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Nildram cuts it at the salon

Aim

Broadband Internet services from Nildram are helping the latest salon management system keep head and shoulders above the competition.

 

Radical Makeover:

Beauty salon

The hairdressing industry is undergoing a radical makeover - although this revamp doesn't involve setting perms or applying tints. Instead, the latest styles to grace high-street salons are based on cutting-edge broadband Internet connections that are enabling improved customer service, tighter stock control and targeted marketing initiatives.

The introduction of broadband technology is possible thanks to Mascolo Support Systems' SALONGENIUS management solution, which incorporates an integrated web browser, enhanced e-mail client and SMS text messaging. Crucially, SALONGENIUS is supported by Nildram's broadband Internet-access and hosting services, which David Pickering, Managing Director of Mascolo, says are not only fundamental to the success of the system, but also help Mascolo keep one step ahead of the competition.

"Nildram has been supplying us with Internet-access solutions for five years. Originally, these were dial-up services and modems, but recently we've moved to Broadband ADSL accounts because the technology is faster and more flexible. It keeps us in front of our competitors."

The services from Nildram enable us to react faster and share data ...the technology is faster and more flexible. It keeps us in front of our competitors.

The ADSL accounts, which are supplied alongside the SALONGENIUS management system, incorporate unlimited emails, anti-virus and SPAM controls on POP3 accounts and 100Mbytes of e-mail storage space. As important, however, is the access they provide to SALONGENIUS virtual private network (VPN), which facilitates a number of stock, customer and supplier-related activities, including the online processing of credit cards. "With the Broadband ADSL accounts, our customers have secure and dedicated access to the SALONGENIUS VPN," David notes, "which greatly improves connectivity and the level of centralised control."

Crucially, the SALONGENIUS management system also enables Short Message Service (SMS) texts to be sent over the Internet either as part of a marketing campaign or as an appointmentreminder service. In one instance, David recalls, a salon manager reported that the number of missed appointments fell from 42 to two in one month, following the introduction of the system. "Through the SMS reminder texts," he says, "the manager basically secured 40 new clients that he would have otherwise lost."

The latest Broadband fashions:

Woman combing her hair

Mascolo's client base extends from hair and beauty salons to opticians and health clubs. However, the company's biggest client is Toni & Guy, the celebrated chain of hairdressers, which David explains, has led the way in showcasing the latest Broadband fashions.

"We're planning to upgrade 200 Toni & Guy salons with the latest version of SALONGENIUS," which was first rolled out at the start of the year. "It incorporates Nildram's Broadband ADSL accounts, which enable up to 2Mbit data transfer speeds, which is a massive leap from the 56Kbit lines we had before."

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Lines (ADSLs) are the latest way of transferring data at high speeds over existing telephone wires. The process involves upgrading lines to enable them to carry digital signals rather than the current analogue ones. The process allows much faster connections with upload speeds of 256Kbps and download speeds of up to 2Mbps.

Nildram broadband:

For David, the benefits of switching to Broadband, and more specifically Nildram's Broadband ADSL accounts, are obvious. "Speed is a big part of it," he says. "The Broadband ADSL connections mean we can provide a better service to our clients, who can in turn download software upgrades, access new stock lists and take advantage of the on-line training facilities SALONGENIUS provides."

Although clearly impressed by the quality of service and the speed of Nildram's connections, David says having access to the latest Internet solutions is the real reason for Mascolo's ongoing endorsement of Nildram's services. "It's easy to see why Nildram regularly appears in the top five service providers," he says. "They've always kept us at the forefront of technological developments, and that's meant we can continually improve the level of service we provide to our customers."