After 10 years, support for Windows 7 is nearing the end.  Windows 7 is a personal computer operating system produced by Microsoft.  It was released to manufacturing in 2009 and on Jan. 14, 2020 Microsoft will no longer provide free security updates, bug fixes or technical support for Windows 7.

All good things come to an end and every Windows product has a life-cycle. The life-cycle begins whe…

Here’s a million-dollar question …. How important is customer service to you?  I ask that because many times we are caught up with delivering a product or sharing an opportunity and forget the critical importance to your business of offering not okay, not good, but stellar customer service - a crucial aspect to any business success!

Often, we don’t think of the importance of this feature or how…

Do you get frustrated when you see your cable tv bill go up year after year?  If you’re like most I’m sure the answer is yes.  DRN feels the same way since cable tv is a service DRN offers to our cooperative members where we set our margins to breakeven at best.  What that means is any extra costs we incur then need to be passed onto the consumer year after year.

Your monthly bill has two major…

Is your business involved in the communities it serves? Being involved in the community is a great way for any organization to build relationships and boost brand awareness. DRN and ReadiTech recognize the importance of being involved in and focused on the betterment of its communities. Since the cooperative was formed in 1950, community involvement has always been important. As a cooperative, ou…

It’s everyone’s job!  Whether you are a CEO of a large company, an educator at our local school, bank president, dietician, student, parent or marketing manager, its everyone’s job to ensure online safety at work and  home. And as the lines between our work and home become increasingly blurred it is even more important to make sure that smart cybersecurity is happening between the two.

The head…

My career has taken me to 9 different locations, in three states, over a 41- year span.  I have worked for two Corporations, a Commercial Company, a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC), and DRN your Cooperative.  My first job coming out of NDSU was in central MN and part of my responsibilities were to visit 8 party line customers that were not being very nice to their neighbors. The message…

My name is Crystal Grueneich, and I am a Technical Support Analyst at DRN. Today we’re going to discuss Keeper.

Different scenarios may pop into your head when you hear the word “keeper.” For example, as a mom, I’m usually the keeper of the snacks! The Keeper of the Stars is one of my favorite songs. I used to have a trapper keeper…

But nonetheless, what about a password keeper?

Wit…

Many areas of IT and Technology in general are geared toward making your job easier and potentially saving you money at the same time.  But what about your phone system? It might feel like a necessary evil, a system that simply is what it is and will always cost more money and trouble than it’s worth. But that’s not true anymore.

Traditional phone systems required the “brains” of the system to …

I’d like to spend a little time talking about careers at DRN/ReadiTech. 

Currently we have an opening for a customer care specialist at our headquarters in Ellendale.  The customer care specialist position is a vital role at any organization.  At DRN/ReadiTech, our customer care specialists pride themselves on providing our customers with a top-notch experience at every interaction.  Customer c…

Sitting has been branded the “New Smoking” for the health risks it potentially causes.   I am not a doctor or medical research scientist.  But I do work in an environment that sitting most of the work day is more of the norm than I would like.  Sitting has been linked with cancer, back and neck pain, cardiovascular disease, obesity and many more conditions.  What are we to do to combat the “new s…

Happy Holidays Everyone!  This is Tim Steinwand, Customer Experience Specialist here at DRN.  Hopefully you got everything you wanted for Christmas?  Hopefully some of the things were electronic gadgets that will make your life easier or more convenient.  Maybe one of the things was an Amazon Firestick from DRN from our latest promotion.  If so, I wanted to let you know of some of the really cool…

Every year during the Holiday season stores and manufacturers have countless sales and discounts.  The purchase choices are unlimited around this time of year. I want to cover some precautions and safety recommendations to help protect yourself while shopping online.  Anyone with an email knows that with all the discounts and sales comes a lot of email marketing. Don’t get overwhelmed, there a co…

Hello again! As of today, there are only 14 days left in 2018.  Yikes.  In previous blog posts, I have talked about and the importance of a social media presence.  Also, I discussed across social media.  Let’s not forget that great list of   As we look forward to 2019, let’s take a moment to cha…

DRN has always been proud to be your telecommunications cooperative since 1950, providing voice, video and internet services to our members!  Along with providing traditional services, Dickey Rural Networks, saw the need to diversify while continuing to provide cooperative members with the same stellar traditional services.   This decision was driven out of the need and demand that our business c…

Have you ever heard or read something three or more separate times over the course of a few days?  I recently found this happening to me all because of an article shared on Facebook. It got me thinking, “you don’t know what you have until you hear it from an outside perspective”.  The article was titled, “How Did North Dakota Become the Crown Jewel of the Internet in the Midwest?”.  Of course, it…