FIELD REPORT
ALPHAPOINTE FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GINA GOWIN
Alphapointe: Vision Accomplished A nonprofit leverages technology to train the sight-impaired.
Think about things like making a phone call, turning on the news, or surfing the Web without sight. –Gina Gowin
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THE CHALLENGE:
THE SOLUTION:
For more than a century, nonprofit Alphapointe has provided rehabilitation and occupational services—including a technology camp, adaptive technology, job training, and more—for people with vision loss. Last year, Alphapointe doubled its size by merging with New York City Industries for the Blind (NYCIB), giving it a total of 400 employees operating in nine locations in four states. The organization needed fast and roomy bandwidth to provide leading-edge technology to its clients and employees, as well as to connect remote locations in Arkansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and New York to the Kansas City, Missouri, headquarters. Further, Alphapointe needed to simplify operations by consolidating all of its IT, customer support, and financial accounting services in one location.
Time Warner Cable Business Class (TWCBC) has been helping Alphapointe achieve its mission since 2009, when it installed fiberbased Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) and a fiber Primary Rate Interface (PRI) circuit for voice. At the time of the 2014 merger, it was a simple matter for Alphapointe to call TWCBC to upgrade to 100 Mbps DIA and add a second fiber PRI circuit. Alphapointe has been able to use DIA’s symmetrical upload and download connectivity to seamlessly connect its locations via Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). DIA also powers Alphapointe’s primary revenue engine: its online retail business for office supplies, plastics, and other products. Meanwhile, the robust fiber PRI voice solution has provided a real-time portal for managing usage details and reporting capabilities.
Fall 2015
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