Of course these customers are being scared into buying hosted IP services from someone. Every Tom, Dick and Harry who knows how to turn on a computer is now in the hosted services business. They are destroying this industry in a rapid manner. Only those of us who are able to survive the few years that it will take for this to crash and burn will be able to tell the story. Sadly, much of what these people are telling the customers are lies, but who are they going to believe? The multi-billion dollar corporation, or the simple honest businessman?

I don't believe that this is really Verizon (the telco) sending these notices. If this really is Verizon making these threats, they can't do this without forfeiting their franchise rights for the region. That's a LOT of recurring revenue. A LOT.

I'll bet you a dollar that it is Verizon's subsidiary, VeriZon Business, (formerly MCI) doing this. Yep, they operate under the VeriZon brand name, but in reality, they are the CLEC formerly known as MCI. They have snowed many of our customers over with that naming trickery in the DC market lately. Guess where their marketing office is? Yep, right there in the 212.

How much do you want to bet that this is just a marketing scam? Who's going to question which VeriZon division it is? Your customer is going to go into panic mode and sign on the dotted line without even checking with you. This is your time to be proactive with your customer base.

I'm no fan of Verizon the telco at all, but even they aren't this shady.

The REAL Verizon, the telco, is a regulated utility in NY. Until the state's public utilities commission allows Verizon to completely exit the state, they can't just stop doing business with select existing customers. Besides, even if they did that (and they have in other states), another service provider would surely take over their territory. They can't just give a customer less than 30, 60 or even 90 days to just up and replace their system.

But VeriZon Business, the CLEC, sure can trick the customers into it since they aren't a regulated utility. They are MCI in disguise.

What's next? ConEdison decides to change the power voltage from 120 to 167.3 volts?

I call total BS on this one. Mark my words. While you're being proactive with your customers on this subject, feel free to share my words as well.

Ed Vaughn, MBSWWYPBX