Customers implement 80 percent of telecom consultants' vendor-specific recommendations

Mendham, NJ, June 10, 2008 -- The Brookside Group (www.brooksidegroup.com), the recognized authority on the US and Canadian Independent Telecom Consultant market for more than a decade, announced the release of its annual 2008 State of the Market Study. The Market Study – which includes telecom consultant market definition, segmentation, size, growth, services, market role and influence – is compiled annually by Brookside leveraging the industry's most comprehensive database of telecom consultants.

An Enterprise or SMB customer typically retains an Independent Telecom Consultant to assess, recommend or optimize telecom services and technologies. With the advent of Unified Communications and its inherent complexities, demand for these services is growing.

Telecom Consultants’ Annual Impact On Sales Pegged At More Than 20%

The Brookside Group’s 2008 State of the Market Study (www.brooksidegroup.com/Report2008.htm) finds that telecom consultants, through their customer engagements, continue to influence more than 20 percent of the annual sales of telecom products and services (Enterprise and SMB). Telecom consultants' experience and insight about vendor products and services enable them to play this vital role in customers' technology strategies and purchases.

The 2008 State of the Market Study covers consultant activity and market influence in all the major voice, data and IP network services and equipment categories, for both the enterprise and SMB client market segments. Through a methodology that includes ongoing electronic and live surveys, The Brookside Group also tracks who the telecom consultants are, what they need and want from industry vendors, and the key trends emerging in their community.

Highlights from the 2008 Market Study include:

More than 85 percent of telecom consultants recommend vendor solutions to their clients; almost 30 percent recommend more than $10 million in products and services annually

Telecom consultant use by the SMB market is growing as solutions for this segment grow increasingly complex

An increasing number of consulting firms offer network design/infrastructure engineering services

Vendor consultant programs continue to be a trusted source for consultants; major equipment vendors continue to dominate the ‘Top 5' list
To download the full report or request a briefing, please visit The Brookside Group, at www.brooksidegroup.com/Report2008.htm.

About the Brookside Group
The Brookside Group, LLC (www.brooksidegroup.com) is a leader and pioneer in the field of influence channel marketing and research in the telecommunications industry. Since 1993, it has helped telecom equipment vendors and network services providers develop, implement and measure effective programs and channels designed to leverage the market influence of industry consultants.
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Press Contact:
Larry Lisser
Brookside Group
Mendham, NJ,
4152877779
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http://www.brooksidegroup.com