Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Around Indianapolis, Scott Yeager is becoming extremely well known... at least, by his last name. Yeager Properties has become known for placing unique looking buildings, like the one to the right, in conspicuous locations around the city. The buildings are as unique inside as they are out, with wild colors, irregular contours, and a noticeably non-standard office look.

What's the point, you ask? Yeager caters to an eschelon of business tenants many commercial real estate owners hate to deal with--the young start-ups. His properties have appeal for small micro-enterprise by offering affordable small office suites for small teams, with availability for conference space and other professional services right on premise.

But complications arise when companies move in, set up a semi-permanent place of business, and then outgrow the space in a matter of years. For Scott, keeping his space leased out is obviously a concern--although his extremely recognizable brand and creatively unique space have led to waiting lists, not vacancy lists. But for the tenants themselves, the volatile stage of small business growth can have costly ramifications, too.

Years ago, I managed a new office in Indy. When we first moved out of an incubator space, where I spent less than a 6-month stint, I didn't realize the untold costs. To begin with, we needed new letterhead, new business cards, new stationary, new envelopes, not to mention new furniture and a costly move. But, you know that new line activation fee for my broadband... well, I had to pay it again. Twice in just 6 months really makes you feel it. I wish Accel Networks had been an option then.

After moving into a larger, permanent space, I have known other companies to spend weeks working from home or from Starbucks while broadband was waiting to get provisioned in the new space. So, Kudos to Scott and his enormously popular commercial office spaces for small business, but buyer beware on short-term leases. Accel Networks could save time and money for many of the small businesses.

Labels: Broadband, Small Business, Yeager Properties

posted by Unknown at 7:38 AM Link to this Article  0 Comments

Friday, April 23, 2010
It seems every week there is another business seminar, sales training event, networking cocktail hour or some other event that promises to make you a better business person. Some are free (and well should be), but many charge a nominal fee. I saw one recently that I caught my eye and I decided to spend the afternoon in sessions at this half-day sales rally. After all, it was just $45... pay at the door.

I got there early -- as is my habit with any appointment -- and the event staff was still setting up. I overheard enough conversation to know that they were searching for the hotel/conference WiFi. Free public WiFi, that is. We've all been there, right? Looking through the list of networks within signal reach, looking for the one that says "Unsecured Network." Jackpot.

"Ahh, found it." One lady said. Then, looking up to me, she said, "Ok, I can take your credit card now, sir." Really? On an unsecured network. Is that PCI Compliant?

I hate to admit, but I went along. I suppose I'm a risk taker... a thrill seeker. Or, maybe I just didn't think there were any hackers on the network at that exact moment. But, it highlights a very important point: free public wifi is not the solution for card processing on-the-go.

This occasion, however, is not the least of the travesties in the special event business. Over the years, I've stood in line at check-in tables while my credit card number was written down on a spreadsheet to be charged later. I've listened as card numbers and other vital PAN data was read over the phone in conspicuously public places. I've even replied to a vendor who emailed me simply asking, "what's your card number and exp date?" As if I was to reply directly back with the information. I decided to call, instead.

If you're on the go, and processing credit cards from mobile locations, the investment in mobile broadband to establish your own, secure, connection to layer 3 would be well worth it. What are some of the best mobile card processing solutions you've used? Please share your recommendations here.

Labels: Broadband, PCI Compliance, PCI Compliant Broadband, Wi-Fi

posted by Unknown at 4:32 AM Link to this Article  0 Comments

Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Would you? FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski proposed to congress in his recent National Broadband Plan that over 500 Mhz of spectrum be devoted to wireless broadband in the coming decade. Where will this spectrum come from? Nearly 1/4 of it is expected to be reclaimed from existing broadcasters. The question is, will they fold?

In a speech earlier this week, Genachowski presented his proposed auctioning of spectrum as a win-win for broadcasters. They can profit from the sale of their existing air-wave property, meanwhile consumers gain greater access to wireless broadband. It all seems logical, to a point.

The costs are high for broadcasters to make this shift. For starters, for the portion of viewers still receiving their signal via antenna, they may have to change their dial to find their favorite station. But, on the broadcaster's side, they'll have to change dials too. Lots of dials. They will need to find new avenues for broadcasting their signal which could entail anything from switching settings to installing new systems and equipment.

Gordon Smith, president of NAB, likened the FCC's tactics to those of the mafia. "Either your signature or your brains will be on the contract," the Los Angeles Times quoted him as saying, paraphrasing the "Godfather" mafia don, when talking about Genachowski's pitch.

Of course, the point is moot in the end anyway, as the FCC reserves "plan B" which entails forced surrender of the required spectrum. So, will the auctions really benefit broadcasters as Genachowski suggests?

But, lest we fault the government too harshly, consider the flip side of the coin. On that flip side, the nation has an undeniable need for broadband. More so, I might argue, than we have for local broadcast communications. Genachowski is in a bit of tough position, forced to choose which is more advantageous for the future of our nation's economy: preserving age-old broadcast licensing or enabling the expansion of a communication medium that has shaped our world for the last decade.

Labels: Broadband Plan, FCC

posted by Unknown at 8:06 AM Link to this Article  0 Comments

Thursday, April 8, 2010
I went home early yesterday afternoon, bringing my laptop with me in the hopes that I could enjoy my new little girl (just 6 weeks old) at home while still getting some work done. Now, I must preface this story with the guild-ridden confession that my home internet is not Accel-Networks wireless, but alas, the common consumer-focused cable/phone/internet packages so readily available. And, of course, I've made myself into a case study for Accel's benefit.

The broadband... out. Cable... out. My wife would have called to warn me, but of course, phones... out.

What happened? We looked up the cable company on our cell phones and called. The answer: another big thaw, and more random outages. The winter wreaks havoc on terrestrial networks, but often times, the damage is not realized until the thaw brings it to light. Freeze and thaw cracks insulation, and the inundation of water that comes much later then shorts the cable's connection. Often, the results go unreported--diminished signal, calls drop, etc. A total outage, as in our case, is somewhat rare. Unless, that is, you're on fiber-optic.

With the exploding popularity of fiber-optic cable now feeding much of the suburban landscape with their data networks, utility companies are realizing an unwanted downside. Fiber is surprisingly more susceptible to the freeze/thaw hazards than copper. Ground upheavals caused by temperature changes and water-table movement, combined with the jeopardized casings and conduits filling with water, lead to fiber outages that leave entire neighborhoods offline.

So, this spring, as the northern half of the U.S. begins to thaw, linemen and trenchmen everywhere can enjoy the budding trees and chirping birds as they sniff out and repair the inevitable onslaught of random outages. Ahh, the joys of spring time.

Labels: Broadband, Copper Cable, Fiber Optic, Random Outages

posted by Unknown at 7:18 AM Link to this Article  0 Comments