John Mecum With Cellairis

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for High Velocity Radio.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor hear another episode of High Velocity Radio in. This is going to be a good one. Today on this show, we have John Mecum. He’s the global sales coordinator with Cellairis. Welcome.

John Mecum: Oh, I’m so happy to be here. Thank you so much for having me.

Lee Kantor: Well, for folks who aren’t familiar, tell us a little bit about Cellairis. How are you serving folks?

John Mecum: Absolutely. So Solaris has been in the mobility space for 25 years now. We actually just celebrated our 25th anniversary. Um, what started out in retail spaces as a, uh, repair focused organization, um, specializing in anything repair wise for mobile devices has expanded to a variety of solutions, um related to Mobility, um, in a variety of uh, verticals and industries that have really grown to serve us as partnerships that have allowed us to grow as an enterprise.

Lee Kantor: So we’re here to talk about, uh, cyber system. Do you mind sharing a little bit of an overview of Cyber System, what it is and how it helps folks?

John Mecum: Oh, absolutely. And really, what the cyber system is, is a response to a huge problem that we’re seeing across the entire country. It’s evident in legislation, and you’ve seen over 30 states in the entire country start to enact these, uh, laws. And what we are trying to do is give an opportunity to schools, educators and parents to have a solution that, you know, meets their needs. Um, what the cyber system is, is a all around solution that is designed to reduce the distractions in classrooms that are caused by cell phones. Um, everyone knows that, you know, kids have had exposure to these devices really since birth at this age. Um, it’s really one of the first generations where they’ve been exposed to that kind of, um, stimulation, really, since, you know, they’re the time of an infant infant and, uh, you know, with all of the great strides and education and information that can come with that exposure to technology, I think at some point you need to figure out a way to regulate it. And one place we are seeing the need for that regulation is in the classroom.

Lee Kantor: So, um, how is this happening in the you I’ve heard a lot in the media about, um, you know, trying to take the phones away from the kids, but is it done in a way like I’ve been to, uh, comedy shows and they’ll kind of give, take your phone and give you a pouch, and you put it in the pouch. And then at the end of the show, they unlock the pouch and give you your phone back. Is it done in a similar manner?

John Mecum: So one of the important, uh, differentiators that that we provide as opposed to other solutions on the market. And you’re totally right, as there’s other solutions out there that will aim to restrict phone usage by method of locking the phone away. And one of our taglines with our solution is, you know, we we don’t lock, we only block. And one of the great things about the the cyber system and the cyber pouch specifically, which is really at the heart of the system, is the fact that our technology blocks all incoming and outgoing signals. So that means when a mobile device is secured within our cyber pouch, it’s it’s completely blocked from receiving any type of notifications, phone calls, everything from Instagram, text messages, what have you. And the great thing about that is, you know, we have all of these other devices that are interconnected throughout our day, whether it be smartwatches, uh, AirPods, what have you. And when a phone is inside of a cyber pouch, It is instantly disconnected from all of these other, uh, sources of connectivity, rendering them completely useless.

Lee Kantor: So that means, like, if you have a watch that’s connected to your phone, you’re not going to be getting kind of the notifications on the watch if the phone is being blocked.

John Mecum: Exactly. And that’s one of the things that we’re super proud of, that I believe other solutions can’t necessarily promote as much because they don’t they don’t block any signal. All they’re really doing is taking the phone away, which, you know, to me, at the heart, you know, signals, uh, a, uh, underlying sense of, of mistrust between between faculty and students and students will find ways around it. They will find ways to break the the pouches open if they’re under a lock. Um, you know, they’re incredibly crafty. And a big part of our, uh, mission here is, is, as I said, not not to lock the pouches away. So we actually have them secured in a Velcro. Um, you know, uh, top that that, you know, if necessary, can be opened. It provides that accessibility to the students. Um, it is incredibly loud. So there is an audio indicator, uh, to to the faculty and to the educator. Uh, so there’s not really any way to quietly open the pouch and access the phone. But what we have done is provided a sense of accessibility that in the event there’s some type of emergency, some type of, uh, you know, reason where a child would need to let their parent know that they’re safe or just communicate with them. Uh, they have that opportunity. It’s really a collaboration with the faculty as to, you know, where the pouches are going to end up. Will they remain with the students? Will they go to a designated, uh, housing area, which we also have a solution for now?

Lee Kantor: Are you seeing this as something that’s a fad, or is this something that’s going to kind of To be the just norm. Moving forward.

John Mecum: Now, I think, you know, for the first few years, there’s definitely been, uh, you know, more of a push towards phone free environments. And I think it’s been recognized by some as a, as a pattern and a trend that will pick up steam. And what we’ve seen over the last year or so, and specifically in the last six months, is a just complete overhaul of legislation, state by state, that is, is addressing this problem through a mandate that districts are going to have to create a policy that either bans or restricts phone usage. And you’ve seen it happen in over 30 states already, and there are some that are swiftly following behind with their own bills in place. And what that’s doing is, is forcing these districts to come up with a policy because they’re giving them a timeline, but they’re not necessarily explaining how to do it or any solutions that are available to them and resources. And what we want to do is help these these educators do what they do best, teach with minimal extra steps. Because what’s happening is, you know, superintendents, um, you know, already have a lot of responsibility. And boards are giving these responsibilities to tech directors and people who already have their own jobs and and things they have to take care of and, and are given this deadline to solve an issue.

John Mecum: And, you know, they may only have so many options in front of them at a time. And what we want to do is just get the word out that our solution, you know, we think is tip top because it’s based on the feedback we’ve received to people who have been going through this problem for some time. There are a lot of states who have gotten ahead of this issue with their own policies, and maybe the state is just now starting to enact the legislation we’ve seen recently in states like Texas, Florida, Georgia, um, have enacted their own cell phone restrictions that are, you know, explaining to districts, hey, you have till this date to create a policy and then don’t really give them much else in terms of, of resources to do so. Um, so we want to help unlock that for them, whether it be, uh, a different solutions that are available to them, um, access to funding, whatever we can do to help promote these. Uh, teachers have a distraction free environment with minimal steps required.

Lee Kantor: Now, have they done research to see if this really does create that distraction free environment that improves test scores and things like that? Has it been correlated to any improvement in outcomes?

John Mecum: Yeah, and I think there’s a lot of studies out there that can speak to individual cases of districts who have seen these benefits. But I think over time you’re really going to see a huge shift as as we adjust from, you know, being such a technologically independent society, especially the young people, into finding that balance where we’re promoting engagement and, you know, not only focusing on the negative aspects of having these devices in our hands, but also the positive benefits that can come from it, whether it be mental health and wellbeing, uh, better social engagement, things that aren’t necessarily as quantifiable as test scores.

Lee Kantor: Now, you mentioned that I guess it starts at the state level. They, um, they put a law in that say that we want it to be a distraction free environment. Um, is that how it starts? Like there’s some sort of, uh, a state, um, regulation put in place?

John Mecum: Yes. So we’ve seen it happen in a couple of different ways, but but where a bill is signed, um, is usually where, where we’ve seen the most movement happen. And usually it’s because state funding starts to get involved. Uh, whether it’s a matter of getting access to it or losing it. Uh, we’ve also seen instances where, you know, a governor may may want to just address this issue and, and puts out an executive order. We’ve seen that happen in New York with, with Governor Hochul. And and it just immediately gets the wheels turning. But it doesn’t always give these districts the amount of time that they need to find a solution that works for them. Some districts are ahead of the curve with it, and they found solutions that may work for them. Some districts, you know, it’s the Wild West out there, and they’ve been storing phones in Ziploc bags or, or the shoe holders that you put over doors. It’s just the problem is you can’t necessarily write a shoe holder into policy. And so what we want to do is not dictate a district’s policy, but offer them a tool and a solution that they can use to enforce and enact their own.

Lee Kantor: But this requires them to kind of, um, put put funds towards the initiative, like, because can’t they just say that your kids can’t bring their phone to school.

John Mecum: Yeah, but there’s there’s going to be. You know, in today’s day and age, there’s always going to be pushback. There’s a demand for accessibility. And parents just cannot allow that. I think in a lot of cases, you know, and and I think the point is that the children aren’t being exposed to that type of stimulation. But how can we find a balance in, uh, you know, instead of finding ways to restrict, how can we find ways to promote the development of healthy mobile device habits?

Lee Kantor: So that’s, um, so there’s a push, I guess, to allow them to have the phones but not have access to the phones while teaching is taking place, because is your solution, one where they just drop the phone off at the in the morning and then pick it up in the afternoon? Or is this something that they can have it in between classes, like where where does it begin and end?

John Mecum: So I think it really depends. And what’s unique about this solution is, you know, every classroom, uh, situation is going to act a little bit differently. They’re all going to be nuanced in different ways. Children learn differently in classrooms operate differently. What we want to be is a is a tool that functions and fits into any kind of scenario. You know, maybe for some scenarios, the the students are able to keep the the pouch on their backpack or next to their desk for easy access. We’ve seen instances like that come up in high schools and different situations where there’s a little bit more dependance and accessibility and trust involved in access to to these devices. Now, in middle school, maybe there’s a situation where students come into the class and they take their pouch and put it in a designated area, whether that be a locker, whether that be in the front of the classroom, in the teacher’s desk area, or at the solution we have provided, which is called the cyber Stand, which is a designated housing area for the cyber pouches. It has 28 color coded numbered hooks that can be utilized as a visual identifier of.

John Mecum: If the pouch is, you know, accessible. If if the phone is actually inside of it. And so, you know, one situation could be, you know, the students come into the classroom. Phone goes into the pouch, pouch goes onto the hook, and they don’t retrieve it until the end of the class period. There are some classes at younger ages where they stay in the same classroom for the entire day, but it still allows that accessibility in the event of an emergency. It minimizes the amount of steps that a teacher has to take to get these phones out of the student’s hands, and then redistribute them at the end of the day, because, you know, there’s only so many hours in a day and minutes in an hour that a student that a teacher has to work with these students. What we don’t want to do is add more time to that with with the allocation and distribution of phones, whether it be into a locker or what have you. But we have to find some way to address this issue.

Lee Kantor: So recently you were, uh, this device was named Best of Show. Can you talk a little bit about how that came about?

John Mecum: Oh, absolutely. We were over at Estey Estey conference in San Antonio, which was a fantastic time. We had a wonderful experience there. Got to build a lot of new, incredible relationships in regards to technology and education. And while we were there, we were having an incredible time speaking about the the cyber pouch and and evangelizing it and really trying to get the word out about this kind of solution. And in that, we ended up being awarded a Best in show from Tech and Learning. Um, we were incredibly honored to receive that because we think it really speaks to not just the work we’ve done on this solution, but the need that is present, that is present around the country right now, whether it be from parents, educators, what have you to address this problem? And we’re just thankful that with the amount of attention that issue is getting, that we have a platform to provide a solution that may be able to help people.

Lee Kantor: Now, how does the cyber system fit into kind of the overarching strategy of Solaris? Um, because you mentioned Solaris started out as you know, I’m going to fix your cell phone business and their work. I guess kiosk and locations around the world are doing just that. How does this kind of offering fit into that world? Do the people in the local locations, you know, have the opportunity to sell this into their local school systems, or is this done in a different manner?

John Mecum: So we we work with distribution. Um, we work with specific distribution channels to provide access to our cyber system. Um, specifically TD Synnex. We have a great relationship with, uh, we do a lot of our, uh, you know, providing of products and solutions, uh, for a variety of, of verticals. Uh, as I had mentioned, Solaris started in retail spaces has since expanded far beyond that to provide customized solutions to a variety of industries, whether it be healthcare, uh, transportation, education, um, as we see here. And a lot of those partnerships we’ve developed over the last 25 years have given us, uh, outlets to provide new solutions. Uh, for instance, we were provided, you know, we were notified a little over a year ago of this growing epidemic by one of our partners, uh, that is occurring with cell phones. And it immediately was a call to action. And so as we’ve grown through the enterprise channel over the last, you know, say probably 10 or 15 years as we’ve made that transition. It’s really important to provide new solutions and not just get stuck in the same pattern. You know, we grow. And as this company has grown with the integration of technology into things like education and just our day to day life, it’s important to find solutions that, you know, help us regulate and help us navigate without, you know, being overexposed to these things. You know, Solaris has provided solutions for different restaurants, different customized cases. You’ll see our cases in every Chili’s in the country. Uh, based on our relationship with Brinker International. And so we we cover a variety of, of spaces. Uh, what we want to do is help provide solutions. And when it comes to mobile devices, you know, and how ingrained they are into our way of life, there’s a lot of opportunity to do that. And this is just another step in us trying to, you know, provide that type of, you know, connectivity, uh, even if it involves a little bit of connectivity for a little while now.

Lee Kantor: What do you need more of? How can we help you? Are you just trying to kind of educate the public on, hey, there’s a solution for, uh, this type of handling distractions in the classroom and cyber systems is one of those solutions. Are you looking to get more partners? Uh, what do you need more of?

John Mecum: Yeah, absolutely. I think, uh, what’s really important for us right now is getting the word out. There is only so much time that districts have to make their decisions on solutions, and there are only so many mouths that we we have to speak and and, you know, it’s really important that we can get the word out about this solution as much as possible because we think, you know, in a even playing field, uh, you know, our solution stands head and shoulders above all else. We think we provide one that, you know, really appease appeases the needs of not only educators, but parents and students who demand that type of accessibility in this day and age. Uh, you know, what’s important for us is just, you know, knowledge of not only this problem, but what solutions are available and the benefits of exploring those. So, you know, the more you know, eyes we can get on this product, you know, we’re always looking for more partnerships, more reseller opportunities. Um, and we would love to speak with folks about it. You can go to my cyber.com or email cyber system at Solaris. Com. For more information on this solution we’d be more than happy to talk with anyone about it. It’s really exciting. Um, and there really aren’t. Uh, you know, it’s it’s it’s incredible to see just how many people are really, you know, jumping to. To get on top of this issue. And it’s exciting to see when you have a solution that you’re able to provide and and ease that pain for folks, it makes selling really easy.

Lee Kantor: So, John, oh, one more time. The website for my cyber system is my cyber system.com and Solaris c e I s com.

John Mecum: That is correct. My cyber.com is where you’re going to want to go for more information. And then cyber system at Solaris. Com is where you’ll want to email if you want to know more.

Lee Kantor: Well John thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work and we appreciate you.

John Mecum: I really appreciate you having me on.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on High Velocity Radio.