Image Gallery: Telarus Partner Xchange Featuring RingCentral, Comcast Business
The master agent moved its partner summit from Park City, Utah, to Boca Raton, Florida.
It was the master agent’s largest partner summit yet. So large that they renamed it and moved it from Utah to Florida.
Telarus hosted partners and suppliers in Boca Raton for a four-day conference of education, training, networking and recreation. This was the company’s first partner summit since acquiring fellow Utah-based master agent CarrierSales. The result was an expanded combined portfolio, geographical presence and partner base that showed up in full force last week.
Read our recaps from Wednesday’s keynote session, Thursday’s keynote session and the awards ceremony.
Scroll through the gallery below to see who was there. We bet you’ll see someone you know.
Follow news editor @JamesAndersonCP on Twitter.
Boca Raton
Telarus hosted its event at the Boca Raton Resort and Club. The hotel has a spot on Lake Boca Raton, which feeds into the nearby Atlantic Ocean. The conference featured a variety of events around the resort, including golf and spa.
Telarus hosted its event at the Boca Raton Resort and Club. The hotel has a spot on Lake Boca Raton, which feeds into the nearby Atlantic Ocean. The conference featured a variety of events around the resort, including golf and spa.
Pool Party
Telarus cable suppliers sponsored a party to launch the summit Tuesday evening. Partners flocked to the pool for food and drinks, and by the look of the multigenerational attendance, it was a family-friendly event.
Telarus cable suppliers sponsored a party to launch the summit Tuesday evening. Partners flocked to the pool for food and drinks, and by the look of the multigenerational attendance, it was a family-friendly event.
FlowRider
Attendees tried out the resort's FlowRider wave pool. Telarus CEO Adam Edwards had already gotten some practice on the surfboard, and he did not disappoint on the FlowRider. Legend has it that Edwards and Patrick Oborn came up with the idea for their company while surfing.
Attendees tried out the resort's FlowRider wave pool. Telarus CEO Adam Edwards had already gotten some practice on the surfboard, and he did not disappoint on the FlowRider. Legend has it that Edwards and Patrick Oborn came up with the idea for their company while surfing.
Edwards
The Telarus CEO opened up the conference session Wednesday morning. Edwards spoke in-depth about his company's merger with CarrierSales, using the transaction to segue into a broader conversation about the state of the channel. One of the major trends is a dissipating number of value-added resellers (VARs), who are leaving a "vacuum" for ambitions agents.
Read the session recap.
The Telarus CEO opened up the conference session Wednesday morning. Edwards spoke in-depth about his company's merger with CarrierSales, using the transaction to segue into a broader conversation about the state of the channel. One of the major trends is a dissipating number of value-added resellers (VARs), who are leaving a "vacuum" for ambitions agents.
Read the session recap.
Greg Schwem
The self-styled corporate comedian was our emcee for the week. Schwem writes a weekly humor column syndicated by Tribune Media Services. He's also a self-styled connoisseur of Dad jokes, as evidenced by the website he created: FunnyDadInc.
The self-styled corporate comedian was our emcee for the week. Schwem writes a weekly humor column syndicated by Tribune Media Services. He's also a self-styled connoisseur of Dad jokes, as evidenced by the website he created: FunnyDadInc.
Games
The morning sessions featured multiple hands-on activities encouraging audience participation. These "minute-to-win-it" shenanigans pitted teams against each other to win prizes. This particular game had players throwing mini frisbees into their teammates' headgear.
The morning sessions featured multiple hands-on activities encouraging audience participation. These "minute-to-win-it" shenanigans pitted teams against each other to win prizes. This particular game had players throwing mini frisbees into their teammates' headgear.
Jive
Jive Communications was one of the many suppliers exhibiting last week. The unified communications provider became part of LogMeIn earlier this year.
Check out Craig Galbraith's video interview to learn more about the acquisition.
Jive Communications was one of the many suppliers exhibiting last week. The unified communications provider became part of LogMeIn earlier this year.
Check out Craig Galbraith's video interview to learn more about the acquisition.
Technology Reveal
Attendees learned about the latest Telarus tool for partners: the UCaaS Matrix 2.0. The master agent launched the website in 2016 to help customers select a unified communications vendor, but the upgraded version has expanded features and now covers SD-WAN, security, cloud and call center. The database is available on partners' mobile applications.
"You are literally a mobile agent," said Patrick Oborn, Telarus' vice president of partner experience. "You can go anywhere you want with that phone, and you will be able to give Gartner-level advice to any of your clients,” he said.
Oborn made the announcement on Thursday. Read our recap.
Attendees learned about the latest Telarus tool for partners: the UCaaS Matrix 2.0. The master agent launched the website in 2016 to help customers select a unified communications vendor, but the upgraded version has expanded features and now covers SD-WAN, security, cloud and call center. The database is available on partners' mobile applications.
"You are literally a mobile agent," said Patrick Oborn, Telarus' vice president of partner experience. "You can go anywhere you want with that phone, and you will be able to give Gartner-level advice to any of your clients,” he said.
Oborn made the announcement on Thursday. Read our recap.
Shark Tank
Three startups pitched their products to a team of experts to earn funding. The judges were (from left to right) Scott Forbush, Telarus' senior vice president of sales; Richard Murray, Telarus' chief operating officer; Bobby Hall, CenturyLink's vice president of indirect strategic partnerships; and Kevin Moffit, Office Depot's senior vice president and chief retail officer.
Three startups pitched their products to a team of experts to earn funding. The judges were (from left to right) Scott Forbush, Telarus' senior vice president of sales; Richard Murray, Telarus' chief operating officer; Bobby Hall, CenturyLink's vice president of indirect strategic partnerships; and Kevin Moffit, Office Depot's senior vice president and chief retail officer.
Winner
Bandwidth Avenue won the grand prize of $15,000. The Seattle-based company provides an application for ConnectWise users for "identifying internet service provider options." The runners up were Blue Jireh (middle) and Sunray Cloud Solutions (left) finished second and third, respectively.
Bandwidth Avenue won the grand prize of $15,000. The Seattle-based company provides an application for ConnectWise users for "identifying internet service provider options." The runners up were Blue Jireh (middle) and Sunray Cloud Solutions (left) finished second and third, respectively.
President's Club
Select Telarus partners celebrated winning special recognition from the master agent Thursday night. These businesses secured at least one of two criteria in the previous year: selling $100,000 in overall monthly recurring revenue with Telarus or hitting specific revenue goals laid out by vendors. The winners get a free vacation.
Attendees filled up the main room for a three-course meal and awards. Both partners and suppliers earned awards.
Select Telarus partners celebrated winning special recognition from the master agent Thursday night. These businesses secured at least one of two criteria in the previous year: selling $100,000 in overall monthly recurring revenue with Telarus or hitting specific revenue goals laid out by vendors. The winners get a free vacation.
Attendees filled up the main room for a three-course meal and awards. Both partners and suppliers earned awards.
RingCentral
RingCentral's team posed with Telarus personnel after accepting its award. The Belmont, California-based company was Telarus' best performing UCaaS supplier. They first partnered together in May 2016.
Read our full list of the award winners.
RingCentral's team posed with Telarus personnel after accepting its award. The Belmont, California-based company was Telarus' best performing UCaaS supplier. They first partnered together in May 2016.
Read our full list of the award winners.
Comcast Business
Comcast continued to be a constant dominant force among Telarus suppliers. The cable company, which won best overall supplier last year, repeated the feat and also took honors as best performing cable provider. There is a close relationship between Telarus and Comcast, and some of Telarus' recent hires came from Comcast.
Read our full list of the award winners.
Comcast continued to be a constant dominant force among Telarus suppliers. The cable company, which won best overall supplier last year, repeated the feat and also took honors as best performing cable provider. There is a close relationship between Telarus and Comcast, and some of Telarus' recent hires came from Comcast.
Read our full list of the award winners.
