GSA Technology Council

Immedion, LLC, South Carolina’s first dedicated data center and managed services provider has been selected by the City of Charleston for virtual hosting services. After careful consideration, the City of Charleston selected Immedion because they offered an excellent level of services at a highly competitive price.

Before deciding on Immedion, the City of Charleston had been actively looking for a new data center for hosting services. “We were looking to rebuild our site and move to a new provider at the same time,” shares Wes Ratterree, the City of Charleston’s CIO. “Because of budgeting constraints the new site was put on the back burner, but we still had to move over to a new provider as soon as possible,” he states. “We had been looking at top tier providers in the southeast region and narrowed it down to three. After reviewing RFP responses from our top choices, we determined Immedion provided the level and quality of services we wanted at a price we couldn’t pass up,” explains Ratterree.

Immedion was a good fit for the City of Charleston from both a cost and timeliness perspective. “The city needed something now and we did everything in our power to make it happen for them,” comments Frank Mobley, Immedion’s CEO. Within less than a week The City of Charleston had signed a contract and moved their entire site over to Immedion’s virtual platform. “This partnership further establishes Immedion as the premier hosting and data center services provider in the state of SC,” comments Mobley. “It is important to us to make sure our customers get exactly what they need when they need it.”

For the City of Charleston the “overall experience has been very pleasant and encouraging. Immedion has been incredibly responsive to our needs, and the relocation of our Internet sites occurred without a single issue,” comments Ratterree.

via: Immedion

New Carolina and South Carolina’s Recycling Industry Group today announced the release of a new specialty license
plate that promotes recycling through the introduction of the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” specialty plate. The Recycling Industry Group is
one of the state’s economic clusters supported by New Carolina, South Carolina’s Council on Competitiveness.
Recycling is a thriving $6.5 billion industry in South Carolina that benefits both the economy and environment.

The Recycling Industry Group held a design contest for the specialty plate design and Janice Antley of Greer-based Mighty Mouse
Productions in was the winner. The Greater Greenville Sanitation Commission provided financial support to the Carolina Recycling
Association to advance the funding for the plate production fee. Proceeds from the plate will benefit the Carolina Recycling Association to
develop programs and outreach to grow recycling and enhance its importance as a smart solution to waste management through avoided
disposal fees, job creation and investment, and quality of life in the state.

“We are excited to promote the new recycling specialty plate to South Carolina citizens and encourage recycling with the message of
‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ on vehicles traveling in South Carolina and across the United States. Underscoring the message of recycling,
each license plate is also made from recycled aluminum,” said Ronnie Grant, chair of the Recycling Industry Group.
“We are proud to bring the ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ plate, which will bring awareness of recycling to a broad audience in the state, and
we are appreciative of the support we’ve received to be able to make this plate a reality,” said Gerry Fishbeck, chair of the South Carolina
Department of Commerce’s Recycling Market Development Advisory Council.

The specialty plates are a joint effort of New Carolina’s Recycling Industry Group, the Carolina Recycling Association, South Carolina
Department of Commerce’s Recycling Market Development Advisory Council, the Greater Greenville Sanitation Commission, Mighty
Mouse Productions and others who support South Carolina’s recycling industry.

“The ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ plate will bring a new level of awareness to recycling and being green in South Carolina,” said Holly
Bullman, president of the Carolina Recycling Association.

The “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” plate is among the first issued through the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV)
digital “on demand” process, which means the plates are not available in SCDMV field offices. Instead, the plates will be printed and
mailed as vehicle owners place orders.

The fee for the specialty “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” plates is $30 every two years, in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee.
Interested customers may place their license plate orders by mail, at http://www.scdmvonline.com, or at any SCDMV field office on form
MV-95. Applications will be processed within three to five business days.

via: New Carolina

Clemson University President James F. Barker has established a President’s Commission on Sustainability that is charged with creating and implementing a plan to make the university carbon neutral.

As a signatory to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, Clemson has pledged to reduce carbon emissions and to incorporate sustainability into its curriculum for all students. The new commission is charged with creating an action plan to achieve those goals.

The commission is comprised of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff representatives from various colleges and departments and representatives from Clemson’s Public Service Activities arm. The commission is chaired by Ben Sill, emeritus Alumni Professor of Civil Engineering.

“It is important to do everything we can on campus to reduce carbon emissions because that is just part of being a good citizen,” Sill said.

Sill said the commission will look at quick, short-term solutions, such as replacing light bulbs with energy-efficient lighting, as well as long-term plans, such as seeking green energy sources and enhancing green building practices.

Sill said getting sustainability into the classroom is just as important as reducing carbon emissions.

“We need to reach every student so that we are training future leaders on how to make the world better,” he said. “By teaching sustainability, our students will have a healthy regard for the future of our planet.”

via: Clemson University

Blackbaud, Inc., today announced that it is partnering with The Salvation Army World Service Office to power its Haiti relief online fundraising efforts. The site, which is now live, is processing donations at https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org.

“By using Blackbaud’s online fundraising solution, the organization can focus its attention on providing critical relief services and medical care to the people of Haiti instead of being burdened by technology issues and potentially missing out on donations.”

The Salvation Army has had a presence in Haiti since 1950 and currently operates schools, clinics, a hospital, feeding programs, children’s homes and church-related activities spread across two major facilities in Port au Prince, close to the epicenter of the earthquake. The Salvation Army continues to mobilize people and resources to assist with the international relief effort in Haiti. With the tremendous response from the public to this disaster, Blackbaud was asked to assist The Salvation Army with an unprecedented surge of online donations.

“We are working with partners like Blackbaud to maximize our ability to process donations that provide needed supplies to the people of Haiti,” said Major George Hood, national community relations secretary. “We turned to our Blackbaud team to provide technology that we could count on to handle such tremendous volume. Blackbaud’s rapid response helped us get our Haiti relief site up and running in a matter of hours, with no disruption to our fundraising efforts.”

To date, The Salvation Army’s World Services office, based in Alexandria, VA, has received $8.7 million in donations for the relief effort, and has delivered food, water and other emergency supplies, to assist in the recovery. The organization has sent more than 350,000 meals to the country, along with emergency disaster teams. As with all such relief efforts, The Salvation Army will be a part of the initial emergency response while assessing longer term needs of the residents.

“We are pleased to partner with The Salvation Army to power its online giving site in support of the disaster response in Haiti,” said Marc Chardon, Blackbaud’s chief executive officer. “By using Blackbaud’s online fundraising solution, the organization can focus its attention on providing critical relief services and medical care to the people of Haiti instead of being burdened by technology issues and potentially missing out on donations.”

via: Blackbaud

Pickens County Administration and Clemson University’s Institute for Economic and Community Development will be offering FastTrac at the Hampton Memorial Library in Easley. FastTrac is a practical, hands-on learning program designed to help entrepreneurs hone the skills needed to create, manage, and grow a successful business. FastTrac participants don’t just learn about business, they live it. They work on their own business ideas or existing ventures throughout the program.

FastTrac is a framework for entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs. Programs combine facilitator-led sessions, small-group exercises, guest subject-matter experts, and idea sharing with peers with business coaching and mentoring. Entrepreneurs hone the skills needed to create, manage and/or grow successful businesses. FastTrac is supported by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City, the largest foundation fostering entrepreneurship in the nation. Experienced entrepreneurs present the programs and guest speakers supplement their knowledge.

“In addition to the top-notch knowledge provided by the FastTrac program, participants work shoulder-to-shoulder with other entrepreneurs, creating a valuable peer network,” said Will Culler, Research Associate with Clemson University. “This interaction with peers and experienced entrepreneurs provides FastTrac participants a level of knowledge and support they could never get from a book or software.”

Those interested in participating in this program may sign up by visiting FastTracSC.org, calling 803-699-3179 or emailing: wculler@clemson.edu.

via: Fast Trac

Upstate business executive Carmen Geschke, President and founder of Greer-based Protec Enterprises, has been named to the vice chair role of the Minority Business Enterprise Input Council (MBEIC) Foothills Region serving both North and South Carolina.

The MBEIC is a standing committee of the Carolinas Minority Supplier Development Council, which works with minority businesses and corporate leaders across the Carolinas to foster partnerships that lead to increased business opportunities for both parties. As vice chair of the CMSDC’s Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee (MBEIC), Ms. Geschke will largely focus on businesses and corporations primarily in the Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina regions.

The announcement was made by Ray Lattimore, president and CEO of Marketplace Staffing of Greenville, who serves as chairman of the Foothills Region MBEIC and is a board member of the CMSDC.

“Carmen is an extremely talented, committed and energetic leader who brings tremendous credentials to this key role for the MBEIC,” said Lattimore. “Her connection, abilities and insights will go a long ways towards advancing the cause of minority businesses across the Carolinas.”

A native of Germany, Ms. Geschke founded Protec Enterprises in 2004 to offer custom production services, quality assurance, logistics management and warehousing/distribution to tier 1 and tier 2 automotive suppliers. ISO 9001:2000 certified and a certified Minority Business Enterprise, Protec has enjoyed consistent growth and success since its founding.

Ms. Geschke previously held leadership positions with automotive organizations in both Michigan and Duncan, South Carolina before founding Protec. She is active in numerous area organizations including the YWCA, the Black German Cultural Society and New Apostolic Church of Greer.

via: CMSDC

U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC) offered a congressional letter Thursday to the executives of Google commending the Internet search company for standing firm against China censors, saying, “we need to commend companies that will not cooperate with governments intent on violating human rights.”

Inglis also joined with Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) Thursday at a press conference to call for a vote on the Global Online Freedom Act (H.R. 2271), a bipartisan bill that would prevent U.S. information technology companies from collaborating with repressive foreign governments in their efforts to conduct Internet censorship and surveillance on their own citizens. The legislation has passed multiple House Committees in the previous Congress.

“Americans are all too familiar with China’s record of human rights violations,” Inglis said, noting that basic political freedoms and human rights are denied to China’s 1.3 billion citizens. “The brave activists who seek to reform the system are hounded relentlessly and imprisoned by the government, and American companies should not cooperate.”

On Tuesday, Google revealed that the Gmail accounts of these human rights activists were the subject of “a highly sophisticated and targeted attack.” Company officials said they would no longer cooperate with censorship efforts by the government and would pull out if the surveillance attacks did not stop.

“Google decided to stand on principle and appears willing to renounce the growing Chinese advertising market in order to uphold its commitment to the free flow of information, “ Inglis said. “We commend them on this decision and express our support for them and for the Chinese people as the situation unfolds.

During a press conference Thursday, Inglis as to join Rep. Frank Wolf, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders and former Chinese political prisoners Harry Wu and Wei Jingsheng to comment Google’s announcement. Rep. Smith will call on House leaders to finally vote on the Global Online Freedom Act. Smith met with Google officials in his office Wednesday to discuss the bill, which the company has previously endorsed.

via: Bob Inglis

The Consortium for Enterprise Systems Management has launched a redesigned Web site.

The Web site plays a key role in the mission of the Consortium to increase the number of people in the IT talent pipeline.

The Web site aims to:

* Clearly define our mission and goals: Teach IT, Enable IT, Grow IT and Promote IT
* Inform students, parents, teachers, guidance counselors and career specialists about the exciting possibilities that a career in information technology can offer
* Illustrate how K-12 students, college students, IT entry-level employees, IT professionals and IT executives can enter and contribute to the information technology talent pipeline
* Connect students, professionals, educators and community leaders to news and events about information technology
* Promote collaboration among businesses on research and ideas for creating new technology and increasing the talent pool

In addition to the Web site, the Consortium is now on social-networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter. The Web site and social-networking sites are the first steps in a media plan for promoting information technology and the Consortium’s mission.

We have an exciting year planned, including the following:

* Expanding the Create IT Computer Camps to Charleston and Greenville
* Published a “Be a Part of Information Technology” brochure with the Midlands Education and Business Alliance
* Producing Virtual Job Shadows with Mircoburst Learning
* Hosting the Business of IT Forum with InnoVenture
* Expanding the Palmetto Open Source Software Conference (POSSCON) with Palmetto Computer Labs

And, we soon will announce the addition of new partners and a move to a new facility that will allow us to further expand our programs.

The site will be the place for you and others interested in joining our mission to find out about the latest news and events in IT. The site will be continuously updated with plans for a blog, a forum, an interactive map that will include our partners and more content aimed at building excitement among students about the possibilities of information technology.

via: GOCESM.ORG

Sealevel’s Relio R5200 embedded computer offers a wealth of I/O features with the benefits of solid-state operation with no fans or other moving parts. The computer is powered by a 2.2GHz Intel® Core™2 Duo CPU that is designed to run fanless up to 45°C. The compact chassis has expansion slots for one PCI Express X16 and one full-height PCI card. The system supports up to 4GB of DDR2 667MHz RAM and is ideal for harsh, industrial environments.

An optional 2.5” solid-state SATA hard drive – perfect for optional solid-state hard drives – can be integrated and preloaded with Microsoft Windows or Windows Embedded operating systems. Linux is also supported. Operating from solid-state hard drive, the fanless design offers the ultimate in reliability — no moving parts.

The R5200 offers a wealth of standard I/O features including dual Gigabit Ethernet, six USB 2.0 ports, four serial ports, and VGA video. The system includes an external power supply and US power cord that accepts 100-240V AC input and outputs 24VDC @ 120W. The metal enclosure allows for versatile mounting to walls, under counters, and on tabletops.

The 2GB Relio R5200 (Item# R5220) is available from $1,499.00 while the 4GB version (Item# R5240) is available from $1,599.00.

Sealevel Systems, founded in 1986, provides industrial computing solutions in addition to a variety of communications and I/O products including PCI Bus cards, Ethernet serial servers, USB serial adapters, PCMCIA cards, and PC/104 modules. The product line includes multi-port RS-232, RS-422/485, RS-232/422/485 multi-interface high-speed sync/async, and digital/relay I/O. For more information, visit www.sealevel.com or call 864-843-4343.

via: Sealevel

Innegrity LLC, a high-performance fiber manufacturer focusing on the composites industry, announces today that Samson, the worldwide leader in performance cordage, has chosen the Innegra™ S fiber for a new line of ropes, the first of which has been developed for the sailing market.

The high-quality MLX, Samson’s first product using Innegra S, is intended for sailors looking to upgrade from traditional fibers but who do not require the characteristics of the most expensive synthetic fibers. Innegra S is more responsive than traditional nylon and polyester and delivers exceptional hardiness in a more lightweight material. By integrating Innegrity’s fiber into the MLX, the sailing rope possesses the benefits of more expensive fibers at an attractive price point. MLX is designed for the club racer but is also suitable for the performance-oriented cruiser.

“The team at Samson recognized the great benefits integrating Innegra S into their select ropes and moved quickly to be the first to bring Innegra S to their product line,” says Brian G. Morin, Ph.D., CEO of Innegrity LLC. “It is an honor to partner with a company such as Samson and to have them select our fiber for a key product line, which underscores our and their commitment to innovation and continued excellence. We look forward to a lasting partnership.”

Innegra S will be showcased at Material ConneXion’s MEDIUM Award for Material of the Year 2009 Exhibition, which will be held January 11-February 19, 2010. Material ConneXion has bestowed Material of the Year 2009 Honorable Mention on the Innegrity Innegra S fiber.

via: Innergrity