The Voice/Data Bash

The voice/data convergence phenomenon has been talked about for years, but it's happening a lot faster than most people realize. One of those companies that gets it is Allyance Communications Networks, a Newport Beach, Calif.-based solution provider that uses the tagline, "Providing A Carrier-Neutral Experience." That carrier-neutral independence is the same kind of muscle that makes solution providers dealing with multiple vendors on the data side so powerful.

Quy "Q" Nguyen, CEO of Allyance, said his business is growing 35 percent every quarter. At the heart of the business is the recurring monthly revenue stream that comes from everything from T1s to VPNs to voice services being driven by carrier offerings. That recurring revenue is "our bread and butter," Nguyen said. "That residual revenue is the reason we're in this market."

The interesting thing about Allyance, which as a master agent provides broadband, hosting and voice networking solutions from all the major players, including AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and NTT/Verio, is that it partners with solution providers such as Pacific Blue Micro to provide a complete networking solution. The benefit to the solution provider is that the master agent handles all the back-office functions including billing, processing and contractual terms with the major carriers. In some cases, Allyance is sharing up to 80 percent of the residual revenue with solution providers, Nguyen said.

The data and carrier channels are converging faster than either the traditional solution providers or telecom agents realize. Those companies that don't either partner or build the capabilities to provide a complete voice/data solution are going to find themselves on hold,permanently.