Telecom Reseller / Technology Reseller News

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/.

Technology Reseller News senior tech reporter Moshe Beauford recently spoke with Kristyn Hogan, who heads up Cisco’s collaboration partner sales unit, to discuss the partner opportunity in collaboration and the smooth integration of Cisco’s full portfolio with offerings recently unveiled at its 2025 partner summit in San Diego. The conversation spans the breadth of Cisco’s collaboration devices and software, highlighting the company’s commitment to a partner-led growth strategy. Hogan further noted that partners are central to this push, as they are essential in providing the expertise and services needed for a “seamless migration experience.” She, too, detailed how the partner opportunity has evolved in the cloud era, moving from selling on-premises solutions to earning substantial recurring revenue through activation, usage and adoption incentives in hybrid environments. This shift is designed to ensure partner profitability as they help customers leverage the full stack of Cisco solutions. Furthermore, the discussion touched on how Cisco’s entire portfolio—including innovations announced at the recent Cisco Partner Summit—is designed for tight integration. This unified approach, part of the new Cisco 360 Partner Program, ensures that collaboration solutions work smoothly with networking, security and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure to deliver integrated customer outcomes and create a significant competitive advantage for partners. More at www.cisco.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/.

“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.

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/

In this Technology Reseller News podcast, Publisher Doug Green speaks with Christian Stredicke, President & CEO of Vodia Networks, about how hotel communications are evolving and why guest room telephony still matters in 2026. Stredicke explains that while many hotels question whether they still need a phone in every room, the answer is often yes—especially when there is on-property staff and services to deliver. From in-room dining and housekeeping to bell service and deliveries, a simple, dedicated room phone with clear speed dials (“Front Desk,” “Room Service,” etc.) remains the fastest, most intuitive way for guests to get what they need. “There’s zero training necessary,” he notes. “You just push a button and it works.” Vodia supports both legacy analog phones and modern IP/VoIP hospitality devices, allowing properties to extend the life of existing cabling or upgrade to CAT5/6 and new hotel-specific endpoints. Stredicke sees AI playing a growing role, particularly for “call center–style” functions such as internal operator services, simple requests, and multilingual support. AI can, for example, help connect calls between rooms or handle basic inquiries in the guest’s native language. However, he stresses that high-touch revenue activities like in-room dining still benefit from human interaction, especially when guests want recommendations or customization. Compliance and safety are also central. A room phone carries an implied promise that guests can reliably reach emergency services (911) and that staff can quickly see which room placed the call to coordinate with first responders and provide immediate on-site assistance. Stredicke argues that modern PBXs—whether on-premises for resiliency or cloud-based for easier maintenance—are critical to delivering this, and that cutting corners on telephony is usually a false economy. With many hotels still running 20–30-year-old systems, he suggests that upcoming renovation cycles are the ideal time to move to a modern, hospitality-aware phone system that can support AI workflows, better guest experience, and tighter operational efficiency. Vodia’s website: https://web.vodia.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/

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. Software Mind Telco Days 2025: On-demand online conference Engaging Customers, Harnessing Data

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. Software Mind Telco Days 2025: On-demand online conference Engaging Customers, Harnessing Data

As the Managed Service Provider (MSP) landscape shifts vastly, service providers must fundamentally differentiate their offerings and value proposition to remain competitive. This imperative means a necessary expansion into robust security services, addressing a growing and critical concern for businesses ranging from Small to Medium Businesses (SMBs) right up to the enterprise level. Companies like Cisco and Microsoft are leading this transformation. They are not only ensuring security is built natively into their core platforms, but are also heavily invested in educating MSPs. This education emphasizes adopting a security-first mindset, adhering to industry best practices, and strategically integrating advanced security measures into their service delivery models. In this podcast, TRN senior editor Moshe Beauford explores this pivotal notion. He lays out his thoughts on how MSPs can successfully adapt to the swiftly evolving security landscape. This adaptation mirrors the historical transformation of traditional resellers into Value Added Resellers (VARs)—a shift that requires MSPs to add continuous, high-value security expertise and services to their portfolio.

The integration of Splunk into the Cisco stack is a potential game-changer for channel partners who fully leverage its capabilities. From a security perspective, Splunk provides a powerful analytics platform that acts as a gold mine for partners. It allows them to move beyond simple product reselling into offering high-value services like deep threat detection, correlation, and rapid response by analyzing security data across the entire Cisco environment. Furthermore, the platform offers significant benefits from an artificial intelligence (AI) standpoint. By applying Splunk’s AI and machine learning capabilities to the massive streams of data generated by Cisco devices, partners can automate formerly manual security and operational processes. This automation drastically improves efficiency, reduces labor costs and speeds up time-to-resolution for issues, allowing partners to deliver more profitable managed and professional services and expand with a viable security proposition. A key operational advantage is the unified visibility the combined platform delivers. Through it, partners can gain comprehensive insight into an entire fleet of devices across all their customers from a single, unified dashboard. This not only shortens the time it takes to get to market with powerful monitoring and security solutions, but also provides the deep operational clarity needed to deliver effective managed services and quickly troubleshoot complex customer environments. The final significant component resides in the ease of doing business: partners can sell Splunk products through existing Cisco Enterprise Agreements (EAs) and purchasing programs, simplifying procurement for customers and making sales transactions much simpler and faster for the partner. Check out the full podcast as expert guest, Moshe Beauford breaks down the key benefits of the Splunk-Cisco play for channel partners.

At the Cisco Partner Summit, Technology Reseller News’ Moshe Beauford spoke with Nathaniel Stearns, Splunk and cybersecurity consultant at Keos Technology, to discuss Cisco’s integration of Splunk following its landmark acquisition and what it means for partners navigating the next era of AI-driven security. Stearns explained that Keos Technology—Splunk’s largest professional services provider in the United States—works closely with resellers, distributors, and channel partners to provide pre- and post-sales support around Splunk implementations. “Cisco has been making very accelerated leaps to integrate all of Splunk’s products into its existing portfolio,” Stearns noted. “It’s expanding their security capabilities in a really powerful way, and there’s a large amount of education happening across the partner ecosystem.” As Cisco weaves Splunk into its infrastructure and security portfolio, Stearns emphasized the growing role of AI integration. “Artificial intelligence is all the buzz these days, but when it comes to driving business outcomes, AI has to be well integrated into valuable tools,” he said. “Cisco is doing a uniquely good job of connecting these tools—networking, security, observability, collaboration—and adding AI to make each one stronger.” For partners, this evolution represents a major opportunity. Stearns explained that Cisco’s combined suite—including ThousandEyes, AppDynamics, and now Splunk—offers unmatched visibility, security, and operational intelligence. “Cisco has done a tremendous job bundling these all together and making it the single marketplace you want to go to for your security solutions,” he said. Looking ahead, Stearns predicts that Splunk’s integration into Cisco will double its impact across the enterprise landscape. “Splunk was already a strong platform, but now that it’s part of Cisco, there’s an opportunity to double its business because it fits so perfectly within Cisco’s ecosystem,” he added. “Resellers will have a unique opportunity to package these tools together and deliver holistic security and observability solutions.” Learn more about Keos Technology at https://www.keostechnology.com/.

At the Cisco Partner Summit, Technology Reseller News’ Moshe Beauford spoke with Jeff Drury, Director of Engineering at CVE Technologies Group, about how Cisco’s expanding AI portfolio is reshaping partner enablement, education, and customer strategy across the channel. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, with offices in Oregon and Hawaii, CVE Technologies Group has been a trusted Cisco partner since 2002. The company provides technology solutions, engineering support, and technical services to customers across the Intermountain West and beyond. Discussing the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, Drury described AI as “the new buzzword — it’s replaced ‘cloud’ as the vaguest but most talked-about trend in technology.” He explained that customers are approaching AI adoption in three ways: by using built-in AI features within existing tools, leveraging large language models (LLMs) to improve workflows, and developing proprietary AI solutions — with the last category being the most complex and skill-intensive. Internally, CVE is also adopting AI to streamline operations. “We’re looking at how to ‘dog food’ our own AI initiatives, especially around LLM integration, to improve business processes and make us faster and more agile,” Drury noted. Education and enablement remain central to CVE’s approach. “Cisco’s been very good about providing enhanced and focused training once we show initiative and investment in a space,” said Drury. “Education is the key and the burden of being a successful channel partner — it’s constant.” Looking ahead, Drury hopes for greater interoperability across AI-driven tools. “Standalone AI information for one product isn’t beneficial if it can’t talk to other systems. Interoperability between vendors’ AI technologies will be key as the market matures,” he added. Learn more about CVE Technologies Group at https://www.cvetech.com/.

At the Cisco Partner Summit, Technology Reseller News’ Moshe Beauford sat down with Cyndi Privett, Principal & Owner of Viewpoint Research, to discuss Cisco’s sweeping updates to its partner program, the introduction of Cisco IQ, and how AI is reshaping partner profitability and customer experience. Privett described the new 360 Partner Program 2.0 as a major milestone in Cisco’s evolving channel model. “There’s now much more clarity around how Cisco intends to measure its partners going forward, and what the real levers of profitability will be,” she said. The redesigned incentive structure rewards partners that expand their portfolios beyond networking into security, collaboration, and managed services, with a strong focus on premium services and recurring revenue. A highlight of the event was the debut of Cisco IQ, a platform designed to give partners deeper insight into customer environments and enhance proactive support. “Cisco IQ is a big step forward—it’s about enabling partners to deliver an up-leveled support experience and deepen their customer relationships,” Privett noted. Privett also reflected on Cisco’s vision for machine AI, as outlined by Chief Customer Experience Officer Liz Centoni, which could one day allow multi-vendor “war rooms” to be fully automated. “We could soon see virtual war rooms where bots from Cisco, IBM, and others collaborate autonomously to solve outages or security breaches. That’s the future Cisco is building toward,” she added. While Privett praised Cisco’s forward-looking approach, she cautioned that not all partners will immediately benefit. “Those who can evolve, expand into new architectures, and lead with AI will thrive. Those who can’t may find incentive dollars shrinking. But that’s how every technology cycle works,” she said. From its unified edge strategy to its “picks and shovels” approach to AI enablement, Cisco’s transformation signals a new era for partners ready to align around automation, intelligence, and measurable business outcomes. Learn more about Viewpoint Research at https://www.viewpointresearch.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.