Nebraska Selects SNG to Help Drive Broadband’s Benefits

SNG Engaged to Provide Local Businesses with Personalized, Data-based Roadmaps to Improve Efficiencies and Drive Growth

(August 13, 2013) Lincoln, Nebraska – The Nebraska Broadband Initiative today announced they’ve engaged SNG to help drive business utilization, and the accompanying benefits, for regional economic development.  SNG will demonstrate for local businesses the return on investment that can be realized by capitalizing on recent investments in Nebraska broadband.   The Broadband Mapping and Planning Initiative is funded through a grant to the Nebraska Public Service Commission by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunication and Information Administration and aims to increase broadband adoption and utilization. The University of Nebraska is leading the planning efforts. Planning project partners include the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska Information Technology Commission, Nebraska Department of Economic Development and Aim Institute.

SNG will provide Nebraska’s small businesses with an “eSolutions Inventory,” a self-assessment for businesses centered on Internet applications (esolutions) being currently utilized, the ones that aren’t, and the impact on their business. These same businesses will then receive recommendations for esolutions to adopt, and the ROI accompanying each. ROI and expected benefits are drawn from SNG’s rich database of over 11,000 business’ broadband usage and accompanying impacts, enabling a comparison of an individual Nebraska business usage and impacts with peers (industry, size, etc.) across the U.S. who have successfully employed esolutions.

“We wanted to increase efforts to connect with businesses, build capacity within the state to work with businesses and to measure change and impact.  ,” explained Charlotte Narjes, UNL Broadband Project Lead. “By engaging SNG and their one-of-a-kind database, businesses will receive a personalized  scorecard that helps to identify what they can do with technology, but also the expected benefits with each adopted Internet application.”

In addition to capturing individual results, the SNG study will provide statewide and regional insights to help inform and craft broadband strategies for Nebraska.

“This approach will engage Nebraska businesses by showing them how broadband can help,” explained Jim Keeler, Business Broadband Manager. “By providing our entrepreneurs with the knowledge they need to leverage the Internet and find new ways to use it, we’re giving them an edge to compete in the 21st century.”

“By taking the current state of broadband use and comparing it to like-sized companies in similar industries, we’re able to educate businesses on best practices for broadband utilization and provide specific recommendations,” explained Michael Curri, president of SNG. “Most importantly, we’re helping Nebraska companies compete and thrive in a digital world.”.