Kicking the Tires at RTIME - National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC)

Kicking the Tires at RTIME

To some people, mileage is a measurement that shows wear and tear – aging if you will. At NISC, we look at mileage a bit differently.

In February, NISC staff packed their bags, grabbed their smart devices and embarked on a 2000 mile journey to the 2013 Rural Telecom Industry Meeting and EXPO in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The event for NISC kicked off with the 2013 Telecom Business Meeting with President and CEO Vern Dosch providing the keynote address. 2012 was another successful year as it ushered in the most Member growth NISC has ever seen, the greatest number of solutions in development and those solutions going to market at an unprecedented rate. This wasn’t accomplished by being the latest flash in the pan; it was from years of planning, working side-by-side with our Members and Customers and a strong vision leading the charge. NISC is also driven by a Board of Directors that champions us and challenges us.

NISC owes great thanks to former Board members Paul Freude of Paul Bunyan Communications, Roger Geckler of Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative, Greg Starheim of Delaware County Electric Cooperative and Delbert Smith of Lamb County Electric Cooperative…all whose direction helped drive NISC to where it is today. Gary Johnson of Paul Bunyan Communications, Jim Mangum of Wake EMC, Wayne Martian of North Central Electric Cooperative and Bob Loth of Central Texas Electric Cooperative were ratified at the NISC Annual Meeting in New Orleans, La. to fill those vacancies.

From all accounts, booth #311 was the place to be at the EXPO as NISC staff demoed current offerings and showcased new innovations. Members, Customers and prospects alike made a pit stop at the booth to kick the proverbial tires on the NISC suite of solutions. From CalltoOrder to SmartHub and MapWise to AppSuite, many test drives were taken…and much interest and excitement was shown. The response was tremendous and the presence of NISC was truly felt from wall to wall of the conference center. The highlight was seeing our Members and Customers once again, face-to-face. What better way to learn about your daily challenges…and what better way to discuss how NISC can help you meet them?

The development of solutions, the strong relationships with Members and Customers and the confidence employees have in the NISC innovations doesn’t come overnight. Much hard work has to take place. In NISC’s opinion, having an IT provider with some mileage is not a negative thing – it is a badge of honor. The more experience a solutions partner has, the longer it exists in the market, the better it will serve valued Members and Customers. Sure NISC has some mileage…and would never trade it for the world.