July Chamber Luncheon - KanOkla Networks

                At the Goddard Chamber’s July Luncheon, held at Dove Estates, we heard from Eric and Mark of KanOkla Networks. KanOkla has been a Chamber member for the past several years and their presence has really grown in Goddard since they joined us.
                Headquartered in Caldwell, Kansas, KanOkla began as a rural phone company in 1951. Today, they employ 58 team members and service south central Kansas and north central Oklahoma. Though they began with landline phone service, they have since expanded to a wide variety of phone, internet, network, and even outdoor needs. One of their goals is to help local businesses – especially smaller companies – succeed, so they have made a concerted effort to diversify as technology changes in order to better serve their clients.
                Of course, KanOkla still offers phone service as well as 11 different high-speed internet plans. They aim to provide quality service at competitive rates, especially in underserved rural markets. As Eric put it, if you can see one of their towers, you can get their service. Lucky for us, KanOkla has a tower right here in Goddard at Tanganyika Wildlife Park.
                Phone and security services KanOkla offers include multi-line phone systems (including linking phone service between multiple buildings and/or locations), security and IP-based camera systems. As more and more businesses are finding use for security technology, KanOkla has seen a large amount of growth in the demand for these services. And because many Kansans in rural areas are elderly, KanOkla has expanded to offer Redline Mobile Medical Alert, which boasts 24/7 notification and mobile app tracking to make sure elderly residents are safe in their homes.
KanOkla offers a wide range of IT and network services including cloud services, point to point networking, and IT network management and consulting. For many smaller companies, having an IT professional on staff may not be practical. KanOkla’s consulting services allow companies to receive the network expertise they need without breaking the bank. They also serve as a Google apps reseller.
                To further their aim to help small businesses thrive at affordable price points, KanOkla offers a range of graphic design and website services, an area of their business they are constantly working to expand. Website development and design have been excellent options for smaller businesses (and KanOkla just launched a new website themselves last week). Marketing services include graphic design, social media marketing, printed marketing materials, and even video production.
                KanOkla also maintains a retail store in Caldwell, which offers computer, cell phone, network, and computer accessory sales. They also have a burgeoning outdoor living department, offering grilling supplies, sauces, marinades and salsas. They are – believe it or not – also a dealer for Traeger, Kamodo Joe, and Firedisc grill products. To underscore their passion for the community they serve, almost all of the outdoor products sold in their retail location are Kansas or Oklahoma-based.
                Not only does KanOkla offer all of these products and services – they are also heavily involved in rural broadband advocacy. They are members of several state and national associations (including the Rural Broadband Association (NTCA), the Oklahoma Telephone Association (OTA), the State Independent Telephone Association (SITA), and the Kansas Fiber Network (KFN).
                Membership to these associations affords KanOkla the ability to advocate for rural communities on a state and national level. Many rural areas are underserved in terms of the technology available for broadband internet services. KanOkla, along with other members of these associations, aims to help rural businesses catch up and level the technological playing field between rural and urban areas.
                Thank you so much to Eric and Mark from KanOkla for taking the time to join us for our July Chamber Luncheon. For more information, please visit their website at www.kanokla.com or contact Eric (eric@kanokla.com) or Mark (mark@kanokla.com) directly. And remember, if you are interested in presenting at, sponsoring, or hosting a future Chamber event, contact Angie for more information!