TRIBUNE PHOTO/ STUART S . WHITE VisionNet technicians work in the network operations center. VisionNet's managed wide area network program handles billing and technical issues for Internet services for clients such as NorthWestern Energy that operate across multiple states with Internet connection handled by multiple providers.

NorthWestern Energy serves 322,000 natural gas and electric customers in 187 Montana communities. The company relies on dozens of Internet providers to connect their Montana operations, which means dozens of monthly bills and dealing with technicians from dozens of service providers — until now.

NorthWestern Energy has hired Great Falls-based VisionNet to provide wide-area network management.

Vision Net will handle all the monthly bills for NorthWestern's various Internet providers and consolidate them into one.

Additionally, the company also makes all the service calls and handles troubleshooting. "We can streamline it," said Rob Ferris, chief executive officer of VisionNet. "We can also test to the end circuit level to ensure NorthWestern's connections are in working order."

VisionNet also worked with the telecommunications providers in rural parts of the states to pull together different high-tech networks into a seamless connection to provide remote sites with high-speed access.

"In the past, our crews faced slow connections when trying to access large files from the corporate network," said Steve Reynolds, the director of information and technology infrastructure for NorthWestern. "Faxing was often their only choice. Today, they can retrieve large data files and participate in training and safety Webinars (online seminars). The bottom line is added security, reduced costs, less administration and increased customer support."

The 24-hour, seven-day a week call center at Great Falls-based VisionNet provides the infrastructure needed to provide the single point of contact to manage wide-area networks, Ferris said.

The service is one of many offered by Vision Net, which was originally established to provide distance learning programs for rural Montana schools. That evolved into higher education interactive video, and on to studios to allow other organizations and companies access to video learning and conferencing.

"That's still a vibrant part of our business," Ferris said.

VisionNet is a for-profit company owned by nine rural telephone cooperatives with 60 employees in Great Falls, six in Billings and one in Missoula.

To read the original Great Falls Tribune article click here.

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The Boys and Girls Clubs of Cascade County turned into a high-tech assembly line of sorts Friday, January 4, 2008.

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TRIBUNE PHOTOS/ STUART S. WHITE LEFT: Vision Net's Taylor Shaulis prepares to test a computer. ABOVE: Vision Net technicians work to refurbish dozens of computers for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cascade County.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Cascade County turned into a high-tech assembly line of sorts Friday, January 4, 2008.

Almost two dozen information technology professionals from Vision Net, a Great Falls-based technology networking firm, cleaned, repaired and updated the club's computers.

The club's various computer labs then were networked so personnel can monitor students' use.

"The Boys and Girls Club has 38 computers for the kids and about 25 percent weren't working," said Ed Hassell, network operations manager for Vision Net. The massive, day-long computer overhaul came after Hassell's wife, Donna, told him about the club's technology challenges. Donna Hassell is a member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cascade County's Board of Directors.

"Our chief executive officer, Rob Ferris, was looking for a way for our company to give back to the community," Ed Hassell said.

Twenty-two Vision Net employees volunteered to take part in the high-tech makeover.

"These are employees from several different groups in our company," Hassell said. "We have shift workers, so many of these people don't see each other often. It's a team building event for us, too."

He was quick to add that not everyone helping with the project was at the Boys and Girls Club on Friday.

"We have customers to care for and other obligations," Hassell said. "The people back in the office are covering so these employees can be here. It's a group effort."

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Cascade County provides a safe, supervised place for children ages 5-18 after school and in the summer. Part of the program includes helping students with their homework.

"The computer impacts the entire learning process, from how homework is assigned to what kids are expected to learn and know," said Sonya Smith, executive director of the club. "We are so thankful Vision Net is sharing their expertise with us."

To read the original Great Falls Tribune article click here.

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Vision Net has reenacted the Freedom Call program to provide no cost video conferencing to our soldiers fighting abroad and their families back here in Montana.

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Vision Net has reenacted the Freedom Call program to provide no cost video conferencing to our soldiers fighting abroad and their families back here in Montana. We recently connected our head quarters in Great Falls, MT. to Iraq for a local family and allowed them to communicate live over the internet without cost or having to travel. Anyone can view an interview with the elated spouse and children on our website at: freedomcalls.vision.net. With our partners, we will continue to provide top quality video conferencing for free to do all that we can in order to help our soldiers and their families stay in as close of contact as possible. We would like to thank all those who helped us accomplish this. We would like to especially thank Adam Kanning for providing us with all the production, editing, and web page design.

For any further information about the Freedom Call program, refer to:
freedomcalls.vision.net

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