Why the Change?
The new company name and logo design has been created to celebrate and embrace our cooperative spirit, to communicate our strategic vision “Link to the World” and to voice our core mission “To deliver a direct link that provides unlimited potential for our community." DirectLink in its very essence represents connections. Our business has always been about creating telecommunications connections that provide high-speed Internet, Video and Voice services. Large telecommunications companies, however, have a different agenda. Their real priority is to serve their corporate shareholders and not their end user subscribers. This contrasts starkly with motivations of every cooperative employee. Our priority is to serve our members with a passion for the industry we work in while maintaining a set of core values that emphasizes understanding and a spirit of curiosity. Most importantly, we always think with the end in mind - putting our members and each other first. That’s why we work here, that’s why we’re here for you.
| Our Vision: | Link to the World |
| Our Mission: | To deliver a direct link that provides unlimited potential for our community. |
Lets talk Color!
You’ll notice we’ve gone in a completely different direction than our current Canby Telcom and Mt. Angel Telephone color palette. Warm orange/red symbolizes strength, energy, hunger and passion to be innovative. Medium gray balances the energy of the orange/red and represents technology, stability and dependability.
How do you like our Icon?
We’re all about broadband and providing a superior connection, products, services and exceptional member support! We reviewed many design options for our new brand identity and chose a mark which truly symbolizes our business now and into the future. The up/down arrows signify upstream/downstream bandwidth in a synchronous method (think big, think gigabit). You’ll also see the shape of “D” and “L” in the icon. Above all its shape resembles the well-known iconic symbol “a window to the world,” or as it relates to DirectLink, your “connection to the world”. It will also work well in an app environment and is what we refer to internally as a pretty cool favicon.
Answers to questions you may have:
It’s a big change and we know you have questions! We’ve tried to think of everything you’d ask but if we’ve missed something, give us a call, write us an email, or come in to either office for a chat. We’ll post these questions and answers online at our new web domain www.directlink.coop and will keep them updated as more questions arise. You’ll notice from above our domain is .coop and not .com. A .coop domain was specifically designated for businesses functioning as cooperative non-profit entities. Again, we’re embracing our local roots and cooperative spirit and this is just another way we have chosen to demonstrate that.
Did Canby Telcom and Mt. Angel Telephone get purchased?
No, we have not been purchased. Our member ownership, board, employees and facilities all remain as they are. Canby Telephone Association always has been and will continue to remain the official and legal company name. DirectLink is an operating name or “doing business as” (dba) like Canby Telcom was.
Why consolidate the companies?
It just made sense. Moving Mt. Angel Telephone to a cooperative creates multiple efficiencies in the running of both locations that allows for additional sharing of resources, including access to a wealth of employee knowledge and skill sets. These efficiencies directly benefit you as a member through joint research and development, marketing, economies of scale in equipment pricing, and many other areas.
If we are part owners in the company, why didn’t you ask us before making this change?
Our members are always forefront in our minds and we value your opinions. We conducted several surveys and focus groups of members and non-members throughout both communities over the past 18 months, collecting your thoughts, suggestions, and opinions. We learned what you expect now and what you’d like to see in the future. When asked to describe the company in three words you said, “friendly, local, and reliable.” You said that you wanted more information, more communication, and more transparency about the company and its cooperative side. You also value that we are here for you - that our employees live, work, volunteer, worship, and shop here. To summarize, we listened to your feedback and took a thoughtful approach in the decision to unify Mt. Angel Telephone as part of the cooperative and operate under a single brand identity.
If being local is important to the communities, why get rid of cities served in the names?
Canby Telcom and Mt. Angel Telephone not only serve the communities they began in, but they also help surrounding community cooperative companies with various technology and services. Having a location free moniker makes it more time and cost efficient to assist others and conduct work in these multiple communities. The unification of both companies under one name allows for future growth, direction and the ability to market products and services with a singular brand and style.
When are these changes taking place?
DirectLink will be introduced into the service areas in mid-October when you’ll begin to see our company vehicles with the new brand driving around town. Your bill statements for the month of November will be from DirectLink. Our new website is available now at www.directlink.coop but will only provide information about the cooperative and brand identity changes. The full site with product, pricing, myaccount, bill pay, product support and information about us will be available on November 1st. Until then, continue to use the current canbytel.com and mtangeltel.net websites to access any products, support or account information.
What does this mean to me as a current cooperative member?
The addition of members to the cooperative does not affect any balances in current member accounts nor will it affect future allocations. Allocations are based on the cooperative’s net income then applied to member accounts based on the services they receive from the cooperative. With additional membership, we anticipate an increase in overall net income.
Why didn’t cooperative members get to vote on this change?
Per our cooperative bylaws, this type of change or addition to our membership does not require a membership vote. The board of directors, who are a chosen representative of our membership, determined this to be the last logical step to complete the purchase transaction of Mt. Angel Telephone Company by Canby Telephone Association in 2007.
Will the consolidation affect future distributions of patronage dollars?
No, should the board of directors decide to do a distribution the consolidation would not affect the amount of the distribution to each member. Distributions are based on the dollar amounts in each member’s account and the year it was allocated to the account.
Will I have to change my email address?
No, all @canby.com, @web-ster.com and @mtangel.net email addresses will be maintained indefinitely and can continue to be used. We will also have a new email address domain, @mydirectlink.net, available should you choose to add additional email addresses to your account.
Do I need to update my online banking information?
Yes. You will need to change the payee from Canby Telcom or Mt. Angel Telephone to DirectLink.
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