Vista Connections. Springdale Race Course says TruVista is lengths ahead. New Security Services 3 Sheriff s Department 4 Hall TV and TruVista 5

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1 NOVEMBER 2008 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 4 Vista Connections Springdale Race Course says TruVista is lengths ahead New Security Services 3 Sheriff s Department 4 Hall TV and TruVista 5 Springdale Race Course 6 Singleton Receives Honor 7 The Pilot Club 7

2 Vista Connections 2 Front cover photo courtesy of Tod Marks Vista Connections is a publication of TruVista. Main Office: 112 York Street, Chester, SC 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 TruVista. All rights are reserved. Editorial and Circulation - Contact: Bob Wilkinson, 112 York Street, Chester, SC 29706, 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: Bob Wilkinson, 112 York Street, Chester, SC 29706, Copyright 2008 by TruVista and Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. POSTMASTER Send changes to: Bob Wilkinson - Vista Connections TruVista 112 York Street Chester, SC Partnerships are at the core of what we do at TruVista. We continually strive to build successful partnerships with our customers and community by developing strong relationships, exploring opportunities for win-win situations, and joining forces to achieve common goals. An integral component of these partnerships is the process of determining needs and forming solutions. Our Business Solutions Team is an excellent resource for your company in this regard, and is ready to partner with you to meet your communications challenges. In this issue of Vista Connections, we feature articles about three of our customers Fairfield County Sheriff s Department, Hall TV, and Springdale Race Course. TruVista is proud of the partnerships we ve developed with each of these organizations and looks forward to continuing these relationships. Also in this issue, you ll find out about TruVista s new security services that can help protect your business from theft and property damage. I couldn t discuss the topic of partnerships without mentioning TruVista s support of charitable groups. We briefly describe our involvement with one such group, The Pilot Club, on page 7. On the same page, you can read about the honor our outstanding CEO Brian Singleton recently received from Governor Mark Sanford. We are so proud of him being honored as an Ambassador for Economic Development for his leadership in fostering South Carolina s economic growth. How can TruVista partner with you? Give us a call and we ll get to work. Sincerely, Allison Johnson VP Sales and Marketing

3 TruVista s New Security Services Monitoring at your business site reduces theft, vandalism, and insurance costs The ability to monitor what happens at your site when you re not there can help your business avoid needless losses. Besides protection from theft, security services may also reduce insurance premiums by up to 20%. In addition, they can also help you manage temperature, monitor equipment like freezers, and keep tabs on sump and flood levels. TruVista is now offering Security Services with the following features: Single-source provider of low-voltage systems State licensed, full-service alarm company Local 24/7, UL-certified, full-service central monitoring station Emergency 24-hour service Professionally trained and licensed employees Access Control Knowing who comes and goes at your site is critical for protecting your personnel and your property. TruVista s Security Services offer a wide range of solutions at a variety of price points. Our software-based systems take advantage of existing computer hardware, so you do not need a dedicated PC. And it can be integrated with your security system so you have tighter control over your facility. Access control allows you to: Control one to 100 internal or external doors Choose from a variety of card technologies including bar code, magnetic strip, proximity, and other special applications Control your card database on-site using a PC Choose from a variety of ID badge formats Surveillance Systems As much as you want to trust your employees and customers, the reality is that employee theft and shoplifting do happen. Surveillance can minimize these cost drains, reduce insurance and fraudulent liability expenses, and contribute to employee productivity. Our customized digital surveillance systems may be outfitted with one to 1,000 closed-circuit television cameras. Whether you want a PC-based system or a digital remote video solution, TruVista Security can handle the job. For further information about our new Security Services, please call TruVista at A member of our Business Solutions Team will be happy to meet with you. Security Package Fits All Needs TruVista s Security Services include: Intrusion Detection System Inspection Agreement Service Agreement Closed-circuit Television Video/ Incident & Camera Management Access Control DataBase Administration / AlarmNet Radio Open/Close Alarm Supervision Installation of NFPA-approved, Stand-alone Fire Alarm to Meet All Local Fire Code Requirements 24-hour Local UL-listed Monitoring of Security and Fire Alarm 24-hour Local UL-listed Monitoring of Existing Sprinkler System Installation of Sound and Motion Detectors Chime Mode on Entry/Exit of Doors Portable Panic Buttons Wireless Capability to Turn Systems On and Off Optional Cellular Backup Provides Communication With TruVista Security's Customer Monitoring Center Security 3

4 Service is Everything Sheriff s Department is pleased with TruVista s wireless service Maybe the third time really is the charm. TruVista was the third wireless provider used by the Fairfield County Sheriff s Department since they switched from pagers to cell phones for their deputies years ago. And TruVista is the wireless provider that finally gave the department all of the service they required. Nicole Ramsey and Patricia Joyner from TruVista are around so much that we practically consider them to be part of the office. Keith Lewis, Chief Deputy for 12 years, recalls the story, Our first wireless phone provider could offer the push-to-talk feature we wanted, but there was a problem getting phone service in quite a few spots. So then we switched to the second provider. The reception was better, but they didn t have a local representative in Fairfield County. That became a hassle, because whenever the department had a broken phone, somebody had to drive from Winnsboro to Columbia to get service. Then TruVista came into the picture, Lewis continues. I noticed that TruVista was doing a lot in the Winnsboro community and discovered that they also provided the coverage of the AT&T wireless network. I called and they came out and met with us. We liked what we heard and about a year ago, we gave TruVista our wireless business. The Fairfield County Sheriff s Department currently has about 55 AT&T wireless phones plus a couple of BlackBerry models. The deputies appreciate having access to the AT&T network, the largest wireless network in the United States. We re real pleased with TruVista and AT&T, says Lewis. We now have reliable wireless service virtually everywhere in Fairfield County which is a big area of roughly 700 square miles. And we re also getting the convenient, local customer service that s very important to us. In fact, Nicole Ramsey and Patricia Joyner from TruVista are around so much that we practically consider them to be part of the office. That says something when you feel that way about an outside vendor. They stop by here about once a week just to check on us. And if one of our phones ever breaks, they get a replacement phone to us immediately. What s ahead for the Fairfield County Sheriff s Department? We re now looking at getting laptops for all of our patrol cars and using AT&T air cards from TruVista for wireless broadband access, Lewis answers. He adds, We really like working with TruVista and having one vendor provide our landline phone service as well as our wireless service. It s everything we need. For analysis of your communications services, please call TruVista at A member of our Business Solutions Team will be happy to meet with you. Keith Lewis, Chief Deputy of the Fairfield County Sheriff s Department. 4

5 Tuned Into Customer Needs Hall TV teams up with TruVista and the picture looks great from every angle Hall TV has been in business in Camden since the days when black and white sets were the norm Today the store sells competitively priced consumer electronics including high end TVs (primarily Sony brand) and home theater equipment. They also provide professional service and installation. According to Ronnie Bradley, Hall TV President, it s this service segment of their business that really makes them unique. Hall TV is as much about education as we are about sales, Bradley says. We really try to help the customer figure out what they need. To further enhance their customer service, Hall TV has developed a great working relationship with TruVista to streamline the process of their cable TV installations. Explains Bradley, TruVista gets the cable box ready for Hall TV personnel to pick up and do the installation. This makes it much easier for customers since they don t have to have both TruVista and Hall TV come to their home. For example, customers can get their new flat screen TV mounted on the wall and their TruVista cable TV service installed during one trip. It s a win-win situation for everyone. He adds, TruVista has done an outstanding job for Hall TV. They re great about answering questions we have and giving us whatever technical help we need. If there s ever a problem with a customer s new cable TV service, they work with us until it s resolved. Customers can get their new flat screen TV mounted on the wall and their TruVista cable TV service installed during one trip. Bradley has been with Hall TV since In those four decades, he s come to the conclusion that sales, service, and installation are all important, since the viewing experience is only as good as the weakest leak. He says, I m happy to report that there haven t been weak leaks since we began working with TruVista as the cable TV provider. Are You a Team Player? Teamwork and a collaborative attitude are critical to success in the business world. To make sure you re a strong team player in your professional life, follow these guidelines: Openly contribute your ideas and solutions, and value the ideas of others. Recognize and respect the differences of others on your team. Listen closely, without judgment or skepticism. Ask questions and clarify details. Keep commitments whether it s meeting a deadline for a specific responsibility or showing up on time for a team meeting. Stay flexible when priorities or strategies change, and maximize any opportunities to make a positive impact. Be sincere about your ownership in the team and its outcomes. Strive for win-win solutions. Share credit for successes, and don t blame individuals for things that go wrong. Keep the lines of communication open. Have fun! 5

6 Thrown Off Track Lightning strike causes Springdale Race Course to switch to TruVista The Springdale Race Course was hit by lightning in June 2008 and all of their communication services (business phone lines and Internet access) immediately went down. Pam Mossier, Media Coordinator, says, It was a nightmare. The alarms were going off non-stop and we even lost a couple of our computers. The only way we could communicate was with our personal cell phones. We knew we had to have a local provider that we could really count on to deliver. At the time of the lightning strike, the Springdale Race Course was working with two different providers for their phone and Internet services, neither of which was TruVista. Mossier recalls, It was extremely frustrating for us to try and get in touch with these companies to schedule the repairs. We d get the computerized Press one for this, press two for that messages, but the process was moving slowly. It ended up taking several weeks for all of our phone and Internet services to be fully restored. This disappointment with their communications providers prompted Springdale Race Course to switch lanes. Mossier explains, We decided we absolutely never wanted to go through an experience like that again. That s when we contacted TruVista to see about switching to them for the services we need. We knew we had to have a local provider that we could really count on to deliver. In addition to being a thoroughbred racehorse training center, Springdale Race Course hosts two steeple chase races the Colonial Cup in November and the Carolina Cup in March. These events draw many visitors, and require the course to be in frequent contact with people placing ticket orders and members of the media. We simply can t afford to go without communications services for any length of time again, she stresses. We must have phone lines and online access. Now that TruVista is our provider, we feel much more confident. They re right here to help us quickly should anything strike in the future. Racing for Charity The Carolina Cup Racing Association is a non-profit corporation whose purpose is to raise money for charity. Net profits from their total operations are given to The Kershaw County Medical Center annually. They operate: Springdale Race Course Training Center The Carolina Cup Races The Colonial Cup Races The Carolina Cup, established in 1930, is South Carolina's largest social sporting event. "The Cup" draws over 65,000 fans to mingle in a sea of fashions and savor sumptuous tailgate picnics. The Colonial Cup, established in 1970, is "Where Winners Become Champions. The final race-meeting on the national tour draws the best American steeplechase horses, trainers, jockeys, and owners competing for national championship titles. 6 Photo courtesy of The Carolina Cup Racing Association

7 TruVista s Singleton Receives Honor from Governor Brian Singleton, president and chief operating officer of TruVista Communications, was honored as an Ambassador for Economic Development by Governor Mark Sanford and the Department of Commerce. The ceremony, part of South Carolina s 18th Annual Industry Appreciation Week, took place in Columbia on September 15 at the Governor s mansion complex. The Department of Commerce kicks off Industry Appreciation Week each year by recognizing Ambassadors for Economic Development. These individuals include local leaders from the private sector representing a variety of businesses and economic development organizations, all committed to securing new jobs and investment in their communities. Honored that day were 49 individuals from 46 counties for their exceptional efforts to bolster community and economic development activities in our state. From day one, we have been committed to bettering the business environment to encourage economic growth among existing businesses and attract new investments to South Carolina, said Governor Mark Sanford. He continued, Our state s successes could not be achieved without the help and efforts of community and business leaders in every corner of the state. Singleton s career has displayed both corporate and community leadership vital to the continued efforts to keep the Chester, Fairfield and Kershaw area strong and successful as it pursues economic development. As past chairman of the Chester Development Association, The Pilot Club Brian Singleton of TruVista Communications was honored as an Ambassador for Economic Development by Governor Mark Sanford on September 15, Singleton was actively involved in community awareness about the economic development process. He has strongly advocated for groups and policies that have increased economic development in the area and led to more employment opportunities for residents. Singleton s leadership has also been invaluable to the Chester County Office of Economic Development, Chester County and the Chester Development Association. Please join us in congratulating Brian Singleton on this honor. Pilot International is a service organization whose focus is making communities better places to live. One of the organization s projects involves making bears and giving them to young children that have to be abruptly removed from their homes due to an emergency or crime. A comforting poem is included with each bear. Becky Cannon is an engineering technician for TruVista and also volunteers as the Local BrainMinders Coordinator and South Carolina District Appointee for The Pilot Club. She s been volunteering for this organization for eight years. One of her responsibilities is to coordinate visits by volunteers (called Pilots) to schools and churches to promote wearing bike helmets. To get the information across in an entertaining way, Pilots put on puppet shows about brain safety. Becky says, TruVista is very supportive and proud of my work with The Pilot Club and the time I invest in the projects. They admire my dedication to giving back to the community and our state. 7

8 Reliability Value Metro-Ethernet Connects Multiple Locations With Multiple Benefits Metro-Ethernet from TruVista makes sharing information between computers across town as simple as sharing information between computers across the hall. Call your local office to find out more. Expandability Increased Bandwidth Efficiency