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News from Accent Information Systems
Greetings!
Many of us are reflecting on the past year, and wondering what we could have done differently to help out that P&L bottom line. We make decisions each day of our lives that affect the long term financial stability of our family and our businesses. Some of these decisions we make under the premise that we are saving money, but the net effect is that we are spending more. Business owners and managers make routine decisions every day without even thinking about it. But are we making the best decisions? Are we making those decisions count in dollars?
Here are some real examples:
- One of our technicians was going to drive 10 miles to a gas station so he could save $.10 per gallon. Savings for a 20-gallon tank fill up is $2.00. But what's the cost?
If the cost of driving our vehicle is $.45 per mile, a round trip will cost about $9.00. That's a net loss of $7.00. If he did this every week for a year, he will have spent an extra $364.00 a year, thinking he was saving money!
- On a personal note, donations of items to a charity can be more profitable and less work than having a garage sale. If we donate $1,000 worth of unwanted items and clothing, we can save between $300 and $400 on our Federal, state and local taxes. How much time, labor and expense would we put in a garage sale with how much revenue? By donating unwanted items, also are helping the needy, and in return get that "warm and fuzzy" feeling that we all love.
- My favorite way to save is to eat leftovers once a week. At about $8.00 per meal, it saves up about $416.00 per year, and some food is just so much better the second day!
Here's wishing you many smart financial decisions, and a happy and profitable 2010!
Frank L. Goode, President/CEO |
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Joe Bash Receives BICSI Certification
Congratulations are in order for Joe Bash, the General Manager of our Structured Cabling Division. Joe recently passed his Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD) exam through BICSI, a professional association supporting the information transport system industry. As a BICSI RCDD, Joe  has demonstrated knowledge in the design, integration and implementation of telecommunications and data communications transport systems, and related infrastructure. Joe has been trained and tested to the highest degree of telecommunications design knowledge known in the industry.
Using an RCDD results in added value. You get both a designer and a project manager in one employee who:
- Has developed the ability to comprehend the "entire scope" of a project through the understanding of standards, codes and proper design practices
- Has received safety training that far exceeds what is required by local codes
- Has been tested in the proper design of vendor-neutral cabling systems, and is not limited by specific product criteria
- Has access to professional, technical and industry information, making it easy to stay current regarding changes, updates and revisions in the industry
- Is required to have continuing education (45 hours every 3 years).
As an RCDD, Joe is uniquely positioned to create the detailed design of new systems and/or the integration of a design into an existing system. Way to go, Joe! This is a great reason to look at Accent first for all your structured cabling needs. |
Cloud Computing
You may have heard the term cloud computing before and wondered, "What in the world have they thought of  now?" If that was your initial response, you're probably not in the minority. However, cloud computing is everywhere and you could be using it every day without ever knowing.
In its simplest form, cloud computing allows a user to access information via the Internet through a web browser instead of a dedicated program running on the PC's desktop. So what does this mean for business? If I'm connected to the Internet, I have access to my data (meaning email, documents, co-workers, etc.). It's that simple.
The possibilities of cloud computing don't just end at the desktop. In fact, the promise extends far beyond. Because your data is in "the cloud", it can be accessed through any web connected device that has a browser. Imagine a platform where your data is stored in one place but accessible and sharable from anywhere. That's flexibility.
As knowledge workers are asked to be more productive and businesses are looking for ways to innovate, providing the flexibility of "the cloud" can be crucial to staying competitive for any business. The fast paced world of today requires information be readily accessible and easily customized to fit any need. Providing users with the power of cloud computing may just give your business a competitive advantage and have your customers sitting on cloud nine.
For more information on cloud computing, click here. |
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Our Recent Installation at Cranel
Columbus is Cranel's home to its 24-Customer Support Center, a Customer Competency Center, its product development lab, and a products warehouse, covering 3 sites and having over 200 users. Its engineering and sales professionals locally serve major markets in the United States and Canada.  Because of its temendous growth due to the success of their diverse product line (including Cranel Imaging, ISOdx, and Versitec), Cranel's previous analog telephone system reached its maximum capacity. That's when the Cranel management team decided to adopt a communications sytem that would help improve productivity.
Specifically, the company was looking for the ability to manage additional remote workers, and it became clear that it was time to look beyond legacy telephony and plot a clear migration towards Unified Communications (UC).
"Ultimately, we had reached a point where we had to upgrade our infrastructure, so we took a thorough look at the solutions available, and evaluated a broad range of products, including offerings from large vendors as well as open-source phone systems," explained Russ Ballard at Cranel. "The new solution had to be feature-rich, user-friendly, cost-effective, and future-proof."
He remembers with a smile that Accent's CEO had "taken himself out of retirement (from field work)", to personally handle a job that needed to be done immediately. "It was amazing that Accent was able to pull it off," Ballard said.
"We had several other installs going on," said Frank Goode, Accent's CEO, "so I decided that I would jump in and help out. The truth is, this system is just that easy to implement. And it felt great to get back into the field, and personally help our client."
However, it wasn't just "above and beyond" service that convinced Cranel administrators that they had made the right choice in selecting ShoreTel. The Redundancy of the ShoreTel system guarantees that Cranel clients are always  able to reach a desired party. The integrated Conferencing Bridge allows for project teams and client groups, from all over the globe, to collaborate with ease while saving expenses to the bottom line.
The key component of the installation is the Enterprise Contact Center. Reports are developed and activity is tracked to enhance the customer experience.
Click here for more information about ShoreTel systems.
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Technology Tip of the Quarter: Evaluate Passwords
Any good manager is worried about the security of his or her business. We've all heard about the destruction hackers can cause, from wiping out bank accounts to causing immeasurable long-term hassles. It's likely we've tested the passwords we use on a daily basis, not only in our businesses but in our personal lives as well. But are our employees being as proactive against cyber crime as we are?
This quarter's "Technology Tip" is a simple one... something that should be shared with every employee and family member, and doesn't cost anything to implement: Check the safety of the passwords you use.
Much has been written on this. Just Google "password security". It may sound easy and so logical, but is worth repeating. Follow these steps, and your password should be secure enough not to be "uncracked":
- Start out with a sentence that you can remember, like "I want to retire to the mountains of North Carolina next year if I can". (It should have at least 8 characters. More is even better.)
- Shorten it by using the first letter of each word: i w t r t t m o N C n y i i c
- Substitute numbers for some of the letters or words: i w 2 r 2 t m o N C n y i i c (the number 2 is substituted for "to")
- Make sure you use upper case and lower case letters (this example already does).
- Substitute symbol(s) for letter(s) or number(s):
! w 2 r 2 t m o N C n y ! ! c
There you have it. A really tough-to-crack password that's easy to remember. Just be sure the password is not written down and stored on a sticky note in the top drawer of a desk. For more common sense tips about using and securing passwords, click here. |
| What Interests You in 2010?
As the year starts, we all look for ways to "start anew". One of our partners shared with us recently "with 2020 only ten years away, the year 2010 takes on a new significance".
Many of you have known us for years as a provider of solutions. The truth is, we hardly come up with the solutions alone. Our clients tell us what works best and provide the direction we need for producing great solutions.
We have been holding the IT Seminars in downtown Columbus for nearly three years now, and as we "start anew" we are looking for input regarding the topics we should cover during the upcoming year.
You have the floor. What is of interest to you? Seminars on general business processes, specific phone technology, Contact Centers, web-based solutions, etc.? We are looking forward to some exciting seminars this year with your help. Please send your suggestions to aisoffice@accentservices.com with "seminar ideas" in the subject line. They will be considered for upcoming events.
In case you haven't heard, we will be giving away two premium seats to one of the Blue Jackets games at our January seminar on the 19th. To register to attend, use the link above on the right. We hope to see you there! | |
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January
IT Seminar Announced:
You are welcome to attend our free communications seminar on January 19, 2010. Come learn "How to Set Up Telecommuting for Your Business".
We'll explain mobility options for the knowledge worker and how affordable telepresence can be.
To attend, please pre-register by clicking here. |
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Click here to visit our website and check out all of our services!
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Accent is
proud to work with
these "partners":
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Accent Receives ShoreTel's World Class Customer Satisfaction Award
For the third 4-quarter period in a row, Accent has received ShoreTel's "World Class Customer Satisfaction" Award for having achieved an average score of 98.86% on all customer surveys conducted between 9/1/08 and 8/31/09.
According to John W. Combs, CEO of ShoreTel, Accent's score "reflects a world class level of professionalism and customer care in network assessment, system design, project management, end-user training and post-sale follow-up."
Accent is proud of this achievement, and is pleased to share ShoreTel's passion for quality.
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