https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Technology Solutions Brokerages
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2022 NextGen 101 Rankings
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • Channel Futures TV
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2022 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501
    • Channel Influencers
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Channel Partners 101 (CP 101)
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • MSP Summit
    • Channel Partners Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • About Us
  • DE&I
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Technology Solutions Brokerages
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2022 NextGen 101 Rankings
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • Channel Futures TV
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2022 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501
    • Channel Influencers
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Channel Partners 101 (CP 101)
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • MSP Summit
    • Channel Partners Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • About Us
  • DE&I
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Agents
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • Channel Partners Events
 Channel Futures

Mergers and Acquisitions


Shutterstock

Lightning Strikes

M&A Strikes Again as Telarus Announces Another Acquisition

  • Written by James Anderson
  • June 16, 2021
Comtel's leaders are moving to the supplier side.

Telarus on Wednesday announced its second acquisition of 2021.

The Utah-based firm is buying Virginia-based Comtel Communications. Comtel sells telecom and technology solutions through an agent base that executives describe as “very loyal.”

Telarus' Adam Edwards

Telarus’ Adam Edwards

“We’re thrilled to have the Comtel Communications team join Telarus. Comtel partners joined and stayed with Comtel because of the high integrity and support standards set by Ben and Amy Humphreys,’ Telarus CEO Adam Edwards said. “We look forward to carrying that legacy into the future.”

President and CEO Ben Humphreys and director of business development Amy Humphreys are leaving Comtel for a new venture. They’ll move over to the supplier side and work full-time at Simplicity VoIP.

Factors

Ben Humphreys said he was looking for a buyer with the support structure and scale needed to protect Comtel’s agents.

“Ultimately, we needed to partner with a leader for sales, contracts, commissions and resources. Telarus is leading the industry in monthly sales, which gives them an incredible advantage,” Humphreys said. “I was particularly impressed by Telarus’ ethics code, which made this decision much easier.”

Telarus will provide a senior partner development manager, an inside sales team and cable support managers to serve Comtel agents.

Keep up with the latest channel-impacting mergers and acquisitions in our M&A roundup.
Simplicity VoIP's Ben Humphreys

Simplicity VoIP’s Ben Humphreys

“This team will grow to the next level through various strategies soon. I hope all the Comtel Communications subagents take advantage of these resources and drive forward with success,” said Humphreys. “The resources Telarus brings to the table are incredible. But, most importantly, they will act as a fiduciary for subagents and ensure payments and commissions are accurate and timely.”

Ben Humphreys said he has taken on the role of a fiduciary during his 30-year run at Comtel.

“Yes, we run a business, but the business is to take care of ourselves and our partners. You never would find me looking at this as my business. When you have partners and subagents that are going through you to get carrier agreements, you really do fulfill a fiduciary role,” he told Channel Futures.

Telarus in December announced a growth investment from Columbia Capital. The company also earlier this year announced the acquisition of Philadelphia-based Chorus Communications.

Background

Ben Humphreys founded Comtel in 1991. The firm now partners with more than 350 suppliers. It holds premier elite status in the CenturyLink Channel Alliance Program and platinum status in the Verizon Partner Program.

The company holds relationships with roughly 100 subagents, with approximately one-quarter of those agents producing most of its sales.

Simplicity VoIP's Amy Humphreys

Simplicity VoIP’s Amy Humphreys

Both Amy and Ben Humphreys have a strong relationship with the Alliance Partners (otherwise known as the Agent Alliance). Ben was a founding member, and Amy served as the vice president of the Alliance Partners from 2013-2016.

Comtel in 2012 started a VoIP resale group named Simplicity VoIP that sold CoreDial. Simplicity in 2018 bought its own switches from NetSapiens and later started work on upgrading its network. Now its founders are committing all of their time to delivering a UCaaS experience. Ben Humphreys will work as Simplicity’s president and CEO, and Amy will be vice president of marketing and agent enablement.

Tags: Agents Channel Chatter Mergers and Acquisitions People on the Move Strategy Technology Solutions Brokerages

Most Recent


  • Ladder going to sky
    Cisco Taking Partners of All Types to 'New Heights'
    From MSPs to agents, enterprise to SMB, Cisco previews its appearance at the MSP Summit.
  • New Chapter
    The Gately Report: SonicWall Partners to Play Big Role in Company's Next Chapter
    Meantime, a financially motivated threat actor is increasingly targeting hospitality, hotel and travel organizations.
  • Changing the Partner Conversation
    Advantage Communications, Pushing Agent-MSP Convergence, Lands Extreme Networks Partnership
    Advantage will provide white-labeled telecom life cycle management to elite Extreme Networks customers at no cost.
  • It will be alright
    It Will Be Alright: 10 Expert Tips for Surviving a Layoff
    Drawing from her own experience, Kathryn Rose explains how to watch out for your own best interests.

One comment

  1. Avatar Md Javed Alam July 17, 2021 @ 10:58 am
    Reply

    I want to be an agent

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Business payout
    Agent M&A Continues: Upstack Buys PacTech Partners
  • Cloud computing news
    From JEDI and Pax8 to AWS and Salesforce: Hot Cloud Computing News
  • Machine learning robot
    HPE Discover: HPE Acquires Artificial Intelligence Startup Determined AI
  • Business payout
    Latest M&A: AT&T, Cisco, Dell, IBM, Pax8, Verizon

Upcoming Events

View all

MSP Summit

September 13, 2022 - September 16, 2022

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

May 1, 2023 - May 4, 2023

Galleries

View all

The Gately Report: SonicWall Partners to Play Big Role in Company’s Next Chapter

August 19, 2022

As Artificial Intelligence Advances, Is Human Error Holding Up the Contact Center?

August 19, 2022

It Will Be Alright: 10 Expert Tips for Surviving a Layoff

August 19, 2022

Industry Perspectives

View all

How to Take Shared Responsibility for Securing Cloud

August 11, 2022

Seize the Application Modernization Opportunity

August 2, 2022

A Growth Mindset: Your Organization’s Strategic Differentiator

August 1, 2022

Webinars

View all

Outsmarting RaaS: Implementation Strategies To Help Your Clients Before, During, and After a Ransomware Attack

August 23, 2022

Why it is Important to Upgrade Aging Servers and How to use Live Optics to Upgrade Efficiently

August 25, 2022

Executives at Home are Not Alright: An Intro to Digital Executive Protection

September 8, 2022

White Papers

View all

Work Goes Remote – (and Other Top ITOps Trends)

May 25, 2022

The New Bottom Line: How MSPs Can Meet the Healthcare Crisis While Evolving Their Businesses

April 19, 2022

How to build a Security Operations Center (on a budget)

April 4, 2022

Channel Futures TV

View all

ThreatLocker Preaches Zero Trust, Addresses Industry Competition

Cisco Taking Partners of All Types to ‘New Heights’

August 19, 2022

Microsoft Targeting Partners to Sell Teams, Windows 365 to SMBs, More

August 15, 2022

ScienceLogic Debuts New Partner Portal

August 9, 2022

Twitter

ChannelFutures

.@IGIcyber sidles up to @meetgradient to bring ease of use and added value to MSPs. dlvr.it/SWwRSG https://t.co/vLFDPfAyQ1

August 19, 2022
ChannelFutures

Now Available: Expo Pass to Channel Partners Leadership Summit & #MSPSummit this September 13-16! Take a look at th… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

August 19, 2022
ChannelFutures

How do you stay on top of your game? 💪 By connecting & sharing knowledge with other elite partners, ready to stay r… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

August 19, 2022
ChannelFutures

How do you stay on top of your game? 💪 By connecting & sharing knowledge with other elite partners, ready to stay r… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

August 19, 2022
ChannelFutures

.@NICELtd and @Microsoft have partnered to deliver personalized digital experiences via CXone on @Azure. @msPartner… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

August 19, 2022
ChannelFutures

For the team at @advantagecg, the recently announced partnership with @ExtremeNetworks is a validation of the partn… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

August 19, 2022
ChannelFutures

.@iamkatrose offers 10 tips for not only surviving, but bouncing back from a layoff dlvr.it/SWvYD6 https://t.co/YiKTzgpQa3

August 19, 2022
ChannelFutures

We are proud to announce Channel Partners events received a 12/12 sustainability score from our parent company,… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

August 19, 2022

MSP 501

The industry's largest and most comprehensive partner awards program.

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Galleries

Educational slide shows and images from live events.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Events
  • Telecoms.com
  • MSP 501
  • Black Hat
  • IoT World Today
  • Omdia

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X