By Khali Henderson

Five experienced IT VARs and phone system dealers will discuss how they have successfully added hosted VoIP services to their hardware/software portfolios in a special preconference workshop, 8:30-10:30 a.m., Sept. 20, at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, which will be held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

The workshop, Hosted PBX is Not the Enemy,” is sponsored by PHONE+ and Broadvox LLC. It offers two hours of education tailored specifically for channel partners in the hardware/software business that are looking at ways to diversify their revenue base and ability to meet customer demand.

Hosted VoIP has been the subject of heated debate, but the reality is that the technology has matured and with it the opportunity for the channel,” said PHONE+ Editor in Chief Khali Henderson, co-moderator of the workshop. We hope this workshop will answer many of the lingering questions IT and phone system VARs have about hosted VoIP and show them that it can be complementary to their core business.”

The program will kick off with a primer covering market demand and drivers, target markets, service features and pricing models, and service providers delivered by William Baumgartel, director of channels for Broadvox. This foundation will be followed by a roundtable discussion lead by co-moderator Harry Brelsford, publisher of the VAR industry publication and community SMB Nation, and featuring VARs and dealers that have had experience providing and selling hosted PBX services. They include:

The VAR panelists are expected to discuss, among other things, best practices, do-it-yourself vs. resale models and positioning hosted VoIP in a hardware/software business. Finally, two VARs Williams and Levinson – will share their experiences in evaluating and embracing hosted VoIP in their businesses. There also will be an opportunity for attendees to query the panel about their experiences.

In addition to the Hosted VoIP Workshop, programming targeted to hardware/software solutions providers includes SaaS Sales 101, Cloud Computing Crash Course, Making the Moved to Managed Services and the SMB Nation VoIP Workshop conference within a conference” track.