Cisco, internationally known for manufacturing cutting edge security, telephony, connectivity, video and storage solutions has bestowed upon Homeland Secure IT, the title of “Cisco SMB Select Partner”, rewarding our competencies, our know-how and the professional manner in which we manage projects.
While we have been able to offer the Cisco product line since we first opened our doors, we can now offer the entire SMB line of products which are designed with the Small and Medium business in mind. The Cisco SMB Select Partner is specially trained and certified to assist businesses with less than 250 users with this line of products designed especially for them!
Some of the products include:
Network video cameras to protect your business from slip, trip & fall type claims, theft, vandalism and even terrorist or violent criminal activities.
NAS or Network Area Storage, which allow centralized storage of your video from cameras, data from users and even backups.
VoIP or Voice over IP phone systems that permit your business to have state of the art features, such as a single number for people to dial that rings your desk phone and cell phone simultaneously, voice mail that goes to your email, automated attendant, etc.
Firewalls and other security products required to protect your internal infrastructure from external intrusion and to keep your business in compliance with regulations, as well as stopping spam and virus at the gateway before it enters your network.
Connectivity devices, like switches (both managed and unmanaged), routers, wireless access points and bridges.
In addition to offering these products, we also offer complete service and support for the entire Cisco SMB line and licensing of SMARTnet, Trend Micro / Cisco Spam & Virus Blocker subscription sales and renewals and more!
If you would like more information about the Cisco SMB offerings, please visit our Cisco Showcase, email info@homelandsecureit.com or call 864.990.4748. We are proud to be your Cisco SMB Select Partner in Greenville and Upstate SC!
Since we have cameras at our offices and homes, it was only natural to want to see them on our new Android phones (Samsung Epic 4g).
IP Cam Viewer by Robert Chou for Android
We downloaded every app we could find in the marketplace and tried each of them out. Without a doubt, the best remote camera viewer was “IP Cam Viewer” by Robert Chou.
This app is only $10.00 to purchase, and free to use if you only have 4 cameras. The registered version will view all of our cameras at all locations as the app supports up to 32 cameras.
Will it work with your system? Chances are good that it will as it supports over 200 camera systems. It had settings for our office CCTV DVR where we have 8 cameras and our Panasonic IP cameras at the office (4 additional cameras) as well as the cameras that keep watch over our home, which are also Panasonic IP cameras.
We can view all of them at once on the phone, or view one large and several smaller frames. We can use the Pan-Tilt-Zoom functionality and a really cool feature is that we can enable the microphones and listen in at the remote site for the cameras that support that.
So if you are looking for the perfect app for your Android based phone, skip all the others, which seem to have annoying issues and lack of compatibility and download IP Cam Viewer Lite first. I bet you pay the 10 bucks and register it within 24hrs!
If you are wanting security / surveillance cameras for your home or business, we offer a wide selection of standard CCTV systems and IP Network Cameras, DVRs, NVRs, and more! Call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com
This morning I was having a discussion with a potential client and we were talking about the “Homeland Secure IT” name, the individual mentioned that they understood the play on words, however they were simply not sure how to take “IT”, because they thought of “IT” only in the terms of “Information Technology”…
I explained that the “IT” in our case is an all encompassing catch-all term that covers just about anything you plug into the wall. We sell, service, repair, support a wide range of technologies, not just a computer, server or network, but VoIP systems, CCTV and network security camera systems, firewall appliances, anti-virus software and software in general.
So basically, whatever IT is, we can help you with IT!
I am unsure of a way to indicate everything we work with, but suffice it to say, it is not limited to just a notebook computer fix, or a simple virus cleanup. While we DO those things, we also deploy Blackberry Enterprise Server so your mobile users can stay connected. We help integrate wireless devices like Androids, iPads and more into your Microsoft Exchange. We configure VPNs that allow a mobile workforce or a branch office to connect to your data as if they were physically in your office. We design and deploy Voice over IP phone systems. We offer biometric and card swipe time clocks.
Again, if it plugs into your network, or connects wirelessly, or you WANT it to, we can help. Give us a call at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com to discuss your unique needs! We serve the Greenville & Upstate SC area!
Caught in the act thanks to a security camera
Do you ever wonder what is going on at your home when you are not there? Maybe you just want to know if someone approaches your door, or if a vehicle pulls into your driveway?
Call me paranoid, but I do! We have surrounded our home and businesses with full color, night-vision cameras that record to a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) and in the event of motion, will send alerts in email to our phones, allowing us to see what we are missing out on.
In addition to that, we can view our cameras using a supported smart phone or any computer equipped with a web browser from anywhere in the world. This has come in handy several times, such as the other day when our alarm company called and said the fire alarm was going off at our home. Talk about a scary moment, but having the ability to see that the house was not full of smoke helped set our mind at ease and to cancel the call to the fire department (before they charged us money).
We receive discounts on our home and business insurance thanks to having both premise security in the form of intrusion detection alarms with smoke/fire/glass break and video surveillance keeping a watchful eye over the property. The cost of the alarms and video security will pay for themselves in reduced insurance premiums.
Camera systems have dropped dramatically in price over the last few years allowing home owners to experience the same security as businesses.
Whether you want a single camera watching your front door, or possibly facing towards where your boat / PWC is parked, or complete 360 degree exterior protection, it is all possible! Please call us at 864-990-4748, email info@homelandsecureit.com or stop by our offices if you would like more information about what is available or to see a demonstration of an installed system!
badadadadadadadadadadadaadadad (Simulated drum roll)…
Hal Westmoreland from AccessAbility Services Inc, of Simponsonville, SC was the lucky winner of the wireless network security / surveillance camera giveaway for July! Congratulations to Hal!
Incidentally the first name drawn was Pamela Hoyt, my wife, which somehow didn’t seem fair, so we drew again.
I would like to thank everyone for playing our little game, those who are signed up will be automatically entered into our next contest… Watch for details coming soon!
Only a few days left until we giveaway the Wireless IP / Network Security Camera so be sure to get signed up to win….. Visit this URL for more information or hit the “follow me” link over on the right hand side of this page.
Next month, we will probably give away some awesome Trend Micro Anti-Virus product!!!!!
Thanks for playing…
IRS Tax Code Section 179 can save your business lots of money!
Time to upgrade your server or servers? Need new computers for your business? How about upgrading all your firewalls to the latest technology? New VoIP phone system? CCTV Cameras? Notebooks for all your field reps?
Congress extended the amount that small businesses may write-off for capital expenditures in 2010 to $250,000, and that means this may be the best year ever to upgrade your infrastructure!
Business Equipment:
Business owners who acquire equipment for their business, such as computers, servers, network & security equipment and other tangible goods, usually prefer to deduct the cot in a a single tax year, rather than a little at a time over a number of years. This deduction is known by its section in the tax code, a Section 179 deduction.
Under Section 179, businesses that spend less than $800,000 a year on qualified equipment, may write-off up to $250,000 in 2010. The rules are designed for small companies so the $250,00 deduction phases out when a business purchases more than $800,000 in one year. (Companies cannot write off more than their taxable income).
Benefits of a Non-Tax / Capital Lease:
The benefit of a Non-Tax/Capital Lease is that it can take advantage of Section 179: expense up to $250,000 if the equipment is put in use in 2010. In addition, you may depreciate any excess on the depreciation schedule for that asset. Examples of Non-Tax/Capital Leases include a $1.00 Buyout Lease, an Equipment Finance Agreement (EFA), and a 10% Purchase Upon Termination (PUT) Lease. Example: Assume you finance business equipment, put it in use in 2010, and take advantage of Section 179. Your tax savings could be significant:
An example of a typical server installation and how this applies might look something like this:
Cost of equipment: $9,500.oo
Section 179 reduction if expenditures are over $800k: —
Dollar for dollar phase out if over $800k: $9,500.oo
Section 179 write-off amount: $9,500.oo
Regular First Year Depreciation Deduction: -
Total First Year Deduction: $9500.oo
Cash Savings on your Equipment Purchase: $3,325.oo
(Assuming a 35% Tax Bracket, Deprecation 5 years)
Lowered Cost of Equipment after Tax Savings: $6, 175.oo
Tax Code Section 179 & Election to Expense Detail:
The election, which is made on Form 4562, is for the tax year the property was placed in service or an amended return filed within the time prescribed by law. The total cost of property that may be expensed for any tax year cannot exceed the total amount of taxable income during the tax year. Section 179 property is property that you acquire by purchase for use in the active conduct of your business. To ensure property qualifies, reference Publication 946.
This expense deduction is provided for taxpayers (other than estates, trusts or certain non-corporate lessors) who elect to treat the cost of qualifying property as an expense rather than a capital expenditure. Under Section 179, equipment purchases, up to the amount approved for a given year, can be expensed (deducted from taxable income) if installed by December 31st. Non-Tax leases qualify for this deduction in their year of inception. Any excess above the expensed amount can be depreciated depending on the equipment type. Not all states follow federal law. Contact your tax advisor for the specific impact to your business or visit www.irs.gov.
Further Detail:
Reminder: to take advantage of the tax incentives, your business equipment must be put in use by year-end. You should contact your tax advisor to learn about the specific impact to your business.
We can help you maximize this as we offer leasing and financing… Please email info@homelandsecureit.com or call 864-990-4748 for additional information!
PTZ or Pan Tilt Zoom cameras can change your outlook on life!
We have been using Panasonic network cameras which feature PTZ, or Pan, Tilt and Zoom here at Homeland since we moved into this building. They are awesome little cameras and I even use them at our home because they will email me when a car or person is in our driveway or front door, etc.
Earlier this week, I ordered a new system to install at our office. Not network cameras this time, but 8 channels of standard CCTV goodness with 600 hours of real-time recording time on the DVR (Digital Video Recorder). They *are* reachable via the internet using Microsoft Internet Explorer or a 3g phone like a Windows Mobile, and thanks to our great bandwidth here, we can view all 8 cameras in real-time at once from remote, as well as our Panasonic network cameras.
We opted for several different styles of cameras to use in this system. Four enhanced color dome cameras with night vision and 580 lines of resolution, a couple “bullet” cameras with 100+ft of infrared illumination for night viewing outside, and two PTZ cameras that will allow us to change what we are looking at from remote. We also purchased a heavy duty power supply to power all of these devices.
This system was not expensive, though it costs a bit more than some of the budget packages that are out there. We will be using it as a demo system to show potential clients what video surveillance can offer them.
What are you doing for physical premises security at your business? Could a small investment in a video surveillance system like this give you peace of mind or even lower your insurance rates?
Should you have questions, or would like to see a comparison between a standard CCTV system and a network camera system, give us a call at 864-990-4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com!
We offer a full line of CCTV and Network camera systems from Panasonic, Cisco, Sony, Digimerge, and many others!
Beat the criminals with a security camera for your home or business
The attached picture was taken a few moments ago from a network security camera at my home. Anytime there is motion within that camera’s field of vision, it will alert me via email, immediately (I receive it on my blackberry). The driveway is covered with this camera, the front yard with another, the full driveway and sidewalk with another, and yet another keeps an eye on the rear of the house.
This provides me with a simple means of seeing every path that someone could/would use to get to my home and alerting me to the activity. They also record audio, and time-stamp the images and record full motion to a digital video recorder (DVR). It is almost like being there! Most of the time when someone approaches our home I get the notification that they are there before they even make it to the door!
Will it stop a criminal? No way. A real criminal would not care that our house was under constant video surveillance, nor would they care about the ADT alarm system with cellular backup. But what it does do is to give me peace of mind, knowing when UPS or FedEx drops off a package, or when someone pulls into our driveway.
What can a security camera system do for you? For starters, if you run a business, it can help with loss prevention, just the mere presence of video cameras can deter some would-be thieves. And in the event something actually occurs, you can possibly use the video to help prosecute the offenders.
One person I know beat a liability claim that was going to be lodged against them by showing what REALLY happened.
We use them at our office for peace of mind, a deterrent and for a reduction in insurance premiums.
You may have remote areas of your business that you want to monitor so you know that your workers are actually working, or that they are working safely and that inventory is not walking out the door.
Home owners may want to keep an eye on a swimming pool or play area and view the cameras with their iPhone or while away at work.
Whatever the reason, there is a perfect system to suit your requirements. Call us today at 864-990-4748 for a free evaluation of your Greenville / Upstate security & surveillance camera needs.
Homeland Secure IT provides Greenville IT & Network Sales, Service & Consultation
I’ve noticed a trend where friends, family and clients alike will feel as though their IT service provider is only there to fix their broken computer. When they need a computer repaired, they call the technician. When they need server service for their business, they call the technician. When they need a new network drop in their office, they call the technician. But in some people’s minds, that is where it stops.
If you build a relationship with your IT support provider, they already know more about your network than you do in many cases. So the next time you are thinking about adding a VoIP (Voice over IP) phone system, network security cameras, access control system, biometric time & attendance (time clocks) monitoring, or even mobile devices, you might want to give your IT company a call and ask if these devices are a good match for your existing network, and if they can provide you with a quote.
At Homeland Secure IT, we want to ensure your technology experience provides you with the highest level of satisfaction possible. We will work to determine if that new gadget, say an Apple iPad, will easily integrate into your network. We will also tell you if it will not work well, and how that can be corrected. Give us a call and find out just how much more you can get out of your network! http://www.homelandsecureit.com/technology.html has a short list of some of the devices we work with every day. It doesn’t stop there. If a product integrates into a network, chances are, we can help you with it!
