The content team at Channel Partners tracks stories of interest to the technology advisor and wider channel communities. Anyone selling communication and connectivity solutions will want to stay abreast of these developing stories or catch up on ones they have missed. All links are valid as of June 10.
Why Midmarket Buyers are Rethinking UCaaS
Midmarket organizations are rethinking their communications platform strategies as they prioritize integration, operational efficiency and compliance. These companies are in a unique buying position, sitting between the flexibility of small businesses and the complexity of enterprises. Read the TechTarget stories.
OpenAI's IPO is Largest Compute Procurement Vehicle in Corporate History
When OpenAI filed its S-1 prospectus with the SEC, the coverage focused almost entirely on the numbers that make financial journalists reach for the record books: a valuation that could exceed $1 trillion, revenues running at approximately $2 billion per month, and Sam Altman’s stated ambition to reach $100 billion in annual revenue by 2027. However, the more significant story is buried beneath the headline valuation, and it has nothing to do with equity markets. Read through the lens of the infrastructure industry, the OpenAI IPO is not primarily a financing event for an AI software company. It is the largest single compute procurement vehicle in corporate history, dressed up as a tech listing. Read the Capacity Global story.
Mitel Drafts Channel Vet to Lead Global Partner Program
Unified communications provider Mitel tapped Ben Macdonald to lead its partner operations as VP of global channel go-to-market. Macdonald is a channel veteran who most recently served as VP of global sales and channels at UC vendor Owl Labs. He will oversee Mitel’s network of more than 6,000 partners. Read the Channel Dive story.
AT&T’s Vendor Swap Moves Full Speed Ahead
AT&T has been ripping Nokia gear out of its wireless network and replacing it with Ericsson, and it’s on track to have that job about 80% done by the end of this year, with the full swap done by early next year. Read the Fierce Network story.
Analyst Says Optimum's Outlook 'More Aspirational than Realistic'
Optimum's new multi-year outlook sees its broadband business stabilizing at 3.8 million subs by the end of 2028. That's a 'tall order,' says New Street Research, which expects broadband losses to continue. See the Light Reading story.
Autonomous Service Still Needs Human Handoff
Autonomous service is not a new idea. Companies have long tried to automate customer-centric tasks to answer routine questions, route customers faster, provide 24/7 support, reduce repetitive work and lower service costs. Done well, that can make customer service more efficient. Done poorly, it can make customers feel trapped in a system that is fast, cheap and unhelpful. Read the TechTarget story.
Behind Rockets, SpaceX Pitches Starlink as Telecom Infrastructure
SpaceX's IPO filing may be filled with talk of Mars colonization, orbital AI data centers, and humanity among the stars. But beneath Elon Musk's space-age rhetoric lies a more terrestrial reality: Starlink is increasingly becoming a major connectivity and networking business. The filing reveals that SpaceX's Connectivity segment generated $11.4 billion in revenue in 2025, nearly three-times the $4.1 billion generated by its launch business. Read the SDxCentral story.
FCC Waives Amazon Leo’s July 2026 Satellite Launch Deadline
The FCC granted Amazon Leo a waiver of its July 2026 satellite deployment deadline, while retaining its July 30, 2029 final deployment deadline. The FCC said the waiver of the interim deadline serves the public interest because Amazon Leo promises to become a second large satellite constellation, after SpaceX’s Starlink, bringing broadband to Americans. The FCC order gives Amazon Leo until July 30, 2029 to deploy its full Gen1 constellation of 3,232 satellites. If Amazon Leo fails to launch its full constellation by that deadline, it will be limited to the total number of its satellites that are operational on that date. Read the Fierce Network story.
AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Join Cable's 'STRIKE' Force
AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and the cable guys compete tooth-and-nail in the market, but they have formed a unified front when it comes to fighting copper theft, fiber cuts and other forms of network vandalism. Initially headed up by NCTA–The Internet & Television Association and SCTE, that initiative – the Strategic Threat Response & Infrastructure Knowledge Exchange, or STRIKE – aims to draw more attention to network vandalism and to frame certain attacks as potential national security threats. STRIKE's goals also include the coordination of intelligence sharing, the establishment of operational protocols and to advance a unified policy strategy. See the Light Reading story.
Apple Bets Cheaper AI Will Woo Small Developers
Apple is hoping to draw in newer developers with lower AI infrastructure costs. During its Worldwide Developers Conference this week, Apple said developers with fewer than 2 million first-time App Store downloads will be able to use its Foundation Models running in Private Cloud Compute, with no cloud API cost. Read the TechCrunch story.
Sagemount-Backed Opex Goes Big in Dallas with Intellys Acquisition
Tech advisory firm Opex Technologies acquired Intellys Corp., deepening its Texas footprint and technical expertise. It’s the North Carolina-based firm’s first major acquisition since accepting a strategic investment from Bregal Sagemount in May 2025. Read the Channel Dive story.
Dell’s Partner Program Refresh Targets AI, Rewards and Simpler Selling
Dell Technologies has been working to transform its longtime partner program, making it easier for partners who help bring its products to customers worldwide. At the Dell annual partner and customer conference in May, the company’s chief partner officer Denise Millard had an update to share: the reimagined Dell Partner Program will launch in August, powered by AI and bringing new benefits, rewards, and improvements for partners that do business with the technology vendor. Read the ChannelE2E story.