCLOUD + Smartel are built to deliver exactly that. And true to the Shots tradition, the episode closes with a tasting of Don Julio Ceniza, an exceptionally rare Extra Añejo aged in charred oak barrels. Smooth, smoky, and difficult to find, Jacoby describes it as one of his personal favorites — and surprises both Doug and Chris by sending each of them a bottle to enjoy off-camera. The perfect pairing for a discussion about premium craftsmanship and long-term value. The POTS and Shots series continues to blend industry insight with cultural storytelling, helping MSPs and partners navigate the telecom transition while taking a tour of the world's greatest tequilas. For more information, visit telcloud.com or call 844-900-2270. Learn more about Smartel at www.smartelinc.com.

In this Technology Reseller News, Podcast, Doug Green interviews Don Boxley, CEO and Co-Founder of DH2i, for a deep dive into one of the biggest challenges facing IT teams today: the migration gap between legacy Windows-based SQL Server deployments and the containerized, Linux-driven future that modern applications increasingly require. DH2i, a long-time Microsoft and Red Hat partner, delivers high availability, secure communication, and cross-platform mobility for SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL environments. Their flagship platform, DX Enterprise, enables customers to run the same production-grade SQL instance across Windows, Linux, and Kubernetes — and move between them with seamless failover. As Boxley explains, this eliminates the traditional roadblocks that keep enterprises locked into aging infrastructure. With SQL Server 2025 bringing new support for AI-driven applications, Microsoft tapped DH2i to deliver mission-critical HA capabilities for these next-generation workloads. The company also introduced a hands-on, step-by-step Minikube tutorial, allowing DBAs and MSPs to experiment safely with Kubernetes-based SQL deployments on their own PCs before ever touching production. “Most teams think they're stuck on Windows — they're not. With DX Enterprise, you can move SQL Server to Linux or containers without disruption, and your customers won't even know the difference,” Boxley notes. DH2i's developer edition is available as a free download, complete with 30-day support, giving IT teams a no-risk path to testing, learning, and modernizing their database infrastructure. Learn more at https://dh2i.com/. Software Mind Telco Days 2025: On-demand online conference Engaging Customers, Harnessing Data

In this episode of Technology Reseller News, Doug Green interviews Lyle Pratt, Founder & CEO of Vida.io, following the company's announcement of a $4 million Series A funding round—a major milestone marking rapid growth, platform maturity, and expanding traction across MSPs, SaaS vendors, and business software providers. Pratt explains that Vida.io is an AI Agent Operating System for business, designed to help companies deploy, manage, monitor, and scale AI agents that perform real work across voice, SMS, email, and web chat. While many products offer a chatbot or voice agent, Vida.io delivers the full operational backbone required for real-world use: observability, SOC 2/HIPAA compliance, billing-as-a-service, UI components, and detailed interaction scoring. Since the last podcast, Vida.io has grown dramatically, surpassing 100 million AI agent interactions and onboarding a rapidly expanding network of partners. Initially focused on MSPs, the platform is now widely adopted by SaaS companies that embed AI agent capabilities directly into their vertical applications—roofing, moving, and other SMB-focused sectors—bringing instant scale to Vida.io's distribution. A key breakthrough discussed in the interview is Vida.io's ability to deliver low-latency, high-intelligence voice agents that reliably meet real-world customer experience expectations. “If latency is off even slightly, users get frustrated. We had to solve that,” Pratt notes. The result: AI agents that in many cases outperform humans, including one customer reporting 40% more meetings booked compared to human-based calling teams. Vida.io's partner program remains the company's primary growth engine. MSPs are now using AI agents to capture revenue from call flows they previously handed off to outsourced call centers—often redirecting hundreds of thousands of monthly minutes back into their own billing. The platform also supports direct SIP registration, enabling AI agents to function as standard PBX extensions across NetSapiens, Broadsoft, Metaswitch, and other systems widely deployed by MSPs. Pratt emphasizes that the AI revolution is fundamentally redefining UCaaS and business communications: “When the price of intelligence approaches zero, the entire enterprise software ecosystem transforms.” Even if LLM progress froze today, he argues, the impact on communications and business automation would still be historic. As the industry approaches 2026, Pratt sees a major new revenue frontier for MSPs—one that doesn't require deep AI expertise but does require timely action. Vida.io provides the tools to make AI agent deployment fast, repeatable, and profitable. To learn more or join the partner program, visit https://vida.io/. Software Mind Telco Days 2025: On-demand online conference Engaging Customers, Harnessing Data

“We're building for an agile future — one where messaging channels can finally talk to each other.” — Ariel Reid, VP of Customer Experience, GCH Technologies In this Technology Reseller News podcast, Doug Green, Publisher of TR Publications, speaks with Ariel Reid, Vice President of Customer Experience at GCH Technologies, about the company's mission to modernize the wireless messaging and voice ecosystem. Although GCH Technologies is a young company, its team brings over 50 years of combined telecom experience — spanning carriers, aggregators, enterprises, and CPaaS providers. Reid explains that GCH's role as a vendor-neutral platform allows it to help participants across the wireless ecosystem operate more efficiently, transparently, and securely. Reid discussed how messaging infrastructure has evolved into a fragmented patchwork of channels — including SMS, RCS, toll-free messaging, and branded calling — each governed by separate technologies, onboarding rules, and compliance frameworks. “These silos, while well-intentioned, have made it easier for threat actors to exploit gaps between channels,” she noted. GCH's mission is to unify and simplify communication across these environments while preserving flexibility for carriers and enterprises. AI plays a pivotal role in this modernization effort. Reid emphasized that while AI introduces new risks, it also strengthens defense. “For every mousetrap we build, bad actors are building one too — but AI helps us move just as fast, flagging anomalies and onboarding legitimate actors more efficiently,” she explained. A major milestone for GCH arrives January 1, 2026, when the company assumes responsibility for managing the U.S. Short Code Registry in partnership with the CTIA. This transition represents a significant modernization effort for the messaging industry. “We're ensuring continuity while introducing a more modular, data-driven, and future-ready platform,” Reid said. The initiative will centralize information, improve security, and create new opportunities for data-driven collaboration across the ecosystem. For information about the short code registry transition and GCH's modernization initiatives, visit gchtech.com or usshortcodetransition.com. Software Mind Telco Days 2025: On-demand online conference Engaging Customers, Harnessing Data

"When you build for life safety, there can't be a single point of failure," says Jake Jacoby, CEO of TELCLOUD. "Our networks are designed to stay up—no matter what fails." In the latest episode of the TELCLOUD POTS and Shots Podcast Series, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sits down with Jacoby to discuss what it really means to build fault-tolerant infrastructure—and why resilience and redundancy are the backbone of modern telecom. Jacoby explains that fault tolerance is about creating systems that can experience a failure without disruption. TELCLOUD applies this philosophy at every level of its network architecture, ensuring 99.999% uptime for critical life-safety communications such as fire alarms and elevator systems. TELCLOUD's geographically redundant design eliminates single points of failure: Multiple data centers across the U.S. (East, West, and Central) mirror one another, so if one fails, another immediately takes over. Each data center includes redundant servers, power systems, and load balancers, ensuring continuous operation even during localized outages. On-premise devices feature dual power sources, battery backups, and often generator integration for sustained operation during power loss. Multiple WAN options—fiber, Wi-Fi, and cellular—enable instant failover, with support for multiple carriers on a single device. "Emergencies don't happen when things are perfect," Jacoby notes. "They happen when power is out or connectivity is weak—and that's when TELCLOUD's systems keep working." For resellers and MSPs, TELCLOUD's architecture provides more than reliability—it's a competitive differentiator. By offering enterprise-grade, fault-tolerant solutions for POTS replacement, partners can deliver a service that customers trust to perform when it matters most. "When our resellers partner with TELCLOUD, they know they're getting the best technology—constantly improving, globally redundant, and built to last," Jacoby says. "Customers don't want to hear about servers and routers—they just want service that never fails." And in the Shots segment, Jacoby introduces a truly special find: Casa San Matías “Resol” Extra Añejo Tequila, aged five years in oak barrels in Jalisco, Mexico. The striking bottle—embossed with a golden sun face—reflects the craftsmanship and attention to detail shared by fine tequila and TELCLOUD's engineering philosophy. "Producers put their heart and soul into tequila," Jacoby says. "That same pride goes into the technology we build—crafted to endure and meant to be shared." The POTS and Shots series continues to blend business insight with a touch of culture—helping channel partners and MSPs prepare for the copper sunset while enjoying a global tour of the world's best tequilas. For more information, visit telcloud.com or call 844-900-2270.

“The tide is turning, but it hasn't gone out yet.” — Alex Quilici, CEO, YouMail In this Technology Reseller News podcast, Doug Green speaks with Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail, about how the company is helping both carriers and enterprises identify, block, and eliminate fraudulent robocalls and impersonation attacks. After peaking at nearly 5 billion robocalls per month, U.S. volumes have fallen by more than a billion calls—a positive trend, though the fraudsters behind the remaining calls are earning more money with fewer calls. Quilici explains that YouMail, a Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA) member, is helping stop telecom “troublemakers” through a suite of AI-driven solutions that protect consumers, carriers, and enterprises alike. For carriers, YouMail's Watch and Score products flag risky robocallers by monitoring live calling behavior. Carriers upload the phone numbers they issue, and YouMail reports back when any number engages in suspicious or illegal activity—empowering providers to act quickly and shut bad actors off the network. For enterprises, YouMail's Quash solution identifies and suppresses impersonation campaigns in real time. Using analytics and carrier collaboration, Quash helps organizations such as banks and hospitality brands detect where fraudulent calls originate, block offenders, and even prepare evidence packages for law enforcement. Case studies on Regions Bank and Marriott highlight real-world success: a 60 percent reduction in telecom attacks and an $8 million fraud judgment. The results demonstrate how YouMail's technology helps legitimate businesses reclaim trust in their communications. Looking ahead to 2026, YouMail is developing a referral and reseller program to extend its protection ecosystem to more carriers and call-center partners. Learn more at youmail.com.

“Hard to get a customer — but once you have that customer, sell them something else.” — Elie Y. Katz, Founder, President & CEO, National Retail Solutions (NRS) In this Technology Reseller News podcast, Doug Green, Publisher of TR Publications, speaks with Elie Y. Katz, CEO of National Retail Solutions (NRS), about how NRS is helping small businesses compete with national chains — and why telecom resellers and MSPs are perfectly positioned to benefit from a new wave of retail technology opportunities. NRS, a division of IDT, began as a mission to modernize small, independent convenience stores through affordable, easy-to-use point-of-sale (POS) systems. A decade later, NRS has more than 38,000 units deployed nationwide, helping merchants streamline sales, manage operations, and now — expand digitally through DoorDash and Grubhub integrations. What started as a POS platform has evolved into a full suite of business services — including NRSPay for transparent, no-contract credit card processing, NRS Purple Payroll for affordable payroll solutions, and cash advance programs that help small businesses stay liquid and grow. Katz is now calling on telecom resellers and channel partners to leverage their trusted customer relationships and add new, high-margin offerings. “Every one of your customers needs credit card processing, payroll, or better cash flow. We make it simple, transparent, and profitable — for you and them,” he explained. With NRS, partners can expand beyond telecom into broader small-business enablement — reaching industries from convenience stores and retailers to medical, dental, legal, and service-based businesses. “The hardest part of sales is building trust. Our resellers already have that trust — now it's time to build on it,” Katz added. To learn more about partnership opportunities, visit SellNRS.com or explore NRS solutions at NRSPlus.com. Software Mind Telco Days 2025: On-demand online conference Engaging Customers, Harnessing Data

“Compliance is not going away. CMMC is here — and it's a high-margin, recurring opportunity for MSPs.” — Steven Hess, Co-Founder, Deep Fathom In this Technology Reseller News podcast, Doug Green, Publisher of TR Publications, sits down with Steven Hess, Co-Founder of Deep Fathom, to discuss the U.S. Department of Defense's new Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) mandates — and how they create one of the most significant compliance and service opportunities for the MSP and channel community in years. CMMC is the federal government's new cybersecurity enforcement framework for defense contractors and their supply chains. Designed to stop state-sponsored and criminal attacks on the defense ecosystem, the mandate now requires tens of thousands of small and mid-sized contractors to meet strict cybersecurity and documentation standards — or risk losing their contracts. Recognizing that most smaller contractors lack in-house cybersecurity resources, Deep Fathom was built as an AI-driven, turnkey compliance platform that guides companies through the entire CMMC process. “We built Deep Fathom to make compliance accessible — without the hundreds of thousands in consulting fees,” said Hess. The platform automates much of the work and includes an agentic AI assistant that helps users — and their MSPs — navigate complex regulatory steps with ease. Deep Fathom partners directly with MSPs and channel partners, offering three flexible engagement models: Referral — identify and connect clients to Deep Fathom. Value-Add Services — resell and support the platform with hands-on client guidance. Compliance Practice Development — build a full service line around CMMC readiness and ongoing certification. Hess emphasized that no deep cybersecurity background is required: “We've built the expertise into the platform itself. If you understand IT, you can build a compliance practice.” He also noted that CMMC is just the beginning — state, local, and critical infrastructure sectors are expected to follow with similar frameworks, multiplying the opportunity. For MSPs and resellers, Deep Fathom represents a sticky, recurring-revenue model tied to a growing federal mandate. “Compliance is a door opener — and a long-term relationship builder,” said Hess. To learn more about Deep Fathom's partner opportunities, visit deepfathom.ai. Software Mind Telco Days 2025: On-demand online conference Engaging Customers, Harnessing Data

“Availability is resilience. If you can't see it, you can't secure it.” — Roland Dobbins, Principal Engineer, NETSCOUT ASERT Team In this Technology Reseller News podcast, Doug Green, Publisher of TR Publications, speaks with Roland Dobbins, Principal Engineer on NETSCOUT's ASERT (Arbor Security Engineering & Response Team), about the growing risk of outbound DDoS attacks—and why service providers and enterprises must defend against threats moving in every direction. NETSCOUT, a global leader in network visibility and DDoS defense, has been monitoring an alarming surge in outbound and cross-network (east-west) attack traffic driven by new “Turbo Mirai” botnets, particularly the Aisuru variant. These attacks can exceed 20 terabits per second and 6 gigapackets per second, overwhelming even the largest operators. Dobbins explains that while most organizations focus on protecting against incoming DDoS traffic, outbound attack streams can be just as damaging, clogging peering links and taking down critical infrastructure. “We're seeing broadband networks unintentionally launching massive attacks, sometimes over a terabit per second, because of compromised IoT and connected devices,” Dobbins said. “It's not just about defending the target — it's about protecting your own network from being part of the problem.” NETSCOUT's ASERT team, which observes 40,000–50,000 DDoS attacks daily across 60% of the world's IPv4 space, provides continuous research and live mitigation guidance to customers worldwide. Dobbins emphasized that effective DDoS defense requires edge-to-edge visibility, sub-second detection, and suppression of both inbound and outbound traffic. “You can't secure what you can't see,” he added. “Operators need full visibility across their networks, with active mitigation built into daily operations.” Learn more about NETSCOUT's global threat research and DDoS defense solutions at netscout.com. Software Mind Telco Days 2025: On-demand online conference Engaging Customers, Harnessing Data

At the Crexendo UGM, Mark Vange, Founder and CEO of Autom8ly, sat down with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss how Autom8ly is redefining the role of AI in business communications — not as a distant automation layer, but as a cooperative partner working alongside people and processes. “AI isn't a box you plug in — it's more like hiring a new employee,” said Vange. “Our philosophy is cooperative AI: AI that works with you, using the tools you already have, to make your people more productive.” At Crexendo UGM, Autom8ly showcased its new 10DLC Onboarding Assistant, an AI-driven system that dramatically simplifies the complicated process of SMS compliance registration. Today, service providers can spend four to six hours helping a customer fill out their 10DLC brand and campaign applications — only to see a large percentage rejected on first submission. Autom8ly's onboarding AI guides end users step-by-step through the forms, using context-aware prompts and compliance logic to ensure accuracy. “We've taken a four-hour ordeal and turned it into a five-minute review,” Vange explained. “We're seeing first-submission success rates move from 8 percent to 95 percent. It's saving time, money, and frustration for everyone.” Beyond compliance automation, Autom8ly is also building advanced voice agents, real-time call assistance tools, and AI-powered QA and transcription systems that help service providers and their customers operate more efficiently. These tools can listen to live customer calls and instantly surface the right information — such as product details or appointment policies — enabling agents to provide accurate, immediate responses without extensive training. The result is a growing suite of AI tools built specifically for MSPs, resellers, and NetSapiens partners, allowing them to bring intelligent automation to verticals such as automotive, hospitality, veterinary care, legal services, and retail. Autom8ly's business model is 100 percent channel-based, designed to empower partners to deliver AI-enabled solutions under their own brands. “Our focus is on helping those who already understand their markets and customers succeed with AI,” Vange said. “We don't sell direct — we help partners integrate AI into their existing business models and deliver real, measurable value.” To learn more about Autom8ly's cooperative AI solutions and partnership opportunities, visit autom8ly.com.

At the Crexendo UGM, Tim Wilbourn, Senior Vice President of Support and Customer Success at Crexendo, sat down with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss Crexendo's customer-first culture, the growing role of AI across communications, and the ongoing challenges — and opportunities — presented by 10DLC compliance. Wilbourn oversees Crexendo's customer support, managed services, and professional services teams, as well as its retail platform, giving him a unique vantage point across the company's ecosystem. “I have the pleasure of serving the community from every angle of customer success — hosted support, managed services, and direct platform management,” he said. “The best part is that I experience the same challenges our partners do, which helps us make meaningful improvements.” A central theme at this year's event, Wilbourn noted, was “AI everything.” From receptionist automation to transcription, call routing, and analytics, Crexendo partners are eager to implement AI-driven enhancements. “Everybody wants AI and they want it now,” he said. “But the key question is what do they want it to do, and how quickly can they deploy it?” Wilbourn's goal is to bring those solutions to life within the Crexendo VIP platform by integrating the event's showcased vendor technologies into live, real-world use cases. Turning to 10DLC compliance, Wilbourn described the rollout as “a bit of a fiasco” for the industry — though one that now represents a major opportunity for service providers. “Change is scary, and 10DLC caught a lot of the industry by surprise,” he explained. “We're seeing partners hesitant to sell SMS because of the complexity of registration and fear of noncompliance.” He emphasized that the potential fines for violations — sometimes thousands of dollars per message — can be intimidating, leading some providers to delay adoption. To address this, Crexendo is working closely with EVP partners and messaging providers such as Autom8ly, Textable, and Cinch to simplify compliance through automation and education. “Our goal is to take away the fear,” Wilbourn said. “No one wants to work with tools they don't understand. If we make it cleaner, faster, and more reliable, adoption will follow.” Wilbourn also sees these compliance challenges as a way for MSPs and resellers to deepen customer relationships. “Problems are opportunities,” he said. “If we can make 10DLC and other compliance requirements easier, our partners become heroes to their customers.” Crexendo's strategy remains focused on proactive support and continuous improvement. “We're resolving tickets faster, improving quality, and raising satisfaction scores,” Wilbourn noted. “The quote of the week? ‘Getting better.' And that's what we intend to keep doing — better every day.” To learn more about Crexendo's customer success initiatives and partner ecosystem, visit crexendo.com.

At the Crexendo UGM, Daniel Petrie, President and CEO of SIPez, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss how his company is helping service providers, MSPs, and developers unlock the power of vCon technology—turning everyday communications into actionable, AI-driven insight. Founded over 20 years ago, SIPez began as a consultancy specializing in SIP and VoIP software. Today, the company develops open-source frameworks that integrate with NetSapiens and other call center platforms, providing powerful data analysis and automation capabilities. “We give our partners tools to analyze customer conversations and build AI-based workflows—without having to write code,” said Petrie. “Our technology handles the heavy computation in the background while they deliver the insights to their customers.” SIPez's suite includes an open-source vCon stack and a vCon analysis engine that allow organizations to construct, store, and interpret conversational data across text, voice, or video channels. Petrie explained that vCon (Virtual Conversation) serves as a standardized container for communication data, preserving every relevant element of a customer interaction—from transcripts and audio to metadata and analytics. The key advantage, Petrie noted, is context. “The vCon gives you the ability to maintain continuity across an entire customer journey—so when a caller is transferred, the next agent knows what's already been said,” he explained. “It prevents customers from having to repeat themselves, and that's a huge improvement in both efficiency and experience.” SIPez recently joined the Crexendo EVP Program, further integrating its vCon technology into the NetSapiens ecosystem. The goal is to make conversational data analysis accessible to channel partners, helping them capture new value without complexity. “We help NetSapiens and Crexendo customers extract data, trigger events, and analyze conversations while they're still happening,” Petrie said. “It's about giving partners early insight and control over their customer interactions.” Beyond enhancing data analytics, vCon technology simplifies what was once a messy process of call detail records and partial transcripts. By consolidating information from multiple communication modes into one structured format, it enables faster insights, cleaner integrations, and more powerful automation opportunities. For Petrie, the excitement around vCon is just beginning. “It's amazing how many people here already understand the value of what we're building,” he said. “The fact that engineers and MSPs are reading the spec and engaging with it tells us this is going to reshape how call data is managed and analyzed.” To learn more about SIPez and its open-source vCon solutions, visit sipez.com.

At the Crexendo UGM, Ben Choder, CEO of CallRevu, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, for a conversation that linked automotive innovation, AI-driven analytics, and the emerging vCon framework for conversational intelligence. CallRevu is redefining how automotive dealerships communicate. “We record, transcribe, and analyze every sales and service call — inbound and outbound — to help dealers see their blind spots and close more deals,” said Choder. With over 6,000 dealership customers, CallRevu's AI platform processes more than a billion calls each year, instantly summarizing conversations and flagging opportunities for upselling, improved service, and stronger customer relationships. The result, according to Choder, is that “a dealer using our technology will sell five to ten percent more cars and book five to ten percent more service appointments.” The company's growth accelerated after its 2024 acquisition of TotalCX, a NetSapiens-based phone system already in 1,500 dealerships. That acquisition gave CallRevu the ability to deliver end-to-end call intelligence across every department — from sales and finance to service and parts — creating a full “digital twin” of the dealership's voice environment. For Choder, this transformation reflects how the automotive sector has evolved from an analog world of handshake deals to a data-driven, MBA-led enterprise. “These aren't mom-and-pop car lots anymore. They're billion-dollar organizations living on data, and voice remains their most valuable channel,” he explained. “Every phone call is seven to ten times more valuable than any text or email.” That's why CallRevu's connection to vCon — the emerging standard for virtual conversation data — is so natural. The company's architecture already mirrors vCon principles: structured conversational metadata, real-time transcription, and actionable analytics that loop back to both the dealer and the manufacturer. This allows automotive leaders to understand customer sentiment, engagement trends, and even brand loyalty, all from call data. Choder also outlined how AI agents are poised to reshape dealership operations. These virtual assistants can schedule service appointments after hours, handle recall notifications, and maintain engagement when human staff are unavailable — turning lost calls into new revenue. “If a customer calls at 10 p.m. for an oil change,” he said, “why shouldn't an AI agent schedule it right then and there?” Looking ahead, CallRevu plans to expand beyond North America into the U.K. and Latin America while deepening its presence in adjacent markets like motorsports, RVs, and specialty vehicles. Yet the focus remains on the automotive ecosystem — “anything with tires,” as Choder put it with a smile. To learn more about CallRevu's AI-powered communications solutions for the automotive industry, visit www.callrevu.com.

"What customers really want is service that just works — guaranteed, reliable, and built to last," says Jake Jacoby, CEO of TELCLOUD. “That's what modularity delivers — a system that's flexible, future-proof, and ready to adapt as technology evolves.” In this latest episode of the TELCLOUD POTS and Shots Podcast Series, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sits down with Jacoby to explore how modularity and hybrid architecture are reshaping the future of POTS line replacement. Jacoby explains that while some providers have built all-in-one devices combining battery, conversion, and LTE/5G connectivity in a single box, that design often fails in real-world environments: “When you put a 5G radio in a basement, it's like trying to make a cell call underground,” he notes. Instead, TELCLOUD's modular approach separates the cellular router from the conversion hardware using Power over Ethernet (PoE) — allowing placement of the radio up to 250 feet away for optimal signal strength and reliability. This architecture also allows resellers to choose the right connectivity partner — TELCLOUD integrates with major vendors such as Ericsson, Digi, Peplink, and InHand Networks — and to easily upgrade from 4G to 5G or beyond without replacing the entire system. The on-premise equipment, designed to last 15 to 20 years, remains in place while connectivity evolves. TELCLOUD's hybrid model extends beyond hardware to the network layer itself. Unlike vendors that rely on voice-over-IP to deliver alarm or life-safety signals, TELCLOUD routes communications through its UL-listed data centers directly to certified central alarm stations — ensuring code compliance, redundancy, and end-to-end reliability. For resellers, this means a powerful selling advantage: Install once, manage remotely, and minimize truck rolls. Deliver guaranteed service uptime to customers. Future-proof deployments to avoid costly upgrades. "Ultimately, customers aren't buying hardware — they're buying confidence," Jacoby says. "TELCLOUD's flexible, hybrid solution makes sure that confidence lasts for decades." And in the Shots segment, Jacoby takes listeners on a guided tasting of Ocho Tequila, demonstrating three variations — Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo — to illustrate how aging changes the character and complexity of the same base spirit. “It's a perfect metaphor for technology,” he adds. “Same foundation, different maturity.” The POTS and Shots series continues to blend deep technical insight with a touch of culture — helping resellers modernize infrastructure while enjoying the finer details along the way. For more information, visit telcloud.com or call 844-900-2270.

At the Crexendo UGM, Jeff Korn, CEO of Crexendo, spoke with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, about the company's record growth, customer-first philosophy, and expanding global capabilities. The conversation took place at the historic Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach — a fitting venue for a company celebrating both legacy and innovation. The event marked a major milestone as Crexendo approached (and soon after surpassed) seven million users, underscoring its status as one of the fastest-growing platform providers in the communications industry. “We're the fastest-growing platform provider in the country,” Korn said. “Our growth is driven by the best people, products, and service in the industry — bar none.” Korn attributes much of the company's success to its “sessions, not seats” pricing model, which allows partners to pay only for what is actually used — a flexibility especially valuable in large environments such as hospitality. “Our model provides real value,” he explained. “If your phones aren't in use, you're not paying for idle capacity. It's simple, fair, and efficient.” Beyond its pricing innovation, Crexendo continues to invest heavily in open APIs and its EVP program, a new company store where licensees and developers can access or offer third-party applications to customize and extend the NetSapiens platform. “We're giving our partners limitless possibilities to differentiate,” Korn said. “It's an ecosystem that keeps growing every year — just look at the number of vendors and integrations showcased here at the UGM.” Korn also highlighted the company's global expansion powered by its partnership with Oracle Cloud. “We can now turn up an instance in one or two days and meet data sovereignty requirements anywhere in the world,” he said. “That capability has already enabled us to serve customers in regions like Africa — and we're just getting started.” At the heart of Crexendo's success, Korn emphasized, is a commitment to service and community. “We are a company of service,” he said. “We listen, we act, and we care about every one of our licensees. Our success is built on their success.” To learn more about Crexendo's UCaaS and NetSapiens platform solutions, visit www.crexendo.com.

At the Crexendo UGM, Dave Michels, Principal Analyst & Founder of TalkingPointz, sat down with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to unpack “UCaaS Mobility 3” — a pragmatic, mobile-first model that moves enterprise calling from over-the-top apps to the cellular layer itself. Michels framed three generations of UCaaS mobility. Mobility 1 (find-me/follow-me) forwarded calls but split voicemail and caller ID. Mobility 2 (OTT softphone apps) worked well on strong internet — but faltered in truly mobile conditions (highway handoffs, variable coverage), pushing users back to personal cell numbers. Mobility 3 fixes this by placing the enterprise line on the SIM/eSIM: users choose business or personal at dial time, and enterprise calls ride native cellular voice for reliability, with full logging, recording, and policy control. The result: intuitive smartphone use (native dialer/contacts), optional UCaaS app, and clean work/personal separation without MDM intrusiveness. Michels highlighted why this matters now: Reliability on the move: Native cellular voice eliminates OTT fragility in transit. Compliance & CX: Enterprise calls and texts are captured and governed (finance, healthcare, education), and contact centers can transfer to subject-matter experts without losing recording/analytics. Frontline & deskless workers: Mobility-first roles (e.g., field services) can finally get enterprise-grade mobile that “just works.” Simplicity for IT & MSPs: One number can move across hard phone, soft client, and smartphone; less training and fewer behavior changes. Carrier convergence: With MVNO models (e.g., Crexendo's newly announced Xtend approach), service providers can bundle meetings, UCaaS, messaging, calling, and cellular — even globally — under a single brand and bill. Looking forward, Michels envisions “no more softphones” for many roles: users keep one phone, one dialer, two identities (business/personal), and enterprises preserve governance and data for AI-assisted analytics. For MSPs and resellers at UGM, the message was clear: Mobility 3 is a near-term, standard approach that elevates UCaaS into true mobile telephony, expands deal size and stickiness, and opens regulated and frontline segments. Explore more of Michels' analysis at TalkingPointz.

At the Crexendo UGM, Jonathon Alarcon, Senior Director of Technology, and Jake Jacoby, CEO of TELCLOUD, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss the company's channel-driven approach to modernizing analog infrastructure. With the copper network being decommissioned, TELCLOUD is helping partners capture new revenue by replacing POTS lines with smart, compliant, and resilient connectivity solutions. “We transform copper,” said Jacoby. “We're absolutely making analog great again for our partners. There's real opportunity in POTS one last time.” He explained that TELCLOUD's solutions enable MSPs and telecom providers to modernize elevator lines, fire alarms, blue-light phones, and other regulated endpoints—without compromising reliability or compliance. Alarcon, who has deep expertise in life-safety communications, emphasized how the company's technology supports critical applications. “Every elevator, every fire alarm, every emergency system still needs a phone line to stay compliant,” he said. “What we've done is create a platform that meets and exceeds those requirements while giving our partners new capabilities for video, data, and monitoring.” At the heart of this transformation is TELCLOUD's new POTSCAST line of devices, launched at UGM. These multi-purpose units use cellular connectivity and PoE backup to ensure continuous operation—even during power outages—and can stream video from elevator cameras directly to central monitoring stations. TELCLOUD's infrastructure is UL listed and adheres to NFPA and NEC standards, making it both compliant and future-proof. Equally important, TELCLOUD's model is 100% channel-focused. The company empowers partners to bring these services to their own customers under their own brands, offering either full-service white-label delivery—including porting, billing, and compliance—or flexible integration into existing telco and MSP environments. “We don't sell direct,” Jacoby noted. “We empower our partners to deliver compliant, high-value solutions to their end customers.” As a platinum sponsor of the conference, TELCLOUD's presence at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach drew attention for both its technical innovation and its signature “Make Analog Great Again” branding—a lighthearted nod to the serious business opportunity behind POTS transformation. For many partners, the discussion was a reminder that the analog world still holds enormous potential, and that modernization doesn't have to mean abandoning the trusted systems that keep people safe. To learn more about TELCLOUD's POTS replacement and compliance solutions, visit telcloud.com or explore the POTSCAST lineup at potscast.co.

At the Crexendo UGM in Miami Beach, Marco Raimo, Regional Sales Manager, Americas at TelcoBridges, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss how TelcoBridges is empowering service providers to modernize, secure, and optimize their voice networks through advanced migration and monitoring solutions. “We're here to collaborate with our partners and help them migrate from TDM to IP while securing their voice traffic with our ProSBCs,” Raimo said. “Our goal is to make the transition seamless while also helping providers generate new revenue streams through optimized network management.” TelcoBridges used the Crexendo UGM as a platform to showcase its new Monitoring and Analytics System (MAS) — a proactive solution that enables service providers to monitor all voice traffic across SBCs and media gateways. “MAS helps our customers identify issues before they escalate, improving reliability and significantly cutting support costs,” Raimo explained. Raimo emphasized that efficiency, visibility, and insight are the new cornerstones of effective voice network operations. “We're focused on helping our partners enhance visibility into their networks and make smarter operational decisions,” he said. To learn more about TelcoBridges' voice solutions, visit www.telcobridges.com.

At the Crexendo UGM, Mike Somers, Founder and COO of Beetexting, sat down with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss Beetexting's newest integrations and AI innovations for compliance and customer engagement. Beetexting provides a corporate texting platform designed to help teams move beyond email, offering shared inboxes, automation, and collaboration features that streamline customer communication. “We built Beetexting to help teams communicate faster and more effectively,” said Somers. “It's about enabling businesses to connect with their customers in a modern, compliant way.” At the Crexendo UGM, Somers announced that Beetexting has launched a direct integration with NetSapiens, making it easier for Crexendo resellers to provision and manage accounts. “Partners can now log in via SSO, set up accounts, and monitor onboarding success—all within a unified dashboard,” he explained. Somers also revealed a new partnership with Phone.com and several AI-driven tools that address one of the industry's biggest challenges: 10DLC compliance. Beetexting's TCR Agent uses conversational AI to guide businesses through the 10DLC registration process in minutes, while its AI-powered Compliance Agents monitor outgoing messages to ensure adherence to company policies and regulations, including FINRA and HIPAA. “The Compliance Agent is like a hall monitor for messaging,” Somers said. “It helps users stay compliant in real time, prevents issues before they happen, and continuously learns company-specific policies.” With Beetexting's innovations, resellers and service providers can deliver a fully white-labeled, compliant business texting solution that adds measurable value to their communications offerings. To learn more about Beetexting, visit www.beetexting.com.

At the Crexendo UGM, Matt Siemens, CEO of NUSO, sat down with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss NUSO's innovative approach to AI, its newly announced partnership with Crexendo, and the company's accelerating global expansion across Europe. As a major event sponsor, NUSO created a branded lounge area at the conference to facilitate deeper engagement and longer conversations with partners. But Siemens' main stage presentation captured the spotlight — highlighting NUSO's AI philosophy and architecture, which centers on creating a digital twin of its network environment to reduce AI hallucinations and improve contextual accuracy. “Our focus isn't on AI as a product, but as an enabler — a force that increases velocity and outcomes,” Siemens explained. “By maintaining a live digital twin of our network within the AI environment, we can reduce misinformation, enhance software development, and deliver more meaningful customer experiences.” Siemens also spoke about the importance of continuous updates to avoid the pitfalls of static AI environments — what he referred to as “hyperreality” — and explored how concepts like vCons act as “micro mirrors” that enrich contextual understanding in customer interactions. In major business news, Siemens announced a global technology partnership with Crexendo, through which NUSO will provide carrier and related services while expanding its use of the NetSapiens platform into new markets. The company's European expansion is also gaining momentum, with new operator authority in 14 countries, including recent launches in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. “We've taken the approach of building regulatory compliance and numbering authority first,” Siemens said. “That foundation gives our partners and customers greater reliability and agility as we expand across Europe.” To learn more about NUSO's global communications and AI innovations, visit www.nuso.cloud.

At the Crexendo UGM, Jon Brinton, Chief Revenue Officer at Crexendo, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, for an in-depth conversation about the company's expanding ecosystem, its partner-driven growth, and the innovations shaping the NetSapiens platform. The annual Crexendo User Group Meeting (UGM) has become one of the most anticipated gatherings in the communications industry — and this year set new records, with over 570 registered attendees and 66 sponsors. “It just keeps getting bigger and better,” said Brinton. “Our community is highly engaged and excited about what's next for the NetSapiens platform.” Held at the iconic Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach, the event combined historical elegance with a modern focus on AI, customer value, and partner profitability. Crexendo sessions featured topics such as business valuation, AI-driven applications, and building company equity, reflecting the company's commitment to providing immediate, actionable solutions rather than distant roadmaps. “We're focused on what partners can deploy now — within 30 days,” Brinton explained. “Our goal is to deliver AI applications and customer insights that add measurable value and drive higher average revenue per user. This isn't theoretical. It's about being market-ready today.” Brinton also highlighted Crexendo's evolving AI strategy, including integrations that leverage vCons to make conversational data actionable. “We're seeing AI as a force for customer value — not just for network management,” he said. “It's about helping service providers differentiate, add intelligence to their offers, and improve outcomes for their customers.” The UGM showcased a thriving partner ecosystem, where collaboration and community remain central. “Our success is tied to our partners' success,” Brinton noted. “They're growing at double the rate of the market. This event is about equipping them with the tools, partnerships, and insights to keep that momentum going.” To learn more about Crexendo and the NetSapiens platform, visit www.crexendo.com or www.netsapiens.com.

At the Crexendo UGM, Sam Sklaroff, CEO of Axxess Networks, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to share how his company blends classic customer service values with cutting-edge communications technology. Axxess Networks, a leading provider of VoIP, UCaaS, and CCaaS solutions, stands out for what Sklaroff calls an old-school approach to customer care. “Whatever happened to good old-fashioned customer service?” Sklaroff asked. “At Axxess Networks, we treat every customer like family—from onboarding to support—and we make sure they're ready for success before the first call goes live.” Each Axxess customer is assigned a personal project manager and dedicated IT engineer to ensure network readiness and a smooth installation. “Our help desk is all U.S.-based,” Sklaroff noted. “Last week, our average time to answer was 13 seconds. When you call Axxess Networks, we're here for you.” The company's commitment to service extends to technological innovation. Sklaroff revealed Axxess' proprietary Live Failover feature—an automatic system that keeps calls active even if a customer's internet connection fails. “If your internet goes down, your calls don't,” he said. “In under one second, we switch to LTE with no dropped calls and no extra usage fees. One of our customers stayed fully operational for a week during a fiber outage.” Sklaroff also announced that Janet Schijns, a well-known channel leader, recently joined Axxess Networks' board of directors, marking another milestone in the company's growth. Axxess maintains strong partnerships with Crexendo and NetSapiens, and continues to advance in areas such as AI and vCon technology, with plans to launch new vCon apps later this year. “Technology evolves, but people still matter most,” Sklaroff said. “That's what drives us—service with a human touch.” To learn more about Axxess Networks' UCaaS and Live Failover solutions, visit www.axxessnetworks.com.

At the Crexendo UGM, Amy Humphreys, Chief Operating Officer at Simplicity VoIP, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss her company's customer-first approach, its long-standing partnership with NetSapiens, and the innovations shaping its growth in UCaaS, texting, and AI. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Virginia, Simplicity VoIP provides unified communications solutions to businesses of all sizes across the U.S., maintaining a fully onshore support team. Humphreys explained that after starting as a 3CX reseller, Simplicity sought more flexibility and scalability — a search that led them to NetSapiens in 2016. “NetSapiens is a true partner,” she said. “They're constantly helping us future-proof our business by adding new functionality and third-party integrations like vFax, video, and texting.” Attending Crexendo UGM, Humphreys emphasized the importance of connecting with platform leadership and staying ahead of innovation. “We came to see what's next — especially around AI, texting, and mobility,” she said. “It's about understanding where the industry is heading so we can bring richer user experiences to our customers.” A highlight of the conversation was Simplicity's success in text messaging solutions, including both native NetSapiens texting and large-scale bulk SMS through MessageMedia. “We have one client who started with 60,000 text messages a month,” Humphreys shared. “They're now doing over half a million a month. Texting has exploded — even small use cases like group messaging for schools create real value.” Humphreys also outlined emerging AI opportunities in areas such as patient referral automation, where voicemail messages are transcribed and converted into digital documents for faster workflows. “That's just the tip of the iceberg,” she said. Simplicity's “super seller” model has further expanded its reach. This hybrid program allows VARs and MSPs to deliver UCaaS under their own brand without the heavy upfront investment of a platform purchase. “We give our partners full control of the customer domain — they build it, sell it, and support it,” Humphreys explained. “We handle the porting, billing, taxation, and compliance. It's been a win-win, and we even have a case study showcasing the first super seller's success.” Reflecting on her industry journey, Humphreys credited Technology Reseller News as a valuable learning tool early in her career. “Reading TR every day helped me understand the industry when I was new,” she said. “It's still part of my daily routine.” To learn more about Simplicity VoIP's UCaaS, texting, and partner programs, visit www.simplicityvoip.net.

“AI gives us a chance to make technology feel human again — not just efficient.” — Danny Tomsett, CEO, UneeQ In this Technology Reseller News podcast, Doug Green speaks with Danny Tomsett, CEO of UneeQ, about how digital humans and AI-driven immersive training are redefining customer and employee experience. UneeQ's digital humans simulate lifelike emotion, movement, and empathy — helping telecoms and enterprises create interactions that feel real. These AI-powered avatars connect to live data systems, delivering authentic engagement instead of scripted automation. Tomsett explains that while most CX technology has focused on efficiency, the next leap is about value and connection: “Customers want to feel valued — that's the true test of any experience.” UneeQ also offers a browser-based immersive training platform, letting staff practice real-world conversations with AI coaches that teach soft skills like empathy, curiosity, and active listening. Together, these tools help telecoms and enterprises scale automation and elevate human performance — creating customer experiences that inspire trust and loyalty. Learn more at digitalhumans.com.

“Roughly 80% of unidentified calls go unanswered. The voice channel won't recover until people trust who's calling.” — Alex Algard, Founder & CEO, Hiya Alex Algard joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to unpack why consumers are ignoring voice calls and how Hiya—in partnership with mobile operators and handset makers—aims to modernize caller identity, block abuse, and reconnect businesses with customers. The problem Hiya's annual research shows unidentified calls are largely ignored (≈80% unanswered). With nuisance and fraud rampant, voicemail is turning into the new spam folder, undermining contact centers and legitimate outbound teams. Who Hiya is Seattle-based Hiya powers call protection and identity services with a global footprint of 500M+ users, working with AT&T (US), Samsung (global), Rogers/Bell (Canada), BT (UK), Vodafone, Telefónica, Telenor, and others. Two flagship services Hiya Protect: Network-integrated analytics (privacy-respecting metadata only) assess ~30B calls/month to label or block spam/fraud in real time—often before the phone rings. Hiya Connect: Elevates legitimate outbound calling with branded caller ID (business name, logo, call reason), materially raising answer rates for B2C outreach (banks, airlines, healthcare, pharmacies, field services). New: Caller Reputation (transparency for enterprises) For the first time, businesses can see and track their caller reputation and get prescriptive guidance to improve it (e.g., call patterns, answer durations, hygiene). This addresses the “black box” confusion when calls are mislabeled across carriers/analytics vendors. It's designed for enterprises, MSPs, channels, and SMBs—with direct engagement via Hiya or through operator partners. AI has been in Hiya's DNA Hiya has applied ML since 2016 and now leverages advanced AI to improve detection and identity, helping operators keep networks clean while avoiding false positives on wanted calls. Hiya AI Phone (assistant/screener) A carrier-offerable AI agent that answers, screens, and routes inbound calls in real time—ideal for consumers and SMBs (e.g., trades & field services that can't staff a live receptionist yet rely on timely calls). Why it matters for readers Contact centers & outbound teams: Recover answer rates, reduce voicemail waste, and maintain brand trust. Enterprises/MSPs/Channels/Regional telcos: Offer branded calling, protect subscribers, and monitor/improve caller reputation across portfolios. SMBs: Use AI screening to capture opportunities without missing critical calls. Learn more about Hiya Protect, Hiya Connect, Caller Reputation, and Hiya AI Phone at hiya.com.