GSA Technology Council

The first-ever ConvergeSC conference will take place on Saturday, June 27, at Amoco Hall on the University of South Carolina campus in Columbia, S.C. At this one-day event, web designers, web developers, and marketing and sales professionals whose careers involve the Web, will converge to gain insight into the Web industry from some of the brightest and best speakers in South Carolina and the Southeast.

Gene Crawford, President of PeriodThree, a web development firm, and co-founder of the conference, says that ConvergeSC grew from the need among web-focused groups to help build a more connected web community that does not exist formally in South Carolina.

“We’re spread out, working hard with our heads down,” explains Crawford. “ConvergeSC is an opportunity to educate and inspire each other to do better work. When you leave, we hope that you’re on a mission to build or design something amazing for yourselves and your clients. Whether you’re a hard core designer or a web or marketing intern, ConvergeSC is for you.”

ConvergeSC is for: web designers, web developers, business professionals, marketing professionals, content creators, and students.

Where: Amoco Hall, Swearingen Building, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of South Carolina, 301 Main Street, Columbia, S.C.

When: Saturday, June 27.

To register online, go to www.convergesc.org.

For the fourth year in a row, the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) has been named one of the Top 20 “public elite” high schools in the nation by Newsweek magazine. The Hartsville-based school is the only Palmetto State school selected.

Published June 8 as a web exclusive, Newsweek’s list ranks America’s 1,500 best public high schools.  The news magazine’s formula is designed to recognize schools that challenge average students through Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken in 2008.

The system creates the need for a separate category for top-performing schools like GSSM, where most students earn exceptionally high SAT and ACT scores and enroll in rigorous, college-level courses.

“It is extremely gratifying to be named to this prestigious list,” said Dr. Murray Brockman, GSSM president.

“Independent evaluation of the excellence of our students, faculty and staff by qualified observers at Newsweek is always welcome.  What makes us feel best, though, is that even though we are already among the best, we are actively expanding both our size and our curriculum, and expanding internationally as well.  The best is yet to come!”

GSSM, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, serves a high-achieving segment of the state’s high school juniors and seniors who are passionate about science, mathematics and technology and who are motivated to increase their knowledge in these subjects. One of only 14 public, residential high schools in the country that specialize in science and mathematics, GSSM offers an early college experience to its students and allows them to earn college credits for many of their math and science courses.

Of the school’s 56 students who graduated May 30, more than half will attend South Carolina colleges and universities in the fall. Notable out-of-state schools to be attended by GSSM graduates of 2009 include Harvard, Yale, Brown, Duke, Vanderbilt, Emory and Georgia Tech.

via Governor’s School for Science & Mathmatics

Dr. Brian J. Mihalik, associate dean and professor at the Graduate School for Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, has been named dean of the University of South Carolina’s College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management.

Mihalik was selected after a national search from among four finalists who visited the campus this spring and met with faculty, staff and students.

He will begin August 15.

University President Harris Pastides said Mihalik’s extensive experience in teaching, research and higher-education administration will make him a valuable member of his administrative team and a vibrant leader for the college, which has an enrollment of 1,800 students and 36 faculty members.

“His academic background in government, public relations and business, combined with his administrative and teaching experience, will bring a valuable perspective to the college and to my administration,” Pastides said. “His strong leadership qualities and his experience in public higher education made him a very strong candidate who captured the confidence of faculty, staff and students when he visited the university.”

Mihalik said he was looking forward to leading a college that boasts diverse programs and alumni who have risen to top positions in their respective fields.

“We in the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management are critical partners in moving South Carolina to the next level in the global economy,” Mihalik said. “Our college impacts the largest sectors that drive the economy in South Carolina. Hospitality, tourism, retail, sport and entertainment, and technology support and training make up a large portion of the state’s economy. Working with the faculty, administration, students, staff, alumni, industry partners and friends of the university, we will carve a path to excellence through our joint efforts.”

Mihalik earned his bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis on transportation from Syracuse University, where he also earned a pair of master’s degrees, one in instructional communication, media production and administration, and one in local government administration and management. He earned his doctoral degree in corporate public relations from Temple University.

After holding tenured faculty and administrative posts at Clemson, Oklahoma State and SUNY Brockport universities, he joined Virginia Tech in 1999 as department head and professor in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Since 2006, he has served as associate dean of the graduate school, overseeing education and the development of new graduate programs and working closely with eight college deans.

Mihalik will succeed Dr. Sheryl Kline, who has been interim dean since August 2007.

via: University of South Carolina

The first-ever ConvergeSC conference will take place on Saturday, June 27, at Amoco Hall on the University of South Carolina campus in Columbia, S.C. At this one-day event, web designers, web developers, and marketing and sales professionals whose careers involve the Web, will converge to gain insight into the Web industry from some of the brightest and best speakers in South Carolina and the Southeast.

Gene Crawford, President of PeriodThree, a web development firm, and co-founder of the conference, says that ConvergeSC grew from the need among web-focused groups to help build a more connected web community that does not exist formally in South Carolina.

“We’re spread out, working hard with our heads down,” explains Crawford. “ConvergeSC is an opportunity to educate and inspire each other to do better work. When you leave, we hope that you’re on a mission to build or design something amazing for yourselves and your clients. Whether you’re a hard core designer or a web or marketing intern, ConvergeSC is for you.”

ConvergeSC is for: web designers, web developers, business professionals, marketing professionals, content creators, and students.

Where: Amoco Hall, Swearingen Building, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of South Carolina, 301 Main Street, Columbia, S.C.

When: Saturday, June 27.

via: ConvergeSC

The SouthEast Linuxfest is occurring on June 13th at Clemson University. It begins at 9am, and runs till around 6pm, followed by an after party. The list of speakers includes:

• Chris Dibona - Slashdot co-founder, Current Open Source Czar at Google
• Mark Spencer - Original Developer of Gaim (pidgin) and Asterisk, currently CTO of Digium
• Russell Bryant - Asterisk stable package maintainer.
• Wendy Seltzer - Former EFF staff attorney, Board member, the Tor
• project, Founder, chillingeffects.org
• Joe ‘Zonker’ Brockmeier - Novell - openSUSE community manager.
• Greg DeKoenigsberg - RedHat - community architect, OLPC evangelist, board member, SugarLabs.org, former Fedora project leader.
• Ian Geiser - KDE project
• Pete Graner - Canonical - Ubuntu kernel team
• Ryan ‘Icculus’ Gordon - The ENTIRE Linux gaming industry
• Brian Leonard - Sun Microsystems - OpenSolaris
• Robby Workman - Slackware
• Alan Hicks - Slackware
• Richard Weait - OpenStreetMap
• Michelle & Michael Hall - Qimo
• Paul Frields - Fedora Project Leader
• Clint Savage - Fedora Project Contributor
• Keith Bergelt - CEO - Open Invention Network
• Semmy Purewal - Founder Free IT Athens - Assoc. Prof - College of Charleston
• D. Richard Hipp - SQLite
• Chad Wollenburg - Linux Basement

Yes, you no longer need to travel to Ohio for OLF, or LA for SCaLE to get good quality Free/Libre Open Source Software education and entertainment, as it’s now being brought back to the southeast. Moreover unlike some other conferences, you can get into this one for free. We also have a great exhibit hall with a nice mix of community projects and open source companies. So, you ask, how can I find out more, and register for SELF? Easy, just go to: http://southeastlinuxfest.org If you are on the east coast, particularly southern or central, or if you just want to witness the return of Linux in the GNU/South, don’t miss the SouthEast LinuxFest, it is truly going to be a blast. The SouthEast LinuxFest is a community event for anyone who wants to learn more about Linux and Free & Open Source software. It is part educational conference, and part social gathering. Like Linux itself, it is shared with attendees of all skill levels to communicate tips, ideas, and to benefit all who use Linux/Free and Open Source Software. LinuxFest is the place to learn, to make new friends, to network with new business partners, and most importantly, to have fun! Register at http://southeastlinuxfest.org/register

BeliefNetworks, Inc., which provides semantic intelligence and predictive analytics to Web publishers and advertising companies, today announced that it was named a 2009 member of the TechJournal South 2009 Tech50 list.

TechJournal South is the business publication for the southeast’s business community. Its third annual Tech50 list is composed of the top most innovative, privately held companies in the region.

“To be included in this list of tech industry leaders among the southeast is truly an honor for BeliefNetworks,” said Lisa Maki, president and co-founder of BeliefNetworks, Inc. “We’re working hard to develop products that will revolutionize the Web publishing industry, and it is a great feeling to be recognized by our fellow colleagues.”

The list selection criteria focused on a variety of areas including the uniqueness of the Company’s technology, management teams, market potential and market execution. Nominations were sought from venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and economic development executives in the area.

“The Tech50 companies all have strong unique technology positions and are poised to be the leaders in their respective industries,” said Eric Gregg, Publisher of TechJournal South. “We feel these are companies the Southeast region should take strong note of if they haven’t already. They represent the future leaders of the region’s technology economy.”

BeliefNetworks’ products transform real-time, structured and unstructured data — such as marketing campaign data, customer behavior information and social network conversations — into actionable knowledge for improved customer experience.

Most recently, BeliefNetworks launched AffinityAgent, a patent-pending product that enhances advertising and content placement for Web publishers.

The full list of winners is at www.tech50.org.

via: Belief Networks

EagleEye Analytics, a provider of world class predictive analytics solutions to the property and casualty insurance industry, announced today that Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance has selected EagleEye Analytics to be its provider of predictive analytics solutions under a long term services agreement.

Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance will use EagleEye Analytics’ Insight, a web-based predictive analytics solution. Insight uses advanced technologies to identify risk characteristics that impact profitability in a fraction of the time required by traditional market offerings. Insight enables insurers to rapidly implement superior underwriting, pricing, and marketing strategies that result in lower loss ratios and higher profitability.

“By partnering with EagleEye Analytics we’ve significantly enhanced our analytical capabilities and productivity without having to add internal resources. Because Insight is deployed as a “Software as a Service” solution we do not require any incremental investment in our IT infrastructure or staffing,” said Michael Cook, General Manager of Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance. “In addition to increasing our analytical prowess and speed to action, EagleEye Analytics’ solution also gives us a common platform from which to dialogue regarding analytics and business performance throughout the enterprise into such areas as pricing, underwriting, claims and marketing.” Mr. Cook added that EagleEye Analytics’ insurance industry knowledge, responsiveness, and clear dedication to outstanding customer service were important factors in the selection process.

“We are deeply gratified by the confidence placed in us and are pleased having Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance as a respected member of our client community. We have enjoyed our collaboration and look forward to a long lasting relationship,” said Terry R. Wade, president and chief executive officer of EagleEye Analytics.

via: Eagle Eye Analytics

Verizon Wireless announced that it has completed its network preparations throughout South Carolina for the 2009 Hurricane Season.

To ensure Palmetto State residents have comprehensive, reliable wireless coverage in case of severe weather, and every day, the company has invested more than $30 million since the start of last year’s Hurricane Season to strengthen and enhance its wireless network throughout the region.

Highlights of these enhancements include expanding capacity in the company’s regional switching facilities throughout South Carolina, erecting new digital cell sites with on-site back-up power, and deploying a team of “test men” across the state in high-tech vehicles to fine tune the company’s all-digital network.

These intensive investments and preparations proved critical during and after past years’ extraordinary storm seasons. In the aftermath of even the most devastating hurricanes, the Verizon Wireless network in South Carolina remained strong while many other wireless communication networks struggled to serve emergency response officials and residents reaching out to insurance providers, family, friends and co-workers.

Additional highlights of the Verizon Wireless 2009 Hurricane Season preparation and network enhancement include:

• A comprehensive emergency response plan, including preparing emergency command centers across South Carolina in the case of a storm or other crisis.


• Verizon Wireless network technicians, who serve as the inspiration for the famous TV Test Man commercials, traveled more than 22,142 miles across the state this past year in several vehicles (each valued at more than $250,000, equipped with phones, wireless data devices and computers) to measure the quality of voice and data calls on Verizon Wireless and other carriers.


• The company has a fleet of dozens of Cells on Wheels (COWS), Cells on Light Trucks (COLTS), and generators on trailers (GOATS) that can be rolled into hard-hit locations or areas that need extra network capacity.


• Pre-arranging fuel delivery to mobile units and generators to keep the network operating at full strength even if power is lost for an extended period of time.


• Erecting during the past year 35 new digital cell sites, of which 100 percent have their own on-site generators and new expanded fuel tanks to extend their power-generating capacity.


• The completion of the Verizon Wireless 3G high-speed wireless network throughout the region, allowing customers to access advanced wireless services more reliably and at even faster broadband speeds.


• Updating and optimizing technology at regional network switching facilities throughout the state. All of the company’s “super switches,” which are designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane, are equipped with large-scale back-up power generation.

These new technologies, facilities and network-strengthening efforts are part of an investment exceeding $631 million in South Carolina since the company was formed. Nationally, in that time period, Verizon Wireless has spent about $50 billion to enhance its digital wireless network.

SCRA presented its Knowledge Economist Award to Dr. David J. Moody and Dr. Charles K. Watt for their contributions to knowledge-based economic development in South Carolina. The awards ceremony was conducted following SCRA’s Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, April 29.

The recognition comes as Dr. Moody steps down from his role as SCRA Board Chair in order to fulfill increased responsibilities at Milliken & Company, and as Dr. Watt steps down from his seat on the board of SCRA’s SC Launch affiliate in order to concentrate on his current posts on both SCRA’s Board of Trustees and the Advisory Board of SCRA’s Applied Research and Development Institute.

Dr. Moody is President of Milliken Research Corporation and is also senior executive for Milliken’s Apparel Division. Dr. Moody’s citation recorded his singular contribution to both SCRA and the state of South Carolina in his recent years as Chair of SCRA’s Board. Included among the many SCRA accomplishments during his tenure are:

• SCRA’s growth from $89M to $110M in total annual revenue


• SCRA’s recognition by the US Navy for market-leading delivery and management of its ManTech R&D Centers of Excellence


• The Company’s capture in December 2008 of a seven-year, $700M Ordnance R&D contract with the US military and industry, the largest contract in SCRA history


• Full execution of the Company’s mandates under the SC Innovation Centers Act of 2005 and Industry Partners Act of 2006, resulting in national recognition by the State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) of SCRA’s execution program, SC Launch, as leading innovation in technology-based economic development in the US in 2008


• As measured by a 2008 University of South Carolina Moore School of Business study, SCRA’s economic contribution to the state for the year 2007 exceeded $1.4B and confirmed more than 15,000 high tech jobs with annual per capita wages of between $55K and $77K.

Dr. Watt, retired Founder and Chair of Scientific Research Corporation, was also congratulated for his contribution to the SC Launch Inc. initiative, as he was an original member of the SC Launch Inc. affiliate Board. Dr. Watt participated in early benchmarking exercises for the SC Launch Inc. program, which evaluated knowledge-based economic development programs in other states, and helped SCRA derive relevant processes and measurements which contributed directly to SC Launch’s SSTI national award.

To backfill Dr. Moody’s seat, the Governor has appointed as SCRA Chair Mr. William Masters, a well-known upstate entrepreneur and inventor. Mr. Masters was the Founder and CEO of Perception Kayaks, a first-of-a kind provider of composite recreational vessels. Among many interests in support of SC-based entrepreneurial development, Mr. Masters is a mentor for the Liberty Fellowship program and an active member of the Upstate Carolina Angel Network. Mr. Masters was also an original member of SCRA’s SC Launch Inc. affiliate Board.

To replace Dr. Watt’s seat on the SC Launch Inc. affiliate Board, the SCRA Executive Committee has appointed Mr. Mike Gantt. Mr. Gantt is a retired senior executive of FiServ, a $4.5B information technology and services provider to the insurance industry, where he served as both group President and Chief Operating Officer. In addition to FiServ, Mr. Gantt has startup and early stage management experience with Epiphany and PMSC. Mr. Gantt now consults on strategy, technology, and outsourcing for major US corporations and asset management firms, and has served as an advisor to both the Midlands Technical College Enterprise Campus Authority, and the SC Launch Inc. Board.

via: SCRA

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a proposed settlement with Consolidated Multiple Listing Service Inc. (CMLS) that requires CMLS to change its rules to allow low-priced and innovative brokers to compete with traditional brokers in the Columbia, S.C., area. The Department said the rules caused consumers to pay more for residential real estate brokerage services in the Columbia area.

The Department’s Antitrust Division filed its proposed settlement in U.S. District Court in South Carolina. If approved by the court, the proposed settlement would resolve the Department’s antitrust concerns.

“Today’s settlement will remove unlawful impediments to competition for real estate brokerage services in the Columbia area and will lead to more choices and lower brokerage fees for South Carolina consumers,” said Christine A. Varney, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department’s Antitrust Division. “For most Americans, purchasing a home is the most significant purchase of their life. This settlement demonstrates the Department of Justice’s continuing commitment to preserve competition in the real estate brokerage industry.”

A multiple listing service (MLS), like the one operated by CMLS, is a joint venture of real estate brokers that combines its members’ home listings information into an electronic database that is made available to all member real estate brokers. This database serves as a clearinghouse for the members to communicate important information among themselves, such as descriptions of the listed properties for sale and offers to compensate other members if they locate purchasers for those listings. In addition, the database allows member brokers who represent buyers to search for nearly all the listed properties in the area that match the buyer’s needs.

Because the MLS’s database is the primary source of home listings information on virtually every home listed for sale in a given area, access to the database - and therefore MLS membership - is critical for any real estate broker seeking to serve clients successfully in the MLS’s service area. Consequently, the rules adopted by the MLS governing who can be a member and how members must behave can have a significant impact on competition among real estate brokers in the area served by the MLS.

In May 2008, the Department’s Antitrust Division filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against CMLS in U.S. District Court in South Carolina, challenging policies and rules that restrained competition among brokers in Columbia in several ways. CMLS imposed burdensome prerequisites to membership that prevented some real estate brokers, such as those who would likely compete aggressively on price, from listing homes for sale in the MLS’s database, ensuring that those brokers could not compete in the Columbia area. CMLS required applicants for membership to discuss the nature of their businesses with a committee of incumbent members and reserved the power to deny membership to brokers who they feared would compete too aggressively. CMLS also stabilized the price of brokerage services by forcing its broker members to provide a full set of brokerage services regardless of whether a client wanted the required services. The Department said that those rules prevented consumers from receiving the full benefits of competition, discouraged discounting, and threatened to lock in outmoded business models.

The proposed settlement with CMLS requires it to change those rules and prohibits it from adopting new rules that exclude real estate brokers from membership based on their business models or price structures. CMLS must allow any broker holding the appropriate license under South Carolina law to become a member and cannot continue to exclude brokers based on their business models. It will repeal rules that denied Columbia-area home sellers the ability to hire a real estate broker to perform only the specific services the seller desired, at a lower cost than the seller would pay a traditional, full-service broker. CMLS also will repeal its requirement that its member brokers use only the single contract approved by CMLS, which blocked home sellers from alternative arrangements that allowed them to avoid paying any commission to their broker if the sellers found buyers for their homes.

The proposed settlement, along with the Department’s competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register, as required by the Antitrust Procedures and Penalties Act. Any person may submit written comments regarding the proposed final judgment within 60 days of its publication to John R. Read, Chief, Litigation III Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 5th Street, N.W., Suite 4000, Washington, D.C. 20530 (Tel: 202-307-0468). At the conclusion of the 60-day comment period, the court may enter the proposed final judgment upon a finding that it serves the public interest.