AUGUST 2010

VOLUME 3 ISSUE 7

CONNECTIONS

Technology Association of Georgia Technology Association of Georgia Technology Association of Georgia Technology Association of Georgia

PREMIER news

2

3

TAG activities are omnipresent. Of course, many of our ardent members know that already. This year, I anticipate that we will offer 170 opportunities directly and an equal number through affiliate partnerships. So, that means you can find a TAG and/or affiliate activity nearly every business day. Now, we do know that none of you will attend all TAG meetings but there are

some TAG friends that have told me they attend 60 or more a year. If you are motivated let us know how many meetings you attend in a year there may just be a prize in it for the top attendee. We often get asked how TAG staff can make so much happen with just a dozen staff. We do have a great staff but also rely heavily on our 27 Society Boards. They drive the content. I like that we have so many Society options for our members. In this “long tail” era, choice is paramount. Our strategy of growing Societies has helped us to grow membership from 1,300 to 10,600 over the past three years. Two more Societies are in the works (Logistics and Infrastructure) so stay tuned for more fun. Finally, in addition to the work of the Society TAG offers a number of special events. Some focus on celebration and recognition of Georgia’s best like: The Georgia Technology Summit; Excalibur; and the Spirit of Endeavor. Others focus on fun and fellowship like: TAG Bowling Tourney; TAGit; and the Techie 10k Run/Walk. The opportunities are there for you. I encourage to take advantage of them as “you will get out of it what you put into it”. - Tino Mantella

O��P��T��I��O��N��S�O��P��T��I��O��N��S�O��P��T��I��O��N��S�O��P��T��I��O��N��S�����

NEW PREMIER MEMBERS

The President’s Letter

Cardlytics www.cardlytics.com Concurrent www.ccur.com Southern Polytechnic State University www.spsu.edu American Software www.amsoftware.com Georgia Gwinnett College www.ggc.edu Scintel www.scintel.com CentriNet www.centrinetcorp.com NCR www.ncr.com

UPCOMING EVENTS

Aug 11, 2010 TAG Young Professionals and TAG Marketing Joint Happy Hour Event Aug 12, 2010 TAG Business Process Management: The Next Frontier in BPM: BPM with Complex Event Processing Aug 17, 2010 CIO Roundtable Series Hosted by Todd Bell, CIO, Verizon Wireless Aug 17, 2010 CapVenture Aug 17, 2010 TAG Finance: Perspectives from the Experts on U.S. Supreme Court decision in Bilski v. Kappos Aug 18, 2010 TAG August: MBA & IT - How Business Strategies Are Changing the World of IT & how IT leads the charge of Business Innovation Aug 19, 2010 TAG North Metro - August Meeting with Troy Richardson, CEO of Xio-com Aug 24, 2010 TAG Diversity: Taboo Topics: Sexuality, Religion and Politics Aug 24, 2010 Georgia Tech Seminar: Information Security Risk

FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF 2010 EVENTS GO TO:

www.tagonline.org/events.php

4

As a premier organization, I want to challenge you to begin encouraging your employees and/or co-workers to take steps towards investing in their personal and professional growth through being active in TAG. In this issue, you will read about one of our newest premier members, Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), that has decided to go above and beyond to invest in their students through opening up its premier member free opt-in option to not only fac-ulty, but to students as well. With unemployment here in Georgia still hovering between 9 and 10 percent, Georgia Gwinnett College has discovered a way to ensure their students stay ahead of the curve. As a school with an exciting history, Georgia Gwinnett College un-derstands the value membership in TAG and helping their students build meaningful relationships, learn from experts, and gain com-pletive advantage.

Director of Corporate Relations Note

It is hard to believe school is back in session. For students and parents alike this is a bitter sweet time.

Although the school season has begun for our children, it is my belief that as adults we should always have a school mindset. We should con-tinuously challenge ourselves to grow per-sonally and professionally. Within the last couple of months the TAG staff began attending training sessions once a month. The first training we attended was titled Discover ing Ind iv idual Styles of Communication (or DISC profile). Although this was my second experience taking this assessment, I was a bit surprised at the findings. Interestingly, the profile explained me to be a per-fectionist, which is in some ways surprising and others not. The second training we attended was on time management. This training helped us understand how well or not so well we are with time manage-ment. One of my highest scoring areas was the ability to prioritize my work. I was really proud of that. However, both of these trainings have given many of us a new perspective on our personal and professional experience here at TAG and how to better ourselves.

Get Your Employees Involved - It’s Simple and Free!

Send us your updated listing of employees and opt them into membership. Send your list to premier@tagonline.org or contact

Era Williams at 404.920.2011

Opt-In Options Small Premier - Up to 99 employees Mid Premier - 100 to 999 employees

Large Premier - 1000 or more employees

CORPORATE RELATIONS REMINDERS

Knowledge is Power!

Help your organization understand the benefits of being a TAG member.

Arrange your customized

2010 TAG Lunch and Learn! Contact Era Williams @ 404.920.2011 or

e-mail @ era@tagonline.org

Your team will learn: • History of TAG • How to get involved with 27 societies • Professional Development Opportu-

nities • How to utilize TAGthink.com and

build your brand • and more!!!!

Era Williams

SCHOOL’S

BACK

IN SESSION

5

T h e R o y a k G r o u p ’ s s uc c es s over the

past eight years can be directly linked to Patricia Royak’s vision in 2002 to build a company one relationship at a time. Patricia’s dedication to relationships is evident to everyone who works with her. “The time Patricia invests in people amazes me”, says Tony Connor, EVP of The Royak Group. “More importantly, it has been a business catalyst.” TAG’s membership base is of prime importance to The Royak Group. “TAG represents thousands of relationship opportunities just waiting to happen” says Patricia Royak, founder, CEO and namesake of The Royak Group. Along those same lines, TAG’s depth and breadth of services, events and opportunities enables The Royak Group to extend benefits to the entire team that are not available to non-member companies - even those of substantial size. These benefits include:

• Quality and timeliness of market information segmented by people, function or industry

• Networking opportunities within the technology community

• Professional development on current topics

• Various opportunities and vehicles to show case service offerings

• Validation of strategic direction

• Access to a talented and skilled candidate pool

“There is no single organization in Georgia that can provide access to market like the Technology Association of Georgia” says Bob Royak, VP of Operations. “Given the programs, benefits and events – I can take advantage of thousands of hours of work and thousands of dollars of benefits that we couldn’t build or do ourselves. The ROI – driven by cost avoidance – is tremendous.” Jeff Clement, Sales Director for The Royak Group currently serves as Co-Chair of the Business & Technology Alliance Society, Board member of the HR Society, member of the Professional Development Taskforce, member of the Excalibur Taskforce and is a guest speaker at many of the TAG orientation sessions held each quarter. “I am proud of my long-term membership in TAG. I firmly believe you get out of it what you put into it. The opportunities (at every level) provided by TAG are unique for a professional organization in Georgia”. The Royak Group is an IT solutions, services and staffing firm located in Alpharetta Georgia with nearly a decade of superior performance and satisfied customers. Specific practice areas include:

1. ERP – support and implementation

2. Application Development

3. Insurance

4. Business Process Management

5. CIO coaching/mentoring

6. Recruiting – staff augmentation &

direct placement

At the intersection of people, process and technology – you will find The Royak Group –

able to help you with the right mix of each. www.theroyakgroup.com

MEM

BERS O

NLY

M

EM

BERS O

NLY

M

EM

BERS O

NLY

M

EM

BERS O

NLY

Using Technology to InnovateUsing Technology to InnovateUsing Technology to InnovateUsing Technology to Innovate

October 2

2, 2010

October 2

2, 2010

October 2

2, 2010

October 2

2, 2010

Renaissan

ce Waver

ly

Renaissan

ce Waver

ly

Renaissan

ce Waver

ly

Renaissan

ce Waver

ly

Atlanta, G

A

Atlanta, G

A

Atlanta, G

A

Atlanta, G

A

7:30

7:30

7:30

7:30 ---- 10

:30AM

10:30AM

10:30AM

10:30AM

www.tagonline.org/excalibur-awards.php

6

Ask anyone at LAN Systems what is most important about

our business and they’ll tell you “taking care of the customer!” If you call the office, don’t be surprised if our CEO, Mary Hester, answers the phone with a smile and delightfully takes care of your request. So when we bring someone new onboard, their first project is designed to benefit the clients. And that’s how we got acquainted with our TAG intern. Earlier this year, LAN Systems joined TAG as a Premier member. We wanted to support the technical community and offer TAG benefits to employees, so Premier membership made sense. We also wanted to be an active component in TAG and were looking for ways to become involved when the offer of sponsoring an intern was made. We agreed that we needed a project that would be challenging, yet practical, that could be completed during the five week intern program. Our project would include aspects of marketing, administration and technical while being fun, interesting and beneficial. After thoughtful consideration, we designed a project for our intern to discuss the most pressing IT needs and concerns with customers and write an a r t i c l e t h a t a n s w e r e d t h o s e concerns. That seemed like a good project, but then we found out that our intern was only a sophomore in high school. We thought the project might be too ambitious. But Quinn, our TAG intern, is the most impressive fifteen year-old that you could meet. She accepted the project with enthusiasm and became part of the team immediately. The five weeks flew and she completed her project with rave reviews.

She had the opportunity to meet with customers on sales calls, at marketing events and to speak with them on the phone. Our goal was to teach Quinn about technology, business and how to serve customers. Quinn, and all the TAG interns, had a unique opportunity to see the business side of technology. Working with technology professionals gives interns job experience and advice that will be a great advantage whether looking at colleges or starting their career. It is interesting to see how young people who grew up with today’s technology, embrace it. To people of Quinn’s age, they don’t remember a time without the Internet or Smartphone's or Texting! For the staff at LAN Systems, we learned as much as Quinn maybe more. But our biggest lesson is that Quinn’s generation will do just fine in technology and business. They might do things a little different, but they are bright, talented and concerned. As they enter the workforce, they will bring a new, refreshing point of view and an understanding of technology that has no parallel. We are already planning for our TAG intern next year and can’t wait. To learn more about the TAG intern pro-gram, contact …….

About LAN Systems LAN Systems provides people-focused IT

solutions. As technology experts, LAN Systems helps companies make the most of their existing IT investment and choose

the right solutions to fuel growth. LAN Systems is a leading provider of IT Solu-tions for growing businesses in Metro At-

lanta. For more information, visit: http://www.lansystems.com

MEM

BERS O

NLY

M

EM

BERS O

NLY

M

EM

BERS O

NLY

M

EM

BERS O

NLY

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

www.TAGthink.com

7

GET READY!

Where Deal Stand on Technology Issues Please share significant experiences you’ve had working with Georgia’s technology community.

Deal

The technology industry in Georgia is a significant contributor to the economic development of our state. Having served at both the

state and federal levels in elected office, I have had the opportunity to meet with numerous businesses, organizations and educational

institutions that seek to grow the technology industry in Georgia. As a U.S. Congressman, my first committee assignment after having

taken office was to serve on the House Committee on Science and Technology. I later served as the Chairman and then Ranking Mem-

ber of the Subcommittee on Health within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This subcommittee held jurisdiction over

several technology-related fields, including medical devices and biotechnology. I concurrently served on the subcommittee on Telecom-

munications and the Internet which has jurisdiction over technology-rich industries in communications.

Do you already have a position on the central issue raised by our group – that Georgia is losing ground as a technology center?

Deal Georgia has been losing ground in an area that is going to be vital for Georgia to grow out of our financial hardship. Technology-based

industries are a key part of my plan for Georgia rejuvenation. This not only means we recruit new businesses but also we must be com-

mitted to supporting and fostering new growth within. I believe, in addition to promoting venture capital in our state to fuel develop-

ment in technology, we must take steps to improve education in our state to produce skilled workers to meet the needs of the industry. I

believe Georgia’s technical schools serve a critical role in support of this mission and I will work as your next governor to encourage

students to take advantage of available options to improve their education in technology.

What do you think of our group’s recommendations?

Deal I think the group’s recommendations fall in line with my economic development plan, “Real Prosperity.” Details on this plan are avail-

able on my website at www.dealforgovernor.com or by clicking here.

As Governor what will you do to create technology jobs in the state?

Deal I will begin day one working to establish a favorable tax environment for small businesses to create jobs. I will work with groups such

as yours to promote and grow the industry, both in terms of business development and education so we have skilled workers ready for

jobs.

How will you address this issue across Georgia and not just in the metro Atlanta area?

Deal Georgia is uniquely suited to have clusters of different technology disciplines spread throughout the state. Whether it’s the aerospace,

agribusiness, energy, medical, logistics, or manufacturing industries, we have the opportunity to create technology jobs in certain parts

of Georgia through our structured “tier status” tax credits. The Centers of Innovation positioned throughout the state will ensure strategic

industry sectors are given all opportunities to succeed in Georgia.

With the growth of the Georgia Tech campus in Savannah and their joint program with Georgia Southern University, we are preparing

graduates in the technology and information technology arena with much greater numbers in a part of the state that has higher tax incen-

tives for job-growth and investment. This can also be said for the promising future of the joint program with Georgia Tech and Emory

that involves the development of medical devices just as the Wounded Warrior Program sets up shop at Fort Gordon and will create a

need within Georgia for those graduates.

How would you obtain resources to work on this issue?

Deal I would seek the advice from all groups involved so as to have the most comprehensive strategy for

developing and supporting one of Georgia’s key industries for future growth. I hope to build a cohe-

sive working relationship among the groups working to build industry in Georgia so that our prospec-

tive strengths become our focus. As your next governor, I will implement zero-based budgeting

which will ensure limited state resources are being spent as effectively as possible and supports the

goals of job creation and growth in our state.

8

Friends and Supporters: TAG Education Collaborative (TAG-ED) has announced the launch of their new website at http://www.tagedonline.org. The user-friendly site offers information about the organization’s operation, programs, events, as well as resource information and news. This site is an effort to provide TAG-ED with a platform to create more community awareness about the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and its role in the development of the next generation of innovation. We wanted a clean and navigable website that our stakeholders will find appealing and informative. Visitors to this site can read about the organization’s history and services, as well as the profile of each member of the TAG-ED Board of Directors.

The new tagedonline.org site was built by Glick Interactive to be a destination for visitors to learn about

TAG-ED news as well as education news around the country while giving TAG-ED sponsors a way to

advertise and promote messaging towards the TAG-ED constituency. "We built the TAG-ED site on the

Drupal platform to give the TAG ED administrators the power of a content management system (CMS)

to manage the site content, events, and sponsorships", stated Abhi Goel, President of Glick. The web-

site is hosted at Colocube (www.colocube.com), a TAG-ED sponsor.

Thank you for your continued support.

Whitepaper Webinars are Here

August 24th: Webinar: Content Strategy

September 14th: Webinar: CIO State of the State

September 28th: Webinar: Managing Risk and Risk

Assessment Approach

On Site Training for Premier Companies

Several premier companies have already taken ad-

vantage of brining TAG’s training programs on-site

and your company can too. Sales Strategy Training,

Effective Communication Skills for Technology Pro-

fessionals, and our Bootcamps (CEO, C-Level, and

Airtight Management) can be brought into your com-

pany.

Contact Amanda Shook at 404.920.2023 or amanda@tagonline.org for more details.

Be sure to opt into ‘Professional Development Programs’ to receive our monthly e-mail about programs.!

Additional Upcoming Training

August 24th: Georgia Tech Seminar: Information

Security Risk

August 31st: TAG and PMI Atlanta present “Creating

Optimal Change” with Claire Arnold, CEO, Leapfrog

Services

John Hurlbut Executive Director TAG Education Collaborative 404-920-2038 john@tagonline.org www.tagedonline.org

9

TAG Announces Tech-Row at the Annual SHRM-Atlanta Conference

On October 18 & 19th, SHRM-Atlanta will hold the 20th Annual Conference and Exhibit, at Cobb Galleria. The 20th Annual SHRM-Atlanta HR Conference is a two-day conference held every year in the fall, featuring a high-profile keynote speaker and approximately 48 concurrent education sessions. Members from all over Georgia attend this conference for continuing education credits. Typical attendance is about 800-1,000 attendees. As a part of this year’s trade show, the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) will debut “tech-row,” a series of booths representing TAG’s companies. SHRM-Atlanta, the Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, was founded in 1965, and has current membership of over 2200 individuals. SHRM-Atlanta seeks to promote the professionalism of the Human Resources Management field by offering members a wide variety of professional development opportunities and a common forum in which to share ideas and experiences. Serving the Atlanta HR professional, SHRM-Atlanta provides opportunities for career development and community involvement both inside and outside of the Chapter. SHRM-Atlanta – Working for a Better Atlanta! The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is a world-class membership organization, serving the mission to help Georgia’s technology companies speak in a strong voice. Through its 26 societies (Special Interest Groups, or “SIGs”), the Association helps members connect with companies that use their services. To help facilitate and encourage this goal, TAG, along with its societies, host over 150+ events per year. This year, TAG brings additional value to its members and the technology community through its partnership with SHRM-Atlanta in the conference. For more information about the conference, visit http://www.shrmatlanta.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=151#Sessions

TAG LAUNCHES NEW SOCIETY… TAG LOGISTICS

ORTEC Takes Lead in TAG Logistics Society The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), a non-profit known for forging economic development in Georgia, today announces an industry peer networking and education group for Georgia logistics professionals—Logistics Society. The TAG Logistics Society has been launched to provide a networking environment for industry professionals to share insights and leading practices. ORTEC’s Bobby Miller will serve as chairman for the pivotal first year. Serving as a catalyst for identifying current and future value-driven practices and innovative solutions, the Logistics Society will deliver sustainable ideas, new ways of working together, information sharing and professional growth for its membership. The Logistics Society will also focus on process excellence practices by leveraging technology in the key areas of planning, transportation, warehousing, customer service, and B2B collaboration. Tino Mantella, president of TAG commented, "As the needs of Georgia’s technology industry grow and change, we [TAG] continue to stay at the forefront of leading and connecting key industries in Georgia. I am elated that Bobby Miller and ORTEC have stepped up to launch this critical society and look forward to great things from the board.” In addition to Mr. Miller, other Logistics Society board members include: Chris Clark, President, Deposco; Chris Henry, CEO, BizSpeed; David Cahn, VP Product Strategy, CDC Software; David Landau, VP Sales and Strategy, Manhattan Associates; Donna Olszowka, VP Customer Service, Georgia-Pacific; Harris Fogel, Presi-dent, Quofore; Jean Barnes, Director of Marketing, SMC3; Mike Jacks, Director of Logistics, Coca-Cola Enterprises; Page Siplon, Executive Director, Center of Innovation for Logistics; Steve Turpin, Transportation Manager, Clorox Company. “As a leader in planning and optimization solutions, I am proud to take a leadership role in TAG’s newly launched Logistics initiative, said Bobby Miller, ORTEC’s Vice President, CPG Industry. “I am looking forward to chairing the Society in its first year.”

For more information on upcoming events go to: www.tagonline.org/TAG-Logistics.php

TAG Logistics Society Kick-Off Meeting “Technologies That Prepare Your Supply Chain For Disaster Recovery”

September 1, 2010 ●●●● 7:30 a.m.—9:30 a.m.

For more information or to register go to:

www.tagonline.org/TAG-Logistics.php

10

TENT PARTIES “...looking to secure new talent for your organization?”

Contact Rachel Sevin @ rachel@tagonline.org

for more information on

TAG’s Job Fairs in participation with soon-to-be graduates

from local schools and universities: SPSU, GSU, GGC, etc...”

11

Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) unites with Technology

Association of Georgia (TAG) to offer TAG memberships to students

Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) and the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) have formed a strategic

alliance to greatly enhance the educational experience for the college’s students through access to TAG’s

technology-focused programming, resources and networking opportunities.

The alliance is the first of its kind in Georgia, and thought to be the first in the nation. It will create a wide variety of

opportunities for students seeking a technology-based career in a broad spectrum of industries. This partnership

supports efforts to develop and retain a qualified workforce to meet high demands for Georgia’s fastest-growing and

most dynamic range of disciplines, impacting virtually all industries.

“By partnering with TAG, our students will have access to a

rich resource that will add tremendous value to their

educational program, expand their exposure to

professional environments, and give them a jump start on

their careers,” said Lonnie Harvel, GGC’s vice president of

educational technology. “TAG’s programming will extend our

students’ learning opportunities beyond the classroom, and

increase the marketability of their degrees.”

TAG is a 10,000-member industry advancement organization dedicated to educating, uniting, and informing the

Georgia technology community. With nearly 30 profession-specific societies and special interest groups, as well as

large award programs like the Georgia Technology Summit and the Excalibur Awards, TAG recognizes and works

with companies using innovation to gain a competitive advantage. It also has technology-focused initiatives in

government relations, and K-12 education.

“We are very excited to join GGC in this unique partnership,” said Melanie Brandt, TAG’s chief operating officer.

“Georgia Gwinnett College is an inspirational institution with an

energizing mission and truly visionary leaders. Expanding our

programs and services to GGC’s students, along with their

faculty and staff, gives us an opportunity to be innovative with

how we continue to define and approach achieving our mission,

as well as help GGC achieve its mission.”

Key to the partnership is the automatic membership in TAG for all GGC students and employees. With membership

comes access to all TAG meetings and members-only events, and discounts on all TAG training programs.

TAG has roughly 150 meetings and educational programs each year, and its societies represent industries ranging

from manufacturing and health care to software and entertainment, and functions ranging from finance and

international business to product management and information security. As part of the partnership, some of TAG’s

programs will be held on the GGC campus.

In addition to the educational value of TAG’s programs, GGC students and faculty will have multiple opportunities to

network and connect with leaders and executives representing various technology-based fields and industries.

While the program is primarily intended for students majoring in technical fields, all students can benefit from the

TAG partnership. By extending TAG membership to GGC faculty, the alliance enables them to bring real-world

applications of technology into the classroom, enriching the curriculum for all students.

“At GGC, the innovative use of technology is a fundamental part of what, and how, we teach,” said Har-

vel. “Technological competence is fundamental to future success. It is an integral part of every profession. Our alli-

ance with TAG will provide our students access to an incredible spectrum of arenas where their technological skills

may be challenged and grow.”

“Technological competence is fundamental to future success. It is an

integral part of every profession…” - Lonnie Harvel, VP of

Educational Technology, GCC

12

8th Annual Spirit of Endeavor Awards Banquet

Honoring Technology Companies and Individuals in Georgia

December 3, 2010

7:30 a.m.—9:30 a.m.

Georgia Tech Hotel Individual Tickets: $75

For Sponsorship Information contact

Regina Maddox at (404) 920 - 2012 or regina@tagonline.org

www.tagonline.org/Spirit-of-Endeavor.php

The Spirit of Endeavor, which resides in most of us in the technology business, is a critical component in the creation and execution of ideas that the technology industry thrives upon. As we continue to build Georgia into a place that is internationally recognized as a ha-ven for the advancement of technology, it is essential that we take time to recognize those

among us that embody and display that Spirit.