NorthernTel building IT solutions.

• Author: Larmour, Adelle

Adapting to the changing marketplace is NorthernTel's IT Solutions division's most recent focus.

Known for its century-long telecommunications services in northeastern Ontario, NorthernTel and its partners Bell Nordiq, Bell Canada Enterprises, Telebec in Quebec and NorthernTel Mobility, have grown with the advancing technology that has become integral to modern-day communications.

With 25 years of Information Technology (IT) products and services invested, Northern Tel has adopted a division with a dedicated focus in response to evolving technology and its uses.

"We have built that division around our specialists in the IT field," says Greg Fandrick, general manager of the IT Solutions division. "We have people that walk the walk and talk the talk of IT language," which he says will allow them to understand the needs of their customers more efficiently.

"It is a one-stop shop for Information Systems Information Technology (ISIT) and a team of specialists that will deal directly with the customers," says Norma Hughes Howard, communications and public affairs manager.

Building upon its IT Solutions gives the company a competitive advantage of representing expertise in both the ISIT and telephony world from the same delivery organization.

Another competitive advantage arises by creating "strategic partnerships" that capitalize on the knowledge and resources of other companies such as Bell Business Solutions and Xwave. Being part of the Bell family allows NorthernTel access to Bell suppliers that perform the research and development for software application; thus, taking advantage of what is already out there instead of reinventing the wheel.

An example is the program Scoopsoft, an application designed specific to the forestry and mining sectors.

"We don't bring something to market because we have a customer, we bring it to market to make it available to the customers," says Hughes Howard.

In the past, the IT Solutions division dealt largely with corporate customers. Now, they are veering in a different direction toward small...