Accessability
May 8, 2015
Plenty of data centers use solar power. Apple has been buying it up wholesale, Foxconn has been using it to power containers, and NGD claimed a roof-full of panels could cut its PUE to a perfect score of 1.0. But do the numbers really add up?
"I love solar power," wrote Hamilton, "but in reflecting carefully on a couple of high-profile data center deployments of solar power, I'm developing serious reservations that this is the path to reducing data center environmental impact."
Hamilton's primary concern was and still is the way solar-array power capacities are advertised. All to often, reports simply quote the maximum output of a solar array, without taking into account two real-world variables which reduce the array's capacity.
A solar panel gives maximum output when directly illuminated, but in practice, sunlight will strike it at an angle, depending on the time of day, the time of year, and the location. At a higher latitude, solar arrays will give less energy. Similarly, the sun's energy is dissipated by scattering in the atmosphere, which depends on the solar array's altitude above sea level. Both these factors can be calculated by a tool on the web called the Solar Power Calculator. If they are not factored in, a solar array will have unrealistic capacity ratings.
Hamilton's post got attention because he used Apple's Maiden, North Carolina data center and Facebook's Prineville, Oregon data center as examples. When Hamilton included the variables - location and altitude - in the capacity calculations, the output from the solar arrays at Prineville and Maiden barely made a dent in the power requirements for either data center. Regarding Apple's Maiden data center, Hamilton's calculations suggested a solar array which supplied all of the data-center's power would have to cover over 4,000 acres.
Since 2012 things have obviously changed, and I was curious if Hamilton had any further thoughts. Via shipboard email, he wrote, "Both Apple and Facebook continue to invest in renewable energy, but it is still hard to fathom just how much space is required to fully power a large data center."
It is evident that solar needs a lot of space: First Solar, a provider of photovoltaic solar energy solutions, affords us an idea with its California Flats solar project. The 280 megawatt solar array occupied somewhere around 2,900 acres in southeast Monterey County, California.
Hamilton brought up another interesting point about finances: "As I work through the numbers... they just don't seem to balance out unless tax incentives are included. I'm not convinced having the tax base fund data-center deployments is a scalable solution. And, even if it could be shown that this will eventually become tax-neutral, I'm not sure we want to see data-center deployments consuming hundreds of acres of land on power generation."
Hamilton's original post also generated some thought-provoking comments. "Hi, James - your analysis seems mostly correct, but I have an alternate proposal," Dave Anderson responded on the blog. "Solar plus data center is not an answer to how I power my data center? It is an answer to the question: I just built this huge building, what do I do with the roof?"
If there is enough solar energy to make a solar array cost-effective, there are actually other benefits, argued Anderson. The panels will also shade the roof and reduce heat build-up - a win-win situation.
"In Dave's approach, we don't get a substantial change in the grid power consumption, but we reduce the heat load while getting 0.25 percent of the building's power requirement," responded Hamilton. "I think it could work. It's worth thinking through more carefully."
I followed this thought on a recent visit to Fort Myers, Florida. One of my stops was at Synergy Networks, a local ISP that also provides colocation and hosting services. My contact at Synergy did not know it, but I had an ulterior motive for my visit. Synergy Networks has a data center and a roof-mounted solar array.
On arrival, I was introduced to Ken Boyd, vice president of finance and business development. As Boyd explained the services provided by Synergy Networks, I realized the company was one of those rare full-service ISPs willing to take care of a customer's every need, even sending technicians to clients if they need on-site help.
Boyd kept noticing my glances at the large conference-room monitor. It was tracking the solar array's performance.
Figuring it out, Boyd hit a few keys on his notebook and brought up a picture of the building's roof. It's stuffed full of solar panels.
The array consists of Trina Solar 60 cell, 250 watt, 15.6 percent maximum-efficiency panels that are wired together using micro-inverters and management software from Enphase Energy. The total array outputs 44 kW.
Is it cost effective? Boyd, being the finance person, started throwing numbers my way:
The more Boyd talked about the company’s solar array, the clearer it became that this installation made sense. But Boyd agreed with Hamilton: solar-energy projects are not viable without incentives. In Synergy Networks’ case, the incentives amounted to the federal government’s Solar Investment Tax Credit and the Florida Power and Light (FPL) solar rebate.
The federal tax credit amounts to a reduction of the organization’s tax obligation equal to 30 percent of the out-of-pocket cost of the solar system. Boyd mentioned applying for the tax credit was just a matter of filling out paperwork.
However, the FPL solar rebate is not quite that simple. At the designated time and date, the FPL solar-rebate application website goes live. Within seconds, those interested in getting a rebate start entering data as fast as they can. It is first come first served, and when the designated amount of money runs out, the site closes.
Boyd said he practiced entering the information just to make sure Synergy Netowrks' application made it. The year Boyd applied (2013) the website closed after one hour. The 2015 rebate application was even more of a race. Alissa Jean Schafer, marketing and media director at US Solar Institute, said: "Residential solar rebate funds were all claimed or allocated within the first 30 seconds. Business solar rebates followed suit and were completely claimed in the next 3 minutes."
It is easy to see why. With 75,000 dollars from the FPL rebate program and the federal tax credit, Boyd said the company's payback dropped from 25 years to five years.
Commenting on the Synergy Networks installation, Hamilton said he still likes the idea of a rooftop solar array as an additive source of renewable energy: "It's clearly a good business decision in many jurisdictions with favorable tax benefits, but it will not meet the total power needs of a facility."
There are also intangible benefits from using a renewable resource such as solar power. It allows positive marketing, which Hamilton alleded to that back in his original blog post. Boyd agreed, telling me clients are impressed the company is dedicated to renewable resources.
It is also important to Synergy employees. "The fact that Synergy is helping reduce its impact on the environment by using solar power makes me proud to work here," said Logan Tygart, senior system administrator. "It's interesting to see how much electricity the array is producing at different times of the day."
Mr. Hamilton asked us to mention that the opinions expressed here are his own and do not necessarily represent those of current or past employers.
Link to the article on the web.
For more information, call (239)790-7000 or visit snwebdm.com.
October 8, 2012
October 8, 2012 Fort Myers, FL: Synergy Networks is excited to announce a new cloud based backup solution for their business clients to store their data and important information. The backup, called Easy Online Backup, offers Military Grade Security, fast and continuous data backup, and is compliant with PCI, HIPAA, and other regulatory standards set to protect the privacy of individuals and consumers. "The backup solution fits perfectly with our product lineup of broad band data solutions," said Peter Seif, President at Synergy Networks.
"We are pleased to offer the latest in backup technology to our clients," Seif said. "At Synergy Networks, we stay on top of current trends and research the best products and options for our clients. Easy Online Backup provides a level of protection unlike other backup plans we have seen in the industry."
Chris Patrick, Vice President Network Operations, stated, "Easy Online backs up as scheduled by the customer. All of the data goes through a three-tiered encryption process, which provides the utmost security and protection. When the client needs access to a file, from their PC or another computer, the latest version is available. I am pleased that we can offer this to our clients."
Since 1999, Synergy Networks has been a leader in business-class Internet solutions delivering industry-leading solutions designed exclusively for businesses. As one of Florida's fastest-growing Internet service providers, Synergy Networks is dedicated to providing the highest-quality Broadband Internet access, web hosting, and design and internet marketing solutions. Synergy Networks offers a broad range of Internet and communication solutions designed to help businesses boost productivity, expand into new markets and maximize the benefits of the Internet.
Synergy Networks, a Fort Myers-based operation, is located at 10970 S. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 406 (Page Field Plaza).
For more information, call 239-790-7000 or visit snwebdm.com.
July 26, 2011
Ft. Myers, FL (July 21, 2011) - Synergy Networks, Inc., a regionally-based Internet Service Provider, announces it has launched a web-based internet marketing report portal for their customers called webMstats.
The portal allows SynergyWebDM.com customers the ability to login to their online account and view real-time marketing information from all search engines including Google, Bing, Facebook and Yahoo! in one aggregated report. The report will show statistics on number of visits, where the visits originated, page views, average time per visit and many other reports. "We are very excited about the launch of this new service and believe that with the growth of online marketing, reporting will be essential to the customer to quantify their return on investment," says John Miller, Internet Marketing Manager.
The portal can be found on the SynergyWebDM.com web site and is accessed through a unique online login that each customer receives when they sign up for an Internet Marketing account. The site gives customers reports with real-time tracking that can be viewed by specific date range. The site also archives reports from the launch of the marketing campaign and can be viewed years back to compare traffic results. "Synergy has been working on a way to give our customers more insight into how effective their online marketing strategy is and we are very excited with the launch. This is the first version and we are continuing to improve the site to include different reports," says Peter Seif, President.
Since 1999, Synergy Networks has been a leader in business-class Internet solutions delivering industry-leading solutions designed exclusively for businesses. As one of Florida's fastest-growing Internet service providers, Synergy Networks is dedicated to providing the highest-quality Broadband Internet access, web hosting, design and internet marketing solutions. Synergy Networks offers a broad range of Internet and communication solutions designed to help businesses boost productivity, expand into new markets and maximize the benefits of the Internet.
Synergy Networks Fort Myers-based operation is located at 10970 S. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 406 (Page Field Plaza).
For more information, call 239-790-7000 or visit snwebdm.com.
September 24th, 2010
FORT MYERS, Fla. (Sept. 24, 2010) - Synergy Networks Inc., a regionally based Broadband Internet service provider, announces it has created and launched a new website for Unified Energy Services at www.unifienergy.com.
The new website brings together tracking and mapping for different alternative energy topics, including electric car fill-up stations, liquid natural gas stations, companies who have converted to alternative energy, recent news and many other topics.
"Unified Energy Services was started to help the average to more savvy person learn new and ongoing alternative or green energy events and news," said Synergy Networks President Peter Seif. "Currently there are more than 200 locations mapped across the U.S. and more are being added each day."
According to Seif, unifienergy.com pinpoints locations across the United States that offer alternative energy including addresses.
"Alternative energy sources are vital in today's economy not only because they are renewable but also because they benefit our environment and alter our dependence on petroleum imports from foreign sources," Seif said. "This new site alleviates the difficulty of finding a single Internet source that aggregates this information together in an easy to understand and informative manner."
Since 1999, Synergy Networks has been a leader in business-class Internet solutions delivering industry-leading solutions designed exclusively for businesses. As one of Florida's fastest growing Internet service providers, Synergy Networks is dedicated to providing the highest-quality Broadband Internet access, Web hosting and design and e-commerce solutions. Synergy Networks offers a broad range of Internet and communication solutions designed to help businesses boost productivity, expand into new markets and maximize the benefits of the Internet.
Synergy Networks Fort Myers-based operation is located at 10970 S. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 406 (Page Field Plaza).
For more information, call 239-790-7000 or visit snworks.com.
August 18th, 2010
FORT MYERS, Fla. (Aug. 18, 2010) - Synergy Networks, Inc., a regionally based Broadband Internet service provider, announces it has created and launched snwebdm.com, a new website offering interactive web design, online marketing and hosting solutions.
"The Internet has become a valuable marketing and information tool for businesses," said Synergy Networks President Peter Seif. "Snwebdm.com goes beyond the limits of basic Web design by creating interactive ads for the Internet and developing marketing tools and strategies to drive traffic and sales that will enable your Web and e-commerce strategies to grow and prosper."
According to Seif, snwebdm.com's precise designs and Web applications including blogs, content management systems and social networking, enable clients to utilize the power of the Internet to increase market share.
"Our knowledge and experience with programming, graphic design and online marketing assures that our clients will receive the highest degree of value for their company," Seif said. "We consult with our clients and learn about their business and needs so we can integrate them into their website strategy."
Snwebdm.com's marketing plans generate website traffic and strive to ensure that the right kind of customer reaches a client's website with eye-catching interactive ads and accurate, focused keywords. In addition, clients will receive regular reports to show the effectiveness of their ads. Ads can be changed and refined with new keywords and text as target markets are tweaked.
While many Web hosting companies provide network connectivity and electrical power, Synergy Networks also provides a turnkey solution that includes monitoring, performance testing and reporting as well as website management services with reliable, fast access and an extensive tool set.
Since 1999, Synergy Networks has been a leader in business-class Internet solutions delivering industry-leading solutions designed exclusively for businesses. As one of Florida's fastest growing Internet service providers, Synergy Networks is dedicated to providing the highest-quality Broadband Internet access, Web hosting and design, and e-commerce solutions. Synergy Networks offers a broad range of Internet and communication solutions designed to help businesses boost productivity, expand into new markets and maximize the benefits of the Internet.
Synergy Networks Fort Myers-based operations are located at 10970 S. Cleveland Avenue (Page Field Plaza).
For more information, call 239-790-7000 or visit snworks.com.
January 4, 2010
Ft. Myers, FL (January 4, 2010) - Synergy Networks, Inc., a regionally based Broadband Internet service provider, announces it has created and launched a new email filtering product called Spamhammer.
Spam is a term used for unwanted email or junk mail which floods the Internet with many copies of the same message in an attempt to force the message on people who would not otherwise choose to receive it.
Over 85% of all email sent is spam and about 150 billion spam emails are sent per day. Studies suggest that nearly half of all Americans spend over 40 minutes per day sorting through and deleting unwanted or unsolicited spam messages from their inbox.
Spamhammer blocks 97 percent of spam and features a number of email filtering services including inbound spam filtering, offsite spam quarantine and three layers of anti-virus protection.
According to Synergy Networks company president Peter Seif, Spamhammer will not only save executives and employees time but will block most viruses before they reach an inbox.
"I would spend up to two hours every morning going through my spam in the past," he said. "Now it only takes me about ten minutes."
"Spam has become an increasingly distracting nuisance that infringes on daily productivity," said Logan Tygart, Systems Administrator for Synergy Networks. "We created Spamhammer for companies and individuals who want to be able to enjoy the effectiveness of email without the headaches and time wasters of unwanted email."
Since 1999, Synergy Networks has been a leader in Business-class Internet solutions delivering industry-leading solutions designed exclusively for businesses. As one of Florida's fastest growing Internet Service Providers, Synergy Networks is dedicated to providing the highest-quality Broadband Internet access, web hosting, web design and e-commerce solutions. Synergy Networks offers a broad range of Internet and Communication Solutions designed to help businesses boost productivity, expand into new markets, and maximize the benefits of the Internet.
Synergy Networks Fort Myers-based operations are located at 10970 S. Cleveland Avenue (Page Field Plaza).
For more information, call (239)790-7000 or visit snworks.com.
September 26, 2007
Ft. Myers, FL (September 26, 2007) - Synergy Networks, Inc., a regionally based Broadband Internet service provider, announces it has created and launched the official website for the I-75 Road Expansion (iROX) project which the Florida Department of Transportation will begin in October.
According to Synergy Networks company president Peter Seif, the website, www.irox75.com, will provide the most current information about the project as well as construction updates and electronic newsletters. In addition, visitors to the site can get detailed information about the project including interchanges, roadway sections, noise walls, project history, lane closures, safety, traveler services, accident investigation sites, frequently asked questions and more.
Thanks to a new innovative approach, Interstate 75 in Southwest Florida is getting a much-needed major makeover. This heavily traveled interstate is expanding from four to six lanes along a 30-mile stretch from Golden Gate Parkway in Collier County to Colonial Boulevard (SR 884) in Lee County. iROX is expected to finish at the end of 2010.
A highway project of this size traditionally could take eight years to complete, but iROX will be built in just over three years, bringing congestion relief to the people of Southwest Florida as soon as possible.
iROX includes resurfacing the existing four lanes of I-75 and adding one new 12-foot travel lane northbound and southbound with 10-foot shoulders. Work is expected to start at the Golden Gate Parkway interchange and move north. The iROX will limit lane closures on I-75 to nighttime hours. Crews also are reconstructing the Immokalee Road interchange (CR 846) in Collier County.
Since 1999, Synergy Networks has been a leader in Business-class Internet solutions delivering industry-leading solutions designed exclusively for businesses. As one of Florida's fastest growing Internet Service Providers, Synergy Networks is dedicated to providing the highest-quality Broadband Internet access, web hosting, web design and e-commerce solutions. Synergy Networks offers a broad range of Internet and Communication Solutions designed to help businesses boost productivity, expand into new markets, and maximize the benefits of the Internet.
Synergy Networks recently moved into their new headquarters at 10970 S. Cleveland Avenue (Page Field Plaza), a one-story 5,000 square-foot facility that houses the company's Fort Myers-based operations.
For more information, call (239)790-7000 or visit snworks.com.
June 21, 2007
Ft. Myers, FL (June 21, 2007) - Synergy Networks, Inc., a regionally based Broadband Internet service provider, announces it has moved its Fort Myers headquarters to a new, larger facility.
In 2006, the company purchased a building at 10970 S. Cleveland Avenue (Page Field Plaza) from Keene Development, LLC. According to Synergy Networks company president Peter Seif, the company has moved in to the building, a one-story 5,000 square-foot facility that will now house the company's entire Fort Myers-based operations.
Synergy Networks was previously located at a 2,000 square-foot office located at 2075 West First Street, Suite 200 in downtown Fort Myers.
"Essentially, we grew out of our downtown offices; our collocation was completely full and we had to find more room," Seif said. "We knew this growth was eminent and now we will be able to further enhance our clients' broadband service options with leading backup technology and website development.".
Synergy Networks' Collocation center is a state-of-the-art facility that enables companies to outsource the management and day-to-day operations of internet connectivity, web sites, servers, telecom facilities and equipment. Synergy Networks collocation service provides direct access to one of Florida's most robust Internet infrastructures that is 100% Cisco powered with multiple redundant fiber routs, redundant air conditioning and power with a diesel generator and a 500-gallon fuel tank. Synergy Networks' collocation center is designed to ensure 24-hours-a-day, 7 days week network availability in an environmentally controlled facility. The new facility has also been built to meet all the new hurricane codes.
Seif said the company plans to hire additional staff for their new Fort Myers' headquarters.
The company's new address is 10970 S. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 406, Fort Myers, FL 33902. The company's phone and fax numbers will remain the same.
For more information, call (239)790-7000 or visit snworks.com.
Synergy Networks is regionally based in Southwest Florida, with offices in Fort Myers, Melbourne and Sarasota. Synergy Networks is also in the process of expanding to locations in the northeast and central areas of the state, as well as the southeastern United States.
June 16, 2006
Ft. Myers, FL (June 16, 2006) - Synergy Networks, Inc., a regionally based Broadband Internet service provider, announces it has acquired privately held Gatortech and NetProduced.com, LLC of Sarasota, Florida.
Gatortech is a leading provider of web solutions and computer online backup and disaster recovery. Through its subsidiary, Easy Online Backup, Gatortech provides remote, online data backup services and custom, enterprise offsite storage by replacing cumbersome tape drives with a custom backup server, which compresses, encrypts (with own personal key) and couriers data to their secure storage vault.
According to Synergy Networks company president Peter Seif, anything from a few megabytes to many gigabytes or even terabytes can safely be stored, protected, and recovered by Gatortech.
"As a leading business-class Internet and data solutions company throughout the state of Florida since 1999, these acquisitions were a natural progression for us," Seif said. "Now we will be able to further enhance our clients' broadband service options with leading backup technology and website development geared toward the real estate industry."
Seif added that both Gatortech's and NetProduced.com's Sarasota locations will remain operable. Gatortech's former owner Zack Ghalayini will oversee daily operations. Synergy Networks plans to hire additional staff for their Fort Myers' headquarters to support the operations in Sarasota.
NetProduced.com LLC, is the leader in offering state-of-the-art websites for the real estate vertical market. NetProduced.com offers the real estate industry specialized hi-tech, feature-rich websites that brings technology to their trade. NetProduced.com offers Brokers' sites as a Brokers' intranet centralizing all documents, calendars, multiple agents' sites as well as automatic uploads of agents' listings from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). NetProduced.com also offers agents sites for the individual agent affording them their own personal touch and feel but still one that has rich features to serve their clients.
Synergy Networks is a leading broadband service provider headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida, with offices in Sarasota, Melbourne and Fort Lauderdale. The company combines its state-of-the-art facilities and nationwide network infrastructure powered by the industry's best to provide business class Internet and data solutions to businesses throughout the State of Florida. Synergy Networks' portfolio of solutions includes broadband Internet and data connectivity, Mobile Wireless connectivity, a full-range of web hosting and collocation solutions, web design and integrated voice and data offerings in select markets. For more information, call (239)790-7000 or visit snworks.com.
September 2, 2005
Ft. Myers, FL (September 2, 2005) - Whether you're on the road or across town in a meeting, connecting to the Internet just got easier for businesses in Southwest Florida. Ft. Myers-based Synergy Networks, one of Florida's fastest-growing Internet Service Providers, has released its new Mobile Wireless Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO) service for the Southwest Florida market place.
Southwest Florida is one of the first marketplaces in the country to have access to this advanced wireless technology.
The Synergy Networks EV-DO is available nationwide and delivers a secure and enhanced mobile experience with download speeds up to 2.0 Mbps with average speeds of 300-500 Kbps in available areas.
"Customers now have the ability to travel and have broadband service anywhere with their laptop computer without worrying if there's a Hot Spot nearby," said Peter Seif, president of Synergy Networks. "The product works by installing our connection manager software with our wireless EV-DO card that slides into most laptops. You can also manage your connection with our easy to use wireless connectivity control panel."
Seif added that the service utilizes existing cellular towers which are then routed back through Synergy's network out to the internet. Our EV-DO service increases the number of ways our customers can connect to the Internet and allows mobile and remote users to have access to their corporate infrastructure with broadband speeds through secure VPN's.
"The product is going to change how and where business is done by allowing anyone to stay connected from any location," said Mike Early, vice president of sales for Synergy Networks. "From Realtors to doctors, any busy professional will benefit from the increased efficiency and productivity." Synergy Networks will offer this service with unlimited access for $79.95 a month.
Synergy Networks is a leading broadband service provider headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida, with offices in Sarasota, Melbourne and Fort Lauderdale. The company combines its state-of-the-art facilities and nationwide network infrastructure powered by the industry's best to provide business class Internet and data solutions to businesses throughout the State of Florida. Synergy Networks' portfolio of solutions includes broadband Internet and data connectivity, Mobil Wireless connectivity, a full-range of web hosting and collocation solutions, web design and integrated voice and data offerings in select markets.
June 1st, 2005
by Barbara Linstrom-Arnold in Gulfshore Business Magazine
VOICE-OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL (VOIP) IS FAST becoming the new rage in phone calling. "It's a real buzzword," says Michael Early, vice president of sales at the Fort Myers-based Synergy Networks. "It sounds sexy, but most people don't understand the nuts and bolts of it."
A way of transmitting voice or dial tone through the Internet or a private network, VoIP this year truly entered the mass market and is captivating users across the country. But before you become one of the nearly one million users of Vonage or other such services, take heed.
"In the Internet, you can't guarantee quality of service, and your calls can have break-ups," says Peter Seif, president of Synergy Networks. "At the end of the day, that's the most important thing - you've got to be able to communicate clearly and phone calls can't be broken up."
With the way in which Internet "pipelines" are set up in Southwest Florida, VoIP has definite drawbacks as a primary service set up via such public protocol.
"The product is only as good as the underlying infrastructure, and in Southwest Florida, our infrastructure has been neglected for so long that it's going to take a while to catch up," says Steve Ward, president of T3 Communications. "A lot of companies are making decisions because they hear the hype associated with other marketplaces - but VoIP in Fort Myers or Naples is a lot different than VoIP in Miami or Tampa."
In a nutshell, voice is contained in message packets that are transmitted over the pipelines, which demands a lot of bandwidth. When those limited-capacity pipelines become busy at peak periods, they can collide and drop packets.
"In the evening, when everybody comes home and is downloading their MP3s and DVDs and whatever, the number of collisions goes up. With data, there's an automatic resetting so you don't see the result of those collisions," says Ward. "But, with VoIP, those packets can't be reset, so you get static and drops in the conversation."
However, in private networks, such drops can be controlled, and clear communication can be guaranteed.
"We can prioritize the voice packet and say that the voice packet is more important than a regular data packet, and that's why the quality is there," explains Seif. "We provide the support and the network."
Setting up VoIP through such private networks is a great fit for businesses in Southwest Florida, he adds.
"The management is just incredible," says Seif. "There are so many different applications - you can prioritize what numbers you want to come through, which ones to be sent to your voice mail, which ones to your cell phone. And you can manage it all online."
Aside from such management capabilities, VoIP also offers major cost savings because long distance charges, tariffs and surcharges don't come into play.
"The biggest reasons that people are getting into VoIP are the man agement aspects and the reduction of costs between locations - if you have multiple locations and you call a lot, it makes a lot of sense," says Seif, adding that setting up such a system roughly costs $200,000 or more.
The other advantage of having VoIP set up through a private network is security.
"No one can hack into it - it's not across the public Internet," says Ward, adding that hosted systems can be more affordable for smaller businesses.
"These new generation phone systems allow multiple facilities to act as one - you get the features and flexibility of a PBX system at the cost of about $100 per phone," says Ward.
Businesses with multiple locations benefit from such private network systems by seamlessly transferring calls from Naples to Fort Myers or in the case of some businesses, from Naples to other locations around the country.
However, because such private networks don't tap into the traditional phone lines, they can't be plugged into 911 systems.
"It's not a lifeline," cautions Ward. "Don't count on it for that - you don't want to have loss of life because you dialed 911 and they couldn't dispatch to the proper place."
October 4, 2004
FT. MYERS, FL., - October 4, 2004 - Ft. Myers-based Synergy Networks, one of Florida's fastest-growing InternetService Providers, announced that it supported serving the public interest during the summer of 2004 hurricanes while helping to deliver record-setting traffic of coverage produced by Waterman Broadcasting Corp. for Hurricanes Charley, Ivan, Frances and Jeanne.
"Synergy Networks has been our reliable partner since 1999. They have consistently supported past increased viewer demand for our breaking news stories and severe weather coverage, especially during hurricane season. Yet it was not until this season, when for the first time in our state's history we were impacted by four hurricanes, that Synergy Networks helped us serve the public interest at absolutely incredible levels," reports Keith Norman, Internet director for Ft. Myers-based Waterman Broadcasting.
Month-end data for August alone showed a record 1.5 million unique visitors viewed Waterman Broadcasting's web sites NBC-2.com and ABC-7.com. Data transferred during the coverage of the four hurricanes was at times 3,000% greater than historical summer averages. And even after the hurricanes left, traffic to the Waterman Broadcasting web sites have remained at least 50% higher than before the summer of 2004.
Waterman Broadcasting received hundreds of emails and letters from viewers expressing their appreciation for their online coverage, including one from this fellow broadcaster: " I had (NBC-2.com) up in our newsroom for several hours on Friday ( August 13- Charley hits SW Florida ), and was very impressed at the quality and you stayed up the whole time. I would love to know.what kind of equipment powers your back end"- Jason Crundwell, Kris Communications, Corpus Christi, TX .
"Synergy Networks experienced technical team was constantly monitoring our ever-increasing traffic during our hurricane coverage. At times, they implemented additional hardware and auxiliary power to keep us up 100% of the time. Their superior service helped us deliver life-saving information to thousands of viewers during some of the most important news coverage in our history," continued Keith Norman.
With uninterrupted power and redundant network connectivity, customers utilizing Synergy Networks data center and Internet access maintained 100% up time during Hurricanes Charley, Ivan , Frances and Jeanne and their aftermath. "This Hurricane season has been unprecedented on its impact to the State of Florida; businesses still must have the peace of mind that the potential catastrophic consequences of storms like this will not affect their Internet and data services", said Chris Patrick, Vice President of Operations. "There is no margin of error of downtime in today's business world, and that is why customers like Waterman broadcasting depend on Synergy Networks to maintain their mission critical data and Internet systems 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
May 13, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Peter Seif at (941) 790-7007 or Melinda Isley at (941) 274-7736
Ft. Myers, FL (May 13, 2004) - Synergy Networks, a regionally based Broadband Internet service provider, recently added new software to their network which further protects their business clients against dangerous computer viruses and unwanted E-mails.This new software resides on Synergy Networks' servers and blocks a large portion of un-wanted spam and dangerous viruses sent via E-mail from reaching their client's computers or networks.According to company president Peter Seif, in the first week this new software blocked over 1,150,000 unsolicited/spam E-mails and 63,000 viruses from reaching their clients networks. The sophisticated software will send the recipient an E-mail notifying them that an e-mail had been blocked and that the attached virus had been deleted."We are continually improving our network," Seif said. "It is our ongoing commitment to deliver the most advanced solutions to our customers. Many of our clients were reporting instances of virus infection and an increase in spam which highlighted the need for us to protect our customers' networks."
Synergy Networks is regionally based in Southwest Florida , with offices in Fort Myers , Fort Lauderdale, Melbourne and Sarasota . The company is a leading broadband service provider offering business-class Internet and data solutions to business throughout the sate of Florida . Synergy Networks provides Broadband Internet access, advanced data connectivity, web hosting, web design, and integrated voice and data solutions in select markets. For more information, call (239)790-7000 or visit snworks.com.
February 28, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Peter Seif at (941) 790-7007 or Melinda Isley at (941) 274-7736
Ft. Myers, FL (Feb. 8, 2002) - Synergy Networks, a regionally based Internet service provider, has established a point of presence on Florida's east coast in Ft. Lauderdale.
"With this expanded market presence, we will be able to enhance service to our growing customer base in South Florida covering Key West to Vero Beach and bringing them our full line of internet products," said Mike Early, vice president of sales and marketing of Synergy Networks.
Synergy Networks is regionally based in Southwest Florida, with offices in Fort Myers, Melbourne and Sarasota, and now Ft. Lauderdale. The company is a leader in business-class Internet solutions and is one of Florida's fastest growing internet service providers. Synergy Networks provides Broadband Internet access, web hosting, web design and e-commerce solutions.
"We have plans to expand to locations in the northeast and central areas of the state, as well as the southeastern United States," said Peter Seif, president of Synergy Networks.
The company recently doubled its networks' backbone capacity and redundancy through adding a second separate fiber route, providing even more protection for their 1,000 plus clients.
"With two separate backbone connections to the Internet on two separate fiber routes, if anything ever happened to one network, the other fiber route would keep our clients' internet connections and web sites up and running without any interruption in service," Seif said.
The company's new Ft. Lauderdale address is 8000 Peter Rd Suite A-200, Plantation, Florida 33324. The phone number is (877) 614-5825. Fax is (954) 915-8900.
January 29, 2002
Ft. Myers, FL (Jan. 29, 2002) - Synergy Networks, a regionally based Internet service provider, has further expanded their network capacity by installing a second redundant fiber route into their building in Ft. Myers. This addition makes Synergy Networks one of a hand full of companies in South Florida with two separate redundant fiber routes.
"Businesses are relying more heavily on the Internet now more than ever before for basic communications and networking," said Peter Seif, president of Synergy Networks. "This expansion has enabled us to provide our clients with more capacity and reliability for their networks."
By doubling their backbone capacity and redundancy through two separate fiber routes, Seif said Synergy Networks is providing even more protection for their 1,000 plus clients.
"With two separate backbone connections to the Internet on two separate fiber routes, if anything ever happened to one network , the other fiber route would keep our clients' internet connections and web sites up and running without any interruption in service," he said. "The tragedies of September 11 showed us how quickly the public's Internet presence can increase. We saw a 25 percent increase in e-mail messaging and bandwidth utilization after those events and such occurrences showed us that businesses need to review their bandwidth capacity to handle a sudden increase, as many of our clients have already done."
Millions of new people are signing up for Internet service every year. According to eMarketer, a leading provider of ebusiness statistics, the number of internet users worldwide will jump almost 60 percent, from 445.9 million to 709.1 million by 2004.
Synergy Networks is a leader in business-class Internet solutions and is one of Florida's fastest growing internet service providers. The company provides Broadband Internet access, web hosting, web design and e-commerce solutions.
Synergy Networks is regionally based in Southwest Florida, with offices in Fort Myers, Ft Lauderdale, Melbourne and Sarasota. Synergy Networks is also in the process of expanding to locations in the northeast and central areas of the state, as well as the southeastern United States.
CONTACT: Peter Seif at (941) 790-7007 or Melinda Isley at (941) 274-7736
November 25, 2001
Online bill paying, business email and Internet traffic are up in Southwest Florida, apparently the result of post-Sept. 11 anxiety.
"I think this whole anthrax scare is what's driving this. I think people see it as a basic way to avoid handling the mail," said Jason Duff, Sprint spokesman in Altamonte Springs.
Online bill payment by Sprint's residential customers increased 54 percent in October. Overall, Sprint's online bill paying increased 244 percent from the second to third quarter.
Peter Seif, president of Synergy Networks, a Southwest Florida Internet service provider, said business e-mails with attachments are increasing.
"People have been using email a lot more since the mail issues," said Seif, who said e-mail messaging and bandwidth use are up 25 percent among his more than 1,000 business customers.
"We expect that number to continue to increase as businesses rely more heavily on the Internet for basic communications." Seif said.
Users logging onto news sites also increased their Internet use. Findwhat.com, a Fort Myers company which tracks Internet use, saw an immediate spike on and after Sept. 11, said Craig Pisaris-Henderson, president.
The company operates both a search engine and a pay-per-click service where clients bid for top placement on search engines. During its third quarter, FindWhat generated 36 million paid click-throughs.
Web site traffic was up 40 percent for the NBC and ABC television affiliates here in September, Seif said. Synergy Networks operates the servers for Waterman Broadcasting.
To keep up with expected increases in demand, Synergy Networks is installing a redundant fiber route into its Fort Myers building to double its capacity. This second fiber route will be in place by December.
Sprint also is making improvements to handle the increased interest in online bill paying. It redesigned the section of its Web site used by local residential customers - sprint.com/local - to improve navigation and to offer new billing features, Duff said. Customers can now see who they called, dispute a charge, and download their bills to a spreadsheet online.
"We see an average monthly increase in online bill paying of about 10 percent per month. So, a 45 percent increase in October is huge," Duff said. "We also saw a 44 percent increase in business bill payments online in the same period."
Duff said Sprint customers were worried about delivery delays in the U.S. Postal System as letters are being tested for anthrax.
"Based on feedback from our call center customers, we've had a lot of people worried about their bills coming in on time," Duff said. "The majority of that is from the anthrax scare."
- Joan D. LaGuardia, www.news-press.com