What exactly does Amplifier One do?

Amplifier One is an independent IT and telecom advisory firm. We help businesses find, evaluate, and negotiate technology solutions — from internet connectivity and cloud infrastructure to cybersecurity, UCaaS, and managed services. We are a buyer's agent for technology. We're not a reseller, and we don't manufacture or white-label any products. Our founder built infrastructure and technology teams at companies including Slack, Lookout, Deloitte, and Mosaic Networx.

How is Amplifier One different from a regular IT consultant or VAR?

Most VARs and IT consultants make their money by marking up hardware or software, or by steering you toward products they're certified to sell. Their inventory defines your options. As a vendor-neutral advisor and telecom agent, we have access to 200+ carriers, managed service providers, cloud platforms, and IT vendors — and we have no obligation to recommend any specific one. VARs earn margin by selling products at a markup. We earn supplier-paid commissions that don't inflate your price.

Do you replace our internal IT team or existing MSP?

No. Amplifier One is an advisor, not an operator. We don't replace your internal IT team or take over day-to-day support responsibilities. We complement whoever is managing your environment by helping with the vendor and procurement side. If you have an IT Director or CIO, we work alongside them. If you already have an MSP you're happy with, we can still help you optimize your telecom contracts, evaluate cloud options, or negotiate renewals.

What does a typical engagement look like from start to finish?

Every engagement starts with a discovery conversation — usually 30 to 45 minutes — where we learn about your environment, goals, and pain points. From there we audit your existing contracts, conduct a Technology Strategy Session, identify gaps and renewal risk, issue RFPs across relevant suppliers, present a side-by-side comparison with our recommendation, negotiate terms on your behalf, and support implementation.

Where do you operate? Are you local?

We're based in San Luis Obispo, California, and serve businesses throughout California, Arizona, and Nevada. That regional focus matters — we know the local carrier landscape, availability maps, regulatory quirks, and the vendors that actually perform in your market. Many of the services we advise on (cloud, security, UCaaS) are national or global platforms, so we can also support businesses with offices in other states.

Who at Amplifier One would I actually be working with?

Directly with our founder and leadership — not a junior associate or an account coordinator who hands you off after the sale. We're a boutique firm and that's intentional. Our founder brings hands-on IT infrastructure experience from Slack, Lookout, Deloitte, and Mosaic Networx.

What does working with Amplifier One cost?

In most cases, nothing. Our advisory services are compensated through supplier-paid commissions — the same model used by mortgage brokers and insurance agents. You get professional guidance, negotiation leverage, and ongoing support at no out-of-pocket cost. For certain specialized consulting projects, we may discuss project-based fees, but we're transparent about that upfront.

How does the supplier commission model work? Does it influence your recommendations?

When you purchase technology through our advisory process, suppliers in our network pay us a commission. This commission is built into the supplier's standard pricing structure — not added on top of what you pay. Our recommendation is based on fit, not commission rate. Some of the vendors we recommend most often pay lower commissions than alternatives we've passed on.

Will I pay more by going through Amplifier One versus buying directly from the vendor?

You won't. Supplier commissions in the telecom and IT advisory world are paid out of the supplier's distribution budget — not added to your invoice. In practice, most clients pay less than the published rate because of the negotiating leverage we bring. Carriers and vendors know we represent multiple clients across a region and price accordingly.

What happens to your relationship with us if we switch vendors or cancel a service later?

If you cancel a service or switch vendors, the commission on that contract ends — and we're fine with that if it's the right move for your business. We're not going to lock you into a bad vendor to protect our commission. That's the whole point of being vendor-neutral.

What does vendor-neutral actually mean in practice?

We don't have preferred vendors. We're not a Cisco partner or Microsoft reseller or carrier's preferred agent. We have relationships with 200+ suppliers but no contractual obligation to recommend any of them — and no financial incentive to favor one over another based on commission rate. When you ask about connectivity in Phoenix, we'll show you AT&T, Lumen, Cox, Zayo, and others — and recommend the one that fits your requirements.

Can you work with vendors we already have relationships with, or do we have to switch?

We don't require you to change vendors to work with us. If you're already with a carrier, MSP, or SaaS provider you're happy with, we can work with that relationship — helping you optimize pricing, prepare for renewals, or negotiate better terms with your existing suppliers. Sometimes the best recommendation is to stay where you are and renegotiate.

Do you have preferred carriers or cloud providers you push?

We have vendors we've seen perform well for specific use cases — and that experience informs our recommendations. But preferred in our world means performs well for clients like you, not pays us better. We won't recommend a carrier with a poor service record in your area just because the commission is higher.

How do I know you're really giving me independent advice and not steering me?

Ask hard questions about how we get paid and what limits our recommendations. Ask us to show you the full market for any category, and we will. Ask us to explain why we recommended one vendor over another, and we'll show our work. You'll know we're giving you straight advice when our recommendations occasionally say stay where you are or this is a problem we can't solve better than what you already have.

How do I get started? Is there a commitment required?

Reach out through our contact page, by email, or by phone, and we'll schedule a 30 to 45 minute discovery call. No commitment, no pitch deck, no pressure. If there's a clear way we can help, we'll outline what that looks like. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you that too.

What information do I need to have ready before our first conversation?

Nothing formal is required. Useful things to have handy: a general sense of your current IT and telecom monthly spend, which vendors or carriers you're currently using, renewal dates for your biggest contracts if you know them, and the problem you're most urgently trying to solve. If you don't have all of that, part of what we do is help you figure it out.

How long before I see actual results?

It depends on scope. For a focused project like renegotiating a carrier contract or finding a better UCaaS option, you can see a recommendation within 30 to 60 days. For broader engagements like a full technology audit, the timeline is 60 to 120 days from kickoff to implementation. We prefer to get involved 90 to 180 days ahead of a renewal to have real leverage.

Can you help with a single specific problem, or do I need to engage you for my whole environment?

You can bring us in for a single problem. If you're trying to renegotiate one contract, evaluate one vendor, or solve one connectivity issue, we're happy to engage at that scope. We don't require a broad retainer or minimum commitment to get started.

What if we're already mid-contract with a vendor we want to change?

Mid-contract situations are common and very workable. We evaluate options including renegotiating the existing contract while you're in it, reviewing early termination clauses, calculating the true cost of staying versus switching including ETF exposure, and beginning planning so you're positioned to move decisively at expiration. Difficult contracts can sometimes be restructured, transferred, or bought out.

What types of technology do you help with?

Connectivity and SD-WAN (business internet, MPLS, fiber, dedicated circuits), cloud and infrastructure (IaaS, DRaaS, colocation, migration strategy), AV and UCaaS (cloud phone, video conferencing, Teams voice), cybersecurity (SASE, endpoint, identity, email security, MDR), managed services advisor work, AI and automation, and full-stack renewals management.

Do you sell or resell hardware?

Generally, no. We focus on services — connectivity, cloud, software, and managed services. We don't sell or stock hardware, and we don't markup equipment. If hardware is part of a solution, that typically comes through the service provider as part of their managed offering.

Can you help with cybersecurity even if we already have a security vendor or MSSP?

Yes. We frequently work with clients who have existing security vendors but aren't sure they're getting full value, or who are approaching a renewal and want an independent read before they sign again. We can evaluate whether your security posture matches your risk profile, whether you're paying market rates, and whether there are gaps in your coverage.

Do you help with cloud migration specifically, or just procurement?

We help with cloud strategy, platform selection, and vendor negotiation. For hands-on migration execution — actually moving workloads, refactoring applications, writing infrastructure-as-code — you'd typically need a cloud professional services firm or an MSP with that technical capability. We help define requirements, evaluate AWS vs. Azure vs. GCP vs. private cloud objectively, and select the right partner to execute.

Can you help multi-location businesses, or only single-site companies?

Multi-location businesses are often where we add the most value. The complexity of managing connectivity, voice, and security across multiple sites creates significant opportunities for consolidation, standardization, and savings. We have deep experience with retail chains, professional services with branch offices, healthcare groups with distributed locations, and manufacturing companies with plants across the country.

What size company does Amplifier One typically work with?

We work best with small-to-mid-market businesses — roughly 15 to 1,500 employees — that have meaningful technology spend but don't have a dedicated procurement or vendor management function. Very small businesses with minimal technology may not have enough complexity to benefit from our advisory model. The sweet spot is companies with real technology spend and meaningful vendor relationships.

What industries does Amplifier One focus on?

We don't limit ourselves to one vertical, but we have significant experience with healthcare and medical groups (HIPAA-compliant infrastructure), professional services (law firms, accounting, consulting, financial services), retail and hospitality (multi-location connectivity), manufacturing and logistics (operational technology, hybrid WAN), fast-growing technology companies, and real estate and property management.

What if we're a startup or early-stage company with a limited budget?

Early-stage companies are a great fit for some of what we do — particularly around connectivity, cloud infrastructure, and UCaaS where getting the right foundation matters and getting it wrong is expensive to unwind. Since our advisory model has no out-of-pocket cost in most cases, budget isn't a barrier to getting started.

We already have a good relationship with our current vendors. Why would we want an advisor involved?

A good vendor relationship is valuable, and we wouldn't suggest disrupting something that's working. But there's a difference between a relationship and optimal terms. Vendors are friendly to clients they like — and they're also in the business of maximizing their own margins at renewal time. Having an independent advisor doesn't disrupt your vendor relationships; it makes sure you have market context, someone reviewing the contract language, and an advocate who isn't paid by the vendor.

What is a buyer's agent for technology?

A buyer's agent for technology represents the buyer in the purchase process — not the vendor. Just as a real estate buyer's agent works to find the right home for the buyer at the best terms (paid by the seller's commission), a technology buyer's agent like Amplifier One evaluates options across the full market, negotiates on the buyer's behalf, and is compensated by the supplier rather than the buyer.

AV & Collaboration Solutions

Connect Every Team.
Power Every Room.

From cloud phone systems and UCaaS platforms to fully designed AV conference rooms, we help businesses build communication environments that actually work — vendor-neutral and at no cost to you.

Schedule a Consultation Explore Solutions

200+

Collaboration vendors in our network

Cost to your organization for our advisory services

CA · AZ · NV

Serving businesses across the West and beyond

1 Contact

Single advisor for every UC and AV need

The Problem We Solve

Your communications stack shouldn't be a guessing game.

Most businesses cobble together phone systems, video conferencing, and conference room equipment from different vendors — with no single point of accountability. Amplifier One gives you a trusted advisor who understands every layer of your collaboration environment and helps you build it right.

Vendor-neutral guidance — we work for you, not the vendors

Side-by-side pricing from 200+ UC and AV providers

End-to-end support from design through deployment

Fragmented vendor relationships

Remote workers on one platform, office teams on another, and conference rooms that don't connect with either — we fix the gaps.

Surprise renewals and inflated pricing

Paying too much for seats you don't use or features you never needed. We benchmark and renegotiate on your behalf.

Conference rooms that don't work

Mismatched AV equipment and poorly designed conference rooms cost productivity every single day. We spec and design rooms that perform.

Time lost evaluating vendors

RFPs, demos, and pricing sheets across 20+ platforms. We've already done the work — we'll show you only what fits.

What We Cover

A complete collaboration & AV practice

We advise on every layer of your unified communications environment — from cloud platforms to physical room hardware & design.

UCaaS

Unified Communications as a Service

Replace aging PBX systems and siloed tools with a single cloud-based platform that unifies voice, video, messaging, and presence for your entire team.

Hosted PBX & cloud phone systems
Business SMS & team messaging
Presence & availability management
Mobile & softphone clients
MS Teams & Zoom Phone Direct Routing

CCaaS

Contact Center as a Service

Deliver exceptional customer experiences across every channel — phone, chat, email, and social — from a centralized, cloud-native contact center platform.

Omnichannel inbound & outbound
AI-powered IVR & virtual agents
Workforce management & analytics
CRM integration (Salesforce, HubSpot)
Quality monitoring & call recording

Digital Signage

Digital Signage Solutions

Transform lobbies, conference rooms, break rooms, and customer-facing spaces with cloud-managed digital signage — delivering dynamic content across every screen in your organization from a single dashboard.

Cloud-based content management & scheduling
Corporate communications & wayfinding
Menu boards & retail display systems
Meeting room display & scheduling panels
Integration with Teams, Zoom & calendar systems

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams Voice & Collaboration

Already on Microsoft 365? We deploy Teams Phone, configure Direct Routing, and make Teams your company's complete communications hub — not just a chat tool.

Teams Phone System & Calling Plans
Direct Routing via SBC
Operator Connect configuration
Teams Rooms for conference spaces
Call flow design & number porting

Zoom Platform

Zoom Phone & Video Conferencing

Deploy Zoom Phone as a full business phone replacement, or layer Zoom Video Conferencing across your organization for seamless remote and hybrid collaboration.

Zoom Phone cloud PBX
Zoom Rooms for conference rooms
Zoom Contact Center
Webinar & large-event licensing
Zoom One bundles & licensing optimization

AV Design

AV Conference Room Design

From huddle rooms to executive boardrooms, we design and specify AV systems that integrate with your chosen UC platform — so rooms actually work when it counts.

Room layout & display sizing
Camera, microphone & speaker selection
Teams Rooms & Zoom Rooms hardware
BYOD & scheduling panel integration
Signal distribution & cabling design

Conference Room Specialists

We design AV rooms built for Teams, Zoom, and beyond

Our AV room assessments cover everything from display size and camera placement to acoustic treatment and room scheduling panels — ensuring every space is a productive one, regardless of which platform your team uses.

Request an AV Assessment

Our Process

From first call to live deployment

We've simplified what has traditionally been an overwhelming procurement process into four clear steps — each designed to save you time and protect your budget.

Step 01

Discovery & Needs Assessment

We start by understanding your current environment — call volumes, team structure, existing contracts, and the gaps causing friction. No questionnaires, just a conversation.

Step 02

Shortlist & Side-by-Side Comparison

We tap our network of 200+ vendors to pull pricing and capabilities that match your exact requirements — giving you a curated shortlist, not an overwhelming vendor parade.

Step 03

Vendor Selection & Negotiation

We advocate for your terms. We know what's standard, what's negotiable, and where vendors have room to move — saving you time and securing better deal economics.

Step 04

Deployment & Ongoing Support

We stay engaged through go-live and beyond — coordinating implementation, troubleshooting early issues, and serving as your single point of contact when things need attention.

Platforms We Know Deeply

Deep expertise across the leading platforms

We don't just know which platforms exist — we understand how they're licensed, how they integrate, and where each one excels for different types of organizations.

UCaaS / Video

Zoom One Platform

Zoom Phone · Zoom Rooms · Webinar · Contact Center — a single platform for every communication need, built on the world's most trusted video foundation.

Zoom Phone Zoom Rooms Zoom Webinar Zoom Contact Center Zoom One

Best For

Video-first organizations, hybrid & remote teams, education, and businesses replacing legacy phone systems with a single easy-to-use platform.

Key Strengths

Best-in-class video quality and reliability
Easiest end-user experience of any UC platform
Zoom Phone replaces PBX at low per-seat cost
Broad AV hardware ecosystem support

AV Hardware

Zoom Rooms kits, Neat Bar, Poly Studio, DTEN, Logitech Rally Bar — certified hardware for every room size.

How We Help

License optimization, Zoom Phone deployment, Zoom Rooms design and hardware spec, number porting, and ongoing support escalation.

UCaaS / Voice

Microsoft Teams Phone

Calling Plans · Direct Routing · Operator Connect — the natural choice for organizations already deep in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

Teams Phone Direct Routing Operator Connect Teams Rooms Surface Hub

Best For

Microsoft 365 organizations wanting a single app for calls, meetings, chat, and file sharing — eliminating the need for a separate phone platform.

Key Strengths

Deep integration with M365 apps and workflows
Single pane of glass for all communications
Flexible PSTN options via Calling Plans or Direct Routing
Teams Rooms for fully certified conference spaces

AV Hardware

Teams Rooms on Windows & Android, Surface Hub, Poly Studio, Yealink, Logitech Rally Bar — all Microsoft-certified.

How We Help

Direct Routing configuration, SBC selection, Calling Plan vs. Operator Connect analysis, Teams Rooms design, and license right-sizing.

Hosted VoIP

Cloud PBX & Hosted VoIP

RingCentral · Dialpad · 8x8 · Nextiva · Vonage — carrier-grade cloud phone systems for businesses of every size.

RingCentral Dialpad 8x8 Nextiva Vonage

Best For

SMBs and multi-location businesses replacing aging on-premises PBX systems, looking for low per-seat costs and enterprise features without the hardware.

Key Strengths

Carrier-grade uptime with geo-redundant infrastructure
Auto-attendant, ring groups, and call queuing
Voicemail-to-email and call recording included
Simple management portal — no PBX admin needed

Hardware Options

Desk phones (Poly, Yealink, Cisco), softphone apps, and mobile clients — or go fully softphone with zero hardware cost.

How We Help

Side-by-side pricing across all major carriers, call flow design, number porting management, and hardware procurement coordination.

CCaaS

Contact Center Platforms

Five9 · Genesys · Talkdesk · NICE · Dialpad Ai — cloud-native contact centers with AI-powered routing, analytics, and omnichannel support.

Five9 Genesys Talkdesk NICE CXone Dialpad Ai

Best For

Customer-facing teams, inbound support desks, and sales organizations that need omnichannel routing, supervisor dashboards, and agent performance analytics.

Key Strengths

Omnichannel: voice, chat, email, SMS, social
AI-powered IVR, virtual agents, and auto-QA
Real-time supervisor dashboards and wallboards
Deep CRM integration (Salesforce, HubSpot, ServiceNow)

Integrations

Salesforce, HubSpot, ServiceNow, Zendesk, Microsoft Teams, and most major CRM and helpdesk platforms.

How We Help

RFP management, agent seat licensing analysis, IVR flow design consultation, CRM integration planning, and implementation coordination.

Our Vendor Network

200+ vendors. One trusted advisor.

We work with every major UC, CCaaS, VoIP, and AV vendor — which means we can match the right solution to your requirements without being tied to any single brand.

UCaaS & Voice

Contact Center

Video

AV Hardware

Don't see a specific vendor? We likely work with them. Ask us about your preferred platform →

Common Scenarios

We've seen this before. We know what works.

These are some of the most frequent collaboration challenges we help businesses across California, Arizona, and Nevada solve.

Migrating from On-Prem PBX to Cloud

Your aging Cisco or Avaya phone system is end-of-life and support costs are climbing. We map your existing call flows, identify the right cloud replacement, and manage the entire porting process — minimizing disruption.

Hosted VoIP UCaaS Number Porting

Enabling Microsoft Teams as Your Phone System

Your team lives in Teams, but you're still paying for a separate phone platform. Configure Direct Routing or Operator Connect to make Teams Phone your primary voice system, eliminating redundant tools.

MS Teams Direct Routing M365

Designing AV Conference Rooms That Work

You've got conference rooms with mismatched equipment, poor camera angles, and audio that drops. We spec complete AV solutions — displays, cameras, mics, speakers, and scheduling panels — integrated with Teams or Zoom and identify vendors to install & support.

AV Design Teams Rooms Zoom Rooms

Standing Up a Cloud Contact Center

You need to improve customer call handling, add IVR automation, and give supervisors real-time visibility — without the cost of on-prem contact center infrastructure. We evaluate CCaaS platforms and manage implementation.

CCaaS IVR Workforce Management

Why Amplifier One

A different kind of technology advisor

We're not a reseller pushing margins. We're not a consultant charging by the hour. We're a vendor-neutral advisor who earns our fees from the vendors we recommend — which means our guidance costs you nothing and our interests are always aligned with yours.

200+

Vendor Partners

UC, CCaaS, VoIP, and AV vendors spanning every tier and price point

Cost to You

Our advisory, evaluation, and negotiation services are always free to you

Truly Vendor-Neutral

We have agreements with hundreds of vendors, so we're never incentivized to push one brand over another. Our recommendation is based entirely on your requirements.

Side-by-Side Pricing You Can Trust

We pull real pricing from multiple vendors simultaneously — apples-to-apples — so you can make a confident decision with full visibility into the cost landscape.

A Single Point of Contact

You get one advisor who understands your full technology environment — not a different sales rep for every platform. When something goes wrong, you call us, not a vendor queue.

Ongoing Post-Deployment Partnership

We don't disappear at signature. As your team grows and needs evolve, we're your ongoing resource for optimization, expansion, and renewals management.

Who We Serve

Built for organizations that need communications that work

From growing SMBs to multi-location enterprises across California, Arizona, and Nevada, we serve any organization where communication and collaboration technology matters.

Mid-Market & Enterprise

Organizations with 50–5,000 employees needing enterprise-grade UC and contact center capabilities with centralized management.

Multi-Location Businesses

Retail chains, medical groups, and professional service firms with multiple offices who need consistent, centrally managed communications across all sites.

Healthcare & Legal

Compliance-sensitive sectors where call recording, HIPAA-compliant platforms, and audit-ready communications aren't optional — they're mandatory.

Hybrid & Remote-First Teams

Organizations whose employees work from anywhere — and need a communication platform that delivers a consistent experience regardless of location or device.

Customer-Facing Service Teams

Sales and support organizations where call quality, IVR design, and agent efficiency directly impact customer satisfaction and revenue outcomes.

IT Leaders Without Enough Hours

Technology managers who need a trusted partner to handle vendor evaluation and negotiations — so they can stay focused on running the business rather than comparing feature matrices.

Get Started Today

Ready to build a communication environment your team will love?

Schedule a free consultation with one of our collaboration advisors. We'll review your current setup, identify gaps, and show you what better looks like — no commitment required.

Schedule a Free Consultation 805.250.6301

Connect Every Team.Power Every Room.

Your communications stack shouldn't be a guessing game.

A complete collaboration & AV practice

From first call to live deployment

Deep expertise across the leading platforms

200+ vendors. One trusted advisor.

We've seen this before. We know what works.

A different kind of technology advisor

Built for organizations that need communications that work

Ready to build a communication environment your team will love?

Connect Every Team.
Power Every Room.