Nashville Technology Council

We’re happy to announce that the 2010 edition of Catalyst has been released to the public!  Here is the information from today’s press release:

The Nashville Technology Council officially released its annual technology business magazine Catalyst. Catalyst is a self published technology publication featuring a cross section of articles concerning the variety of technology verticals in Middle Tennessee and around the State. Members of the Technology Council received an advance copy of the 2011 addition prior to its release to the public.

“We are very excited to highlight the tech companies that make Middle Tennessee home,” said J. Tod Fetherling, President/CEO Nashville Technology Council. “This year’s edition covers education, robotics, electronic medical records, and music. Our technology industry is as diverse as any in the country and powers today’s industries in America who are transforming the global markets in health, music, and transactions.”

Featured articles include:

The Top 100 Technology Leaders in Tennessee

Nashville’s Next Big Hit- Electronic Medical Records

Venture Capital in Tennessee

New Tunes– Music Startups

BioTech– Strengthening Bones and the Community

Social Media

iRobot – Robots that Learn

“Catalyst will be used in economic development, recruiting, and in our T3 Initiative to educate future students about the benefits of pursuing technology careers,” said Andy Flatt, Chair of the Nashville Technology Council Board of Directors. “This vehicle will be used extensively over the next 12 months to promote our city, our businesses and our future.”

To order a copy of Catalyst or to find out more information, email catalyst@technologycouncil.com.

The Nashville Tech Story (9/21/2009)

During this tough economic time, it is sometimes forgotten that public school systems can be hit relatively hard, and a large chunk of funding comes from public tax dollars.  Schools are constantly looking for ways to upgrade their tools, but find it difficult since budgets are typically small.  One way to cut spending is for schools to explore open source solutions.  Open source is low cost and can provide better quality, reliability and can allow for more flexibility. 

For years, schools have been toying with the idea of moving to Free, Open Source Software (FOSS), but only recently, has FOSS evolved to the point where it is a viable option for schools.  FOSS is defined by Wikipedia as “software that is licensed to grant the right of users to study, change, and improve its design through the availability of its source code.”  Many schools, including those in the Middle Tennessee region, have explored the FOSS possibility, but multiple obstacles have surfaced.

FOSS implementation can be tricky because of software packages currently in place, which are essential to schools.  For example, Capita-Sims.net is a management information software package that is currently installed in approximately 80% of schools.  The package, which runs on a Windows Server has a client requiring a Windows desktop.  There is also the difficulty of re-training teachers that have current programs already embedded in their daily routine

While FOSS seems like a great idea to reduce spending, it may be difficult to implement into schools based on the amount of time and money that would be required for planning and large amounts of training.

Nashville is Hot!

I am frequently asked why do you love Nashville so much?  I believe Nashville is one of the best kept secrets in America.  We have a strong, diversified economy, good values, we are friendly, and it is progressive.  In addition, we have the NHL (Go Preds!) and NFL (Go Titans!).  We have a dynamic academic culture with over 15 universities and trade schools.  What makes Nashville so special?  Our people.  We make it happen every day both here and globally.

Many of our companies rank in the top 5 nationally in their respective industries.  Maybe we will work on that blog next.

But don’t just take our word for it, come experience the beat of technology in Nashville.  Others have taken notice of Nashville as well.  Below are several of the more prominent rankings Nashville has received over the past couple of years.  If you know of other rankings or think of other topics that we should cover, please let us know.

Rankings Nashville and the Surrounding Area has Received 2007-2009

2009

•    The Best Places for Business and Careers, Nashville; Forbes

•    Best Small Cities for Startups, Franklin, TN; Business Week

•    Vanderbilt University Ranks 15th as one of the Best Value Schools in America; Nashville Business Journal

•    Top 125 US Hospitals: Vanderbilt University Medical Center & Baptist Hospital, Nashville; Nashville Business Journal

•    Nashville Manliest City in America; Market Watch

•    Nashville Ranked 1st for Country Music in Google Trends; Google Trends

•    Nashville Ranked 7th for Technology Councils in Google Trends; Google Trends

•    Nashville Ranked 7th for Healthcare IT in Google Trends; Google Trends

•   Nashville Ranked 2nd for Healthcare in Google Trends; Google Trends

2008

•    100 Best Places to Live and Launch, Nashville; CNN

•    Center for Digital Government’s 2008 Digital Cities Survey Top Ten, Nashville; Digital Government and Digital Communities magazine

•    Vanderbilt University Medical Center Ranks 15th as Best Hospital; Nashville; U.S. News

•    Nashville Ranked as One of the Top 100 Places to Relocate; Relocate America

•    Nashville Named One of the Top 25 Art Destinations; American Style Magazine

•    Nashville Named One of America’s Favorite Cities 2008, Nashville; Travel + Leisure magazine

•    The Today Show Ranks Nashville as One of the 5 Friendliest Cities in America; Today Show

•    Nashville International Airport Ranks 6th in Customer Satisfaction by JD Power Survey; Nashville Business Journal

•    Forbes Ranks Nashville 14th for Best City for Jobs in 2008; Forbes

•    Nashville Ranks 3rd in Cultural Amenities; Nashville Business Journal

•    Nashville Ranks 4th for Apartment Investment in the U.S.; Nashville Business Journal

•    Nashville one of the Top 10 Great Low-Tax Places to Retire; U.S. News

2007

•    Area Hospitals Ranked in the 100 Top Hospitals National Benchmark for Success 2007; Thomson Reuters

•    Nashville Ranks 4th for Best City for Technology in 2007; Digital Cities Survey

•    Relocate America Names Nashville one of the Top 25 Places to Live to go to School in 2007; Relocate America

•    Nashville Named one of the Top 10 Cities for African Americans in 2007; Black Enterprise

•    Nashville Ranks 18th for Best City for Business Opportunity in the U.S.; 5 Star Business Opportunity Metros 2007

•   Market Watch Ranks Nashville 6th Best City to do Business in 2007; Market Watch

•    Nashville was Ranked the 16th   Top Sports Town in the U.S. in 2007; Sporting News

•    Nashville Ranked the 2nd Best Large City for Relocating Families; Worldwide ERC & Primacy Relocation

•    Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro Ranks 4th in Economic Strength in 2007; POLICOM

•    Nashville Ranks 8th as a city where MBA Candidates say they would Most Like to Work; Fortune

•    Nashville Named 9th in the U.S. for Best Place for Business and Careers in 2007; Forbes

•    Business Week Ranks Nashville as the 7th   Best Place for Artists in the U.S; Business Week

•    Nashville Ranked as one of America’s 50 Hottest Cities in 2007; Expansion Management

Analytics Group Launch Luncheon
November 12, 2009
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Nashville City Club | 201 4th Ave N |  Nashville, TN 37219
Click Here to Register Online

Sponsored by:

Are you an analytics junkie? Join the Nashville Technology Council at this luncheon as we kick off the formation of an Analytics Group.  This event is sponsored by IBM, and will feature a panel of experts who will discuss their experiences, provide useful tips and expert knowledge.

Moderator:
Jason Kelley, Director, Practice Area Leader, Business Analytics and Optimization, IBM

Jason Kelley is the Director, and Global Practice Leader for mid-market Business Analytics and Optimization (BAO). IBM’s Business Analytics & Optimization consulting team of 4000+ business professionals bring together the IBM business focused best practices, differentiated technology, and industry focused expertise, to deliver business intelligence solutions. Prior to leading the mid-market BAO team, Jason was responsible for the North American Application Services consulting practice, driving innovative application development and industry focused solutions. With a depth of experience in our global markets Jason has also led IBM’s world wide Industry Solution go to market efforts focused on service oriented technology & customer care analytics.

Over the years, Jason has had the opportunity to work across the IBM organization Industry Solutions space in the Software Group, Global Technology Services, and now in GBS.  Developing a depth of skill across industries has been consistent in Jason’s career as he has held executive roles in the Public, Industrial, and Services sectors, as well as founding and leading a successful marketing services firm prior to joining the global team at IBM.

Mr. Kelley is a Graduate of West Point, the United States Military Academy, with graduate work at the University of Tennessee, UCLA Anderson School of Business, and a MBA from the Cox School of Business at SMU.  He is currently on the Board of Directors of the Central Texas Better Business Bureau and also enjoys any volunteer opportunities to mentor inner city or at risk youth.  With a passion for invention, Jason contributes to IBM’s ongoing leadership in innovation and technology patents as the holder of two U.S. Patents with others pending.

Panelists Include:

Adam A. Hameed
Senior Vice President – Data and Analytics Solutions
Emdeon

Mr. Hameed is our Senior Vice President of Data and Analytics Solutions. Mr. Hameed has extensive experience in data and analytics and the healthcare industry after spending numerous years successfully leading UnitedHealth Group’s sales and account management operations for its Ingenix and OptumHealth payer markets. Prior to joining UnitedHealth Group in 2004, Mr. Hameed held many sales, marketing, and business development positions with several leading consulting and software companies, including FICO, Deloitte Consulting, and Accenture. Mr. Hameed also assisted in building a national customer relationship management consulting and systems integration company. Mr. Hameed earned a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance and General Management and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Barry Ralston
Chief Architect and Director of Business Intelligence
ComFrame Software

With a career in Business Intelligence spanning 16 years, Barry is a featured speaker for many nationally recognized events including recent Microsoft SQL Server Launches, the Oracle Development Tools User Group, International Oracle User Group – Americas and JavaOne. Since joining ComFrame in 2001, his client successes include Aflac, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Honda, and UPS . A member of the Microsoft National VTS Program, Barry also maintains sqlbipro.com, a blog focused on promoting business intelligence education and software craftsmanship.

Here to Register Online