Nashville Technology Council

Nashville Tech Story (3/24/10)

By now we have all heard about the Health Insurance Reform package passed late Sunday evening.  We have been looking for a good summary.  Deloitte sent us the following link to help us keep up with the progress of the bill as the Senate reconciles its version to the House Bill that was passed.  We didn’t think you wanted to read all 2,400 pages of the bill.  The market responded positively yesterday, but there are many tanning salons looking for new revenue streams this morning.

http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_US/us/Insights/Browse-by-Content-Type/Newsletters/health-care-reform-memo/315a3bd377587210VgnVCM100000ba42f00aRCRD.htm

The cost of the House reconciliation bill is $940 billion over 10 years. Major expenses are:

• $434 billion for expansion of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Plans enrollment
• $466 billion for subsidies to fund insurance for individuals and families up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level
• $40 billion for small employer tax credits

Among the proposed sources of funding from the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) preliminary analysis combining HR3590 and HR4872 are:

• $60 billion penalties paid by individuals and employers that do not buy insurance*
• $196 billion in reduced Medicare scheduled payments
• $36 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid Disproportionate Share (DSH) payments
• $70 billion from premiums for long-term care insurance (CLASS Act)
• $132 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage Plans
• $32 billion from taxes on Cadillac health plans*
• $103 billion Medicare payroll tax increases*
• $57 billion excise taxes on insurance companies (2014-2018), plus $14.3 billion per year plus adjustment thereafter*
• $31 billion excise taxes on brand name pharmaceutical companies (2010-2019), plus $2.8 billion per year thereafter*
• 2.3 percent sales tax on medical devices*
• $58 billion Pell Grant privatization (unrelated to health reform)

Source: CBO Preliminary Analysis, March 20, 2010

Nashville Tech Story (3/23/10)

NASHVILLE: NOW HIRING

The Nashville Technology Council today announced the release of its Q1 2010 Technology Hiring Trends Report.  After extensive research, the report reveals over 420 technical jobs available in the Middle Tennessee area.  The report was generated from public job postings from large job portals (i.e. CareerBuilder, Monster, etc.), specialty technology sites (i.e. Dice) and local employer sites.

The highest number of openings came from enterprise health care technology companies: Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), Health Care Management Systems (HMS), and Community Health Systems (CHS).   In addition, other local industry heavyweights like music, publishing, manufacturing, and transactions continue to post job openings in technology.

The most prevalent technology positions are in Management.  Management is followed by Analyst, Developers, and Network Engineers.  In addition to job openings, the report also illustrates programming languages that are most needed in the today’s technology industry.  .Net, and Java are in highest demand for potential employees, as well as SQL database positions.

“Technology is revolutionizing industries in healthcare, digital content, publishing, and transactions,” said J. Tod Fetherling, President/CEO of Nashville Technology Council. “Nashville’s creative and educational communities are being relied on to assist in transforming music, healthcare, and transactional industries.  This will create exciting new opportunities for employment for the foreseeable future.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “there were 2.7 million job openings on the last business day of January 2010 nationwide. The job openings rate rose over the month to 2.1 percent, the highest the rate has been since February 2009.”

To view the full report, click here.

Donita Brown, MBA
Mediator
iMediateIT.com

How long have you been in business in Nashville?

Mediate IT has been in business a year.  I became Rule 31 Listed General Civil to mediate civil cases in May 2009 and have focused my practice in resolving information technology disputes.  In February 2010, I received my Rule 31 Listing, making me listed in both Family & Civil.  In addition to the Rule 31 listing, I have received training in elder mediation, have an accounting degree from Austin Peay State University, Masters in Business Administration from Belmont University, and have received a special accommodation from Belmont University for Negotiation & Mediation.

What does your company or organization do best?

Mediate IT helps companies settle their information technology disputes.   I have experience with multiple facets of the IT field and has led large system implementations and integrations as a Project Director, as well as participated as a team member. Having worked within Telecommunication Integrators for the Federal and State Governments and Telecommunication Departments of Fortune 500 companies, I understand the complexity of the information technology.

With a Masters of Business Administration from Belmont University in Nashville, TN a B.B.A in Accounting from Austin Peay State University (Clarksville, TN) I fully understand the business affects of technology decision and disputes.

What is one interesting fact about your company?

Mediate IT is one of only four mediation practices in the country that specializes in mediating information technology disputes.

What new technology product or service are you the most excited about?

I am excited to be among an elite group of mediation professionals and to offer this service to Tennessee.

Who is the most interesting person you have ever met?

I’m an avid hiker and had the opportunity to meet Doug McFalls, who was the winter caretaker of the Lodge at Mt. LeConte in the Smoky Mountains this past summer.  Mt. Leconte is the third highest peak in the Great Smoky National Park and the Lodge is open from March through October.  Doug stayed at the Lodge during the winter months and blogged about his experience being the winter caretaker through the use of an air card and solar panel powered laptop.  It was amazing to see the pictures of my favorite place on Earth covered in 3-4 feet of snow.

Gordon Bennett
Enterprise Mobile Solutions Strategist
Microsoft Corporation

Gordon is a 17+ year veteran at Microsoft and currently is responsible for evangelizing Microsoft’s Windows Mobile strategy for enterprise customers which now includes the upcoming release of Windows Phone 7 Series.

Previous to his current role, Gordon has held numerous roles at Microsoft including: Windows Server Security & Management Team Manager, Business Productivity Team Manager, Application Platform Team Manager, Microsoft Consulting Services (MCS) Practice Manager, MCS Managing Consultant, Account Executive and Messaging Specialist.    Gordon began his career at Microsoft in May of 1992.

Gordon earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Southeast Missouri State University with a Major in Marketing Management and Minor in Information Systems.

Prior to joining Microsoft, Gordon worked for Software Solutions Unlimited, Inc. as a Product/Program manager in Albuquerque, NM and Houston, TX; Wang Laboratories, Inc. as a Marketing Representative in Salt Lake City, UT; and with Automation Services Company as a Networking Consultant in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Gordon and his family currently reside in the Nashville, TN area.

Don Enfinger
Managing Director/ Production Services – Technology Services Group, BNYMellon

Don Enfinger is the Managing Director of Production Services. In this role, Don has about 500 people in his organization worldwide, who are responsible for monitoring and customer satisfaction of IT systems. His group includes the Command Centers, the Processing Centers, the Print and Mail Operations, and the Automation Team. Don was appointed to the Tennessee Governor’s Information Systems Council, where he partners with State Government to assist in their IT processes. He was also appointed to the Nashville Mayor’s Technical Advisory Board and works closely with the City of Nashville and Davidson County, reviewing and participating in their IT project reviews. He actively represents the Firm with the Nashville Chamber of Commerce.

Prior to BNYMellon, Don served in IT Senior Management Roles with Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati, and Checkfree Corporation in Atlanta. Don has over 30 years of solid IT experience from PC to Mainframe. Don has led and been a part of numerous Leadership Workshops, learning and helping to mentor others in his love for Excellence in Technology Leadership.

Nashville Tech Story (3/22/10)

Twitter’s @anywhere service and Facebook’s rumored GPS-based status updates proves the mobile user’s interest in community.  Apple’s application not only allows the user to discuss tell where they are and why they are there, but allows group interaction with others at the same event, further revolutionizing location-based technology.

Group collaboration is not the only new thing coming to the smartphone. This weekend’s Tennessean Article stated, “Analysts say they believe mobile commerce will continue to grow in the future. Dawn Iacobucci, senior associate dean of Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, said there are opportunities for businesses to take on a new type of impulse buying through the cell phone. For example, stores could use GPS technology on customers’ cell phones to recognize if the customers are near one of their stores and send mobile coupons to attract them inside, she added.”

View Apple’s full patent application here: http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&co1=AND&d=PG01&s1=20100070758&OS=20100070758&RS=20100070758

Adtec Digital Introduces Next Generation
Total Contribution Solutions at NAB 2010

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — Adtec Digital will introduce next generation Total Contribution solutions at the 2010 NAB Show April 12-15, 2010 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Booth SU3905.

Adtec Digital won TV Technology STAR awards in 2009 for the innovative mediaHUB-HD422 contribution encoder and in 2008 for the Total ATSC distribution, compression, multiplexing and PSIP solution featuring the mediaHUB-HD Pro. At NAB 2010, Adtec will unveil new contribution encoder and receiver products that will provide unparalleled value.

“Our strategy is quite simple. At an amazing value, deliver a product with legendary Adtec reliability for the most demanding contribution applications. Make it easy to use, intuitive, automatic, and guarantee it works,” said Kevin Ancelin, President.

“We are pleased that after just two years of focus on the contribution compression segment, we have delivered thousands of error free contribution feeds for the most demanding clients and events worldwide,” Ancelin said. “With our passion for products, excellence in engineering, mind for value, excellent customer service and a small army of customers supporting our development, Adtec has clearly changed the contribution compression segment globally.”

Adtec Digital will hold a press conference Tuesday, April 13 at 9:30 a.m. in booth SU3905 to showcase the new Total Contribution solutions, including the EN-80 and EN-40 encoder/modulators and RD-60 integrated receiver decoder (IRD).

The EN-80 DSNG/contribution encoder/modulator supports high definition and standard definition MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 AVC/H.264 with 420 and 422 encoding. The EN-80 encodes both MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 AVC/H.264 video with 4:2:0 and 4:2:2 chroma sampling. It boasts four pairs of stereo audio including MPEG 1 Layer 2 and Dolby AC3 audio encoding. Passthrough support includes PCM, DolbyE/2.0/5.1 and Linear Acoustic Stream Stacker. The EN-80 supports redundant AC or DC dual-power supplies, enhanced control and monitoring via SNMP and browser. The EN-80 allows concurrent encoding and streaming to IP, ASI and L-Band. The optional Newtec DVBS/S2 modulator supports modulation from QPSK up to 32APSK.

The EN-40 DSNG encoder/modulator supports standard definition MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 AVC/H.264 with 420 and 422 encoding. The EN-40 encodes both MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 AVC/H.264 video with 4:2:0 and 4:2:2 chroma sampling. It boasts four pairs of stereo audio including MPEG 1 Layer 2 and Dolby AC3 audio encoding. Passthrough support includes PCM, DolbyE/2.0/5.1 and Linear Acoustic Stream Stacker. The EN-40 supports redundant AC or DC dual-power supplies, enhanced control and monitoring via SNMP and browser. The EN-40 allows concurrent encoding and streaming to IP, ASI and L-Band. The optional Newtec DVBS/S2 modulator supports modulation from QPSK up to 32APSK.

The RD-60 integrated receiver decoder (IRD) supports MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 AVC/H.264 platforms with 420 and 422 high and standard definition decoding. The RD-60 decodes both MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 AVC/H.264 video with 4:2:0 and 4:2:2 chroma sampling. It boasts four pairs of stereo audio including MPEG 1 Layer 2, Dolby AC3/5.1, HE-AAC, AAC-LC audio decoding. Passthrough support includes PCM, DolbyE/2.0/5.1and Linear Acoustic Stream Stacker. The RD-60 supports redundant AC or DC dual-power supplies, enhanced control and monitoring via SNMP and browser. Standard inputs include IP and ASI with optional dual DVBS/S2 tuner demodulator supporting Q/8PSK. An optional high end Newtec DVBS/S2 tuner demodulator supporting QPSK up to 32APSK is available.

For more than 80 years, the NAB Show has been an essential destination that is synonymous with next-generation technology, education and insight. Attracting more than 80,000 digital media professionals, the NAB Show fosters the convergence of industries the world turns to for information and entertainment. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

Adtec Digital is a leading provider of hardware and software solutions for contribution, distribution, studio, commercial insertion and professional video playback applications. Adtec develops equipment and solutions for Standard and High Definition MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 AVC compression, multiplexing, decoding, ad insertion, playback and data management. With more than 24 years of industry experience, Adtec offers value, rock solid reliability, excellent support, and innovative technology that trends the industry and provides growth for customers. For more information, visit www.adtecinc.com.

Nashville Tech Story (3/16/10)

Healthcare IT workers are among the biggest users of smart phones and other mobile technology, but addressing the security needs of such devices remains a critical concern, according to a survey released today by Forrester Consulting.

The study, titled “Managing and Securing Mobile Healthcare Data and Devices,” found that 95 percent of healthcare enterprises relying on smartphones for work, making the industry one of the most mobile across all verticals.

But Forrester also found that 90 percent of the IT leaders queried felt data security on such technologies was of high or critical importance, and 86 percent cited regulatory compliance as a concern. Further, more than half of the respondents indicated the need for a tool that can poll for device encryption, and more than a third voiced a desire for a solution that could produce policy violation alerts.


“There’s good reason for these IT pros to be concerned,” read the study, in which 31 percent of respondents reported that their data has been compromised at least once in the previous year. “As close to 100 percent of healthcare organizations take on devices such as smart phones, adding to the desktops and laptops already in place, there isn’t uniform control across the varying types of devices users rely on.”


Source: Healthcare IT News

Nashville Tech Story (3/15/10)

Do you have mobile technologies in your strategic plan this year?  Are you trying to increase access to your products and services for your customers?  Do you need to extend customer service without adding headcount?  Do you want to lower your costs?  Are you interested in the latest phone technology and how it may affect you personally or professionally?

Mobile 2010 is a half day Super Roundtable focused on creating a strategic advantage through mobile technologies.  It is ideal for CEOs, CIOs, CFOs, Managers, and Developers.  Come and learn about what it will take to create and implement your mobile strategy.

Our speakers include a CEO from one of the first healthcare mobile companies, a Senior Executive from one of the largest telecommunication networks and a leader in 4G, a Panel of local CEOs that have already been successful with Mobile Applications, the nation’s largest software company, and leading mobile developers from the region.

Touch and See the latest mobile phones and applications.

This event is only $20 for Members and $30 for Non-Members.

Rocketown
7:30 AM – 1:00 PM – Includes Breakfast and Lunch

Register today at the link below.
http://www.technologycouncil.com/2009/07/11/april-1-mobile-applications-
super-roundtable/

A few sponsorships remain if your company would like to exhibit at this
event.  For more information, contact Leah Magee at
lmagee@technologycouncil.com or 615-743-3160.

There are several sessions featuring Doug Vann from  Duo Consulting.  In addition, there is a very strong lineup of developers to help you thoroughly understand Drupal and what it can do for your organization.

Visit http://drupalcampnashville.com/ for more information.

Location:

Vanderbilt University
Owen Graduate School of Management
401 21st Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203

Parking

Parking Info.