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Have you ever wondered how companies like US Signal determine what products and services to launch each year and what enhancements to make to existing ones? Why do they choose to team up with certain technology partners? What’s the decision-making process behind building or expanding facilities in specific locations?
While we can’t tell you the how or why behind other companies’ product and service strategies, we can provide insights into what drives US Signal. It’s all about customer needs. That might seem like a marketing response, but US Signal’s history, as well as its current actions, prove that the US Signal IT solution portfolio is truly customer-driven.
For those that don’t know US Signal’s history, we haven’t always been in the cloud and data center business. The company originated in the telecommunications sector under a different name and started installing its fiber-optic network in 1998.
There were plenty of providers of voice and data services back then — and a lot of mergers, acquisitions, and consolidations among them. The constant changes didn’t do much for customer service, earning the telecommunications industry a less-than-stellar reputation for how it treated customers.
In August 2000, another organization acquired the traditional voice and data communications segment of US Signal’s predecessor. That left the debt-free fiber optics network, which initially went to market under the name RVP Fiber before changing to US Signal in November of 2001.
This enabled US Signal to adopt a unique business model. Rather than trying to be the biggest we-provide-everything-for-everyone company, it would be a regional provider serving tier-two, -three and -four markets. Its focus would solely be on delivering high-quality, in-demand network services and exceptional customer care. Additional services would be added based on customers’ evolving business and technology needs. And that’s what US Signal did.
With companies relying increasingly on IT to run their essential business functions – but unable to afford their own data centers – the need for colocation services was growing. That led US Signal to open its first data center in 2002. Since then, seven others have been built throughout the Midwest where services were needed.
The company next offered internet services in 2003 to meet that demand, followed by MPLS in 2005 and Ethernet in 2007. All were driven by the needs of businesses in the areas served by the US Signal network.
The period between 2002 and 2012 saw big things happening with cloud computing. Amazon Web Services was launched. Google launched the Google Docs services. IBM, Google, and several universities joined forces to develop a server farm for research projects needing both fast processors and huge data sets.
Businesses, including SMBs, wanted to leverage the resources of the cloud but without the responsibilities of installation or maintenance. US Signal introduced its Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering to enable companies in its local markets to do so.
With more organizations relying on the internet and cloud services to store and process data, cybercriminals started upping their game with a wide range of malware, DDoS attacks, and other forms of cybercrime.
In 2015, US Signal added data protection to its portfolio of services. The company continues to strengthen and expand its data protection suite, leveraging new technologies and staying on top of emerging threats.
US Signal’s customers also made it known that while they were concerned about cyberattacks, they still had to contend with budget issues. US Signal responded in 2019 with new and enhanced products and services in its data protection suite, including service tier options for some of them.
Looking at what US Signal has on the boards for 2020 shows that the company’s responsiveness to customer needs continues. If you’re interested in learning more about some of US Signal’s recent product and service launches and enhancements —and what’s coming in the near future — watch US Signal’s “Looking Back, Looking Ahead.”
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