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
    • Complete 2023 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2023 MSP 501 50-1
    • 2023 MSP 501 100-51
    • 2023 MSP 501 150-101
    • 2023 MSP 501 200-151
    • 2023 MSP 501 250-201
    • 2023 MSP 501 300-251
    • 2023 MSP 501 350-301
    • 2023 MSP 501 400-351
    • 2023 MSP 501 450-401
    • 2023 MSP 501 501-451
    • 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
    • Channel Futures 20: Top Tech Providers
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2023 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2023 MSP 501
    • 2023 NextGen 101
    • Channel Influencers
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Technology Advisor 101 (TA 101)
    • Channel Leaders Lists
  • Events
    • Back
    • 2024 CP Expo Call for Speakers
    • Channel Futures Leadership Summit
    • MSP Summit
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • 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
    • Complete 2023 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2023 MSP 501 50-1
    • 2023 MSP 501 100-51
    • 2023 MSP 501 150-101
    • 2023 MSP 501 200-151
    • 2023 MSP 501 250-201
    • 2023 MSP 501 300-251
    • 2023 MSP 501 350-301
    • 2023 MSP 501 400-351
    • 2023 MSP 501 450-401
    • 2023 MSP 501 501-451
    • 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
    • Channel Futures 20: Top Tech Providers
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2023 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2023 MSP 501
    • 2023 NextGen 101
    • Channel Influencers
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Technology Advisor 101 (TA 101)
    • Channel Leaders Lists
  • Events
    • Back
    • 2024 CP Expo Call for Speakers
    • Channel Futures Leadership Summit
    • MSP Summit
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • 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

Telephony/UC/Collaboration


Business News – TRA Ascends to Broadened Purpose

  • Written by Channel
  • June 30, 2000

Posted: 07/2000

Business News

TRA Ascends to Broadened Purpose

After eight years driving the resellers’ cause under the TRA banner, the Telecommunications Resellers Association is shifting gears like a semi traveling uphill with an increasing and diverse payload. But there’s no gear grinding with this ascent; it’s been a predictable journey that has paralleled that of the competitive telecommunications industry.

There was a little horn blowing when the group unveiled its new name, the Association of Communications Enterprises (ASCENT,
www.ascent.org), at its spring conference, May 8-11, in Philadelphia.

New services provided by the association’s members, specifically high-speed data services, IP telephony,
DSL, web hosting and e-commerce, prompted TRA to change its name to embrace all of its current and future members.

“The Association of Communications Enterprises better describes our membership and reflects the dynamic characteristics of our industry,” says ASCENT president Ernest B. Kelly III. “We also want to make clear that the new name underscores our commitment to advance the business interests of an increasingly diverse membership.”

1. TRA unveils new ASCENT name and logo.

ASCENT, he says, plans to focus its attention squarely on the advanced services imperative, including a beefed up lobbying effort and member education plan.

ASCENT made good on this last point at its spring conference with sessions covering business opportunities in wireless data, voice over DSL, next-generation networks, line sharing and more.

2. Outgoing TRA Chairman J.Sherman Henderson, Stuart Conrad, Dave

More than 2,500 attendees made their way to and through the trade show floor, which featured 200 exhibitors–the most ever at this event. Among the vendors’ wares were all things Internet, such as online billing
solutions from CallVision.com Inc. (www.callvision.com) and web-based customer network management from Sprint Wholesale
(www.sprint.com). Even the show’s entertainment, singer Michael McDonald, was
"net-ified." In an advance interview before his concert, sponsored by Williams Communications
(www.williamscommunications.com) and Nortel Networks Corp.
(www.nortelnetworks.com), the former lead singer for the Doobie Brothers said he looks forward to launching his music into cyberspace. Rather than burn CDs, he plans to have his music available to be downloaded from a website.

Former FCC Chief Reed Hundt also shared in a keynote address his take on the broadband revolution, but from a policymaker’s point of view. During his term, Hundt headed up six FCC-regulated lanes of
Vice President Al Gore’s “Information Superhighway,” including broadcast, cable, satellite, telephony, wire and wireless communications. He reportedly was the first FCC chairman to put a PC with an Internet connection on his desk.

“There will be an explosion of offering and a major increase within four years, making broadband the prime method of communications for 40 percent of American households,” he said in an advance interview.

Media icon Walter Cronkite said in his keynote address that the implication of faster and better technology will be improved communications, and communications, he says, will be a major aid to civilizing the world.


ASCENT Elects Board of Directors

ASCENT elected three new members to its board of directors in a vote held during the annual membership meeting at its spring conference.

ASCENT is governed by a nine-member board with staggered three-year terms. Each year, three board seats come up for election. This year the membership selected the following
individuals to fill those seats: Ron Contrado, president, chairman and founder of
Homisco/VoiceNet (www.homisco.com); Gordon Martin, president of carrier services for Williams Communications Group Inc.
(www.williamscommunications.com); and Anthony T.
Sgroi, senior vice president of North American Sales for Global Crossing Ltd. (www.globalcrossing.com).

The new directors join the other board members: J. Sherman Henderson III, president and CEO of Lightyear Communications Inc.
(www.lightyearcom.com); Laura Scher, chairman and CEO of Working Assets Funding Service
(www.workingassets.com); Robert T. Hale Sr., chairman of Network Plus Inc.
(www.nwp.com); Ron Harden, COO of PointOne Telecommunications Inc.
(www.point-one.net); Gail Jones, vice president and general
manager of ViaServices Group Inc. (www.viaservices.com); and Daniel G.
Lazarek, CFO/COO of Access General Inc.

The board of directors selected long-time director Scher as chair of the board; she succeeds Henderson in this post. In addition, Harden was named vice chair, and Hale was appointed treasurer.

Tags: Agents Telephony/UC/Collaboration

Most Recent


  • Stolen Avaya licenses lead to guilty pleas
    How a Fake Channel Partner 'Reaped Millions' in Stolen Avaya Licenses
    An Avaya employee generated licenses without authorization from the company and sold them on the cheap to a fake reseller.
  • LLMs among new products
    New Products, Services for the Channel: Contact Center LLMs, Dell, Telarus, More
    The contact center providers are working to keep up with each other and differentiate with domain-specific large language models.
  • John DeLozier new job at ConvergeOne
    John DeLozier on New Job at ConvergeOne, Post-Exit from ScanSource-Intelisys
    Find out what DeLozier said when we asked him about his exit from ScanSource/Intelisys.
  • Generative AI in the contact center
    AWS: Get Ready for Generative AI to Rule CCaaS
    We sit down with AWS to chat about everything from ethical AI to the channel partner's responsibility when selling it.

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

  • Welcome Mat
    Ex-Telarus Exec Scott Forbush Leaves Upstack for PPT Solutions After 5 Months
  • Woman with questions
    Should We Just Call Master Agents Distributors?
  • Benefit, Plus Sign
    TBI, Avant Add New Cloud, Security Suppliers to Lineups
  • CIO
    ScanSource Hires New CIO to Lead Global IT Strategy

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Futures Leadership Summit

October 30, 2023 - November 2, 2023

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

March 11, 2024 - March 14, 2024

Channel Futures Leadership Summit 2024

September 17, 2024 - September 19, 2024

Galleries

View all

Cisco’s Splunk Acquisition ‘True Bombshell Move,’ Will Have Massive Impact on Cybersecurity

September 21, 2023

Cisco SMB Business Gets Updated Sales Coverage Model, New Investments

September 21, 2023

CloudWorld 2023: Partners Big Part of Oracle’s Vision to Transform Industries

September 20, 2023

Industry Perspectives

View all

Why Conversational AI Matters for Your Customers and How It Can Boost Your Revenue

September 15, 2023

The 5 Ds that Lead to Unplanned Business Sales

September 13, 2023

Hot Generative AI Market Must ‘Cool Down’

August 28, 2023

Webinars

View all

MSP 501: Leadership in Cybersecurity

October 19, 2023

DE&I: Find the Balance that Works for You

September 7, 2023

Above and Beyond with the NextGen 101ers

August 30, 2023

White Papers

View all

6 UCaaS Reseller Challenges and How Real World Businesses Solved Them

February 1, 2023

Frost Radar: North American UCaaS Market, 2022

February 1, 2023

The Complete Guide to White-Label UCaaS for Reseller Success

February 1, 2023

Channel Futures TV

View all

Coffee with Craig and James Episode 129: ZLH Enterprises

Coffee with Craig and James Episode 128: Channel Partner Strategies Intelligence Service

August 25, 2023

Coffee with Craig and James Episode 127: Expereo, Movie Night Returns

August 18, 2023

Coffee with Craig and James Episode 126: ARG

July 28, 2023

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 © 2023 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