Mickey Waters of Conway Medical Center sees the value in ... - HTC

BUSINESS
SOLUTIONS
NOVEMBER 2008 • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 4
Mickey Waters of
Conway Medical Center sees
the value in HP ProCurve
Towne Centre Store Opens 3
Home Integration Products 3
HP ProCurve Networking 4
A ProCurve Customer Profile 5
Telecommuting on the Rise 6
Who’s Minding Your Business 7

BUSINESS
SOLUTIONS
Tools are, by definition, things that aid in accomplishing a task.
In the business environment, your “toolbox” will likely include a combination
of equipment, technology, and services. HTC can contribute
powerful communications tools to this mix, designed to help you
achieve your objectives in efficient, cost-effective ways.
This November issue of Business Solutions features a two-page spread
about HP ProCurve Networking, a leading manufacturer of networking
infrastructure products and one of our technology partners. Large businesses
and organizations, such as Conway Medical Center, have found
HP ProCurve to be a valuable tool in their quest to minimize costs for
infrastructure acquisition and maintenance.
Also in this issue, you’ll hear about a handy new shopping tool
for people in the Carolina Forest area – the new HTC office at Towne
Centre, filled with product and service displays. And on page 6, you’ll
find advice on how to successfully make telecommuting (a moneysaving
tool) work within your company.
Thanks for choosing HTC to provide your communications services.
If you’d like to discuss changes or additions to your “toolbox,”
we’re just a phone call away.
2
Business Solutions is a publication of HTC, Inc. Main Office: 3480 Hwy 701 N
Conway (PO Box 1820), Conway, SC 29528. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, electronic,
photocopying, recording, mechanical or otherwise without the prior written
permission of HTC, Inc. All rights are reserved.
Editorial and Circulation - Contact: Lisa Beverly, 3480 Hwy 701 N, PO Box 1820,
Conway, SC 29528, 843-369-8714.
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: Stephanie Rabon, 38th Ave. North,
Suite 100, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 - 843-369-8186
Copyright © 2008 by HTC, Inc. and Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc.
POSTMASTER
Send changes to:
Lisa Beverly - Marketing 10102
HTC, Inc.
PO Box 1820
Conway, SC 29528
Sincerely,
Tom Vitt
Director of Marketing

More Convenience in Store for You
New HTC office at Towne Centre features product displays and demonstration areas
Your business benefits from the timesaving
efficiency of voice, data and video solutions
from HTC. Now we’ve also made shopping for
our products and services even more efficient with the
September opening of our new HTC office at Towne
Centre – our tenth office in Horry County. Located at
the intersection of Carolina Forest Boulevard and River
Oaks Drive, this facility has nearly 1,100 square feet of
retail space and includes information/displays about our
complete line of communications offerings in the
categories of phone, wireless, digital cable, high speed
internet, and home security.
Of particular note at the Towne Centre office are these
convenient features:
• Drive-thru window with night drop for quick bill
payment anytime
• HTC Horizon wireless live bar with the latest
phones and PDAs available to test
• HDTV and home theater display
• NetRacer high speed internet demonstration area
• Multipurpose room for meetings, seminars, and
community events
• Home Integration room for builders, developers,
and homeowners to tour
The Home Integration room is 335 square feet and
is set up like a furnished living space. It’s designed to
showcase the spectrum of integrated communications
technology now available for homes under construction
and to allow visitors to experience demonstrations such
as HDTV with surround sound, high speed internet, and
home security systems. To enhance understanding of the
technology, selected walls have been left open so that the
wiring inside is visible.
If you live or work in the Carolina Forest area, you’ll
appreciate the extended hours of the new HTC office at
Towne Centre. The office is open Monday – Friday from
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM and Saturday from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
HTC Home Integration
HTC Home Integration prepares today's new homes for
tomorrow's technologies through a simple turnkey process.
First, HTC Home Integration Coordinators work with
homebuyers and builders to design homes that include the
latest in residential technologies. Then HTC Home Integration
Coordinators assist builders during the rough-in and trim-out
phase of construction to coordinate on-time installation of
each Home Integration product and to get the services up
and running.
Don Hovis, Supervisor of Residential Sales, says builders
appreciate the comprehensive, start-to-finish services provided
by HTC Home Integration. “We’re the only telecommunications
provider in the area that does it all, including taking fiber
optics all the way to the home instead of just to the curb.”
Hovis adds, “Builders of all sizes also like the fact that we can
tailor the services to meet their specific needs, whether that
means helping them develop a profit center or shouldering the
responsibility of planning and installation.”
HTC Home Integration services include security, home
intercom, home theater, central vacuum, home networking,
HTC NetRacer high speed internet, structured wiring, whole
house audio, telephone, surround sound, digital cable and
DVR, and HTC Bluewave fiber to the home.
For more details, contact an HTC Home Integration
Coordinator at 843-369-7233 or visit www.htcinc.net.
3

HP ProCurve Networking
Adaptive infrastructure keeps up with advancing technology and user needs
For more than 25 years, HP ProCurve Networking has
been developing networking infrastructure products
used by municipalities, hospitals, school campuses, and
other similar scaled entities. They offer a complete portfolio
of LAN, WAN, and WLAN segments and bring innovation
to it all, keeping the customer’s current and future needs in
mind. For example, HP ProCurve continues to improve LAN
switching and routing products in order to allow businesses to
share files and resources, and communicate more efficiently,
across a Local Area Network. These enhancements have
fueled unprecedented growth, making HP ProCurve the
#2 networking vendor in the world in revenue.
HTC is proud to be a ProCurve Specialist Partner
(see sidebar on page 5), and we stand prepared to work with
you to develop the right networking infrastructure for your
business. HP ProCurve products offer many advantages
including the following:
• They are based on industry standards (IEEE & RFC),
allowing them to work in environments with other
manufacturers’ products.
• Most HP ProCurve products are backed by the
industry’s first lifetime warranty.* The lifetime
warranty includes next-business-day advance exchange,
free software updates to the product, and free phone
support during business hours. The warranty covers
the entire product, including the fan and power supply,
for as long as you own the product.
• HP ProCurve products are developed to provide access
control of the network to the edge – where users and devices
connect. This increases security and manageability.
Rich Horsley, Product Manager for Wireless at HP
ProCurve, believes one of the biggest benefits that HP
ProCurve offers is choice. “Rather than lock a customer
into a proprietary solution that only works with that vendor’s
products, customers can choose a network solution
that is based on industry standards,” explains Horsley.
He continues, “Through a commitment to industry
standards-based solutions, HP ProCurve customers enjoy
best-in-class solutions, increased security, advanced technology,
proven reliability and support, and a return on
their IT investment.”
Is your business reevaluating your network infrastructure
to accommodate new technology or reduce support costs
Contact HTC for assistance at HTCE2IT@htcinc.net or call
843-369-E2IT (369-3248).
*For as long as you own the product, with next-business-day advance replacement
(available in most countries). The following hardware products
and their related family modules have a one-year warranty with extensions
available: The ProCurve Routing Switch 9300m Series, ProCurve Routing
Switch 9408sl Series, ProCurve Switch 8100fl Series, ProCurve Access
Control Server 745wl, and the ProCurve Network Access Controller 800.
Standalone software may have a different warranty duration. For details,
refer to the ProCurve Software License, Warranty, and Support booklet at:
http://www.hp.com/rnd/support/warranty/index.htm.
Business Solutions Now Online
Want to re-read a Business Solutions article about a topic of interest,
such as HP ProCurve, but can’t find the issue No problem – our
Business Solutions magazine is now available online. To access this
quarterly publication, just visit www.htcinc.net and click on “Business
Solutions” on the home page. Then select “Business Solutions Newsletter”
under “Support & FAQ.”
Since it was first published in 2007, Business Solutions has brought you
information on communication and technology trends, highlights of new
HTC products and services, and examples of how local companies are
meeting their challenges through our solutions. We hope you find it to
be a valuable resource.
4

Rick Rush, Manager, Network Services; Denise Ambuhl,
Director, Business Services; and Mike McPherson, HP ProCurve
Partner Account Manager.
HTC is ProCurve
Specialist Partner
HTC earned the status of ProCurve Specialist
Partner by achieving these required certifications:
Accredited Sales Consultant
This certification enables sales representatives to
develop a long-term, value-added relationship with
customers. It expands their skills by focusing on how
to engage customers at an executive level to gain a
deeper understanding of mission-critical business issues.
It also prepares them to design a comprehensive
ProCurve Networking solution based on the Adaptive
EDGE Architecture strategy that will meet customers'
evolving networking requirements.
Accredited Systems Engineer
This certification establishes the competencies
required for hands-on design, integration and support
of Adaptive EDGE converged solutions for complex,
enterprise networks, including VoIP and other multimedia
applications. Key focus is on understanding
and addressing the network performance impacts of
applications and network services (such as QoS and
security).
Denise Ambuhl, Director of Business Services, says,
“By becoming a ProCurve Specialist Partner, HTC has
enhanced our ability to develop efficient network
solutions for our business customers.”
A ProCurve
Profile
Conway Medical Center experienced
healthy savings with new infrastructure
Conway Medical Center is committed to harnessing
the power of modern technology, whether it’s in
their state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization lab or
their new data center. So it’s no surprise that this 160-bed
facility worked with HTC when it was time to select a core
switching infrastructure – a pair of HP ProCurve 5400
switches in high availability configuration.
“These switches were recommended to Conway Medical
Center because of their performance, scalability, and value
offered in CAPEX and OPEX,” says Rick Rush, HTC
Manager of Professional Services. “Their acquisition costs
were substantially lower than that of other manufacturers
and they carry the best warranty in the business, so they
were a cost-efficient choice for the new data center.”
The 5400 series is a full-featured Gigabit PoE chassis
solution engineered to support the most demanding networks
today. Chassis-based, it gives customers the flexibility
to customize their own solution by installing the modules
they need. The 5400 series also integrates HP ProCurve's
wireless solution, hosting a Wireless Edge Services Module,
allowing customers to manage both their wired and wireless
networks. In addition, access and security policies on the
wired network can be easily deployed to the wireless network,
ensuring access to resources wherever users roam
in the network.
According to Rush, the benefits of this infrastructure to
Conway Medical Center include:
• Peace of mind in business continuity with their core
switch infrastructure being highly available
• Less budget required for maintenance contracts
• Freedom to grow as needs are presented
Mickey Waters, IT Director at Conway Medical Center,
is particularly pleased with the excellent value provided by
the HP ProCurve 5400 switches. He says, “The value was a
big selling point for us, and it compared very favorably to the
competition. We also set up an agreement with HTC to give
us managed network support, which has worked very well to
augment our small IT staff. It’s just been an incredible experience
working with HTC. They’re always there for us.”
5

Telecommuting on the Rise
High gas prices are driving more companies to consider this option
Recent research indicates that about 26 million Americans
work from home at least one day per month,
and 22 million do so at least one day per week.
While telecommuting or telework has been increasingly
popular for several years, recent escalated growth of this
trend is being attributed to the high gas prices that are taking
a big bite out of workers’ budgets. In rural areas where
mass transit is not an option, the commuting challenge can
be even greater. Many workers are actively seeking jobs that
are closer to home, just so they can cut back on gas expenses.
As a result, employers are now looking for creative
ways to alleviate this financial burden and help attract and
retain good employees.
Can telecommuting work for your business
Jobs that can be done independently from others, or
that require only e-mail and phone communication, may
qualify for telecommuting. And while many managers
may balk at the idea due to a loss of control, those with
telework policies have found that their businesses – not just
employees – benefit from these flexible schedules. Among
the outcomes:
• Increased productivity. These workers re-allocate
time previously devoted to commuting. Instead, they
check e-mails, begin their day’s work, or prepare for the
next day. Plus, they don’t have distractions from colleagues
stopping by their desks to chat. And because
telecommuters are judged on their productivity rather
than time spent in the office, they’re typically even more
careful to ensure that their work gets done on time.
• Reduced turnover. Staff members are happier when
they’re offered flexible schedules that improve their
work-life balance – and that reduces recruitment
and training costs for business owners. In today’s
economy, it pays to focus on job satisfaction as a key
component of long-term profitability.
• Less overhead. Since telecommuters don’t require
office space in your building, you may not have to
expand your office space as your business grows.
For more information, visit http://telecom.workfamily.com/.
This site even offers courses for both telecommuters and their
managers, to help everyone get the most out of the arrangement.
Do’s and Don’ts for
Managing Telecommuters
If you’re thinking about setting up a telework plan for your employees,
or if you already have telecommuters on your team, keep these tips in mind.
Do:
• Trust your teleworker.
• Encourage goal setting, ask for
periodic status reports, and give
timely feedback.
• Manage based on productivity
and results.
• Communicate regularly to keep appropriate
team members in the loop.
• Be prepared to stop individuals’
telecommuting programs if
employees aren’t performing.
Don’t:
• Check in too frequently or
over-supervise your employee.
• Call at 4:55 every afternoon to make
sure your worker is putting in a full day.
• Ignore your teleworker when
they submit work or questions.
• Set unrealistic deadlines that
couldn’t be met in an ordinary
work environment.
• Expect perfection. Any job
requires occasional adjustments.
6

Who’s Minding
Your Business
Rick Rush, Manager
of Professional Services
You can rest assured that an expert at HTC
is on the line for your business every day. One of
those experts is Rick Rush, Manager of Professional
Services. He is responsible for Managed Network
and Security Services, Professional Services, Sales
Engineers and Data/Voice Project Management.
“I’ve been with HTC since 2000,” says Rush. “Prior
to that,” he adds, “I was a founding principal for
a technology consulting and outsourcing firm
and worked with that company for eight years.”
His professional credentials include GCSC (GIAC
Certified Security Consultant) and CSSA (Certified
SonicWALL Security Administrator).
When asked what he finds most gratifying about
his current role with HTC, he responds, “I enjoy
the close working relationships that I have been
able to build with customers I interact with daily.
I treat them as true partnerships, and am pleased
to contribute to the measurable benefits that these
companies enjoy as a result.”
Ready for the
Digital Transition
HTC Digital Cable wants to make sure you understand
what the Digital Transition is and what
action, if any, you need to take. The Digital Transition
refers to the time period during which television
broadcast stations are switching their signals from analog to
digital technology. Congress mandated that on February 17,
2009, full-powered television broadcast stations must return
their analog spectrum to the government and broadcast only
in digital over the public airwaves. After this date, analog television
sets that rely on “rabbit ears” to access local broadcast
stations will not be able to receive these broadcast signals.
Typically, TVs purchased in the last few years that are 25
inches or larger have digital tuners embedded so no action
is needed to continue to receive and display the over-the-air
digital signals. Consumers who have an analog-only television
set essentially have three options after the transition
deadline to continue to receive these signals:
1. Obtain a cable (or other video provider) connection
for the analog TVs in the home. Any TV hooked up to
analog or digital cable will not be affected.
2. Purchase a digital-to-analog converter to install on the
analog TV. If you decide to purchase a converter, the government
will help you pay for the necessary equipment.
Consumers may apply for up to two $40 coupons to be
used towards the purchase of a digitalto-analog
converter box.
3. Purchase a new digital television.
For more information on the Digital Transition, visit
www.dtvtransition.org.
7

Imagine a World Without Choice
You No Longer Have To
Many businesses limit their options when it comes
to networking. But with HP ProCurve, you can open
a whole new range of possibilities. With secure and
reliable solutions that adapt to the changing needs
of your organization, you now have the opportunity to
optimize your network for business results.
You have a choice at ProCurve.com/Choice
Q4-08_PhoneAd[newsletter].indd 1
9/23/2008 11:49:04 PM
© 2008 Hewlett Packard Development Company, L.P.