// Business Connections //

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Meet Max, a New INS Team Member 3 // Introducing Alliance Connect 4

FREE One-on-One Consultation 5 // MPLS Improves Network Efficiency 6

Spotlight on Prism Projection 7

ConnectionsB U S I N E S SVolUmE 3 • ISSUE 3

Alliance Connect bursts onto the scene to join our family of companies

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Business Connections is a publication of INS, 4201 Corporate Drive, West Des Moines, IA 50266.

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 INS. All rights are reserved.

Editorial and Circulation Contact: Kristi Petersen, 4201 Corporate Drive, West Des Moines, IA 50266, 515-830-0425.

All brand names and product names used in this publication are trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Extra issues are available to business customer employees on a limited basis while supplies last. Contact: Kristi Petersen, 4201 Corporate Drive, West Des Moines, IA 50266, 515-830-0425.

Copyright © 2011 by INS and Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc.

Postmaster send changes to: Kristi Petersen - “Business Connections” Iowa Network Services 4201 Corporate Drive West Des Moines, IA 50266

A new chapter for INS has begun, and Iowa businesses have access to exciting new resources to meet their telecommunications needs. We recently added the CLEC (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier), Alliance Connect, LLC, to our family of businesses that includes INS and Alliance Technologies. You can read more about Alliance Connect on pages 4 and 5, including the many advantages that result from local service from an Iowa company.

Alliance Connect isn’t the only news around here. On page 3, we talk about the new INS team member named Max, along with our new Tech Talk blog. They’re both part of our commitment to keep you updated on technology and help you make more informed decisions about your telecommunications solutions. For some of you, one solution to consider will be a MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) network, due to its ability to increase network efficiency. You can learn more about MPLS on page 6. Then on page 7, be inspired by our Business Spotlight on Prism Projection. This rapidly growing company sells illumination devices to both U.S. and international customers from Sully, Iowa, thanks in part to the telecommunications services provided by Sully Telephone.

Astute readers of Business Connections will notice there’s a new name at the close of this letter. I’m Ron Keller, and I joined INS as President and CEO in July 2011. Over the course of my career, I have acted as a strategic advisor in decision-making and provided planning and execution support on major initiatives and projects. I look forward to leading this new chapter with INS, and to helping your business write its own success story.

Sincerely,

Ron KellerINS President and CEO

ConnectionsB U S I N E S S

// Business Connections //

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INS has a new employee, and he’s one you’ll meet soon, if you haven’t already. Max, the INS Dude, holds the title of spokesperson. You’ll see Max on our website, in advertise-

ments, and as part of other printed materials, as well as at our new blog, Tech Talk. Max represents the INS values important to all our employees including responsiveness, reliability, resourcefulness, and passion for one’s work.

max Knows Technology At INS, we’re known for being a team of problem solvers with a caring attitude and a “whatever it takes” mentality. Max says, “Got a communications problem? Bring it on. We’ve already figured it out.”

Max understands that it’s vital to your business to have com-munications technology that performs as expected. Downtime translates into an inability to serve clients and communicate effectively with team members. Ultimately, this can lead to loss of revenue and confidence in your organization.

“Fortunately,” says Max, “downtime is low for INS customers, since we deliver the highest performing statewide voice and data network in Iowa. INS is the one and only local source to offer a full menu of telecommunications services.”

Kristi Petersen, INS Marketing Manager, adds, “With network operations and technicians statewide, we can deploy teams rapidly to get your business connected. And we’ll make sure your performance remains high — even if the unthinkable disaster strikes.”

INS installation and support of voice and data network solu-tions is superior in large part because a locally stationed Iowa response team means:• Communications technology solutions are designed,

installed and “turned up” quickly.

• Connectivity and equipment issues are addressed immediately.

• INS takes responsibility for troubleshooting issues, even when they might involve multiple vendors.

Tech Talk Reveals Tips and TrendsBecause INS employees have traditionally focused on the business of building and supporting the best performing fiber optic network in Iowa, our company is heavy with do-ers and light on talkers. Yet, notes Petersen, “We’ve noticed that more days than not, someone is asking us to help solve a technical issue or trying to pry out of us insight about a new technology. So we’ve decided to make these insights public on our Tech Talk blog.”

Max says, “We’re ready to share, from technical white papers and useful resources to thoughts on com-munication trends and our own quirky ways of solving problems. You’ll hear not only from me, but others including INS product managers and VPs. All of us are passionate about technology and know you’re looking for relevant content. And we’d love to hear your thoughts too.”

Subscribe to our Tech Talk blog at

blog.iowanetworkservices.com.

You’ll learn something new,

and you can say “hi” to

Max while you’re there!

He and others from INS have lots to share on our Tech Talk blog

a New INS Team Membermeet max,

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From Alliance Connect and partners, your business can now get a variety of competitively priced products including:

• local Voice - PRI Circuits, Integrated T-1 Services, and POTS Service

• long Distance – Toll-free, Dedicated, Switched, and International Services

• Data - Co-Location, Ethernet, DSL, T-1, and DS-3

Simple to SwitchWhen you partner with Alliance Connect, your busi-ness will be able to keep your phone number(s) when switching from your current provider, and there will be no disruption in service. You’ll also have access to our Iowa-based customer service representatives and a simplified billing process. What’s more, with our consulta-tive approach and affiliate partners, we may be able to recommend communication techonology solutions to

your business that other providers aren’t able to deliver. (Read more about this on page 5.)

A Family of Iowa CompaniesAlliance Connect joins its owners/partners, INS and Alliance Technologies, to form an end-to-end communi-cation family that offers 25 years of operating experience in Iowa and an unparalleled combination of capabilities and advantages. Tom Beem, INS Vice President of Sales, explains, “Each company has a unique specialty when it comes to serving customers. INS connects Iowans to the world and Iowa businesses to customers worldwide with our advanced fiber optic network. Alliance Technologies provides the software, hardware, and people solutions to help support and grow your business. Alliance Connect brings these two solution providers together to serve Iowa companies with advanced end-to-end telecommu-nication solutions no matter where you’re located.”

Alliance Connect, llC, is a newly formed ClEC (Competitive local Exchange Carrier) offering local telecommunications products to businesses in the Centurylink, Windstream, and Frontier exchanges in Iowa.

GREAT NEWS FOR IOWA BUSINESSES: Alliance ConnectNow get all your voice and data solutions from one Iowa-based source

// Business Connections //

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FREE One-on-One Consultationfor Cost-Efficient Solutions

It Pays to Stay localAs you know, mergers and acquisitions are currently changing the telecommunications landscape in Iowa. In light of this, we believe Iowa businesses like yours will greatly appreciate the benefits of the local service offered by Alliance Connect and its family of companies:

• With Alliance Connect, you have access to a “one-stop shop” for all your telecommu-nications needs. You gain the efficiency of having just one point of contact, rather than having to go through multiple layers to get issues resolved.

• Alliance Connect, INS, and Alliance Technologies form the only end-to-end telecommunications technology resource that is Iowa-owned, private, and provides a statewide voice and data network supported by Iowans.

• All of the customer support you receive will be local support, so you can count on a consistently higher level of respon-siveness and reliability.

• As a local family of companies, we support Iowa communities through charitable donations and volunteer activities.

• We are an Iowa company with a local sales staff, local technicians, and local customer support services.

• When you do business with us, your money stays in Iowa to strengthen the Iowa economy.

The addition of Alliance Connect to our family of Iowa companies creates a great opportu-nity for your business to get more from your telecommunications services — more value, more efficiency, and more attentive customer service. To find out more, call a representative today at 877-777-7128.

W hen was the last time your telecommunications partner did a total as-sessment of your business needs? Can’t remember? Then it’s about time to schedule a free one-on-one consultation with INS. After all, your

business changes over time and so does technology. It’s important to sit down and thoroughly discuss your requirements and goals to make sure your business is getting the right products, services, and customer care. INS will do this for you, with no cost or obligation, to help you identify your telecommunications needs today and make plans to accommodate them tomorrow.

The first step in this consultation process will be an analysis, by one of our represen-tatives, of your business and its specific needs regarding voice and data services. This is followed by an assessment of what network services are currently being used, in order to help determine if your business has appropriate services from your current provider. If a long period of time has transpired since a review of this nature, it’s not unusual for us to uncover issues such as inadequate bandwidth, outdated phone systems, or excess phone lines.

After the initial consultation, the representative will take your information back to the office, work with our partners, and put together a comparison of our proposed services versus the services you currently have through another provider. The solu-tions offered by INS, Alliance Technologies, and Alliance Connect are designed to provide enhanced services for your business as well as potential savings. They may very well include advanced options never mentioned by your current provider. For example, we can provide multiple solutions including hosted voice, integrated access, MPLS, and SIP trunking.  

If your business, educational institution, or government organization has multiple locations in Iowa, INS can interconnect those locations with MPLS to provide seamless network connectivity for voice and data traffic over one connection. This will allow you to save money and improve communications between your remote branches and your customers.

To schedule your free consultation, call a representative today at 877-777-7128.

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At INS, we want to make it easier for your business to use your data. Our goal is to make your data access simple, fast, and transparent by having just one network to think about. To

help meet this goal, we offer the solution of MPLS. In geek-speak, that’s Multi-Protocol Label Switching. MPLS intelligently routes data based upon efficient use of your bandwidth and provides the oppor-tunity to optimize the performance of each class of data.

Since MPLS is protocol-agnostic, meaning it can be deployed over any existing infrastructure, it can be installed over your current telecommunications and information technology infrastructure such as IP, frame relay, ATM, or Ethernet. MPLS works on a mesh topology, passing data from one node to another en route to its destination. If a node fails, your data is automatically rerouted. The mesh topology also mitigates data congestion and bandwidth limits at the hub.

MPLS works by attaching a label to each packet of data. The network then routes the data based on the label instead of on the information within the packet. The labels let you set the priority of different data types by designating the QoS (Quality of Service) for each.

Different Data, Different NeedsMany businesses are now using their networks to deploy Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems as well as video applications. Both of these have much higher technical requirements than the data used to send an email. MPLS addresses these varying needs through QoS management, which allows you to prioritize how data flows through your business.

For example, if you use voice and video a lot, you may choose to give highest priority to those since they demand the most resources. Next in priority, you may place business applications like online billing. You may then set email, Web browsing, and software updates to the lowest priority. Setting priorities in this way not only gives different data types the resources they need, it also makes better use of your bandwidth.

multiple Advantages of mPlSChris Williams, INS Manager of Internet Products, notes, “An MPLS network can result in less overhead, simpler administration, and improved performance. It also enables you to better manage rapidly changing technology, as well as leverage economies from integrating voice, video, and data. As if those aren’t enough reasons to implement MPLS, you can maintain security between offices and enhance remote worker productivity through VPN (virtual private network) access. It’s easy to add locations if your business is growing or changing. And, because your network is managed ‘in the cloud,’ the risk of service interruption may be lessened.”

mPlS Improves Network EfficiencyRun your business on one network for voice, video, and data traffic

?To learn how MPLS could help improve your network efficiency, contact INS at 800-CALL-INS or go to www.iowanetworkservices.com.

// Business Connections //

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Founded by a close-knit core team of engineers, Prism Projection’s initial focus was pure research and devel-opment of very high luminous flux density lighting and projection technologies. In 2009, it expanded to include abilities to productize these technologies, adding engineering staff and manufacturing techni-cians and converting part of its facilities into dedicated manufacturing space. Prism Projection’s products create extremely specific colored light, have won numerous industry awards, and have been shipped to more than 10 countries on four continents. Customers include NBC, CBS, and ESPN as well as rock bands, museums, high schools, and churches.

Garrett Young, President and Founder of Prism Projection, says he’s often asked, “How does your company succeed in a small Iowa town?” His answer is, “The Internet comes to Sully, too.”

Explains Young, “Today you can be anywhere and still do business; it doesn’t matter where you are as long as you have an Internet connection. We use GoToMeeting frequently to share desktops with designers and sales-people. We also stream a lot of content. One time, we helped facilitate a repair in Japan via video conferencing, and our high-profile customer was very happy. What’s more, we benefit from the great work ethic of the people of Sully, Iowa.”

Sully Telephone is the Independent Telecommunications Company that provides the Internet and phone services needed to keep Prism Projection connected. Young notes, “We like working with Sully Telephone and view them as a close partner that we can count on to deliver a high level of responsive service. For example, there was a Friday night about midnight when a bad electrical storm was in progress. A router at Prism Projection went down, and we really had to get another one quickly since we needed the Internet to meet a deadline. I called the manager at Sully Telephone and woke him up. He came to our rescue right away and had us up and going in half an hour.”

Young continues, “Sully Telephone puts the customer first and we greatly appreciate that. There are so many things to worry about when you run a small business. Thanks to Sully Telephone, our communications services aren’t one of them.”

An Illuminating Look atPrism ProjectionThis Sully business is passionate about controlling the color of light

Today you can be anywhere and still do business; it doesn’t matter where you are as long as you have an Internet connection.”— GARRETT YOUNG, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER,

PRISM PROJECTION

BUSINESS SPoTlIGHT

If you’re looking for a shining example of business success in rural Iowa, look no further than Prism

Projection in Sully. Prism Projection designs and manufactures innovative illumination devices for the

entertainment and architectural lighting industries. The company has doubled its sales every year

since it began in 2008 and expects to continue growing at this pace for the next couple of years.

Introducing local numbering capabilities as well as voice and data services for your business!

Make the move — A new partner, Alliance Connect, LLC, joins INS and Alliance Technologies to form an end-to-end communication family that offers 25 years of operating experience in Iowa. [When we get down to business, we dial in at the local level. ]

We offer one point of contact and access to a “one-stop shop” for all your telecommunication needs. Partner with Alliance Connect, today. There will be no disruption in service and, yes, you can keep your phone number!

To learn more, “Snap” this tag to visit our “Tech Talk” blog.

Ready? To schedule a FREE consultation, call 877-777-7128

What tomorrow brings INS is working on today.

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