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Robert O. Carr Bio

Posted by: tfetherling  /  Tags: ,

Robert O. Carr
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Heartland Payment Systems

Responsibilities: Strategic direction and growth of Heartland Payment Systems, one of the nation’s largest payments processing companies and creator of The Merchant Bill of Rights.

Professional Background: Bob started his career at Parkland College in Champaign, IL, at the age of 21. After serving as a professor, president of the college’s faculty and director of its computer center, he moved to the Bank of Illinois and then started a software and consulting business for small and mid-sized businesses.

In 1997, Bob co-founded Heartland Payment Systems with Heartland Bank. Under his guidance, Heartland has been named a FORTUNE 1000 company, climbed from #61 to #5 in the nation and #9 in the world; from 25 to 2,900 employees; from 2,500 to 250,000 client locations and from a portfolio of $0.4 billion in bankcard volume to more than $80 billion.

On August 11, 2005, Bob rang the bell on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in the most oversubscribed initial public offering in the payments industry.

Bob has been a driving force in an industry collaboration movement to thwart cybercriminals ― and help protect business owners, consumers, processors and financial institutions. He was active in the formation of the Payments Processor Information Sharing Council (PPISC) and served as chair of its steering committee. Bob also serves as Associate Member Director on the board of the Secure POS Vendor Alliance.

Awards and Recognition:

  • The MidWest Acquirers Association’s first “Lifetime Achievement Award”
  • Ernst and Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year Award” (in 2004 and 2007)
  • Greater Philadelphia Venture Group’s “Walter M. Aikman Entrepreneur of the Year Award”
  • American Business Awards’ “Best Executive”
  • The Eastern Technology Alliance’s “Technology CEO of the Year”
  • Honorary Doctorate of Humanities, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL

Community Involvement:

  • Board of Trustees, Historical Society of Princeton, Princeton, NJ
  • Board of Advisors, Seton Hall Business School, South Orange, NJ
  • Trustee, Historic Morven, Princeton, NJ
  • Advisory Board, Woodrow Wilson House, Washington DC
  • Founder, Give Something Back Foundation, a nonprofit which funds academic scholarships for disadvantaged children, recognizes teaching excellence and donates to various charitable organizations

Educational Background:

  • Master of Science, Computer Science , University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL
  • Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL

Personal: Bob and his wife, Jill, have six children, three grandchildren and reside in Princeton, NJ.

Emdeon Reports First Quarter 2010 Results

Posted by: earmstrong  /  Comments: 1

– 7.9% Revenue Growth Over First Quarter 2009 — 9.3% Increase in Adjusted EBITDA Over First Quarter 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 6, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Emdeon Inc. /quotes/comstock/13*!em/quotes/nls/em (EM 15.62, +0.70, +4.69%) , a leading provider of healthcare revenue and payment cycle management solutions, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010, as summarized below:

($ in millions, except per share amounts)  1Q10   1Q09  % Change
—-   —-  ——–
Revenue                                   $237.3 $219.9      7.9%
Net Income                                  $4.3   $3.3     29.6%
Net Income per share (diluted)             $0.02  $0.02      0.0%
Non-GAAP Adjusted EBITDA                   $62.4  $57.0      9.3%
Non-GAAP Adjusted Net Income per fully
diluted share                             $0.21  $0.21      0.0%
Non-GAAP fully diluted shares              121.3  106.1

First quarter revenue was $237.3 million, an increase of 7.9%, compared to $219.9 million for the same period in the prior year. GAAP operating income for the first quarter of 2010 was $30.8 million compared to $28.8 million for the same period last year. First quarter Adjusted EBITDA grew 9.3% to $62.4 million, or 26.3% of revenue, from Adjusted EBITDA of $57.0 million, or 25.9% of revenue, in the comparable period last year.

GAAP net income (before noncontrolling interest) for the first quarter of 2010 was $4.3 million compared to GAAP net income of $3.3 million for the same period last year. GAAP net income per diluted share for the first quarter of 2010 was $0.02 compared to $0.02 in the same period last year. Adjusted Net Income per fully diluted share for the first quarter of 2010 was $0.21, using a weighted average share count of 121.3 million, compared to $0.21, using a weighted average share count of 106.1 million, for the same period last year.

“Emdeon is off to a good start to the year and delivered solid financial results for the first quarter,” said George Lazenby, Emdeon’s chief executive officer. “We are also excited about the growing momentum of our emerging business initiatives, including our provider ePayment solutions and healthcare technology consulting services related to our recent FutureVision and HTMS acquisitions. Emdeon remains on track to execute on our 2010 financial goals.”

At March 31, 2010, Emdeon’s cash and cash equivalents totaled $220.4 million. Total long-term debt under Emdeon’s credit facilities was $854.5 million, before unamortized debt discount.

A reconciliation of Emdeon’s financial results determined in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) to certain non-GAAP financial measures has been provided in the financial statement tables included in this release to supplement its unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements presented on a GAAP basis. An explanation of these non-GAAP measures is also included below under the heading “Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

Financial Outlook

Emdeon affirmed its outlook for annual revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Net Income per fully diluted share for 2010 as follows:

2010 revenue to be between $1.0 to $1.06 billion

2010 Adjusted EBITDA to be between $266 to $278 million

2010 Adjusted Net Income per fully diluted share to be between $0.90 to $0.94 using a weighted average share count of 122.4 million

Notice of Conference Call and Webcast

Emdeon will conduct a conference call/webcast for investors and institutional analysts on Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time/4:00 pm Central Time to discuss Emdeon’s financial results.

To access Emdeon’s live conference call and webcast, dial 866-783-2140 (857-350-1599 for international calls) using conference code 75889855 or visit the Investors section of Emdeon’s website: www.emdeon.com. Please go to the website at least 15 minutes prior to the event to register, download and install any necessary audio/video software to access the webcast. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a conference call replay will be available for one week following the conference call by calling 888-286-8010 (617-801-6888 for international calls) using conference code 83532925. A webcast replay will also be archived on Emdeon’s website for at least 30 days following the conference call.

About Emdeon

Emdeon is a leading provider of revenue and payment cycle management solutions, connecting payers, providers and patients in the U.S. healthcare system. Emdeon’s product and service offerings integrate and automate key business and administrative functions of its payer and provider customers throughout the patient encounter. Through the use of Emdeon’s comprehensive suite of products and services, which are designed to easily integrate with existing technology infrastructures, customers are able to improve efficiency, reduce costs, increase cash flow and more efficiently manage the complex revenue and payment cycle process. For more information, visit www.emdeon.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this press release that express Emdeon’s or management’s intentions, plans, beliefs, expectations or predictions of future events are forward-looking statements, which Emdeon intends to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements often include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate” or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements may include information concerning Emdeon’s possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of Emdeon’s revenues, profitability, outlook and overall business strategy. You should not place undue reliance on these statements because they are subject to numerous uncertainties and factors relating to Emdeon’s operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond Emdeon’s control. Although Emdeon believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect Emdeon’s actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: effects of competition, including competition from entities that are customers for certain of Emdeon’s products and services; Emdeon’s ability to maintain relationships with its customers and channel partners; Emdeon’s ability to effectively cross-sell its products and services to existing customers and to continue to generate revenue and maintain profitability by developing and successfully deploying new or updated products and services; pricing pressures on Emdeon’s products and services; the anticipated benefits from acquisitions not being fully realized or not being realized within the expected time frames; and general economic, business or regulatory conditions affecting the healthcare information technology and services industries; as well as the other risks discussed in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections and elsewhere in Emdeon’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, as well as Emdeon’s periodic and other reports, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

You should keep in mind that any forward-looking statement made by Emdeon herein, or elsewhere, speaks only as of the date on which made. Emdeon expressly disclaims any intent, obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein to reflect any change in Emdeon’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based.

Emdeon Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(unaudited and amounts in thousands, except share and per share
amounts)

For the Three Months
Ended March 31,
2010           2009
—-           —-

Revenue                                           $237,279       $219,885
Costs and expenses:
Cost of operations (exclusive of
depreciation and amortization below)           143,986        134,739
Development and engineering                       8,554          7,075
Sales, marketing, general and administrative     26,119         24,160
Depreciation and amortization                    27,775         25,098
——         ——
Operating income                                    30,845         28,813
Interest income                                         (3)           (21)
Interest expense                                    15,665         17,942
Other                                                  290              -
—            —
Income before income tax provision                  14,893         10,892
Income tax provision                                10,630          7,602
——          —–
Net income                                           4,263          3,290
Net income attributable to noncontrolling
interest                                            2,374          2,072
Net income attributable to Emdeon Inc.              $1,889         $1,218
======         ======
Net income per share Class A common stock:
Basic                                             $0.02          $0.02
=====          =====
Diluted                                           $0.02          $0.02
=====          =====
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic                                        90,461,968     77,413,610
==========     ==========
Diluted                                      90,468,057     77,413,610
==========     ==========

Emdeon Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(unaudited and amounts in thousands, except share amounts)

December
March 31,           31,
2010            2009
—-            —-
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents            $220,418        $211,999
Accounts receivable, net of
allowance for doubtful accounts
of $4,543 and $4,433 at March
31, 2010 and December 31, 2009,
respectively                         152,646      151,022
Deferred income tax assets              4,445           4,924
Prepaid expenses and other
current assets                        15,146          16,632
——          ——
Total current assets                  392,655         384,577
Property and equipment, net           175,231         152,091
Goodwill                              730,819         703,027
Intangible assets, net                979,372         989,280
Other assets, net                       1,380           1,451
Total assets                       $2,279,457      $2,230,426
==========      ==========
Liabilities and equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable                       $8,677          $9,910
Accrued expenses                       81,956          72,493
Deferred revenues                      12,167          12,153
Current portion of long-term debt      10,153           9,972
——           —–
Total current liabilities             112,953         104,528
Long-term debt, excluding
current portion                      831,726         830,710
Deferred income tax liabilities       150,502         145,914
Tax receivable agreement
obligations to related parties       140,704         142,044
Other long-term liabilities            50,725          27,361
Commitments and contingencies
Equity:
Preferred stock (par value,
$0.00001), 25,000,000 shares
authorized and 0 shares issued
and outstanding                            -               -
Class A common stock (par value,
$0.00001),  400,000,000 shares
authorized and 90,618,894 and
90,423,941 shares outstanding at
March 31, 2010 and December 31,
2009, respectively                         1            1
Class B common stock,
exchangeable (par value,
$0.00001), 52,000,000 shares
authorized and 24,689,142 and
24,752,955 shares outstanding at
March 31, 2010 and December 31,
2009, respectively                         -            -
Additional paid-in capital            736,838         730,941
Accumulated other comprehensive
loss                                  (9,334)        (11,198)
Retained earnings                      35,593          33,704
——          ——
Emdeon Inc. equity                    763,098         753,448
Noncontrolling interest               229,749         226,421
——-         ——-
Total equity                          992,847         979,869
Total liabilities and equity       $2,279,457      $2,230,426
==========      ==========

Emdeon Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(unaudited and amounts in thousands)

For the Three
Months
Ended March 31,
2010           2009
—-           —-
Operating activities
Net income                           $4,263         $3,290
Adjustments to reconcile net
income to net cash provided by
operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization        27,775         25,098
Equity compensation expense           3,675          2,576
Deferred income tax expense           4,666          2,659
Amortization of debt discount and
issuance costs                       3,135          2,791
Amortization of discontinued cash
flow hedge from  other
comprehensive loss                   1,453          1,972
Other                                   571            104
Changes in operating assets and
liabilities:
Accounts receivable                   3,347         (1,216)
Prepaid expenses and other            1,646          6,531
Accounts payable                     (2,434)         2,429
Accrued expenses and other
liabilities                          3,173         (5,915)
Deferred revenues                        14          1,343
Tax receivable agreement
obligations to related parties      (1,480)             -
Net cash provided by operating
activities                          49,804         41,662
——         ——
Investing activities
Purchases of property and
equipment                         (12,949)         (7,055)
Payments for acquisitions, net of
cash acquired                     (26,444)              -
Net cash used in investing
activities                        (39,393)         (7,055)
——-         ——
Financing activities
Debt principal payments              (1,888)       (17,888)
Payments on revolver                      -        (10,000)
Other                                  (104)           158
Net cash used in financing
activities                          (1,992)       (27,730)
——        ——-
Net increase in cash and cash
equivalents                          8,419          6,877
Cash and cash equivalents at
beginning of period                211,999         71,478
Cash and cash equivalents at end
of period                         $220,418        $78,355
========        =======

Segment Information
(unaudited and amounts in thousands)

For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2010
—————————————–
Corporate &
Payer   Provider Pharmacy Eliminations  Consolidated
—– ——– ——– ————  ————
Revenue from
external
customers
Claims management $45,476       $-       $-           $-       $45,476
Payment services   56,820        -        -            -        56,820
Patient
statements             -   66,676        -            -        66,676
Revenue cycle
management             -   40,674        -            -        40,674
Dental                  -    7,937        -            -         7,937
Pharmacy services       -        -   19,696            -        19,696
Inter-segment
revenue              873       87        -         (960)            -
—      —      —         —-           —
Net revenue       103,169  115,374   19,696         (960)      237,279
Costs and
expenses:
Cost of
operations        66,817   71,372    6,725         (928)      143,986
Development and
engineering        3,015    3,824    1,715            -         8,554
Sales, marketing,
general and
administrative     6,873    6,816    1,558       10,872        26,119
Segment
contribution (1) $26,464  $33,362   $9,698     $(10,904)       58,620
=======  =======   ======     ========        ======
Depreciation and
amortization                                                   27,775
Interest income                                                     (3)
Interest expense                                                15,665
Other loss                                                         290
Income before
income tax
provision                                                     $14,893
=======

For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2009
—————————————–

Corporate &
Payer   Provider Pharmacy Eliminations  Consolidated
—– ——– ——– ————  ————
Revenue from
external
customers
Claims
management      $45,112       $-       $-           $-       $45,112
Payment services  50,346        -        -            -        50,346
Patient
statements            -   68,672        -            -        68,672
Revenue cycle
management            -   37,746        -            -        37,746
Dental                 -    7,760        -            -         7,760
Pharmacy
services              -        -   10,249            -        10,249
Inter-segment
revenue              70      464        -         (534)            -
—      —      —         —-           —
Net revenue       95,528  114,642   10,249         (534)      219,885
Costs and
expenses:
Cost of
operations       59,876   73,434    1,849         (420)      134,739
Development and
engineering       2,632    3,422    1,021            -         7,075
Sales,
marketing,
general and
administrative    5,854    7,492      978        9,836        24,160
Segment
contribution
(1)             $27,166  $30,294   $6,401      $(9,950)       53,911
=======  =======   ======      =======        ======
Depreciation and
amortization                                                  25,098
Interest income                                                   (21)
Interest expense                                               17,942
Income before
income tax
provision                                                    $10,892
=======

(1) Segment contribution has been reduced by equity-based
compensation expense of $3,675 and $2,576 for the three months ended
March 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Segment contribution without
such equity-based compensation expense would have been $62,295 and
$56,487 for the three months ended March 31, 2010 and 2009,
respectively.

Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Emdeon’s management team believes that in order to properly understand Emdeon’s short-term and long-term financial trends, investors may wish to consider the impact of certain non-cash or non-operating items, when used as a supplement to financial performance measures prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). These items result from facts and circumstances that vary in frequency and/or impact continuing operations. In addition, management uses results of operations before such excluded items to evaluate the operational performance of Emdeon as a basis for strategic planning and, in the case of Adjusted EBITDA, as a performance evaluation metric in determining achievement of certain executive and management incentive compensation programs. Investors should consider these non-GAAP measures in addition to, and not as a substitute for, financial performance measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. In addition to the description provided below, reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP results are provided in the financial statement tables included in this release.

In this release, Emdeon defines Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA (which is defined as net income before net interest expense, income tax provision (benefit) and depreciation and amortization), plus certain other non-cash or non-operating items (collectively, “EBITDA Adjustments”).

In this release, Emdeon defines Adjusted Net Income as the sum of (i) GAAP net income, (ii) EBITDA Adjustments, (iii) non-cash interest expense and (iv) depreciation and amortization expense resulting from adjustments of assets to fair value in connection with acquisition accounting, less income taxes computed based on a normalized income tax rate. Emdeon defines Adjusted Net Income per fully diluted share as the quotient of Adjusted Net Income and weighted average shares outstanding, assuming all potentially dilutive securities are fully dilutive and outstanding shares from their date of grant or issuance.

To properly evaluate Emdeon’s business, Emdeon encourages investors to review the GAAP financial information included in this release, and not rely on any single financial measure to evaluate Emdeon’s business. Emdeon also strongly encourages investors to review the reconciliation of GAAP net income and GAAP net income per diluted share to the applicable non-GAAP measures of Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Net Income per fully diluted share. These non-GAAP measures, as Emdeon defines them, may not be similar to non-GAAP measures used by other companies.

Management uses Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Net Income per fully diluted share to facilitate a comparison of Emdeon’s operating performance on a consistent basis from period to period that, when viewed in combination with Emdeon’s GAAP results, management believes provides a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting Emdeon’s business than GAAP measures alone. Management believes these non-GAAP measures assist Emdeon’s board of directors, management, lenders and investors in comparing Emdeon’s operating performance on a consistent basis because they remove where applicable, the impact of Emdeon’s capital and organizational structure, asset base, acquisition accounting, non-cash charges and non-operating items from Emdeon’s operations.

Emdeon also presents Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Net Income per fully diluted share on a forward-looking basis as part of its Financial Outlook for 2010. Emdeon is unable to present a quantitative reconciliation of these forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP financial measures because management cannot predict, with sufficient reliability, contingent payments relating to past and possible future acquisitions, changes in the fair value of Emdeon’s interest rate swap agreement and the effect on income taxes of these and other items attributable to Emdeon’s organizational structure, which are difficult to estimate and primarily dependent on future events.

Emdeon Inc.
Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income to Adjusted EBITDA
(unaudited and amounts in thousands)

For the Three
Months
Ended March 31,
2010        2009
—-        —-

Net income                            $4,263      $3,290
Interest expense, net                 15,662      17,921
Income tax provision                  10,630       7,602
Depreciation and amortization         27,775      25,098
——      ——
EBITDA                                58,330      53,911

Equity-based compensation            3,675       2,576
Purchase accounting
adjustments                           176         473
Facilities consolidation costs         430          85
Acquisition and divestiture
related costs                         939           -
Tax receivable agreements
change in estimate                (1,480)           -
Non-operating loss                     290           -
—         —
EBITDA Adjustments                   4,030       3,134
—–       —–

Adjusted EBITDA                      $62,360     $57,045
=======     =======

Emdeon Inc.
Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income to Adjusted Net Income
(unaudited and amounts in thousands)

For the Three
Months
Ended March 31,
2010         2009
—-         —-

Net income                                     $4,263       $3,290
Income tax provision                           10,630        7,602
EBITDA Adjustments                              4,030        3,134
Non-cash interest expense                       4,588        4,763
Depreciation and amortization resulting
from acquisition method adjustments           19,176       18,766
——       ——

Adjusted net income before income taxes        42,687       37,555
Normalized income tax provision                16,861       14,834
——       ——

Adjusted Net Income                           $25,826      $22,721
=======      =======

Emdeon Inc.
Reconciliation of Diluted Net Income Per Diluted Share of Class A
Common Stock to
Adjusted Net Income Per Fully Diluted Share(1)
(unaudited)

For the Three
Months
Ended March 31,
2010         2009
—-         —-
Diluted net income per share Class A common stock $0.02        $0.02
Impact of assuming full dilution of all
outstanding equity instruments for the period     0.01         0.01
Adjustments on a per share basis:
Income tax provision                               0.09         0.07
EBITDA Adjustments                                 0.03         0.03
Non-cash interest expense                          0.04         0.04
Depreciation and amortization resulting from
acquisition method adjustments                    0.16         0.18
—-         —-

Adjusted net income before income taxes            0.35         0.35
Normalized income tax provision                    0.14         0.14
—-         —-
Adjusted Net Income per fully diluted share       $0.21        $0.21
=====        =====

(1) The calculation of Adjusted Net Income per fully diluted share
assumes the following equity-based instruments were fully converted
into Class A common stock on their date of issuance:

(shares in
thousands)
———-
For the Three
Months
Ended March 31,
Weighted average of:                                 2010         2009
—-         —-
Class A shares outstanding                         90,462       77,414
Class B shares outstanding                         24,725       24,749
Restricted stock units outstanding                    572          924
Options to purchase Class A shares
outstanding                                        5,536        3,060
—–        —–
Shares assumed in Adjusted Net Income per
fully diluted share calculation                  121,295      106,147
=======      =======

SOURCE Emdeon Inc.

Copyright (C) 2010 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Nexus Group was not impacted by the flood

Posted by: earmstrong

Our statewide network and our Nashville data center and disaster recovery space were not impacted by the storms and flooding this past weekend. Some customer sites on our network were impacted and we are working to restore service as quickly as possible but none of our data center or core network facilities were affected. Unfortunately, many of our friends and customers in Middle Tennessee have experienced significant challenges and we want you to know that we are here to help.

If you need a safe and secure data center to house your mission critical servers and communications equipment, we have space immediately available to move into and pricing for both short and long-term stays. We also have disaster recovery space with cubicles, desks, chairs, phones and Internet connectivity so your office can get back up and running in short order. Whether you need a week or 6 months to get your business operations back to normal, give us a call and the Nexus team will get to work.

As a company whose mission is serving the data center and connectivity needs in Middle TN, it is important to us to be there for your business – call us at 615-221-4200.

The Nexus Group specializes in disaster planning / business continuity and can help you devise a viable plan to maintain your critical operations in the event of a disaster. From online backups, to server hosting and virtualization, to the emergency office space you need to answer the phone and take care of your customers, Nexus can help keep your business running.

Our hopes and prayers are with everyone in Middle Tennessee suffering losses and pain from the recent storms. If there is anything we can do to help your company get back on its feet or if you just want assistance preparing for the next disaster, give us a call at 615-221-4200.

An Interview with Dynamic Edge, Inc.

Posted by: earmstrong

Timothy Neiman
Dynamic Edge, Inc.

How long have you been in business in Nashville?
We opened our office in October 2007.

What does your company or organization do best?
We are unlike traditional fix-it-as-it-breaks computer service companies in that we operate proactively. We monitor our clients’ systems 24×7 so we know when hard drives are getting full or starting to fail, when the server fan isn’t keeping the machine cool, when backups complete successfully, when someone is trying to break into the network, and the list goes on. By monitoring all of these items, we can fix most issues before they cause expensive downtime. (A little known fact is that downtime is the largest technology expense for businesses and is significantly greater than hardware and consulting costs.)

What is one interesting fact about your company?
Our company was founded in 1999 when both myself and my partner, Bruce McCully were undergraduate students at the University of Michigan. Bruce was studying Microbiology and Computer Engineering while I was studying Biopsychology and Computer Science.

What new technology product or service are you the most excited about?
On demand multi-media. I think we’re going to continue to see rapid changes in this arena from companies like Hulu to Netflix, from Comcast and AT&T, to the major networks themselves. With the continued spread of broadband internet connections coupled with even faster speeds, I think the way that we experience video and media is going to be changed forever. Personally, I’m a big fan of Netflix’s On Demand feature. I have access to their online library from my PS3 all at the bargain rate of $8/month (I don’t have cable).

Who is the most interesting person you have ever met?
One of the most interesting people I have met since coming to Nashville is Tim McMullen from redpepper. redpepper does a lot of innovative and technologically oriented things to engage their team and foster their unique culture. For instance, redpepper uses a social networking site internally to communicate and share with their fellow teammates. Like redpepper’s culture, our culture at Dynamic Edge is a little quirky and very central to our service. A lot of the things that Tim talks about really resonate with me and my company. It’s kind of ironic because we’re an IT firm; Tim’s ideas have had a real impact on how we’re using technology in new ways internally to meet team building goals

IRON Solutions to Expand, Relocate Headquarters

Posted by: earmstrong

IRON Solutions to Expand, Relocate Headquarters

Growing software-as-a-service company establishes new headquarters in music city.

(Franklin, TN – March 31, 2010) – IRON Solutions, Inc. today announced the company will consolidate its management and headquarters functions in new offices in Franklin, Tennessee, located in metro Nashville, where the company maintained a field office since 2006.

“The relocation will facilitate more collaboration and interaction among our management teams,” said Darwin Melnyk, IRON Solutions Chief Executive Officer. “This move helps us streamline our processes and achieve our commitment to provide dealers, manufacturers, lenders, and all our customers the highest levels of service.”

The announcement comes during a time of rapid growth for the privately held company. Despite the economic downturn, IRON Solutions experienced double digit growth in revenues during 2009. In first quarter 2010, online traffic to  IRONsearch.com and demand for the company’s software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings reached an all-time high.

The company will maintain an office in Fenton, Mo. which will continue to be home of the editorial and publishing operations of the Official Guides for used agricultural and outdoor power equipment values and IRON Search Buyers Guide for Farm Equipment. The company’s technical support staff will remain at the company’s offices in Saskatchewan, including IRON Solutions’ cloud computing services development team located on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan.

Social Networks can be anti-social for your computer

Posted by: earmstrong  /  Tags: ,  /  Comments: 1

SOCIAL NETWORKS CAN BE ANTI-SOCIAL FOR YOUR COMPUTER
Don’t let bad apps or bad people into your life by sharing too much

One of the biggest growth areas for Facebook in the past year is with the baby boomers that have found that the social network site allows old friends back into their lives. A Nashville company wants you to think about whom Facebook is allowing into your computer that may negatively impact your life. iNet Strategy has been providing IT solutions to businesses for the past decade but founder and CEO Robert Morris has become alarmed lately at what he has seen on Facebook that can cause people problems. “I saw an old acquaintance on Facebook and among his pictures was a copy of his driver’s license that had been scanned” Morris commented recently. “That’s an extreme instance of opening yourself up, but there are many ways that Facebook opens up your computer to intruders. People are also unsure about the privacy/security settings on Facebook.” The IT solutions firm for businesses figured that they had the expertise to help with the problem.

iNet Strategy has now made its Live Support service available to the public. The support service was formerly just to aid their many business clients, but now the Microsoft Gold Certified Partner is helping people figure out what in the world wide web has gotten into their lives. With Facebook being a “social” network people are tempted to be open and sociable with information that they share but there will always be those waiting to take advantage. Morris says that some of the fun and games that people enjoy can be anything but fun and games if the wrong person is on the other side of the connection. “Some of the fan applications for sports teams or enhancements to games that are played on the platform are nothing but ways for people with bad intentions to get into your computer” says Morris. Through the iNet Strategy website the company has live support representatives available to help. “If your shortcut to get your barn built has made your whole computer run slower, then you might need our help to fix the problem,” says the CEO. Experienced computer technicians are available on line to remotely fix any of your computer problems from spyware, viruses, security issues or just helping you figure out how to make your Facebook account more secure from leaking your personal data and information. You will only pay for the time that techs are actually working on your machine. The service can be reached at www.inetstrategy.com and clicking on the “chat with a live agent” icon or you can leave a message and arrange for a representative to get back to you at a convenient time.

Your computer and the various on-line services can open up a world of possibilities for you. Don’t let those same services open up your computer to the world of bad guys out there. Safeguard your personal information with help from the IT experts at iNet Strategy,

About iNet Strategy:
iNet Strategy is a privately owned Information Technology Professional and Master Managed Services firm headquartered in the Middle Tennessee market since 1996. Additionally, thru nationwide service partners iNet delivers onsite IT solutions to customers throughout the nation.

iNet Strategy focuses on gaining a solid understanding of your business challenges, and is committed to your organization’s success. iNet Strategy provides solutions for companies of varying sizes and needs at very competitive rates and their vast experience covers a broad range of eCommerce and network solutions across a variety of industries.

In the past 10 years iNet Strategy has deployed over $100 million in IT projects and in the past 5 years applications developed for clients have processed 234 million patient prescription refills!

For more information go to www.inetstrategy.com or contact Robert Morris, CEO at 615-835-4305

An Interview with Insight Global

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Dustin Maske, Tennessee Sales Manager

How long have you been in business in Nashville?
Insight Global, Inc was founded in Atlanta, GA in 2001. The company has grown to be recognized as one of the premier staffing firms in the United States and has office locations in 21 major markets nationwide, as well as a presence in Canada. We opened our Nashville office in December of 2007.

What does your company or organization do best?
Insight Global is one of the fastest growing providers of information technology (IT) staffing solutions in North America. The company has fueled its exceptional growth and market share gains with a proven model built upon superior execution and a relentless focus on client acquisition and service. Insight Global fills nearly 10,000 IT staffing placements each year for a diverse range of Fortune 1000 corporations. We focus on creating long-term partnerships with our clients and do whatever it takes to meet their needs. The company was recognized in 2006 and 2007 as the fastest growing IT Staffing Company in the United States by the “Staffing Industry Analysts”. Insight Global was ranked in 2009 as the 4th fastest growing IT Staffing firm, the 57th largest Staffing firm across all staffing sectors, and the 14th largest IT Staffing firm in the United States.

What is one interesting fact about your company?
We are proud of the fact that since our inception, all of our growth has been organic and all promotions have come from within the organization. Each branch of Insight Global operates exactly like the corporate headquarters in Atlanta, however they are not franchised locations. This business model has played an integral role in developing a culture that fosters hard work, superior customer service, effective responsiveness, a deep care for our clients, our employees and the overall welfare of the company. It also allows for full company collaboration regardless of the original location of the request.

What new technology product or service are you the most excited about?
As a technical staffing firm, we are constantly staying on top of and working with new products for client needs across North America. We work hand in hand with consultants who are at the top of their game and are trained in the latest technologies. It is exciting to be a part of an ever-changing and growing industry, and we enjoy working with the people at the forefront of the industry. Part of our job is adapting to whatever the “next big thing” is, whether that be R&D, implementation, design or support.

Who is the most interesting person you have ever met?
I was able to spend some time with one of my heroes, Arnold Palmer. To speak with someone known for his outstanding character, generosity, and for making an incredibly successful career doing something he loved was inspiring. It was a pleasure to meet someone who has found so much success and still remains a man of great humility.

Member Spotlight Story – Mediate IT

Posted by: earmstrong

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.

Adtec Digital Introduces Next Generation

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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.

An Interview with Dex Imaging

Posted by: earmstrong

An Interview with Dex Imaging
Brett Knight, Regional Applications Manager

How long have you been in business in Nashville?
6 years

What does your company or organization do best?
Leverage technology and equipment to meet the business needs, and solve the issues, that our partners face.

What is one interesting fact about your company?
Dex donates one third of all profits to charities and educational programs within the communities that we serve.

What new technology product or service are you the most excited about?
Index Data files, which is our electronic content management system.  This application allows for electronic storage of documents, and business information.  This leveraged with our custom workflow and electronic forms can really help a business achieve its efficiency goals and remain competitive.

How do you differentiate yourself from your leading competitors?
We focus on providing a total solution for businesses, from copiers and printers, to mailing equipment and print management, and applications and consulting.

Who is the most interesting person you have ever met?
Mark Blaze, our Tennessee region’s General Manager.  Mark came to America from England by playing golf for the University of Memphis.

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