Categories: Government

Acquire New Technology on Your Terms

Posted by Bryan Williams on Posted in Education, Finance, Government, Healthcare, Hospitality Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Frequently organizations adopt a “make-do” attitude when it comes to technology, primarily because the acquisition of new technology is often expensive and time-consuming to implement. Add to that the potential complexity of integration to legacy systems, hardware and software upgrades, and an increase to capital expenditures, and many organizations feel it is necessary to maintain rather than upgrade. Until…

A multitude of events can create demand for new and upgraded IT resources, including:

  • You’ve landed that big fish – acquiring a new major client that requires certain amounts of integration to your systems or you simply need to improve performance.
  • An acquisition may be in the works – whether you are looking to expand via acquisition; be acquired or merge with another company, having up-to-date IT assets will help ease the transition.
  • The company is ready to grow – perhaps the organization has reached a milestone and is ready to expand, either to new markets or geographic areas. The need for a solid IT infrastructure to accommodate expansion is incredibly important.
  • An existing IT vendor folds – it’s sad, but can happen. Now, you have technology without support and are in need of a rapid change in order to ensure your organization is not adversely affected.

Get 0% Financing from NEC

 

You may find that you need to act quickly, and need to do something that does not negatively impact your budget. Where do you turn?

Your Technology Funding Source

Traditional sources are not always the most effective means to fund your IT needs. You need a source that is responsive and understands the nuances of acquiring new technology.

“At NEC Financial Services, we start with a transaction team and use underwriting and financing contracts that are customizable to the client needs,” said Herschel Salan, vice president, NEC Financial Services. “Our unique system enables us to use experienced people, coupled with 30 years of knowledge, to create a better solution that ensures our clients have what they require to grow their businesses.”

Attention #B2B CIO or CFO, you have options to Acquire New Technology with Flexibility. Click To Tweet

The NEC Financial Services team offers several options for the financing and leasing  of technology acquisitions, and yet the approach can be very different than you will find at a more traditional lender or bank. For example:

  • Programs based on customer requirements – most organizations face the same business challenges that are not easily resolved with standard finance transactions. NEC Financial Services provides different types of programs based on customer requirements. From a purchase to own arrangement to an OPEX finance option, the program is designed to fit the business need.
  • Off Balance Sheet – many organizations find it more attractive to acquire technology as an operational expense, giving them additional financial benefits.
  • Driven by cash flow – if an organization has a specific budget amount they need to meet, NEC Financial Services will work to structure financing to accommodate that number.
  • Our job would be to align the budget expense to the cost of that technology over time. For example, with a $10K budget a month – the goal would be to get that number to $10K or less.
  • Beyond the traditional – NEC Financial Services designs financing options to ensure that clients can receive funding for their technology upgrades and investments, even during the installation or implementation phases. . Many times this can be accomplished through various offerings that include direct and working capital loans or structured financing.

“Our team becomes very involved with our clients to understand the technology, how it will have a positive impact on their business and how to best fund it for success,” said Salan. “Whether it’s progress loan financing in the early stages of a longer term transaction, or even multiple vendors and multiple technology types, we structure our financing to meet the business needs.”

NEC 90 Lease offer

 

More Than a Banker

“Our goal is to have long-term relationships with our clients where we support their ongoing business growth,” continued Salan. “We ensure that we understand their business requirements and growth strategies so we can structure finance options to meet their needs and successfully implement  their plans.”

In addition to the financing options, NEC Financial Services also provides asset tracking.

“We find that many of our clients require a more robust asset tracking system than they have in-house, so we provide that service,” said Salan. “We can track assets by jurisdiction, county, state, and zip code, taking the burden from our clients while providing added value.”

Salan also said that many clients have a need for protection  against technology obsolescence. This is one of the drivers for determining the right finance solution and term.

“While the length of a typical technology lease is between three and five years, we create terms based on the customer’s decision,” said Salan. “For those that obsolescence is a real issue, we can structure shorter terms so they can keep up with important technology updates to grow their businesses.”

Salan and his team work through the whole corporate lifecycle, ensuring that the technology will grow to meet current and future needs.

“It’s an advantage to our clients that we are agile and have business growth at the core of our decisions,” said Salan. “We understand how technology can help a business grow and reach the next level, so we are eager to explore those options with our clients.”

To learn how NEC Financial Services can provide technology financing on your terms, contact us today!

IT Budgets – Round 2 Means Budget Cuts…Or Does It?

Posted by Linda Graham on Posted in Education, Finance, Government, Healthcare, Hospitality Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

When you spend all those hours trying to align your IT budget with company goals and fulfill the needs of your end-users for the upcoming year, it can be disheartening when the finance team asks you to cut more deeply. After all, the IT department’s needs are in alignment with company growth and strategies, not some made-up number. Fortunately, there is a way to get what you need to fulfill your obligations to end-users and still maintain a budget that finance will embrace.

Flexible Solutions for Flexible Needs

NEC Financial Services has provided IT finance solutions for more than 30 years, and during that time has supported many companies in getting their IT needs met through flexible financing options. The best part? You can purchase various IT hardware, software and associated items from multiple vendors and have NEC create a financing package customized to your specific needs.

“We believe in orchestrating the best solution for our customers so that it simplifies the overall IT purchasing process,” said Herschel Salan, vice president, NEC Financial Services. “IT acquisitions can be difficult. By simplifying the financing process with a single source, it removes some of the complexity and gives our customers an easy way to budget for their required technology.”

#IT budget doesn't have to be an issue for new #technology. Click To Tweet

Providing this type of service is a standard part of the NEC finance model. This team understands the nuances of purchasing technology, and the complexity that comes from needing to upgrade while maintaining legacy systems, or to utilize newer technology, such as cloud, while still keeping sensitive information on premise. In fact, the NEC Financial Services team goes beyond the dollars and cents, providing a common-sense approach to our customers’ technology acquisitions.

“We go the extra mile, essentially acting as a project manager or liaison,” said Salan. “Our team performs due diligence on the technology provider for the customer, so we can be sure that all parties are informed as the project comes together.”

Salan went on to explain:

“Sometimes our customer is not that familiar with a technology provider and is unsure on the best steps to take to learn more. Our service provides due diligence so the customers know the providers that they are doing business with, and will have good information to make a solid decision. This includes any red flags that may come up such as financial capacity being stretched too thin, as well as being manufacturer authorized to sell and support the products.”

Obviously, having this type of information helps buyers make a solid, secure decision on moving forward with a technology provider.

No Cookie Cutter Here

A common complaint regarding the financing of technology is how difficult it can be via traditional sources. Bankers are not technology people. “What sets NEC Financial Services apart from many of the traditional financing options are: (1) we understand how technology is a business enabler and (2) we have the ability to help enable the acquisition of the technology, “according to Salan.

Furthermore, underwriting is often standardized, making it difficult for loans to be issued unless you can find a less traditional resource. NEC Financial Services approves more than 90% of transactions submitted. How is that possible?

NEC #Financial Services approves more than 90% of transactions submitted. How is that possible? #IT Click To Tweet

“We have a proprietary credit scoring system that ensures we are making the best decisions for our customers,” said Salan. “We take the time to understand the customer’s needs and goals, and then to understand what the acquisition of the technology will do to improve and support the business. Doing so enables us to really invest in our customer’s success and future, and give them a way to finance technology that could be a real game-changer for their business.”

More Than One Way to Get that New Technology

NEC Financial Services has a multitude of finance options that allow for customers to acquire important technology, including:

  • Leasing Options – from Operating Leases to Finance to Own, NEC has several leasing options that support customers’ needs.
  • Maintenance Financing – how nice is it to have the option to finance one of the more expensive, yet critical components of a new technology purchase – maintenance?
  • Tech Refresh Lease – Customers can get technology  updated with a simple schedule as an addendum to the master lease or finance agreement. It’s easy and gives a customer an opportunity to keep on top of technology changes.

Winning Round Two of Budget Cuts

Don’t let those rounds of budget cuts get you down. Simply find the best finance option available and get the technology you need to be successful.

“Our goal is to develop long-term relationships with customers who are growing and need a partner that really understands technology to provide financing options,” said Salan. “Technology is in our DNA, and our team is committed to providing excellent service to ensure we get our customers the technology they need to improve their businesses.

Whether it’s aligning with a major business objective, needing to replace obsolete technology, or keeping on top of rapid technology changes, NEC Financial Services has options available for you.  Contact us today to learn more!

The Leak Detective – Conserves Water and Saves You Money

Posted by Linda Graham on Posted in Government Tagged , , , , ,

If a city municipality could detect leaks within minutes, rather than the extended period of time it takes now, think of the impact! Water conservation would go up, money could be saved, and the municipality could repair smaller leaks, saving them time and money and consumers the hassle of having the water shut off for extended periods of time. If only there was a leak detective that could do this work.

Fortunately, there is, and it’s not what you might think! Rather than some Sherlock Holmes of water systems, there is now a water leak detection system available that offers municipalities a cost-effective way to manage water resources. The best part is the system is managed online with sensors and alarms, so no need for cloak and dagger antics.

Proof Positive

NEC’s Water Leak Detection Service utilizes underground sensors to monitor the water pipes. These sensors record the vibration that occurs with a water leak, sending a signal via wireless transmission. The sensors around the leak will continue to send these signals that ultimately result in a report that can be viewed regularly. This report will accurately pinpoint the leak location, at which time a municipality can dispatch an employee to begin repairs.

This system is significantly faster and easier, and allows for municipalities to detect leaks much more quickly than ever before.

Recently NEC Corporation of America completed a water leak detection trial with the City of Arlington in Texas, and the results were quite successful. During the trial, the first of its kind to be completed in the United States, the NEC team installed a series of 33 sensors at two main sites in the Arlington water system. Three water leaks were identified during the four-month trial and have been repaired. This is the first step for the city to develop a long-term leak detection strategy by evaluating current leak detection technology. Additional trials in other cities are currently under consideration.

#SolutionsforSociety

The NEC Water Leak Detection System is just one of the many solutions developed as part of an overall strategy to aim for a society where values such as safety, security, efficiency, and equality can be realized to create a brighter, more affluent society for everyone in the world—in other words, Orchestrating a Brighter World . Think of the possibilities!

With the current water leak detection technology, municipalities can conserve water, repair leaks more quickly and save consumers—as well as the city itself–money. What about the future? The city of tomorrow will have the ability to communicate immediately, ensuring the safety of citizens through enhanced identification for police, improved 911 capabilities for mobile so first responders can get there fast, and even the ability to improve the quality of life with cleaner air, better infrastructure and sustainable solutions to improve the earth.

Water leak detection is just the beginning. Moving forward, lives can be improved through innovation and collaboration. NEC is excited to be a part of #SolutionsforSociety.

How to Stay ‘Mobile’ During a Severe Weather Event

Posted by Linda Graham on Posted in Education, Government, Healthcare, Hospitality, Straight Talk, Unified Communications Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

As the polar vortex recently bore down on much of the Midwest and East Coast, bringing lots of snow and multiple headaches, the topic of remote working comes to mind. Seasonal events such as heavy snow—not to mention the ice storm that paralyzed parts of the southern U.S. in early December—can disrupt businesses as well as daily life in many ways. Lack of electricity, canceled flights, delays or shutdowns in local transportation all have an adverse affect on daily activities.

Keeping a business operating at optimal levels when employees can’t make it into the office quickly becomes a problem. The losses in productivity and resulting lost business can mount up fast.

Cloud Services Can Help

Luckily for today’s businesses, technology exists so that many employees can perform their jobs remotely as seamlessly as if they were in the office. For example, cloud-based Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) enables employees to work remotely, helping to keep things running at the business. Communication tools such as softphones, instant messaging, and audio and video conferencing help dispersed teams collaborate and work on projects even when the weather outside is frightful.

Enabling employees to do their jobs even when they can’t get into the office keeps them safe during dangerous travel conditions, but it also means not losing employee productivity over the course of the weather event.

UCaaS keeps communications running smoothly, especially critical for organizations that heavily rely on communications for their revenue. During inclement weather, unified communications solutions can:

  • Integrate email, voice and instant messaging into a cohesive communication system so all employees can keep in touch
  • Provide access points to all data used by an organization so that users can communicate with others inside and outside their organizations quickly and more easily
  • Lower overall IT and telecommunications costs, particularly labor costs, because of the inherent economies of scale available through an integrated communications platform
  • Give access to carrier-grade communications that deliver consistency with easy-to-use functionality

Virtual Desktops—at Your Service

Other cloud services can make working remotely a reality as well. For instance, Desktop as a Service (DaaS) means moving an employee’s desktop to the cloud and making it accessible anywhere, anytime by an Internet-enabled service. Virtual desktops can be linked through a private network connection to a secure, remote data center far from the bad weather. Best of all, desktops in the cloud look and behave as if they are part of a corporate IT environment. Customers and employees won’t notice a difference in the quality of service.

Plus, the ability to deploy, manage and support desktops through DaaS reduces costs and eliminates the complexity of deploying and managing virtual desktops. Hardware costs can be reduced by nearly 60% and easier management means lower operating costs. Other benefits of DaaS include:

  • Improved security and compliance through centralized updates
  • Better mobility for your workforce through seamless access from any device, at any location
  • More flexibility to easily deploy and quickly scale desktops
  • A disaster recovery strategy to get desktops back up and running quickly

Routing Network Traffic Using SDN

Software-defined networking (SDN) simplifies the network management, proactively addresses network performance and quickly re-routes network traffic as needed—all critical functions during a severe weather occurrence.

SDN can help businesses keep their mission-critical processes up and running. Using OpenFlow technology, an SDN solution centralizes control of the network and automatically monitors network traffic, distributing it according to pre-defined policies and constantly updated network resources and traffic conditions.

Think of a delivery truck’s route from point A to point B. If the truck runs into bad weather conditions or an accident on the route, the driver can access a traffic monitoring app such as Google Turn by Turn to identify and then access another route quickly. The driver is able to quickly re-route the truck so that it doesn’t lose any more time in making its delivery.

So, when bad weather strikes, having the right tools and technology in place to enable mobility among your workforce can make a real difference. Consider including UCaaS, and SDN solutions in your disaster recovery plans to help create a safe and secure environment that protects your data and applications and keeps your businesses running.

To learn more about these solutions follow the links below:

UCaaS – http://goo.gl/5AGs87  SDN – http://goo.gl/HGiyf