The DNDC Telephone Company team, in partnership with telephony manufacturers Cetis, Mitel, and Crexendo, exhibited at the McLean County Chamber of Commerce Twin Cities Showcase, presented by State Farm, on Thursday, May 17, 2018 at the Illinois State University Bone Student Center in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois.

DNDC visitors were invited to view demonstrations of the latest Mitel and Crexendo Cloud telephony solutions, and interop-certified Cetis telephones. According to John Calderon, CEO, DNDC Telephone Company, "The showcase was a great opportunity for us to connect with partners, prospects, and customers, resulting more than 30 new telephone system opportunities. We certainly appreciate the work of the McClean County Chamber, and our telephony manufacturing partners, who work with us day-to-day to help leverage best-in-class Cloud and Premise telephone systems, and telephone endpoints for the marketplace." More than 750 attendees participated in the 4-hour show where they met with regional vendors and enjoyed complimentary food from Illinois State University, HyVee, and many local restaurants with onsite food stations.

​When the phone rang at the Cetis marketing office in Champaign, Illinois, Anna Saint, General Manager, Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham, Jasper, Georgia, was desperate to get her hotel phone system back in service after a recent lightning strike. After more than a week of phone calls and broken promises, Anna had finally decided to call the Wyndham Hotels corporate office vendor support line, and was pleasantly surprised at the results.

​“I was really frustrated, when I finally called Wyndham Hotels support,” Anna shares, “They advised me to visit the company’s online vendor partner portal to find help. So I began scrolling for the first telephone vendor I could find on the list, and when I arrived at “C” I found the listing for Cetis, Inc.,” she explains.
 
“I could sense Anna’s frustration when I picked up the phone," says John Grubb, Senior VP Marketing, Cetis Inc. "She was polite and informative, but she let me know that she had just about exhausted options for help. A lightning strike had disabled the Mitel SX200 switch at the Microtel hotel, and none of her back office or guest room phones were working, so she was doing her best to manage the property with cell phones. I let her know that Cetis manufactures telephones and did not sell or maintain Mitel phone systems, but assured her that I would call DNDC Telephone Company, a local Mitel Silver Exclusive Partner, and speak with John Calderon, our longtime Cetis reseller partner in Champaign, Illinois. After hanging up the phone with Anna I was able to reach John, and share a few details about the challenges Anna was experiencing. John then placed a call to Anna’s mobile phone, which initiated a process that resulted in him dispatching a Mitel-certified technician team to Jasper, Georgia to get the hotel phone system back up and running,” Grubb adds.
 
According to John Calderon, CEO, DNDC Telephone Company, “Since we specialize in service and supporting the hospitality industry, we were able to immediately address the challenge facing Anna. After getting exact details pertaining to the property, discussion options, pricing, and planning the next steps, we could not only provide an agreeable quote to Anna, but we were able to assist her with every question that came up concerning the aftermath of the lightning strike, he explains. “We were then able to quickly put together the desperately needed replacement system, program it to their specifications, and personally deliver and install the equipment. Once everything was in place, the Microtel staff was trained on the new Mitel system, and we continued to follow up with Anna during the next few days to confirm that all operations were back to normal. What began as a catastrophe for Anna and the Microtel Inn was soon resolved once DNDC was made aware of the situation. As a long-time Mitel Partner, DNDC operates under the Mitel motto We will never leave the customer behind. Because of this motto, as well as our drive to be an advocate for our customers, all the steps taken are DNDC standards for assisting and maintaining our customer communication systems. This is exceptionally true for customers who suddenly find themselves without communications with their clients and patrons. We support businesses of all sizes and appreciate every opportunity to serve the business community, regardless of geographic location” with our Premise and Hosted Mitel platforms,” he concludes.
 
Click here to book reservations at Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Jasper, or call +1.800.337.0050. To reach DNDC Telephone Company, write [email protected], or call 1-888-737-0011 for Cetis telephones and Mitel sales and service solutions. Click here to request a Cetis telephone quotation, or here to arrange a consultation.

Over the past weekend Cetis, Inc. participated in the annual C-U at Home One Winter Night event in Champaign, Illinois. This event is a powerful opportunity to raise awareness for our friends without an address, and experience what it might be like to be outside, overnight, in the coldest part of a Central Illinois winter. Box dwellers from all walks of life commit to spending 12 hours outside in a cardboard box, along Neil Street in downtown Champaign. Cetis Assistant Marketing Manager, Adam McMullen, was on site working with the street team to pass out information and build a buzz for the event. Adam said, “The turnout was great! The real MVP in this situation are the people who spent 12 hours out there in a box, and committed to raising $1,000 each for the cause. I was out there from about 8pm – 10pm and it was already freezing cold when I left.” In addition to the outdoor activities, C-U at Home had a full schedule of guest speakers from around the community educating and informing people on other ways to be an advocate. C-U at Home engages and mobilizes the Champaign-Urbana community to house and support the most vulnerable homeless on their journey of healing and restoration. This was their 3rd annual event and at this time they are very close to reaching their goal of raising $200,000. Click here to contribute and find more ways to volunteer in the future.