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
    • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501 Rankings
    • MSP 501 Information Center
  • 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
    • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2022 MSP 501 Rankings
    • MSP 501 Information Center
  • 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

Telephony/UC/Collaboration


Going Global?

  • Written by Charlene
  • June 30, 1998

Posted: 07/1998

Going Global?
European Alliance Can Help Make the Introductions

By Charlene O’Hanlon

Everyone’s heard the expression, "It’s not what you know, it’s who you know."
Nowhere is that more true than in international telecom. But long distance companies
looking to break into the European market now have an ally to help them get their
proverbial foot in the door.

The European Competitive Telecommunications Association, or ECTA, was formed in May
1997 as a resource for new market entrants wishing to establish themselves in Europe.
Since its inception, ECTA has attracted major players in the telecommunications
industry–both European and American–as members; proof of sorts of the need for
competition in the European telecom market.

"Progress [in deregulation of the European market] has been disappointingly
slow," says Michael Ryan, partner with the international law firm Coudert Brothers
and secretary of the association’s board of directors. "I have, for some time, felt
the lack of an organization such as ECTA to press the case for competition in Europe. When
I was approached to lend support, I accepted with enthusiasm."

ECTA Founding Members

Cable & Wireless plc

SITA-EQUANT Network Services

MCN n.v.

Coudert Brothers

USA Global Link Inc.

Unisource Carrier Services

Deep Roots

Thank a core group of European telecommunication companies for the creation of ECTA. It
was their belief that an association was needed to assist European regulators open their
markets to competition. Deregulation had been implemented, and these European companies
saw opportunity looming on the horizon.

"The deregulated European market is nearly as foreign to European service
providers as it is to U.S. enterprises, maybe more so because U.S. companies are already
familiar with competition in telecom," says Mark Petrick, director of communications
at USA Global Link Inc. and a member of ECTA’s board of directors. "ECTA offers
European companies the same advantages that it offers U.S. companies; namely, an
association dedicated to the profitability of every member."

As the European telecom companies see it, the association is a win-win situation for
all involved: European regulators have help opening the markets, and companies interested
in entering the telecom race in Europe have a leg-up on their competition.

"[Coudert Brothers] is a law firm and, therefore, we have a different perspective
on the marketplace than the service providers who are our clients," says board member
Ryan. "Our fate is tied to the fate of our clients. When they succeed, we succeed.
Since ECTA clearly fills a gap in their needs, it will have spin-off benefits for this
firm, also."

"Equally as important [in its mission], ECTA creates opportunities for networking
and business development," says Elizabeth Schumacher, executive director of ECTA.
"Through ECTA-sponsored or endorsed conferences and exhibitions, partnering with
European and international trade associations and our much-used Speaker’s Bureau, we
encourage our members to get out and get noticed."

And, by all accounts, the association has gotten noticed. After only a year in
existence, ECTA can count big-time telecom companies such as Cable & Wireless plc,
Lucent Technologies Inc. and USA Global Link among its members, with additional well-known
companies joining regularly. In addition, the Telecommunications Resellers Association
(TRA) and the Competitive Telecommunications Association (CompTel) have joined ECTA as
members.

"We think of ECTA as a European TRA, and expect that it will offer the same
competitive benefits in Europe that TRA has given us here: networking opportunities with
business associates, industry presence and regulatory muscle," says Petrick.

ECTA’s key objectives are to:

  • Create a Pan-European trade association to address industry-related issues in a united
    forum;
  • Represent the industry to government and regulatory bodies with one clear voice;
  • Assist market liberalization through cooperative efforts and networking;
  • Assist new market entrants and develop strategies for growth within the industry;
  • Lobby regulators for fair universal access and interconnect charges;
  • Create a forum for networking and business development throughout Europe; and
  • Build membership to amplify the power of the association.

To that end, ECTA provides its members everything they need to enter the European
telecom market: educational programs, market research, up-to-date tariffing information, a
database of service providers and resellers and a European telecom publications/media
listing.

As well, ECTA takes part in a number of conferences and exhibitions, through either
sponsorships or endorsements, and partners with other European and international trade
associations to provide its members the latest in market information.

"ECTA will provide three valuable services: a defined and strong presence for
carriers and resellers in the emerging open markets of the European countries, increased
opportunities for dialogue with other enterprises for the purpose of making money, and a
united industry presence on the regulatory front for resellers and new entrants onto the
European stage," Petrick says.

Fierce Competition

Although deregulation has opened the doors to competition in the European market, the
opportunity to conduct business in Europe–or anywhere, for that matter–is worthless
without the right tools.

Through its service offerings, ECTA hopes to arm its members with all the ammo they
need to wage war against the motherland’s incumbent telecommunications companies. As an
example of its smart bombs, ECTA’s website lists the results of a survey commissioned by
The Cap Gemini Group, a management consulting and information technology services company,
and Cable & Wireless plc, which shows that less than one in five telecom customers in
the United Kingdom is happy with the customer service he or she receives. Complaints
include interactive voice response (IVR) systems that offer so many options that they
become too confusing to use and queuing systems that do not inform the caller the
estimated time on hold.

Whether or not this dissatisfaction was evident during the years of regulation isn’t
specified in the survey; however, The Henley Centre, which conducted the survey, makes it
clear in its summary that telecom companies conducting business in Europe must become more
service-oriented or risk losing customers.

Casey Freymuth, president of Phoenix-based Group IV, a strategy consulting and
publishing firm to the telecommunications industry, notes that tools such as those ECTA
provides its members can be invaluable in an otherwise fickle industry.

"The European Union, for example, has been very active and is a key organization
in promoting deregulation. There have been some key moves on [the Union’s] part recently
regarding interconnection rates by wireless carriers that it has been coming down on hard,
so I think there is some benefit. How much [of that benefit] belongs to these
organizations and how much is result of pressure from the United States is hard to
measure, but I think certainly we’ve seen signs of relief from the industry from some of
these moves," Freymuth says. "However, these organizations bring about other
benefits that have nothing to do with the regulatory side, such as networking
opportunities. Any time these organizations get together, they tend to do well."

Moving Ahead

Judging from the kind of crowd within ECTA’s ranks, the association’s future looks
quite rosy.

The association has formed committees in the areas of legal/ethics, regulatory,
membership, conference and associate members and, during its annual symposium and
exhibition to be held this fall, additional committees will be formed that will represent
the interests or specific market segments, Schumacher says.

"Europe is an enticing advanced marketplace. Telecommunications is quickly
becoming a globalized industry," Petrick says. "It is important for any telecom
company with plans beyond the U.S. borders to have Europe in their business plan. ECTA can
help all carriers and resellers as a unified platform for business and regulatory
endeavors."

For more information on ECTA, visit the association’s website at www.ectaweb.org. Companies interested in joining may
sign up at the website or contact Schumacher at 011-44-1189-887034.

Tags: Agents Telephony/UC/Collaboration

Most Recent


  • Josh Stamer
    Images: D&H Distributing Mid-Atlantic Thread Event Featuring Intel, Lenovo
    The distributor also focused on digital transformation, SMB devices and more.
  • Microsoft Teams on different devices
    8x8 Mobilizes Microsoft Gold Partners Around New Channel Program
    The program leverages 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams, which supports more than 200,000 Teams users worldwide.
  • M&A
    Cloudli Buys ConnectMeVoice, Expands U.S. Reach
    ConnectMeVoice processes more than 12 million calls each month.
  • Digital handshake
    New Supplier Agreements: Upstack Signs CallTower, Avant Adds Netacea
    Avant expanded its cybersecurity portfolio, while Upstack formed another direct vendor agreement.

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

MSP Summit

September 13, 2022 - September 16, 2022

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

May 1, 2023 - May 4, 2023

Galleries

View all

8 Channel People Making Waves This Week at Splunk, Telarus, More

June 24, 2022

Human Casualties from Cybercrime, More Zero Trust Among Gartner Cybersecurity Predictions

June 24, 2022

Images: D&H Distributing Mid-Atlantic Thread Event Featuring Intel, Lenovo

June 24, 2022

Industry Perspectives

View all

Why MSPs are Attractive Cyberattack Targets

June 24, 2022

IT Partner Programs Must Evolve to Meet Market Demands

June 21, 2022

How Your Organization Can Benefit from the NIST Cybersecurity Framework

June 20, 2022

Webinars

View all

VEP Platform for Delivery of uCPE, SD-WAN and SASE

June 29, 2022

The Digital Worker: How to Empower Customers with a Flexible, Scalable VDI Solution to Enable Remote Work

June 30, 2022

Growing Partner Revenue and Customer Satisfaction with Power Management Services

June 23, 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

AT&T, Microsoft, Cisco, ThreatLocker on Unlocking Partner Potential

Agents Share ‘Secrets,’ Industry Opportunity

May 11, 2022

Vonage Addresses Potential Partner Opportunity via Acquisition by Ericsson

May 5, 2022

Lumen Technologies ‘Built for Growth and Scale’

May 4, 2022

Twitter

ChannelFutures

Channel people making waves this week include: @garylsteele, @fredvoccola, @kbarday, @stephenorban, @gabekker,… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

June 24, 2022
ChannelFutures

.@Zendesk being acquired by group of global investors, taking the #CRM provider private. dlvr.it/SSnpwZ https://t.co/jaZdeqxoU3

June 24, 2022
ChannelFutures

.@Broadcom is planning @Vmware closing, promises "open mind"-- will draw on lessons of @CAinc and @symantec… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

June 24, 2022
ChannelFutures

.@Gartner_inc lists 8 #cybersecurity predictions, including more human casualties from #cyberattacks.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

June 24, 2022
ChannelFutures

Is your company a prime target for cyberattacks? Here's what MSPs need to know. @BarracudaMSP #cyberattacks… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

June 24, 2022
ChannelFutures

A huge round of applause 👏 to our 2022 top ten managed service providers from around the world as named on the Chan… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

June 24, 2022
ChannelFutures

RT @MSP_Summit: Early Bird pass prices for Channel Partners Leadership Summit, MSP Summit, & Women's Leadership Summit end at 11:59 p.m. ES…

June 24, 2022
ChannelFutures

.@dsm_IT is now the third acquisition by @thrivenetworks in Florida in the last six months. dlvr.it/SSmxQn https://t.co/cswaMztP6o

June 24, 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