TC2’s Insights on Gartner’s Latest TEM Market Guide
Staying Connected
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...
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FCC Call Center Outsourcing NPRM
Staying Connected
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...
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Preserving Deal Value With Lifecycle Services
Staying Connected
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...
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What to Do When a Supplier Relationship Breaks Down
Staying Connected
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, is joined by TC2’s to discuss why the best approach to repairing a broken supplier relationship is...
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Defining Colocation Requirements That Create Leverage
Staying Connected
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, and 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 webpage.
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The Reality Check for Sustainable IT Procurement in 2026
Staying Connected
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 joins LB3’s 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 and webpages.
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The Shift from “Low Cost” to “Total Value” in IT Sourcing
Staying Connected
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, from TC2 joins 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...
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Negotiating Zoom Agreements: What Really Matters
Staying Connected
When companies say they’re “buying Zoom,” what are they actually purchasing? In this 10-minute episode of Staying Connected, and join , 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 and webpages. Follow us on LinkedIn: &
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Wireless & Aviation Industries Wrestle Over Spectrum
Staying Connected
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, from LB3 joins 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 and webpages.
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Deploying and Operating Starlink at Scale
Staying Connected
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, is joined by and 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 and webpages.
info_outlineIf 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.