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Hurricane Matthew Update #3

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FracTEL 100% Operational After Hurricane Matthew

As the remnants of Hurricane Matthew headed out into the North Atlantic, the FracTEL team along with other residents of the East Coast are heading back to their homes to survey the damage and begin the process of returning to normalcy. The Space Coast, where our headquarters is located, was spared the worst of the damage through a combination of fortunate events – low tide, last minute change of track, eye wall reorganization  – however, our neighbors to the north in St. Augustine were not so fortunate. Flood and wind damage there is severe. While a widespread catastrophe was avoided, many families and businesses are suffering and power and water are still being restored in communities along the coast. Overall, the impact of the storm on the US was far less destructive than it could have been, but the damage in other areas was severe, with Haiti particularly hard hit.

The good news for FracTEL is that our network maintained 100% uptime for all services through the storm and we were able to support business continuity for our customers. At this time, our offices are open and we remain 100% operational. The fact that our technology has helped in a small way to minimize the impact of this disaster is gratifying.

We know that many, including some of our customers, are still struggling to repair damage and return to normalcy. Our thoughts are with you, and we will be doing everything we can to assist in this stressful time.

For any service impacting emergencies, you can always contact the FracTEL support team at 321-989-6727.

For billing or other inquiries please call our main number 321-499-1000 and leave a message for your party or in our general mailbox.You may also submit requests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via email at support@fractel.net or via our support portal at helpdesk.fractel.net.

The FracTEL Team

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net

Hurricane Matthew Update #2

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FracTEL Weathers Hurricane Matthew

While millions remain in harms way from a very dangerous Hurricane Matthew, the worst appears to be past for FracTEL. The storm moved through the Space Coast early Thursday morning, with the eye wall – where the most dangerous winds occur – passing within 30 miles of our offices.

We are no longer concerned for the worst, but now the next, and almost as difficult, phase begins – waiting for news and return to normalcy. Power is out for many areas and access to the barrier island where our headquarters is located remains restricted. It will likely be several more hours before we have a full report on the status of our facilities and likely even longer before we can get full access.

There is much good news, but the best is that the FracTEL network performed flawlessly. Network uptime has remained 100% for the duration of the event and, based on support ticket activity, almost all of our valued customers have so far weathered the storm with minimal disruption.

We continue to be concerned for those who remain in harms way and it will be several more days before the threat from Matthew is behind us. Occasions like this do not pass without reflection on those things in life that we value the most, and how quickly and arbitrarily it can all be taken away. Treasure your loved ones and care for each other.

For any service impacting emergencies, you can always contact the FracTEL support team at 321-989-6727.

For billing or other inquiries please call our main number 321-499-1000 and leave a message for your party or in our general mailbox.You may also submit requests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via email at support@fractel.net or via our support portal at helpdesk.fractel.net.

The FracTEL Team

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net

Hurricane Matthew Update #1

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FracTEL is Prepared for a Major Hurricane

It now appears likely that Florida’s East Coast will be severely impacted by Hurricane Matthew. The storm is currently classified as a Category 4 hurricane with 140mph winds, and is anticipated to maintain current strength as it approaches Florida. Projections show it passing perilously close to the Space Coast and possibly making landfall in the area. As of 3:00PM yesterday, the barrier islands of Brevard County – where our headquarters is located – are under a mandatory evacuation order, so our offices will be closed Thursday 10/6 and Friday 10/7. We hope to resume business as usual on Monday morning. In the meantime, the FracTEL team is leveraging our cloud-based infrastructure to work remotely in support of our customers – especially those based in areas affected by the storm.

The FracTEL team has endured severe tropical weather before, and we are prepared. Our experience with natural disasters has been a profound influence on the architecture and deployment of our network, and it was explicitly designed to withstand events like this one. FracTEL facilities and network components are all triple redundant and none are located in Florida, so no network impact is anticipated. Currently, all FracTEL services are 100% functional and are expected to remain so for the duration of the event. However, there may be some delays with non-essential activities such as billing and LNP processing while we focus on critical requests.

At times like these, our thoughts turn to the well being of our families, friends and valued customers who are affected by this calamity. Please know that our thoughts are with you, and that we stand ready to assist you in any way we can.

Above all, PLEASE STAY SAFE!

For any service impacting emergencies, you can always contact the FracTEL support team at 321-989-6727.

For billing or other inquiries please call our main number 321-499-1000 and leave a message for your party or in our general mailbox.You may also submit requests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via email at support@fractel.net or via our support portal at helpdesk.fractel.net.

The FracTEL Team

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net

Preparing for Hurricane Matthew

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It’s Time to Prepare!

We don’t know for sure whether Hurricane Matthew will affect the East Coast, but at this time it appears that residents should prepare.  We also aren’t sure how powerful it will be when it arrives. One thing we can be sure of is that the triple redundant FracTEL network will be safe and will remain 100% fully functional regardless of Hurricane Matthew’s impact.

As a precaution, we would like to offer some guidance on how to prepare for the storm, and to suggest some options for configuring your FracTEL phone system so that your customers can keep in contact with you in the event that you are forced to evacuate, or if there is a loss of internet or power at your facility. Always remember that you can contact the FracTEL support team with an email to support@fractel.net for assistance with setting up failover routing to an alternate location or to your mobile devices.

FracTEL Provides Business Continuity

One of the biggest benefits of the FracTEL Cloud-Based architecture is that all inbound phone calls route to one of our triple redundant data centers before being forwarded to your facility. This allows you to program failover options so that if we are unable to connect calls to your FracTEL phone for any reason, the call can be forwarded to another location – to your mobile devices, to an answering service, or any other way you want to handle them.

An additional benefit of the FracTEL Cloud PBX system is that your extension moves with your device. If you need to relocate temporarily to another office or work from home, you can take your phone with you and it will function properly as long as it has a working internet connection.

Another great capability facilitated by Cloud PBX is the option to configure an auto-attendant with a recorded greeting that will let your customers know about the pending storm, how it might affect your business, and provide them with information and updates as the situation evolves.

If you don’t have it already, this might also be a good time to install the FracTELfone app on your Android or iOS smartphone. You can use the FracTELfone App to make and receive calls as if you are calling from your desk phone in your office. You can also check your office voicemail.

Preparing Your Office for the Storm

Here are some general tips for preparing your business for a storm:

  • Ensure you have an up-to-date local backup of your computer(s).  You can use Windows Backup in Windows 7 or 10, or Time Machine on a Mac.
  • Move sensitive electronics away from windows or any location that might be exposed to water penetration.
  • Perform a software and data inventory on your computer (list programs you have installed, confirm backup and restore procedures, etc.)
  • Confirm you have your passwords in order.
  • Perform a Home / Business Video Inventory for insurance purposes.  This is easiest to film and narrate on your smart phone, and will show all of your electronics and equipment in their current condition.
  • Make sure laptops and cell phones are fully charged, you have sufficient car chargers, and consider purchasing some USB device rechargers to recharge your phone(s) and tablet(s) in the event of a power outage.
  • Non-essential devices should be unplugged from the wall .
  • Elevated electronics off of the floor (this includes computers / wires / surge protectors / etc.).
  • Disconnect coaxial cables from your modem and cable box(es), and phone and Ethernet cables from computers (lightning can short out equipment via coaxial, phone and Ethernet cables).
  • Essential devices without an internal battery should be plugged into a battery backup, or at a minimum a quality surge protector. This includes computer(s), phone system(s), and network equipment.
  • Make sure devices that are set to turn back on when power is restored after a power loss.

Get Up and Running After the Storm

These are general tips for using your computers and other electronics after a storm:

  • If all is well, reconnect your equipment the way it was before. If you use a modem with a separate router, power them on in this order:  Modem – wait for it to sync / connection light to turn solid or about 3 minutes, then turn on your router.  After that turn on your computer(s) and you should have network and internet access pending any service provider outages…
  • If all is NOT well and you need to run a generator, DO NOT plug your computer(s) or network equipment directly into a generator! Your computer is sensitive to electricity and most generators do not deliver a steady, conditioned stream of electricity. If you must run your computer equipment, make sure a good quality battery backup (recommended) or surge protector (at a minimum) is between the computer equipment and your generator.
  • For any service impacting emergencies, you can always contact the FracTEL support team at 321-989-6727.

For billing or other inquiries please call our main number 321-499-1000 and leave a message for your party or in our general mailbox.You may also submit requests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via email at support@fractel.net or via our support portal at helpdesk.fractel.net.

The FracTEL Team

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net