This is a ChannelVision Magazine Publication.

CORE COMMUNICATIONS C omstar Technologies aug - mented their leadership team in January, when the com - pany merged with Reyburn Consulting Group (RCG) — a decision that further brought together two teams that were already tightly integrated. “I had the pleasure of working with Comstar for over 15 years as a supplier during my time in the CLEC business (LSI/Telesystem),” explained chan - nel veteran and RCG founder Warren Reyburn, who now serves as senior vice president of sales and marketing at Comstar. Warren attributed much of his early success at LSI to the local network of agents in the Mid-Atlantic region, and chief among them was Comstar. “We had similar operating cultures, a client-first focus and a desire to continu - ally evolve and challenge ourselves,” Reyburn continued. “When I started Reyburn Consulting, we continued that partnership and through the year col- laborated on a number of projects. That success, and our history, naturally led to discussions around joining forces.” Comstar, which recently surpassed 30 years in business, has grown from a small telecom company to a full- service technology firm with an inter - national presence. The company now offers a robust portfolio that features unified communications across three different platforms, MSP and IT solu - tions, and security services complete with cameras, DVR, smart buildings and IoT. Comstar also provides ISP, cabling, telecom expense management (TEM) and audio/visual solutions. “We want to be our client’s full tech- nology partner and a company built on relationships — not transactional busi- ness,” Reyburn said. As for Comstar’s client base, the company is now able to help any or- ganization ranging from SMBs to large enterprises. “There’s a simplified and personal approach to service but at the same time we have the talent, experience and solutions to collaborate across any market segment and any size cli- ent,” Reyburn said. “Whether you are a 50-person firm or 50-location health system, we can accommodate specific client needs, or they can choose to have Comstar bundle any number of of- ferings together to simplify support.” Comstar has an attrition rate of less than 1 percent, their CSAT scores year- to-date are more than 98 percent, and their client NPS score is 66. Perhaps most importantly, the com- bined company has been able to weath- er the economic downturn and navigate its way through the pandemic together. According to Reyburn, the merger has been a tremendous success so far. “I could not be happier,” Reyburn said. “Comstar’s ability to provide for every technology need satisfies my cre - ative side as well as the desire to assist those that build the business, clients and agents alike. It is a tight knit, fam - ily-like environment, that operates with disciplined agility and an eye toward profitable, sustainable growth.” One exciting development at Com- star is their strategic VAR channel partnership with 8x8, which was an- nounced in April. Comstar is now offer- ing 8x8 cloud communications, video collaboration and contact center solu- tions through its nationwide footprint of direct and indirect sales channels. “We are very proud to be one of just three international wholesale partners in the 8x8 portfolio, which helps us cover a client base across all 50 states and a dozen international destinations,” Reyburn said. Comstar has recently expanded its channel program, including naming a national channel manager (Andy Cool) and hir- ing a regional sales manager in DC Metro (Sam Mitchell) and is actively recruiting for several other needs, said Reyburn. The company also soon ex - pects to announce a partnership in the TEM space to expand that offering to international clients. In the short term, Comstar will con - tinue focusing on raising brand aware- ness, penetrating the channel and ex- ceeding its financial goals. And looking forward, it’s clear the channel will play a massive role in helping Comstar sus- tain continued growth. “Our goal is to double our top line over the next three years,” Reyburn said. “In order to do so, we need to augment our sales team and quickly. In the past I employed a combination of direct and indirect sales teams to accelerate growth and see much the same path for Comstar. The channel provides a pool of trusted advisors to align ourselves with. We see a need for a client focused, multi-faceted technology partner in the consumer space and feel confident we can fill that void.” Beyond 2020, Comstar will focus on acquisition considerations, while main- taining client retention. “We want to continue building a great company without sacrificing what has kept Comstar in business for 30 years — the family here, and our community of clients and partners,” Reyburn concluded. o Smooth Sailing Comstar Technologies is looking stronger than ever after Reyburn Consulting joins the team By Gerald Baldino 34 CHANNEL VISION | May - June, 2020