[asterisk-biz] Digium, Polycom, and Netxusa Cutting Us Out?!?

[Steve Totaro]

To be honest, NetxUSA acted like they didn't need or want the business.  
Maybe it was just the regional sales guy or whatever but he was somewhat 
rude about the whole process.  Almost like I was putting him out. 

ABP or at least Kevin Moroz who has since moved on to PBXnSIP. was very 
nice, excited about new business, and friendly.  He had worked at 
Pingtel just north of Boston, which I had the opportunity attend 
training onsite way back when they had those funky phones, softswitch, 
beanbag chairs, and tons of funding.  We hit it off, that is the real 
reason I picked and stuck with them.  Maybe the $ amounts and totals I 
ordered qualified for a better tier of pricing but quotes were very 
similar.  Sales is funny like that. 

Thanks,
Steve

Mike Hammett wrote:
> You found ABP better than NetxUSA?  I don't even seek pricing from ABP on
> anything because their price to me was almost always higher than the sale
> price to my customer when I purchased elsewhere.  They swore I was receiving
> all discounts I was entitled.
>
> Agreed on all else.
>
> --Mike
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: asterisk-biz-bounces at lists.digium.com
> [mailto:asterisk-biz-bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Steve Totaro
> Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 5:52 PM
> To: Commercial and Business-Oriented Asterisk Discussion
> Subject: Re: [asterisk-biz] Digium, Polycom, and Netxusa Cutting Us Out?!?
>
> As long is it is not similar to the little Dell pop-up when you are 
> running low on ink that takes you right to the checkout page to order 
> more ink.
>
> NetxUSA is a wholesaler (at least they used to be) and would only sell 
> to businesses.  I was approved by them but wound up using ABP instead, 
> prices were sometimes better at one place or another, but I prefer to 
> build a strong relationship with a vendor rather than splitting vendors 
> over a few bucks.
>
> Anyways, that is not at all the way they make it sound.  I would like 
> some clarification on this.  If I sell and install and AsteriskNow 
> system, I want to retain that customer for support, upgrades, and MACs.  
> If this jeopardizes that relationship, then it is a raw deal.
>
> Thanks,
> Steve
>
> Garrett Smith wrote:
>   
>> Steve:
>>
>> >From what has been told to me, NetxUSA will be functioning a
>> distribution point for the leads generated through the AsteriskNow
>> BuyNOW feature based on geographic location of certified Asterisk VAR's.
>>
>> Lead flow to look like this:
>>
>> AsteriskNow  --> BuyNow --> NetxUSA --> Authorized Digium VAR --> End
>> User
>>
>> What will need to be done in order to become an "authorized Digium VAR",
>> I am not quite sure of.
>>
>> This at least is what was explained to me by all three of the parties
>> involved.
>>
>> Garrett
>>
>>
>> Garrett Smith
>> gsmith at voipsupply.com
>>  
>> 716-250-3408 Office
>> 716-903-9495 Cell
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: asterisk-biz-bounces at lists.digium.com
>> [mailto:asterisk-biz-bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Steve Totaro
>> Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 4:55 PM
>> To: Commercial and Business-Oriented Asterisk Discussion
>> Subject: [asterisk-biz] Digium, Polycom, and Netxusa Cutting Us Out?!?
>>
>> I hate things like this.  Why would they want to cut out the 
>> VAR/Reseller/Consultant?
>>
>> I had to jump through hoops to be setup as a client of NetxUSA several 
>> years ago so I could get wholesale pricing so I could make a buck or two
>>
>> off hardware and a few more bucks off setting up that hardware.  Now 
>> those dollars will not come my way.  I don't know if I can stomach the 
>> way this is starting to go.  This line really gets me, "With regional 
>> distribution offices and in-house certified engineers, NETXUSA assists 
>> business customers with the entire Digium-Polycom implementation."  I 
>> thought that was my job!  I certainly do not blame Polycom, but this is 
>> a real slap in the face move by Digium.
>>
>> Anyways...  Let me digest this a little more.  Posting in anger is
>> stupid.
>>
>> http://www.asteriskvoipnews.com/polycom/digium_and_polycom_release_more_
>> details_on_thier_partnership_program.html
>>
>> "The /*BuyNOW*/ feature, within AsteriskNOW's Digium-designed GUI, 
>> greatly simplifies the phone purchasing process by immediately 
>> connecting users to NETXUSA <http://www.netxusa.com/>, a recognized 
>> leading distributor of Voice over Internet Protocol (*VoIP*) products 
>> and services. With regional distribution offices and in-house certified 
>> engineers, NETXUSA assists business customers with the entire 
>> Digium-Polycom implementation."
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Steve Totaro
>> www.asteriskhelpdesk.com
>> _______________________________________________
>>
>>     
>
>