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COMPUTERS & TECHNOLOGY

Speed, service, and affordability is name of the game in technology


BY Mary Ellen Powell
DBJ Contributing Writer

Developments in technology allow businesses to combine affordability and service with a new level of interoffice and interlocation connectivity

Businesses are demanding a new level of connectivity between their office equipment within one office location and connectivity between various locations. These businesses also want service that will allow all these components to work together with little or no interruption due to technical malfunction. Fortunately for Delta businesses, there are many local companies that can provide these services.

Jim Raines, president and chief technical officer of Synergetics, a company with locations in Cleveland, Starkville, and Ridgeland and customers statewide, explains that there are several major trends in the use of technology in the office. One of these is convergence, which is when the office technological tools—phone system, copier, computer—speak a common language.

To be able to achieve convergence, a business can use a common infrastructure for all systems. Key Reifers of Key Solutions in Leland says, “DSL or cable networking is more expensive than other forms of network wiring, but provides a great deal more speed and businesses can share DSL lines within their network.”

Businesses are also networking using VPN’s or Virtual Private Networks. These networks allow businesses to use public Internet services to set up a system that meets the businesses’ needs.

“All you need to set up a VPN is Internet connection security software and Internet security appliances,” states Pat Peay of Peay Computers in Clarksdale. “This type of network allows people to access the company through any computer such as when company members travel with their laptops.”

Southern Duplicating, with offices in Clarksdale, Cleveland, Jackson, and Starkville, is one business that helps businesses obtain this convergence with office equipment other than computers.

“Our main business is anything that runs paper—copiers, faxes, printers, and digital copiers,” says Billy Steen, manager of Southern Duplicating’s Clarksdale branch. “By connecting through a high-speed network, customers can select full copying capabilities such as hole-punching, stapling, duplexing, and copying in sets all from the desktop.”

Charles Peeples of Connected Office Products in Greenville agrees that the trend toward networking is definitely a trend in today’s offices. He also feels that new innovations in copy machines have further enhanced any businesses’ copying capabilities.

“The digital copiers that are being sold now are better copiers. For makers like Toshiba, being the second largest computer company in the world, making the transition from analog to digital copiers was second nature while other copier companies had to go out and buy the technology and then integrate it,” says Peeples.

Peeples goes on to say that color copiers are also making the office more versatile. “Color copiers are becoming more and more popular and more reasonable in cost and can also be networked just as any other type of copier,” he says. “Color copiers allow for a greater level of versatility in printing and allows printing projects to be done in-house that would have been sent out to a printing company in the past.”

Having all users networked onto one copier may make some people feel uncomfortable with the fact that everyone in the office can see what is being printed, but Steen says that security is not a problem with the new generation of copiers.

Steen explains, “With the newer copiers, a job can be printed into a ‘virtual mailbox’ for security where the job is held until the person comes to the copier and keys in an access code and then prints the job while they are present to receive the document.”

“Another trend for businesses is taking the geography out of the picture,” says Raines. “Allowing businesses to not be limited to one location to retrieve data.”

Going along with this is multi-site connectivity where businesses set up one big network for several locations by using centralized servers. For multi-location businesses the ability to connect all locations in addition to being able to connect within the business is a great asset.

Companies may also choose to set up IP (Integrated Protocol) Telephony which uses the computer network for the company’s PBX/phone system.

Raines explains, “Companies can intermingle their same network infrastructure using the Internet as their phone connection. The physical phone cabling system plugs into the computer network.”

When a business chooses to network its systems, it can use either in-house staff to install the network infrastructure or bring in professionals from outside the business. For those who choose to do the work themselves, there are businesses such as Office Depot that carry the necessary supplies.

“Sixty percent of our business is technology,” says Greenville Office Depot Manager Thomas Winterstein. “Networking is obviously a big trend especially as people go more and more to DSL and cable modems. To help them network their businesses we sell routers, hubs, network cards and cables; almost anything that a business will need.”

Many businesses choose, however, to bring in outside technical expertise. Peay Computers is part of a TPK, Inc., that provides contract professional services.

“This service is especially useful for companies who do not need or cannot afford a full-time IT professional in house,” says Peay. “When a company takes advantage of our contract consulting services, TPK provides IT professionals. This monthly contract service allows a business to have a trained IT professional at their fingertips.”

The demand for efficient and timely service is becoming more and more important in today’s technology-dependent workplace.

Key Reifers explains, “Most people are looking for speed, performance, and price, but the number one thing is service. People really want service and we provide that. Our aim is to provide same-day service.

“We have replacement parts on-hand so that we can replace needed parts, but when people choose to replace whole systems, we can provide new computer systems as well.”
Owner of Connected, Inc., of Clarksdale, David Fowler says that his business also provides system consultation services.

“We work hand-in-hand with businesses on a contractual bases to help them devise a networking plan and integrate DSL and cable into their businesses,” he says.

One of the best aspects of networking is the savings that comes about through using the same infrastructure for many types of office equipment.

“Businesses are able to reduce their total cost of ownership as they experience many economics of consolidation,” says Raines.

Governmental agencies also seek to save money by choosing to work with businesses that have competitive prices. Connected, Inc., is one such business that is listed on the state Information Technology Services (ITS) Express Price List (EPL).

Even the using of networked copiers allows companies to save money.

Charles Peeples says, “We can come into your business and tell you how much you are spending on printing through your small printers and then compare it with what you would save by networking your copier and often prove that the copier would pay for itself.”

Billy Steen agrees and point out that that not only is the cost per page much less but the cost of operation is less as well and provides a considerable drop in price from using desktop laser printers.

Another area where money can be saved through networking is in the cost of sending and receiving faxes.

“People also like to put their fax options on their copiers because it provides speed and the same economical price per copy as the copier,” says Peeples.

As businesses continue to make the transition into being totally technologically based, one of the last areas to change is the area of document storage. Recent developments in technology give new options in this area that are both economical and fast.

Bill McCaslin, director of technological services and training for Document Imaging Solutions in Cleveland, states, “There are new tools available that enable information to be scanned into a computer at up to 100 pages per minute. These same tools can do searches on this information that run at a speed of 100,000 pages per 4 seconds. When the specific data is found in the document, that data appears on the computer screen and then can be email as an attachment, stored, or printed.”

Especially for document intensive organizations such as law offices, accounting firms, and state and federal offices, the paper glut can be overwhelming. And, as McCaslin points out, if a business has one paper copy of a file then there are security issues to consider.

With the new system, the CD’s containing the documents can be copied, backed up, and stored at off-site locations to insure security and protection of the documents. Also, when document storage space is exhausted, the cost to build new space is approximately $100 per square foot, thus requiring almost $1200 just to build room for two filing cabinets. The cost of one of the workstations and tools to complete this process, however, is approximately $750.

Companies continue to strive toward obtaining technological solution that are both inter-connected and economical and in the Delta there are many businesses to help them. DBJ