Free Lifecycle management for your corporate IT hardware

In appreciation we would like to offer you a free service for your network hardware.  Our partner  has agreed to offer the first 100 companies that reply to this notice an analysis of your network and determine the lifecycle of your routers, hubs and servers. They will establish (by serial number) what type of coverage (if any), what you are paying and if there is a better alternative for maintenance. 

LKC 262-290-5210 lkccaresaboutyourbusiness@lkconsulting.net

Should you experience difficulties with hardware they can purchase your equipment and have refurbished or new products available at below manufacture retail cost.   

Our partner has been in business for over 30 years, and one of the largest resellers of enterprise-class equipment in the world. They sell and provide services internationally doing business on every continent. They buy and sell broker to broker and sell to end users and resellers. We are different than a VAR or a manufacturing representative. We stock over $30M in our hardware inventory, so when a customer needs a product, we have it.

With over 100 IT professionals including 30 on-site manufacturer trained engineers that are specialists in their product lines. They are able to provide on-site configuration and testing of equipment for our customers at all times. No one else can provide this service.

Our mission is to be the most extensive network and hardware provider by building relationships, impeccable service, and certifiable quality.

 We specialize in midrange IT hardware from the following manufacturers:

Cisco® Sun Microsystems® HP® IBM®

Buy in huge quantities from suppliers all over the globe in order to find the best prices.

Sell that equipment below the manufacturer's retail market price.

Maintain an enormous warehouse of inventory in stock.

Large technical support staff available for whatever professional service needs you might have – integration or implementation – data center move or compliance testing – we can help.

We can offer equipment leases up to thirty-six months.

We can often rent you equipment for terms as short as a month.

We can offer aggressive trade in allowances for your excess hardware.

 SOLUTIONS & RESULTS

With our Broad-spectrum approach, we have the best names in the business tailor their services to fit your needs, not the other way around,service providers work for you.

Grading the top 13 wireline service providers in Q2 2013

August 14, 2013

With the second quarter 2013 earnings season now complete, FierceTelecom is taking a look at the results of the top U.S. ILECs.

In this report, we break down the numbers in our quarterly chart, which summarizes how the top 13 ILECs performed in terms of revenue, access line losses, and subscriber additions.

And don't forget to see how these figures stack up against the first quarter of 2013, fourth quarter of 2012, third quarter 2012, and second quarter 2012.

Also, take a few minutes to review our earnings summary for the wireline industry in the second quarter of 2013. It's an opportunity to scan the results of 35 of the most influential wireline service providers and vendors in this segment, with links to complete coverage of each company. And, as the Q3 season begins, tune in again for coverage of all of the earnings action here at FierceTelecom.

Take a look at the metrics below to see which of the top 13 ILEC service providers slipped and which managed to rise. (Image source: iStockPhoto)

Q2 2013 Roundup--Top ILECs
Carrier	Total Revenue	Access Lines Q2	Access Lines Q1	Broadband Adds	Total Wireline Broadband Subs	Video Adds	M&A
AT&T	$32.1B	30.2M	31.1M	641,000 U-verse; lost 61,000 DSL	9.1M	233,000  U-verse TV	N/A
Verizon	$29.8B	21.8M	22.2M	161,000 FiOS Internet	8.94M	140,000  FiOS Video	N/A
CenturyLink	$4.3B	13.3M	13.6M	Lost 8,400 subscribers	5.9M	12,200 Prism TV subs	Integrating Qwest, Embarq, Savvis assets
Windstream	$1.51B	1.78M	1.81M	7,305 customers	1.7 million	satellite subs	N/A
Frontier	$1.19B	Not reported	Not reported	29,500 DSL	1.8M	15,219 Dish Network*	N/A
FairPoint	$235M	912,678	926,015	2,538 DSL	332,620	Not reported	N/A
TDS Telecom	$223.4M	342,200 residential ILEC access lines	345,500	Lost 400 residential DSL subs	224,500	1,500 IPTV subs	Completed purchase of Baja Broadband
Cincinnati Bell	$312M	550,000	561,400	Added 6,100 Fioptics subs; lost 4,600 legacy DSL subs	261,700 DSL & Fioptics	5,600 Fioptics	Cyrus One IPO
Consolidated Communi-cations	$151.6M	262,581	274,363	2,956	251,306	109,083	Converting SureWest billing systems
Hawaiian Telcom	$97M	394,412	400,364	3,716	89,700	7,200	Integrating Wavecom assets
Shentel	$77.5M	22,419	22,200	12,600 DSL	12,600	62,737 (cable video)	N/A
Lumos Networks	$52.3M	132,318	136,338	497	42,607	101	N/A
HickoryTech	$47.1M	41,124	41,760	1,174	20,538	891	Integrated IdeaOne
* excludes the loss of 203,100 DirecTV subscribers in the third quarter of 2012

AT&T targets 1M business customers with Project VIP, says integrated wireline-wireless is key

August 13, 2013 | By Sean Buckley

AT&T (NYSE: T) is finding that what business customers want is a provider that can solve their problems by bringing them an integrated wireless and wireline solution.

Geisse (Image source: AT&T)

"The key differentiator is our ability to integrate mobility with all of our solutions," said Andy Geisse, CEO of AT&T Business Solutions, during the Oppenheimer Technology, Internet & Communications Conference. "When I am talking to a CIO or a CEO it doesn't matter what technology you have; it's more of a question of how do you solve and fix my problem?"

One example where the provider was able to bring a solution was at Amtrak, which wanted to implement an electronic ticketing process for its patrons using iPhones and other mobile devices.

"To put that solution together, it took not just normal wireless service," Geisse said. "It took finding the right sled to go on that to be able to scan credit cards; it took combining Wi-Fi, cellular and satellite capabilities; and it took a VPN because they wanted to put in our cloud-based service and communicate it back to their data center through a VPN."

AT&T Business is focusing on three strategies to drive business services growth: expanding its core wireline and wireless network platforms including fiber and IP broadband and wireless LTE; differentiating with platforms like cloud; and delivering integrated solutions.

The provider plans to bring fiber to 1 million additional business customer locations as part of its Project VIP initiative, which will serve as the base to deliver these solutions.

"The fiber buildout is critical because it gives us a whole new market to go after, and we're already ahead of the build there," Geisse said. "We expect to pass 250,000 business locations by the end of the year, and it's a base for us to build other things on top."  

Leveraging its mix of fiber-based and wireless-based network platforms, AT&T is offering a mix of cloud-based services and integrated solutions such as mobility and collaboration.

Complementing its own cloud efforts, AT&T is working with other partners such as IBM and CSC to help business customers to get the cost benefits of cloud services while maintaining security.
"With IBM we opened up the control plane of our network and they integrated their cloud capability to it," Geisse said. "If you're a CIO and you're on AT&T's VPN capability, their cloud capability is one more node off your network."

As its customers look to improve productivity, the provider is getting more requests for solutions that integrate wireless and wireline capabilities.

In addition to Amtrak, AT&T is seeing demand for integrated services with a range of other large business and government customers such as the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).

USPS recently awarded AT&T Federal two contracts to provide VPN connectivity services to USPS' retail and support locations throughout its 50-state U.S. footprint and Managed Trusted Internet Protocol Service (MTIPS).
"Part of the deployment was a normal Virtual Private Network connecting 9,500 of their post offices," Geisse said. "The other part of it was they wanted to move to mobility in terms of scanning packages, track(ing) those packages, but do it in such a way to not have to go out and buy computers and smart phones for everyone."
The telco's move to offer integrated mobile and wireline solutions to businesses is making sizeable contributions to its business services revenue mix.

In 2012, strategic business services, which consist of wireline services such as Ethernet, grew over 15 percent and are approaching 25 percent of total revenues in business wireline. Looking forward to 2015, it expects that these segments will make up two-thirds of their revenue.  

During Q2 2013, AT&T's strategic business services were $2.1 billion, up 15 percent year-over-year.
Geisse said the carrier "can continue to grow by not just by putting that base platform in but start growing on top of that other things, including security, solution providers, and mobility solutions."

Windstream mulls formation of holding company

August 9, 2013 | By Sean Buckley

Windstream (Nasdaq: WIN) is considering forming a new publicly traded holding parent company for Windstream and its various subsidiaries. Under the proposed structure, the existing Windstream Corp. would become a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of the public trading company which would be the holding company.

The telco said during its Q2 earnings call that the "modified ownership design would enhance Windstream's corporate structure, strengthen its credit profile and provide greater financial flexibility."

When the new holding company is formed, the telco's current dividend practice is expected to remain the same.

At this point, it appears that Windstream is exploring its options. It plans to make a final decision on how the holding company would be structure after it completes its analysis and gets necessary approvals.
"The reason why we are evaluating Holdco, Windstream has been very acquisitive in the past and right now we kind of have a clear day, we are really focused on integrating PAETEC and given the relatively good performance in the credit markets coupled with limited regulatory activity we thought now it would be a good time to go out there and pursue Holdco," said Tony Thomas, CFO of Windstream during the earnings call.

You May Be Entitled to a Cash Payment from a Class Action Settlement Fund if Apple Denied Warranty Coverage for Your iPhone or iPod touch Because Apple Stated Your Device Had Been Damaged by Liquid

Claim #: 26318027001 You May Be Entitled to a Cash Payment from a Class Action Settlement Fund if Apple Denied Warranty Coverage for Your iPhone or iPod touch Because Apple Stated Your Device Had Been Damaged by Liquid  The United States District Court, Northern District of California, authorized this notice. The Court will have a hearing to consider whether to approve the settlement, so that benefits may be paid. This is not a solicitation from an attorney.

This settlement affects you if Apple denied warranty coverage because Apple stated that your iPhone or iPod touch had been damaged by liquid. The settlement will create a $53 million fund that will be used to pay eligible Settlement Class Members and to pay incentive awards to the Class Representatives and attorneys' fees and costs to Class Counsel, as approved by the Court (the "Settlement Fund"). If you qualify, you may send in a claim form to ask for payment, or you can exclude yourself from the settlement, or object. To receive a payment from the Settlement Fund, you must submit a claim form to the settlement administrator on or before October 21, 2013. You may obtain a claim form by clicking HERE or by visiting www.AppleWarrantySettlement.com/Landing.aspx. If you don't want a payment and don't want to be legally bound by the settlement, you must exclude yourself by December 4, 2013. If you stay in the class, you may object to the settlement by December 4, 2013. Please see the Detailed Notice described below for more information about excluding yourself or objecting. The remainder of this email message contains a summary of important information about the terms of the settlement and about your legal rights. Please read it carefully. You may visit www.AppleWarrantySettlement.com or call 1-855-282-8115 to obtain additional important information, including a Detailed Notice that describes the settlement more fully and provides instructions on how to exclude yourself or object.

Summary of the Class Action Settlement and Your Legal Rights What's This About?

The lawsuit claimed that Apple wrongfully denied warranty coverage by stating that iPhones and iPod touches had been damaged by liquid because a Liquid Contact Indicator ("LCI") (also known as a Liquid Submersion Indicator), which is visible through the headphone jack or through the dock connector port, had turned pink or red. Apple denies all allegations and is entering into this settlement to avoid burdensome and costly litigation. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by Apple.

Who's Affected?

The Settlement Class is composed of people who meet the following criteria: (1) U.S. residents who are or were the owners of an iPhone or iPod touch; (2) which was submitted to Apple for warranty coverage on or before December 31, 2009, for an iPhone, or on or before June 30, 2010, for an iPod touch; (3) while that iPhone or iPod touch was covered by Apple's one-year limited warranty coverage or, if applicable, the AppleCare Protection Plan; and (4) Apple denied warranty coverage because Apple stated that the iPhone or iPod touch had been damaged by liquid.

What Can You Get from the Settlement?

Apple has agreed to create a $53 million Settlement Fund. The fund will be used to pay eligible Settlement Class Members, and also to pay incentive awards to the Class Representatives of up to $1,000 each and attorneys' fees and costs to Class Counsel, not to exceed 30% ($15.9 million) of the $53 million Settlement Fund, for their services as approved by the Court. Apple has reserved the right to object to the amount of attorneys' fees, costs and incentive awards. Any undistributed funds will be disbursed to one or more non-profit entities approved by the Court. Apple has also agreed to separately pay for the cost of notice and settlement administration. The amount you receive from the settlement will depend on a number of factors, including the type of device you owned and the number of Class Members eligible to receive payment from the Settlement Fund. Your share of the Settlement Fund will be determined by the type (i.e., iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPod touch) and configuration (i.e., 4, 8, 16, 32, or 64 gigabytes) of the device for which you sought warranty coverage from Apple. The amounts are listed in the chart below. The amounts represent the average amounts paid to Apple for replacement of each device type and configuration. The exact amount of the share you receive may be higher or lower than the amounts listed below, depending on the total number of Settlement Class Members eligible for a payment and the type and configuration of their devices. No eligible Settlement Class Member will receive more than 200% of the amount listed below for their device type and configuration.

Device Type & Configuration Average Replacement Amount iPhone   4GB $215 8GB $260 16GB $300 iPhone 3G   8GB $215 16GB $215 iPhone 3GS   16GB $215 32GB $215 iPod touch   8GB $160 16GB $215 32GB $265 iPod touch (2nd Gen)   8GB (Sep '08) $125 8GB (Sep '09) $105 16GB $160 32GB $210 iPod touch (3rd Gen)   32GB $160 64GB $215

There will be only one cash payment per device (as identified by its unique serial number).

How Do You Get a Payment?

If you qualify, you must submit a claim form to the settlement administrator on or before October 21, 2013 to receive a payment from the Settlement Fund. You may obtain a claim form by clicking HERE or by visiting www.AppleWarrantySettlement.com/Landing.aspx. After your claim form is received, it will be reviewed by the settlement administrator. If your claim is deemed valid, a check from the Settlement Fund will be mailed to you if the Court approves the settlement and the time to appeal has passed. We do not know when that will be. Please be patient. If your mailing address changes after you submit your claim but before you receive your check, you must notify the settlement administrator within 45 days after the change. Please update your address by clicking HERE or by visiting www.AppleWarrantySettlement.com. A Detailed Notice contains further information about the settlement. Just call the number or visit the website below to get one.

What Are Your Options?

If you wish to receive a payment, you must submit a valid claim by October 21, 2013. If you don't want a payment and don't want to be legally bound by the settlement, you must exclude yourself by December 4, 2013, or you won't be able to sue, or continue to sue, Apple about the legal claims in this case. If you exclude yourself, you can't get a payment from this settlement. To exclude yourself, mail a letter stating that you want to be excluded to the following address: In re Apple iPhone/iPod Warranty Litigation Exclusions at Apple Warranty Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 43184, Providence, RI 02940-3184. You must include your name, address, telephone number, signature, the type of device for which you were denied warranty coverage (i.e., iPhone or iPod touch), and the approximate date when and the Apple store location where you were denied coverage. If you stay in the class, you may object to the settlement by December 4, 2013. To object, mail a letter addressed to In re Apple iPhone/iPod Warranty Litigation, Case No. 10-01610, and send to both of the addresses below. You must include your name, address, telephone number, signature, the type of device for which you were denied warranty coverage (i.e., iPhone or iPod touch), the approximate date when and the Apple store location where you were denied coverage, the serial number of the device (or the Apple ID for the iTunes account you used with the device), and the reasons you object to the settlement.

Clerk of the Court United States District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division 450 Golden Gate Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102 Settlement Administrator Apple Warranty Settlement Administrator P.O. Box 43184 Providence, RI 02940-3184

The Court will hold a hearing in this case (In re Apple iPhone/iPod Warranty Litigation, Case No. 10-01610 (N.D. Cal.)) on January 29, 2014, 1:30 p.m. to consider whether to approve the settlement and whether to approve the incentive awards and attorneys' fees and costs sought. The fairness hearing and other dates may change by order of the Court without further notice. Any changes will be posted to the Settlement Website. You may ask to speak at the hearing, but you don't have to. For more information, including a Detailed Notice, go to www.AppleWarrantySettlement.com, call 1-855-282-8115, or write to Apple Warranty Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 43184, Providence, RI 02940-3184.

AT&T wins $53.5M in data network contracts with U.S. Postal Service

August 6, 2013 | By Sean Buckley

AT&T Federal (NYSE: T) has been awarded two contracts by the U.S. Postal Service to provide data network connectivity and network security.

Under the first contract, which is worth over $50 million, AT&T will provide data connectivity services to USPS' retail and support locations throughout its 50-state U.S. footprint.

With the second $3.5 million USPS win, AT&T will provide Managed Trusted Internet Protocol Service (MTIPS) to USPS headquarters in Washington, D.C., and two major USPS data centers, one in California and the other in Minnesota.

The General Services Administration developed MTIPS to allow US Federal agencies to connect securely to the public Internet and other external connections.

Winning the USPS award comes amidst a flurry of new contract wins and a leadership transition in the federal group. In addition to the USPS, AT&T won a spot on the GSA Region 4 Integrated Telecommunications Services contract (GRITS II), supporting federal customers in the Southeast Sunbelt Region and on the HP-led team for the Navy's Next Generation Enterprise Network contract.

In February this year, the telco appointed 25-year government contractor veteran Kay Kapoor to head up the unit. Before coming to AT&T, Kapoor was the CEO Accenture Federal Services, the company's federal business unit. Earlier, she held management positions with ITT Corporation and Lockheed Martin.

Google Fiber takes on AT&T, TWC in Prairie Village, Kan.

August 6, 2013 | By Sean Buckley

Google Fiber (Nasdaq: GOOG) has named Prairie Village, Kan. as the next area where it plans to offer fiber to the premises (FTTP) service after gaining city council approval.

The service provider will face off against incumbent telco AT&T (NYSE: T) and cable MSO Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC), which offer speeds of up to 25 and 100 Mbps, respectively, in Prairie Village.

It did not specify a timeline when it would begin offering service in the city. Rachel Hack, Google Fiber community manager, said that "as soon as we have more information about timing, we'll post it right here" on its Fiber Blog page.

In related news, the service provider announced new September deadlines for 28 more fiberhoods in both Kansas City, Kan. and Kansas City, Mo.

The past few months have been a busy time for Google. Outside of Kansas City, the service provider announced plans to take its service to Austin, Texas and Provo, Utah in addition to expanding into Shawnee, Kan., and Lee's Summit, Mo.

Late last month, Google Fiber finalized its deal to acquire iProvo, the fiber network owned by the city of Provo, Utah. In Provo it will face off against local incumbent telco CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) and cable MSO Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA).

Balloon WiFi from Google set to bring free Internet to remote areas

Ambitious WiFi project from Google

Google just announced another pioneer project to offer Internet access to remote areas of the world. The aim of Project Loon is to provide free balloon WiFi internet access to disaster-stricken, rural or poor areas.

They revealed that they already operate a network of  30 WiFi balloons floating over New Zealand at 19 kilometers in the air.

“The idea may sound a bit crazy – and that’s part of the reason we’re calling it Project Loon – but there’s solid science behind it” the company representatives said.

Google X director of product management Mike Cassidy said the aim is to provide more affordable internet connections around the world. In many African nations, for example, monthly internet costs are higher than monthly salaries.

How will balloon WiFi work?

The system is still in tests as they’re trying to figure out how to steer the balloons and keep them on route. The goal  is to have them in the air for up to 100 days, in Australia by mid-2014 and also in Argentina.

This project clearly represents another of Google’s forays into telecom business. In the previous years the company has been setting up Google Fibre internet connections in Kansas City, Austin, Texas and elsewhere that offer speeds 100 times faster than what most consumers have today.

Do have a look at the cool video below to find out more about the project and how the balloon WiFi technology works.

It’s going to take 1-2 more years for balloon WiFi to be part of people’s lives, but if you want to enjoy Internet freedom and mobility please have a look at our MiFi directory and find a portable wifi provider where you’re travelling!
Let us know if you hear about more interesting WiFi innovations around the world!

Telecom leaders, analysts debate IP transition regulations in Senate hearing

July 25, 2013 | By Samantha Bookman

Industry executives and association leaders including Windstream's (Nasdaq: WIN) Jeff Gardner, COMPTEL's Jerry James, and NCTA's Shirley Bloomfield joined analyst Larry Downes and Public Knowledge's Gigi Sohn to testify Thursday in front of the Senate Commerce Committee in a hearing--the fourth in a series--on the impending transition off the traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) to IP technologies.

It was in every way a discussion about what's next for telecommunications. But the biggest issue lay in how much regulation, if any, should be created or revised as providers shift away from the PSTN.

While several topics were on the table--technology transition, FCC governance, rural access to voice and Internet services, the cord-cutting trend, and call completion problems--the question of maintaining competitiveness while continuing to both innovate and provide reliable services stayed at the forefront.

"We must create a pro competition industry for the IP era," said Gardner--also president of broadband advocacy organization US Telecom--who pointed out that wireless relies upon wireline technologies like backhaul. "The wireline network remains the linchpin. LTE (and other wireless technologies) all rely on robust wireline networks. Last year wireline networks handled 98 percent of total data traffic."

COMPTEL's Jerry James saw it as a simple technology transition. "This is not about the Internet, but just a different signaling protocol," he told the committee. The biggest issues from his organization's point of view are last-mile access and interconnection, but he felt that the current regulations, formulated in the 1996 Telecom Act, should continue to apply.

Analyst Downes said that regulating IP communications would stifle 15 years of rapid innovation and growth that have brought the industry to where it is. He said the FCC's proposed IP transition trials will answer many of the questions regulators and providers have about the migration.

"Many of those commenting (to the FCC) raise dramatic doomsday scenarios. But conducting the trials will make abundantly clear which (issues) are real and which aren't," he said. "Technology entrepreneurs believe the best solution to a technology problem is more technology. Not more regulation."

But Bloomfield and Sohn were deeply worried about the effect that nonregulated, competition-dependent IP services will have in rural areas that are typically underrepresented in these types of discussions.
"Some believe the transition should be a glidepath to eliminating FCC oversight," Sohn told the panel. Both she and Bloomfield pointed out that one of the worst problems for rural customers is dropped or incomplete phone calls.

On an IP-based network, latency or other issues sometimes trap calls and don't let them go through. "In a world ruled by competition, this doesn't get fixed," said Sohn, who said the FCC needs to enforce regulations on call completion while it still can.

Bloomfield said the "call completion epidemic" was part of several problems faced by rural carriers trying to navigate the Universal Service Fund, which is plagued by cuts, caps, and other restraints. She felt the FCC needs to review what is already in place for USF, and wait for an expected GAO report to be published, before making any more changes to the fund.

Sohn used the controversy raging around Verizon's (NYSE: VZ) Voice Link rollout on Fire Island, N.Y., as a prime example of the way critical services could be lost when transitioning to a new technology without thinking about its impact. She cited comments to the New York Public Service Commission from full-time island residents that outlined gaps in basic service on the Voice Link system, such as not being able to make emergency calls or get remote monitoring of pacemakers.

"These are not luxuries, they are necessities, and in many cases a matter of life or death," she said.

SAP HANA presentation featuring Savvis President Jeff Von Deylen

FiOS Quantum 500 Megabits Per Second... The Future or Futuristic?

AT&T U-verse subs top 9.4 million in Q2, 45 Mbps speeds coming soon

July 23, 2013 | By Sue Marek

AT&T's (NYSE: T) U-verse business continues be a feather in the telecom operator's wireline cap. The company reported U-verse revenues were up 30.1 percent year-over-year, with the IP service now contributing more than half of the wireline consumer business revenues. In addition, U-verse total subscriber count topped 9.4 million in the quarter.

U-verse revenues, including business, were $5.6 billion, up 2.4 percent from a year ago and up 1.8 percent from the first quarter 2013. U-Verse now represents 51 percent of consumer revenues, up from 41 percent in the same quarter last year.

During the company's earnings conference call, AT&T CFO John Stephens said that U-Verse is now a $12 billion revenue stream for the company. "Not bad for a business that just started seven years ago," Stephens noted. "We know how to build and scale new businesses," he added.

Interestingly, the company also reported that average revenue per user for U-Verse triple play customers is more than $170.  And overall ARPU is up 9 percent year-over- year.

Regarding Project VIP, the $14 billion initiative AT&T embarked upon late last year to upgrade its wireline network to an all IP-infrastructure, Stephens said that the company plans to boost  U-Verse speeds to 45 Mbps in the coming months, and then progress to 75 Mbps and eventually up to 100 Mbps speeds. In addition, he said that the company will increase U-verse broadband locations by 1.3 million this year.

Here's a rundown of other key metrics in the quarter:
Financials: AT&T's wireline revenue was $14.8 billion, down 0.9 percent vs. the year-ago quarter and up 0.8 percent sequentially. Operating expenses were $13.1 billion, up 1.3 percent vs. the second quarter 2012.

Broadband: U-Verse added 641,000 broadband subs in the quarter for a total reach of 9.1 million subs. The company had a net loss of 61,000 wireline broadband subscribers .  U-Verse high-speed internet customers now represent 55 percent of all wireline broadband customers compared with 50 percent in the year-ago quarter.
About 50 percent of U-Verse customers have plans with speeds delivering up to 10 Mbps or higher, up from 52 percent in the year-earlier quarter. More than 90 percent of new U-Verse TV customers also signed for high-speed Internet.

Video: U-Verse video subs increased 233,000 in the quarter with total customers now at more than 5 million. In addition, U-Verse TV penetration is at 20.1 percent at the end of the quarter and is growing.

Business services:  AT&T's business services revenue was $8.9 billion, down 2.2 percent vs. the year-ago quarter but up slightly from the first quarter of 2013. Stephens noted that the economy continues to be challenging but AT&T saw some growth in advanced business solutions, which includes VPN, Ethernet and hosting services, which grew 15 percent vs. the year-earlier quarter, and those services represent a $8.4 billion revenue stream.

Google's 2013 data center spending nears $3B

July 21, 2013 | By Dan O'Shea

While Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) second quarter earnings report last week for the most part disappointed Wall Street, details of the Internet giant's spending on its data center footprint may have given chills to other data center operators. According to the earnings report, Google spent $1.6 billion in the second quarter alone on its rapidly expanding data center footprint.

This outlay comes after Google invested about $1.2 billion in its data centers in the first quarter of 2013. With $2.8 billion put into its data centers through the first half of the year, the company is on pace to spend more on its data centers in 2013 than in any previous year. That is impressive, considering it invested $3.43 billion in data center buildouts in 2011, and then roughly $3.45 billion in 2012.

In the last two years or so, the data center market has been growing beyond anyone's wildest expectations, as telcos have joined Internet giants like Google, Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN) and Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), as well as other independent data center operators and wholesale telecom providers. Some telcos have bought their way into the market, but after getting a glimpse at Google's billion dollars-plus expense every quarter, they may gain some new perspective on where they rank in the data center world.

'Free iPhone' Text Message Spammer Settles FTC Charges

An Internet marketer has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that he blasted consumers with millions of deceptive spam text messages.

Henry Nolan Kelly was the subject of one of a series of FTC complaints filed in March against those responsible for sending millions of spam text messages to consumers with false promises of free gift cards or expensive electronic devices.

The complaint against Kelly alleged that he sent more than 20 million unwanted text messages to consumers across the country, offering supposedly free iPhones and iPads to those who clicked on links in the messages. Those who clicked were instead taken to sites that requested substantial personal information and required an elaborate process – often involving other purchases or paid subscriptions – to be eligible for the “free” devices.

The stipulated final order against Kelly prohibits him from having any involvement with the sending of unsolicited or unwanted text messages to consumers. In addition, Kelly will be prohibited from misleading consumers about whether they have won gifts or prizes, whether a product is “free,” and from using text messages to do the same.

The order against Kelly also imposes a monetary judgment of $60,950, which is all of the money that he received in connection with the text message spamming scam. The financial judgment is suspended due to Kelly’s inability to pay. Kelly must also cooperate with the FTC in any future investigations. 

The Commission vote approving each of the stipulated final orders was 4-0. The stipulated judgment was entered by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on July 17, 2013. 

NOTE: Stipulated orders have the force of law when signed and approved by the District Court judge. (FTC File No. X130041; the staff contact is Robin Rock, 404-656-1368.)

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.

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Jay Mayfield
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Related Items:

Federal Trade Commission, Plaintiff v. Henry Nolan Kelly, Defendant.
(United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia)
Case No. 1:13-cv-00647
File No. 132 3057
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HAPPY 4th OF JULY!

In Congress, July 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation: For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies: For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends. We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Intel has this poll on their Solution Provider website.

It addresses a serious dialog which is complacency (I realize I just lost 99% of those reading this). The truth is decision makers identify needs and roll the project down the corporate ladder. The fortunate one that receives the project calls their vendor who scrolls through their product list and finds the most suitable product or service and provides the pricing.

What if there is something better? How would you know?

(The 1 % remaining) Now you're saying to yourself but I use the best manufacturer in the world so they are going to have exactly what I need. Are they?

LKC was built with this exact concept in mind, we utilize the best companies and we aide the process of selecting the right product or service that meets your needs and your company doesn't pay for our assistance, the vendors do. We do not wholesale, markup or otherwise influence additional costs. Once we have assisted with the selection process you buy directly through the OEM or service provider .

So, when was the last time you evaluated your vendors.

When was the last time you evaluated your vendors and adjusted your list of partners?

15 survey takers responded to this question

Six months ago, and we dropped several and gained others 6.67% [ 1 ] Six months ago, but our changes were rather minor 20.00% [ 3 ] One year ago, and we dropped several and gained others 20.00% [ 3 ] One year ago, but our changes were rather minor 6.67% [ 1 ] More than a year ago 13.33% [ 2 ] You evaluate your partners? 33.33% [ 5 ]