VanBelkum Blog

Security: Your data may be secure, but what about your information? Let’s talk about BYOD.

Controlling access to your company’s data should be part of every IT security and compliance plan. But it’s time to think beyond your data and to start considering the security of your overall information as well. This blog is the first in a series that identifies gaps in your information security and gives you tips on how to fix them. We’re starting with a big and very common threat: bring your own device (BYOD). BYOD policies and employee...

Case Study: RE/MAX United

How managed voice and Internet across multiple buildings helped RE/MAX United avoid tech debt The Client RE/MAX is a real estate franchisor with locations all over the globe and more than 135,000 agents. The network of offices are franchisee-owned and operated. RE/MAX United has two offices that serve West Michigan in Rockford and Grand Rapids. These offices have a total of 6 employees and 45 real estate agents.

Case Study: Multiple Buildings, One Internet Provider

Here's How a Bridged Wireless Connection Solved Bandwidth Management Issues for this Small Business The Client The client is the owner of several businesses, all within close range of each other and located in rural Michigan, serving a small town. They needed a secure network between multiple buildings, which included a combined gas station, restaurant, and convenience store, a liquor store, a second, standalone restaurant, and a storage...

Get the 411 on Michigan's MLTS Law

If you are tasked with overseeing your organization’s Multi-line Telephone System (MLTS) you want to make sure that each phone works according to regulations if someone dials 911 from that phone. These regulations ensure that emergency personnel can easily know where the call originated so they can get there quickly to provide aid. In this post we will update you on Michigan’s E911 and ERL regulations included in the Multi-line Telephone...

Van Hydraulics – Case Study

Rural Small Business Enjoys Benefits of Modern Tech Thanks to VanBelkum The Client Van Hydraulics is a regional hydraulic and pneumatic repair facility located in Conklin, MI. They have more than 200 years of experience repairing industrial and mobile hydraulic and pneumatic equipment, custom machine design and construction, specialty machining and fabrication, preventive maintenance programs, and customer service. The owner of...

The Network Maintenance Equation: How to Keep your Systems Running Smoothly

Technology, especially when it’s something new, can be daunting. From technical jargon to unexplained acronyms, at times it can be downright frustrating to keep your systems running smoothly. We’ve all purchased something that seemed like it would function beautifully, but then for one reason or another, it would not connect to Wi-Fi, could not stay connected, and just did not work the way it should. Or perhaps that...

5 Capabilities Your Business Phone System Needs During a Pandemic

Businesses have been flooded with calls lately as people try to reschedule appointments that were canceled during Michigan’s Executive Order(s). Now, more than ever, making sure you can speak with your customers consistently is vital. How can you make sure you respond to the needs of your customers if your business phone systems are not operating properly and your employees are all in different places?

5 Things to NEVER Say to a Customer on the Phone

In today’s highly connected and fast paced world, you need a business phone system that provides personal service at any time, regardless if you are able to physically be in your office or not. Did you know that a voice-over-IP (VOIP), managed phone system is affordable, easy to use, and it gives you so much more flexibility and great features that help you avoid the 5 things you should NEVER say to a customer while on the phone?

3 Risks of Flat Networks and How to Mitigate Them

What Is a Flat Network? Also called a “basic network”, a flat network is where all the devices in the facility are connected to each other. Each device can “talk” to every other device, from the phones in the service department to the cameras at the point of sale to the computers in accounting; there’s no compartmentalization, no segmentation, no differentiation, no prioritization. No levels, ergo, flat. While these types of networks are...

4 Systems Your Small Business Spends Too Much Money On

Since we first started 1959, we’ve been huge supporters of our local West Michigan community. With over 60 years of experience in providing professional services like phone, video, cloud computing, internet, and networking systems, we’ve been around the block a few times and know that every dollar counts – especially when it comes to the foundational systems that keep your company running smoothly. When working with local...