Trend Spotting
KATIE DUMALA is a CPA and vice
president of marketing services at Tech
Data Corporation, where she’s worked
for 10 years.
She sees two big technology trends.
The first – an expansion of wireless services
beyond the typical Wi-Fi zone. “Indoor wireless continues,” she says,
“but where the wireless opportunity
is growing is in citywide services and as a solution for college and
corporate campuses. It’s not just about sitting out in the park with your
laptop anymore.”
An example, she says, is municipalities using wireless remote meter
reading (not people) through a citywide IT deployment.
“And Voice over Internet Protocol (the transmission of voice through
Internet services), across city-owned networks and wireless, provides
better communications for first responders,” Dumala says. “There’s a
lot of technology being built around fire departments, police departments
and paramedics to enhance communications between them and
hospitals.”
The second trend: Remote management of IT. “It’s also called remote
managed services,” says Dumala. “A lot of our resellers are getting
into this. They manage their customer’s data centers from a remote
location and are able to fix most problems remotely. They manage software
updates, security software and networking components off site.
Somebody can keep your system running when you can’t be on site.”
Can You Hear Me Now, SpongeBob?
Imagine watching SpongeBob SquarePants jump
around his hometown of Bikini Bottom on your
mobile phone. Or maybe you’d prefer the latest
news on MSNBC. You can do either with V CAST
Mobile TV, a new service rolled out in our market
by Tampa’s Verizon Wireless. Channels include
ESPN, MTV, Fox, NBC, CBS, Comedy Central and
Nickelodeon.
“This is real broadcast TV, not prepackaged
clips,” says Chuck
Hamby, spokesperson
for Verizon Wireless
(www.verizonwireless.com). “Right now there are
10 channels; we’ll get to 30 eventually. It has a
guide. It’s almost like having a satellite TV on your
phone.”
Hamby says customer response is good. “Once
they see it, they overcome the perception of what TV
on a cell phone used to be. It was slow and jerky.
When they see it, they love it. They like that it’s mobile
and goes where they go.”
The service comes as part of a $20-per-month package that also
provides unlimited video and music downloads, and is part of the
firm’s $178-million investment in the Florida market in 2007. “We
anticipate maintaining that level of network investment in 2008,”
Hamby says, which includes opening four more retail stores in the
region.
Surefire Clarifire
Jane Mason, an attorney turned technology wiz, is
striking gold with her latest software package called
Clarifire. Her company, eMASON, provides the Webbased
business process application to the financial
services industry. Clients include Bank of America and
United Mortgage.
“This is not function-specific software,” says CEO
Mason. “My vision is managing business processes
where a company’s managers can create process
automation without the help of an IT department.
Financial services companies are under scrutiny and
they need process automation for the delivery of services
to borrowers.”
The software was featured on DSNews.com in
March for its utility to mortgage firms dealing with
defaults. When contact is made with a borrower,
Clarifire provides the lender all the details needed to
resolve issues, such as whether the property is in foreclosure
or if a tax deed sale is pending.
“Our software reduces their costs of doing business while helping
to manage and mitigate risk,” Mason says. “It also reduces the
cycle time to help borrowers because what the lenders need to know
is at their fingertips.”
The 35-employee company (www.emason.biz) recently expanded
its Clearwater headquarters and plans to grow to 50 employees by
June, Mason says.
Online M&S
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach launched into
“M&S” with its “Introduction to Modeling and Simulation” course now available
online. It’s the first of six courses leading to an Embry-Riddle (www.erau.edu) non-credit certificate. The courses cover the operation, engineering,
research, manufacturing, marketing and management of modern aircraft
and the systems that support them.
The program was developed with McLean, VA-based Alion Science and
Technology, which has 70 years of R&D and engineering experience in
M&S.
“This is an important topic, especially within the Department of Defense,”
says Al Astbury, Embry-Riddle’s program manager for the office of professional
education. “We see this introductory course as a good opportunity to
familiarize military and business-oriented professionals with basic terms and
concepts related to modeling and simulation.”
The course has an open enrollment that students can complete at their
own pace.
Job in the Air?
Considering switching careers? Between the two major airports in Tampa
and Orlando, there are some 187 job openings for aviation technicians.
And many more such professionals are soon to retire. Traviss Career Center
(www.traviss.edu) in Lakeland is aware of the challenge to the industry and
has added a program to address the need.
“There are not enough training spots across the state for new people to
fill these positions as they become available,” says Alan Harrell, assistant
director of curriculum.
The program was started with a Succeed Grant from the State of Florida.
Opened in 1968 as Polk Vocational Technical Center, Traviss Career Center
now offers training in 35 specialties and has an enrollment of 450 adult and
high school students.
Tech Bytes
Tampa’s RedVector.com Inc. was approved by the American Institute of
Certified Planners as a registered provider of courses on topics such as wetlands,
fair housing, geographic information systems and hazard mitigation
… Dunedin-based ISM International Inc. (www.isml.us) acquired GotchaGPS
Surveillance Systems for its technology that enhances homeland security
surveillance … Clearwater’s Tech Data (www.techdata.com) entered into a
distribution agreement with Fujitsu Computer Systems Corp. to expand availability
of Fujitsu servers … EpicTide in St. Petersburg has changed its name
to FairWarning Inc. (www.fairwarningaudit.com).
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