Cable Takes Channel’s Center Stage

By Larry Lannon

For some years now, cable companies have been moving into the channel, eager to increase their share of the small business market. This year, cable companies are continuing to step up their push into the channel. Momentum behind cable’s presence has been growing steadily.

The program at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Chicago, Aug. 24-26, registers the importance of the channel to the cablecos – and vice versa. The Keynote Roundtable will be devoted to a discussion of how the channel fits in with the cablecos’ plans to compete with telcos. The Roundtable will be held Wednesday, Aug. 24, 1:30-2.30 p.m.

Participants will be:

• Greg Iuzzolino, Director, Partner Channel, Time Warner Cable Business Class
• Craig Schlagbaum, Vice President, Indirect Channel Sales, Comcast Business Services
• Joe Magliulo, Director, Strategic Sales, Cablevision
• David Neely, Director, Channel Sales and National Accounts, Charter Communications

The cablecos offer a potential new revenue source for many partners. This roundtable discussion will explore the cablecos’ approach to the channel, how their focus fits into SMB sales efforts and how partners can benefit from the cablecos’ accelerating interest in the channel.

In addition, Channel Partners is committed to covering the cableco push after the August conference. We will be publishing quality information on the cablecos and the channel, including an Executive Report done on some original research on the subject. Our partners in this effort are Time Warner Cable Business Class, Comcast Business Class and Bright House Networks Business Solutions.

Look for the additional information to be published in early October.

The cableco initiatives are among the biggest stories in the channel today. Channel Partners is committed to covering this major story, both at the event and in our digital and print products afterwards. Put the Cable Roundtable on your calendar for Channel Partners later this month: Wednesday, Aug. 24, at 1.30 p.m.

Larry Lannon is group publisher of VIRGO ’s Communications Network, which includes Billing & OSS World , Channel Partners and vision2mobile .