Nashville Technology Council

We’re about to embark upon a new year, and that means many new technology products will be coming to market.  For those of you who missed Chip Hysler’s presentation on the do’s and don’ts of product launch, we now have his full presentation up on our SlideShare page as well as a video of his presentation available.  Valuable information since, according to Chip’s research, 75-90% of new to market, new products are failures!

Do you know the key elements of a successful product launch? Do you have your product launch checklist in line? Learn about these key factors and more from Chip’s insightful presentation!

Dear Members,

We are excited to announce our program for the 2011 Membership Meeting and we wanted you to be the first to know.  Tim Armstrong, CEO of AOL, will be our featured speaker and will share his vision of where the new economy is heading.  Tim has lead a phenomenal turnaround at AOL.  Prior to joining AOL, Tim was formerly the VP of Sales of Google and has more than 16 years in new media and Internet related ventures.  Tim is at the forefront of the new economy and will bring tremendous energy to the Nashville technology community for this special event.

Joining Tim will be a special guest to be announced in the next few days.  We will also provide you with a special video presentation and an update on the Nashville Technology Council.  2010 has been a great year and 2011 looks to be even more exciting.  Please come help us celebrate the new year.

Seating is limited, so please register as soon as possible for the best seating.  Register here: http://www.technologycouncil.com/connect/membershipbreakfast2011/
$35 Members
$250 for Reserved Seating of Eight (Bring your whole team or invite a few clients to have lunch with you.)

This year we are moving the meeting to lunch to accommodate several logistical issues.  We will meet at Boone Auditorium on the Trevecca University campus on Murfreesboro Road on January 18, 2011, from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM.

Thank you for your continued support,

Tod Fetherling
President/CEO
Nashville Technology Council

The initial release of the 2010 Census is out.  It is only top level numbers now, but over the next 6-9 months, they will be releasing detailed data about the face of our country.  For now, here are a few highlights:

• 50% of the US population lives in 9 states. Wow!
• Tennessee now has 6,346,105 population.
• More people live in MusicCity (Nashville/Davidson County) than in 5 states (Wyoming, DC, Vermont, North Dakota, Alaska).
• Tennessee is the 17th largest state.
• The uninsured in this country roughly equates to the population of 23 states.

Norad is using their advanced satellites and analytics to track Santa.  We will be following along as he gets closer to the US Border tonight.  Join in with us.

Or maybe you would just like to follow along with him on Twitter.

Just a reminder to all that the Nashville Technology Council and Nashville Entrepreneur Center will be closed this Thursday and Friday so that our staff can celebrate Christmas.  We will be back next week…and with some big news about our January Membership Breakfast!  Happy Holidays to all of you from the Nashville Technology Council.

KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory services firm, operates from 87 offices with more than 23,000 employees and partners throughout the U.S. Our purpose is to turn knowledge into value for the benefit of our clients, our people, and the capital markets.

Last week we announced that our annual Membership Breakfast will be held on January 18th, 2011, in the Boone Building at Trevecca University.  If you are unfamiliar with this  event, we gather representatives from our over 400 member companies in one room to discuss what’s coming up in the year ahead at the NTC and hear from nationally recognized business leaders in technology about their thoughts on innovation, business and leadership.

If you recall, last year we welcomed Abbie Lundberg and keynote speaker Steve Ballmer to a sold out crowd.  Who is next?  We’ll be announcing two nationally recognized leaders in technology very soon.  Register today to get your seat up front!

As always, this event is for members only. If you are not an NTC member and are interested in learning more about how you can join us and help our technology community succeed, there is a special incentive for you this month.  Through the month of December, we are offering new members 15% off their first year dues!  If you or a company you know has been interested in joining the NTC, but just haven’t made the move, now is the time!

It has truly been an amazing year, filled with growth and gratitude, and we look forward to sharing our continued vision for a better, brighter planet and Nashville with all of you in January!

Human Resource Outsourcing: Time Savings that allows you to Focus on Growing Your Business while staying compliant. Learn More about the Partnership between XMi Human Resource Solutions and Nashville Technology Council

A majority of small businesses don’t have a full time human resources staff to deal with difficult workplace decisions. People issues are one of the biggest business distractions and the greatest area for business risk if not managed properly.

The Nashville Technology Council and XMi Human Resource Solutions are proud to announce a partnership that will allow NTC members to receive discounts on their Human Resources needs.  XMi Human Resource Solutions specializes in HR Outsourcing and focuses on employee benefit administration, payroll, worker’s compensation, on- boarding, training and development, leadership development, change management solutions, audits of current HR policies and procedures, 401k solutions, as well as outplacement and organizational development.

Discover the value of incorporating a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) into your business, or look at outsourcing your Payroll, Employee Benefits, or Worker’s Compensation.

To learn more click here: http://www.xmihr.com

We know that Christmas is rapidly approaching and many of you still have yet to put a dent in your holiday shopping list!  Here are some of the Nashville Technology Council’s most wanted tech accessories and gadgets this Christmas for a little inspiration:

“I have a pretty active lifestyle and am not one to want to sit still for very long.  It takes a lot to capture my attention! But, with the Microsoft Xbox 360 Kinect, it’s a whole new game…no pun intended. It tracks voice commands and helps you correct everything from your golf swing to your dance moves. I become an avatar, how fun! It’s definitely on my list for Santa this year.” – Leah Magee

“Being the diehard Verizon Wireless fan that I am, my number one gadget wish list item is the HTC Droid Incredible. After playing with a friend’s for hours, I’m convinced that it’s the smaller, but just as powerful version of the iPhone 4. With five classic camera modes to choose from, the Retro Camera app can make the most amateur photographer like myself look like Ansel Adams. I also love the social media streamlining capabilities—it makes updating all sites so quick and easy! I sure hope Santa comes through on this one…” – Mollie McCormick

“As a busy working mother who often works at home, I’m hoping Santa brings me one of the HP Photosmart e-All-in-One Printers. HP’s ePrint technology allows the user to print anywhere, anytime, and with almost any device. I also like that it allows me to send print jobs securely and handles and variety of file formats.  It’s just the thing I need to make my home office complete!”  – Beth Foreman

“I have a pretty long list for Santa this year.  MacAuthority has the new iPad as well as a 15-inch MacBook Pro that has been on my radar for a while.  Sprint’s Samsung Epic 4G is also on my list after I got to test it out during our Annual Tech Awards. PC Mag put it on their Best of 2010 List for it’s keyboard functionality and overall performance. As someone who constantly has to be connected and able to send out communication, it’s reliable and an excellent tool for updating all of our social media resources.” – Katy Kirby

“I’ve had my eye a few things from Griffin Technology.  Griffin has some of the best mobile accessories on the planet, and I love that they are based here in Nashville.  Their Airstrap and Studio Stand for the iPad have been on my list for a while, and I also just discovered the leather cases made by Griffin + Col. Littleton.  And I wouldn’t complain if someone left a new Dell Vostro V130 Laptop under my Christmas tree.” – Tod Fetherling

Happy Holidays from all of us at the Nashville Technology Council…and good luck with your holiday shopping!

Berklee’s Career Development Center recently announced a study of salary ranges for a variety of positions in the music industry.  As a result of the analysis of top career paths for music industry professionals, Berklee’s survey assesses that in the arena of music business and communication fields, music technology and social media related positions are experiencing the most growth in regard to job creation.  There is little data to analyze salaries for these positions, but it was noted that developers (mobile applications, widgets, specialized platforms), consultants, bloggers, digital and online marketers were among the emerging, high growth jobs.

If position creation and growth naturally leads to specialization and segmentation, this can explain some of what we’ve been seeing in regard to the explosion of music related technology startups that have been born in Nashville in the last few years, including Moontoast, MyWerx, Bandbox and Carazel.  Obedia, a Los Angeles based audio technology company that provides training, technical support and consultancy services, recently relocated its main office to Nashville.  Landmark Digital which provides pivotal audio recognition technology to BMI and other partners, is based in Nashville.  With the rich artist community, label and management presence and growing technology and entrepreneur community, is Nashville poised to be the home of music technology innovation?

To read the full report, visit: http://www.berklee.edu/pdf/parents/music-industry-salaries.pdf