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By Doug Green “If someone can do it 70% as well as you—you need to let go.” At the close of the Channel Partners Conference & Expo and MSP Summit, I spoke with Julie Thiel of TTS Company about a theme that stood out amid a week dominated by AI and technology: the human side of growth. Thiel shared that many of the leaders she spoke with during the event are energized by opportunity—new customers, new services, and new technologies—but also feeling the weight that comes with scaling a business. Growth brings complexity, and ultimately, it brings more people. For many leaders, that translates into longer hours and a deep sense of responsibility for their teams. Against that backdrop, Thiel outlined three practical leadership principles that she sees as essential for companies looking to scale successfully. First, leaders must hand off results—not just tasks. Delegation is not about assigning activity; it’s about transferring ownership and accountability for outcomes. Without that shift, leaders remain bottlenecks in their own organizations. Second, she emphasized the importance of “tell, show, do” as a framework for developing people. It’s not enough to explain what needs to be done—leaders must demonstrate it and then create space for employees to execute. This structured approach to training builds confidence and capability across the team. Third, and perhaps most challenging, is the idea that if someone can do a task 70% as well as the leader, it is time to let go. For many executives and founders, this represents a significant mindset shift. However, without it, organizations struggle to scale because too much remains dependent on a small number of individuals. In a week filled with discussions about automation and artificial intelligence, Thiel’s perspective underscored a critical point: technology may enable growth, but people determine whether that growth is sustainable. For MSPs, channel partners, and service providers, the takeaway is clear. Scaling a business requires not only the right tools, but also the willingness to invest in people, develop leadership capabilities, and step back to allow teams to take ownership. Learn more at: https://thieltalentstrategy.com/

By Doug Green “Last year, AI was being talked about like candy. This year, it’s under the hood—and that’s where it belongs.” At the close of the Channel Partners Conference & Expo 2026, I spoke with Dean Manzuri of UniVoIP about what changed from last year to this year—and what that means for partners navigating the evolution of AI and voice. Manzuri’s perspective reflects a broader industry shift. A year ago, AI dominated the conversation as a headline feature. Today, it’s becoming embedded—less visible, but far more impactful. Instead of being marketed as a standalone capability, AI is increasingly integrated into platforms and workflows, quietly improving performance, automation, and user experience. That shift aligns closely with UniVoIP’s core mission: to be the best voice provider for Microsoft Teams. The company’s value proposition is straightforward—help organizations migrate their phone systems into Teams seamlessly, while ensuring reliability and a strong user experience. From a channel perspective, the event delivered what many providers were looking for: new partner engagement and clearer signals on where the market is heading. Manzuri noted that UniVoIP connected with a range of new partners and used the event to validate its direction, particularly around Teams voice and integrated communications. The AI conversation reinforced that direction. As AI becomes embedded within platforms like Teams, the opportunity shifts from selling “AI features” to delivering better outcomes—smarter routing, improved call handling, automation, and enhanced customer interactions, all happening behind the scenes. For partners, this changes the sales motion. Instead of leading with AI as a buzzword, the focus moves to business results: smoother migrations, better call quality, more efficient operations, and tighter integration with the tools customers already use. In that sense, AI isn’t replacing the core value of voice—it’s strengthening it. And as the show wrapped up, that may have been the most important takeaway: the future isn’t about adding more technology on top. It’s about making the technology already in place work better, more intelligently, and more seamlessly than before. Learn more at: https://www.univoip.com/

By Doug Green “The challenge for partners today isn’t just technology—it’s choosing the right model in a market full of options.” At the Channel Partners Conference & Expo 2026 in Las Vegas, I spoke with Kevin Huang, North America Sales Director at Yeastar, about how the company is helping partners navigate an increasingly complex UCaaS landscape. Yeastar, founded in 2006, has built its business around delivering unified communications solutions that span PBX, contact center, and now AI-driven capabilities. With nearly two decades of experience, the company is positioning itself as a flexible, partner-focused alternative in a market that has become crowded—and, in many ways, confusing. According to Huang, one of the biggest challenges facing partners today is the sheer number of choices. Over the past five years, the UCaaS market has seen rapid expansion, consolidation, and constant innovation. While that growth has created opportunity, it has also made it harder for partners to determine which platforms and business models best fit their customers—and their own long-term strategies. Many partners, he noted, have become dependent on specific vendors or ecosystems, limiting their flexibility. At the same time, evolving technologies and shifting pricing models are forcing partners to rethink how they go to market. Yeastar’s approach is to simplify that decision-making process. The company has developed its own business model designed to give partners more control, flexibility, and margin opportunity, while still providing a full stack of communications capabilities—from traditional UC to contact center and AI-enhanced services. A key part of that strategy is unification. Rather than requiring partners to piece together multiple solutions, Yeastar aims to deliver an integrated platform that reduces complexity for both the partner and the end customer. This becomes especially important as AI enters the mix, adding both new capabilities and new layers of decision-making. Huang emphasized that AI is not just an add-on, but a natural extension of unified communications. By embedding AI into the platform, Yeastar is working to help partners deliver more value without dramatically increasing operational complexity. For channel partners, the takeaway is clear: success in today’s UCaaS market depends less on chasing the latest feature set and more on aligning with a platform and model that can adapt as the market continues to evolve. Learn more at: https://www.yeastar.com/

By Doug Green “We’re answering your problem in three to five hours with one of our techs.” At the Channel Partners Conference and MSP Summit, I spoke with Amit Wissotzky of Xorcom about the company’s positioning in an increasingly crowded VoIP and communications market. Xorcom, an Israel-based company, delivers a broad range of telephony solutions including VoIP systems, PBXs, and gateways. The company focuses on providing the core infrastructure businesses need to keep communications running reliably, whether for internal collaboration or customer engagement. What stands out in this conversation is Xorcom’s commitment to flexibility. Wissotzky emphasized that while the market has largely shifted toward cloud, there remains real demand for hybrid environments. Xorcom supports both cloud and on-premises deployments, giving partners and customers the ability to tailor solutions based on operational needs, regulatory requirements, or legacy infrastructure. That hybrid approach reflects a practical reality in the channel: not every customer is ready—or able—to move entirely to the cloud. By supporting multiple deployment models, Xorcom positions itself as a solution provider that meets customers where they are. But the more distinctive differentiator may be service. In a market dominated by large vendors and ticket-based support systems, Wissotzky pointed to responsiveness as a key advantage. Rather than long wait times and impersonal escalation processes, Xorcom offers direct access to technical support, with response times measured in hours, not days. For partners, that level of engagement can translate into faster issue resolution, improved customer satisfaction, and ultimately stronger long-term relationships. It also aligns with a broader trend in the channel, where service quality is increasingly becoming as important as product capability. As the VoIP market continues to mature, the combination of hybrid flexibility and high-touch support gives Xorcom a clear story to tell: not just technology, but a service model designed to keep business communications working when it matters most. Learn more at: https://www.xorcom.com/

Jason Byrne, SVP of Marketing at Crexendo, spoke with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, during the Channel Partners Conference & Expo about the company’s growth strategy, brand evolution, and continued momentum in the channel. Byrne highlighted Crexendo’s strong positioning in the cloud communications space, driven by its NetSapiens platform and a partner-centric model that empowers service providers to build and scale their own offerings. He emphasized that marketing plays a critical role in supporting partner success, helping them differentiate in a crowded market and effectively communicate value to end customers. “Our focus is on enabling partners to grow—both through technology and through strong, consistent messaging,” Byrne said. The conversation explored how Crexendo is investing in brand awareness and partner enablement, providing tools and resources that help partners accelerate sales and expand their reach. By aligning marketing initiatives with partner needs, the company is creating a more cohesive go-to-market strategy. Byrne also noted the importance of community within the Crexendo ecosystem, where partners collaborate, share best practices, and contribute to ongoing innovation. This collaborative approach strengthens the overall value of the platform and helps drive sustained growth. As discussions at Channel Partners continue to focus on differentiation and partner-led growth, Crexendo is positioning its marketing and platform strategy as a foundation for long-term success in the evolving cloud communications landscape. Learn more about Crexendo: https://www.crexendo.com/

Mark Lindsey, Analyst and Engineer at ECG, spoke with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, during the Channel Partners Conference & Expo about how AI is transforming call intelligence and post-call workflows for businesses and MSPs. Lindsey described ECG’s approach to capturing and analyzing conversations, turning voice interactions into structured data that can be immediately acted upon. By leveraging AI, ECG enables automatic transcription, summarization, and extraction of key action items from calls, helping organizations streamline follow-up and improve accountability. “We’re turning conversations into actionable intelligence that can be shared and used instantly,” Lindsey said. The platform goes beyond simple transcription by organizing insights into clear outputs such as summaries, tasks, and next steps. This allows teams to quickly understand what happened during a call and what needs to happen next, reducing manual effort and improving operational efficiency. The discussion also highlighted how these capabilities benefit MSPs and channel partners by enhancing customer engagement and internal workflows. By automating routine tasks and providing clearer visibility into communications, organizations can improve productivity while delivering a better customer experience. As conversations at Channel Partners continue to focus on AI and automation, ECG is positioning its solution as a practical way to bring intelligence and structure to everyday business communications. Learn more about ECG: https://www.ecg.co/

Bob Knauf, Senior Product Marketing Manager at HP | Poly, spoke with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, during the Channel Partners Conference & Expo in a conversation that combined a look back at a distinguished career with a forward-looking view of workplace communications. As Knauf prepares for retirement after decades in the industry—dating back to the original Polycom SoundStation—he reflected on the evolution of communication technologies and the enduring importance of voice. Despite the rise of mobile and digital collaboration tools, he emphasized that desk phones remain critical in many environments, particularly for frontline workers, healthcare, retail, and regulated industries. “HP is committed to creating products that help people communicate and collaborate better,” Knauf said. The discussion highlighted HP | Poly’s new Edge V series of open SIP phones, designed to modernize workplace communications with improved usability, HP branding, and the high-quality audio experience that Poly is known for. The devices incorporate advanced technologies such as NoiseBlock and Acoustic Fence, along with new capabilities to reduce reverberation, ensuring clear, full-duplex conversations even in noisy or open environments. Knauf also pointed to strong channel opportunities tied to the broader HP | Poly ecosystem. MSPs and partners can pair the Edge V phones with a full portfolio of headsets and services, enabling them to deliver complete communication solutions across industries. This integrated approach allows partners to expand revenue streams while improving customer experience. As the industry continues to evolve, Knauf’s perspective underscores a key takeaway: innovation in communications is not about replacing voice, but enhancing it. His career—and HP | Poly’s continued investment—reflect a long-standing commitment to making human communication clearer, more reliable, and more effective. Learn more about HP | Poly: https://www.hp.com/us-en/poly.html

By Doug Green “We organize the chaos of invoices and inventory so businesses can focus on strategy instead of spreadsheets.” At the Channel Partners Conference and MSP Summit, I spoke with Tommi Ellis of IntraTEM about the company’s move into the channel and how Telecom Expense Management (TEM) is becoming increasingly important for MSPs and their customers. IntraTEM has built its business over the past two decades serving clients directly, focusing on managing expenses across mobility, wireline, cloud, and SaaS environments. The company’s approach goes beyond simple cost reduction. While identifying savings is part of the value, Ellis emphasized that the bigger opportunity lies in organizing invoices, managing inventory, and bringing clarity to complex telecom and IT environments. At its core, IntraTEM combines a robust portal with a strong human element. Ellis made it clear that while automation and platforms are essential, the company believes hands-on support is still critical. Customers are often dealing with multiple providers, fragmented billing systems, and limited visibility into what they actually have deployed. IntraTEM steps in to normalize that data and provide a clear operational picture. For enterprises, this means less time spent reconciling invoices and more time focused on strategic initiatives. For MSPs and channel partners, it opens up a new layer of value-added services that can deepen customer relationships and create recurring revenue opportunities. The timing of IntraTEM’s move into the channel is deliberate. Ellis was brought on to build out the partner program, bringing nearly a decade of channel experience to the role. After years of direct sales, the company now sees the channel as the most effective way to scale its offering and reach a broader market. The message to MSPs and partners is straightforward: TEM is not just about cost savings—it’s about control, visibility, and operational efficiency. As customer environments continue to expand across mobility, cloud, and SaaS, the complexity only increases. Partners who can help clients manage that complexity will be in a strong position to differentiate themselves. IntraTEM is positioning itself as that behind-the-scenes engine, helping partners deliver clarity in an increasingly fragmented communications and IT landscape. Learn more at: https://www.intratem.com

“It’s as easy as asking the question—do you still have copper lines? If you don’t ask, someone else will,” says Jake Jacoby, CEO of TELCLOUD. In the latest episode of the TELCLOUD POTS and Shots Podcast Series, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, speaks with Jacoby about how channel partners can move quickly from awareness to execution in the fast-growing POTS replacement market. As legacy copper lines continue to be phased out by carriers, millions of remaining POTS lines still support life-safety and mission-critical systems such as fire alarms, elevators, security panels, and other legacy devices. While the need for replacement is urgent, many MSPs and trusted advisors hesitate, concerned about the time and complexity required to get started. Jacoby addresses these concerns directly, emphasizing that TELCLOUD’s channel-first model is designed to remove barriers to entry. While POTS replacement involves multiple operational components—including logistics, installation, compliance, project management, and ongoing support—TELCLOUD offers a flexible approach that allows partners to engage at any level. For partners looking to move quickly, TELCLOUD’s full-service, white-label model enables immediate entry into the market. In this scenario, TELCLOUD handles the heavy lifting behind the scenes—from deployment to support—while the partner maintains the customer relationship and brand presence. For more experienced telecom providers, TELCLOUD also supports a more hands-on, wholesale approach. Jacoby notes that one of the biggest reasons partners hesitate is simply lack of awareness. Many providers are not proactively asking customers about their remaining copper lines, despite the growing urgency. “This is happening to every business customer that still has copper,” he explains. “If you’re not having that conversation, someone else will.” The timing is critical. As shutdowns accelerate, entire regions may face sudden demand for replacements, creating bottlenecks in labor and deployment capacity. TELCLOUD encourages partners to act early, helping customers avoid delays that could impact building operations and compliance. Ultimately, Jacoby frames POTS replacement as both an immediate opportunity and a long-term strategy. With relatively little upfront investment, partners can generate recurring revenue streams lasting 15 to 20 years, while strengthening their role as trusted advisors. The episode concludes with the Shots segment, where Jacoby highlights a special Cazcanes Reposado tequila, uniquely aged in Jack Daniel’s barrels and available exclusively through select distribution—continuing the series’ blend of telecom insight and tequila craftsmanship. For more information, visit telcloud.com or call 844-900-2270.

By Doug Green “We find good people for good people.” At the Channel Partners Conference & MSP Summit, I spoke with Keeley Davis, VP of Global Strategy & Growth at Solvo Global, about a growing challenge for MSPs and channel partners: how to find and scale talent in an increasingly competitive and global market. Solvo Global operates across 33 countries, giving it a broad footprint to help companies access talent both domestically and internationally. While many MSPs still rely on local hiring or informal networks to fill roles, Davis pointed out that the market is shifting. Companies are now more open to nearshore and offshore talent models as they look to control costs, improve scalability, and keep up with demand. For many smaller, family-run MSPs and channel businesses, hiring often begins informally—through referrals, personal networks, or word-of-mouth. While that approach can work in the early stages, it becomes a limitation as companies try to grow. Solvo Global positions itself as a more structured and scalable alternative, helping organizations move from ad hoc hiring to a more strategic talent acquisition model. The company supports both U.S.-based recruiting and global staffing, meeting organizations wherever they are in their growth journey. For companies not yet ready to fully embrace global talent, Solvo can start with domestic placements. For those ready to expand, the firm provides access to international talent pools that can augment teams across functions. A key driver behind this shift is the broader conversation around AI and automation. As businesses invest in new technologies, they also need the right people to implement, manage, and support those systems. In many cases, global talent becomes a practical way to bridge that gap quickly and efficiently. For MSPs and channel partners, the takeaway is clear: talent strategy is becoming a competitive differentiator. Companies that can access and manage global talent effectively will be better positioned to scale, serve customers, and compete in a rapidly evolving market. Learn more at: https://solvoglobal.com