ITS

Information Transport Solutions, Inc. (ITS, Inc.) Named as Top Tech 200 Winner for 2011

informationtransport — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:16:59 +0000

ITS, Information Transport Solutions, Inc., a leader in providing technology and consulting services for large, medium and small organizations, announced today it was named on Lead411’s Hottest Companies, ranking 120 of 200 fastest growing technology companies in the U.S.

(Wetumpka, Al 12/19/2011) ITS, Inc.’s chief executive officer, Jeff Drury, credits the focus on customer satisfaction for the company’s continuous growth. “We keep our customer’s needs in the forefront of everything we do. Our culture of exceeding customer expectations at all times, at all levels is key to our continued success.”

ITS, Inc., like all Lead411 winning companies, has excelled in fostering innovation and channeling it into spectacular growth. Tom Blue, Lead411’s CEO has this to say about this year’s list: “Despite the current recession, a lot of startups are still doing exceedingly well. With the Tech 200 list, we aim to see what makes them tick.”

Overall, Lead411 companies achieved revenue growth ranging from 134 percent to 70,211 percent from 2006 to 2010, with an average growth of 1,736 percent.

ABOUT ITS, Inc.

Since 1998, ITS, Inc. has equipped organizations with the technology and educational solutions that help connect, communicate and transform the way people do business!ITS, Inc. is headquartered in Wetumpka, Al with offices in Mobile, Al and Ridgeland, MS

About Lead411

Lead411 provides information, news, and research about U.S. companies and their executives. Founded in 2001, its goal has been to focus on quality corporate data that is valid and useful rather than producing as many company records as possible. In its second year, the Tech 200 list ranks tech companies with the highest percent of revenue growth from 2008 to 2010.

http://www.lead411.com/tech200/2011/
# #

Information Transport Solutions, Inc. (ITS, Inc.) SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES MSPALLIANCE UNIFIED CERTIFICATION STANDARD AUDIT

informationtransport — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:57:08 +0000

ITS, Inc. Achieves Elite Status through Globally Recognized, Vendor-neutral Benchmarking for Cloud and Managed Services Practitioners; Program Reinforces Quality Assurance and Reliability for Current, Potential Customers

WETUMPKA, AL 12/6/2011; ITS, Inc., today reported that it has been successfully audited and certified under the MSPAlliance’s (MSPA) Unified Certification Standard for Cloud and Managed Service Providers (UCS). UCS is the first program of its kind, specifically designed and created to provide business consumers of cloud and managed services with the assurance that the service provider they hire meets or exceeds the highest principles of quality in areas such as financial stability, facilities, managed services practices, and customer satisfaction. “The UCS audit is a rigorous audit and certification process that benchmarks and verifies the quality of the company providing managed services,” said Charles Weaver, MSPAlliance president. “We are very proud to have ITS, Inc. join this elite body of Cloud and Managed Service Providers.” UCS certification is based on a wide range of criteria with which to benchmark Managed IT Solution Providers, thereby ensuring that they have met and exceed well-established standards of excellence and client care. Clients that select a company that is part of the UCS can also rest assured that their IT solution provider has met and exceeded the following standards:

• Physical & Virtual Security

• Business & Financial stability

• Company has taken reasonable steps to assure that the client’s IT needs will be safely and professionally addressed

• Company is under constant external review from the MSPAlliance and the IT profession to continually maintain and improve standards of care of excellence.

The UCS audit is performed by Frost, PLLC, a third party accounting firm.

“We are proud to receive this accreditation because it ensures we have the correct processes and procedures in place to provide extraordinary service to our customers, “said Quincy P. Minor, ITS Vice President of Operations.“

The MSPAlliance, with over 15,000 corporate members worldwide, is committed to increasing reliability and dependability in the industry surrounding the value and benefit of using Managed Service Providers to provide a wide range of mission-critical services. In addition, the MSPAlliance collects data on the practice of managed services on behalf of its members, to help them increase the value delivery of IT to the organizations they serve.

ABOUT ITS, Inc. Since 1998, Information Transport Solutions, Inc. has equipped organizations with the technology and educational solutions that help connect, communicate and transform the way people do business! Customer Service is our Passion. Technology with Integrity is our Mission. www.its-networks.com

ABOUT MSPALLIANCE For over 10 years, the MSPAlliance has been the only unified voice for the Managed Services Industry, and the only organization that promotes the highest level of professionalism, reliability and integrity. As the world’s largest Professional Association and Accrediting Body for the Managed Services Industry, the MSPAlliance was created to meet the needs of the Managed Services Professional and to educate the end-user community on the benefits of using a Managed Service Provider. For more information about the MSPAlliance please visit www.mspalliance.com # #

HBCU Conference: Highlighting ITS President Tomi Selby – Women Entrepreneurs

informationtransport — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:59:57 +0000

The 2^nd Annual National Alabama State University HBCU Conference is March 5-7, 2012.

The theme is Entrepreneurship:
Transforming Education, Government and Industry.

Today’s speaker highlight is Tomi Selby, President of
Information Transport Solutions Inc. (ITS). President Selby
is a panel speaker on the Women Entrepreneurs track session.

Please click here to sign-up to receive updates as the conference draws near. Register online today at www.asu-hbcu.org!

Media Partners: WVAS-FM,
HBCU Digest, HBCU Connect, HBCULinkUp, HBCU Buzz

Mobile Healthcare Anywhere

itsincweb — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:12:51 +0000

A Proliferation of Mobile Devices Means Specific Wireless Challenges for Healthcare Organizations
by Jennifer Prestigiacomo

Will form factor issues be resolved as clinicians move forward to embrace the use of mobile devices for a growing list of patient care delivery tasks?

As the mobile healthcare market is still in its infancy compared to other markets, there seems to be no consensus exactly what to do with the mobile devices -smartphones, tablets, and every other type of device-that are flooding into healthcare. Although everyone agrees that mobile devices will be a centerpiece of healthcare delivery-in some cases devices being brought into hospitals and medical office settings by clinicians themselves, while in other cases, being provided to them by their organizations-it’s still early for IT leadership to agree on whether to employ a tethered or untethered approach or how best to access and enter information on a smaller screen.

ONE THING THAT IS IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE IS WHETHER WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A SMARTPHONE OR TABLET THAT IS REALLY OPTIMIZED FOR MOBILE DATA ACCESS, RATHER THAN DATA ENTRY.-CHRIS LONGHURST, M.D.

Evidence for clinician readiness to embrace such devices is everywhere. To take just one example, 85 percent of hospitals have launched wireless networks, notes Gregg Malkary, managing director of the Menlo Park, Calif.-based Spyglass Consulting Group. The challenge, though, remains that mobile devices in the healthcare setting are still seen as data access points, rather than data entry devices, and many organizations are taking divergent approaches in how to support these clinical tools.

Those interviewed for this article agree that smartphones are ideal for engaging in such tasks as viewing patient records, test results, and medical content on the go. Fran Turisco, research principal in the emerging practices division at CSC, says the smartphone is a perfect device for accessing training tools. She cites that vendors are creating iPhone apps that prepare nurses for competency exams, provide information and tutorials on medical procedures, and offer continuing education.

Meanwhile, core clinical IT vendors are moving forward to address the clinician mobility needs of hospital organizations as well. For example, Leland Babitch, M.D., chief medical information officer at Detroit Medical Center, notes that the Kansas City-based Cerner Corp. has created a mobile version of its inpatient EHR (with Cerner’s innovation being just one of many such new vendor adaptations for the new mobility). “There are limitations based on the size and the way in which data is input into the device,” he says. “It won’t be that people will be using this for heavy ordering or for complete review of a record, but if someone calls and I’m at Costco with my kids, and they have a question about a patient, I can quickly open the app and see what’s going on.” Chris Longhurst, M.D., CMIO at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University (Palo Alto, Calif.), adds: “One thing that is important to acknowledge is whether we’re talking about a smartphone or tablet that is really optimized for mobile data access, rather than data entry.”

As for the preferred smartphone among clinicians, most believe it to be the iPhone, with its cool cache, coupled with built-in GPS and easy user interface. But many in the industry feel the Android operating system is gaining mind and market share, with its availability on multiple carriers. (However, now that the iPhone has come out on the Verizon network that point might be a moot.)

FORM FACTOR

The iPad will most likely prove to be a game-changer in the healthcare setting, according to Longhurst, who believes this form of tablets is here to stay. Where tablets failed in the past due to inefficient light pens and short battery life, the iPad has improved with a touch interface and enviable battery life, he says. “In fact we’re seeing a lot of Android tablets coming out locally here in the Valley,” Longhurst says. “I think they’ll become an important part of physician workflow. In order to see electronic health records at the tablet level, the 7- to 9-inch range, we’re going to have to see a fairly dramatic rewrite of software interfaces.”

Michael Restuccia, vice president and CIO of the Philadelphia-based University of Pennsylvania Health System, forecasts that for data entry to be possible on a mobile device, speech recognition will have to fill the void of touchpad difficulties. Longhurst adds that natural language processing could likely be used, in situations in which servers have been programmed to recognize systematized terminologies to make voice recognition more accurate. Turisco, however, finds voice recognition to be problematic for the mobile environment, which can be accompanied by lots of peripheral noise. Babitch also finds the prospect dubious, as Dragon (Nuance, Burlington, Mass.) software requires hefty processing, which may be too taxing for mobile devices. Spyglass Consulting’s Malkary finds a good in between technology to be Bluetooth-enabled keyboards to make data entry on a tablet easier.

DEVICE DEPLOYMENT, SECURITY

As Healthcare Informatics‘ August 2010 cover story noted, hospitals have been taking many different approaches to secure mobile devices on their networks, and most have been taking a technologically agnostic approach to which devices they are now supporting. Turisco and Longhurst both agree that the safest way to support mobile computing is to implement a Web-based platform. “For physicians, most of the solutions are Internet access, so nothing lives on the device except for the browser,” Turisco says.

Longhurst adds that a more sustainable way to plan for mobile is to not create specific apps for mobile devices, but create “a Web platform that can support all of those, so it’s broader and more sustainable and doesn’t store data on the end user’s device.”

On the other end of the spectrum, Restuccia says that many organizations, including his, are moving to a more tethered approach that provides a reliable connection to the hospital’s clinical information systems. He is putting Lenovo (Morrisville, N.C.) workstations in every exam room, as there is too much competition for wireless connection, including huge image files passing through the system, as well as hospital construction. “[In our] experience the adoption of new technology and applications is in part driven by the reliability and the consistency of that connection to the system,” Restuccia says. “And in the hospitals there are too many potential conflicts that could impede that wireless connection.” To that point, Malkary recommends that the leaders of facilities that go down the wireless path should do a comprehensive survey to understand the radio frequency propagation in the building.

Turisco, though, believes that wireless is eventually going to win out. Babitch agrees, adding, “It is a good strategy for physicians to take something they can use in the office, car, and hospital, something that he can take back and forth, and it helps relieve some of the budgetary restraints.”

TABLET COMPETITION SEEN

The mobile future seems very bright, with the current explosion of tablets in the market. In fact, says Longhurst, “I think we’re going to see a lot more competition at the tablet level. The iPad was relatively groundbreaking when it entered the market, but it’s a very expensive model.” Turisco believes the Samsung tablets will be the next form factor to watch, especially with a new, more tech-savvy generation of young doctors graduating from medical schools like Harvard and Stanford that have been using tablets in their programs.

Healthcare Informatics 2011 March;28(3):34-36

Digital Signage on the Rise – Shrinking system costs and greater acceptance spur demand for digital signage solutions.

itsincweb — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:34:27 +0000

Great article on Digital Signage:

IP digital signage projects are on the rise as more businesses want dynamic interactions with customers, prospects and employees. To make the most of a growing market, solution providers must come up to speed on the technology, hone their content delivery skills and focus on the vertical markets they know well.

The global digital signage market will more than triple in size by 2016, according to ABI Research, which predicts that the market will grow from $1.3 billion in 2010 to $4.5 billion in 2016. A drop in the cost and time frame required for these projects has been helping demand.

“The prices of the screens and the overall solution are much more affordable today and the shift in advertising from TV and print to more online and in-house marketing has made digital signage solutions all the more lucrative for our channel partners,” says Kevin Prewett, vice president, vendor management, Ingram Micro Digital Signage.

At the same time, end users are more comfortable using a touch screen “whether it is for information or way-finding,” Prewett says. “A lot of the demand is led by the growing adoption of smartphones and tablets. People are getting used to the interactivity on the screens.”

Yet end users have to be made aware of the digital signage solutions that are available to them, according to Mike Ohren, founder and CEO of MacMan, a solution provider in Eau Claire, Wis. MacMan uses direct marketing and lunch-and-learn sessions where customers are invited to its conference center and introduced to digital signage.

“We have a retail floor of digital signs anywhere from 10 inches to a 92-inch video wall,” says Ohren. MacMan offers touch-interactive to nontouch solutions, all sizes of displays, content creation and content management.

Ohren and others note that solution providers must know what clients want and then realistically guide them.

In fact, solution providers must prevent openended situations where customers will be unhappy with the results, notes Dave Sallander, owner and president of Sherlock Systems, a custom computer maker in Buffalo Grove, Ill. Some customers take a “build it and they will come” approach based on false hopes about ad revenue, Sallander says.

“You need to have a heart-to-heart talk with the client and find out what the market will bear regarding ad space,” Sallander says. “It’s all about enhancing the customers’ experiences vs. getting revenue from an ad for somebody else’s business inside your business.”

Solution providers should also invest in digital signage for themselves to get hands-on experience.

“If you’re going to sell it, you better be using it,” Ohren says. “This is not something where you can read a spec sheet and say, ‘Here it is.’ You have to get your hands dirty.”

Once solution providers understand their clients’ needs, the next step is a site survey.

“Then it’s about making sure the products and services you’re recommending work together,” Prewett says. “That includes the screens, media players, mounts, cables, connectivity, software and services.”

Digital Signage 101
A site survey helps solution providers put together a digital signage solution, but it’s only a first step. Combining the right elements is a challenge for solution providers because they need in-depth knowledge of the appropriate hardware, software and networking solutions, and the skills for developing and delivering content.

The good news is that digital signage is about collaboration, and solution providers can complete projects by finding partners with complementary skills.

The components of a digital signage project vary from vertical to vertical, depending upon the particular needs of each sector. Solution providers may be asked to create freestanding systems, wall-mounted signs, self-service kiosks, grocery self-checkouts or systems that offer complex services such as printing boarding passes and photos via secure websites.

Some basic elements of a ditial signage solution are almost always required:

•Screens: Solution providers can choose from a wide range of screens, including LCD, LED, plasma and projection offerings. This variety enables solutions that can be freestanding or wall-mounted and can support high-touch to no-touch interactivity. Most screens need a mounting bracket to secure them to a wall, pole, ceiling or movable cart.
•Content Support: The screens must support a variety of graphic formats, including JPEG, TIFF and GIF files, PDF, MP4, video, flash, HTML, RSS and television images.
•Content Control: Solution providers must include mechanisms that let their clients control the display and flow of content to the screen. This means PCs or built-in hardware appliances that run the content on the screen. These PCs or appliances should be managed remotely. A layer of management software will govern devices and data.
•Connectivity: Solution providers can explore options such as wired and wireless LAN connectivity to mobile devices.
Prewett says successful digital signage projects are more than beautiful screens and flawless installations.

“If a VAR is not incorporating content creation and management into the sale, then they are only selling half the solution and leaving the door open for a competitor to take away the business,” he says. Solution providers also have to guide their customers toward relevant, high-quality content. For instance, displaying static PowerPoint slides is not likely to yield compelling ROI.

Expertise in helping deliver a message is paramount for solution providers, says Kevin Griffin, president of BLR Sign Systems, based in Milpitas, Calif. All clients from big corporations to mom-and-pop shops need solution providers that show “an interest in delivering content and messaging,” Griffin says. “The right message to the right audience is critical, and knowing what those nuances are is important.”

Going Vertical
As they gather digital signage steam, solution providers can choose from many verticals, including retail; hotels and quick-serve restaurants; hospitals and clinics; metro, rail and parking services; airlines, cruise ships and car rental companies; banking and financial services; gaming; city, state and federal governments; schools; and houses of worship.

Solution providers should place their focus on the verticals they have been serving well for many years.

“If you have that relationship with that end user, you’re going to know what the hot buttons are for the customer and where digital signage can fit,” Prewett says. This knowledge will give incumbent solution providers the edge over new providers attempting to lure away end users with prebaked solutions. “The trusted relationship is more important than having expertise in digital signage—a VAR can always turn to Ingram Micro and the Ingram Micro Services Network for specialized field sales and technical expertise in digital signage,” he says.

However, solution providers sometimes have to serve multiple verticals. BLR developed its digital signage business from a large client base in the signage and graphics market, and has diverse deployments.

“We’re working on a deal at a large hospital,” Griffin says. “We’ve been in large hotels. We’ve got a higher education solution under way–a couple of screens but it will likely scale.” This year, BLR has been marketing itself in “a more targeted way” to make digital signage a greater percentage of its business.

BLR has been in the digital signage business for four years, but the company spent the first 18 months performing due diligence to understand the market.

Griffin quickly discovered that BLR’s content creation strengths transitioned naturally to the digital realm. But he also realized that he would need to partner with IT and audio/visual sector solution providers, which was fortunate because those providers have embraced digital signage in large numbers.

“We absolutely could partner to deliver and that was critical for us. We weren’t going to write code. We weren’t going to build a better display than Sony or NEC could,” Griffin says. BLR has been a fan of best-of-breed partnering ever since.

About the author: Eugene Grygo has been covering IT management issues for 23 years.

Backchanneling the Safe Way

itsincweb — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:54:25 +0000

The use of “backchanneling” seems to be on the rise. This engagement and assessment technique occurs when technology is used to allow class participants to ask questions and/or make comments during a discussion.

The video below shares how these techniques might be used. However, it also illustrates one of the primary challenges in deploying these new techniques – the apparent requirement for free, unsecure tools. In the case of this video, the primary method advocated for backchanneling is using Twitter accounts. Of course, the teacher has to assist students in getting accounts, account content is public, non-educational streams can be viewed, etc. Some more secure alternatives are offered – but they do require substantial teacher management.

Enter My Big Campus. Our group discussions include a group chat feature so students (or peers in a professional learning setting) can ask questions, comment, elaborate on topics–all without any set-up. Just access the My Big Campus discussion group using any browser, log in with your network credentials, and – bam! – backchannel away. Of course, since students access site using network credentials, roles are defined by school, activity is logged,and external audiences can only participate if invited. Which means backchanneling can occur in a safe environment.

All the power of the free tools, much less administrative headache, and baked in security.

You can learn more about backchanneling and techniques by joining our Backchannel PLN on My Big Campus.

If you have an account, just log into www.MyBigCampus.com, find “topics” tab to left, and join the discussion with your peers.

If you do not have an account, go to www.MyBigCampus.com and create an account. As soon as your educational credentials are verified, your account will be activated. Then just log in and join the topic group.

Also, if you have a new topic you would like to share and discuss we encourage you to create a group and invite your colleagues. It’s quick, easy, and a great way to develop a strong PLN!

Tags: backchanneling, Twitter

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 14th, 2011 at 11:03 am and is filed under 21st century learning, Collaborative learning, Internet safety, My Big Campus, Video, Web 2.0. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Lowndes County teachers get “SMART-ly Equipped”

itsincweb — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:02:23 +0000

Lowndes County educators were getting “SMART-ly Equipped” last week at a best practices training held by Information Transport Solutions, Inc. (ITS) at Calhoun High School. Over 125 teachers and administrators attended sessions focused on integrating 21^st Century skills into the classroom and equipping teachers and students for success!

Lowndes County Schools partnered with ITS, a technology solutions provider based in Wetumpka, last year after being awarded federal dollars as a part of the 2010 School Improvement Grant (SIG). This week-long workshop was a part of the three year initiative to transform Lowndes County Schools to 21^st Century learning environments.

Superintendent, Dr. Daniel Boyd commented on the training saying, “The sessions were outstanding. I appreciate how the content was delivered to our teachers and the fact that all this information will be used to integrate technology in the classrooms while improving teaching and learning.”

Not only did the schools install new technology into all the classrooms at Jackson Steele Elementary, Lowndes Middle School, Hayneville Middle School and Calhoun High School in 2010 but the schools also wrote into their grant that training and professional development be an integral part of their school transformation process.

Some of the topics discussed at last week’s training included: Effective Teaching Strategies, Differentiation/ Data Analysis, Digital Storytelling, SMART Resources for the Classroom, and more!

Customer Highlight

itsincweb — Thu, 19 May 2011 18:49:42 +0000

Recently, one of our customers, Wetumpka High School principal – Richard Dennis – was named 2011-2012 High School Principal of the Year by the Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals (AASSP). Dennis will now represent Alabama at the national level in judging high school leaders by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) this fall.

Dennis began his principalship at Wetumpka High School in 2004 and says ITS has played a large role in his career since day one. WHS was ranked last in the entire Elmore County School System for technology in 2004. That quickly changed after teaming up with Tomi Selby and ITS. The school immediately jumped to number two in the system and hasn’t looked back since. With the addition of a new freshman transition program known as the 9^th grade academy or “We2 Nation” last year as well as outfitting all classrooms with tools of engagement, the school has made serious strides in transforming into a 21^st Century learning environment and the benefits of technology and professional development are evident. Since the onset of this project, Wetumpka High School has seen increased student attendance, rising test scores, and an increased graduation rate.

Dennis comments on his optimism for what he sees WHS being able to do in the future saying, “In a time where resources are running short and the standards for students are rising, WHS is actually increasing momentum and making great gains!”

Wetumpka High School was one of ITS’s K-12 projects that greatly influenced the creation of the Educational Services Division and the work we do with schools across the southeast today. Dennis talks about the accomplishments WHS has made over the last couple of years and says, “A large part of our success at WHS is due to our relationship with ITS!”

Read more about Dennis’ recent recognition at The Wetumpka Herald.

Hitting the Course for a Good Cause!

itsincweb — Mon, 16 May 2011 20:30:05 +0000

We are swinging into our 5th Annual Charity Golf Tournament and hope you will join us for a fun-filled day of golf at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Capitol Hill in Prattville, AL. All proceeds raised at this year’s event will benefit the Jason Michael Hilty Memorial Scholarship, The Imagination Library of Elmore County and the MT Selby Fund.

The Jason Michael Hilty Memorial Scholarship is a scholarship established with the Elmore County Community Foundation (ECCF)to benefit graduates of Wetumpka High School. Jason Hilty was a Wetumpka resident and attended Auburn University. After passing in 2008, friends and loved ones established this scholarship as a way to help other WHS graduates chieve their college and career goals.

The Imagination Libraryof Elmore County is an effort started by Dolly Parton in 1996. The program places one book a month in the home of all pre-school age children, regardless of a family’s income or location. The Imagination Library is a managed project of the Alabama Parent Education Center (APEC).

The MT Selby Fund was established by Mike and Tomi Selby in remembrance of their son. The fund supports different educational projects throughout the Elmore County community. In past years, the MT Selby Fund has helped outfit Elmore County schools with tools of engagement as well as playground equipment. www.cacfinfo.org

To learn more about our event and the sponsorship opportunities available, visit our tournament website [www.itscharitygolf.com].

ITS Raises over $2,500 for Relay for Life!

itsincweb — Mon, 09 May 2011 19:31:29 +0000

Relay for Life 2011

This year, over 1.4 million Americans will hear the words ‘You have cancer’. We know too many people who are touched by cancer, and that is why ITS joined the American Cancer Society on a mission to save lives and create a world with more birthdays by participating in the Relay For Life in Wetumpka, AL.

At Relay For Life we celebrated loved ones who have won their battle against cancer, remembered those who are no longer with us, and fought back against this disease that touches so many. ITS was determined to make a difference and that’s why we worked hard to raise $2,765 for the American Cancer Society. Every dollar raised brings us one dollar closer to a cure, and to a time when the number of people who have to hear the words “you have cancer” is zero.

Thank you to those that supported our team in this effort! Together, we ARE saving lives and creating a world with more birthdays!