The Faces Behind B:Online

Terence Blunt (Left) and Kyle Gibson (Right) the Directors of B:Online/B:Alarmed

We thought it was about time we introduced ourselves, and what better way to do that than answer a few questions about why we started and what we’re all about.

What inspired you to start your business?

I’ve (Terence) have personally been in the electrical/network/security industry for about 20 years and while I was doing my masters degree at the University of Waikato I decided to start my own security business “Balarmed” as I was noticing some cool tech being developed in that space. After about 4 years I started working with Kyle on a few projects and with his 20 years experience and skill set in the network and I.T sector we decided to start working together and created “Bonline”. Instead of just doing plain old security solutions we wanted to branch out and start offering solutions that help people who want to bring everyday things online. Be it their web presence, better internet accessibility, their home and workplace security or to offer security systems to rural clients that require a security system to work over long or short distances over a network. 

What is your business’s purpose?

The purpose of Bonline/Balarmed is to offer network and security solutions that help them to BONLINE. The internet is everything. We all have some sort of web presence and all use the internet in some shape or form everyday. Most people require email addresses or websites for their workplaces or businesses so being online and having devices like your security systems online is extremely important. We help our clients with whatever they need to keep them online. Sometimes this just means setting up a desk space for a business with a new employee, this may include setting up the laptop, getting their emails set up, physically sorting out their screens and docking stations ready for work. Sometimes it’s using wifi radios to expand a network on a farm so a security camera can be put in a barn away from the main house or milking shed. Sometimes it’s creating workflow automation using Monday.com, Zapier and Xero to help customers automate their work processes. With B:Alarmed we offer security solutions to residential, commercial and industrial clients but we only offer products that can be viewed and used over the internet. This is so people have control and  access to their security systems 24/7 on their smart devices. Being able to view footage from your CCTV system anywhere in the world or being able to let people into your house remotely from anywhere or fire a fog cannon from your home is, I think, is what people really want in this day and age, so that’s what we created B:Online/B:Alarmed to do.

What sets your business apart from the competition?

We think it’s the fact we genuinely care, we generally care about our clients problems and their safety and we genuinely want to come up with a solution that helps them. We may already have a solution that helps but we also love to go away and research the issue and come up with a solution and products that will fix the problem. I think we go above and beyond to help our clients and always have their best interests at heart, leaving their home or business and have been quoted “The Gold Standard”. 

Fun fact about each of you?

Well, Kyle is an antiques geek, he loves to go to op shops and estate sales and rummage through people’s old junk, he has a keen eye for a bargain or for something rare and collectable. He has some amazing things in his collections that range from rare pokemon cards to vintage furniture. In my (Terence) spare time I write electronic dance music and have successfully released music all over the world, I have toured Australia and Europe and I’ve been lucky enough to play my music to thousands of people across the world. I have many friends all through music production and have collaborated or tracks with some of the best in the business, music has and always will be a huge passion of mine.

Fave service you provide and why?

At the moment we are involved in the Government role out of fog cannons to retail outlets across New Zealand (Fog Cannon Subsidy Scheme, FCSS), it’s a great initiative and one that sees a lot of small to medium sized businesses get some much needed peace of mind and protection for not only their products but for their staff. The technology that we use in these fog cannon installations will help take their security needs into the future replacing old antiquated security systems. We are on the front line with these customers and see the devastation that the recent increase in crime has caused these hard working New Zealanders, and to be part of the process that allows them to feel safer in their workplaces and in some cases their homes makes us feel like we are making a difference. We are proud to be involved in the FCSS and hope the word gets out to more and more of these businesses that there is a scheme out there to help, and that we can offer a solution to help them feel safer. 

What’s one important thing for your customers to know about you?

Firstly I’d like to say thank you to all our customers that have supported us this far, we literally couldn’t be doing this without your support so thank you. And If you have an issue or a problem and need a solution and the internet is somehow involved, get in touch. Call our office phone number 0800 618 101 or email us at info@bonlietech.nz feel free to check out our website www.bonlineinternet.nz and have a look at some of the services we provide and read some of the reviews left by our customers. No customer or problem is too big or small. Let us help you to BONLINE anywhere, all the time.

And remember to be smart, be supported, and BONLINE.