Letter From The CEO

Hello, and welcome to the second edition of Connected!

Two of the biggest Internet-related issues for businesses these days are spam and viruses. In this issue, we try to bring you up to date on both of these important topics. On the spam front, Michigan has recently enacted a new law that provides specific guidelines for the transmission of unsolicited email. While this law will hopefully reduce the infrastructure burden and time lost from spam, it also has ramifications for any business that utilizes email as a marketing tool. Plus, as the state moves to manage spam, the federal government is also acting to control unsolicited faxes.

In addition, since the debut of our newsletter a few months back, millions of businesses have been hit by a series of major viruses. This issue offers a list of the top ten recent viruses and hoaxes you should be tracking to protect your company. At Iserv, we know that reliable, safe Internet access has become an important part of your daily life, so we are working to do our part against viruses as well.

For the MSBlast virus alone, we blocked tens of millions of data "packets" that would have contributed to the infection of customer computers and the spread of the problem. Be assured that as viruses continue to emerge, Iserv will do everything in our power to protect and inform area businesses.

In this issue you will also learn about Iserv's exciting new alliance with Hi-Tech, Inc. This new alliance brings one of the area's leading consulting firms into our headquarters while extending the range of services both companies can offer. We are looking forward to bringing Hi-Tech's experience and insight to our customers in the months to come.

As always, if you have anything you want to see more of in Connected!, let us know. Drop us a note with your request, suggestions or questions at feedback@iserv.net.

Vic Shepherd
Iserv President & CEO

Unsolicited Messages and the Law

On, July 11, Michigan Governor, Jennifer Granholm signed into law the Unsolicited Commercial Email Protection Act (Public Act 42 of 2003). The law went into effect on September 1, 2003 and states that senders of unsolicited commercial email must include "ADV:" in subject lines. They must also include the sender's legal name, correct street address, valid Internet domain name and a valid return email address. In addition, the messages must include an opt-out provision for future email.

Critics have noted that most spam is sent from overseas locations and the law will do little to reduce spam. But nonetheless, it is the law in Michigan.

The long arm of the law is also reaching into the world of fax machines. The 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act barred unsolicited fax advertisements. However, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said unsolicited faxes were acceptable if sent as part of an existing business relationship.

It looks as though that will change. A new rule by the FCC bans any faxed material "advertising the commercial availability or quality of any property, goods or services." Under the new rule, in order to fax an advertisement a company would require explicit permission with a signature on file. This rule is scheduled to go into effect Jan. 1, 2005, It was delayed from being in effect this August, giving business a little time to get their ducks in a row.

Perhaps the biggest damage from sending unsolicited spam or fax isn't necessarily legal or regulatory hassles, but damage to your reputation or image that exceed the profit of sending out the messages in the first place. The best decision may be to avoid sending out unsolicited messages and instead include some type of opt-in system. Check with your legal counsel for your best options in this new regulatory environment.

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Top 10 Viruses And Hoaxes

For August 2003, the chart is as follows, with the most frequently occurring virus at number one:

"August 2003 will be remembered as one of the worst months in the history of computer security. A series of different viruses have bombarded computer systems around the globe, culminating in the newest member of the Sobig family, which swamped Internet email traffic and took the top position in the chart. The top four viruses are all new entries - any of which would have been number one in a normal month," said Chris Belthoff, senior security analyst at Sophos, Inc. "The Sobig-F worm clogged up inboxes and crippled networks with the sheer volume of email traffic it produced. Users and companies should remain on guard and put systems in place to protect against future attacks."

The top ten hoaxes reported to Sophos during August 2003 are as follows:

"Bill Gates seems to be a target for hoax writers and virus writers alike. While the Blaster worm capitalized on a flaw in Microsoft's software and attempted to knock one of their websites off the Internet, two hoaxes about Bill Gates are still circulating," continued Belthoff.

(Source: Sophos)

Business Account Management Team (BAM)

Iserv is pleased to announce the creation of its newly formed Business Account Management Team (BAM). As part of our continued efforts to improve and enhance our services to you, we have created this new team to support your entire Internet and Data business needs.

Their combined technical background and intimate knowledge of Iserv's internal systems is available to our valued business customers. The BAM team will be your guide for answering product and development questions, upgrading services, and providing timely and valid information about your current services. They will identify services for your organization to help reduce costs and increase productivity.

If you should have any questions in the mean time please feel free to contact the Business Account Management Team directly at 1.888.64.ISERV ext.4102

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Iserv and Hi-Tech, Inc: A New Alliance To Provide IT Services Under One Roof

Iserv recently announced a new strategic alliance with Hi-Tech, Inc. to deliver a more comprehensive set of technology services for business. Hi-Tech. is an IT consulting firm with a 15-year track record of helping organizations of all sizes realize meaningful returns on investments in technology and has broad experience implementing and managing systems from many leading hardware and software providers.

As part of the new affiliation, Hi-Tech is relocating its headquarters to the 33rd Street location in Grand Rapids that also serves as home to Iserv's corporate office and data center.

The affiliation provides both companies with access to highly complementary resources to offer businesses a one-stop technology option. Iserv can now tap Hi-Tech's systems expertise and extend its services into infrastructure strategy, design and implementation. Hi-Tech will have on-site access to Iserv's highly reliable data center and related services, as well as the ability to leverage Iserv's support staff and training center.

"We are very pleased with our new relationship with Hi-Tech, one of the most respected names in West Michigan technology," said Victor Shepherd, chief executive officer of Iserv. "We are looking forward to bringing their outstanding range of IT services to our business customer base. Having them right across the hall will make it easy to share concepts, work through technical questions and spark new opportunities for both our organizations."

"Iserv is an outstanding company with the kind of 'bulletproof' data center that you would normally need to travel to Detroit or Chicago to find. We are excited about our new location and the potential we believe it offers Hi-Tech and our clients," said Jeff VanderWal, president and COO of Hi-Tech.

Iserv Acquires Parrett Internet Technologies of Benton Harbor

Iserv recently announced it has acquired Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Parrett Internet Technologies, an ISP serving residential and business customers in and around Benton Harbor and St. Joseph.

Current Parrett customers will continue to use the same dialup access numbers and email addresses and the Parrett office at 2250 Plaza Drive in Benton Harbor will continue to be a customer resource for in-person payments and service questions.

As a result of the transaction, current Parrett customers have become part of the Iserv network, providing new access to a full range of connectivity, Data Center and Web Services, including Accelerated Dialup and statewide Internet access. The move also gives Iserv expanded presence in the Benton Harbor/St. Joseph area.

"Parrett has a long history of delivering exceptional connectivity and hosting services to the Benton Harbor and St. Joseph region," said Victor Shepherd, chief executive officer of Iserv. "Iserv will work hard to continue Parrett's commitment to outstanding service and support while expanding the range of products and resources available to its customers."

Special Business DSL Offering

Iserv's DSL service is a great way to get your whole office connected to the Internet.

Our iBiz DSL packages include the essential services your business needs - static IP addresses, multiple email address options, and high-speed access.

When you select iBiz DSL, you'll also get world-class support from the Iserv team. Our technicians will work through the entire process - coordinating line installation, configuring your DSL router, and testing your new DSL connection to ensure quality. We make sure that your transition to DSL service goes smoothly and quickly.

For a limited time we are offering iBiz Basic DSL 384k - 1500k x 128k for only $49.95 a month!* To order you new DSL service or to learn more, contact our Business Account Management Team at 1.888.64.ISERV ext.4102 or visit www.iserv.net/business/connectivity.shtml#DSL

* Available to new DSL customers only.

iPass Global Roaming, Your Ticket To The Internet - Anywhere!

On the road and want to use your Iserv Internet connection? Iserv now offers access through the iPass network, which has connections at 19,500 access points throughout 150 countries.

iPass is simple to use and easy to install on your laptop, letting you use one username and password to access the Internet and best of all using a local access number (no long distance calls). The service is perfect for road trips, vacations and international travel.

Using iPass will let you save on domestic long-distance calls and up to 90% on international calls. The iPass network is redundant and reliable and able to provide high-speed connections. In short, it is like taking your Iserv service wherever you go. For more information or to sign up, please visit: www.iserv.net/business/ipass.shtml

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Down To Business With VoEx

When Grand Rapids-based VoEx began looking for a data center, reliability and security were their key requirements. VoEx is a leader in providing Internet telephony services to global telecom carriers. The company recently supplied the infrastructure to three call centers in Baghdad, allowing Iraqis to make affordable, uncensored calls and emails to the rest of the world for the first time.

VoEx relies on Alactel 5020 High-Availability Voice-Over IP Soft Switch platform, which serves as a conduit between local carrier networks and enables VoEx to complete international voice and fax calls over the Internet with quality comparable to that of traditional circuit-switched voice networks.

"Not only do our customers require high quality service, but they also require our network to be functioning 24/7," said Haydar Haba, CEO of Voex. "Downtime is not an option."

In the process of meeting with Iserv and visiting their facility, Iserv demonstrated a high level of technical expertise.

"We realized that in order to connect people across the globe with high quality, affordable service, the VoEx platform must operate without interruption," said Vic Shepherd, Iserv CEO. "With their platform secure, VoEx can concentrate on opening new markets, such as Iraq, while maintaining high-quality service over the Internet."

Iserv's 24 hour monitored Tier 1 Data Center incorporates the latest fire suppression technologies with three diverse redundant fiber connections to the Internet, allowing Iserv to quickly reroute data in the event one provider - or even two - have problems. In addition, Iserv also has multiple power backup systems, including a high-capacity mini-turbine generator on-site to provide electricity in the event of extended outages.

Thanks in part to Iserv's services, VoEx is now connecting Iraq to the rest of the world.

Is A Vulnerability Assessment Needed For Your Business?

When it comes to hackers, worms and viruses, what you don't know can do more than hurt you - it can cripple your network, and your business. The good news is that organizations can avoid most of these "e-threats", but only by working ahead of time to find and fix the vulnerabilities in their network.

That is why Iserv provides an important and cost-effective tool for proactive network and data protection - our Vulnerability Assessment Security System (VASS) service offers a complete network security evaluation.

Utilizing Iserv's online network vulnerability scanning system, Iserv's Security Specialists will check a customer's network\ remotely from Iserv's offices and then automatically audit it for security vulnerabilities. The service will allow continuous risk assessment of over 300 applications on 20 different platforms, including operating systems, web servers, firewalls, FTP servers, databases, and SMTP/POP servers.

The service is provided remotely and available on a subscription basis. This proactive solution provides savings by reducing the amount of cost associated with IT time due to network intrusions. Network administrators can be notified of the results of the scan and recommendations on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, via web enabled reports.

For more information call your Iserv business representative or 1.888.64.ISERV ext. 3.

Need A Website? We Can Help You Get Started

Face it, having a website for your business is just as important as having a yellow page listing or a fax machine. Iserv business services can provide you with both the space and creativity to get your site up and running or improve an existing one.

The big challenge for most business owners is how to build a site. Our Iserv web development team is here to help walk you through the process. We can work with you to identify exactly what you need and then build a customized site. Iserv web experience is extensive and includes:

• Managing, maintaining and developing multi-level websites - large corporate to small business sites
• HTML, DHTML, Javascript, Flash
• Perl/CGI, ASP, PHP, Java, Python
• SQL database- Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL
• Linux, Windows NT/XP/2000, Mac OS X
• Graphic Design
• Website Translation Service (English -> Spanish, Spanish -> English)

To find out more, visit www.iserv.net/business/development.shtml for more details or call your BAM representative today.

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InvestorWords.com - www.investorwords.com

Know the difference between bankmail and a banknote? Between a tax shelter and a tax shield? InvestorWords.com is a handy online glossary of thousands of obscure and common financial terms. The site is organized like an online dictionary, allowing you to search or browse for a term. When you find a term, related terms or synonyms are also linked in the definition. In addition, the site has a sign-up for a "financial word of the day" via email, which will allow you to build up your money-speak and better understand the strange world of high finance.

U.S. Business Advisor - www.business.gov

You and your business pay your taxes right? So why not take advantage of information that is provided no-cost from Uncle Sam. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is the creator of the U.S. Business Advisor website. With more than 60 different federal organizations exist to assist or regulate business in the US, finding information about new regulations or getting no-cost data from regulators can be complicated and time-consuming. In keeping with the e-government vision of using information technology to enable better customer service, federal agencies have worked together to build the U.S. Business Advisor - a one-stop electronic link to the information and services government provides for the business community.

FedWorld - www.fedworld.gov

Like many government operations, one single source of information is way too simple. So FedWorld was established by the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), an agency of the U S Department of Commerce, to serve as (another) online locator service for a comprehensive inventory of information disseminated by the Federal Government. This service assists agencies and the public in electronically locating Federal Government information, including information housed within the NTIS repository and outside of NTIS. So make sure to also include this site among your bookmarks as another handy source of government provided information for your business.

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Phone:
Toll Free Number: 1-888-64-ISERV (7378)
Local Grand Rapids Number: 616-493-3740
Business Support Number: 1-866-603-2469

Email: info@iserv.net
Fax: 616-493-3730

www.iserv.net/support/

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