Jonathan Forest has been at the helm of Accel Networks’ channel program as vice president of business development since early June. Forest came to the fixed wireless provider with years of telecom experience, but after some time away from the industry. During his absence from telecom, Forest was serving as executive director of planning and execution for the non-profit organization The College Board. “Working with The College Board was a wonderful experience," he said, “but it also helped me to appreciate and stoke my passion for telecommunications." Now, taking on the Accel role, Forest is using his combined 15 years of channel work for MCI, ARBROS and Hughes as a foundation. At those companies, Forest supported channel partners targeting midmarket and enterprise customers — experience that makes for a solid tie-in with his new job. And now that wireless is gaining credibility as a viable wireline replacement for businesses, Forest is ready to tackle a new challenge: changing channel partners’ perspectives of broadband wireless.
Channel Partners: How will your background impact how your approach your new role?
Jonathon Forest: I believe my experience in terms of both technical understanding and client business drivers create context for this new role with Accel. It’s an exciting time for wireless. With the advent of 4G carrier networks, wireless has become a legitimate business-grade option. This market shift, combined with the Accel managed solution suite, creates incredible opportunity for wireless to become the mainstream business network service. I understand what business customers are looking for, the technologies that are available and the service levels of various providers. This broad understanding of the market, the players and competitors will be a benefit to Accel in terms of articulating value to channel partners and their customers.
CP: Where do Accel agents most need to transform or expand their business models?
JF: Perhaps it’s not really a business model question but more an understanding that wireless is the future and the future is now. In my experience, agents who have experience with wireless WAN services typically have a mixed reaction. My focus will be helping agents to identify opportunities where wireless is a great fit for the products they sell and the customers they support. Wireless should have a place in nearly any network, either as primary connectivity, fill-in connectivity for hard-to-reach locations, or as a backup service. With the advent of 4G, the market will appreciate the cost/benefit of deploying a superior technology as compared to traditional wired options.
