ACT Conferencing's Portfolio Has Evolved with the Times

Twenty-five years ago, teleconferencing was one of the only tools businesses had at their disposal to connect disparate employees or chat with multiple clients far away. And Golden, Colo.-based ACT Conferencing was founded to be the premier purveyor of that technology on a global level.

But over time, technology changes. And businesses that wish to remain relevant change with it. And ACT has, by diversifying its portfolio of offerings to remain on the cutting edge of conferencing technology.

“Today, ACT covers the gamut—audio, web, webcasting, video conferencing managed and hosted virtual meeting rooms,” Gary Iles, ACT’s vice president of marketing and sales, told TMCnet at ITEXPO (News - Alert) earlier this week. “We’re a small company that goes the extra yard for our customers. We truly are a global company, and we customize our services, providing a high level of service and support for our customers.”

With offices around the world, ACT is a full service provider. Most of the company’s services integrate with each other, meaning customers can get a full complement of services from high-touch events to lowest-touch room-based rentals.

Why did ACT make the trip to ITEXPO?

“We’re announcing the Ascent Partner Program,” Iles said. “It’s a culmination of what we’ve done for 25 years. We’re a carrier’s carrier. We’re coming out of our shell and offering a full turnkey partner portal that will help ensure their success. We’re bringing all the knowledge that we’ve had and delivering it to support channel partners.”

Iles said that 50 percent of ACT’s revenues come from channels, a number he’d like to see inflate to 75 percent in the next two or three years. The company’s partners have grown 60 percent just this year alone, so if the trend continues, it appears the company is in a good position to make that mark.

“We don’t compete with our customers, we don’t compete with our channel partners, unlike other major providers,” Iles said. “Our customers like the story we’ve put together. It’s very encouraging. It means we’re doing something right—people are interested.”

Mobile freedom, coupled with the prevalence of devices, has had a huge impact on the collaborative industry, Iles said, and it’s the most exciting trend he’s observed over the past few years. Employees can work from home, on the road or in cafes with ease. This type of experience—working with all the tools you need to do your job, yet not having to be in the office—is a kind of rich experience that wasn’t achievable just a few years ago.

Combined with the rise of mobile devices, the emergence of WebRTC is opening up conferencing opportunities to literally billions of people, Iles said.

“There’s significant growth opportunities there, and lots of opportunity to channel partners as well,” he said.

What’s next? ACT hopes to deliver VoIP solutions next year. Iles said the company only offers high-quality products, and with the evolution of HD audio, is excited to release a high-quality VoIP solution.