GNG News Guy
04-25-2008, 03:20 PM
http://i.dslr.net/urls/90/46690.gif (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/One-Technicians-SunrocketTeleblend-Post-Mortem-93900)
When independent VoIP provider SunRocket utterly imploded (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/86122) last summer, a company by the name of USA Telephone decided they'd take the opportunity to try their hand at the VoIP Business. The company created a new company named "TeleBlend," purchased "certain limited strategic assets" of SunRocket, and then paid SunRocket's liquidators to send fleeing sunrocket customers an e-mail calling Teleblend an "outstanding replacement service" -- despite the fact they technically didn't exist before SunRocket's demise.
Except the tiny company really couldn't handle the influx of already annoyed customers, which made an already very messy situation considerably worse. One Teleblend support technician has written a short post mortem of sorts (http://www.thegng.org/forum/r20383531-) now that he's no longer supporting the service. He notes that CEO Bill Fogg (who failed to calm angry users (http://www.thegng.org/forum/r18744885-Official-TeleBlend-Interview-thread-with-CEO) in our forums) is no longer on board.A lot of the trouble you faced as customers in the beginning, and I did within the company really came down to some very poor managerial decisions. From what I understand, those people who were responsible are gone now. Michale Carbenou, Bill Fogg, and head tech McDougal have all parted ways for various reasons. I can say without a doubt, these people made it very difficult for myself and the people I worked with to be effective in any way, shape or form. Granted, not everything was their fault, but what made most people so upset was the lack of information, misinformation, and lack of support.
While he notes that things are starting to smooth out at Teleblend, he can't in good conscience recommend them to anybody (go figure). According to the company's website (http://www.teleblend.net/), they still aren't taking new customers, which means they still exist solely to service SunRocket refugees with whatever executives remain.
SunRocket employees also place that company's demise on dysfunctional management. The person who takes most of the blame is former CEO Lisa Hook, who is now making $450,000 a year for a directory services company named Neustar (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/90635). Hook bailed from the failing VoIP provider a week before anybody bothered to tell Sunrocket customers the company was going under. Stellar managerial work all around, and a tale of telecom dysfunction for the ages.
When independent VoIP provider SunRocket utterly imploded (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/86122) last summer, a company by the name of USA Telephone decided they'd take the opportunity to try their hand at the VoIP Business. The company created a new company named "TeleBlend," purchased "certain limited strategic assets" of SunRocket, and then paid SunRocket's liquidators to send fleeing sunrocket customers an e-mail calling Teleblend an "outstanding replacement service" -- despite the fact they technically didn't exist before SunRocket's demise.
Except the tiny company really couldn't handle the influx of already annoyed customers, which made an already very messy situation considerably worse. One Teleblend support technician has written a short post mortem of sorts (http://www.thegng.org/forum/r20383531-) now that he's no longer supporting the service. He notes that CEO Bill Fogg (who failed to calm angry users (http://www.thegng.org/forum/r18744885-Official-TeleBlend-Interview-thread-with-CEO) in our forums) is no longer on board.A lot of the trouble you faced as customers in the beginning, and I did within the company really came down to some very poor managerial decisions. From what I understand, those people who were responsible are gone now. Michale Carbenou, Bill Fogg, and head tech McDougal have all parted ways for various reasons. I can say without a doubt, these people made it very difficult for myself and the people I worked with to be effective in any way, shape or form. Granted, not everything was their fault, but what made most people so upset was the lack of information, misinformation, and lack of support.
While he notes that things are starting to smooth out at Teleblend, he can't in good conscience recommend them to anybody (go figure). According to the company's website (http://www.teleblend.net/), they still aren't taking new customers, which means they still exist solely to service SunRocket refugees with whatever executives remain.
SunRocket employees also place that company's demise on dysfunctional management. The person who takes most of the blame is former CEO Lisa Hook, who is now making $450,000 a year for a directory services company named Neustar (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/90635). Hook bailed from the failing VoIP provider a week before anybody bothered to tell Sunrocket customers the company was going under. Stellar managerial work all around, and a tale of telecom dysfunction for the ages.