News Releases

  Illinois News

Local Small-Business Owner, John Blanchard, Named Finalist For Dell/NFIB Award

NASA, Inc. Newsletter Fall 2006

Washington, D.C., April, 2006 – The National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s leading small-business group, and Dell Inc., today announced that John Blanchard has been chosen as a finalist in the Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence in Customer Experience Award. Blanchard is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of System Administrators, Inc. (NASA) in Crystal Lake, IL.

The Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence in Customer Experience Award finalists were selected by members of the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship at The University of Texas at Austin for their spirits of innovation. Small-business owners were challenged to illustrate how they have used information technology to drive a significant change and/or developed a competitive advantage in delivering superior customer value and experience.

NASA prides itself on serving “the little guy,” in that it provides hardware and operating system support for small- to mid-sized businesses that do not have maintenance support from the original system and equipment manufacturers. NASA customers have access to a 24-hour toll-free number as well as a web-based customer portal (known as NASAConnect) to report service disruptions, initiate service calls, track service calls, order parts and pull up payment and service history.

“We are pleased and flattered that NASA has been selected as a finalist in the Dell/NFIB Small-Business Excellence Award competition. There are those who fear that the personal element is lost when companies embrace information technology (IT). I think the opposite is true. IT makes it possible for us to deliver efficient, customized hassle –free computer technology services to customers all over the world. We are able to respond to their needs immediately and keep the personal touch in there,” said Blanchard. “Our goal has always been to become a business partner with the customer, not just a vendor. The IT pieces that we utilize enhance us, our customers and other vendors as well. It’s a very important part of successful customer service.”

“Our 10 small-business finalists have a remarkable understanding of the importance of technology to their company’s productivity and customer service,” said Frank Muehleman, vice president of Dell’s home and small-business organization. “Small business is a key growth area for the country and we are pleased to be recognizing these small businesses as examples to entrepreneurs nationwide.”

“Small businesses are the cornerstones of America’s economy, and we applaud these entrepreneurs for their focus on finding new and better ways of serving their customers, ” said NFIB President and CEO Todd Stottlemyer. “The 2006 finalists for the Dell/NFIB Small-Business Excellence in Customer Experience Award have implemented technology to deliver the highest level of service possible to their clients, and NFIB is proud to honor them through this partnership with Dell.”

The award winner will be announced June 19 at the 2006 NFIB National Small-Business Summit in Washington, D.C. The winning small business will be rewarded with $30,000 in Dell products and services, a lifetime NFIB membership and a full day with Dell executives, including Chairman Michael Dell, to share best practices at the company's headquarters in Round Rock, Texas. Nine finalists will receive a Dell Latitude notebook and a one-year membership to NFIB.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is the nation’s largest small-business advocacy group. A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1943, NFIB represents the consensus views of its 600,000 members in Washington and all 50 state capitals. For more information on NFIB visit www.NFIB.com.

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) is a trusted and diversified information-technology supplier and partner, and sells a comprehensive portfolio of products and services directly to customers worldwide. Dell, recognized by Fortune magazine as America’s most admired company and No. 3 globally, designs, builds and delivers innovative, tailored systems that provide customers with exceptional value. Company revenue for the past year was $51.1 billion. For more information about Dell and its products and services, visit www.dell.com.