Trapped: A case study

We had a great opportunity to help a business save money and double their Internet speed today. But we won’t be lifting a finger to do this until 2011. Why?

Because they just signed a 3-year term agreement with another provider. So for the next three years, they will have the privilege of paying 25% more than they would have with Avid. And they will be limited to half a T-1 for data because their provider cannot dynamically allocate capacity between voice and data services, meaning that half of the T-1 is always in use for voice–even when nobody is on the phone.

The provider allows them out of the contract–only if they pay full price for all the remaining months. So they’re stuck. And that’s exactly the objective of the service provider!

This firm could have greatly benefited from Avid’s ability to integrate VoIP phones alongside an existing system–capping the firm’s investment in legacy technology and giving them the benefits of VoIP today. In this case, a principal’s second home could have an office phone functioning exactly like the office phone. But that benefit is three years away. Their current provider offers none of this.