Staying Connected

A renewal date is not a strategy, it's a deadline. But in many enterprise technology environments, contract expirations, supplier proposals and budget cycles start driving decisions that should be tied to a larger strategic roadmap. When that happens, customers lose leverage, accept unfavorable contract extensions or lock in terms that limit flexibility before they have time to build better options. In this 11-minute episode of Staying Connected, Tony Mangino is joined by TC2's Larry York to discuss how customers can connect renewal calendars to technology strategy, sourcing plans, contract mechanics and operational priorities so they can make decisions with time, facts and credible alternatives. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Strategic Sourcing webpage.

Enterprise SaaS deals are moving to cloud marketplaces — and resellers are often in the driver's seat. But what looks like a fast, seamless purchase can quickly turn into a legal maze, with three sets of terms and hidden risks around pricing, support, data protection, liability, and termination. In this episode of Staying Connected, Tony Mangino and LB3 Partner Deb Boehling break down the three-party contracting triangle, expose the pitfalls of flow-through obligations, and share practical strategies for legal and procurement teams to protect their interests. If you want to avoid finger-pointing and ensure your protections actually stick, this conversation is a must-listen. To learn more about our SaaS & Software experience, visit our webpage?????

Last Monday, Verizon and BT unexpectedly announced a joint venture that would combine their international enterprise operations. The new business is expected to serve more than 3,000 customers across more than 180 countries, representing roughly $4 billion in combined annual revenue. Their enterprise customers were the last to know. The proposed Verizon/BT joint venture raises an important question for enterprise customers with multinational operations: is this proposed JV simply a new international platform, or is it a signal that Verizon is effectively exiting parts of the enterprise network market?  The Verizon/BT JV will undoubtedly create real confusion around supplier competition, account ownership, contracting entities, pricing leverage, service accountability, and long-term network strategy.  And of course, tie-ups between two competing network providers have a notable history of failure. In this 14-minute episode of Staying Connected, Tony Mangino is joined by TC2's Brent Knight and Ben Fox to discuss what the Verizon/BT joint venture means for multinational enterprise customers, why Verizon's commitment to the enterprise-market is a question worth asking and how enterprise customers can protect their sourcing strategy, contract posture, pricing position and operational control during the transition window. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Strategic Sourcing webpage.  

When an invoice doesn't match the contract, customers need a structured way to understand what was negotiated, what is being used, what the supplier is billing, and where the mismatch is occurring. Without that discipline, recurring billing issues can undermine cost management, renewal readiness, supplier accountability, and confidence in the baseline. In this 12-minute episode of Staying Connected, Tony Mangino is joined by TC2's Theresa Knutson and Jaime Hansen to discuss how enterprise customers can move from invoice frustration to fact-based review, contract compliance, service inventory validation, and root-cause remediation. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Contract Compliance & Optimization webpage.

Cost creep does not necessarily mean an enterprise negotiated a bad deal or lacks robust cost controls. In complex technology environments, spend can rise simply because ordinary changes pile up: legacy services linger, disconnects are incomplete, invoices drift from contract terms, pricing becomes stale, and ownership gets fragmented. Without an active governance model, small issues can quietly become the new baseline. In this 11-minute episode of Staying Connected, Tony Mangino is joined by TC2's Frank Zagrodnik to discuss why cost creep happens even in well-run IT environments and how enterprise customers can use inventory accuracy, contract-to-invoice validation, disconnect discipline, usage review, and ongoing governance to keep technology spend under control. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our IT Cost Management webpage.

A supplier discount or individual price point is not the same thing as a market benchmark. In complex enterprise technology deals, a proposal can look competitive on the surface while leaving major cost, commitment, flexibility, and contract risk untouched. Enterprise customers need to understand not only whether the price is competitive, but whether the overall deal will hold up over time. In this 11-minute episode of Staying Connected, Tony Mangino is joined by TC2's Larry York to discuss benchmarking as a strategic capability - not just a pricing exercise. Tony and Larry explore how market intelligence can help enterprise customers evaluate supplier proposals, identify hidden risks, align stakeholders, and negotiate from a position of strength. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Benchmarking webpage.

The Supreme Court recently ruled on a case involving forfeiture orders assessed against AT&T and Verizon for failing to safeguard customer location information. The FCC forfeiture orders totaled over $100 million in combined penalties.  In this 10-minute episode of Staying Connected, Tony Mangino is joined by LB3 partner Steve Rosen, to address a question that's been hanging over FCC enforcement proceedings for years. In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in FCC v. Jarkesy, are the FCC's forfeiture orders consistent with the Seventh Amendment—can the Commission order you to pay millions of dollars without ever giving you a jury trial? If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Communications Regulatory Advice and Advocacy webpage. 

The latest Gartner Market Guide for Telecom Expense Management Services makes clear that TEM is no longer just about invoice processing, inventory and dispute management, or wireless optimization. The category is expanding into broader technology expense management, cloud, SaaS, UCaaS, IoT, utilities, and even emerging areas like AI license sprawl and API consumption.  Tony Mangino is joined by Theresa Knutson, head of the TC2 IT Cost Management Practice, to review the key updates compared to 2024's Gartner Market Guide and to provide additional market input and insights based on TC2's work with its clients on  competitive RFPs, TEM implementations and TEM health check reviews. 

If your company relies on call centers to support your customers, you'll want to listen to this podcast.  The Federal Communications Commission just put out a sweeping proposal to require the significant onshoring of non-US based call center operations implementation of new customer service standards, such as language proficiency requirements.  FCC mandates would normally only apply to companies that the FCC historically regulates—telecom carriers, cable providers, and wireless and satellite companies, etc.—but in this recent proposal, there's a shocking twist: the Commission is exploring whether to use a somewhat obscure statutory provision to extend its call center customer service mandates and onshoring requirements to any business that uses a U.S. phone number—retailers, banks, healthcare providers, you name it.    In this 12-minute episode of Staying Connected, Tony Mangino and Andrew Brown discuss the proposed rules, why the FCC thinks it has the authority to mandate customer service standards and call center operations of companies it does not regulate, and what enterprise customers need to do before these rules reshape their costs and vendor relationships. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our  Communications Regulatory Advice and Advocacy webpage.

 Organizations invest a significant amount of time and resources conducting major RFPs, renegotiations, and technology transformations. The project delivers meaningful improvements on deal commercials, cost reductions and operational gains.  However, once the deal is done and everyone goes back to their "day jobs", a surprising amount of the value starts to slip away. In this 10-minute episode of Staying Connected, Tony Mangino is joined by TC2's Julie Gardner to discuss how disciplined lifecycle services can preserve deal value between major sourcing events. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Lifecycle Services webpage. Follow us on LinkedIn: TC2 & LB3

When a supplier relationship is broken, performance is poor and expected outcomes are not being delivered, customers don't need more noise, they need more structure. They need to understand what is broken, what outcomes matter most, and what leverage they have to resolve the issues.  Sometimes the right answer is to repair the relationship. Sometimes it is a broader reset. And sometimes the smartest move is to prepare for an exit.  In this 11-minute episode of Staying Connected, Tony Mangino is joined by TC2's Ben Fox to discuss why the best approach to repairing a broken supplier relationship is to move out of reactive mode and into an evidence-based, commercially disciplined plan. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Disputes & Workouts webpage.

Colocation discussions usually start with the obvious questions: which provider, which geographic market, and what's the price? Those questions matter, but they are not where real value is won or lost. In this 9-minute episode of Staying Connected, Tony Mangino and  Larry York of TC2 discuss the colocation requirements the enterprise must define before sourcing gets underway. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our  Strategic Sourcing webpage.

In 2026, enterprise customers are transitioning from broad sustainability goals to evidence-based supplier requirements across key IT categories.  In this 10-minute episode of Staying Connected, TC2's Tony Mangino joins LB3's Deb Boehling to discuss how embedded and measurable sustainable sourcing practices can help manage risk, control costs, and drive supplier accountability. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Strategic Sourcing  and Network Services Transactions  webpages.

In almost every major technology deal you'll find tension between "lowest cost" and "total value." On paper, the lowest-priced proposal can look like the obvious win. But when you account for lifecycle cost, commercial flexibility, execution risk, and the impact on the broader roadmap, that apparent bargain can become a very expensive decision to live with.  In this 9-minute episode of Staying Connected, Larry York from TC2 joins Tony Mangino to discuss how enterprise buyers can move from a "lowest cost wins" mentality to a disciplined total-value approach. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Strategic Sourcing and IT Cost Management webpages. 

When companies say they're "buying Zoom," what are they actually purchasing? In this 10-minute episode of Staying Connected, Theresa Knutson and Julie Gardner join Tony Mangino, for a deep dive discussion on negotiating Zoom enterprise agreements—specifically software, professional services, and transport components. They also unpack tricky contract terms and how service alternatives and benchmarking can strengthen your negotiating position. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our IT Cost Management and Strategic Sourcing webpages. Follow us on LinkedIn: LB3 & TC2

As the FCC prepares for a congressionally-mandated auction of upper C-band spectrum sought for 5G, aviation safety experts warn those frequencies are dangerously adjacent to aircraft radio altimeters. In this 8-minute episode of Staying Connected, Steve Rosen from LB3 joins Tony Mangino to discuss the technical and financial challenges that come with upper C-band spectrum and the risk to aviation equipment.  If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Spectrum, Wireless and Infrastructure Development and Communications Regulatory Advice and Advocacy webpages.

Deploying and Operating Starlink at Scale Once you've decided Starlink is a fit for your enterprise, you get to the hard part– how to deploy and operate it across your estate, while minimizing technical, operational and commercial risk. If Part 1 of this series was 'should we consider it,' Part 2 is 'can we do it well at scale.' In this 8-minute episode of Staying Connected, Tony Mangino is joined by Brent Knight and Frank Zagrodnik of TC2 to talk to discuss deploying and operating Starlink at scale. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Technology Consulting & Strategy Development Services and Strategic Sourcing webpages. 

Where does Starlink work best in the large enterprise networking space? In this part one of a two part series, we examine strategy: where Starlink's high-speed, low latency internet service fits, where it doesn't, and why enterprises are paying attention beyond connectivity to remote locations. In this 9-minute episode of Staying Connected, Tony Mangino, Frank Zagrodnik and Brent Knight from TC2 discuss how enterprises can ultimately make better decisions, and not just chase the Starlink hype. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Technology Consulting & Strategy Development Services and Strategic Sourcing webpages. 

What impact will Lumen's recent EMEA divestiture have on your organization? Lumen's sale of its EMEA assets to COLT allows Lumen to focus on its North American core, while utilizing Colt's expanded footprint to serve international clients. In this 12-minute episode of Staying Connected, Tony Mangino and Frank Zagrodnik from TC2 are joined by LB3's Deb Boehling to outline potential impacts of supplier asset divestitures, some specifics on Lumen's recent EMEA divestiture, and how enterprises can manage these changes. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Network Services Transactions and Technology Consulting and Strategy Development webpages.   

SASE, A Practical Guide to the Future of Secure Networking SASE is one of the biggest shifts in enterprise networking and security — and it's changing how the enterprise thinks about architecture, access, and risk. If you've heard secure access service edge (SASE) come up in cloud or cybersecurity discussions but still want a clear, practical definition, you're not alone. In this 8-minute episode of Staying Connected, Deb Boehling of LB3 joins Brent Knight and Tony Mangino of TC2 to define SASE, explain why it matters, and share how organizations are putting it into practice. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Information Technology Advisory Services and Technology Consulting and Strategy Development Services webpages.

IT cost management is more than a "finance cleanup exercise," it's a board-level priority. If you're responsible for major run-rate spend across cloud, software, telecom, and infrastructure, you've probably felt this shift. Cost questions used to be periodic, but now are continuous and tied directly to governance and risk. In this 11-minute episode of Staying Connected, TC2's Theresa Knutson joins Tony Mangino to unpack what this looks like from an executive perspective. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our IT Cost Management and Strategic Sourcing webpages. 

Legacy networks are a classic form of technology debt: they work, but they quietly limit agility, drive unnecessary cost and constrain innovation.  In this 10-minute episode of Staying Connected, TC2's Keith Cook joins Tony Mangino to talk through how enterprises are shedding that debt by moving to an Internet-first WAN—and how to do it with a clear plan rather than a disruptive leap.  We cover how enterprise buyers should think about connectivity mix, supplier selection, SD-WAN strategy, and security design—all before going to market.  If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Technology Consulting & Strategy Development Services and Strategic Sourcing webpages. 

Enterprise IT and procurement teams start the year with big priorities; however without disciplined contract management and a clear view of services and spend, those good intentions may be lost as costs and risk can creep in, weakening your leverage. In this 11-minute episode of Staying Connected, Laura McDonald of LB3 joins Tony Mangino to walk through a practical New Year's "housekeeping" checklist to spotlight the steps teams should take to avoid missed credits, address chronic  service issues, build leverage, and tighten vendor governance so that the big priorities can be met without unnecessary friction. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Network Services Transactions, Strategic Sourcing and IT Cost Management webpages. 

Lumen recently announced the migration of its legacy "Control Center" customer portal to the newly branded "Lumen Connect".  In this 8-minute episode of Staying Connected, TC2's Theresa Knutson joins Tony Mangino to cover what's changing with this rollout, why Lumen is making these moves now, and what steps your team should be taking. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our IT Cost Management webpage. 

If you manage telecom and technology spend at a large enterprise scale, you already know the hardest part isn't finding "savings." It's sustaining control—inventory accuracy, invoice integrity, governance, and supplier leverage—month after month, deal after deal. In this 9-minute episode of Staying Connected, TC2's Theresa Knutson joins Tony Mangino to mark the first anniversary of TC2's TEM Talk user group (our enterprise-only monthly forum for professionals responsible for the management, oversight, and optimization of technology vendors and expenditures), and to discuss what the community has learned—and what's coming next. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our IT Cost Management webpage.  Interested in joining the TEM Talk user group? Email Theresa directly at [email protected].

As enterprises push to modernize, many find that years of accumulated decisions have created a heavy, often invisible burden in their IT environments. In this 9-minute podcast, Brent Knight joins Tony Mangino to discuss how technology debt accumulates over time, why it is so difficult to unwind, and how enterprises can build a fact-based view of their hardware, software and WAN liabilities to enable strategic, data driven, decision making and fund transformational initiatives. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Technology Consulting & Strategy Development Services and Strategic Sourcing webpages.

As enterprises push to modernize, many find that years of accumulated decisions have created a heavy, often invisible burden in their IT environments. In this 9-minute podcast, Brent Knight joins Tony Mangino to discuss how technology debt accumulates over time, why it is so difficult to unwind, and how enterprises can build a fact-based view of their hardware, software and WAN liabilities to enable strategic, data driven, decision making and fund transformational initiatives. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Technology Consulting & Strategy Development Services and Strategic Sourcing webpages.

Hyperscalers like AWS, Microsoft, Google and Meta continue to make significant infrastructure investments in ultra-high capacity subsea cables.  This new generation of connectivity provides a compelling alternative to telco-provided circuits with the added potential benefit of direct integration with enterprise-grade cloud computing, edge and connectivity services.  In this 9-minute podcast, Deb Boehling joins Tony Mangino to discuss the opportunities and risks  for enterprise customers and why hyperscalers should be considered in your network technology and sourcing roadmaps. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our and Information Technology Advisory Services and Technology Consulting & Strategy Development Services webpages.

Verizon is preparing to cut over 13,000 jobs — about 15% of its U.S. workforce — in a restructuring plan intended to reduce costs under its new CEO Dan Schulman. In this 7-minute podcast, Brent Knight from TC2 joins Tony Mangino to discuss the anticipated impact of the layoffs and what enterprise customers should be doing now to prepare.  If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Strategic Sourcing and Technology Consulting & Strategy Development Services webpages.

When doing a deal, invariably we get the "whose paper" question.  That is, should the enterprise start contract negotiations using its own paper or the vendor's paper?  The answer is…that depends. In this 10-minute podcast, Laura McDonald, a partner at LB3, joins Tony Mangino to discuss the best contractual starting point for your deal accounting for leverage, deal size, timing and resource constraints. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Network Services Transactions and Strategic Sourcing  webpages. Follow us on LinkedIn:  LB3 & TC2

Lumen is once again raising rates for out-of-term services, with some customers now facing increases as high as 30% to 40%.  These changes put enterprise clients in a tough spot, often forcing them to choose between costly renewals or seeking alternatives in a competitive market.  In this 6-minute podcast, Theresa Knutson from TC2 joins Tony Mangino to break down what's driving these price hikes, how they impact your organization, and what strategies you can use to protect your bottom line. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our IT Cost Management and Strategic Sourcing webpages.

The struggle between the aviation and wireless industries regarding the use of the lower C-Band ultimately led to regulatory and technical mitigations to prevent interference issues, after narrowly avoiding regulatory gridlock. In this 8-minute podcast, Steve Rosen from LB3 joins Tony Mangino to discuss how these same players are collaborating to prevent similar interference issues before new 5G deployments on the upper C-Band go live. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Spectrum, Wireless and Infrastructure Development and Technology Consulting & Strategy Development webpages.

In the early hours of Monday, October 20th, AWS experienced a DNS resolution failure that had a cascading effect on business and consumer applications across the internet. In this 7-minute podcast, Deb Boehling from LB3 joins Tony Mangino to discuss what happened and specific cloud diversification strategies that enterprise customers should consider. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Information Technology Advisory Services and Technology Consulting & Strategy Development webpages.

Green networking, carbon accounting, and energy-efficient hardware are becoming increasingly important for enterprises seeking to comply with ESG regulations and drive competitive advantage. In this 9-minute podcast, Tony Mangino and Julie Gardner from TC2 discuss why WAN sustainability should be on every CIO and procurement leader's radar and how to include measurable sustainability requirements in your next WAN RFP to enable meaningful supplier evaluation and differentiation.  If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Strategic Sourcing and Technology Consulting & Strategy Development webpages.

AI is a key driver of innovation in the Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) space, significantly improving agent efficiency and customer experience.  However, when the rate of technology change outpaces the applicable legal frameworks, uncertainties and opportunities for disputes arise. In this 11-minute podcast, LB3 partner Laura McDonald joins Tony Mangino for an update on AI driven legal developments in the CCaaS space and to discuss strategies to mitigate the legal risks inherent in the technology.  If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Network Services Transactions and Information Technology Advisory Services webpages.

Pre-RFP activities are sometimes treated as optional, when in fact they're among the most strategic actions a sourcing team can take. If you want a high-quality RFP, the work starts long before it's published. In this 9-minute podcast, TC2 Managing Director Larry York joins Tony Mangino to discuss how to leverage three key pre-RFP activities in order to maximize the outcome of your next sourcing event. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Strategic Sourcing and Technology Consulting & Strategy Development Services webpages.

Against the backdrop of the ongoing struggle with the Verizon outsourcing to HCL, enterprise customers are being forced to rethink their supplier support models and partners.  In this 7-minute podcast, Theresa Knutson and Brent Knight from TC2 join Tony Mangino to discuss what customers can actually do to manage, escalate, and potentially fix support issues with their strategic network suppliers. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Strategic Sourcing and Technology Consulting & Strategy Development Services webpages.

Verizon recently notified its customers that it was sunsetting certain legacy voice services beginning on November 1, 2025.  In this 5-minute podcast, TC2's Theresa Knutson joins Tony Mangino to explain the significant cost increases that are now hitting customer invoices in advance of the anticipated sunset date. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Strategic Sourcing and Technology Consulting & Strategy Development Services webpages.

It's been over two years now since Verizon and HCL announced their strategic partnership, which included Verizon retaining its sales function, solutioning, and customer acquisitions, and HCL taking over post-sale implementations and ongoing customer support.  In this 9-minute podcast, Theresa Knutson and Brent Knight from TC2 join Tony Mangino to discuss how the strategic partnership is impacting enterprise customers and if Verizon's HCL gamble is paying off. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Strategic Sourcing and Technology Consulting & Strategy Development Services webpages. Follow us on LinkedIn: LB3 & TC2  

Taxes, fees, and government surcharges on enterprise wireless services are at a record high, comprising upwards of 30% of the average taxable portion of a typical monthly bill.  In this 8-minute podcast, Frank Zagrodnik and Tony Mangino from TC2 do a deep dive on the fine print of your wireless bill to discuss the taxes, surcharges, and fees that have a material impact on your enterprise mobility budget, and what you can do to get a true picture of your wireless total cost of ownership. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our IT Cost Management and Strategic Sourcing and webpages. Follow us on LinkedIn: TC2 & LB3

If your organization still has legacy Verizon voice, non-IP IVR, or access services in your inventory, changes are coming — and they're coming on a fixed timetable. Verizon has put out formal notice that these services are being retired, and customers need to move to alternatives well before the withdrawal date. In this 7-minute podcast, Bryan Carriker and Tony Mangino from TC2 discuss the recent notice from Verizon, the important milestone dates to track and how this move fits into the broader industry shift to all IP based networks. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Technology Consulting & Strategy Development Services and Strategic Sourcing and webpages. Follow us on LinkedIn: TC2 & LB3  

Regulatory pressure related to ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is growing. While federal ESG rules in the U.S. remain fragmented, states like California are pushing forward with tough climate disclosure laws. Meanwhile, the EU is advancing sweeping directives like CSRD and CS3D, imposing new reporting and due diligence requirements across global supply chains. In this 10-minute podcast, Deb Boehling, a senior lawyer at LB3, and Tony Mangino discuss how procurement teams can reduce ESG compliance risks by building key obligations into vendor contracts, such as adherence to laws, third-party audits, and remediation for non-compliance.  The stakes are high—sustainability is no longer optional—it's a legal, financial, and reputational imperative. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Network Services Transactions and Strategic Sourcing webpages. Follow us on LinkedIn: TC2 & LB3

Arista's VeloCloud SD-WAN acquisition marks a major shift in the enterprise networking space, giving Arista a mature and cloud-native SD-WAN platform to complement its strengths in data center and cloud networking.  For enterprise customers, the move could mean faster innovation, improved support, and stronger WAN-to-cloud integration.  However, customers should be aware of potential risks with the acquisition including hardware changes, licensing shifts, and short-term integration hiccups.  In this 7-minute podcast, Larry York and Tony Mangino from TC2 break down why the deal matters — and the potential impact on competition in the SD-WAN marketplace from the likes of Cisco, Fortinet, and Juniper. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Technology Consulting & Strategy Development Services and Strategic Sourcing webpages. Follow us on LinkedIn: TC2 & LB3

Inevitably, many negotiations are not part of a competitive process and are simply a negotiation with a single vendor.  And often that vendor is fully aware that it's not facing any true competition for the services and products under negotiation. In this 11-minute podcast, TC2 Managing Director Ben Fox and Tony Mangino discuss tactics and approaches to conduct an effective sole-source negotiation when you don't have any competition. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit TC2's Strategic Sourcing webpage. Follow us on LinkedIn: TC2 & LB3

Understanding Cisco Enterprise Agreements can be complex but with the right approach, enterprises can navigate these contracts effectively.  Key strategies involve mapping the contract landscape and ensuring financial protections against underperformance. In this 7-minute podcast, LB3 partner Marc Lindsey and Tony Mangino discuss how enterprises can move from complexity to clarity when negotiating with Cisco, and how they can avoid the "value trap" of bundled software, support, and services. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit TC2's Strategic Sourcing and Technology Consulting & Strategy Development and LB3's Information Technology Advisory webpages. Follow us on LinkedIn:  LB3 & TC2

In mid-May, two of the largest cable companies in the US, Charter and Cox, entered into an agreement to merge in a deal valued at over $34 billion.  Pending regulatory approval, the deal is expected to close sometime in the latter half of 2026.  In this 5-minute podcast, TC2's Keith Cook joins Tony Mangino to discuss the merger and potential impact on enterprise customers.  If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Internet First & Broadband Services and Strategic Sourcing webpages. Follow us on LinkedIn: TC2 & LB3

In mid-April AT&T updated the General Terms and Conditions in their online Service Guide, which apply to pretty much all its wireline services, to allow them much broader leeway to migrate services as part of what they call a "Technology Migration".  This is on top of an earlier AT&T Service Guide change that resulted in material cost increases on certain key components of their SIP Trunking service. In this 10-minute podcast, LB3's Laura McDonald joins Tony Mangino to discuss these changes and how to effectively manage your deal in the face of supplier service guides.  If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Network Services Transactions and Strategic Sourcing webpages. Follow us on LinkedIn: LB3 & TC2

Recent technology advancements and changes in the regulatory environment have made Private 5G a more attractive technology for enterprise applications, including "Wi-Fi" for industrial, educational, and corporate campuses and numerous IoT (Internet of Things) applications. In this 8-minute podcast, David Lee of TC2 and Steve Rosen of LB3 join Tony Mangino to discuss the state of the market for Private 5G, CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) and FWA (Fixed Wireless) and how these services should feature prominently in the strategic plan for your enterprise.  If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Technology Consulting & Strategy Development and Spectrum, Wireless & Infrastructure Development webpages. Follow us on LinkedIn: LB3 & TC2

The commitment to sustainability initiatives, such as net-zero emissions targets and renewable energy consumption measures, is moving from the corporate boardroom into the decision-making process for selecting strategic ICT service suppliers. In this 8-minute podcast, TC2 Director Tony Mangino joins LB3 Partner Deb Boehling to discuss the challenges of quantifying and evaluating the "soft benefits" of sustainability from an ICT procurement perspective and whether these benefits are translating into real cost savings for enterprise customers. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Strategic Sourcing and Technology Consulting & Strategy Development webpages. Follow us on LinkedIn: LB3 & TC2

As Cisco has grown from a network device OEM to a multifaceted software supplier across networking, UC, security services, observability tools, and a plethora of other products, enterprises' relationships with Cisco have become correspondingly complex.  Add to this, a deep-rooted pattern at Cisco of targeting price increases, and any negotiation with Cisco quickly becomes very challenging. In this 10-minute podcast, TC2 Managing Director Ben Fox joins Tony Mangino to discuss the layers of complexity involved when engaging with Cisco and how to best prepare for and succeed in your next Cisco negotiation. If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Strategic Sourcing and Technology Consulting & Strategy Development webpages. Follow us on LinkedIn: LB3 & TC2