The netsapiens Employee Spotlight Blog provides insights into the backgrounds, experiences and lives of the people that make netsapiens who and what we are. Our commitment to providing our customers with the best possible solutions and services is embodied in everything we do…and it starts with our employees, our friends and fellow humans. We sat down with our newest team member, Jason Beckett, to talk about his experience in the telecommunications industry and what inspired him to come to netsapiens!
Spotlight on Jason Beckett – Director, Channel Sales
What first brought you into the industry?
I became involved in this industry right after ATT was deregulated. At that time, you couldn’t purchase any telephone equipment and you had only one provider. The Supreme Court ruled that “Ma Bell” was a monopoly and ruled against the premise that, “allowing others to connect their equipment to our network is going to melt our expensive central offices into a pile of molten metal and plastic.” That is what their lawyers actually said. I had a background in sales working my way through college and liked the challenges of a new, disruptive marketplace. At that time, the only features the telephone company offered were hold and privacy. So much has changed in telecom since then, it is difficult to keep up with it all.
What is the biggest change that you have seen in the industry since that time?
Innovation is a truly disruptive force in our industry and will continue to be as far as I can see. There have been so many changes, it is very difficult to say which has been the biggest. I do believe that our industry goes through a new technology innovation cycle about every five to seven years. The advent of competitive phone systems and PBX’s (outside of Western Electric) was first. Five years later, we had the first cell phones, then fax, then voicemail, e-mail, computer telephony integration, SIP and now cloud. All these technological advances fundamentally changed the way users looked at communications, but they all still operated independently of each other. I remember when a business card had five or more separate phone numbers – and no one answered any of them. So, I think the biggest change was not the evolution of each technology independently, but the combination of these disparate technologies into a single interconnected environment going back to a single number on my business card.
What keeps you motivated?
I stay motivated from all the relationships I have formed over my career. The satisfaction of taking a complex technology and helping others benefit from it to improve their professional and personal lives means a lot to me. From that shared experience, I have formed many long-term friendships. When all is said and done, all you have is your integrity and from that, your reputation. Many people have come and gone in this industry but those who have made a difference share those same characteristics – and I am proud to be part of that.
What brought you to netsapiens?
People are attracted to different companies for different reasons. Some are best at being self-employed and some are most comfortable working in large enterprises. For me, netsapiens has a great underlying technology that is built from the ground up to be disruptive and has the potential to make a tremendous impact by fundamentally changing the current service provider model. Like Goldilocks, for me the porridge isn’t too hot or too cold, but just right. When I first walked through the door on day one, the caliber of the people I met and their common desire to be the best at what they do appealed to me tremendously. You just feel and know it will be great.
What do you like to do when you are away from work?
When I am away from work, I enjoy photography and music. By nature, these are more solitary activities, which probably makes sense because the public facing side of my career involves customer interactions at multiple levels for extended periods of time. I do a lot of volunteer work in our community as well because helping others is a fundamental principle of my faith and giving back is a way to help others.
What do you look forward to in the future of communications technology?
I believe many changes will occur in the future, both short and long term. Because our industry is so dynamic, I expect many years of formation and consolidation of companies within our space. To me, the cycle is very predictable. When a new, disruptive technology arrives on the scene, early adopters embrace it and companies invest in those adopters. As the first-movers grow and mature, they get acquired and then sunset as a new disruptive technology arises.
Now, please excuse me. I have to put some thermal paper in my fax machine and check my AOL account…
Stay tuned for our next netsapiens Employee Spotlight!
