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Posted by Josh Lewis

From looking forward with the CEO of Google and cool mobile tech to kites as the future of renewable energy, cyber weapons and hard-core Nintendo, a new show is launched every week day on WebVisions: a TAG TV compilation of tech news and information clips from various popular Internet video sites.  Watch a show a day to conveniently keep up with—and explore—a variety of tech topics! 

Go to WebVisions Now!

Monday: Looking Forward with Google CEO Eric Schmidt
Eric Schmidt speaks at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference in March 2009 on search engines, clouds, netbooks, new products, the role of the Internet in a down economy, and more.  41 minutes

Tuesday: Cool Mobile Tech and the Future
In an engaging Ted Talks from the December EG’08 conference, New York Times tech columnist David Pogue discusses handy cell phone tools that can boost your productivity, and he talks about future tech.  Is the future now?  27 minutes

Wednesday: On Kites as the Future of Renewable Energy
Saul Griffith unveils the invention his new company Makani Power has been working on: giant kite turbines that create surprising amounts of clean, renewable energy.  6 minutes

Thursday: Should the U.S. Develop Cyber Weapons?
David Sanger, New York Times White House correspondent, says that while the United States has never openly engaged another country in so-called cyber warfare, the likelihood is greatly increasing.  Agree?  3 minutes

Friday: Nintendo Goes Hard-Core
At Nintendo’s GDC ’09, where the art and business of making games meet, the keynote featured a slathering of new announcements, including the release of Virtual Console Arcade and new hard-core titles for WiiWare.  2 minutes

Go to WebVisions Now!

Other TAG TV Features: Tech Talk on TAG Radio
TAG President Tino Mantella interviews Atlanta’s top executives, with a new show launching every Tuesday afternoon. Click to listen to Tino’s latest interview!

Comments (1) Notables What’s New?

Posted by Ariel Killen

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090326005720&newsLang=enhttp://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090326005720&newsLang=en

Corestaff Services

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UK-based Impellam Group plc (http://www.impellam.com) has named Sue Holub as vice president, Marketing, of Impellam’s North American business operations, which include CORESTAFF Services (http://www.corestaff.com) and other staffing companies. Holub is based in Houston and assumed her new role on March 23, 2009.

“Sue’s broad range of experience has resulted in impressive revenue growth, market penetration and brand awareness,” said Jim Boone, Impellam Group’s North American president and chief executive officer. “Sue’s passion for best-practice marketing will strengthen our go-to-market approach and position in the marketplace. She’s a great addition to our executive team.”

Holub joins the company with 15 years of product management, product marketing and marketing communications experience. Most recently, Holub was vice president of marketing for Preparis, Inc., overseeing product strategy and management, market segmentation, positioning and distribution channels, as well as the full spectrum of marketing communications and public relations initiatives. Previously, Holub spent seven years with Fiserv. Inc. (formerly CheckFree Corporation) where she held a number of marketing leadership roles in both the Software and e-Commerce divisions of the company. Prior to Fiserv, Holub held senior marketing and communications positions at BellSouth Corporation, focusing on consumer Internet data services. She began her career with Ketchum Communications, servicing blue-chip clients spanning a range of industries including pharmaceutical, healthcare, retail, financial services, telecommunications and technology.

Holub is a Six Sigma Yellow Belt and Pragmatic Marketing® Certified. She is also an active member of the Chief Marketing Officer Council, American Marketing Association, American Management Association and Technology Association of Georgia. Holub graduated from American University in Washington, D.C. with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Communications and Spanish.

About CORESTAFF Services

CORESTAFF Services is one of the top 50 largest national staffing firms in America with offices in 21 states. CORESTAFF employs more than 36,000 temporary workers annually and operates over 100 offices throughout the United States.

CORESTAFF also operates as TeleSec CORESTAFF in the Washington, DC, area and Leafstone Staffing Services in the New York City metropolitan area. CORESTAFF is not affiliated with Core Staffing Services, Inc., which operates in the New York Metro Area. CORESTAFF is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Please visit CORESTAFF Services at http://www.corestaff.com.

About Impellam

Impellam Group plc is the parent company of CORESTAFF Services. Based in the UK, Impellam operates across a broad range of staffing sectors and is complemented by businesses in the outsourced support services sector.

In addition to its CORESTAFF locations in the United States, Impellam operates offices throughout the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Switzerland.

For more information on Impellam, please visit http://www.impellam.com.

Comments (1) TAG in the News

Posted by Ariel Killen

http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/main.asp?SectionID=6&SubSectionID=6&ArticleID=57704&TM=444.309

Gwinnett Daily Post

Norcross Tech named to list of top 40

NORCROSS - The Technology Association of Georgia has named Corus360 to its list of the top 40 innovative companies in the state for its Remote360 BlackBerry application. Remote360 allows information technology administrators the ability to connect to and operate remotely BlackBerry devices in use in their organization.

“Applications like Remote360 will become the standard for companies looking for greater efficiencies within their organizations,” said Ted Chappell of Corus360.

For a demonstration of Remote360, visit http://www.remote360.mobi.

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Posted by Ariel Killen

http://aiccse.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/aicc-memeber-asankya-named-in-top-10-innovative-ga-companies-for-2009/
America-Isreal Chamber of Commerce

AICC Member Asankya, was named as one of the top 10 innovative Georgia companies for 2009 by the Technology Association of Georgia. Asankya is an innovative provider of application acceleration services and solutions highly focused on using its innovative technology and hardworking team to provide a valuable solution to cloud storage, application providers and other key partners.

Asankya and participated in AICC’s 2006 Broadband Business Exchange and 2007 New Media Business Exchange. Israel based fund Veritas Venture Partners is an investor in Asankya. CEO Scott Ryan is a member of AICC Tlecommunications Committee

Comments (0)

Posted by Josh Lewis

From a Twitter backlash and a Larry King interview with Tom Friedman in honor of the Georgia Technology Summit videos launch this week to why buying a Rolex is good for a green economy, an introduction to Google Voice, and Microsoft’s vision of your world in 2019, a new show is launched every week day on WebVisions: a TAG TV compilation of tech news and information clips from various popular Internet video sites.  Watch a show a day to conveniently keep up with and explore a variety of tech topics! 

Go to WebVisions Now!

Monday: Twitter Backlash and More News
The CNET Buzz Report for last week features why Dell goes high-fashion at just the wrong moment, everyone hates Twitter, and iPhone 3.0 can steal your heart.  4 minutes

Tuesday: GTS Launch Special: Larry King Interviewing Thomas Friedman
With the TAG TV launch of the Georgia Technology Summit (GTS) video series, beginning with keynote speaker Tom Friedmans follow up Q&A, enjoy a Friedman interview where he explains the importance of a green revolution.  10 minutes

Wednesday: In a Real Green Economy, Buy a Rolex
Inventor Saul Griffith explains why, in terms of energy consumption, it is better to buy a single high-quality product once than many cheaper, inferior versions over a lifetime. 3 minutes

Thursday: Introducing Google Voice
The New York Times TV show, Your Digital Life with David Pogue, takes a look at Google Voice, a service that unifies all phones and voice mail.  3 minutes

Friday: Microsoft’s Vision of Living in 2019
A Microsoft video montage show how emerging technology will improve our productivity in the years ahead, and what opportunities will arise from evolving trends and global change to improve our lives at work and at home.  2 minutes

Go to WebVisions Now!

Other TAG TV Features: Tech Talk on TAG Radio
TAG President Tino Mantella interviews Atlanta’s top executives, with a new show launching every Tuesday afternoon. Click to listen to Tino’s latest interview!

Comments (0) Notables What’s New?

Posted by Ariel Killen

http://www.gamersdailynews.com/story-9713-GDC-09-CCP-Wins-Key-Awards-For-Innovation.html
Gamers Daily News

CCP, has announced a strong corporate outlook ahead of this year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC), (San Francisco, CA, March 23-27, 2009). The company was recently honored for its innovative approach to development; is announcing aggressive recruitment plans; and earlier this month released the latest EVE Online expansion: Apocrypha, available online as well as in retail stores via a distribution partnership with Atari.

CCP has received two key business awards over the last month, The Icelandic Innovation and Knowledge Award from the Association of Businessmen and Economists in Iceland and the 2009 Top 10 Innovative Technology Companies Award from the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). Both awards highlight CCP’s strength and innovation in technical development.

“CCP was founded around innovation and the pursuit of excellence,” said CEO Hilmar Veigar Petursson, “and those core values have continued to be at the heart of everything we do, even as we’ve expanded our global reach in the last few years. We feel great pride and humility to have been recognized with these prestigious awards and feel more determined than ever to keep attracting brilliant people and building the best battletested technology to create the most compelling virtual worlds imaginable.”

On the heels of these two awards, and with March 10th’s retail box release of EVE Online: Apocrypha, CCP has announced a heavy presence at this year’s GDC. Several CCP representatives will give presentations, and CCP is also hosting booth #210 in the GDC Career Pavilion as part of its recruitment drive.

GDC speaking slots include:

* Eyjo Gudmundsson, Lead Economist, and Petur Oskarsson, Researcher: “The Council of Stellar Management: EVE Online Bridges Worlds for a Society”
* Halldor Fannar, CTO: “From Evolution to Revolution: Upgrading the Graphics Engine of EVE Online”
* Ryan Scott Dancey, CMO: “Network Marketing: Leveraging Social Networks to Grow an MMO”

During the expo, CCP will be accepting resumes from aspiring and talented developers as it commences a series of recruitment waves in which the company aims to fill about 60 positions over the course of 2009. The company will also show highlights of the new features and capabilities associated with their latest expansion, EVE Online: Apocrypha, including an eased learning curve for newcomers, unstable wormholes for exploration and modular ships that pilots may tailor-build to suit their own specifications and needs.

“We are excited to be growing our developer team, and it’s nice to see the team winning awards from our industry peers,” said Mike Tinney, president of CCP North America. “By hiring top talent, and tackling hard problems 2008 became a strong year for CCP. Now coming into 2009 we’re looking for more insanely talented and like-minded people to join our team. We will continue to enrich the EVE player experience and continuously develop and improve our upcoming projects as well.”

Comments (0) TAG in the News

Posted by Ariel Killen

http://www.techlinks.net/community/articles/article/17307-jennifer-poole-sobocinski-and-gina-gallo-to-co-chair-wit-s-15th-annual-wit-connect-connecting-for-a-cause

TechLINKS

Women In Technology (WIT), the leading association committed to the development of Georgia’s businesswomen in the technology industry, today announced Jennifer Poole Sobocinski, founding partner, CarterBaldwin, and Gina Gallo, president, Stratix, will co-chair WIT Connect: Connecting for a Cause to be held at the Atlanta History Center.

“With industry leaders like Gina and Jennifer bringing their vision to this year’s WIT Connect, everyone attending this event will be part of executive networking at its best,” says Jamie Greene, president of WIT.

WIT Connect is a unique fundraiser that auctions the time of executives of top Atlanta corporations and draws hundreds of the technology community’s leaders together to raise money to support WIT programs and philanthropy initiatives.

Sobocinski is nationally recognized for her expertise in executing “C” level officer and board of director level searches for public and private clients. Under her leadership, CarterBaldwin has achieved more than 400 percent revenue growth since its founding in 2001 and she has expanded the organization’s presence throughout North America. CarterBaldwin was named to the prestigious Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing privately held companies twice, and to Atlanta’s Top 10 Retained Search Firms. Catalyst Magazine named Sobocinski among Atlanta’s Top 50 Entrepreneurs. Currently, she serves on the board of the Technology Executive Roundtable, and is a sponsor of the Atlanta CEO Council.

“In this economy, fundraising for organizations like WIT and the WIT Foundation is critical,” says Sobocinski. ““The funds raised from WIT Connect support WIT’s leadership development programs and WIT Foundation programs that help middle and high school-age girls make informed decisions about careers in science, technology, engineering and math. I am honored to work with Gina and the team of WIT volunteers who work tirelessly to help women succeed in technology and change girls’ lives through this event.”

Gina Gallo joined Stratix in September 2004 as vice president of sales.  Gallo was appointed president of Stratix in April 2007 and is responsible for the company’s strategic planning and execution.  A mobile enterprise industry executive with over 25 years experience, Gallo has worked with leading Fortune 1000 companies enabling innovative mobile solutions throughout the supply chain sector.  Under her leadership, Stratix has achieved more than a 200 percent revenue growth since joining the company, been named twice to the prestigious Inc5000 list of fastest growing privately held companies and been named among Atlanta’s Top 25 Women Owned Firms. Ms. Gallo serves on the board of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) and is the chair for the Employee Enablement Committee.

“Recent studies have shown interest in technology fields declining – especially among girls.  Women today only account for approximately 20 percent of the IT workforce and the aim of the WIT Foundation is to reverse this trend,” says Gallo.  “We are very pleased to have already secured Georgia industry leaders including Autotrader, Equifax and McKesson as participants for this year’s WIT Connect, and it’s these companies and others that will help us raise funds to get girls interested in IT fields,” says Gallo.

About Women in Technology (WIT)

WIT is a not-for-profit organization made up of an influential community of diverse, talented professional women focused on promoting the advancement of women in the field of technology in Georgia. WIT’s monthly meetings feature nationally recognized speakers who address topics on leadership and professional advancement to support women in their technology careers while also providing a valuable networking opportunity. WIT delivers programs, such as WIT Executive Coaching and WIT Careers in Action, to enable members to hone their leadership skills and achieve visibility within the business community.

WIT’s philanthropic and educational programs, such as Girls Get IT, provide outreach to educate and encourage girls and young women to pursue careers in science and technology. WIT has two annual premier events, WIT Connect, WIT’s annual fundraiser event, and WIT’s Women of the Year in Technology Awards honoring the women who lead Georgia’s technology community. WIT is a founding society of the Technology Association of Georgia, an umbrella membership organization that serves the Georgia technology community. For more information on WIT and the WIT Foundation, WIT’s philanthropic arm, visit http://www.witinc.org.

Comments (40) TAG in the News

Posted by Josh Lewis

The TAG Health and Finance Societies, in conjunction with GA HFMA, recently presented “The Economic Stimulus Package and Healthcare IT”
featuring a panel of nationally-known healthcare thought leaders and an audience Q&A.  The presentation, in its entirety, is now available for viewing on TAG TV.

Go to http://www.TAGTVonline.com now!

As the global financial crisis and economic downturn persists, and as the present administration and policy makers in Washington work on finding ways to reform the nation’s healthcare delivery system through the adoption of technology, healthcare industry stakeholders continue to question just how the more than $17 billion in government funds targeted to healthcare IT will impact their businesses.

This event was the second in a series of events hosted by TAG Health that addresses the impact of the global economic downturn on the healthcare technology sector. It features expert discussion from healthcare industry leaders on the impact of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act), which is a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (e.g., the stimulus package). The event follows up on a previous one held in January (also currently on TAG TV) that discussed the overall impact of the financial crisis on the US healthcare system.

Comments (66) What’s New?

Posted by Josh Lewis

From the CNET Buzz Report and the next world wide web of open linked data to wearable technology that will change interaction with our environment, Google’s Worldwide energy plan and a TGIF funny look at “being green,” a new show is launched every week day on WebVisions: a TAG TV compilation of tech news and information clips from various popular Internet video sites.  Watch a show a day to conveniently keep up with, and explore, a variety of tech topics! 

Go to WebVisions Now!

Monday: CNET Buzz Report, From Best Gadget to Dying Paper News
Gadget of the week, comments on the (terrible) Shuffle, and special news report: the death of newspapers, options and impact.  5 minutes

Tuesday: The Next WWW of Open Linked Data
Twenty years ago, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web and, for his next project, he’s building a Web for open, linked data that could reframe the way we use the Web together.  What will it do?  17 minutes

Wednesday: Unveiling Wearable Tech for Profound Personal Interaction
With more than 64,000 views in the first three days, this demo from a lab at MIT, was the buzz of the TED Conference, too.  It’s a wearable device with a projector that paves the way for profound personal interaction with our environment.  9 minutes

Thursday: Google’s Worldwide Energy Plan
CEO Eric Schmidt and Alan Murray of the Wall Street Journal engage in an informative and entertaining discussion at the WSJ ECO:nomics conference on March 4, 2009 about the worldwide Google energy plan.  33 minutes

Friday: Funny Business, On Being Green
TGIF: Cyber satirist Bob Hirschfeld lampoons business, technology and Green business at a recent conference.  6 minutes

Go to WebVisions Now!

Other TAG TV Features: Tech Talk on TAG Radio
TAG President Tino Mantella interviews Atlanta’s top executives, with a new show launching every Tuesday afternoon. Click to listen to Tino’s latest interview!

Comments (0) Notables What’s New?

Posted by Ariel Killen

http://www.techlinks.net/leader-showcase?sobi2Task=sobi2Details&sobi2Id=228

TechLINKS

Biography:
Dan Darling is the Chief Information Officer of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS. Inc), a division of Time Warner Inc. Over the course of 23 years with the company, he has been an integral force in the technical evolution of a local Atlanta UFH station into a global media giant. TechLINKS interviewed Dan and learned the personal story behind a career that is closely connected to the company’s history and mirrors the remarkable growth of an Atlanta icon.

Twelve years after moving with his family from sunny Oakland, California to small-town Ohio, Dan Darling found himself paying his way through college at Akron University and later Ohio State University. Working between semesters, he landed a job that would become the impetus for a lifelong career. “One of the jobs I took in college was in a television studio, and I think that’s what really ignited the fire – the realization that this is something I really enjoy,” says Darling. A year later, degree in hand, Darling followed his passion and immersed himself in the world of live television, initially as an on-location film editor.

“I traveled all over the world as a CMX editor doing live shows for an evangelist named Rex Humbard,” Darling explains. “That was my first foray into computers. I liked being able to affect change in a quick and creative way. At the time, they were just beginning to build television mobile units and moving them around the world created some unique problems. So, we took that idea and built out an air cargo container that would house a complete production, tape and transmission facility that we could put on a jet and take anywhere in the world — which we did very successfully for many years.”

Working in Miami in 1985, Darling got the call that would change his career - and life - forever. “In the spring of 1985, Turner Broadcasting recruited me. They were talking about building a new state-of-the-art production studio facility in Atlanta and I saw the opportunity to be part of a great new initiative.”

His instincts were dead on. Dan Darling was right where he wanted to be: on the front lines of a growing media giant.

Interview:

Take us back to 1985, when you first came to Turner.
CNN was still in its infancy and TBS had just been launched. I was initially hired as a CMX editor, but it was obvious that there was a lot of opportunity. The company was incredibly dynamic and the cable industry was young. I was excited about joining a company that encouraged innovation and creativity.

At that time, the big national sports franchises were just starting to become hot properties. All of the broadcast and cable networks were bidding for the television rights packages for the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball. Turner already owned the Braves, so naturally, some of the first projects I edited were Braves spots. I created many of the reels that sold the NFL and NBA on Turner’s capabilities. We won all those rights and that really helped put a more national focus on the company. In fact, we still originate our NBA broadcasts from this facility, and we just entered into a joint venture with them to handle even more of their production work.

Also, in those early days, we had several magazine-style entertainment shows. One called “Good News” was shot in New York and brought to Atlanta for editing. I used to work exclusively with Bonnie and Terry Turner on the “Good News” show. Of course, later, they went on to create “Wayne’s World”, and “That 70’s Show” and write for “Saturday Night Live”. So, even back then, we had fantastic talent and really high production values.

Ted Turner’s entrepreneurial leadership was really contagious. We were up for any challenge and he encouraged us to take risks. That great entrepreneurial spirit still lives on at Turner today. Ted’s philosophy was to give any good idea a shot. And he backed it up with a lot of support both for the people and the product.

Ted’s office was in the original Turner Studios building. He was engaged in the business day and night, even sleeping in his office plenty of nights, and as is now well known, he would often come downstairs in his bathrobe. There were usually editors around working late or way early, and Ted would talk to everyone standing around the central coffee pot. He would always thank each person for their dedication in keeping us on the air, and he would do so very graciously… while wearing his bathrobe. When we dedicated the new state-of-the-art Turner Studios building in 2000 - a facility that my great team designed and built - I had a bathrobe embroidered with the Turner Studios logo and presented it to Ted. I told him: “You’re always welcome here and here’s a new robe to wear just like the old days! Well, he just loved it!”

Now, you pointed out a couple of times the importance of Ted’s leadership - not only on the organization but on you as well. Can you identify a couple of key moments or events that still stand out with you as learning points ?
The one that most stands out was my first day on the job. Both my supervisor and his boss were out of town and they told me to come in and just get familiar with the editing suite, which was right next to the studio.

I came in pretty early to look at the control room router and tape machines - just to get the lay of the land. When I walked into the studio the lights were off, but I heard this guy saying “Where in the heck is everybody?” After feeling around the side of the wall I finally found the overheads and flipped them on… and there was Ted standing right in the middle of the set.

“Where is everyone?” he said. “I’m supposed to be taping in here right now!”

I told him I didn’t know but I’d find out.

I quickly found one of the production managers and we determined that Ted was actually supposed to be at the local ABC station, not with us.

I went back to Ted, clarified the miscommunication and made sure he was on his way to the right place.
Afterward, what I took from the experience - and I think one of the biggest lessons I learned from Ted - was you’ve got to value your time and be wise about how it’s used in order to be successful.

Describe your leadership style.
I am very team-oriented. My management style is about building teams to solve problems. My estimation of great leaders isn’t that they have all the answers, but that they provide the environment for others to be successful in creating solutions.

I think one of my most important responsibilities involves ensuring that my people have the right tools and infrastructure they need to do the absolute best job. You can’t be ‘best in class’ without the best resources.

With all the divisions that I have reporting to me right now - and that’s 11 technology and operations groups - one of the key discussion topics in every one of my direct report meetings is collaboration. Collaboration builds efficiency, builds strong partnerships, and builds a much more robust model for succeeding as a company.

Let me give you an example. For years, Turner operated as two separate divisions—entertainment and news. There wasn’t a lot of synergy or collaboration between them. I think we’ve been able to bridge that gap over the years so that lessons learned on the news side are now carried over to the entertainment side, and vice versa. I think more so than ever. Right now we’re hitting on all cylinders when it comes to collaboration as a company, which is great. I’m proud to be part of all that.

Let’s talk technology. What kind of technology was and is involved in broadcasting ?
When we look at technology at CNN - what’s gone into making CNN so successful – you have to start with the on-location reporting. We have to be able to go anywhere in the world – to some of the most remote locations on earth – and be able to shoot, record, edit and transmit within minutes… and time is always critical, more so now than ever. So there’s a significant amount of technology that’s required.

I’ll give you a great example: our Digital News Gathering system or “DNG”. Our people developed and implemented an integrated and portable IP-based system that allows journalists to capture content in the field on these DNG kits and feed it to Atlanta via FTP over satellite or the internet. It also provides the ability to stream video for a live event. This innovative technology won several awards last year including a Technical Emmy. It’s nothing short of amazing what CNN is doing right now as a global news organization, in respect to the way it’s capturing and broadcasting news. And all of it is technology-driven.

Besides technology developments in the field, we now have a fiber ring called the OC 192 that connects Atlanta, New York and Washington, DC. This technology allows us tremendous flexibility in passing video, audio and data simultaneously 24 / 7, so it’s almost like all three production facilities are colocated. This is a tremendous competitive advantage. Running a news organization takes a lot of money. Through technology, we’ve been able to create efficiencies and add more value to the company while cutting down on operating costs.

What changes in technology are most affecting your industry ?
That’s a great question because there is so much change. But it’s come to the point where it’s not dramatic change anymore. It’s a more subtle change that continually affects the way we do business. The growing popularity of BlackBerrys and smart phones is a good example.

From the broadcast industry point of view, we’ve been converting our networks to High Definition, which is a huge undertaking in that every piece of equipment from the cameras in the field to the switchers, routers and transmission gear in every production facility must be compatible. CNN HD just debuted last year and it has really led the way for news in High Definition.

We’re also enhancing our architecture software on an ongoing basis. We have three groups dedicated strictly to software development here at Turner, not to mention several groups who are focused on developing new products and services.

Do you do most of that in-house or do you use outside contractors?
We do both. We do a lot of software development internally because we’re able to hone in on exactly what our needs are. For example, this year we’re rolling out a new fully integrated and internally developed sales trafficking system called Crossroad. We felt it was vital to the continued success of our sales group considering changes to the cable advertising world. That work was all done in-house.

Of course, if there’s something off the shelf that meets our need, we go after it. But given the changes in our businesses and our goal of staying ahead of the curve, we end up doing a lot of custom development in house.

Let’s talk about community for a minute. What’s your view of Georgia’s technology industry and it’s role in Turner’s success?
I sit on the Board as vice-chair of the Technology Association of Georgia and on the Board of the Georgia Film Commission, so I’m actively involved in the community on Turner’s behalf.

Again, it’s unique to have this size and type of media organization located in Atlanta for now going on 40 years. I think Atlanta has been a great place for Turner. The city has allowed us to grow and is a great partner… and the state has created tax incentives to encourage digital technology development. I think Atlanta benefits from having a lot of other great companies – including many strong technology businesses – based here that helped promote our growth. Together, we’ve made Atlanta both a technology hub and a Mecca for the brightest young talent… and it’s a great place to call home.

PeopleLinks Profile:
University/College Affiliations:

Ohio State University
Akron University

Professional Organization Affiliations:

Vice Chair of Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)
Appointed to Georgia Film, Video & Music Advisory Commission by Governor Perdue

Community/Volunteer Involvement:

Board member Centennial Place YMCA; Executive Sponsor of
Black Professionals at Turner

Awards/Recognition:

Honored with Governors Award by National Association of Television Arts and Sciences, Southeast Chapter
Honored with NATAS’ Silver Circle Award, recognizing 25 years of service for the Atlanta television community
Georgia Oglethorpe Award – the state equivalent of the prestigious Malcolm Baldridge award for Performance Excellence
Recipient of several Emmys for television production

Most Admired Leader:
Ted Turner

Best Advice to Those Starting Out in Technology:
“Stay Connected…read and absorb everything you can!”

Hometown:
Northampton, Ohio

Favorite Quote:
“Lead, Follow or Get Out of The Way!” – Ted Turner

Favorite Location or recreational area in Georgia:
All the beautiful Lakes…Blue Ridge, Lanier, Allatoona.

Favorite hobby:
Skiing…Water or Snow

Favorite Executive Gadget:
My GPS and BlackBerry Curve

Comments (0) TAG in the News

Posted by Ariel Killen

http://www.techlinks.net/leader-showcase?sobi2Task=sobi2Details&sobi2Id=228
TechLINKS

Biography:
Dan Darling is the Chief Information Officer of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS. Inc), a division of Time Warner Inc. Over the course of 23 years with the company, he has been an integral force in the technical evolution of a local Atlanta UFH station into a global media giant. TechLINKS interviewed Dan and learned the personal story behind a career that is closely connected to the company’s history and mirrors the remarkable growth of an Atlanta icon.

Twelve years after moving with his family from sunny Oakland, California to small-town Ohio, Dan Darling found himself paying his way through college at Akron University and later Ohio State University. Working between semesters, he landed a job that would become the impetus for a lifelong career. “One of the jobs I took in college was in a television studio, and I think that’s what really ignited the fire – the realization that this is something I really enjoy,” says Darling. A year later, degree in hand, Darling followed his passion and immersed himself in the world of live television, initially as an on-location film editor.

“I traveled all over the world as a CMX editor doing live shows for an evangelist named Rex Humbard,” Darling explains. “That was my first foray into computers. I liked being able to affect change in a quick and creative way. At the time, they were just beginning to build television mobile units and moving them around the world created some unique problems. So, we took that idea and built out an air cargo container that would house a complete production, tape and transmission facility that we could put on a jet and take anywhere in the world — which we did very successfully for many years.”

Working in Miami in 1985, Darling got the call that would change his career - and life - forever. “In the spring of 1985, Turner Broadcasting recruited me. They were talking about building a new state-of-the-art production studio facility in Atlanta and I saw the opportunity to be part of a great new initiative.”

His instincts were dead on. Dan Darling was right where he wanted to be: on the front lines of a growing media giant.

Interview:
...
Let’s talk about community for a minute. What’s your view of Georgia’s technology industry and it’s role in Turner’s success?
I sit on the Board as vice-chair of the Technology Association of Georgia and on the Board of the Georgia Film Commission, so I’m actively involved in the community on Turner’s behalf.

Again, it’s unique to have this size and type of media organization located in Atlanta for now going on 40 years. I think Atlanta has been a great place for Turner. The city has allowed us to grow and is a great partner… and the state has created tax incentives to encourage digital technology development. I think Atlanta benefits from having a lot of other great companies – including many strong technology businesses – based here that helped promote our growth. Together, we’ve made Atlanta both a technology hub and a Mecca for the brightest young talent… and it’s a great place to call home.

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Posted by Ariel Killen

http://reiboldt.com/?p=742

Mark to Market

If you will recall, I recently mentioned that I was co-chairing and moderating another event for the Technology Association of Georgia, where we are conducting a series of roundtables addressing the impact of the recession on the healthcare industry.  The first event in January was focused on the general financial crisis and healthcare.  This time, we discussed the impact of the economic stimulus package on healthcare technology.  We once again hosted a “powerhouse” panel of experts, which included the director of IBM’s healthcare business and Coker’s Senior Vice President of Technology, as well as other industry experts from both the policy side and the private sector side. 

First, let me say that the event was another huge success, and this one was even bigger than the January event.  We once again were way over capacity and had to finally shut down registrations, not to mention the fact that the audience was standing-room only again.  We also received more media attention this time, including Atlanta’s local ABC affiliate, WSB-TV, who has been focusing a great deal on the impact of the economy on jobs, which we addressed extensively in the context of the stimulus and healthcare.  In addition, our friends at the Atlanta Business Chronicle also covered the event for us.

Second, the issues we addressed were extremely relevant and timely for the audience members.  We will be coming out with a full report and more details on the specific issues and discussion, but as an overview, we talked about the details around the health IT provisions and $20 billion aimed at healthcare in the stimulus package.  Further, we addressed what this could mean for jobs and rebuilding the economy in general.  Finally, we looked at how all of this will impact the overall issue of healthcare reform and what the healthcare IT sector needs to make electronic medical records and other technologies a reality throughout the healthcare delivery system. 

And finally, since we had another great panel, the discussion was very dynamic and I had many attendees mention afterwards that they benefitted from the information immensely.  The primary reason I think this was the case is that I did not assemble a panel of folks that would just agree with each other on everything and say all of the same things.  We had people that were all experts in their own specific areas; however, they brought different viewpoints, perspectives and agenda to the table, ultimately creating some great dynamic in the discussion, which was very helpful for the audience.  In fact, the discussion started getting so deep and extensive at some points, I as the moderator, had to bring us back to the main issue, which was what the economic stimulus means for the healthcare industry, with a particular focus on healthcare technology. 

The event was recorded, so we will once again be coming out with that footage in the next week or so.  Further, the TAG Health Board (on which I sit), along with Coker’s Economic Stimulus Task Force, will come out with a formal report on the discussion soon, which will be published publicly, as well as be made available to key policymakers that we are working with to make sure the stimulus funds are used strategically and appropriately to maximize the benefit for the healthcare industry and healthcare consumers at large.  In the meantime, if you have questions or would like more information on any of this, please do not hesitate to contact me.

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Posted by Ariel Killen

http://reiboldt.com/?p=742
by reiboldt

If you will recall, I recently mentioned that I was co-chairing and moderating another event for the Technology Association of Georgia, where we are conducting a series of roundtables addressing the impact of the recession on the healthcare industry.  The first event in January was focused on the general financial crisis and healthcare.  This time, we discussed the impact of the economic stimulus package on healthcare technology.  We once again hosted a “powerhouse” panel of experts, which included the director of IBM’s healthcare business and Coker’s Senior Vice President of Technology, as well as other industry experts from both the policy side and the private sector side. 

First, let me say that the event was another huge success, and this one was even bigger than the January event.  We once again were way over capacity and had to finally shut down registrations, not to mention the fact that the audience was standing-room only again.  We also received more media attention this time, including Atlanta’s local ABC affiliate, WSB-TV, who has been focusing a great deal on the impact of the economy on jobs, which we addressed extensively in the context of the stimulus and healthcare.  In addition, our friends at the Atlanta Business Chronicle also covered the event for us.

Second, the issues we addressed were extremely relevant and timely for the audience members.  We will be coming out with a full report and more details on the specific issues and discussion, but as an overview, we talked about the details around the health IT provisions and $20 billion aimed at healthcare in the stimulus package.  Further, we addressed what this could mean for jobs and rebuilding the economy in general.  Finally, we looked at how all of this will impact the overall issue of healthcare reform and what the healthcare IT sector needs to make electronic medical records and other technologies a reality throughout the healthcare delivery system. 

And finally, since we had another great panel, the discussion was very dynamic and I had many attendees mention afterwards that they benefitted from the information immensely.  The primary reason I think this was the case is that I did not assemble a panel of folks that would just agree with each other on everything and say all of the same things.  We had people that were all experts in their own specific areas; however, they brought different viewpoints, perspectives and agenda to the table, ultimately creating some great dynamic in the discussion, which was very helpful for the audience.  In fact, the discussion started getting so deep and extensive at some points, I as the moderator, had to bring us back to the main issue, which was what the economic stimulus means for the healthcare industry, with a particular focus on healthcare technology. 

The event was recorded, so we will once again be coming out with that footage in the next week or so.  Further, the TAG Health Board (on which I sit), along with Coker’s Economic Stimulus Task Force, will come out with a formal report on the discussion soon, which will be published publicly, as well as be made available to key policymakers that we are working with to make sure the stimulus funds are used strategically and appropriately to maximize the benefit for the healthcare industry and healthcare consumers at large.  In the meantime, if you have questions or would like more information on any of this, please do not hesitate to contact me.

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Posted by Ariel Killen

http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/65439

EVE Ten Ton Hammer

Plans for GDC ‘09 and a push for recruitment in the near future
With the recent release of Apocrypha the creators of EVE Online, CCP, are enjoying the benefits of their success. CCP landed key awards, The Icelandic Innovation and Knowledge Award from the Association of Businessmen and Economists in Iceland and the 2009 Top 10 Innovative Technology Companies Award from the Technology Association of Georgia, for their work.

Along with their current success, CCP is paving the way to attract new players to EVE Online by showing off their revamped game at this year’s Game Developers Conference later this month as part of the recruitment process. Read the latest press release for more details!

Reykjavik, ICELAND – March 12, 2009 – CCP, one of the world’s leading independent game developers and creator of EVE Online, has announced a strong corporate outlook ahead of this year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC), (San Francisco, CA, March 23-27, 2009). The company was recently honored for its innovative approach to development; is announcing aggressive recruitment plans; and earlier this week released the latest EVE Online expansion: Apocrypha, available online as well as in retail stores via a distribution partnership with Atari.

CCP has received two key business awards over the last month, The Icelandic Innovation and Knowledge Award from the Association of Businessmen and Economists in Iceland and the 2009 Top 10 Innovative Technology Companies Award from the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). Both awards highlight CCP’s strength and innovation in technical development.

“CCP was founded around innovation and the pursuit of excellence,” said CEO Hilmar Veigar Petursson, “and those core values have continued to be at the heart of everything we do, even as we’ve expanded our global reach in the last few years. We feel great pride and humility to have been recognized with these prestigious awards and feel more determined than ever to keep attracting brilliant people and building the best battletested technology to create the most compelling virtual worlds imaginable.”

On the heels of these two awards, and with Tuesday’s retail box release of EVE Online: Apocrypha, CCP has announced a heavy presence at this year’s GDC. Several CCP representatives will give presentations, and CCP is also hosting booth #210 in the GDC Career Pavilion as part of its recruitment drive.

GDC speaking slots include:

· Eyjo Gudmundsson, Lead Economist, and Petur Oskarsson, Researcher: “The Council of Stellar Management: EVE Online Bridges Worlds for a Society”

· Halldor Fannar, CTO: “From Evolution to Revolution: Upgrading the Graphics Engine of EVE Online”

· Ryan Scott Dancey, CMO: “Network Marketing: Leveraging Social Networks to Grow an MMO”

During the expo, CCP will be accepting resumes from aspiring and talented developers as it commences a series of recruitment waves in which the company aims to fill about 60 positions over the course of 2009. The company will also show highlights of the new features and capabilities associated with their latest expansion, EVE Online: Apocrypha, including an eased learning curve for newcomers, unstable wormholes for exploration and modular ships that pilots may tailor-build to suit their own specifications and needs.

“We are excited to be growing our developer team, and it’s nice to see the team winning awards from our industry peers,” said Mike Tinney, president of CCP North America. “By hiring top talent, and tackling hard problems, 2008 became a strong year for CCP. Now coming into 2009 we’re looking for more insanely talented and like-minded people to join our team. We will continue to enrich the EVE player experience and continuously develop and improve our upcoming projects as well.”

Comments (0) TAG in the News

Posted by Ariel Killen

http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/65439
TenTonHammer

Plans for GDC ‘09 and a push for recruitment in the near future
With the recent release of Apocrypha the creators of EVE Online, CCP, are enjoying the benefits of their success. CCP landed key awards, The Icelandic Innovation and Knowledge Award from the Association of Businessmen and Economists in Iceland and the 2009 Top 10 Innovative Technology Companies Award from the Technology Association of Georgia, for their work.

Along with their current success, CCP is paving the way to attract new players to EVE Online by showing off their revamped game at this year’s Game Developers Conference later this month as part of the recruitment process. Read the latest press release for more details!

Reykjavik, ICELAND – March 12, 2009 – CCP, one of the world’s leading independent game developers and creator of EVE Online, has announced a strong corporate outlook ahead of this year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC), (San Francisco, CA, March 23-27, 2009). The company was recently honored for its innovative approach to development; is announcing aggressive recruitment plans; and earlier this week released the latest EVE Online expansion: Apocrypha, available online as well as in retail stores via a distribution partnership with Atari.

CCP has received two key business awards over the last month, The Icelandic Innovation and Knowledge Award from the Association of Businessmen and Economists in Iceland and the 2009 Top 10 Innovative Technology Companies Award from the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). Both awards highlight CCP’s strength and innovation in technical development.

“CCP was founded around innovation and the pursuit of excellence,” said CEO Hilmar Veigar Petursson, “and those core values have continued to be at the heart of everything we do, even as we’ve expanded our global reach in the last few years. We feel great pride and humility to have been recognized with these prestigious awards and feel more determined than ever to keep attracting brilliant people and building the best battletested technology to create the most compelling virtual worlds imaginable.”

On the heels of these two awards, and with Tuesday’s retail box release of EVE Online: Apocrypha, CCP has announced a heavy presence at this year’s GDC. Several CCP representatives will give presentations, and CCP is also hosting booth #210 in the GDC Career Pavilion as part of its recruitment drive.

GDC speaking slots include:

· Eyjo Gudmundsson, Lead Economist, and Petur Oskarsson, Researcher: “The Council of Stellar Management: EVE Online Bridges Worlds for a Society”

· Halldor Fannar, CTO: “From Evolution to Revolution: Upgrading the Graphics Engine of EVE Online”

· Ryan Scott Dancey, CMO: “Network Marketing: Leveraging Social Networks to Grow an MMO”

During the expo, CCP will be accepting resumes from aspiring and talented developers as it commences a series of recruitment waves in which the company aims to fill about 60 positions over the course of 2009. The company will also show highlights of the new features and capabilities associated with their latest expansion, EVE Online: Apocrypha, including an eased learning curve for newcomers, unstable wormholes for exploration and modular ships that pilots may tailor-build to suit their own specifications and needs.

“We are excited to be growing our developer team, and it’s nice to see the team winning awards from our industry peers,” said Mike Tinney, president of CCP North America. “By hiring top talent, and tackling hard problems, 2008 became a strong year for CCP. Now coming into 2009 we’re looking for more insanely talented and like-minded people to join our team. We will continue to enrich the EVE player experience and continuously develop and improve our upcoming projects as well.”

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