Telecom Reseller / Technology Reseller News

“Despite what some people might say, voice is not dead. There’s still the need to communicate in that fashion,” says Dave Manfredo, Vice President of RLEC Sales at Sinch.

At Navigate 25, Manfredo joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss how Sinch is helping rural local exchange carriers (RLECs) and other service providers evolve their communications strategies while balancing current needs with long-term migration.

Sinch, a member of the Cloud Communications Alliance (CCA), has grown from its roots in SMS and MMS into a global leader in cloud communications, operating its own network to deliver voice, messaging, and multimedia services. While Manfredo’s focus remains on the voice side, Sinch also enables service providers to leverage text, multimedia, and emerging rich communications services.

A key challenge for many RLECs is moving from costly TDM circuits to SIP-based solutions. “Our responsibility is to help customers migrate from older technology into SIP so they can enable other solutions for their end users,” Manfredo explained. With Alianza’s acquisition of MetaSwitch giving smaller providers more time to plan, many are asking critical questions about the future of voice switching and how to prepare for the next decade.

For more information, visit sinch.com.

“We offer a three-year advance replacement warranty—something none of our competitors do,” said Antoine Karachekhlian, Channel Director, North America – Canada at Snom Americas.

At Navigate 25, Karachekhlian sat down with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to highlight Snom’s continued innovation in IP phones and DECT mobility. A centerpiece of Snom’s presence at the event was the M500 series DECT solution, featuring a desk set, handset, and ruggedized handset. Unlike traditional phones, the system requires only power—no network cabling—connecting wirelessly through a secure, voice-dedicated DECT base. It can even emulate a key system mode for added flexibility.

Karachekhlian emphasized Snom’s heritage, dating back to its pioneering role in the late 1990s and its acquisition by VTech in 2017, which has strengthened the company’s resources and reach. Today,differentiates itself through responsive customer support, channel-first distribution, and regional warehouses in the U.S. and Canada that ensure product availability.

For Alianza partners, iLECs, and carriers, Snom’s message was clear: innovative, channel-friendly devices backed by robust service and reliability.

Learn more at snomamericas.com.

“There are 15 million ILEC subscribers across the U.S., often in the most hard-to-reach areas. We help them modernize while maintaining their TDM needs,” says Maximilien Le Sieur, CEO of TelcoBridges.

At Navigate 25, Le Sieur spoke with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, about how TelcoBridges is partnering with Alianza and ILECs to ensure reliable, future-ready voice networks while keeping regulatory compliance intact.

When Microsoft ended support for the UMG, MetaSwitch selected TelcoBridges as its integration partner, embedding the company’s T-Media gateways into the MetaSwitch suite. With Alianza’s acquisition of MetaSwitch, that collaboration has deepened—allowing ILECs to modernize networks while meeting NECA requirements and maintaining universal service funding.

Le Sieur noted that TelcoBridges’ T-Media line continues to provide rock-solid performance in the field, while the company works closely with Alianza to support ILECs facing UCaaS competition. “Service providers are excited about delivering great UCaaS services for their business customers,” he said. “We play a small role in making sure the infrastructure is up to date and ready.”

Looking ahead, TelcoBridges is focused on expanding partnerships with Alianza, MetaSwitch, and rural carriers with legacy systems. “We’re excited to support this ecosystem of service providers across the U.S.,” Le Sieur emphasized.

For more information, visit telcobridges.com.

“We are telecom people—and we are here to help service providers grow,” says Melissa Frenyea, VP of Customer Success at CommSoft.

At Navigate 25, Frenyea and Bill Griffin, Business Development Officer at CommSoft, joined Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss how the company’s decades of experience in billing and operations support systems (BSS/OSS) is helping providers—especially rural carriers—succeed in a rapidly evolving communications landscape.

CommSoft, originally founded as Communication Software Consultants, delivers billing, provisioning, service order, and trouble-ticketing systems, as well as staff augmentation and full billing department services. Beyond software, the company leverages hundreds of years of combined telecom expertise to help providers run their businesses more efficiently and strategically.

Griffin emphasized that the industry is shifting from competition to collaboration: “A bedfellow you would have considered a competitor five years ago is now a partner. Partnerships are paramount in 2025 to give carriers the best solutions in a very different landscape.” Frenyea added that integration is key: “We connect customer data, networks, and services so providers can monetize new opportunities—from AI-powered services to advanced analytics.”

As Alianza and Metaswitch unite to expand opportunities for service providers, CommSoft sees its mission clearly: empowering providers to build the future while ensuring reliable, high-quality communications for every community.

For more information, visit commsoft.net.

“It’s a $50 billion market—but it can only be captured with diligence, the right hardware stack, and the right partners,” says Tina Telson, Founder & CEO of SouthLight Services.

At Navigate 25, Telson joined Jake Jacoby, Founder & CEO of TELCLOUD, in conversation with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to discuss how their partnership is helping enterprises and service providers address the urgent challenge of replacing legacy POTS lines.

SouthLight, a voice-focused boutique MSP founded in 2024, has made POTS replacement a core service, backed by TELCLOUD’s flexible backend platform. The collaboration allows SouthLight to deliver code-compliant, monitored, and future-proofed alternatives for fire alarms, elevators, and other mandated life-safety systems.

Telson emphasized the ground-level realities of the opportunity: “Replacing these lines is not easy. It takes preparedness in order to be successful. You can’t just slam something on a wall and hope that it works—you have to plan for it.” Jacoby agreed, highlighting that TELCLOUD’s role is to empower resellers like SouthLight: “We built this platform for partnerships. Resellers bring the expertise and customer relationships. We deliver the engine behind the scenes.”

The pair also pointed to the nuances of compliance—passing fire marshal inspections, ensuring 24-hour battery backup, and integrating with platforms like Alianza and Metaswitch through APIs. Their joint approach reduces risks for customers while enabling MSPs to scale into a multi-billion-dollar opportunity without cutting corners.

For more information, visit southlightservices.com and telcloud.com.

“Fire alarms, elevators, emergency phones—these systems are mandated by law, and they require reliable communication paths,” says Jake Jacoby, Founder & CEO of TELCLOUD.

At Navigate 25, Jacoby spoke with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, about the growing urgency of replacing traditional copper POTS lines as carriers abandon legacy infrastructure. With deregulation driving up costs and carriers shifting investment to wireless and fiber, millions of POTS-dependent systems are at risk.

TELCLOUD provides a backend platform that enables reseller partners to deliver next-generation POTS replacement services. Unlike one-size-fits-all box solutions, TELCLOUD’s flexible platform integrates with partners such as Ericsson, Digi, Peplink, and others, ensuring reliable connectivity, 24-hour battery backup, and compliance with NFPA, CAL FIRE, and local fire department codes.

Jacoby emphasized that POTS replacement is no longer optional modernization but a legal requirement. “Elevator phones, fire panels—if those lines go down, buildings become unsafe and unusable. Our platform ensures compliance, monitoring, and future-proof reliability.”

TELCLOUD has also built direct API integrations with Metaswitch and Alianza, allowing partners to bring their own switching infrastructure and leverage TELCLOUD’s expertise to deliver code-compliant solutions. “We’re not customer-facing—we’re the engine behind the resellers. Customers trust their providers, sometimes for decades. We help those providers deliver POTS replacement the right way.”

For more information, visit telcloud.com.

“Taxes are a monster, but we tame it and make it digestible,” says CeeJay Barber, Vice President of Business Development at Datagate.

At Navigate 25, Barber sat down with Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, to explain why billing is one of the toughest challenges facing managed service providers (MSPs)—and how Datagate is helping them streamline the process.

Datagate provides a billing platform purpose-built for MSPs in telecom. The system automates everything from call detail record (CDR) ingestion and taxation to PSA integration and unified invoicing. With over 500 service providers on the platform, Barber stressed the importance of compliance in an increasingly fragmented regulatory landscape: “If you try to take it on by yourself, you’ll overcomplicate your processes, overspend, and still risk getting it wrong.”

One highlight of the discussion was Datagate’s new Halo PSA integration for AT&T’s Apex channel. The solution allows provisioning, billing, and customer management to occur within a single workflow, eliminating the need for multiple AT&T portal logins and ensuring billing flows seamlessly back into Datagate.

Barber emphasized that Datagate is deeply API-driven, making it a strong fit with Alianza and Metaswitch partners. “Any Alianza partner can work with Datagate,” he noted. “If you’re providing voice and need it billed and taxed accurately, we can integrate it into your workflow.”

With AI-driven innovation, regulatory complexity, and growing MSP demand for bundled services, Barber positioned Datagate as a critical enabler for service providers looking to scale without sacrificing compliance.

For more information, visit datagate-i.com.

“We were a small fish in a big pond. Now we can focus on our niche and what we’re good at.” – Chris Robinson, Director of Sales, Vault CPS

At Navigate 25, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sat down with Chris Robinson, Director of Sales at Vault CPS, to discuss the launch of a new brand built on decades of expertise. Formerly part of Ingram Micro under names such as NetXUSA and CSS, Vault CPS (Vault Communication and Payment Solutions) is now operating as an independent company specializing in hardware lifecycle fulfillment, provisioning, configuration, and payment solutions.

Robinson explained that Vault CPS serves large enterprises, service providers, MSPs, and payment processors with critical behind-the-scenes services—such as device configuration, key injection, and software loads—that ensure seamless communication and payment experiences. With one of the industry’s most extensive key libraries, Vault CPS delivers value by managing the complex touch points others avoid.

The decision to debut the brand at Navigate reflects the company’s longstanding role in enabling service providers through platforms like Broadsoft and Metaswitch. Robinson praised Alianza’s forward-looking vision, noting that the event emphasized ecosystem thinking—solutions that extend beyond endpoints to include the full technology stack.

Vault CPS carries forward the systems, people, and expertise from its Ingram Micro heritage but now has the freedom to sharpen its focus on customer needs. “It’s an exciting time,” Robinson said. “We can take all of that legacy knowledge and build a brand for the future.”

Learn more about Vault CPS at www.netxusa.com.

“AI isn’t just a buzzword—it’s transforming how contact centers and collaboration tools deliver value.” – Gary Pesta, Collaboration Account Executive, Webex

At Navigate 25, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sat down with Gary Pesta of Cisco’s Webex team to explore how Cisco is helping enterprises and service providers meet customer needs with flexible, AI-powered solutions.

Cisco’s focus, Pesta explained, is on enabling seamless collaboration across voice, video, and customer engagement channels. A centerpiece of that strategy is the Webex Contact Center, now enhanced with AI-powered agents. These can be scripted for predictable tasks or run autonomously, offering customers a real glimpse of what “AI in action” looks like.

Pesta also highlighted Cisco’s expanding role in CPaaS, where organizations such as utilities and local telcos are using messaging to proactively inform customers of outages, billing, and service updates—meeting customers before frustration turns into a support call.

Another innovation drawing attention at the event was the Cisco Desk Pro, a 27-inch AI-enabled collaboration device with built-in noise cancellation and platform flexibility. Whether customers run Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or Webex, the Desk Pro adapts—showing Cisco’s commitment to being platform-agnostic while delivering premium quality.

As enterprises shape their “back-to-office” strategies, Cisco sees its AI-enabled devices and collaboration platforms as central to enabling hybrid work and customer engagement. Pesta also underscored Cisco’s ecosystem partnerships, noting that Cisco’s new 9800 series phones are certified for MetaSwitch and Alianza, aligning with the spirit of collaboration at Navigate.

For more information on Cisco’s collaboration and AI solutions, visit Webex.

“Compliance missteps can shut a company down, but the right legal partner can also unlock growth.” – Jonathan Marashlian, Managing Partner, The CommLaw Group

At Navigate 25, Doug Green, Publisher of Technology Reseller News, sat down with Jonathan Marashlian of Marashlian & Donahue, The CommLaw Group, to discuss the evolving communications ecosystem, regulatory risks, and why specialized legal guidance has never been more critical.

Marashlian reflected on his firm’s two decades advising communications providers, from the early days of VoIP through today’s cloud-native era. He highlighted the impact of Alianza’s merger with Metaswitch as a pivotal ecosystem development—one that positions providers to meet demand for both legacy and cloud services in a diverse, fast-evolving market.

Key insights from the conversation:

Execution matters: Acquisitions alone don’t guarantee success; vision, agility, and customer understanding are essential.

The compliance burden: States such as California and Massachusetts are extending regulatory authority into VoIP, adding to already complex federal and tax compliance rules.

Legal specialization is essential: Telecom law requires industry-specific expertise; general counsel may not anticipate emerging risks like robocall mitigation enforcement.

Ecosystem thinking: The CommLaw Group, together with its companion Compliance Group, blends legal and consulting services—providing scalable options from fixed-fee compliance work to high-level legal strategy.

Growth through guidance: Beyond avoiding penalties, effective legal partnerships help providers navigate expansion, M&A, and new market opportunities.

As Marashlian stressed, the pace of technology far outstrips regulation. Providers that invest in experienced legal and compliance partnerships are better positioned not only to survive but to thrive.

Learn more at The CommLaw Group.