January 2015 Newsletter - Usherwood Office Technology

Issue I | January 2015
Inside the Issue:
In the Community
In the Business
Tech Tips
Managed Network
Services
Tis the Season
Employee
Spotlight
Connecting People With Knowledge
Letter from the President
As we enter 2015 we look back and reflect on all the success this
past year has brought us. This year was full of many firsts!
Usherwood Office Technology partnered with Samsung to be the
exclusive copier dealer in Upstate New York. Introducing the
Samsung products to our clients has been one of the highlights of
2014. Usherwood was also proud to announce the opening of our
8th office in Jamestown, NY. With our new office in Jamestown,
we brought on Branch Manager, Terry Norris, and Service
Technician, Todd Flinchbaugh. They have been a great addition to
our Usherwood family.
It is always a pleasure welcoming new members to our team and this year was full of new
faces. In addition to our Jamestown family we welcomed Caitlin Pike, Account Executive
for Buffalo, Erin Williams, Contract Administrator, Scott Parmelee, Sales Manager for
Western Region, Neil Short, Service Technician, Kelsey Morris, TAC Specialist, Brett Glazier,
Major Account Executive for Albany, and Kyle Foringer, Shipping and Receiving, Joshua
Love, Account Executive for Albany and Jeff Jones, Major Account Executive for Albany.
I hope you enjoy our company newsletter filled with technology and employee updates,
news in our community and various tips to make your office more productive.
In the Community
Usherwood employees participating in the JP Morgan
Chase Corporate Challenge in June.
2014 was a full year when it came to community events!
Usherwood Office Technology participated in many local golf
tournaments including Crouse Classic, LeMoyne College’s
Russo Tournament, Enable Golf Classic, and Hospice of CNY
Golf Open to name a few. Our annual participation in the JP
Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge was a great success as
well and some of our Syracuse ladies enjoyed the Girls Night
Out at the Erie Canal Museum. Usherwood also hosted a
business after hours event for CenterState CEO. One of the
greatest honors we received this year was the 2014
Economic Champion award through CenterState CEO. We
were recognized our contribution to economic development
in the CenterState New York Region.
In the Business
Partnering with Samsung and the opening of our
Jamestown office were just two of the major highlights of
2014. We also revamped our Usherwood website and
added a corporate blog, “The Digital Paige” where our
clients can stay informed on technology, business and all
Usherwood information.
Our website will also be the home of the soon-to-be, highly
in-depth client portal. The portal will be released in the
beginning of 2015 and will enable our clients to stay up to
date on their accounts closer than ever before. From service
calls, toner levels to account balances, the portal will be
able to answer your questions with the click of the mouse.
TECH TIPS - NETWORK SECURITY
In 2014 we saw data breaches in some of the world’s most
recognizable companies such as Target, eBay, Michaels, Home Depot,
JP Morgan Chase and most recently Sony. According to the Federal
Financial Institutions Examination Council, two-factor authentication
could be an excellent preventative from fraud and data theft.
With two-factor authentication, a user logs in with their chosen user
name and password, and then must use a second form of
authentication such as a software or hard token, or PIN sent to a
mobile phone to complete authentication to the resource you are
trying to access.
While two-factor isn’t foolproof, it could be enough to frustrate
hackers anxious to avoid getting caught in the middle of an attack,
to move on to a softer target.
“
Our business depends on
allowing our clients to
leverage our vast experience
in solutions, design, and
implementation in a
converging IT industry.
Usherwood’s Best Kept Secret - Managed Network Services
New year means new services to enhance your business productivity. Usherwood’s
Managed IT group can offer you a full managed network services at a flat fee! With
Usherwood’s SOS management approach, we can architect solutions to standardize
hardware to match software requirements, optimize the stabilization of your
environment and secure your network. Usherwood’s managed network services
offer a wide range of solutions that include, but are not limited to:
• Automated backup of all data
• Remote remediation of IT and printer
challenges
• Back, recovery, and restore
• Internet connectivity
• Third party vendor management
• Telephone connectivity/unified
communications
• Printer and MFP connectivity
Usherwood manages your IT so you can get back to running your business.
”
Tis the Season
A new charity event Usherwood participated in was the Salvation
Army’s Angel Tree Program. This event provides new clothing or
toys for children of needy families in our community through the
support of donors. The employees of our Syracuse office donated
to 18 families this year! To find out how you can be a part of this
heartwarming charity in 2015 visit:
www.salvationarmyusa.org/ for more information.
Employee Spotlight
Each newsletter we look into a different employee at
Usherwood Office Technology. This edition we sat down
with our Major Account Executive, Scott Meriwether to ask
him a variety of questions both business and personal.
Usherwood Office Technology: Tell
us a little about what you do at
Usherwood?
Scott Meriwether: I work in major
account sales with a heavy focus on
the K-12 education market. I also
work with a handful of universities,
hospitals, and local governments.
UOT: Why did you go into Sales?
What do you like about it?
SM: When I was 10 years old I wanted to be a civil
engineer like my grandfather. Back then I was also really
into dirt bikes and BMX racing. I used to comb through the
Pennysaver every week looking for BMX bikes and dirt
bikes for sale. I would go out and bargain with people until
we reached an agreement. Most of them I would fix up
and end up selling. My parents watched me do this for
years and thought I had a knack for it. Somewhere in my
early teens my mother asked me if I had ever considered
going into corporate sales for a living. I had no idea what
she was talking about. My idea of a sales person was
someone that rang your doorbell, threw dirt on your
carpet when you opened the door and then tried to sell
you a vacuum cleaner to clean it up. Once I understood
the idea of business-to-business sales my mind was set on
it and my grandfather’s hopes of me becoming an engineer
went out the window. In my late high school years and all
through college I sold high end home and car audio
equipment. I loved it and it solidified that I was going to
make this my career.
I love sales for many reasons. It is one of the few careers
where your performance is rewarded immediately. Sales
gives you the ability to interact with many people and
work in many different places. If I had to sit in the same
spot and perform the same task every day I would go
crazy! I need to move around!
UOT: How long have you been working at Usherwood?
Did you work anywhere before?
SM: I started with Usherwood in October of 1998 so it has
been just over 16 years. Prior to Usherwood I worked at
Dunn & Bradstreet. They maintain credit reports for
businesses. It was a great experience. I learned a lot
about the way businesses are structured and about the
finance end of business.
UOT: In your opinion, why has Usherwood been so
successful and able to grow?
SM: I think the flexibility of being an independent and
privately owned dealership has driven our growth. Having
a diversified product portfolio allows Usherwood to offer
our customers customized solutions that cannot be
matched by our single line competitors. Our growth into
other market segments such as Managed Network
Services, Managed Print Services and Postage Equipment
are sure to continue the growth and success we have
enjoyed over the years.
UOT: Most used or favorite apps on your phone?
SM: HP 12C Financial Calculator
UOT: When you are not at work you are….
SM: Somewhere being a “thrillbilly”. I am really into
snowmobiling, jet skiing, 4-wheeling, and racing. I am also
an avid motorcyclist. I cover all spectrums from riding
Harley’s to motocross. I used to waterski competitively
but the doctor said I have hit the concussion limit.
Online Exclusive: Read about Scott’s advice for someone
looking to start a career in sales online at
usherwood.com/newsletterexclusive
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