When the telephone was invented in 1876, few realized its potential commercial value. No one could have imagined this crude device would wire the entire world and become the backbone of our present computer age.

Until the divestiture ordered by the Supreme Court in 1982, American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) controlled the industry. Only a few daring people tried to compete with this monopoly, and Howard Davis, founder of Datel Communications in Avon, Massachusetts, was one of them.

Howard’s fascination with telephones began long before he started his own company. As a young boy he would take apart and rebuild telephones. He also started collecting telephones and now has several thousand in his collection including a drivable phone car modeled after a touch-tone desk phone.

As an adult Howard started working for a local communications company. While he was employed there, he had a vision. He observed that other communications companies were more concerned with profit than reliability or customer service. It appeared the companies’ priorities were not the customer’s needs but their own. While it sounds somewhat idealistic, Howard envisioned a company that cared about its customers and would serve their individual needs.

So at the age of nineteen, Howard decided to start his own telecommunications business whose main focus would be personalized customer service. To make certain that his focus could be maintained, he chose small to medium sized companies in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Southern New Hampshire as his target market. Keeping the geographical area contained would ensure personalized service. Also, if the need was urgent, a technician could be dispatched immediately. That was a service none of the big companies could offer.

Another decision made shortly after starting Datel Communications was to sell one brand of telephone systems exclusively. This would enable the Datel sales, support and technical staff to become specialists and experts in one product. Howard researched the available products of a variety of communications instrument manufacturers. Ultimately, he chose to sell Toshiba products exclusively because the systems were moderately priced, the most reliable, and could be customized to meet specific customer needs.

Datel’s sales staff’s approach is to consult with the client and specifically design a system for that customer’s individual needs. Datel’s technicians and support staff are highly trained with the Toshiba products and are experts in their field. Datel is a full service company with in-house repair and an unparalleled turnaround time. All employees are responsive, helpful and show genuine concern for the customer’s needs.

Datel’s offices are still located in the original building in Avon, Massachusetts, although the company has grown substantially. Since the company’s inception, Datel has added thousands of clients, dozens of employees, a fleet of trucks and has become the largest Toshiba dealer on the East Coast.

A little boy’s fascination with telephones has become a reality. Howard has achieved his vision. Satisfying the customer, giving them what they have paid for, making it right … that’s what Datel is all about.