Principal & Founder:
Jon Foster – President & CEO

Business Goal:
To develop and manage an ongoing organization that is a preferred telecommunications agency successful in pairing clients up with the service provider that is best suited to each particular client’s needs.

Business Objective:
Provide independent and objective assessment and support for businesses seeking to outsource their telecommunications (voice, data and Internet) analysis and procurement.

Business Rationale:
Years of “competition” within the telecom industry have brought hundreds of service providers into the marketplace offering products and services that are marketed and sold in such a way that it has become difficult for a business to easily select the best provider for their business.  With economic cycles forever changing and adjusting the service carrier environment – the opportunity for a knowledgeable independent agent to represent a business’ concern is a viable and welcome alternative. 

Current active sales force: 15

Current Telecommunications service providers represented:

• Broadwing
• CP Telecom
• Eschelon Telecom
• Integra Telecom
• McLeodUSA
• Qwest Communications
• Sprint

Pricing Model:
We do not receive payment from the client, but from the telecom provider.  Our services, in most cases, are free to our clients.  We believe that there is a great value in offering a no-fee approach to our clients as our relationships with the service providers often allow for additional pricing and service benefits to our clients that they would not be able to gain if dealing directly with the service providers.

Client Information:
Some 2000+ accounts, ranging from company’s with hundreds of employees and aggressive voice and data needs - to start-up businesses, which require basic telephony.  Fostar Telecommunications’ customers are located throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan area and serve as a primary source for the company’s growth by actively providing business referrals.

Company Background:
Fostar Telecommunications has been in operation since May of 2000.  A Minnesota native, Jon Foster has been in the technology business since 1990, when he began buying and selling refurbished computers.   Jon has been focused exclusively in the telecommunications industry since 1999 when he went to work for McLeodUSA as a sales rep.  McLeodUSA, like most of the industry’s competitors, focused their sales force on “acquisition”, but Jon believed that a successful sales rep was equally concerned with the satisfaction of his clients after the sale.  After one year of success at McLeod, Jon left to become an independent sales agent, representing a variety of local service providers and not one carrier exclusively.  The business started in Chanhassen, but moved to their current location in St Louis Park in May of 2002.  In May of 2004, Jon hired a dedicated account manager to focus on the needs of existing base of accounts and focus on their long-term voice and data needs.