When channel partners are seeking a viable networking option for customers, why not go with one that is virtually everywhere? Why not take a customer outdoors and have them gaze up at the great blue yonder that could support not only their backup solutions, but also their entire private network? Now, that’s a footprint!
Ubiquity is a key selling point for satellite. In addition to millions of financial transactions being conducted over satellite every day, it is used by wireless and cellular carriers all over the world for backhaul. Of course, it also is the true bypass business-grade solution for disaster recovery, since it can essentially leap over landline outages. And speaking of the sky, satellite now is being used for Wi-Fi on airplanes.
Sam Baumel, assistant vice president of SME sales, North American division for Hughes Network Systems, believes there are three key satellite offerings agents should consider adding to their portfolios: Internet access, broadband backup and virtual private networks (VPNs). “The advantage of satellite is that it can be used as the primary communications link, backup or fill-in. These options enable an agent to recommend the most efficient and cost-effective solution for their customers,” said Baumel. “If they really understand the diversity of broadband satellite services and can relay the benefits of those solutions to clients, the revenue possibilities are endless.”
Internet Access. Where DSL cannot reach, or a T1 is too expensive, or as a backup to terrestrial, satellite can provide high-speed Internet access anywhere. Secure connectivity can be provided via a low-cost VPN appliance and can be deployed much more quickly than alternative solutions. Multiple branch locations can be added on an as-needed basis, and set up to connect directly to the satellite.
According to Baumel, HughesNet Business Internet provides up to 1mbps upstream and up to 5mbps downstream. Ken Mercer, senior vice president of Telecom Brokerage Inc., which is a master agent for Hughes along with additional satellite service providers, said he believes the service characteristics of satellite are much more substantial than DSL as a backup solution.
And the revenue opportunity is not lost on agents. “This is a residual payout,” Mercer explained. “For agents looking for additional commissions, this is a great way to add on to customers who are already under contract with a WAN solution, looking for a backup solution, looking for an alternative access solution. And you’ll still make residual commission on it.”
