VoIP Supply is planning to announce the launch of "VoIP Fulfillment" at ITEXPO next week, but they gave me a sneak peak at this new offering which technically was a two-year quiet beta they've been working on. Their VoIP Fulfillment offering covers quite a few things, however one of the biggest is they have opened their infrastructure to VoIP service providers, including an API that lets service providers follow the package through the fulfillment process all the way to the customer's door.

VoIP Fulfillment by VoIP Supply is a suite of services specifically designed for VoIP service providers that increase operational efficiency, decreases costs and bolster customer experience. I spoke with VoIP Supply's Garrett Smith - Chief Marketing Officer, Mike Russo - Executive Vice President, and Donald Stefanie - VoIP Service Provider Program Manager to learn more.

First off Garrett mentioned that VoIP Supply has over 700 service provider customer – an impressive number – though not all of them are using their new VoIP Fulfillment services. They actually targeted service providers and resellers back in 2004 when their business first started. However, although VoIP Supply started with the service provider and reseller space, they refocused around 2006/2007 on end users since the margins on hardware were getting squeezed. Now they're targeting SMBs directly at 150 seats and under. They also launched their buyback program during the recession period, which really took off and enabled IT Directors to scrape some cash together from some old telecom equipment. In their first year they purchased about $1 million in used equipment. VoIP supply also has a Refresh (refurbished/reconditional) 10-step program that takes customer's used products, cleans it, fixes it up, replaces broken buttons, and then sells it. Last year they launched their "Deploy" service which is their nationwide installation service.

Garret Smith explained, "You can come to VoIP Supply as an end user customer and you can get your phone system, your hosted system, your networking, your cables, your surveillance system even - completely configured, shipped plug n' play and then have our outsourced installation staff go into your office and do the whole soup-to-nuts installation for you, the testing, the final settings & configurations, and essentially leave you with a brand new working system and you don't have to lift a finger." Garrett added that this service is gaining a lot of traction amongst their service provider customers since they're looking to make it easier for their customers to get started.

Garrett, "Where we differentiate is with the ancillary things, like device consultation and selection. Due to the number of service providers, the number of end user customers, the number of resellers that we touch, the variety and the longevity, we're in a position where service providers can come to us and work with us to find the right fit for their service."

Garrett explained they can take the 1st tier customer support and act as a service providers technical support to answer phones or email as though they were the service provider. They can also do co-branding, add any sort of sticker or collateral and custom brand the packing tape, etc. Garrett explained, "Essentially, we can take the entire back-end infrastructure from a pick, pack, and ship, from a device configuration, a customer service & returns perpective and white label that and act as though we are that service provider."

VoIP Supply sells IP phones, IP cameras, extended warranties, Asterisk hardware, networking equipment, DECT SIP phones, and more. One other interesting offering is that VoIP Supply has a leads generation program that providers 30 leads per day to service providers.

“With VoIP Fulfillment VoIP providers can finally focus on their core business, while an experienced, reliable partner handles the rest,” stated Benjamin P. Sayers at VoIP Supply, LLC. “When service providers no longer have to worry about a warehouse, shipping, returns or even customer service, they have the opportunity to devote more time and resources to things that matter the most to their operation. This means more time and money to spend on improving service quality and increasing customer acquisitions.”

Through VoIP Fulfillment by VoIP Supply, VoIP service providers can leverage the knowledge, expertise and infrastructure that has processed and shipped over $150 million in VoIP equipment orders since 2004. VoIP providers can pick and choose from a variety of services that best improve their operation, including:

• Product provisioning & Assembly
• Product returns processing & Product reconditioning
• Secure warehousing & Global shipping
• Customer service & Extended warranties
• Electronic order integration
• Dedicated account management
• Real time on-demand reporting

Here's a more detailed list of VoIP Fulfillment's services and benefits:

Account Management and Support
Access important operational and service data on-demand in real time from anywhere via your account management portal or live account manager with VoIP Fulfillment’s account management and support services.

Dedicated Account Manager

• Account Management Portal
• Customized Reporting (Inventory / Invoicing / RMA Data / Shipping Tracking Information)
• Real-time access to inventory levels, Auto-replenishment, Serial and MAC address details
• Real-time reporting of: Open Orders, Order History, Inventory and Tracking
• Documentation Management
• Management Reporting
• Customized Phone App

Ordering and Integration
Make VoIP Fulfillment a seamless part of your existing operations by sending and receiving order, customer and returns data without the need for headcount with these electronic ordering and integration services

Order entry via XML API (via HTTP post or SOAP), or Manual Entry

• Full EDI / Internet Accessible Application
• Tracking API, XML Push to your API and Automated Inventory Updates & Email Reporting
• Product Returns API and Detailed Reporting Application
• Customer Service API or Issue Tracking and Integration

Warehousing and Logistics
VoIP Fulfillment eliminates the need and expense of a warehouse while allowing you to leverage the global logistics infrastructure of VoIP Supply.

General & High security Product Warehousing / Storage Capabilities
(North America / South America / UK)

• Pick / Pack / Ship
• Direct to consumer shipping
• Domestic / International Shipping
• Custom Labeling / Blind Shipping
• Reverse Logistics Solutions
• Returns Processing
• Handling/Shipping Returns
• Return Testing / Auditing
• Sprinkler ESFR System
• Certified Flood Free Zone Warehouse

“VoIP Fulfillment has been an excellent partner and has allowed Phone.com to become more efficient and cost effective,” stated Ari Rabban, CEO of Phone.com. “Before partnering with VoIP Fulfillment we encountered some challenges that really could have prevented us from focusing on our core competencies and grow our business at the rate we wanted to. Through VoIP Fulfillment we were able to eliminate the need for a warehouse, staff and the corresponding infrastructure needed to process, ship and return equipment. This fulfillment partnership has allowed us to focus on our core business, become more competitive in the market and is no doubt one of the reasons for our success over the last two years.”

There are no start-up fees or minimum monthly commitments with VoIP Fulfillment by VoIP Supply, making the service offerings ideal for VoIP providers of any size. All VoIP Fulfillment services are backed by an industry leading Service Level Agreement (SLA) that includes workmanship warranties.