THIS PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION – IF YOU ENDED UP HERE, DON’T JUDGE ME 🙂
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Most people are well aware how crucial communication is to your business. Simply being without internet for the day or even for a few hours at a time can absolutely kill productivity and bring most businesses to their knees. How you communicate with the outside world and how your customers communicate with you is a vital part in staying ahead in today’s competitive market place. No matter where you’re at on the way to your goals, let us help get you there.
What We Do
Planning & Consultation
If you’re planning on starting construction on a new building, or even moving your business into an existing building, please save yourself some trouble and read up on the following:
(Please note that these are general guidelines and obviously can’t and won’t apply to every project. These are just some free words of wisdom from guys that have been in the field awhile)
Absolutely one of the most crucial steps for every business out there. It really doesn’t matter what it is that you do. This is one step where we see people fail again and again. Generally speaking many general contractors don’t include network or phone cabling in their bids. Some architects will actually mark phone / data drops on blue prints but they’re not typically discussed in depth with clients. There are many things to consider BEFORE you start throwing around building materials. We’re usually happy to throw our two cents in and save you some headache down the road. The simple fact of the matter is, almost anyone can pull cable. Not many people do it right because they don’t take the time to talk to the most important people: THE CLIENTS. Whoever you work with should be asking you in depth questions about how you operate currently as well as your future plans.
If you haven’t chosen someone for cabling already, then now is certainly the time to make someone aware of your building plans. A dedicated closet for you phone and data equipment is ALWAYS a great idea. If you can spare the SQ. Footage, do it. Many people underestimate how much room some of this equipment can take up. This may seem like common sense but look at each bid completely and if you do not understand something, then ask. When we provide a bid, we bid the job in it’s entirety. We’ve been underbid only for the customer to find that the other vendor only quoted half the work. IE: “Well we said we would pull the cable, but didn’t mean we would terminate and put jacks on”. Etc.
If you’re planning to buy or rent an existing space, make sure it has the infrastructure in place so that your business has everything it needs to thrive. Sometimes, buildings may look beautiful and be a structural nightmare to do any work in. Here’s your highlights:
- Are there wallplates to plug in phones or computers already?
- Do the cables go back to a central location?
- Is the ceiling a drop-in ceiling, sheet rock, or open architecture?
Most businesses do not function without phone and internet. As stupid as that sounds, many people just don’t think about the actual wiring aspect until it’s too late. Sheetrock ceilings means running wire is usually more difficult but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Same principle applies to having open architecture. As neat as it can be sometimes, they haven’t invented invisible cable yet and it’s not always simple to hide in that environment. None of these things are deal breakers, or even us shaking our finger at anyone. They’re simply things you, the client, need to be aware of when you’re making decisions that could potentially cost you.
Have an upcoming project or a building already under construction? Check out our contact form and see what we can do to help!
Cabling
This is where it all begins. Technology moves at lightning speed in this day and age and you need to make sure you have the infrastructure in place to handle your business needs. Wireless technology has improved leaps and bounds from its early stages but doesn’t work for everything. Whether you’re in the process of building a new building or still in the planning stages, touch base with a professional on your communication needs.
Heart & Soul of a Business(Staying Operational)
DO YOU USE?
- Phones?
- Computers?
- Fax Machines?
- Fire Alarms?
- Credit Card Readers?
- Postage Machines?
- Burglar Alarms?
- Copiers or Scanners?
- Vending Machines?
- Televisions?
- Projectors?
- X-Ray Machines?
- Light-Saber Charging Station?
THESE ARE THINGS YOU NEED TO CONSIDER
Many of these things are crucial for a business to keep it operational but we come across many people who approach cabling as almost an afterthought.
LOOKING PROFESSIONAL
While WE have an appreciation for well done data rooms, most people don’t want to see cables, switches, and phone system equipment mounted on walls. We always strongly encourage a dedicated room for all communications.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Simply stuffing things into a cabinet or putting equipment into your attic is NOT the solution. Networking equipment generates heat so not only will you shorten the life of your equipment, you’ll make it much harder to access and troubleshoot when something inevitably goes wrong.Â
Different Cable Types
There are many different forms of cable each with their own uses as well as specs. Most people are at least vaguely aware of the different uses for cables such as HDMI or TV Cable but make sure you understand the differences. We’re here to help!
- HDMI Cable
- TV (RG-6)
- Cat 3
- Cat 5 / Cat 5e
- Cat6 / 6E / 6A?
- PVC vs Plenum Cabling
- Fiber Optic
Our Work Speaks For Itself
(You can click any pictures to zoom in and cycle through our gallary)
Have an upcoming project or a building already under construction? Check out our contact form and see what we can do to help!
Networking
- Structured Network Cabling
- Wireless Access Points
- Cell Phone Signal Boosters
- Wireless Bridges
- Data Racks
- Continuity Testing
- IP Conflicts
- Equipment Testing
- Fiber Optic Installation
- VoIP Business Solutions
New Age Technology
When our company started 30+ years ago, we could never have foreseen smart toasters with blue-tooth technology.
Also unknown to us at that time was just how inextricably linked the fields of communication would soon become. The idea of micro-managing data packets being sent thousands of miles away was a foreign concept.
Now, we not only deal with these concepts on a daily basis, but we put those concepts to the test regularly while troubleshooting.
Servicing Existing Systems
If you’re reading this and your system is down, the fastest way to reach one our technicians is to call our office at (979) 779-5555 and leave us an emergency message by hitting option 2 if no one answers immediately. Please keep in mind that as a service oriented business, we’re often out on service calls. Most messages left in our normal (non-emergency) service mailbox are returned within 24 hours and the majority are returned much faster.
So How Do I Do...
It depends. There’s a mind blowing number of different systems out there each with their own 800 page programming manual. We do our best to help however we can, but keep in mind many systems are locked down with user names and passwords (or they should be…). If you’re not sure what kind of system you have you can we’re happy to come take a look. Often times with digital systems, the manufacture’s name should be on the phone itself as well.
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(Panasonic, NEC, Avaya, Meridian, Nortel, Vodavi, Etc.)Â
Reasons You May Be Looking To Upgrade To A New System
Been using the same phone phone system for 20 years? We’ve seen systems pushing 25 plus. And while that’s highly impressive, eventually you’ll want to weigh your options for replacing your current phone system with something more modern that can do more for your business. Your phone system is your life-line between yourself and your clients and should be treated as such. If you’re on the fence about an upgrade you should consider the following:
- New Technology – features such as Find Me / Follow Me, Voicemail to Email, and Auto Attendants can make drastic changes to productivity.
- Ease of Use – On a system that’s 20+ years old, do our users know how to actually use it efficiently?
- Can It Be Worked On? – We’re all about “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” here. However, if we have to dig out a windows 98 laptop, or use DOS & PUTTY to program your voicemail, it may be time to upgrade.
- Can We Get Parts? – Even if we can connect to your equipment, it may just not be cost efficient to keep upgrading with old parts. Some (not all) parts can get costly, just because they’re difficult to find.
- You’re Moving Locations – Moving locations is the perfect time if your considering an upgrade as well. Uninstalling and reinstalling existing equipment can be done but it can be costly as well.
- Complaints From Customers – Lines always busy? Phones not ringing where they should be? Voicemails setup incorrectly? Don’t let your phone system be the reason your customers take their business elsewhere.
Doing Away With The Obsolete
So What's New?
This section is more a less an overview of two different choices when your looking at upgrading to a new system. There are a variety of factors to consider when making the decision on the best options for YOUR business. If you already have an idea of what you want or need, feel free to click the links below or read on for a brief explanation on each.
Digital Systems
VoIP Solution
A digital system is commonly referred to as a “Traditional system”, “Key System”, “PBX”, or even a “KSU (Key Service Unit)”. In case you missed it above, these systems are incredibly reliable. We still work on systems 20+ years old. Think about how old your computer is and let that sink in. For a small business with no need or desire for a crazy amount of features, it’s difficult to find more bang for your buck.
VoIP or (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is pretty much what it sounds like. Due to the rise in internet speed along with a drop in price over the years, has led many business to make the leap to this new technology. Instead of using analog lines provided by local carriers such as Suddenlink or Frontier, phone calls are actually carried out over the internet using various technologies such as SIP.
- Typically uses POTS (Plain Ol’ Telephone Service) Lines
- Reliability
- Owned Outright by customer
- Feature Rich…Don’t be fooled. Although it doesn’t have all of the features of VoIP, there’s certainly still a good bit of flexibility.Â
- Voice traffic carried over the internet
- Superb for multi-location businesses or for users with the need to work remotely
- Feature Rich: Find Me / Follow Me, Call Accounting, Conference Bridges and more
- Flexibility – Call Routing
- Scalability – No need to worry about “maximum capacity” with hardware. System that grows with your business.
- Long Term – Due to the nature of the system, it’s always up to date, not only software wise, but hardware as well.
About Us
Our Mission Is To Provide the Best Solution For YOUR Business
Who We Are:
Established in 1987, Lindsay Communications is a full service interconnect service provider for the Bryan/College Station area. Our primary goal is to offer your company personalized, onsite, consultative services regarding your communication needs.
We pride ourselves on our friendly staff and being able to efficiently resolve any problems you throw our way. We don’t focus on marketing and we don’t push sales using dramatic tactics. We’re here to give you advice when you need it and thanks to you all, most of our business is word of mouth. Our reputation means a great deal to us and we’ll go out of our way to make sure that things are done right. In fact, many of our existing customers were acquired simply by providing great service.
Whether you’re a business that’s been around the block and looking for someone reliable to service or replace your old equipment, or starting your business from the ground up, we’re here to help.
And to all our customers out there, we’d like to say thank you!
Visit our reviews page to share your experience with us and let us know how we improve our service to you.