Newsroom

RICHMOND, Va. (May 9, 2012) – RichTech held its 17th Annual Technology Stars gala tonight, honoring several local organizations and individuals that are actively helping advance Central Virginia’s technology-based economy.

More than 600 people attended the Technology Stars gala, held at the Richmond Marriott.  The awards are structured in a way that recognizes individual accomplishments, corporate wins, non-profit success stories, innovators in their field, and small businesses.

 

“Tonight the finalists were representative of the growth and strengthen we have seen in Richmond’s technology economy, said Robby Demeria, Executive Director of Richmond.  “As last year, we had several non-traditional IT company finalists; a tribute to Richmond’s growing creative technology community as mobility and social media take root in both the consumer and business markets.  The organizations and individuals that we have recognized this evening each understand the value of technology in our community.”

 

“One of the highlights of the evening was recognizing the Educator finalist.” said Margaret E. “Lyn” McDermid, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Dominion and RichTech Chair.  “A key part of RichTech’s mission is to promote technology throughout Virginia, and STEM education is critical to that growth.  Our finalists are personally and professionally committed to encouraging and growing young minds who will be our future inventors, entrepreneurs, and corporate leaders.  The winner of the Educator Award has historically been given a monetary gift as part of the award.  This year, in recognition of the personal sacrifices made by all teachers and educators, RichTech is pleased to extend this to all finalists.”

 

The award name, its description, and the winners are:

 

The Community Catalyst Award Sponsored by Cisco & SyCom is awarded to the individual or organization that has made significant impact on the growth of technology in the Richmond Region, and/or the advancement of Greater Richmond as a center for technology innovation.

Phil Conein of, TecHead.  Conein believes that small business can have the largest voice in the future of the Richmond Region. Creating collaboration between creatives, technologists, and business innovators is what will drive that belief forward, and is what Phil works toward daily.

 

The Educator Award Sponsored by Computer Resource Team is awarded to the educator or school program that provides exceptional technology leadership and encourages students to pursue higher education or training in science, technology, engineering and math.

Cindy Jones, Clover Hill Elementary.  Jones has a passion for STEM and her philosophy is simple; increase excitement and academic time, increase physical activity time, which strengthens the mind-body connection, and empowers the educational process.  STEM in her class provides awareness and excitement which in return encourages students to pursue the STEM areas.

 

The Emerging Company Award Sponsored by Cherry, Bekaert & Holland is awarded to the local technology company that has demonstrated recent growth in revenues and/or employees, a company whose recognized accomplishments and prospects demonstrate the ability to achieve commercial success.

Health Diagnostic Laboratory, Inc. (HDL, Inc.)  HDL, an accredited leader in health management, offers a comprehensive test menu of risk factors for cardiovascular and related diseases. HDL’s systematic approach identifies factors contributing to disease and provides a basis for effective manage patients.

 

The Technology Builder Award Sponsored by SLAIT Consulting is awarded to the local technology company delivering technology solutions and/or services to external clients that build capacity and increase operational efficiency.

Whitlock.  Whitlock is a global AV solutions provider, offering AV Integration, Enterprise Standards, Unified Communications, Videoconferencing, Digital Media, Visualization and Managed Services, including AVNOC remote support, field service/maintenance, on-site staffing, virtual and hosted video services.

 

The Technology Innovation Deployment Award Sponsored by VACO Technology is awarded to the company or organization whose creative use of existing technology enhances processes, methodologies and/or services for their own or others' benefit.

The Reginald F. Lewis School of Business at Virginia State University.  VSU is the first School in the country to launch an integrated curriculum in a digital fashion. The RFLSB is committed to partnering with industry in the development of leaders and critical thinkers for the 21st century.

 

The Technology Innovation Developer Award Sponsored by Comcast Business Class is awarded to the company or organization whose development of new technology applications and/or systems creates new processes, methodologies, and/or services for their own or others' benefit.

Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (VDHCD).  VDHCD partners with communities throughout the Commonwealth to develop their economic potential, increase their capacity to address community development and housing needs, improve the quality and affordability of housing, regulate Virginia's building codes and provide training and certification.

 

The People's Choice Award Sponsored by Peak10 is awarded to the Awards Finalist company selected by Gala attendees via real-time mobile app voting as the overall technology community's choice for Best in Show.  Winner announced live at Gala after real-time voting.

 

The RichTech Chairman's Award Sponsored by Altria Client Services Presented annually to an individual or organization that has made a significant impact on the growth of technology in the Richmond Region, and/or the advancement of Greater Richmond as a center for technology innovation.

 

Karen Booth Adams, Hot Technologies Holding

Phil Conein believes that small business can have the largest voice in the future of the Richmond region.

Conein, president at information technology staffing firm TecHead, works toward creating a collaboration between creative people, IT professionals and business innovators to help drive that point forward.

His efforts were honored by RichTech during its annual awards gala Wednesday night.

Conein received the Community Catalyst Award, sponsored by Cisco and SyCom, for his impact on the growth of technology in the Richmond region and the advancement of the area as a center for technology innovation.

Two other individuals and four organizations also were recognized during RichTech's 17th annual Technology Stars Gala. More than 600 people attended the event, held at the Richmond Marriott.

Other people and organizations honored were:

Cindy Jones, a teacher at Clover Hill Elementary, received the Educator Award, which is sponsored by Computer Resource Team, for encouraging students to pursue higher education or training in science, technology, engineering and math.

• Health Diagnostic Laboratory Inc. received the Emerging Company Award, sponsored by Cherry, Bekaert & Holland. It is awarded to the local technology company that has demonstrated recent growth in revenues and/or employees.

• Whitlock received the Technology Builder Award, sponsored by SLAIT Consulting.

• The Reginald F. Lewis School of Business at Virginia State University received the Technology Innovation Deployment Award, sponsored by VACO Technology, for launching an integrated curriculum in digital.

• Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development received the Technology Innovation Developer Award, sponsored by Comcast Business Class.

• Karen Booth Adams, an angel investor who started Hot Technology Holdings, received the RichTech Chairman's Award, sponsored by Altria Client Services.

Attorney Lakshmi Challa has been named the 2012 Henrico County Community Leader of the Year by the Greater Richmond Chamber's Henrico Business Council.

Challa is the chief executive officer of Challa Law Offices Inc., which has offices in Virginia, North Carolina and India.

The award honors unsung heroes who show unwavering support for Henrico County and the business community, demonstrate dedication to the betterment and growth of the county, and exhibit enthusiasm for and make a significant difference in their community, the chamber said.

Working with the Virginia Poverty Law Center, Challa established the Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence Project to assist undocumented immigrants who are victims of domestic or sexual violence obtain legal status and lead a life free from the tyranny of their abusers and fear of deportation, the chamber said.

Her creative solution to marshal additional assets by bringing law students from the University of Richmond's School of Law to assist on a pro bono basis dramatically expanded the project's effectiveness, the chamber said.

Under her leadership and with the pro bono assistance of a cadre of attorneys and law students, the project has helped more than 50 women remain in the United States, work legally and provide for their families and children, according to the chamber.

Through her outreach, Challa serves as a role model by demonstrating the importance of community service, the chamber said.

Additionally, Challa has provided legal expertise to Commonwealth Catholic Charities, supporting unaccompanied minors brought to the U.S.; has served on the state's Illegal Immigration Task Force; and was appointed by Gov. Bob McDonnell to the Virginia Commonwealth University's Health Systems Board. She serves on numerous organization boards in central Virginia.

The chamber's 2012 Henrico Awards will be presented 7:15 a.m. next Wednesday at Henrico Doctor's Hospital.

For the free breakfast meeting, go online at www.grcc.com or call (804) 783-9368.

Richmond, VA undefinedCommunity business leaders can access the knowledge and experience of world-renowned leaders by attending Chick-fil-A Leadercast at Parkway Baptist Church in Richmond on May 4, 2012. 
 
Chick-fil-A Leadercast is a one-day leader development event broadcast LIVE from Atlanta, Ga. to hundreds of sites throughout the nation, including Richmond.  Speakers for this year’s event include:

o Soledad O’Brien, Anchor and special correspondent for CNN
o Tim Tebow, NFL quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner and best-selling author
o Patrick Lencioni, Best-selling author and president of The Table Group
o John Maxwell, Leadership expert & best-selling author of “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”
o Marcus Buckingham, Strengths strategist, best-selling author and researcher
o Angela Ahrendts, CEO, Burberry
o Roland Fryer, Professor of economics at Harvard University and CEO of the Education Innovation Laboratory 
o Urban Meyer, ESPN analyst and former head football coach for the University of Florida
o Andy Stanley, Best-selling leadership author and communicator
o Sheena Iyengar, Author of “The Art of Choosing“ and world-renowned expert of choice

Last year, 85,000 leaders from 17 countries attended Chick-fil-A Leadercast. In its 12th year, this full day, experiential conference is predicted to reach its largest audience to date.

 “It is one of the single most consolidated sources of leadership that I know of,” said Paul Urbanowki, senior manager at AT&T. “But it goes beyond that. I think this conference, although very focused on leadership, transcends the topic and really shows you how to lead in life.”

This year’s program will focus on the power of choice. The diverse group of internationally-acclaimed authors, leadership experts and practitioners will share insights to help leaders empower and equip others at work, at home and in the community through his or her choices.
 
“We’re really good at getting messages aimed at very specific, targeted audiences. But we aren’t always very good at reaching out across the culture,” said Malcolm Gladwell best-selling author of “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking” and “Outliers: The Story of Success.” “I think this is one of the few organizations that does that...that really appeals to me.”

For more information about Chick-fil-A Leadercast, visit www.chick-fil-aleadercast.com.  For local ticketing information, call Ben Jobrack at (804)-794-3491 or visit www.richmondleadercast.com.

We were pleased to announce that SyCom Technologies won the Customer Satisfaction Partner of the Year for the East Area award at Cisco Partner Summit 2012 in San Diego.

SyCom Technologies was chosen from a select group of Cisco partners in recognition of our outstanding achievements in 2011. Our close relationship with Cisco means that we have access to the best training and the best products, which helps us give you exceptional service and expertise. And that means we all win.

For more information on how your organization can benefit from our award-winning products, service, and support, call us at 804-262-7100, send an email to info@sycomtech.com, or log on to www.sycomtech.com.

RICHMOND – Virginia’s Deputy Secretary of Technology, Aaron Mathes, was recently asked to travel to Redmond, Washington to give a presentation on the Commonwealth’s efforts to modernize multiple agencies’ business functions away from outdated, costly models that hindered efficient citizen service. Representatives from the Virginia Information Technology Agency, Northrop Grumman, the governor’s office and several state agencies worked together to adapt a shared technological services environment by leveraging Microsoft’s CRM Dynamics platform in place of creating custom-developed solutions.
 

“Virginia government continues its innovative and creative approach to improving customer service and saving taxpayer’s dollars in the process,” said Governor Bob McDonnell. “This award illustrates that Virginia continues to be recognized for its innovative approaches to streamlining government and reshaping the way our 8 million citizens interact with their state agencies. It is just one more step we are taking to modernize, streamline, and improve accountability in state government.”

 
The Real Impact Solutions Award is awarded during Microsoft’s U.S. Public Sector CIO Summit attended by hundreds of IT leaders from across the Unites States. The award, selected through a vote of the summit attendees, is bestowed by industry peers to the most innovative and effective government IT project presented at the conference.

 
Those agencies now using the solutions, based on Microsoft Dynamics CRM, include several areas of the governor’s office, the Secretary of Trade and Commerce, the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and the Secretary of Technology, as well as the State Board of Elections, Department of Historic Resources, and the Department of Education. In all cases the modernized business functions have enabled faster processing of citizen services, inquiries and concerns, retirement of outdated and often unsupported software and hardware systems, and the redeployment of existing staff to other tasks. The bottom line is these agencies are now operating more efficiently and effectively at current staffing and budgetary levels. Both the citizens of Virginia, as well as other state agencies, are the ultimate beneficiaries of these modernized business systems.

         
“Virginia’s IT professionals are quietly revolutionizing and modernizing how the people’s business is done in Virginia,” said Deputy Secretary Mathes. “Citizens contacting state agencies to address their needs will benefit every day as we continue working to streamline and modernize these processes throughout state government. The governor’s office is pleased to use many of these innovative solutions in our secretariats, and we will continue working with VITA and our technology partners to improve other agency processes in the future.”

 
Richmond, VA, March 12, 2012 – SyCom technologies announced today it has been named to CRN’s second annual list of the Tech Elite 250. Companies on the 2012 Tech Elite 250 list represent an elite group of IT Solution Providers that have invested in the training and education needed to earn the most technical certifications in the IT Channel.

In compiling the list, CRN editors worked with the UBM Channel research group and a team outside experts to define the most customer-beneficial technical certifications in the IT channel.  These technical certifications have enabled solution providers to deliver the most premium products, service and support to their North American customers.

SyCom Technologies is dedicated to the continuing education of their employees at all four locations throughout Virginia and West Virginia. The technology company provides ongoing training and certification opportunities to its staff and expert technicians. 

“The 2012 Tech Elite 250 list recognizes an exclusive group of Solution Providers that have shown a dedication to helping customers innovate while reducing costs,” said Kelley Damore, Vice President, Editorial Director at UBM Channel.  “By identifying and adapting to the skills and training needed to best serve today’s customers, members of the Tech Elite 250 have proven their commitment to delivering the products and services that today’s end-users value most.”

A sample of CRN’s 2012 “Tech Elite 250” list is featured in the February issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.crn.com.

“Our people make the difference and truly define our success as a company. Any opportunity we have to help them grow professionally is an opportunity to better serve our customers. “Says, CEO Tom Cricchi. “We are proud to be recognized for the initiative our team has taken to improve the quality of our services.”



About SyCom: (www.sycomtech.com)
Founded in 1996, SyCom has offices in Richmond, Vienna and Roanoke, and Charleston, W.Va. Our focus is primarily mid-Atlantic with a national delivery capability. Named “Best Place to Work in Richmond,” we are an employer of choice for some of the best IT talent in the region. Our engineers are some of the best in their respective fields more than 10% of our engineers have been with the company since we started our commitment to sage advice you can trust. Our mission is “To provide outstanding and memorable service in everything we do.” While the technology is important, our people and service make sure your implementation is as smooth and memorable as possible.


 

MoneyRates.com has ranked Virginia the “Best State to Make a Living” in its annual study. Virginia jumped up from fourth place in 2011 to take the top spot in 2012 based on measurements in the four categories considered by MoneyRates.com: Average Income, which has increased over the past year; Cost of Living based on ACCRA Cost of Living Index, which slightly decreased; Unemployment Rate, which has decreased in Virginia; and State Income Tax, which has not increased under the McDonnell administration.

Speaking about the ranking, Governor McDonnell remarked, “Our administration is focused on getting Virginians back to work and our economy back on track. Over the past two years, we have put in place numerous policies to help spur private-sector job creation. We have traveled the nation and the world to tell the Virginia story and bring new job-creators to the Commonwealth, and to introduce the Commonwealth’s products to new markets overseas. We have been joined in this effort by lawmakers from both parties as the work to get Virginians back to work is a bipartisan endeavor. That work is getting results. Virginia has been named by CNBC and Pollina as the best state in America for business. Agricultural exports hit a record high in 2011. Corporate expansions are up. Most importantly, our unemployment rate has fallen to a three-year low at 5.8 percent. Since we took office in 2010, 154,000 more Virginians have the good-paying jobs they need to support their families. This is good news. Virginia is on the right track. Now, we must redouble our efforts to continue making Virginia a job-magnet and an economic leader in the years ahead.”

From the report:

1. Virginia (Adjusted average income: $43,677)

In jumping from fourth to first, Virginia improved its adjusted average income figure by $2,557. This year, Virginia enjoyed a best-of-both-worlds scenario in which its average income rose while its cost of living fell slightly. The state also saw its unemployment rate drop to 6.2* percent, which is well below the national average.

*While the report is impressed by Virginia’s previous drop to 6.2 percent unemployment, the new seasonally adjusted unemployment figures for January released just last week show an even greater drop in the state to 5.8 percent, a three-year low.

Do not continue reading this message unless you believe that you and your colleagues possess superior brain power and are ready to prove that you are the smartest tech company in Richmond.

I knew that you would keep reading.

WCVE, The Community Idea Stations (home of PBS/NPR) is raising money by holding a brain teaser game called the Big Idea Challenge.  RichTech is supporting the challenge by encouraging our members companies to form teams and compete against each other for the title of "smartest tech company in Richmond."  We will recognize that winner and all of our member participants at the Awards Gala on May 9th.

The ultimate goal is to raise money for WCVE.  You probably are aware of the debates about – or the decisions to cut – funding for public broadcasting.  Wherever you come down on the issue, I know that you appreciate the importance of keeping our PBS and NPR programming.  And we all know what we will miss if we lose that programming! 

To learn more see bigideachallenge.org

The game begins in April - please register soon!

Since 2006, Computer Aid, Inc. (CAI) has been the Managed Service Provider responsible for overseeing all service delivery activities for the IT Contingent Labor (ITCL) contract for the Commonwealth of Virginia.  The CAI ITCL Contract is comprised of two separate programs:
 
1.       Staff Augmentation of IT temporary resources
2.       SOW Deliverables-based, Fixed Price Projects
 
Between March 26 and April 30, 2012, CAI will hold an open enrollment for companies interested in joining the network of suppliers who are able to compete for deliverables-based work under $2 million in the Statements of Work program.  Since the SOW program began in late 2010, $17,307,830 has been awarded to participating firms, with $7,145,078 (41.28%) being awarded to the Commonwealth’s small, women, and minority owned (SWaM) firms. 
 
If you are interested in applying, please email VAITCLSOW@compaid.com to have your firm added to the distribution list for receiving the enrollment application and criteria. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact one of the Account Managers:
 
Christy Butcher (christy_butcher@compaid.com, 804-288-4246) or
Sue Flaxman (susan_flaxman@compaid.com, 717-651-3126)
 
If you are interested in joining the Staff Augmentation program, you can do so at any time. For information, go to the VA ITCL website: http://smsa.compaid.com and click on the link “Criteria for Joining”.