Thank You Letter

This month marks the 33rd anniversary of COMMWORLD of Kansas City. We've been asked to what we attribute our longevity. After all, telecommunications has changed so much since we started in 1981 and we've watched over 300 competitors come and go here in K.C. So why is COMMWORLD of K.C. still here?

We did some research on business longevity and found the oldest business in the world is a hotel in Japan with a long, unpronounceable name. It was founded in 705 A.D. and has operated continuously for over 1300 years. The same family has run the hotel for 52 generations and there are families among the staff who have also worked there for generations. They run the business in the "spirit of service."

We think that's what makes the difference. We've been fortunate to form a team of incredibly honorable, talented people who work with that "spirit of service". Taking good care of our customers has always been the highest priority. Because of that, many businesses have trusted us with their telecommunications for decades and have referred us to more good customers.

Our sincere thanks go to the COMMWORLD team members and loyal customers who have made this success possible. We think this quote about the oldest business in the world also applies to COMMWORLD of Kansas City...

"It's not about building something big, it's about building something remarkable, that lasts."

Sincerely,
Bob Bennett and Linda Bennett

Source: blog.idonethis.com/oldest-company-in-the-world/, The School of Hard Knocks

Is your Smartphone making you sick?

A recent iPhone update makes images appear to leap out of the screen in 3D. As a result, many people report experiencing a type of motion sickness called "simulation sickness".

If you're among the one in four of us who experience motion sickness, you know what simulation sickness feels like. Symptoms can include nausea, headache, sweating, disorientation, vertigo, eyestrain and vomiting. Pilots can experience simulation sickness caused by training on flight simulators. Gamers can feel it and wearing eye gear may make it even worse. Many people avoid 3D movies and Imax theatres because they're effected by it.

Symptoms that occur while you're involved in the activity can continue long afterward. Some people don't experience any symptoms until after they stop the activity and resume normal life. It's kind of like "getting your land legs back" after an ocean cruise. It's reported that the U.S. military bans pilots from actual flying for 24 hours after use of a simulator because of the potential side effects.

There are multiple theories on why simulation sickness occurs. The most accepted theory is that it results from a mismatch between what we expect to see and feel and what we actually see and feel. Your body has an expected sensory input based on past experiences and biology and if that sensory input is different, you may experience symptoms.

To avoid the sickening feelings, take frequent breaks and limit your exposure. Better yet, unplug and check out the real world!

Sources: www.tesh.com/story/health-and-well-being-category/connies-tech-tip-are-our-phones-making-us-sick/cc/6/id/26569, www.gamasutra.com/blogs/BenLewisEvans/20140404/214732/Simulation_Sickness_and_VR
__What_is_it_and_what_can_developers_and_players_do_to_reduce_it.php

Check out all the special promotions in the Promo Flipbook

Job Pressure is the #1 source of Stress in the U.S. and 77% of us experience physical symptoms caused by stress

... American Psychological Association, American Institute of Stress - 7.8.2014

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Faster Emotionally Focused Transformation (Faster EFT) works with your mind – body connection. It works because it uses systems that naturally occur in all of us. The basic process is easy to learn and you can do it for yourself.

Bob Bennett and Linda Bennett are Certified Faster EFT Practitioners. Check out www.ChangesAtLightSpeed.com to learn more. Call 816.761.5100 for a free 15 minute consultation with Bob or Linda. Then, if you're ready to change your life for the better, schedule a private session or a workshop for your staff. Ask about the special discount for readers of this COMMWORLD newsletter!

Faster EFT has helped thousands of people around the world eliminate stress, fears, addictions, depression, excess weight, pain and much more. There are over 800 videos about and testimonials for Faster EFT on YouTube.com. Bob conducts one of those interviews in this video.

CHANGES At LightSpeed
816-761-5100
info@changesatlightspeed.com

As seen on Unified Communications Strategies...

Toshiba's New Cloud-based VIPedge Application Service Delivers Advanced UC [Unified Communications], Mobility and Messaging for Toshiba's Strata CIX-CTX Business Phone Systems

Cloud-based Apps Now Available as a Subscription Service, With Minimal or No Capital Cost

Cloud-based Survivability Ensures Calls Stay Live, Even in Power Outages

Read more...

A "marriage" made in Telecom Heaven...

As COMMWORLD of Kansas City celebrates our 33rd Anniversary on October 19th, we're also marking another milestone in our partnership with Toshiba. We have been an Authorized Dealer for Toshiba since our beginning.

People ask why we still sell, install and service the same manufacturer's products after all these years. That's simple. It's always been and still is a great product for our customers. It's flexible enough to fit their immediate and future needs plus Toshiba designs their gear to be backward and forward compatible. That protects the customer's investment. Toshiba has always had a reputation as the most reliable telecom equipment and they're willing to back that up with the longest warranty in the industry.

Our sincere thanks go to all our friends at Toshiba for being such a good partner for all these years!

See some of Toshiba's recent awards...

Which has more germs...
     ...a toilet seat or the phone on your desk?
     ...a woman's desk or a man's?

TV commercials announce the arrival of "cold and flu season". So in the spirit of that season, let's review what we know about germs in your workplace.

Dr. Charles Gerba, professor of environmental biology at the University of Arizona, conducted a study of germs in the workplace. 7,000 samples were collected from offices across the country. Twelve typical office surfaces were tested and the top five most germ-contaminated spots were:

1. Telephone
2. Desktop
3. Water fountain handle
4. Microwave door handle
5. Keyboard

Keep reading to find out why women's desks have more germs than men's...

Toilet seats had the lowest bacteria levels of the 12 surfaces tested. (Thanks to frequent cleaning by the custodial staff.) The microbial population found included E. coli, Streptococcus, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia. No ebola - thank goodness!

Sorry Ladies, but women's desks tend to harbor more bacteria than men's because we typically have more lotions, tissues and snacks than men. All of these are breeding grounds for microorganisms.

Dr. Gerba's study, which happened to be funded by the Clorox Company, went on to determine the effectiveness of using disinfecting wipes to regularly clean personal workspaces. The study concluded, "…using disinfecting wipes (they used Clorox wipes, of course) can dramatically reduce that number [of bacteria] and therefore help reduce your chances of illness."

The CDC estimates that 80% of infections are spread by touching contaminated surfaces and through human contact. A National Health Survey found that influenza alone accounts for 75 million days of work absence annually. So, it makes good business sense to do what we can to stay healthy.

The experts agree that frequent and thorough hand washing is a great place to start. Keeping your immune system strong and your mindset positive also promotes good health. While the custodial staff may do a good job of cleaning common areas, additional cleaning of your personal space and equipment with a disinfecting wipe can help. Be sure to read labels and only use products which will not harm the surface you're cleaning.

Sources: www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/killing-flu-germs-what-works?page=3, www.sealshield.com/White%20Papers/cloroxstudy.pdf, www.chron.com/jobs/salary/article/Surprising-Facts-about-Workplace-Germs-and-What-4535041.php, www.healthstatus.com/health_blog/wellness/germs-in-the-workplace/

Technology Trivia...

He invented the speakerphone, White House "red phone" system and toll free calling, but why did he get in so much trouble?

Walter L. Shaw died in 1996 with 39 telephony patents and no money. He failed to get credit or compensation for his inventions until 2000 when his accomplishments were honored by the Florida House of Representatives. His son, Walter T. Shaw wrote a memoir called A License to Steal and he created a documentary film with the help of Mickey Rourke. These works "chronicle(s) the saga of his father, probably one of the most important inventors of our time, who was ripped off by corporate America and the mafia, and how this drove Walter himself (the son) to become one of the country's most infamous jewel thieves, having taken an estimated $70 million from the rich and famous from Long Island to Florida."

Shaw, the father, worked for AT&T- the powerful monopoly - for 14 years starting in 1935. In 1948 he had invented the speakerphone in his garage workshop. When he demonstrated it for AT&T, they "loved it" but they wanted Shaw to turn over all past, present and future developments to the company. Shaw refused to sign that agreement. After the expiration of the Shaw's patent 14 years later, AT&T started innovating on his speakerphone. This led to the downward spiral in the father's life and in the son's.

Walter L. invented a "blue box" which interfaced with the Bell system and allowed users to make long-distance calls toll-free thus stealing services from AT&T. This was before the 1968 Carter Phone Decision which finally made it legal to own your own phones and interface non AT&T devices with the Bell System. (That was the birth of COMMWORLD's industry – the Interconnect Industry.) Mafia crime families liked the "blue box" for more than just free calls. The device also blocked call tracking and monitoring which helped them conduct illegal gambling and other questionable business.

Shaw Senior invented and held patents on numerous legal technologies including what became touch tone, conference calling, call forwarding and voice recognition systems. He invented the first burglar alarm that automatically calls the police. In 1954, President Eisenhower commissioned him to develop the "red phone" alert system from the White House to the Kremlin which was used by Presidents for decades.

In 1961, Walter L. Shaw was arrested and charged in the "Free Call System" case in New York. In 1965¸ he was charged with attaching those "Free Call System" devices to phones used by bookmaking rings in New York to make free long distance calls. In 1976, he was found guilty on eight counts of illegal phone usage.

At age 12, as Shaw Junior watched his father under Senate investigation for organized crime, he was comforted by New York mob boss, Carlo Gambino. Gambino whispered to the boy, "The only difference between us and these politicians, judges and senators, is they have a license to steal and we don't need one." Although he was never caught in the act of one of his robberies, Shaw Junior was eventually "ratted out". From 1975 to 1986, he spent time in prison for his deeds. After 25 years of not speaking to each other, father and son were reunited in 1995.

Sources: whoiswaltershaw.com/Bios.html, venturebeat.com/2013/02/26/genius-on-hold-meet-the-man-who-invented-much-of-the-modern-phone-and-maybe-even-apple/