GSA Technology Council

Datastream Systems, Inc. today announced that Holly Corporation has gone live with a deployment of the Datastream 7i(TM) asset performance management solution across two of its oil refineries.

Based in Dallas, Holly Corporation is engaged in refining, transporting, terminalling and marketing petroleum products. Holly Corporation is using Datastream 7i to manage and maintain complex refinery assets at its Woods Cross refinery and Navajo Refining Company, which together process more than 85,000 barrels per day of crude oil. Holly Corporation is also using Datastream 7i to automate its procurement processes and has integrated Datastream 7i with its proprietary financials system using Datastream’s Databridge(TM).

ECPI College of Technology is offering its Upgrading System Administrator Skills from Microsoft Windows 2000 to Windows 2003 class in an all-day format on October 20 & 22 from 8:30am to 4:30pm.  “Many of our clients have asked for professional development courses in the all-day format.” says continuing Education Manager, Sonja Cantrell. “We are offering flexible schedules to meet the demands of busy IT professionals.” The cost of the course is $795. Contact Sonja Cantrell (864)288-2828, Ext. 224. The class is also offered in an evening version.

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Sealevel Systems, Inc., known for reliable I/O solutions, has introduced the company’s first industrial computing platform, the Relio Series.  Intended for the OEM, Relio systems combine the reliability and design consistency of a PLC with the versatility of an industrial computer. 

Relio systems are available with 650MHz or 400MHz ULV Mobile Celeron® processors and are packed with standard I/O including dual 10/100Base-T Ethernet, four RS-232/422/485 multi-interface serial ports, and four USB ports. For more information: Earle Foster 864-843-4343 x 116. (www.sealevel.com)

Why do they keep on sending you SPAM?  Because it works.  A recent article in PC World contained a couple of very interesting statistics. The Nigerian Investment Scam is expected to gross $2 billion in 2003, making it that country’s second-largest industry…. An accidentally exposed order log from Amazing Internet Products reveals that 6000 people in a four-week period paid $50 for a bottle of the herbal supplement Pinacle.  (That’s $300,000 a month.) When sending emails costs nearly nothing, and the rewards are so great, you can’t imagine that spammers are going to stop any time soon. The article continues to advise you to delete the emails without responding. [PCWorld.com - Latest PC World News Stories]

Saving money by reducing software licensing fees makes sense in any economy. At the next GSATC meeting we will review the status of open source, talk about the cost savings available, explore the hidden costs, and learn what upstate companies are doing to save money in their technology budgets.  The October 15th meeting of the GSATC will be at University Square and it is all about Technology On The Cheap. (Learn More)

GSATC October Meeting (Register)
October 15, 2003 | 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
University Center at McAllister Square (Map)

Technology On The Cheap…

There are plenty of Open Source alternatives to popular software packages. Many local businesses use Linux and other open source tools as their core business software. How feasible is this?  What are the real costs? Is Open Source powerful enough? Does it save real money? What can it do? These questions and more will be answered at the October meeting of the GSATC. Learn what upstate businesses are doing, and the state of open source in upstate South Carolina.

Cash bar networking after…

There is no charge for this meeting.  The public is invited. This will be a great chance for you to network with other IT Professionals. Please RSVP.

Detailed Agenda:

4:00 – 4:30 PM Registration, Networking
4:30 – 4:45 PM Announcements, News
5:00 – 5:45 Presentation (Tech On The Cheap)
5:45 – 6:00 Door Prizes, Adjourn
6:00 – Until Cash Bar Networking…

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TiBA Solutions, LLC, formally Integrys Solutions, LLC, has recently added three senior staff members.  Claudia Darnell, joins a state government project team, as a Senior Business Analyst.  Previously with Ahold Information Services, Claudia holds a BS in Computer Information Systems from DeVry Institute of Technology, and is also pursuing her MBA from Webster University.  Brian Nystrom joins TiBA Solutions as a Lead Technical Architect.  Brian, who has worked as a technical consultant for years, is multilingual and has an MBA from Indiana University and also earned a BS in International Relations in Japanese, from Brigham Young University.  Lyudmil Ivanov, joins the development team as a Senior Developer Analyst.  Lyudmil, who is originally from Bulgaria,  is a Microsoft Certified Professional, and holds a MS in Computer Science from the University of World and National Economy. 
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Although the currrent congress is reviewing nine different anti-spam laws, PC World reports that none is close to passing.  This is the third session that congress has had anti-spam legislation before it, but congress is now focused on more pressing appropriation issues. This may be good news as the Executive Director of the anti-spam group, SpamCon says that some of the pending legislation would actually make the spam problem worse. (PCWorld Article)

The October meeting of the Upstate Carolina PC Users Group will be held in downtown Greenville so that members can experience the WiFi network installed downtown by Gorilla Networks. The presentation will be made by by Joe Milam of Gorilla Networks.  Joe will discuss the setup and operations of the network. The exact location of the meeting has not yet been determined. The meeting will be held on Tuesday October 21, 2003 at 7:30 PM.
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