A Bright Idea… “Use the sun at night too”
Solar Outdoor Lighting (SOL) contacted Computer Network Services (CNS) in 1995. They had moved from working in a garage office, in a 300 square foot space, to a small warehouse on Waller Street in Stuart, Florida. This was their new headquarters. They had 3 PC’s and a Novell 3.1 server with a couple of dot matrix printers. Their previous IT Company stopped responding to their calls for service. SOL, Inc. (as they are known today) had their office, as well as the start of a small manufacturing/assembly plant, in that warehouse. They needed to stabilize the Netware network and provide access to a new workstation in the assembly plant. They were still on DOS 6 back then when someone recommended CNS. We were Novell Netware Certified and solved their network issues quickly. CNS has remained their most trusted consultants, as well as their outsourced IT department, for over twenty years. We saw them through location moves, expansions (adding over 65 employees, up to 5 file servers and some 90 computers). We helped them remotely support an international sales force that provided renewable lighting all over the world, from the dark corner of a mall parking lot to the middle of a remote village in Africa. We designed and implemented many systems, including VOIP phone systems, hand held bar code readers (for assembly tracking) and inventory control to sales force laptops, with data safe self-destruct features if lost or stolen. In 2014 SOL, Inc. has sold its successful company to Carmanah, a leader in solar products worldwide. CNS assisted in the transition from SOL to Carmanah, headquartered in Victoria Island, Canada. CNS is still providing IT consulting and MSP services to SOL under the new leadership of the new owner Carmanah.
Alan Hurst, the founder of Solar Outdoor Lighting, comments on the importance of CNS and his business continuity: “Computer Network Services kept SOL’s IT systems functioning dependably and efficiently for over twenty three years. Business can’t survive in this day and age without rock solid computer and communication infrastructure and data security. For almost a quarter of a century CNS, made sure SOL’s data was protected and the systems were up and running in the face of hundreds of technology changes, two major company location moves, and three major hurricanes. This enabled us to capitalize on the cutting edge of design, manufacturing and sales to make Solar Outdoor Lighting the success story it is in the industry.”
“You guys did a sensational job. Thanks. Alan”
