Increase Your Internet Speed to Increase Productivity 3
Web Solutions from Home Telecom 4 // Who’s Minding Your Business? 5
Business Spotlight: Coastal Burglar Alarm 6 // What Is The Cloud? 7
September 2015 • Volume 8 • Issue 3
Grow Your Business With Internet Solutions
2 SEPTEMBER 2015
SEPT
15
What can Internet Solutions do for you? As Internet technology grows and evolves, so can the way you use it. This issue of Business Connections explores some of the latest developments and how they can support your business.
On page 3, we show you how you can Increase Your Internet Speed to Increase Productivity. Faster speeds can mean a more efficient workday for employees and a better experience for customers.
Next, we tell you all about Web Solutions from Home Telecom on page 4. It’s more important than ever to promote your business virtually, yet some companies still don’t have a solid online presence. The good news is it doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Let us help!
This issue’s Business Spotlight on page 6 features Coastal Burglar Alarm. Home Telecom has been partnered with them since 2007 to provide quality alarm services in our service area. Our newest services take advantage of Internet technology to make home and business security and automation services as easy as using your mobile device.
Finally, on page 7, we answer a question you may have been asking for years: What Is The Cloud? It’s not complicated and, in fact, you’re most likely already using it. The cloud can support your business with convenience, collaboration, and recovery.
When you’re ready to explore how the latest Internet services can benefit your business, be sure to give us a call. Home Telecom is here to assist, and we look forward to hearing how we can help your business grow.
Sincerely,
William S. HelmlyPresident & COO
Home Telecom
Business Connections is a publication of Home Telecom. 579 Stoney Landing Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461.
No part of this publication may be repro-duced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, electronic, photo-copying, recording, mechanical, or otherwise without the prior written permission of Home Telecom. All rights are reserved.
Editorial and Circulation - Contact: Gina Shuler, 579 Stoney Landing Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, 843-761-9178.
Trademarks - All brand names and product names used in this publication are trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Additional Issues - Extra issues are available to business customer employees on a limited basis while supplies last. Contact: Gina Shuler, 579 Stoney Landing Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, 843-761-9178.
Copyright © 2015 by Home Telecom and Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc.
POSTMASTER Send changes to: Gina Shuler - Business Connections Home Telecom 579 Stoney Landing Road Moncks Corner, SC 29461
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
Robert ReimersBusiness Services [email protected]
Howie BaumerSales [email protected]
Judy CroninDirector of Sales and Business [email protected]
Charles JenkinsBusiness Services Sales [email protected]
// BUSINESS CONNECTIONS //
SEPTEMBER 2015 3
Is your current Internet speed keeping up with the
demands of your employees and customers? Ask
yourself these questions:
• Does it take too much time for your staff to do online
research or receive large files?
• Are your employees frustrated with the Internet speeds
at your business?
• Do your customers have to wait on the phone while
their account information is loading or transactions
are processed?
• Is your staff unable to effectively use video conferencing
for collaboration?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions,
it may be time to consider increasing the speed of your
Internet connection. But before you explore what a higher
bandwidth would do for your business, it’s important to
understand the terminology.
What exactly is bandwidth? The term refers to how much
data you can send through a network or modem connec-
tion. Bandwidth is usually measured in bits per second, such
as 10 Mbps (10 million bits per second). You can think of
bandwidth as a highway with cars traveling on it; the high-
way is the network connection and the cars are the data.
The wider the highway, the more cars can travel on it at one
time and the faster they get to their destinations. The same
principle applies to computer data — the more bandwidth,
the more information that can be transferred within
a given amount of time.
Many businesses can reap rewards by upgrading to a
higher-speed Internet connection. This is particularly
true for businesses that fit these criteria:
• Conduct business at multiple (two or more) locations
• Leverage the Internet for 60 percent of their business
operations or more
• Deploy 16 or more computers, including laptops
and desktops
• Have three or more employees
The bottom line is this: An increasing amount of business
activity is now done online, and data-intensive applica-
tions require faster data speeds. If you want to stay ahead
of your competition, you need to be traveling as fast as, or
faster than they are. By equipping your business with more
bandwidth, your employees can move data more quickly
and efficiently, resulting in a better overall experience for
your customers.
To find out more about the Internet options available to your business from Home Telecom, call 888-571-5775 to speak to a representative or visit business.homesc.com/business-internet-overview.
Increase Your Internet Speed to Increase ProductivityBandwidth is vital for small business growth and competitiveness
4 SEPTEMBER 2015
T he digital age has changed the way people do many
things, including how they buy. Even if your customers
need to come to your place of business to make
a purchase, it’s likely they’re looking at your website first.
Home Telecom’s Internet Coordinator Heather McGrath says,
“If you don’t have a website, or it’s not up-to-date, then you
may lose business to a competitor with a more established
online presence.”
Fortunately, you don’t have to be a hotshot web designer to
have an attractive, well-organized website. Home Telecom’s
Web Solutions can help. The services include domain name
registration, website hosting, website building, digital certifi-
cation, and email hosting. They’re great for businesses of any
size, and can help you create a professional website quickly
and easily.
All of these services come with top-quality help and 24/7
support via phone or email. McGrath notes, “No matter what
questions or issues you have, you can always talk with a live
person to assist you through the process.” Here are some
more details to help you figure out which services might be
a good fit for your company:
Domain Name RegistrationBefore you can host a website, you need to register your
domain name. You’re probably familiar with well-known
domain names like amazon.com. Your company may not
be world famous, but it needs a domain name too. This
“online address” is usually the name of your company,
but if that name is already being used, you may have
to get creative.
For example, if your company is called Joe’s Hardware,
you’d most l ikely want the domain name to be
JoesHardware.com. But, if there’s a Joe’s Hardware
in another state that already has that domain name,
you might choose JoesHardwareSCarolina.com. “Our
registration service can help you chose the right name
and register it,” states McGrath. Any email addresses
associated with the domain will also use the domain
name, such as [email protected].
Website HostingDo you already have a fabulous website designed with the
files ready to go? Great! We can store them on our servers
and activate your website in a secure, reliable environment.
Then, anyone who types in your website address or clicks
a link to your site gets the information sent from our server
to their computer. They can access any of the pages on
your site. “In addition,” says McGrath, “we manage the
servers, so your website runs in the background while you
take care of your core business tasks.”
Website BuildingIf you think building a website is expensive, time-consum-
ing, and involves hiring someone who knows “how to talk to
computers,” think again! You can design your own website
Web Solutions from Home TelecomOnline promotion is no longer optional — but it’s easier than you think
// BUSINESS CONNECTIONS //
SEPTEMBER 2015 5
with our user-friendly interface. McGrath comments, “You just need basic computer
skills, and you can choose designs, colors, typefaces, and images.”
Digital CertificationDigital certification assures ecommerce customers that your website is secure and,
therefore, safe to do business with. Specifically, when you use a digital certificate, you
signal to users that the information they provide on your site will be kept confidential.
Email HostingSay you have all the business you need, with more coming in all the time. You
may have a Facebook page, yet you don’t have a need to promote yourself with
a website. But, you still need to communicate with customers, and you want to do
it in a professional way. That means you need an email address with a personalized
domain name to support your brand. We can set you up with a domain name and
five or more email addresses, depending on the package you choose. McGrath notes,
“All email packages come with collaboration tools, including a calendar and contact
application, so you can stay productive with your team.” Packages for enterprise
customers also include email file storage.
There’s no getting around the fact that customers now “let their fingers do the
typing” for much of their preliminary research. Establishing a web presence doesn’t
have to be difficult or expensive, and every business should give itself the advantage
of being easy to find online.
Ready to take the next step? Visit websolutionsbyhome.com, or call our business sales department at 888-571-5775.
WHO’S MINDING YOUR BUSINESS?CHARLES JENKINSBusiness Services Sales Manager
As Business Services Sales Manager for
Home Telecom, Charles Jenkins leads the
company’s business-to-business sales team
in meeting new clients and supporting
existing ones. His favorite part of his job,
he says, is “working with the various
departments and their team members.”
His experience in telecommunications,
as well as owning a Sears Home Service
franchise for seven years has helped
prepare Jenkins for his current position.
“Many of our customers own or operate
small to mid-size businesses and I feel
that I can better relate to them,” he states.
“I can appreciate their challenges.”
Jenkins came to Home Telecom in May,
after working as a Sales Manager at Verizon,
as a District Sales Manager at Nextel,
and as Director of Sales at SunCom. He
holds a Bachelor of Science degree from
The Citadel.
When not working, Jenkins enjoys both
offshore and inshore fishing, and spending
time with his family.
If you don’t have a website, or it’s not up-to-date, then you may lose business to a competitor with a more established online presence.”— HEATHER MCGRATH, INTERNET COORDINATOR, HOME TELECOM
6 SEPTEMBER 2015
I n 1959, Coastal Burglar Alarm installed its first alarm in a
food store that is still a customer today. Since then, the
company has achieved many milestones, but has always
provided the same great service. One of those milestones
came in 2007 when Coastal Burglar partnered with Home
Telecom to provide local security and a centralized service
station for monitoring purposes.
A Perfect PartnershipHome Telecom Business Solutions Security is committed to
helping companies protect their property and employees.
We provide installations by professionally trained employees,
as well as a full line of UL-certified, customizable equipment
to help secure many types of businesses. Customers can
be assured of our reliability based on the following member-
ships and certifications:
• Member of National Burglar and Fire Alarm Associations
• Authorized Honeywell Security Dealer
• Authorized First Alert Professional Dealer
Home Telecom offers wired and wireless security systems
that can be scaled to fit customer needs. Components
include key pads, panic buttons, glass break sensors,
motion detectors, and more. We also offer fire systems,
video surveillance, HVAC protection, access control, and
remote access. But these services are just one half of the
security solution. Home Telecom partners closely with
Coastal Burglar Alarm, which provides monitoring for all
security services.
Rob Reimers, Sales Representative at Home Telecom,
explains, “We consult with customers to find the best
solution. Once the equipment is installed, Coastal Burglar
Alarm provides the monitoring. When a customer’s alarm
goes off, it sends a signal to the centralized service sta-
tion, where operators are on duty 24/7 to address security
issues. Coastal Burglar Alarm is incredibly efficient in their
response time. We’re pleased to have this partnership.”
Staying ConnectedIn addition to its partnership with Home Telecom to provide
security and home automation services, Coastal Burglar
Alarm uses Home Telecom services, including web hosting
and email. Partner Mike Eykyn says, “Home Telecom’s email
services enable us to stay connected with our employees
and customers in a professional manner. This includes sales
inquiries and service reporting. Employees use their mobile
phones to email customer estimates, and we communicate
with the centralized service station through email as well. In
addition, Home Telecom is very responsive to any issues we
might have and are fast in getting problems resolved.”
To learn more about Home Telecom’s Business Security Solutions, please call 888-571-5775.
Coastal Burglar AlarmPartnering with Home Telecom to sell peace of mind
Home Telecom is very responsive to any issues we might have, and are fast in getting problems resolved.”— MIKE EYKYN, PARTNER, COASTAL BURGLAR ALARM
// BUSINESS CONNECTIONS //
SEPTEMBER 2015 7
CLOUD?What Is The
The newest Internet technology is more than just pie-in-the-sky
“The cloud” is a term that gets used a lot these days to describe a variety of web-based services. But what is the cloud, exactly? And what can it do for you?
You’re Already Using ItOne way to think about the cloud is to consider how you might
already be using it. If you use social media sites, like Facebook,
Twitter, or Instagram, you’re using the cloud, because all of the
application files and data are stored on an external server, not
on your computer.
Some applications that have traditionally been stored on local
hard drives are now also available in the cloud. A good example
of this is Microsoft’s Office 365, which enables you to access your
applications and files on an external server from anywhere you
have Internet access. Cloud backup services, such as Carbonite,
are, by definition, in the cloud.
A primary benefit of cloud applications and services is that your
work is available to you from a variety of devices without you
having to move files around. Another benefit is that if anything
happens to your device, your files are safe and sound.
Working in the cloud also allows you to use an application or
service without having to update it regularly. For example, you
may use a time tracking application such as Harvest. For this
type of service, you pay a low monthly fee, and the application
is updated transparently, with no action needed by you.
You also need less server space when you work more in the
cloud, and therefore can spend less on computer hardware.
How It Can HelpHere are some of the specific uses for cloud-based applications
and services:
Disaster recovery – No doubt you know how critical it is to
back up your data. If you back it up onto an external hard
drive, that’s good, but backing up into the cloud is even better,
because both your computers and external drives could be
destroyed in the event of a disaster.
Collaboration – Some cloud-based applications, such as
Google Docs, offer ways for more than one person to view files
simultaneously. That means you and your colleagues could be
1,000 miles apart and work with a document as if you were in
the same room.
Take your work with you – When you travel for business, you
can leave your computer behind if you have your work stored in
the cloud. Just get on another Internet-enabled device when
you arrive and pick up where you left off.
Watch for new Home Telecom services that will enable you to work more easily in the cloud! For more information, call our business sales department at 888-571-5775.
