The Transformation of Voice Smart Networks - Part 4

In 2011, Voice Smart Networks continued its multi-part transformation story with Channel Partners, examining the challenges encountered while moving away from a transactional sales model toward managed services.

Part 4 focused on the operational risks and hard lessons learned during that transition.

Vendor and Platform Risk

One of the earliest challenges came from reliance on third-party platforms, including early cloud services. Voice Smart Networks underestimated the complexity involved in migrating customers from on-premises Exchange servers to hosted environments.

The process required detailed, manual discovery of user email storage, folder structures, and archiving practices. Many end users lacked visibility into how their data was organized, significantly increasing migration time and effort.

Following migration, service outages and limited vendor support access created additional challenges. Resolution required revisiting client environments to restore functionality and reconfigure accounts. These experiences highlighted the risks of limited control when services are abstracted behind large providers.

Misaligned Revenue and Support Models

Another challenge was the mismatch between one-time vendor upgrade fees and the ongoing operational support required after deployment. While upgrades generated no recurring revenue, they introduced recurring support demands, placing strain on internal resources.

Unanticipated policy changes, such as mandatory password resets, further increased support requests. These experiences reinforced the need to align service models with accountability, support scope, and long-term economics.

Industry Consolidation and Partner Instability

Voice Smart Networks also encountered instability among outsourced service partners. Acquisitions and sudden changes in business models forced rapid transitions of customer support platforms, sometimes with minimal notice.

In one instance, a platform provider shifted to a direct-to-customer model, requiring Voice Smart Networks to migrate clients within tight timelines while forfeiting expected commissions. These events underscored the importance of contract discipline and contingency planning when relying on third-party suppliers.

Network Reality and Client Fit

A further challenge emerged when assessing client infrastructure. Many environments were found to be poorly designed, under-maintained, or built with low-quality equipment.

Stabilizing these networks required extensive client education to explain past performance issues and the steps needed to maintain a reliable environment. These experiences led Voice Smart Networks to more clearly define ideal client profiles and to avoid unmanaged or unsupported environments that introduced uncontrolled risk.

Lessons Carried Forward

By the end of this phase, Voice Smart Networks had learned to avoid underestimating vendor complexity, to anticipate consolidation risks, and to conduct deeper infrastructure assessments before committing to managed services engagements.

These lessons directly informed the disciplined service boundaries and accountability standards that later became core to i-NETT’s IT support services and cloud and communications services.