Corporate Training and Communication That Works for Orkin, Inc.

During the past 10 years, the senior executive team at Atlanta-based Orkin, Inc. has watched every aspect of its company grow. However its corporate training and communications model changed little.

“We were using a traditional instructor-led training model and had a limited budget,” said Craig Goodwin, director of training for Orkin. “The growing demand for training far exceeded our resources, and we needed to find a way to deliver the necessary training to our employees across North America at a faster rate and at a lower cost.”

Orkin, provider of essential pest control services and protection against termite damage, rodents and insects, was employing a corporate training model consisting of instructor-led, classroom-style educational programs. Employees were required to travel to Atlanta to receive training, which resulted in travel costs, lodging and meal expenditures, as well as time out of the office.

In addition to meeting corporate training needs, Orkin hoped the solution would provide a more current and interactive corporate communication medium. “When you have 8,000 employees at 400 locations, it is difficult to communicate with everyone effectively, Goodwin said. “We are fortunate at Orkin because our senior executives strongly support employee training. They understand that well-trained employees produce positive business results for our company.”

Orkin leaders discussed the future of technology and its effect on corporate training and communication. A satellite network seemed to be the only technology that would provide Orkin with the flexibility and delivery capabilities needed to meet the demands of a rapidly growing company.

“We needed an integrated IDL and corporate communication system,” said David Lamb, vice president of learning and media services at Orkin. “A satellite network, utilizing interactive video on demand, seemed to be the best medium to deliver a synchronous message. We saw the value in satellite training and knew it would be the right way to provide our employees with the best possible training and communication.”

Orkin met with Helius and satellite service provider GlobeCast for a demonstration of Helius’ customizable MediaGate Router 4550 and the Helius MediaClassroom solution package. Along with an interactive distance-learning controller from OneTouch Systems, the robust system performs the functions of receiver, router and application server platform. Orkin quickly realized that this was the solution they had been looking for because it gave them everything they wanted in a turnkey product.

Orkin perceived an additional benefit to using Helius’ system: the ability to deliver content via satellite or a terrestrial (WAN) network. While there are no immediate plans to operate outside of the satellite network, Orkin felt that the flexibility of a second network could add value in the future.

“Orkin employees are getting the most current information because we can provide just-in-time communication to them when it’s most important,” Lamb said. “Using satellite technology provides us with the increased bandwidth we need to deliver on-demand or live-content messages from a central location. Because we can now deliver one, uniform message simultaneously to nearly all of our 400 locations, we can provide a more structured communication platform and communicate at the speed of business.”

Helius’ network system also allows Orkin to track each employee’s training progress because the embedded learning information system automatically captures trainee progress, test scores and program completion. Goodwin says that an added benefit to using a satellite-based training and communications network is that employees do not need to be computer savvy.

Orkin’s traditional, time-consuming and costly training and communications methods are now things of the past. The company has realized benefits from using satellite technology that reach much further than the wallet. Employees feel knowledgeable and informed.

“By delivering our training via satellite, we avoid travel costs, including lodging and meals,” said Ramiro Banderas, director of media services for Orkin. “But more importantly, we have omitted the lost productivity time experienced when we required employees to travel to receive training and other business-critical communication. In the short-term, we have seen immediate value in this solution. The Helius system is very flexible and adaptable with our current infrastructure, allowing us to use the video production equipment we already have in-house.”

Another benefit is that the company’s satellite IDL programs are designed to meet all state regulatory requirements. Approval is not always granted to all training programs delivered via alternative media avenues.

Orkin launched its new satellite network on Jan. 20, 2006, with a company-wide communication message from President and COO Glen Rollins. The following Monday, the company launched its first training program—a new-hire program for sales and service personnel. The rollout has received a very positive response. Everything has functioned well and everyone—from executives to service associates—sees the advantages of using a satellite network to communicate important information.

“We recognized the system wasn’t going to be an easy sell,” Goodwin said. “We performed rigorous due-diligence and developed a thorough business case for it. Helius has helped us deliver the corporate communication and training network that we envisioned when we started planning years ago.”

Helius Inc. provides leading business-class data broadcasting solutions through secure and reliable delivery of broadband IP over satellites and local area networks. Helius products serve as the communications bridge between the satellite transmission and terrestrial integration of business-critical data, addressing in particular the stringent requirements for video transmission. This reliable and secure integration gives organizations the ability to implement new high bandwidth applications such as digital signage, distance learning, and corporate sales training and deliver these applications from satellite distribution straight to employee desktops. For more information, visit www.helius.com.

GlobeCast Enterprise Services, is an industry leader in providing a full array of managed and non-managed network services to the Enterprise market and for GlobeCast Americas, a subsidiary of France Telecom. GlobeCast Enterprise Services is the satellite and service integrator for Orkin’s corporate communications and training programs. GlobeCast Enterprise Services works hand-in-hand with Helius to deliver the complete satellite service and infrastructure solution to Orkin.

Founded in 1901, Atlanta-based Orkin, Inc. is an industry leader in essential pest control services and protection against termite damage, rodents and insects in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Panama. With more than 400 locations, Orkin’s almost 8,000 employees in the United States and Canada serve approximately 1.7 million customers. Orkin is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rollins, Inc., which is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (ROL). Learn more about Orkin by visiting www.orkin.com and www.rollins.com.

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