GSA Technology Council

Part educational conference, part social gathering, the SouthEast LinuxFest is a community event for anyone who wants to learn more about Linux and Free & Open Source software. LinuxFest is the place to learn, to make new friends, to network with new business partners, and most importantly, to nerd out over Linux!

The three day conference boasts a grand line-up of speakers, a set of workshops and everything else an open source junkie could get their iPads around.

Speakers to find at the conference:

• Alan Hicks – Introduction to the 802.11 MAC AND Modern Ciphers 101 – Theory & Practice

• Brian Smith – Django AND DNSSEC

• Celeste Lyn Paul – No Boundaries: KDE Is Everywhere

• Daniel Walsh – Secure Virtualization (svirt) AND An Overview of SELinux

• James Schweitzer – Open Source in K12 Education: Lessons Learned From District Wide Deployments

• and more…

If that’s not enough, Tech After Five is a proud, proud sponsor!

Event Details:
What: 2010 SouthEast LinuxFest
Where: Marriott at Renaissance Park hotel in Spartanburg, SC
Date: June 11-13, 2010
To Register: SouthEast LinuxFest

Todd Harward, president of SCBT Wealth Management Group (NASDAQ: SCBT) announced today that they will open an office at 349 East Main Street.

“We are excited to have been able to locate our Wealth Management offices in the downtown Spartanburg area”

The 3,410 square foot office, located in the Mary Black Foundation building, is planned to open in early January 2010.

“We are excited to have been able to locate our Wealth Management offices in the downtown Spartanburg area,” said Harward. ”Our comprehensive approach to serving client needs includes investment and risk management, financial, estate, and charitable planning, estate settlement, trust administration, and private banking. We look forward to establishing a full-service retail banking location in the Spartanburg community in the new year.”

Customer service at the new location will be provided by Bill Coker, senior relationship manager; Frank Sanders, senior trust advisor; Brian Barker, portfolio manager; Charles Williams, portfolio manager; and Donna Murray, wealth planning advisor.

SCBT Financial Corporation, Columbia, South Carolina is a registered bank holding company incorporated under the laws of South Carolina. The Company consists of SCBT, N.A., the third largest bank headquartered in South Carolina and NCBT, a Division of SCBT, N.A. Providing financial services for over 75 years, SCBT Financial Corporation operates 48 financial centers in 16 South Carolina counties and Mecklenburg County in North Carolina. Named in Forbes as one of the 100 Most Trustworthy Companies in America, SCBT Financial Corporation has assets of approximately $2.8 billion and its stock is traded under the symbol SCBT in the NASDAQ Global Select Market. More information can be found at www.SCBTonline.com.

via: SCBT

John Windley, president of South Carolina Bank and Trust (SCBT) announced today that four former Wachovia wealth management executives will lead SCBT’s entry into Spartanburg.

“Founded in 1933, SCBT has been serving the financial needs of South Carolinians for more than 75 years,” said Windley. “Our niche is community banking. We believe in South Carolina and understand the needs of the local markets. This will be our first step into the Spartanburg market, further expanding our commitment to the Upstate and rounding out our presence throughout the state.”

“Bill Coker will lead the team of seasoned executives including, Frank Sanders, Charles Williams and Brian Barker in providing a new dimension to our private banking and wealth management capabilities. The Spartanburg based initiative will eventually include banking and credit services to round out a full service offering,” said Todd Harward, president, SCBT Wealth Management Group.

“We are fortunate to have the exceptional local leadership to be able to take our wealth management and private banking offering to a new level,” said Windley. “Bill, Frank, Charles and Brian add a depth of expertise and style of full service relationship management that we will be able to leverage across the Carolinas.”

A native of Spartanburg, Coker has 27 years of banking experience with Wachovia and its predecessors. Previously, he served as senior relationship manager for Wachovia’s wealth management clients.

Coker earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Delaware. He is a Certified Financial Planner and holds his FINRA Series 7 and Series 63 licenses.

“SCBT is committed to the same vision that is to provide comprehensive, objective advice through a fully integrated platform, serviced locally by a team of professionals,” said Coker. “I am looking forward to being part of this entrepreneurial company. There is a great opportunity for a well-capitalized bank to focus on wealth and private banking in Spartanburg and the Upstate market.”

Frank Sanders, also a Spartanburg native, has more than 20 years experience with Wachovia and previously NationsBank in the Trust Department. Frank earned his Juris Doctorate from the USC School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Wofford. Sanders also maintains his CTFA (Chartered Trust Financial Advisor) designation.

With more than 20 years experience in the investment business, Charles Williams has been a portfolio manager for Wachovia since 2003. Williams is a graduate of the Asheville School and the University of North Carolina Asheville. He maintains his CFP (Certified Financial Planner) designation.

Brian Barker has over 10 years experience in the investment management business and has been a portfolio manager for Wachovia since 2003. Barker earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from Clemson University and his MBA from the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Barker is the current president of the SC Chapter of the Financial Planning Association, and maintains his professional designations, CFP (Certified Financial Planner), CTFA (Chartered Trust Financial Advisor) and AIF (Accredited Investment Fiduciary).

via: South Carolina Bank and Trust

AFL Telecommunications, a division of Fujikura Ltd. of Japan, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month. Organized in 1984, AFL started as a joint venture between Alcoa, then known as the Aluminum Company of America, and Fujikura Ltd., a leader in the telecommunications and automotive industries, and built its manufacturing operations in Duncan, South Carolina. Initially focused on the supply of Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) to utilities, AFL has since expanded its portfolio to include conductor accessories, fusion splicers, optical connectivity and fiber management. AFL entered the services business to expand its offering to its customer base, providing a total “one-stop” solution.

Over the years, AFL has expanded its facilities to include Mexico and Europe and added sales offices throughout the world. As the market continuously changes, AFL seeks new opportunities in fields such as oil and gas, medical, mining and broadcast while remaining competitive in its current markets including broadband, telecom, utility and enterprise networks.

“As we look towards the future, we expect continued growth and see the next 25 years to be just as exciting and rewarding as the first,” said Jody Gallagher, President and CEO of AFL Telecommunications. “We wouldn’t have made it this far without the commitment of our employees. It’s through their dedication and hard work that we’ve made it this far, and they are to be commended.”

AFL is marking this occasion with a Family Fun Day for AFL associates and family members. For additional information on AFL Telecommunications and Fujikura, visit www.AFLtele.com.

via: AFL Telecommunications

AFL Network Services, a leader of integrated network solutions for the hospitality and telecommunications industry, announces it was selected to install state-of-the-art network infrastructure as part of Peabody Hotel Group’s $450 million expansion of the Peabody Orlando. AFL will provide engineering support, materials, and installation for the voice, data and video networks.

Given the high rate of leisure traffic and ranking as the nation’s No. 2 convention destination, Orlando has a reputation for some of the best hotels in the country. At the top of the list is the Peabody Hotel, one of the most luxurious sites in the city and neighbor to the Orange County Convention Center on International Drive. Priding itself on catering to the meetings and conventions industry nationwide, the Peabody Hotel has established itself as the Orlando convention hotel of choice for the nation’s professional meeting planners. In order to accommodate the many vacationers and business executives that travel to the area week in and week out, the Peabody sought to expand its operations, adding a new tower to its existing properties.

“We selected AFL as our service provider out of a group of highly-qualified contenders,” said Michael Craft, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the Peabody Hotel Group. “This project is critical to our company and is very complex due to its size, as well as the quality that we are demanding of the completed product. We believe AFL is well- qualified to handle the cabling component of the project, and are counting on it to meet our technical requirements on schedule and on budget. We are very pleased with how AFL’s work is progressing thus far”.

With a target completion date of Fall 2010, the Peabody expansion includes a new 32-story guest room tower. With 1,641 luxurious rooms the Peabody Orlando will become the largest four star hotel in North America, excluding casino properties. Other project highlights include a 55,000 square foot ballroom, three new pools and a 2,100 vehicle parking garage. From conference room to poolside cabana, all guest areas of the hotel will have access to a wide range of technology amenities.

AFL Network Services scope of work includes the installation of nearly one million feet of Cat5e cabling, intended for voice applications, and RG-6 coaxial cable will be installed for transmitting cable television and other video applications. Approximately one million feet of Cat6 cable with connectivity will be installed to allow for a high-speed data infrastructure, helping facilitate records, billing, and information that the hotel will store in its computers. The data infrastructure will also transmit digital signage information throughout the hotel and convention center. The entire fiber backbone will consist of AFL fiber and connectors.

“AFL Network Services is extremely pleased to be selected for such an exciting project. The scope of this project is a showcase for AFL’s expertise with end-to-end network solutions and value engineering. We look forward to celebrating the grand opening of the new expansion,” stated Kent Brown – Vice President, Enterprise of AFL Network Services.

AFL Network Services’ mission is to provide advanced hospitality technology and network management services. AFL not only provides expertise in end-to-end network solutions, but partners with clients to ensure guest satisfaction and loyalty. Whether building, upgrading or expanding network communication systems, AFL has extensive knowledge of the latest technologies in the industry.

via AFL Network Services

On June 11, AFL Telecommunications presented a $60,000 check for its annual United Way campaign to Kathy Dunleavy, President and CEO of United Way of the Piedmont. This year’s contribution is an increase of 45% over the 2008 campaign.

“With the downturn in the economy, we didn’t set high expectations and were hoping to maintain last year’s giving or give slightly higher,” said Corie Culp, community relations manager of AFL Telecommunications. “But at a time when our community needs us the most, our associates really stepped up to the plate to give back.” Employee giving increased 47% over the 2008 campaign.

AFL kicked off its campaign with a corporate contribution of $5,000 and two challenges – AFL matched, dollar for dollar, all monies donated over last year’s employee contributions; and teams were set up with various goals to attain, earning associates an additional vacation day. AFL ambassadors were recruited internally to answer questions and talk with other associates about United Way and their mission, as well as encourage associates to donate, making them aware of the different goals. AFL held an Agency Fair in early May where various agencies from both Spartanburg and Greenville where invited set up a display and talk with associates about what they do, what their needs are and how they can help. And lastly, AFL hosted a company carnival where associates competed for prizes and bragging rights with a Rock Band/Wii competition, basketball hoops competition, putting green, horseshoes and adult trike races.

“When we plan our events, we want to accomplish two things – inform associates about United Way and community agencies and generate excitement about what they do that helps our community prosper,” said Sherise Brown, Human Resources Director. “We’re pleased to support United Way each year and we thank our employees for helping to make this year’s campaign a monumental success.”

via: AFL Telecommunications

IBM and InterContinental Hotels Group today announced the first deployment of its “Hotel-in-a-Box” solution at Holiday Inn Express properties in Spartanburg, South Carolina. As a result, Holiday Inn Express was able to slash technology and property support systems implementation time in half.

Designed in conjunction with IHG, Hotel-in-a-Box (HIB) is an integrated technology package that provides hotel owners who are building properties from the ground up with a fully managed, cost saving solution. HIB includes the design, development and management of the core systems needed to support a property, including property management, cabling & wiring, network design, guest high speed Internet access, door locking, telephone switch (PBX) & phones, video surveillance, voicemail, business center, HDTV and in-room entertainment.

Customer service is paramount in the hospitality industry, and HIB enables hotel owners to offer guests services they have come to expect through user-friendly platforms, including high definition content, Internet access, business productivity tools, Web TV, music, games and more.

“IBM did a fantastic installation, and in our first month since we opened, all systems are working without a hitch,” said Suresh Desai, Director of Administration for Pinnacle Hospitality, a full service hotel, restaurant and conference center Management Company that oversees the new Holiday Inn Express properties in Spartanburg. “We selected IBM because it is a single, trusted point of contact with buying power and installation expertise. You wouldn’t buy a car by going to different vendors and selecting the tires, engine or auto body — you want the package, and that’s what we got.”

Holiday Inn’s HIB is built on the IBM System x and was implemented by IBM Global Technology Services. The system can be tailored to any owner’s needs and includes IBM support for designing, building and installation, and ongoing assistance.

“In the very competitive hospitality industry, a positive customer experience is paramount,” said Gustaaf Schrils, Vice President of Hotel Technology and Services, IHG. “This means every guest touch point, from check-in to all services offered, has to be anticipated and working smoothly. IBM’s Hotel-in-a-Box provides consistent, high-quality deployment and a tremendous value for our owners when dealing with the complexity of today’s hotel technology ecosystem. Another advantage is IBM’s full 24/7/365 support for all systems, eliminating the need to deal with multiple vendors and increasing the efficiency of the hotel staff.”

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) [LON: IHG, NYSE: IHG (ADRs)] is the world’s largest hotel group. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, more than 4,200 hotels and more than 620,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world.

via: IBM

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

AFL Network Services, an industry leader in hospitality technology integration and wireless engineering, announces they were selected for the wireless integration of the Omni Hotels commencing in 2009. The integration began with the Omni Fort Worth, the city’s newest and largest hotel, which celebrated its grand opening January 12, 2009, followed by the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale. BelAir Networks, a market leader in service provider WLAN, was selected for Wi-Fi deployments.

Omni Hotels was the first luxury hotel brand in the US to offer Wi-Fi system-wide with access in guest rooms and public spaces in 2003. Because Omni Hotels owns and manages the majority of their properties, technology support is centralized and standardized across the brand enabling rapid deployment and installation of new technology applications across the company. With a primary customer focus on upscale business and leisure travelers, Omni Hotels has experienced increased Internet use both in terms of the number of users as well as their bandwidth demands. This trend is driven by the growing number of Wi-Fi applications and mobile-enabled devices that guests use when they travel. The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), in its study “2008 Current and Future Technology Use in the Hospitality Industry”, identified Wi-Fi services as the “IT system that guests care about most.” The importance of Wi-Fi to hotel guests in driving the hospitality industry’s evolution to higher performance 802.11n based networks.

“With nearly 50 percent of our guests using Wi-Fi and their bandwidth demands continuing to accelerate, we sought a high-performance network partner which could ensure we continue to serve our customers’ needs on a ‘go-forward basis’,” said Richard Tudgay, vice president of information technology for Omni Hotels. “BelAir Networks comprehensive portfolio of indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi networking products enables us to deliver high-capacity, ubiquitous coverage that is cost-effective and easy for us to manage centrally.”

Installed and serviced by AFL Network Services, driven by the powerful, feature-rich BelAirOS operating system software, and managed by BelView, BelAir Networks offers the industry’s most comprehensive product portfolio of indoor access points (AP) and outdoor wireless nodes supporting both Wi-Fi and WiMAX as well as public safety, defense and intelligent transportation system (ITS) frequency bands. At the Omni Fort Worth, AFL Network Services deployed 77 BelAir20 APs. These best-in-class, ultra-compact and easily powered dual-radio, dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi indoor APs employ hosted software-based control enabling centralized management and lowering network CapEx by about 30%. Configurable as a wired AP, a mesh point or a bridge from outside, the BelAir20 AP supports both wireless and wired backhaul.

“AFL Network Services’ job is really to complement Omni Hotel’s in-house IT team by providing design, installation and technical support on both the wireless network and the structured cabling so we have a huge stake in the success of their network,” said Kent Brown, vice president of AFL Network Services’ Enterprise Division. “We’ve worked with BelAir Networks on many hospitality and campus deployments, and the feedback from customers and end users is always extremely positive.”

AFL Network Services’ mission is to provide advanced hospitality technology and network management services using high-performance and very reliable Wi-Fi equipment. Partnering with BelAir, AFL is able to provide outstanding quality to drive guest satisfaction and quality.

“Omni Hotels has been a real innovator in providing Wi-Fi services so we’re very proud to support the evolution of their Wi-Fi networks,” said Bernard Herscovich, President and CEO, BelAir Networks. “Our experience with hospitality, telecom and cable operators has enabled us to craft a product portfolio that delivers high-performance, cost-effective Wi-Fi coverage that’s easy to manage.”

via: AFL Service Solutions

Exopack, a proven leader in flexible packaging solutions, announces that the company has won five awards in The Flexographic Technical Association’s (FTA) 2009 Excellence in Flexography competition, including a Best of Show and a Gold award in the Wide Web Film-Process category for the packaging of Proctor & Gamble (P&G) Eukanuba® Naturally Wild™ Salmon and Rice Dog Food (9.5 lb. bag).

The prestigious awards were bestowed on Sunday evening, May 3, during the Foundation of FTA (FFTA) 2009 Annual Forum and INFO*FLEX Exhibition’s annual banquet and awards program, held in Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort at Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The aim of the competition is to recognize the outstanding graphic achievements of those who support and utilize the flexographic printing process. All entries must incorporate flexography as a major printing element in the packaging design.

In addition to its Best of Show and Gold award, Exopack was honored with a Gold award in the Wide Web Film-Screen category for P&G Eukanuba Pure Turkey and Multi-grain Dog Food (15-lb. bag), and Silver and Bronze awards in the Wide Web Film-Process category for its packaging of Continental Mills’ Krusteaz Holiday Cookie Mix and P&G Eukanuba Naturally Wild Turkey and Multi-grain Dog Food (30-lb.bag), respectively.

P&G Eukanuba Dog Food Bags

“Virtually the entire image on both the 9.5-lb. and 30-lb. Eukanuba Naturally Wild brand plastic bags was 4-color process from edge to edge on the web,” said Lani Craddock,vice president of corporate marketing and business development. “For the Eukanuba Pure brand dog food bag, the majority of the image was achieved with edge-to-edge screenwork. Whether screen or process, the brilliant color and sharp graphics were an excellent match with the comparative proofs.”

Continental Mills’ Krusteaz Holiday Sugar Cookie Mix Pouch

“Our challenge with Continental Mills was to produce a packaging solution that could be built for flexographic printing and still look very similar to the product’s existing folding carton,” Craddock said. “Our pouch accomplished both with its unique background color and sparkles, bright, crisp visuals, and a tight register on the three-around design.”

The annual FTA awards competition recognizes the best printing quality, graphic design, and product technology the flexographic industry has to offer. This year, it received more than 650 entries, representing the work of package printing/converting professionals in all segments of the industry.

“Exopack is honored to be recognized by the FTA for our innovations in flexible packaging solutions for flexographic printing,” added Marian Harrie, the Pre-press Graphics Supervisor at Exopack’s Tomah, Wisc. facility. “Our goal is to provide award-winning flexible packaging solutions that deliver the strength, convenience, shelf appeal, and overall value our customers need. We are delighted that our work has been acknowledged by such a prestigious and influential group.”

via: Exopack