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Today is Earth Day and we are all very proud to be working at a company that goes green!

At SMS, going green is a lifestyle. All of our efforts to go green are permanent changes that we have made within our company to be more environmentally-friendly, including solar powered panels to run our equipment; fully paperless billing; recycling; using email and web seminars for communication, training, and notes; electronic newsletters; giving preference to environmentally sustainable products that meet EPEAT standards; and more.

Earth Day was born in the US in 1970, and with every passing year, continuing to do our part to protect the environment becomes more and more important! If you have not seen it yet, be sure to check out the Google Doodle for Earth Day 2013 – they even included a handy checklist to make sure you do not miss any part of the animation!

We hope you enjoy our Earth Day graphic above and continue to encourage others to be “green” as well!

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40% of all cyber-attacks are directed at small companies.
60% of small businesses closed within 6 months of a cyber-attack.

Don’t let this be you!

In a recent study by Symantec and the NCSA (source: Symantec press release), even though 77% of small businesses say their company is safe from cyber threats and attacks, 83% do not have a formal cybersecurity plan! Cyber-attacks today are more sophisticated than ever in both complexity and in scale, and thinking “it can’t happen to me” can be extremely dangerous.

Other statistics from the survey include:
- 73% of SMBs say a safe and trusted Internet is critical to their success, and 77 percent say a strong cybersecurity and online safety posture is good for their company’s brand.
- 59% of SMBs do not have a contingency plan outlining procedures for responding and reporting data breach losses.
- 66% of SMBs are not concerned about cyber threats – either external or internal. External threats include a hacker or cyber-criminal stealing data while internal threats include an employee, ex-employee, or contractor/consultant stealing data.

You don’t have to be a large company to be targeted by cyber criminals; unfortunately more and more online attacks are taking place against small businesses for the sole reason of malicious mischief. Debilitating bots and viruses released into the web will infect even the most harmless of websites, causing data loss, financial harm, emotional stress, and more. With the number of debilitating attacks increasing, network security and protection against website malware are critical.

Are you taking the following steps to keep your business safe?
- Conduct an inventory to find out what data you have in your business and how it is handled and protected, and develop a privacy policy.
- Develop a layered approach to guard against malicious software, online fraud, phishing, and malware.
- Secure internal network and cloud services, develop strong passwords, and regularly update applications.
- Ensure appropriate steps are taken to protect web content from unauthorized access or modification, and commit to an ongoing process of maintaining web server security.
- Protect sensitive information sent via email and set a sensible email retention policy.
- Follow facility security procedures and always dispose of trash and electronic equipment securely.
- Analyze vulnerabilities to your business that would allow a cyber criminal to access critical information.
- Have plans for both incident response and recovery effort if breach should occur.
- Read more crucial steps here

For assistance with any of the above steps or to design a custom protection plan, visit the SMS Small Business Cyber Security page at www.smstv.com/cyber-security.

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The Convergent Internet Solutions team is pleased to formally announce that we are merging and rebranding into our parent company, Satellite Management Services (SMS). Over the coming days and weeks, you will notice changes to our website and business collateral that will reflect this change, which is currently in full effect.

Although our name, SMS, may be new to you, we are pleased to tell you that nothing about our services will change. With over 25 years of experience providing integrated broadband and data services, we guarantee that our team will continue to deliver to you the best knowledge, assistance, and solutions for all of your web-based needs.

Our location and phone number remain the same, so please feel free to contact us with any further questions. Your business is important to us, and we look forward to continuing a long and mutually successful partnership with you under our Satellite Management Services brand.

Best regards,
The SMS team

PS: If you are currently connected to CIS through social media, please be sure to Like SMS on Facebook & Follow SMS on Twitter to continue receiving our updates!

The post Convergent Internet Solutions (CIS) Merges & Rebrands into SMS appeared first on SMS, Inc..

Phoenix, AZ – On September 1, 2011, Arizona State University entered into a five-year contract with Satellite Management Services (SMS) for the construction of a fiber distribution system capable of delivering the services of cable television, high-speed internet and telephone to the campuses of ASU.

Statement from Don Bowen, the Executive Vice President of SMS:

“I really see this as a two-part story. The first part of the story, for a person who appreciates advanced technology, touts the technical specifications of a very impressive fiber optic distribution system. By the end of the second year of the contract, there will be over 27 fiber-miles extending over 2,000 strand-miles of Single Mode (SM) fiber optics installed across the four ASU campuses. This robust installation of fiber not only accommodates ASU’s existing needs, but also creates surplus capacity for well into the future.

“The second part of the story from a taxpayer’s perspective is even more exciting. Many organizations build robust fiber optic systems, but they can be extremely expensive. ASU, however, is accomplishing this for the same amount of dollars previously spent on programming for the five year construction period, with an estimated 90% decrease in operating expenses going forward.

“I have to give credit to ASU’s Best Value RFP process, tirelessly driven by the staff of the Purchasing, University Technology Office (UTO) and Housing departments. In a nutshell, ASU was able to shift the burden of paying for certain expensive cable television programming from all of the students’ dorm rooms to only the students that want to pay for it individually. The means for this customization of cable programming came from building and owning their own fiber optic system, which is saving them well over $1.2M each year. While this amount may not seem significant to taxpayers given the size of the ASU total budget, the progressive thinking and actions of redirecting funds in a very productive and fiscally-prudent direction should be headlines.”

Satellite Management Services has been an integrated broadband video and data solutions provider since 1985, supporting over 650 multi-unit properties nationwide.

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The post ASU Enters into Cable Television Service & Construction Agreement with SMS appeared first on SMS, Inc..

Check out our very entertaining “get-to-know-you” interview with Sean below.

What are your areas of education?

Political Science; Engineering

What is your favorite part about working at SMS?

My co-workers. It’s a treat to be able to work with such cool people – it really makes coming to work a pleasure. Second place goes to the bathrooms here. So clean!

What are your hobbies? How do you spend your free time?

Lots of schoolwork, plenty of reading, with a healthy dose of video gaming. Of course I also do the usual regimen of hanging out with friends, both real and imaginary.

What is your favorite holiday and why?

My heart and head say Christmas, but since my stomach is the big decision maker, I’ll have to say Thanksgiving.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?

The front of the line for Space Mountain at Disneyland.

What is one goal you have for the future with SMS?

I can’t say much about it yet, but I can say that we’re working on a cross-media project that has me pretty excited for the future of SMS. Suspense!

What is the animal that best represents you and why?

Probably a bear with the shell of a tortoise and the wings of an eagle. Should be self explanatory.

What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?

Cash it out in gold coins and fill a pool with them so I can swim in my winnings, Scrooge McDuck style.

The post Meet Our Team Member: Sean appeared first on SMS, Inc..

SMS is here to help. We have recently designed a Social Media Marketing program, made up of customizable modules to best fit your company’s needs. From modules about Facebook etiquette, to hashtags on Twitter, to understanding Pinterest, this program is made-to-order and includes our consulting and guidance the entire way. We even offer extended services; for example, if you want to get your business on YouTube but do not have any videos, SMS can provide you with a top videographer! Want to get your customers to check in on Foursquare, but know nothing about it? We can help get you going! Our modules are fully customized for each client and are flexible in terms of order and combination, ensuring that your company keeps up with the ever-changing world of social media. Once we collaborate in structuring the modules for your Social Media Marketing plan, there is nothing that can stop you from being successful in this arena.

Social media is a game-changer in this digital age, as companies can solely be judged on their posts, online reviews, website, and more. But SMS is here to help you successfully navigate through this online maze. Once you learn about all of the web solutions we have to offer, you will see how much they can help to improve your online visibility and identity – which, in this digital era, is truly invaluable.

-Learn more about our Website Solutions: smstv.com/website-solutions
-Contact us with interest and/or questions: kwaite@smstv.com

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