GSA Technology Council

Leighton Cubbage has been the chief executive officer of Ionosphere since 2001 and was the co-founder, president, and chief operating officer of Corporate Telemanagement Group in Greenville, South Carolina from 1989 until 1995, when the company was acquired by LCI International. Since 1995, Mr. Cubbage has been a private investor maintaining investment interests in a telecommunications company, a weekly newspaper, car dealerships, and a trucking company. He is a 1977 graduate of Clemson University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Mr. Cubbage is a former member of the Greenville Technical College Foundation Board, is a member of the Clemson University Entrepreneurial Board, and is chairman of the Greenville Hospital System board of trustees.

Be sure to attend the September 2006 GSATC meeting featuring a presentation by Leighton Cubbage.

GSATC Learning Lunch

Topic: Adventures in Telecom

Featured: Leighton Cubbage

Date: Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Location: Crowne Plaza (Map: I-385 at Roper Mtn.)

Agenda

11:30 – 11:55 Registration, Networking, Lunch

11:55 – 12:10 Announcements

12:10 – 12:50 Presentation

12:50 – 1:00 Door Prizes, Adjourn

This meeting features easy access from I-385, plenty of free parking, ample networking opportunities, a great presentation, and door prizes. Plan to attend.

Lunch is $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

RSVP Online

Online registration is now closed. Please register onsite.

Now Hear This

The GSATC records its presentations and has them available for online listening or we can podcast them to you your portable listening device. Learn more by following the link below.

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Walker McKay measures professional success two ways: in what he has accomplished personally and in how he has helped others to succeed. 

After graduating from Washington & Lee University, Walker McKay began his career in banking and real estate. While at Edens & Avant, one of the largest privately-held commercial real estate firms in the country, he was named Million Dollar Producer for five consecutive years.  He continued his career at Asbill-Christopher Development, where he served as vice president. In 2000, he launched his own company, McKay Commercial Real Estate.

McKay began with zero clients and zero listings, and grew his company in just over two years to sell $4.5 million in commercial property largely in the Columbia area. His approach with his clients was consultative – by his managing for those clients the complicated process of purchasing investment-grade properties on their behalf, from high-end recreational tracts to shopping centers and other investment properties.

Once himself a client at Strategic Partner, Walker McKay was personally selected and recruited by Bill McCrary, its founder and CEO in 2003 to serve as the company’s vice president and, eventually,as its president. Together, they have built Strategic Partner into a successful sales force development firm that has helped hundreds of companies and individuals in Columbia and Greenville to grow, expand, and reach their true potentials.

McKay has an inherent sense of responsibility and a desire to give back to Columbia, his hometown. He currently serves as vice president of the board of directors and provides mentoring to teenagers at St. Lawrence Place, a transitional housing center for homeless families. In addition, McKay provides fundraising assistance to Children’s Garden, a daycare for homeless children developed by Volunteers of America (Carolinas). He is a past president of Heathwood Hall Episcopal School’s Alumnae Board and is both a graduate of, and a past board member of, Leadership Columbia. McKay has previously served as co-chairperson of the stewardship committee and on the vestry board of directors at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, where he and his family are members.  He is a member of the Columbia Rotary Club.  Just for fun, Walker is one of the founders of the Vicious Bikers, a local bicycle club who ride early in the morning around Columbia.

McKay and his wife Sally have two sons, Walker III and James Mitchell.

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Stratatomic, a creative design studio located in Greenville, SC, has recently added several Upstate businesses to its growing portfolio of clients, including Copper River Grill of Seneca and Columbia and Jenks Inc Realty of Greenville. Projects and services provided will include logo and identity design, advertising, menu design, web site development, hosting, and integrated WebAdmin site management tools and technology.

via Stratatomic
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comScore Networks has released its monthly qSearch analysis of activity across competitive search engines. In July 2006, Yahoo! Sites posted modest market share gains for the second consecutive month to reach 28.8 percent of U.S. searches, trailing Google Sites, which registered a 43.7 percent share. Google’s share declined 1 percent from the previous month, ending its impressive 11-month run of consecutive gains. Microsoft Sites held steady in third position with 12.8 percent share of searches, while Time-Warner Network (5.9 percent) and Ask Network (5.4 percent) each showed modest market share gains versus the previous month.

• Americans conducted 6.3 billion searches online in July, down 2 percent versus last month, reflecting seasonal declines typically seen in July. Growth in search query volume on an annual basis remains strong, rising 30 percent since July 2005.

• Google Sites led the pack with 2.7 billion search queries performed, followed by Yahoo Sites (1.8 billion), MSN-Microsoft (802 million), Time-Warner Network (366 million), and Ask Jeeves/Ask Network (338 million).

• Google and Yahoo! continued their dominance in toolbar searches, combining for more than 95 percent of the market share in July. Google grabbed 50.3 percent of toolbar searches, while Yahoo! captured 46.2 percent.

via comScore
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Acumen has hired Stewart Austin as director of strategic sales. Austin will oversee the company’s new dealer program, designed to establish partnerships with businesses to provide comprehensive enhanced technology solutions to their clients. Prior to joining Acumen, Stewart Austin worked for NuVox Communications and was founder and owner of Alpha Telecom Consulting. Austin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Furman University.
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Clear Channel Radio today announced that a full 269 of its radio stations in 66 markets are set to air HD digital multicasts. These additional stations represent the third wave of a larger launch begun in January. The new channels will also be made available at the company’s HD2 streaming site www.clearchannelmusic.com/hdradio/ as they go live.

Upstate stations set to go HD in the upstate include WMYI-FM, WESC-FM, WSSL-FM , and WBZT-FM.

Clear Channel Radio already has 300 stations offering their primary broadcasts in HD. Clear Channel says HD digital radio broadcasts will air on 95% of their stations in the top 100 markets by the end of 2007.

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RNK Telecom has announced that it has entered into a letter of intent to acquire iOnosphere, Inc., a South Carolina-based provider of VoIP products and services, and international long distance wholesale carrier. The transaction is expected to be finalized on or before August 31, 2006.

As an international wholesale carrier, iOnosphere terminates telecommunications traffic to over 200 destinations for a variety of customers, including Tier 1 U.S. and European carriers. Of particular note, is that the combined entity’s annual revenue is expected to exceed $60 million.

Upon integration into RNK’s corporate umbrella, iOnosphere will double RNK’s VoIP footprint and extend its reach to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South America.

Purchase price and other related terms have not been disclosed.
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IBM and MRO Software, Inc. have announced that the two companies have entered into a definitive agreement for IBM to acquire MRO Software Inc., a publicly held company based in Bedford, Mass., in an all-cash transaction at a price of approximately $740 million, or $25.80 per share.

MRO is provides asset and service management software and consulting, used by large companies to manage how they buy, maintain and retire assets – such as production equipment, facilities, transportation and information technology (IT) hardware and software.

Various websites list Indus and Datastream as the leading competitors to MRO.

According to statements, IBM intends to establish MRO Software’s operations as a business unit within IBM’s Tivoli software unit which is led by General Manager Al Zollar. Also, upon successful completion of the acquisition, IBM intends to incorporate MRO software technology into their Tivoli software offerings.

MRO has customer list includes: BP, ExxonMobile, China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), Cargil, Heineken, Frito Lay, Daimler Chrysler, Ford, GM, and others.

The acquisition is subject to MRO Software shareholder and regulatory reviews and other customary closing conditions. It is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2006.

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The Georgia Ports Authority has awarded a data mining, modeling and visualization project to Greer, SC-based Advanced Data Mining International, LLC (ADMI). The project will produce a decision support system to be used by GPA and governmental agencies to evaluate the environmental impacts of a proposed deepening of the Savannah Harbor.

GPA develops and operates the ports for the state of Georgia. ADMI provides data mining software, artificial intelligence computer programs and research services to utilities, manufacturers, environmental organizations, and oil and gas companies throughout the United States.

via ADMI
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Benefitfocus.com, Inc. announced that is has been chosen by Independence Blue Cross to deliver an integrated enrollment platform to its 3.4 million members. The multi-year agreement is the sixth major win of 2006 for Benefitfocus and includes the licensing of Benefitfocus technology, in addition to service and support.

“To be selected to serve Independence Blue Cross and its corporate clients is a tremendous endorsement of our technology, our service, and our strategic approach to the future of healthcare technology,” says Shawn Jenkins, President and CEO of Benefitfocus. “Our technology makes the enrollment process easier and more accurate, and ultimately, it will reduce the cost of health care.”

Benefitfocus will serve IBC’s entire book of business, enrolling and communicating benefits and consumer information options to over 46,000 large and small employer groups. Its customers have asked for an integrated platform that communicates seamlessly between IBC and its customers’ third party insurance, payroll and Human Resource Information Systems. Offering this robust technology will strengthen IBC’s relationship with its groups and members by enabling these diverse business applications.

“IBC is the market leader in providing innovative technology that serves its members and employers. More than ever before, our customers can do business faster, smarter and more smoothly,” says Christopher Butler, IBC Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “Benefitfocus strengthens our consumer choice offerings, while making it easy for members to get help making healthcare decisions, enroll in their benefits and have self- service access.”

IBC has already completed an in-depth design and discovery process and plans to offer full availability and rollout by 2007.

via Benefitfocus
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