GSA Technology Council

Our October presentation will be delivered by Target Marketing magazine’s 2008 Direct Marketer of the Year. Pamela Ansley Evans is the Global Web Marketing Manager for the IBM Software Group. She has responsibility for IBM Worldwide web marketing strategies, web analytics and content on Software Group customer websites in over 70 countries.

Pam Evans has responsibility for IBM Worldwide web marketing strategies, web analytics and content on Software Group customer websites in over 70 countries. A digital marketing and Globalization leader for ibm.com marketing, Ms Evans conducts workshops with sales and marketing teams on how to use the web to engage new prospects and generate leads.

Evans joined IBM in 1980 as an editor of a divisional magazine and spent 15 years in corporate communications before assuming responsibility for developing the marketing programs for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games where IBM launched its first online catalog.

At IBM she has led teams in the development of web marketing for the last 12 years, working to integrate telesales with customer websites and launch relationship marketing programs including the Gold Service program which was acknowledged as an industry leading practice by Peppers and Rogers. These marketing programs have been recognized by the Direct Marketing Association and received numerous marketing awards.

Ms Evans earned an MBA degree in marketing from Georgia State University and a BA in English from Georgia Southern University. She serves as a charter member of iDirect, Vice Chairman of the Direct Marketing Associations’ B2B Council and speaks frequently to professional marketing and sales groups.

She was named as the Marketer of the Year for 2008 by Target Marketing Magazine and one of the top 100 marketers by B to B Magazine in 2006 and 2007.

Pam speaks to the GSA Technology Council in October.

With its official launch, the Log for Life glucose logging application and its companion iPhone app provide insulin dependent diabetics a simple and effective way to manage blood sugar levels for a healthier, longer life.

What is diabetes? The American Diabetes Association defines diabetes as “a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.” Diabetes requires close management of blood sugar levels (glucose) to improve quality of life and reduce the risk of severe health complications. Managing diabetes may involve lifestyle changes, but for more than 3 million diabetics in the U.S. alone, managing this disease requires daily glucose checks and insulin injections. Log for Life is here to help empower and support these diabetics, though Log for Life can be used by those affected by either type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

The inspiration for Log for Life came from Ethan, a type 1 diabetic and a graphic designer at the software company Gnoso. Ethan explained, “I tried many other sites and tools and none were easy to use or gave me the insight into my log data to help me make changes. Since I log my glucose levels multiple times a day, I wanted a tool that was fast, functional, and beautiful.” With the help of a team of experienced web developers and successful entrepreneurs, Ethan’s passion for building a helpful tool for himself and others grew into Log for Life.

Log for Life allows diabetics to quickly enter glucose levels, carbohydrate intake, medication intake, time spent exercising, weight, and additional notes. These entries can be made in multiple ways to make logging fast and easy. Any mobile phone that can send email, connect to the web, or send a text message to an email address can also log entries. Additionally, the Log for Life: Diabetes Quick Entry iPhone application allows entries to easily be made from an iPhone or iPod touch.

Since entries can be made in less than 10 seconds, Log for Life effectively replaces paper log books and complicated glucose meter software. Even those who are not in the habit of logging their glucose can start logging with minimal effort. Diabetes can strike at any age and supporting a diabetic can involve a whole team, so Log for Life is designed to be used by anyone, from children to parents, doctors to teachers. The effectiveness of the design was confirmed in 2008 when Log for Life won an industry design award that included judges from the world renowned IDEO design firm.

Log for Life can be shared with family, friends, or a health care team, so anyone can monitor and provide support. The data analysis features on the web site allow a diabetic to review past entries for trends, then print the log for a Doctor’s appointment, or export the data for further analysis. Log for Life puts diabetics in control of their information and their diabetes.

With ease of use, multiple entry and reporting features, Log for Life empowers diabetics to be the best they can be without the hassle.

via: Log for Life

You can now enjoy the content of previous GSA Technology Council meetings, news, jobs and more via iTunes! Listen from your computer, portable media device such as an iPod, iPhone, etc. We are offering this service as another way to get up to date information on our services, news and past events. To have these delivered to your device click on the button to the right. It will launch iTunes. Click the Subscribe button in iTunes and our audio updates will be delivered to your computer and portable listening device auto-magically.

The 11th International Design Structure Matrix (DSM) Conference schedule for the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) Oct. 11-13 will focus on the complexity of systems that exist in various industries. The conference returns to the United States after eight years in Europe and will be hosted by the Clemson University mechanical engineering department.

In addition to automotive engineering, the conference will cover architectural engineering, aerospace, information technology, manufactured goods, plant engineering and other areas. It is for practitioners, academics, researchers and software developers of DSM-related tools to exchange experiences, share development results and discuss trends in all kinds of industries.

Keynote addresses will feature Dan Braha of the New England Complex Systems Institute & University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Steven Eppinger of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management and Sean Callahan of The Boeing Company.

Registration for the conference is available at http://www.dsm-conference.org/. For more information contact Fadel at 864-656-5620.

via: DSM Conference

Few can argue that web applications present significant threat of attacks for organizations. Stay ahead of the hackers, understand how vulnerabilities in applications are first exposed and then exploited by cyber-criminals for profit.

Dan Gravelle, a Technology Specialist and a member of the IBM Security Team presented the importance of web application security during our April 2009 Learning Lunch — today’s most significant online threat. Several of the most common web application attacks — how they occur, and what can be done to prevent them. Manual versus automated approaches for scanning and identifying web application vulnerabilities How an automated vulnerability scanner can help you automate more of what you are doing manually today. Dan demonstrated the most common attacks and how easy it can be for today’s “hackers” to break into your systems. I guarantee this will keep you on the edge of your seats during the entire podcast espisode.

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Once again, the S.C. Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) leads Palmetto State high schools with the  largest number of National Merit Semifinalists. Fifteen students from the class of 2010 recently were notified of their eligibility in the National Merit Semifinalists program. They are among 16,000 students across the United States now vying for 8,200 scholarships worth more than $36 million that will be offered next spring.

GSSM’s National Merit Semifinalists include:

• Rowan Armstrong – North Charleston
• Kayla Broeker – Orangeburg
• Alexis Carr – Chester
• Alice Chang – Summerville
• China Cox – Mullins
• Dominic Ranz Ebarle Errazo – Goose Creek
• Millie Griffin – Florence
• Ramiz Hamid – Saint Helena
• Emily Harruff – Columbia
• Andy Jenkins – Abbeville
• Somin (Susie) Lee -  Greenville
• James F. McManus Jr. – Lexington
• Peter Rassolov – Columbia
• Alice Sudlow – Florence
• Seok-Hyun Sung – Columbia

“I’m really proud each one of these fifteen students, not just for their outstanding results with National Merit Scholarships, but for all that they do,” said Murray Brockman, GSSM president.
“They are truly exceptional in every way and all the credit goes to them and to their families as they bring honor to themselves, our school and our state.”

One-hundred and forty-six S.C. public high school and homeschool students were announced as semifinalists Wednesday.

About 90 percent of the total 16,000 semifinalists are expected to advance to the finalist level, and approximately half of those will eventually earn a scholarship, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the program’s non-profit sponsor.

More than 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2010 National Merit Program by taking the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which serves as an initial screening.

The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.  To advance to the finalist stage, a semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the high
school principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier  performance on the qualifying test.

A detailed scholarship application – including an essay and information about the student’s participation and leadership in school and community activities – also is required.  Merit Scholars will be selected from the finalist pool on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

Scholarship awards will be announced in beginning April 2010 and concluding in July.

via: SC Govenor’s School of Science and Mathematics

The Upstate Women In Technology meet this Thursday for lunch, networking, and to discuss the following topic: How will we grow the talent pipeline to manage the business of IT in the state of South Carolina? Join us for an eye opening discussion on the predicted shortage of IT professionals in the state of South Carolina. Lonnie Emard, Executive Director of the “Consortium for Enterprise Systems Management”, will be making a presentation to our group about what they are doing to grow the IT talent pool within the state of SC. Lonnie is also the Director of Staff Resource Management at BlueCross in Columbia.

Lunch is served at 12:00 noon at City Range Restaurant on Haywood Rd. Cost is $11.00 for lunch. RSVP to Jill Rose at 675-1592.

via: Upstate Women In Technology

The GSATC.org website will get some “behind the scenes” updates at 6 pm today. The system may be unavailable during the (expected to be) short update.

We think the world is one of lots of connections. One of our proudest accomplishments with the GSATC is when we help you make some meaningful connection in the community. We love it when Startups find investors, Businesses find customers, and Employers find talented employees at our events. It is why we are here. What we worry about sometimes, is that there are some people who really could use the kind of help we offer, but they do not yet know we are here. If you like what we’re doing and would like others to know about us and our mission, could you help by becoming a fan of our Facebook page? It might be just the connection we need to build South Carolina’s next big thing.

via: GSATC on Facebook