| |
|
|
We’ve Come a Long Way Baby (cont.)
By: Frank Stoltmann, Marketing Manager/ Frank Williams, Operations Executive
In 1999, things were booming in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park. An increasing number of high tech companies were making the area their corporate homes, while existing giants like Nortel were growing at record paces. Deep within the recesses of Nortel, a small group of people were charged with the task of providing Internet access and services, including email, FTP, and news feeds, to Nortel’s independent telephone company customers. This group of pioneers, known at the time as Nortel Information Networks, was destined to become the first employees of NeoNova Network Services. The technology of the times was antiquated by today’s standards. Nortel Information Networks was equipped with HP computers running HP-UX, Ascend pipelines, early Cisco Routers, an assorted collection of Nortel Passport ATM backbone equipment connected to Nortel’s Corwan.
That year, Nortel made a strategic decision to divest itself of its non-core businesses, one of which was Nortel Information Networks. The unit was spun out of Nortel as NeoNova Network Services and was purchased by the Digitel Corporation based in Atlanta. As a reseller of Nortel products, Digitel was familiar with the needs of Nortel customers and viewed NeoNova as an opportunity to diversify their holdings. Bryan Tate, Chairman of Digitel, recognized the potential to grow NeoNova into a premiere wholesale Internet service provider. Developing an initial business plan that went well beyond basic ISP services, NeoNova quickly added new customers seeking cutting edge Internet services and superior customer service.
At the time of divestiture, NeoNova was comprised of young energetic and creative minds that had technical expertise to propel NeoNova in a competitive market place. In the best spirit of early Internet experts, the NeoNova employees were innovative in their thoughts, aggressive in their product design and willing to take risks to provide the best in services.
As the new owners of NeoNova, one of Digitel’s first strategic actions was the installation of Warren Lee as NeoNova’s Chief Operating Officer. Warren came to NeoNova as a successful entrepreneur and engineer, with 8 patents in the area of Voice and Fax over IP, electronic signatures and non-repudiation of documents in financial transactions. He was the perfect choice for this entrepreneurial venture. Under Warren’s tutelage and guidance, NeoNova quickly became recognized for their products and customer support.
As the company began to grow and build a client base, original NeoNova employees began to grow as well. Jay Cuthrell became CTO, Gary Moe now leads the technical group which includes Jeff Smith and Rob Swaringer, Curtis Strole manages Customer Support, Chris Beason is Director of Project Management, Rick Zachery oversees the facilities and Frank Stoltmann directs marketing. To further strengthen its staff, NeoNova has added key personnel, each with extensive experience and expertise in their respective areas.
The offices of NeoNova may have many familiar faces but they too have expanded. From a few scattered cubes and limited telephone access, NeoNova’s location in Morrisville, NC, houses its employees, Data Center and Network Operations Center. Later this year, these offices will be further expanded to answer the needs of NeoNova’s growing business.
NeoNova has established a proud tradition of superior products and services with a proven track record of exemplary customer service. It hasn’t taken long for NeoNova to realize the master plan envisioned by Digitel. Thanks to the vision and energy of the NeoNova ‘community,’ NeoNova will continue to grow, not just in the number of Affiliates, but in the breadth and quality of its valuable services.
NeoNova Launches Su Conexion for Spanish-Speaking Customers (cont.)
In response to the growing number of Spanish speaking Americans, Neonova has developed a suite of services in Spanish to facilitate the use of the Internet. The Spanish speaking community face many challenges as they try to stay abreast of today’s technology and use of the Internet. To facilitate the Spanish community accessing and utilizing Internet services, Neonova has converted our key suite of services into Spanish and designed the applications to be appealing to those customers. For the first time, Neonova affiliates will be able to reach out to the growing Spanish communities around the country and be able to deliver state of the art services in an environment they understand and can easily navigate.
The Spanish services are provided through a specific web site entitled Su Conexion. Su Conexion translates to “your connection” and the tag line, “the world at your finger tips” welcomes users to a unique web experience. The site offers customers daily news feeds focusing on the Spanish communities and related countries. Through the Su Conexion web site, users can access their webmail, account page and greymail services, all in Spanish. The layout of the site utilizes a specific color scheme which is familiar to the Spanish community and is easily navigated for people unfamiliar with Internet tools. Su Conexion is available to dial-up and DSL customers alike and will be expanded in the future to include additional web services.
Neonova continually strives to meet the demands of our affiliates’ customers and deliver services to meet and exceed their needs. This is the latest in a series of product launches designed to enhance the end user Internet experience and add depth to a technology that continues to evolve.
Affiliates can add Su Conexion to their suite of services for a one time investment of $500. Su Conexion does not require any affiliate branding and is a stand alone feature. Affiliates need to plan for and make modifications to their customer service staff prior to launching Su Conexion. It is critical to have a bi-lingual employee ready to meet the demand of new Spanish customers generated by Su Conexion. Neonova is prepared to work with our affiliates and advise them in any way possible to facilitate the transition.
For more information on Su Conexion or other Neonova services, please contact David Butler, Director of Sales at 919-473-5058 or dbutler@neonova.net
Web Hosting Services Powered by cPanel (cont,)
By Randy Robbins, Project Manager, NeoNova Network Services
NeoNova has upgraded our Web Hosting platform utilizing a new infrastructure powered by Control Panel (cPanel) and Web Hosting Manager (WHM). This popular platform provides NeoNova’s Web Hosting Service with the speed, flexibility, robustness, security, and feature compatibility that website managers need in today’s competitive Internet marketplace.
Setting up your Web Hosting service is now easier than ever before. NeoNova will create a branded information website that provides ordering information, pricing, package contents, contact information and advertising opportunities for one simple setup fee. NeoNova offers Basic, Advanced, and Business web hosting packages that include the most popular features associated with these user groups. Providing pricing on the information website is optional, but recommended.
Affiliates can offer these packages to their customers, or they can create custom packages with different brand names, features and quota levels. Affiliates are able to customize web hosting package names and contents as long as the storage, bandwidth, account, responder and domain limits of the Business package are not exceeded.
Neonova will bill according to the contents of each custom package. For instance, Affiliates can build packages based on NeoNova’s Basic package, and NeoNova will bill the Affiliate the Basic price for all of these packages. Including features or providing quota levels that are available in the Advanced package would result in billing at the Advanced package price, and so forth. NeoNova will assist Affiliates in creating these custom packages, branding them to their liking, and updating the web hosting information website to reflect these package names, their contents, and pricing as part of the initial setup of the service.
Affiliates will also be provided with login credentials to an associated cpanel site similar to: hosting.domain.ext/cpanel. Once logged in, these credentials will enable a link under Advanced features that is labeled WebHost Manager. Clicking this link will take the Hosting Manager to the WHM interface. WHM provides the Hosting Manager with an easy to use interface for managing the Web Hosting service, without programming language expertise. WHM makes it easy to manage the offering without issuing any commands. You can create virtual domains, edit DNS records, add accounts, set up back-ups, activate services, and more, all with a few simple mouse clicks.
The brand-able cPanel interface provides flexibility and functionality by allowing your customer’s site managers to prioritize modules on the interface with drag and drop, as well as minimize and expand capability. Information about Domains, Databases, Security, Advanced Services, Files, Logs, and more can all be shown in priority order in full or reduced size. Search capabilities and site statistics are shown on the main interface for easy access to these features.
If you are interested in learning more about NeoNova’s Web Hosting Service, package contents, pricing or other information, contact Customer Service at 919-460-3330 or email us at custsvc@neonova.net. We hope you enjoy the new cPanel Web Hosting Service.
Conversion Update
By Chris Beatson, Director of Project Management, NeoNova Network Services
The project management department at NeoNova has been busy during the past 6 months bringing on new affiliates and growing the NeoNova family. A good portion of our conversion activity has been dedicated to migrating companies within two of our largest affiliates: Fairpoint Communications and Spirit Telecom. In addition to Fairpoint and Spirit, we have also added Townes Communications, TEC Communications, Adak Telephone Utility, and Kerman Telephone. During the second half of 2007, NeoNova has added 27 new properties across the above Affiliates.
We ran into some interesting scenarios and encountered many different
challenges. Overall, the NeoNova team overcame all of the obstacles and was able to satisfy the needs of each project. Fairpoint was no exception to this, and presented many interesting problems as noted by Ken Carter:
"Neonova and FairPoint faced the worst scenarios possible for ISP migration. FairPoint was supporting over 25 domains and brands, and multiple platforms, products, billing plans, billing systems, and equipment. Each domain had its own unique challenges during conversions. Each time, Neonova presented a workable plan and performed on time and with the highest level of professionalism. Neonova's project management was critical to the overall success of the significant challenges that were faced by both companies and allowed FairPoint to aggregate our services and maximize our
economies of scale and manageability to a widely dispersed clientele."
Adak presented challenges as well, due to the remote location and limited connectivity options. Adak sits on the western edge of the Aleutian chain of Islands off the coast of Alaska, and is, in fact, the westernmost city in the United States including Hawaii. NeoNova engineered a solution that maximized the conservation of their limited satellite based bandwidth and reduced the possibility for resource sharing amongst the residents. Getting us, and the equipment to Adak and coordinating the installation presented some challenges since there are only two daily flights going into, and coming off of the Island.
This past year, NeoNova has grown the business dramatically. The Project Management Department continues to refine and improve processes related to conversions and
ongoing operations. In addition to activities related to conversions and new ISP build-outs, the project management team is available at standard professional services rates to assist with Affiliate related projects if needed. To inquire about project related professional services, please contact NeoNova Customer Support.
NeoNova Welcomes New Affiliate (cont.)
By Frank Williams, Director of Sales, NeoNova Network Services
NeoNova Network Services is pleased to welcome Sacred Wind Communications as the newest NeoNova affiliate. NeoNova will provide hosted ISP services to Sacred Wind’s dialup and DSL customers. Sacred Wind Communications is a privately owned, 501 © (3) non-profit organization, based in New Mexico-based and dedicated to improving telecommunications services in rural areas within New Mexico, specifically to serve the Navajo Community. Sacred Wind purchased local telephone facilities from Qwest Corporation that service portions of Navajo lands in the northwestern, Four Corners, and Canoncito areas of the state.
Focused mainly on introducing basic telephone services to the many thousands of unserved homes on Navajo lands, Sacred Wind also has the intent and mission of providing the most advanced services, including high speed Internet services, to Navajo, non-Navajo residents, governmental entities, and businesses in their territory. This area is in a remote and rural section of the Navajo Nation where poverty, isolation, inferior health care, insufficient public safety, and poor educational services are part of the way of life. Without computer access, many job opportunities, long distance learning, telemedicine availability, medical alerts/crime alerts, homeland security announcements, etc. are not available to this population. Based on a recent census, approximately 77% of the homes in Sacred Wind’s operating area do not have telephones.
As a recipient of a $70 Million RUS loan, Sacred Wind will offer its customers their own new signature services. Sacred Wind is building a state-of-the art telecom network, which is expected to have the foundation completed by 3rd Quarter 2008. Additionally, for their low income Tribal customers, they will continue to be proactive in promoting the state and the FCC's Tribal Lifeline program guaranteeing eligible families to receive the lowest rates available anywhere.
In serving and working with their Navajo customers, Sacred Wind has noted that too often technological changes generate cultural changes. Sacred Wind will support the culture of the Navajo Nation by facilitating communications between their Navajo customers and the rest of America. Sacred Wind’s operations and customer interfaces will reinforce the values important to Navajo customers.
Sacred Wind offers residential service plans, long distance packages, and custom calling features such as Caller ID, Call Waiting, Voice Messaging, etc. They also offer dial-up Internet service throughout the territory and DSL in specific areas nearby Gallup and Farmington. Sacred Wind is beginning construction of a radio antenna-based network, to be interconnected with their current landline system that will enable them to provide many advanced services including higher speed Internet services on a larger scale.
Once their network is in place, Sacred Wind will be able to offer the latest commercial grade services, including broadband, DS3 and T.1 capacities, alarm, surveillance, and conferencing to meet their customer’s business needs. Sacred Wind is advantaged by not being bound by a legacy system or a legacy organizational structure.
John Badal is President, Sacred Wind Communications. Sacred Wind is committed to making a difference in the Navajo community!
Ya’at ‘teeh, Sacred Wind! |
Employee Spotlight – David Butler, National Sales Director(cont.)
Dave Butler is the National Sales Director at NeoNova, responsible for all sales of products and services to cable TV companies, independent telcos, and municipalities. Dave joined Neonova Network Services after a long career in the retail automotive business, most recently as the General Manager of Michael Jordan Nissan in Durham, North Carolina, which he joined in 1998. At this time, the Michael Jordan Nissan dealership was experiencing ownership turmoil and the business, in general, was struggling both financially, and with their public image. Dave comes to NeoNova after a successful turnaround and nine year stint at Michael Jordan Nissan.
Prior to Michael Jordan Nissan, Dave began his Automotive Management career in Asheboro, NC with Asheboro Nissan. It was in Asheboro that he filled all of the Management positions experiencing the entire dealership operation
The NeoNova opportunity was very appealing to him because of NeoNova’s high level of customer service. While researching NeoNova, Dave found that the Company mantra: “The Customer is King” is much more than just a slogan, it is the basis under which they operate. Coming from a customer-oriented business, Dave felt that the current challenge at NeoNova is perfectly suited for his strengths.
Although the industry is new to Dave, development and nurturing of mutually beneficial long-term relationships is a strength that separated Dave from his colleagues. Dave successfully fostered many mutually beneficial relationships with customers, service providers, vendors, and banking institutions. Dave was involved in negotiating several long-term contracts with service providers of all types. This experience will give Dave’s team the ability to fact-find, analyze, construct, and present the perfect solution customized for your organization in an efficient manner with the most important factor in mind; our customer’s time. Taking that knowledge forward, Dave will build a very focused, professional, and attentive sales team that will get the Neonova relationship started on the right foot every time.
Dave is a New England native, born in Brockton, MA, but calls Camden, ME his home as his family moved there when he was young. He now resides in Cary, NC with his wife Rene’ and two children, Hannah (11), and Kanan (8). Dave graduated in 1989 from Marietta College with a degree in Marketing and Management after beginning his college career as a Sports Medicine major. Dave enjoys spending time with his family, coaching his son’s baseball team, personal fitness activities, and will occasionally chase a golf ball around a local golf course. You can contact Dave at dbutler@neonova.net. |
Curtis’ Corner (cont.)
By: Curtis Strole, Customer Service Manager, NeoNova Network Services
Welcome to Curtis’s Corner! In this edition we are going to explore the exciting world of Web 2.0!
We all know about the World Wide Web. It’s the networks that connect all our computers to other computers around the world, filling our monitors with images, sounds and information of just about anything.
Web 2.0 is not meant to be a new version of the World Wide Web, but it is going to take those connections a step further. For an example of Web 2.0, go to http://www.google.com/googledocs. There you will find a web-based word processor and spreadsheet program. By adding things such as applications right inside your web browser, you won’t have to load anything on to your computer – you just click onto a website.
These web-based applications can provide just about anything software can – from the program mentioned above, to complete OS systems. Adobe recently announced that it’s placing a free version of its Photoshop digital imaging program online later this year.
Soon a day may come that buying and installing software will be a thing of the past.
The thoughts and opinions expressed in “Curtis’s Corner” are those of the author. They do not represent the views or opinions of NeoNova Network Services or its staff. |
|
|
