Island’s Largest Independent Telecom Company Under New Ownership
NANAIMO – Communication Connection has been all about providing telecommunication solutions for its 25 years of existence.
Vancouver Island’s largest independent telecom company, Communication Connection continually trains its 20 team members, and keeping them up to speed on the always changing advancements in technology for both sides of its operations: Business Solutions and Senior Living Solutions.
Darren Hauca, a former Telus technician, and his wife Teresa started the company in Alberta in 1993, later moving to Nanaimo, where their head office is still located, adding Victoria and Vancouver offices along the way.
Florence Dupont and Rieghardt Van Enter, both investors from the Lower Mainland, purchased the business from the Haucas in 2018, notes General Manager Stewart Irwin.
Communication Connection General Manager Stewart Irwin
Irwin, who grew up in BC in Vancouver, Dawson Creek and Chilliwack, arrived in Nanaimo in January to oversee the company. He formerly worked as the Engineering Manager for a small manufacturing company in Ontario that made ceramic underwater acoustic appliances for marine research – including monitoring and researching to whales and marine animals.
The new owners are committed to maintaining the company’s standards, and building the business to match growth and opportunity in the telecommunications sector.
On the Business Solutions side, the firm offers business telephone systems, cloud and VoIP (voice over internet) solutions, CCTV (closed circuit television) and door access control, wireless communications, video conferencing, headsets, accessories, and hospitality voice and data solutions.
A dozen years ago, Communication Connection identified a need in assisted living situations, and added the Senior Living Solutions portion of the business, which has continued to grow and expand, using highly customized solutions.
They offer nurse call solutions, telephone systems designed for staff and resident safety, wireless communications, and CCTV and door access control.
Amongst new products, Communication Connection will be offering thermal imaging equipment, which a client could use at the door of their business to take an individual’s body temperature before they even take two steps into the office. With the pandemic, a heightened body temperature could indicate possible COVID-19 carrier.
“It can identify and take readings from three to four people at once,” Irwin says, adding they would be ideal for clinics and long-term care facilities. “But it’s not inexpensive. It is one more tool, though.
“It’s another thing that we offer to try and keep people safe. If someone has an elevated temperature, you want to make sure your office is secure.”
Teleconferencing systems offer communication suites that allow clients to hold virtual meetings from Zoom and other providers.
“They can integrate with any office phone system,” he notes.
The company also provides online security systems that keeps information secure, which in today’s world becomes more important with each passing day as hackers take aim at valuable company information and systems.
Video surveillance and cellular phones are valuable at Senior’s facilities as well, as they help keep patients safe and allow communication throughout the building.
“We can ensure that our systems have coverage from everywhere in the facility,” he notes. “We also have the ability to provide location tracking, with pendants for patients, employees and other assets, so they can tell where a patient is in the building. Our systems can also provide real-time tracking of video alarms that can help identify people who are around the building but perhaps shouldn’t be.”
In terms of security, Communication Connection is also now able to offer 24/7 video monitoring that can actively engage with police, fire or emergency services directly, when necessary.
