What's cooking with the carriers

Enterprise IT execs love to ask me, "Which carrier's the best?" I hate that question, because the only honest answer is "It depends." Specifically, it depends on how big you are, what services you require, what geographies you require them in, how much you're willing to pay, and how long you want to spend in negotiations.

But I've learned that when folks ask that, what they really want is a snapshot of how the carriers are doing overall. So with the caveat that the right carrier for you depends on the answers to all the questions above, here's the current snapshot:

AT&T: From what executives at enterprises report, the new AT&T has been doing formidably well at winning and retaining enterprise business. Whether it's the incumbent, or trying to entice new customers, AT&T seems to be willing to go to the mat during negotiations to deliver premium services at affordable prices. And it's more proactive and responsive than ever before - good news for current and prospective customers.

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Enterprise IT execs love to ask me, "Which carrier's the best?" I hate that question, because the only honest answer is "It depends." Specifically, it depends on how big you are, what services you require, what geographies you require them in, how much you're willing to pay, and how long you want to spend in negotiations.

But I've learned that when folks ask that, what they really want is a snapshot of how the carriers are doing overall. So with the caveat that the right carrier for you depends on the answers to all the questions above, here's the current snapshot:

AT&T: From what executives at enterprises report, the new AT&T has been doing formidably well at winning and retaining enterprise business. Whether it's the incumbent, or trying to entice new customers, AT&T seems to be willing to go to the mat during negotiations to deliver premium services at affordable prices. And it's more proactive and responsive than ever before - good news for current and prospective customers.

The only apparent downside: accounting and legal systems seem to have reverted to the (bad old) days of yore, so getting contract terms and conditions nailed down and processed through accounting isn't as painless as it could be. But overall, AT&T seems to be growing its enterprise leadership position.

Verizon: Verizon's continuing to stay highly competitive in enterprise wireless - it's the de facto standard for companies with the right geographical footprint (albeit with prices to match). Moreover, Verizon Business (the former MCI) is living up to its historical track record by moving forward aggressively with a portfolio of advanced service offerings.

Where the company seems to stumble is in execution. Too often, for instance, the wireless and wireline sales teams don't engage each other, meaning that business is left on the table.

I'm also hearing grumbles about installation times and SNAFUs - something the old MCI was notorious for but that we'd hoped Verizon's process-orientation had overcome.

Sprint: Sprint seems to have gotten distracted by the Nextel merger. Word among enterprise IT execs is that Sprint has gotten noticeably less aggressive about garnering and supporting enterprise landline business. That's a shame, because the company had some of the most solid technology and services. (In Nemertes' 2005 WAN benchmark, for example, Sprint's management portal was rated hands-down the best.) By taking its eye off the ball, Sprint has opened opportunities for its competition.

Other carriers: 75% of enterprises report a willingness to consider "alternative providers," whether up-and-comers such as Masergy and Megapath, resurgent "fallen angels" like Global Crossing, more traditional players like Qwest, or international players such as Orange. The big challenge for these folks: Getting invited to the table.

So for carriers, it's time to up the ante. Keep in mind that the market's competitive, and nobody has a lock on the mantle of "best provider" now.

And for enterprise IT execs, the selection's never been better. Invite every carrier you know to bid on your RFP - and may the best provider(s) win.

Read more about lans & wans in Network World's LANs & WANs section.