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INFOSEC Registration

Posted by: tfetherling  /  Tags: , ,

On September 14, 2010, The Nashville Technology Council and Middle Tennessee Chapter of Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) will host over 400 attendees and two-dozen locally and nationally recognized speakers.

InfoSec offers two industry-recognized keynote speakers, panel discussions and multiple breakout sessions focusing on technical and management issues, as well as healthcare and other industry regulations in the security industry. The Southeast’s leading security conference now in it’s tenth year. InfoSec brings technologists and security professionals for a full day of exciting speakers and networking opportunities.

Register today!

“Naked Hospital” is tomorrow!

Posted by: Katy Kirby  /  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

For  those of you on the fence about attending, check out the final agenda with speakers and topics for tomorrow’s 2nd “Naked Hospital” event being held in Jamison Hall at The Factory at Franklin.  The best and the brightest in our healthcare community will be hosting a frank, revealing discussion about transparency and eHealth.

Interested in attending?  We’ll have limited walk ups, so ensure your seat at the event by registering now! If you can’t attend tomorrow, be sure to follow us on Twitter (@nashtechcouncil, hashtag #nakedhospital) for pics and discussion highlights.

Special thanks to our Titan Sponsors HealthSpring and Peak 10 for underwriting tomorrow’s event. We hope to see you there!



Tod Fetherling and Katy Kirby on “The Nashville Feed”

Posted by: Katy Kirby  /  Tags: , , , ,

The Nashville Feed: if you don’t subscribe to this podcast yet, you should.  Started in 2006 by founding podcaster David Beronja, The Nashville Feed features music, culture, technology and events all from a Nashville perspective.  Recently, David and co-host Craig Havighurst of String Theory Media invited our President and CEO Tod Fetherling and Product Director Katy Kirby on the show to talk about the latest and greatest events and projects in-store for the Tech Council.

You can listen to this episode here and read the show notes here.

New Year, New Board and New Space!

Posted by: Katy Kirby  /  Tags: , , , , , ,  /  Comments: 1

Last week was an eventful week for the Tech Council.  We announced our newest board members and held our  first board meeting of our new year. Not only was it the first board meeting, but it was our very first to be held in our new office space.

We’re proud to announce to you all that we’ve moved in with the Nashville Entrepreneur Center at 105 Broadway.  The Nashville Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Technology Council were both instrumental in getting the NEC off the ground, and we are very happy to be continuing this close relationship.  This cohabitation is symbolic of Nashville making its mark as a leading city for technology based start-ups.  The Tech Council will continue working closely with affiliate organizations such as the Nashville Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Health Care Council on events and projects key to helping the Nashville technology community succeed and grow.

Please take note of our new address, phone and fax numbers:

Nashville Technology Council

105 Broadway, Suite 200

Nashville, TN  37201

Main Line: 615-873-1284

Fax: 615-250-8793

Nashville Technology Council Announces 2010-2011 New Board Members

Posted by: Katy Kirby  /  Tags: , , , , ,  /  Comments: 1

The Nashville Technology Council (NTC) is pleased to announce the appointment of new Board Members for 2010-2011.

“The Nashville Technology Council grew 15 percent last year and we expect this trend to continue,” said Andy Flatt, Chair of the NTC Board and CIO, HealthSpring.  “Technology continues to grow in importance in the overall regional growth strategies.  Connections to our educational institutions will continue to be an emphasis and we will strengthen our association with entrepreneurs and a new generation of brilliant innovators who are increasingly making Middle Tennessee their home.”

This year’s Board of Directors includes the private and the public sector organizations that represent all industries including tech services, healthcare, digital, entertainment, education, and nonprofit.  These Board members will be key in supporting the growth of technology in this region.

New board members are as follows:

Katherine McElroy (Partner, C3 Consulting)
Kent Fourman (CIO, Permanent General)
Tom Stephenson (CEO, HMS)
John Kepley (CEO, Teknetex)
Todd Joseph (CIO, Comdata)
Will Weaver (Founder, Emma)
Tim Getsay (CIO, Vanderbilt University)
Bob Deckard (Regional VP, Comcast)
Michael Burcham (President, Entrepreneur Center, Ex-Officio)
Glenn Perdue, (Managing Member, Kraft Analytics, Ex-Officio)


“It has been a pleasure to serve on the Nashville Technology Council Board of Directors over the past six years. The tech community is experiencing rapid growth in jobs in the Nashville area,” said Camellia Petty, Chief Technology Officer, BMI.  “It’s exciting to see progress on several initiatives through the work of the Council. I look forward to the continued involvement by the music industry and our affiliated companies.”


(Click here for a pdf version of this press release.)

Broadband Gap Closes Among African Americans

Posted by: tfetherling  /  Tags: , , ,

According to a recent study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project, the adoption of broadband internet access slowed dramatically over the last year. Two-thirds of American adults (66%) now have a broadband internet connection at home, a figure that is little changed from the 63% with a high-speed home connection at a similar point in 2009.

Most demographic groups experienced flat-to-modest broadband adoption growth over the last year. The notable exception to this trend came among African-Americans, who experienced 22% year-over-year broadband adoption growth.

* In 2009 65% of whites and 46% of African-Americans were broadband users (a 19-point gap)
* In 2010 67% of whites and 56% of African-Americans are broadband users (an 11-point gap)

By a 53%-41% margin, Americans say they do not believe that the spread of affordable broadband should be a major government priority. Contrary to what some might suspect, non-internet users are less likely than current users to say the government should place a high priority on the spread of high-speed connections.

For more information, click here.

A “Naked Hospital” Preview from David Jarrard

Posted by: Katy Kirby  /  Tags: , , , , , ,

Today we are very pleased to have David Jarrard, President and CEO of Nashville Technology Council member company Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, give us a sneak preview on some of the compelling discussion we will be having at our upcoming Naked Hospital event on August 26th at The Factory at Franklin.  We sold out last year, so be sure to register now to reserve your spot!


Facebook is changing the way we run hospitals. Or, it ought to, if we want to keep our best people, provide the best care, and remain, you know, in business.


Here’s a proposition from the world of the obvious: The “new normal” of information transparency has changed the way we live, how we work together, and what we expect from each other.


It’s also changing the way effective leaders lead today.


At the upcoming Naked Hospital conference, I suspect you’ll rightly hear how healthcare “reform” has made attaining information transparency especially urgent to America’s hospitals — even as it strains rusty IT systems and the sanity of CIOs. Quality of care and quality of balance sheets all hinge on success here, and it impacts just about every operational decision.


But while transparency is changing the healthcare industry, it’s also worth considering how transparency is changing us.


An example: In its 2010 Pulse Report, Press Ganey reported on its survey of 235,000 employees at 383 hospitals. Among its findings:

“Gen X employees (born between1965 to 1983) want frequent and real-time conversations and Gen Y (1984 or later) wants to continuously receive real-time information. They both want to be involved in decisions. Gen X employees place more importance on managing themselves while Gen Y employees have high expectations for full participation and collaboration.”


Sound familiar? It’s a short path between the power of social media (where dialogue and transparency and collaboration is king) to the expectations of today’s workforce. Those Gen X and Gen Y employees want a relationship with leadership; they want engagement; they want information and honesty; they even want some measure of control.


The good news: When hospital leadership engages with these employees in this way, the results can be astounding. We’ve seen hospitals transformed by the power of real transparency and honest engagement with their workforce. A comatose workforce can become an army of leaders and advocates. Market share shifts. Satisfaction scores rise. Votes come in.


Wait…they want some control? Yikes. This can be a very scary proposition for hospitals, by nature conservative and skeptical. But the successful “naked hospital” – the ones that truly embrace transparency in every aspect – will tap a powerful resource that can transform their organization.


How powerful? Ask your Facebook friends.

Music City Center Live Camera

Posted by: tfetherling  /  Tags: , , , ,

Are you excited about the new convention center like we are?  Well, now you can watch the progress 24/7 from the comfort of your own computer or phone.  Bell Construction has placed a live web camera high above the city.

Music City Center Web Camera

OxBlue, an Atlanta based company, is the construction camera service providing this technology.

Music City Center Website

Our own Bell & Associates, headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn., is the general contractor that provides construction management, design-build and preconstruction services for clients throughout the Southeast. Bell is known for its construction of Nashville landmark projects, including the Cumberland River Pedestrian Bridge, the AT&T Building and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Current Bell projects include a contract to renovate Nashville International Airport’s terminal and concourses and the Corporate Centre Office Park in Cool Springs. The majority of Bell projects are located in Tennessee.

New Member Spotlight: E|SPACES

Posted by: Katy Kirby  /  Tags: , ,

Nashville Technology Council: Spotlight on E|SPACES, INC.

How long have you been in business in Nashville?

E|SPACES opened its doors July 6, 2010. The concept has been incubating for approximately four years.  Phil Gibbs, Josh Bowling, and David Gibbs are the founders of the company.  The original concept came out of research into telecommuting and the concept of telework centers, as well as observing people working in places like Starbucks, Frothy Monkey, and Panera Bread.  The incubation evolved into concrete steps starting with the signing of a lease with the HG Hill Realty Company in December of 2009, for a great space in the new Hill Center Belle Meade.

What does your company or organization do best?

E|SPACES is the next concept office and meeting space for people who work out of their homes, cars, hotels, and coffee shops.  It combines the warm, open and inviting environment of  a coffee shop with the functionality of an office—a business address and phone number, high speed wireless internet, printers and copiers, and video conferencing, along with conference rooms for meetings.  We will even scan your mail so you can access it anywhere, anytime—especially helpful while traveling.  There is no lease. You purchase a membership for the time you need, from two days a month up to twenty days, for a price significantly below the cost of a traditional office.  It redefines the office for today’s generation of mobile, connected professionals.

What is one interesting fact about your company?

We see ourselves as Post VirtualSM.  Most people interpret or see the advances in technology and communication as leading to a virtual world.  Applications like Facebook and Linkedin are attempts to build relationships in that virtual world.  However, we believe that a “place” still has an important role in business and the professions.  As far as we know, there is no other place in the Nashville community open to entrepreneurs, professionals and small businesses on a shared basis that features this type of environment with this level of amenities.

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

The first technology that is exciting to us is our ability to maximize cloud based applications in order to build our business infrastructure. As a result we will be able to scale our business to multiple locations very efficiently and simplify daily operations.

Secondly, we are excited about the iPad and the opportunities that it provides us to engage with the E|SPACES community.  For example, we are using the iPad in the reception area to capture guest information as well as to manage the scheduling of meeting rooms.  Last but not least is the use of social media in building the business. Through disciplined blogging and microblogging we were being found even before our doors opened.

Who is the most interesting person you have ever met?

We would have said the thirteen members of the E|SPACES member council; however we recently met Kira Bielfield.  If you need music she plays Bass in the Nashville Philharmonic.  If you need a SWOT analysis she has an Owen MBA.  If you need a class on building stakeholder relationships she’s an adjunct professor at Belmont’s College of Business. And if you’re a member at E|SPACES—she’s your friendly concierge.

T3 Spotlight: projectMT

Posted by: Katy Kirby  /  Tags: , , ,

In support of “Turning the Tide of Technology (T3)”, today we feature a new initiative out of MTSU- projectMT.

Do you have a project that you would like to work with in collaboration with a good group of students?  If so, please click here to get started or contact the Tech Council office for more information.

The project team is looking for small projects that can be useful for corporations or non-profit organizations, that can be completed in one or two semesters.

Candidate courses to be used for projectMT include (but are not limited to):

  • Discrete Structures
  • Advanced Data Structures
  • Web Technologies
  • Databases
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Networks
  • Visual Programming
  • Software Engineering
  • Software Testing
  • Data Mining

About the ProjectMT
This endeavor aims to enhance CS teaching and learning experience with real world projects woven into the entire CS curriculum. The process is further enriched with a stable and consistent local industrial connection that brings in innovative computing ideas, technologies, and real world experiences. Bachelor’s-level students will participate in the development of significant, real-world applications, and engage in active learning of project and class topic related materials. The proposed innovation in CS curriculum will prepare each graduate to be ready to work competitively and successfully in the industry from day one.

http://projectmt.cs.mtsu.edu/

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