Congratulations to Michelle McBain for being elected to the Communities Executive Board at CompTIA

Congratulations to Michelle McBain for being elected to the Communities Executive Board at CompTIA - The World's Largest IT Association.

She will be vice-chairing the Advancing Women in IT Community which is is dedicated to empowering women with the knowledge and skills necessary to help their pursuit of successful IT careers, as well as to inspire women to enter the IT field as a career choice.

The community is a vital information resource, provides mentorship and networking opportunities, develops member-driven initiatives and programs, is active in legislation involving women and careers, and is actively involved in pursing the overall objectives of the CompTIA – ECAP (education, certification, advocacy and philanthropy). 

Members of this group are women who are currently in or aspire to be in IT careers and men who support this mission.

Full Press Release:

Jan 22, 2014

CompTIA Reveals New Communities Executive Board for 2014

IT channel leaders will help chart course for association initiatives

Downers Grove, Ill., January 22, 2014 – CompTIA, the leading non-profit association for the information technology (IT) industry, announced today that 21 executives from across the IT channel will serve on its Communities Executive Board in 2014.

The Communities Executive Board provides oversight and coordination for the association’s 10 member communities, assisting in strategy development and aligning community objectives with member needs and the association's direction.

“These channel leaders and all of our volunteers provide a great service to the industry by devoting their expertise and time,” said Nancy Hammervik, senior vice president, industry relations. “The collective experience, insight and vision of this group are unmatched anywhere else in our industry.”

The CompTIA Communities Executive Board includes the chairs and vice chairs from each of the 10 individual member communities. Serving on the board this year are:

Advancing Women in IT – Doriana Allyn, senior manager, environmental health and safety, Brother; Michelle Ragusa, global customer and partner experience manager, Cisco.

Cloud – Ted Roller, vice president, channel development, LogMeIn; Jason Bystrak, director of cloud services, Ingram Micro.

IT Security – Scott Barlow, vice president, sales and marketing, Reflexion Networks; Chris Johnson, chief executive officer, Untangled Solutions.

IT Services and Support US – Angel Pineiro, senior vice president, services, ASI System Integration, Inc.; James Walters, director, enterprise business service, Samsung.

IT Services and Support Canada – Kevin Hiebert, vice president, technology, IDS Solutions; Douglas Brown, national manager, solution services, Xerox Canada,

Managed Print Services – West McDonald, owner, FocusMPS; Gus Yusem, XPPS offer definition office, Xerox.

Managed Services – John Tippett, chief operating officer, EDTS; Vince Tinnirello, chief executive officer, Anchor Network Solutions.

Mobility – Heather Murray, director, sales and marketing, TDMobility, Tech Data; Michael Romero, vice president, West Coast mobility, SAP.

Technology Convergence – David Gilbert, chief executive officer, SimpleSignal; and Chad Massaker, chief executive officer, Carceron IT.

UK Channel – Mark Williams, chief executive officer, Pensar; and Susanne Dansey, independent IT consultant.

Dan Wensley, president, Plan 27, Inc., serves as the liaison between the Communities Executive Board and the CompTIA Board of Directors.

CompTIA Communities are the foundation of the association’s initiatives, programs, education, research and advocacy. These member-driven groups collaborate to advance specific technology solutions and growth in vertical markets and business segments.

Several of these groups will meet at the 2014 CompTIA Annual Member Meeting April 1-3 in San Diego.  Registration is now open for this event, where hundreds of top executives from all corners of the IT channel will gather for collaborative strategic planning and networking.

About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications and public policy advocacy. Visit http://www.comptia.org/home.aspx, http://www.facebook.com/CompTIA and twitter.com/comptia to learn more.

Contact:
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
630-678-8468
sostrowski@comptia.org

http://www.comptia.org/news/pressreleases/14-01-22/CompTIA_Reveals_New_Communities_Executive_Board_for_2014.aspx

Honored to Join Board of National Cristina Foundation

I am honored and very excited to be chosen by the National Cristina Foundation as a member of the board. This is a team of amazing people that have produced incredible results over the past 30 years for people with disabilities, students at risk and persons who are economically disadvantaged.

Founded in 1984, The National Cristina Foundation works to promote technology reuse by educating businesses and the public that technology resources coming out of their first place of use can be given a second productive life for developing human potential.

The National Cristina Foundation's online non profit locator enables donors of used computers and other electronic hardware to select a local charity or school in their area of the country they choose to receive their donation of equipment.

The Foundation's Cristina Network is a community of hundreds of organizations across our nation that we have pre screened and have verified that they are a 501(c)(3) non profit charity or school and are working to help people in need benefit from technology training and support.

Through the Cristina Network, they provide free donation management system software and solutions for use by nonprofits, schools and public agencies in their local communities to manage their own reuse agendas to benefit people with disabilities, students at risk and persons who are economically disadvantaged.

The National Cristina Foundation and our grassroots partners are bound by the collective belief that technology re-use helps Link Life to its Promise.

About the Foundation:

The National Cristina Foundation works to promote reuse by educating businesses and the public that used technology resources are valuable tools that can be given a second productive life for developing human potential. We encourage them to donate their used equipment in support of this agenda.

We provide solutions to help nonprofits, schools and public agencies manage their own technology reuse agendas to assist people with disabilities, students at risk and economically disadvantaged persons in their local communities to lead more independent and productive lives.

The National Cristina Foundation's Cristina Network is a community of organizations who are benefiting from the reuse of technology. Organizations throughout the United States come together through the Cristina Network to share ideas and build reuse solutions. All of our partner organizations are currently in the process of gradually being registered as partners in the Cristina Network community.


Getting in touch:

National Cristina Foundation
339 Lea DR,
West Chester, PA 19382

(203) 863-9100

Justice is Served - House Robbery on Christmas Eve is Solved!

A month after our home was robbed on Christmas Eve while we were down in Myrtle Beach, the story has completely unfolded and 5 people have been arrested.

Long story short, my daughters best friends thought our house would be a good place to hang out and party and invited 3 others to join. Things got out of hand and the 3 boys they invited returned and robbed cash, jewelry, prescription drugs, cameras, a safe and caused some damage around the house.

Danica (in middle) with Courtney and Clarissa in front of our house in happier times:

A BIG shout out to Officer Tai Slagen of the North Greenbush Police who has worked 24/7 to figure out the mystery and bring this to closure!

Here are the details...


NBC News was first to break the news:
http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S3297042.shtml?cat=300

Five arrested after a month-long burglary investigation

Five people are under arrest and three are facing criminal charges in connection with a burglary on Sliter's Lane in the Town of North Greenbush.

Police say some time overnight on December 24th, 2013 the suspects broke into the home, damaged some property and stole other valuable property.

Police arrested 17-year-old Skyler Dayton, 18-year-old Jacob Ruth, 19-year-old Keenu Watso, 17-year-old Clarissa Wolf and 16-year-old Courtney Ciccarelli on Friday in connection with the burglary.

According to officials, two of the suspects were friends of the homeowner's daughter and knew the homeowners would be out of town on vacation at the time of the burglary.

Police believe all five suspects broke into the home, stayed for about an hour, then left. Dayton, Ruth and Watso are accused of returning to the home later to steal jewelry, cash, a safe and prescription medication. One piece of jewelry reported missing was a family heirloom ring.

"During the course of the month-long investigation, several interviews of the suspects were conducted which resulted in the recovery of the safe, ring and written admissions from all of the suspects," said North Greenbush Police Chief Robert Durivage.

Police are charging Dayton, Ruth and Watso with burglary, criminal mischief, grand larceny and criminal trespass. Wolf and Ciccarelli are charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass. Wolf and Ciccarelli were released on appearance tickets. Ruth and Dayton were arraigned and released with probation. Watso is being held in Rensselaer County Jail.

CBS News was next:
http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/features/top-story/stories/five-arrested-december-robbery-east-greenbush-13649.shtml





Five arrested for December burglary in North Greenbush

Updated: Saturday, January 25 2014, 11:14 AM EST NORTH GREENBUSH - An investigation into a burglary at a house in North Greenbush has led to the arrests of five.

North Greenbush Police say they arrested 19 year old Keenu Wastso as well as four minors, whose names are being withheld due to age, in connection to the December 24th burglary of a house on Sliter's Lane.

According to police two of the subjects were friends of the daughter of the homeowners who were out of town on the night of the incident. Police say the five people stayed in the house for over an hour.

Watso and two others allegedly returned to the home shortly after and took jewelry, cash, prescription medication and a safe along with other property including a family heirloom.

Watso and the two minors who returned to the house were charged with felonies Second Degree Burglary, third Degree Criminal Mischief, and Grand Larceny as well as misdemeanor second degree Criminal Trespass.

The two other minors involved were only charged with misdemeanor second degree Criminal Trespass. Watso was remanded to Rensselaer County Jail while the four minors were released to be due back in court at later dates.

Times Union followed:
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/5-teens-arrested-after-break-in-5174645.php




5 teens arrested after break in


NORTH GREENBUSH — Town police arrested five teens on Friday in connection with a Christmas Eve burglary at a Sliter's Lane home in the Town of North Greenbush.

According to police, the following three individuals, all East Greenbush residents, face felony burglary, criminal mischief and grand larceny charges: Skyler S. Dayton, 17; Jacob W. Ruth, 18, and Keenu T. Watso, 19.

Two female suspects were also arrested on misdemeanor trespass charges in the case.

Police said at 6:48 p.m. on Dec. 24 they investigated a report of a burglary at the residence, where it appeared the suspects had entered the home overnight stealing and damaging property. According to police, two of the suspects were friends of the homeowners' daughter and knew the family was out of town. The group of five initially entered the home around midnight, entered the residence without permission, stayed for an hour and then left the premises, police said. Shortly after, authorities allege Dayton, Ruth and Watso returned and stole property including jewelry, cash, prescription medication and a safe.

The two suspects facing misdemeanor charges were released to their parents on appearance tickets. Dayton and Ruth were arraigned in North Greenbush Town Court and released on their own recognizance and ordered to report daily to Rensselaer County Probation. Watso was sent to Rensselaer County Jail in lieu of $8,000 bail. All but Ruth are due back in court on Feb. 4; Ruth was ordered to return to court on Feb. 18.

Troy Record Chimed in:
http://www.troyrecord.com/general-news/20140125/north-greenbush-police-arrest-5-teens-for-christmas-eve-burglary







North Greenbush police arrest 5 teens for Christmas Eve burglary


NORTH GREENBUSH; Following a month-long investigation, five area teens have been arrested in connection with a burglary that took place on Christmas Eve in the town.

Two of the suspects were friends with the homeowners’ daughter and knew they were out of town. Police say the group entered the Sliter’s Lane home around midnight, stayed for over an hour, and then left.

Police say three of the suspects, Skyler S. Dayton, Jacob W. Ruth, and Keenu T. Watso, later returned to the home and reportedly stole jewelry, cash, medication, a safe, and other property. One of the pieces of jewelry was a ring that was a family heirloom, according to a press release.

Dayton, 17, Ruth, 18, and Watso, 19, all of East Greenbush, are charged with felony counts of Burglary 2nd, Criminal Mischief 3rd, Grand Larceny 3rd. In addition, they also face Criminal Trespass 2nd, a Class A Misdemeanor.

The other two suspects - Clarissa M. Wolf, 17 of East Greenbush, and Courtney E. Ciccarelli, 16 of Schodack - are facing charges of Criminal Trespass 2nd.

“During the course of the month-long investigation, several interviews of the suspects were conducted which resulted in the recovery of the safe, ring and written admissions from all of the suspects,” Chief Robert Durivage said. “We initially received a tip which was then followed up by good investigative police work conducted by Sgt. David Keevern and Officer Tia Slagen. In some instances it’s difficult to locate stolen property, but we’re very happy to have recovered the most important pieces of property for the victims.”

All five suspects were arrested on Jan. 24. Wolf and Ciccarelli were released to their parents on appearance tickets. Ruth and Dayton were arraigned by Judge Malone at North Greenbush Town Court and released on their own recognizance with daily reporting to Rensselaer County Probation.

Watso was remanded to Rensselaer County Jail in lieu of $8,000 bail. All but Ruth were ordered to return to court on Feb. 4; Ruth was ordered to return on Feb. 18.



Time Warner Cable posted this:
http://twcnews.com/content/news/714091/home-burglary-arrests/






Home burglary arrests


GREENBUSH, N.Y. -- Five teens are accused of breaking into a North Greenbush home, damaging property and stealing valuables.

Police say two of the five suspects were friends with someone who lived in the home on Sliter's Lane and knew they were out of town.

After initially breaking in and leaving, police say three of the teens then returned to the house and stole jewelry, cash, a safe and prescription drugs.

Police arrested Skyler Dayton, 17, Jacob Ruth, 18, and Keenu Watso, 19, of East Greenbush.

They were each charged with burglary, criminal mischief, grand larceny, and criminal trespass.

The other two teens involved face misdemeanor trespassing charges.




NBC News:http://www.nbcnews.com/id/54176163/ns/local_news-albany_ny/#.UuQbfxAo59M

Five arrested after month-long burglary investigation

Five people are under arrest and three are facing criminal charges in connection with a burglary on Sliter's Lane in the Town of North Greenbush.

Police say some time overnight on December 24th, 2013 the suspects broke into the home, damaged some property and stole other valuable property.

Police arrested 17-year-old Skyler Dayton, 18-year-old Jacob Ruth, 19-year-old Keenu Watso, 17-year-old Clarissa Wolf and 16-year-old Courtney Ciccarelli on Friday in connection with the burglary.

According to officials, two of the suspects were friends of the homeowner's daughter and knew the homeowners would be out of town on vacation at the time of the burglary.

Police believe all five suspects broke into the home, stayed for about an hour, then left. Dayton, Ruth and Watso are accused of returning to the home later to steal jewelry, cash, a safe and prescription medication. One piece of jewelry reported missing was a family heirloom ring.

"During the course of the month-long investigation, several interviews of the suspects were conducted which resulted in the recovery of the safe, ring and written admissions from all of the suspects," said North Greenbush Police Chief Robert Durivage.

Police are charging Dayton, Ruth and Watso with burglary, criminal mischief, grand larceny and criminal trespass. Wolf and Ciccarelli are charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass. Wolf and Ciccarelli were released on appearance tickets. Ruth and Dayton were arraigned and released with probation. Watso is being held in Rensselaer County Jail.



ABC NEWS:
http://www.news10.com/story/24546360/police-five-arrested-following-month-long-investigation-into-residential-burglary







Police: Five arrested following month long investigation into residential burglary

NORTH GREENBUSH, N.Y. – North Greenbush Police say they have arrested five teenagers after a month long investigation into a residential burglary.

According to authorities, two of the five suspects were friends with the homeowners' daughter and had knowledge that the family was out of town in December. The five suspects are accused of entering the home without permission around midnight on December 24.

Police say all of the suspects left the home, however three of them returned to the home and entered again. Skylar Dayton, 17, Jacob Ruth, 18, and Kennu Watso, 19, are accused of taken jewelry cash prescription medication and a safe inside the home.

Dayton, Ruth, and Watso, were arrested on Friday and have been charged with burglary 2nd, criminal mischief 3rd and grand larceny 3rd. Dayton and Ruth were arraigned and released on their own recognizance with daily reporting to Rensselaer County Probation. Watso was remanded to Rensselaer County Jail in lieu of bail.

Two teenage girls were also arrested on Friday and charged with one misdemeanor of criminal trespass 2nd. They were released to their parents on appearance tickets.

North Greenbush Police Chief Robert Durivage said a piece of jewelry and the safe were recovered. The suspects also had written admissions for authorities.

Honored to be featured in the Vertical Systems Reseller 7th Annual Review & Outlook

Popular magazine gathers channel leaders from around the world to predict the future of the IT Industry.

Upwards of 30% of channel partners that were in business a couple of years ago are no longer operating. This is double the traditional attrition rate that comes from businesses going bankrupt, being acquired, or just shutting down to pursue other opportunities.

Adding to reduction in customer spending due to the economic downturn, the channel has had to deal with hardware margins that have bottomed out, software margins collapsing due to the cloud and new licensing scenarios and, most troubling, the commoditization of traditional and managed services.

The good news is that partners that have weathered the perfect storm have likely transformed their businesses and are well positioned to take advantage of these future opportunities:

1. Channel partners evolving to be vendors

We have seen this trend escalate in the past number of years. Partners have developed such deep industry and customer expertise that they have built custom software, services and in some cases, hardware to solve specific customer challenges. As the world has become flatter, these partners are finding customers across the globe for these specific solutions. In 2014, we may see a cross-over point where there are more vendors than channel partners in the world.

2. Managing the Internet of Things

As we enter 2014, the average knowledge worker owns three devices that they are looking to add to the company network. This BYOD trend has been around since 2010, but will escalate significantly when the average worker will have 10 devices in the next five years. Planning, consulting, policy creation and deployment, provisioning, protecting, remotely managing, ensuring industry compliance and controlling data fragmentation and portability will drive significant channel opportunities over the next decade.

3. Infrastructure becomes important again

The channel WILL sell hardware and lots of it. The Internet of Things will drive significant upgrades in basic infrastructure such as wireless capacity, audio/video equipment, mobile printing, document management and building electrical. Yes, 10 devices will have 10 charging dongles. New hardware, such as in-memory computing, extreme low-energy servers and cloud enablement and security devices will provide additional opportunity.

4. Line of business overtakes IT

Key opportunities over the next few years reside outside of the IT department. Sales, marketing, finance, HR and operations are driving forward with technology requirements on their own because of the cloud and consumerization of hardware. Just look at the growth of companies like Salesforce, NetSuite and Marketo. These decisions are sometimes rogue in nature and bypass the IT team completely. BYOA, or Bring Your Own App, is also compounding this problem as (well meaning) individuals are adding consumer-grade apps onto their personal devices and using them for business purposes. Security, compliance and data fragmentation are usually afterthoughts.

5. Small data feeds big data

Small and medium customers drive important data that can be leveraged upstream. The future of Big Data actually resides in bringing together information from multiple smaller sources on demand, replacing the single data warehouse model. The channel will have the skills and connections to make this happen, driving new sources of business intelligence for customers that didn’t have this access before. All boats will rise.

The channel has always profited from confusion and complexity. While the cloud and pervasive hardware devices appear (to the customer) to simplify the environment, the opposite is happening. Managing security, compliance, data portability, fragmentation and supporting all these new devices will provide significant opportunity for channel partners in 2014.

Download full 65 page report here.

Being a visual person, I like to use Slideshare to learn about new topics - think of it as TED talks that you can move through at your own pace.  http://www.slideshare.net/jmcbain

5 Future Trends that are Changing the Channel Today

By Jay McBain, Co-Founder of ChannelEyes – The mobile platform for the Channel

Upwards of 30% of Channel Partners that were in business a couple of years ago are no longer operating. This is double the traditional attrition rate that comes from businesses going bankrupt, being acquired, or just shutting down to pursue other opportunities.

Adding to reduction in customer spending due to the economic downturn, the Channel has had to deal with hardware margins that have bottomed out, software margins collapsing due to the cloud and new licensing scenarios, and most troubling, the commoditization of traditional and managed services.

The good news is that partners that have weathered the perfect storm have likely transformed their businesses and are well positioned to take advantage of these future opportunities:

1.  Channel evolving to be Vendors – We have seen this trend escalate in the past number of years.  Partners have developed such deep industry and customer expertise that they have built custom software, services and in some cases, hardware to solve specific customer challenges.  As the world has become flatter, these partners are finding customers across the globe for these specific solutions.  In 2014 we may see a cross-over point where there are more vendors than Channel Partners in the world!

2.  Managing the Internet of Things – As we enter 2014, the average knowledge worker owns 3 devices that they are looking to add to the company network.  This BYOD trend has been around since 2010, but will escalate significantly when the average worker will have 10 devices in the next 5 years. Planning, consulting, policy creation and deployment, provisioning, protecting, remotely managing, ensuring industry compliance, and controlling data fragmentation and portability will drive significant Channel opportunities over the next decade.

3.  Infrastructure becomes important again – The Channel WILL sell hardware – and lots of it.  The Internet of Things will drive significant upgrades in basic infrastructure such as wireless capacity, audio/video equipment, mobile printing, document management, and building electrical.  Yes, 10 devices will have 10 charging dongles.  New hardware such as in-memory computing, extreme low-energy servers and cloud-enablement and security devices will provide additional opportunity.

4.  Line of Business overtakes IT – Key opportunities over the next few years reside outside of the IT department.  Sales, Marketing, Finance, HR and Operations are driving forward with technology requirements on their own because of the cloud and consumerization of hardware.  Just look at the growth of companies like Salesforce, NetSuite and Marketo.  These decisions are sometimes rogue in nature and bypass the IT team completely.  BYOA, or Bring Your Own App, is also compounding this problem as (well meaning) individuals are adding consumer-grade apps onto their personal devices and using them for business purposes.  Security, compliance and data fragmentation are usually afterthoughts.

5.  Small data feeds big data – Small and medium customers drive important data that can be leveraged upstream.  The future of Big Data actually resides in bringing together information from multiple smaller sources on demand, replacing the single data warehouse model.  The Channel will have the skills and connections to make this happen, driving new sources of business intelligence for customers that didn’t have this access before.  All boats will rise.

The Channel has always profited from confusion and complexity.  While the cloud and pervasive hardware devices appear (to the customer) to simplify the environment, the opposite is happening.

  

Managing security, compliance, data portability, fragmentation and supporting all these new devices will provide significant opportunity for Channel Partners in 2014.

5 Life Hacks You Should Be Using Today

I have always enjoyed learning tricks and tools to make everyday tasks easier or more efficient.  It can be as simple as saving a couple of keystrokes to finding an App that shaves off hours.

Here are a couple of tools that I use today that serve this purpose.

1.  Mint.com (Cost: Free)

                                                                              Image from Google

I have been an avid user of Quicken and Microsoft Money since before I was a teenager.  Every penny I have ever earned, invested or spent is tracked, categorized and reported.  This takes a time commitment of 1-2 hours per month.  

Mint is great on a PC or smartphone and connects to every bank, credit, mortgage and investment account I have (US and Canadian) and pulls it all together in real time.  You can add assets such as cars and personal items which drives an up-to-date net worth in real-time.

You can easily look at your complete financial world, have it report on bills due and large transactions. 

Individual account balances fluctuate but the net worth number is the one number to focus on month to month.

2.  Credit Karma (Cost: Free)

                                                                           Image from Google

I used to check my credit score every 6 months via one of the "FreeCreditScore.com" type of sites. Problem is that they are not free and you have to give up your credit card number.  If you don't cancel (via a long painful phone call to customer service) you are charged.

Credit Karma finally changes that.  In addition to the score, it gives you detailed information and breaks down the impact of each item.  You can even run simulators on what taking out new credit will do.

Having only moved to the US in 2009 - my biggest challenge was length of credit history.  While I can't change this item, I didn't realize that by having only 8 credit accounts that it was hurting my score.

Anyway, combined with Mint.com, I can stare at 2 numbers and have access to a wealth of information about my personal finances.

3.  23andMe.com (Cost: $199)

                                                                           Image from Google

Switching gears from financial to health.  As a futurist, I used to speak with such awe and inspiration as they mapped the human genome.  I originally had my DNA mapped when it was $400 and I thought it was a steal.

23andMe was started by Anne Wojcicki, the (separated) wife of Google founder Sergey Brin, and looks to cure disease by solving the age-old nature vs. nurture conundrum. I joke with people that 23andMe gives me a stack-ranked list of the 600 ways I am going to die.  

Knowing what diseases that are built into my lineage does 2 things for me:  

- drives me to better understand the disease, follow the latest medical science surrounding it and take precautions against it

- live everyday to the fullest

By the way, both of my grandfathers died at the age of 64 and 2 out of my top 5 propensity areas that 23andMe highlighted are the diseases that caused their deaths.  This is powerful stuff.

The software also has 3 other neat areas:  

a) A list of interesting personal things ranging from what type of ear wax to the muscle twitch determining speed.  My DNA predicted that was in the top percentile for fast muscle twitch and that I likely won the 100 meter in grade school - which is correct.

b) Genealogy on steroids.  Your DNA is tracked back thousands of years and you can see if you are related to royalty back in the day.  The most interesting thing is seeing where your mother and fathers lineage was 500 years ago (before mass travel).  Mine was 100% correct - Inverness, Scotland and Nottinghamshire, England.  Yes, I am the direct descendant of Robin Hood and the Loch Ness monster.

c) Social network of your family based on DNA.  I have openly accepted all "friend" requests of those people who are related to me.  This covers all regions of the world and I literally have hundreds of 10th, 11th and 12th cousins who are sitting on the same genetics that I am.  Fascinating.

4.  Amazon.com (Cost: $99 for Prime)

Many people know this one but it is worth repeating.  

I will not buy ANYTHING anymore without checking Amazon first and then eBay second.

With Prime you get free 2 day shipping on virtually everything and the savings are usually in the 30-40% range from normal retail.  With the mobile app I also buy things in real-time.  

In the garage and need a tool?  Buy and ship from phone.

In a store?  Use the built-in barcode reader and do a price check.

Need a small item for the kitchen?  Instead of trying to remember or adding to shopping list, just buy on the spot.

5.  YouTube.com (Cost: Free)

YouTube serves 2 purposes for me:

a) The new "mix" tape.  Find music you love and add to playlists.  You can play from your phone or a computer hooked up to your TV.

b) Mr. Fix-it.  This is the main reason for YouTube for me.  I was able to follow step by step with an amateur video and tear down my dryer and replace a faulty part for $40.  This saved about $300 in labor and I saved over a hundred on the part (eBay).  I have replaced several things on my Mercedes ML430 SUV (second worst vehicle all-time for reliability behind the Ford Focus) by following videos and buying parts on Amazon or eBay.  I even trust myself to change the oil in my Porsche 911 by buying the right parts from Amazon and following along.

All of the service repair industries will be in serious peril as younger generations start to turn to DIY - even for tasks that were once thought untouchable. 

____________________________________________________

I will write another blog on business hacks - things like Wordpress, Act-on, Manageflitter, Google Analytics and Google Apps that make life so much easier.

Baby McBain - Is it a boy or girl??? Find out here

How Disruptive Technologies Drive Innovation in the Channel

A look at disruptive technologies such as the internet of things, pervasive computing, consumerization, connected advertising and marketing, smart factories, intelligent traffic management, parking space management, waste management systems, smart electricity grids, smart water systems and smart warehouses will drive future profit and innovation for the technology channel.

The latest numbers on BYOD, BYOA and 7 futurist predictions on what the next 10 years will bring for the IT industry.

How Disruptive Technologies Drive Innovation in the Channel from Jay McBain

Channel Marketing Strategy: Communities, Dandelions, and $300M Revenue

IT Channel Inbound Marketing Podcast...

Channel Marketing Strategy: Communities, Dandelions, and $300M Revenue

Episode #10 of the IT Channel Inbound Marketing Podcast is all about Channel Marketing Strategy: Communities, Dandelions, and $300M Revenue. Host Joshua Feinberg is joined by Jay McBain, Co-Founder and Chief Social Officer at ChannelEyes in Albany, New York.

During this podcast, you’ll learn:

• How the long tail of the IT channel was born to broaden distribution
• How 5-6 marketing vehicles exploded to close to 30 marketing vehicles, including social media, podcasts, vidcasts, webinars, and more traditional vehicles like trade shows
• Why “dandelion marketing” is so powerful, where 30 channel marketing vehicles combine with 30 North American channel communities

Download: Channel Marketing Strategy: Communities, Dandelions, and $300M Revenue - Episode# 10

• How to identify key communities where channel partners hang out, including communities differentiated by specialty, business model, vendor affiliation, distributor affiliation, thought leader, or peer group
• Why conventional marketing training and business school training may set you up for failure by overly concentrated efforts and “swinging for the fences” (baseball reference)
• Why quantity is generally more important than quality in IT channel marketing campaigns
• How channel partners often have vastly different preferences for receiving updates
• The comparative value of webinars, email, and Twitter for reaching channel partners
• Why 30 marketing vehicles are needed to cover 100% of channel partners
• How theme-based marketing can be much more effective than “spray”
• How a strategically-themed blog post turns into a news release, media placements, Tweets, Facebook posts, LinkedIn posts, webinars, podcasts, trade show messaging, and newsletters
• The required number of touchpoints before prospects “get” your message and which marketing vehicles to use
• How Lenovo went from total obscurity to a market share leader within a few short years
• Why the numbers “7” and “900” matter so much to channel marketing success
• How to leverage influencers and connectors to help you get from “A” to “B”...especially the 100 “super-connectors”
• The different kinds of endorsements
• How $10,000,000 in additional revenue came from a single channel connector endorsement ….and $300,000,000 in additional revenue came through communities as a whole

• Why an average of $5,000 per community, and $150,000 in total, made such a big impact within communities
• How labor and resources are more the limiting factor than budget
• How connectors and community involvement allow you access to whole new sets of channel marketing vehicles
• Why you can broaden your reach with Pinterest, Tumblr, Google+, SlideShare, and YouTube
• How the unconditional love of a single social media tool makes your channel marketing invisible to most
• How even small solution providers and MSPs can apply the theme, communities, and connectors strategies on a local level to build credibility, trust, and visibility

Resource URLs:

• ChannelEyes Website
• Follow Jay McBain on Twitter
• Autotask
• Lenovo 
• ASCII Group
• SMB Nation
• The Channel Company/CRN/Xchange (Formerly UBM Channel)
• Varnex
• TechSelect
• Ingram Micro VentureTech Network
• ConnectWise
• HTG Peer Groups
• Tigerpaw
• The Tipping Point 

Michelle and I are very excited to announce...a baby is on the way!

Interesting Countdown to Marriage!

As my wedding gets closer to Michelle (only 6 days!) - a couple of interesting things happened out in the media over the past couple days:

First was from MSPMentor on June 27, posting a countdown timer:

Second was from The VAR Guy on June 28, a tongue-in-cheek list of the 7 Top Power Couple of the IT Channel:

"Talk about a power couple. No relation to Romy and Michele. Jay McBain and Michelle Ragusa are set to tie the knot within days. The VAR Guy expects plenty of fireworks at their wedding -- set for July 4. McBain is co-founder of Channel Eyes. He previously generated plenty of channel chatter at Autotask and Lenovo. Ragusa is a customer and partner experience manager at Cisco. Together, they top The VAR Guy's list... at least until the next channel wedding comes along."

http://thevarguy.com/var-guy/7-power-couples-it-channel-and-geeks-adore#slide-6-field_images-22202

Continue to follow the story at:    

Website:      http://mcbainandragusa.ourwedding.com/

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/JayandMichelleWedding

Jay McBain's Calendar Free Time

You can book time on my calendar with this cool tool: https://jaymcbain.youcanbook.me/

Or flip through this calendar to see when I am free:

MSP Partners Expert Panel

Excited to host 4 MSP experts in a panel at next week's CompTIA Annual Members Meeting in Chicago.  Come and hear from Chuck Lennon, Grant Johnson, Chris Johnson and Vince Tinnirello at the MSP Partners meeting on 3/13 @ 2:30pm CST

8 Future Technology Trends in the OR

How hands-free AV control will revolutionize medicine and improve patient outcomes.

The “internet of things” is a fascinating way to envision the future.  We are in the middle of witnessing a significant change in computing where every electronic device is becoming internet aware.  Having dozens of sensors and devices around our homes, cars and work are driving endless amounts of data and inspiring a new generation of innovators.

While the development of new smartphone and tablet technology commands a lot of attention, behind the scenes we are seeing things like internet enabled toothbrushes and basketballs test the limits on how much extra value-add we need in our lives.

It is no secret that consumerization is driving technology into the workplace at an unprecedented pace.  In the healthcare industry you don’t have to look much further than CES (Consumer Electronics Show) to get a sense where things are headed.

Looking specifically at the OR environment, it is interesting to look at how wireless AV systems and gesture-controlled technologies will revolutionize medicine and improve patient outcomes. Surgeons will be able to view images and other content as well as seamlessly communicate in real-time with experts around the globe.

Here are 8 trends growing rapidly in the consumer space and I predict will find their way into the OR in the next few years:

1. Surface computing – Integrating new technology into the OR can be a challenge for integrators.  The lack of space, flexibility and power make this a unique environment.  Surface computing takes advantage of super thin, strong and bendable glass and will replace walls, counters and even floors with viewable touch screens to interact with content.

2. Wearable computing – If having a computer on every surface isn’t enough, having technology woven directly into clothing and shoes can provide an even more intimate way to communicate and access information.  This moves with the medical personnel and allows a more fluid interaction with technology.

3. Google Glasses – A technology that will reach the consumer market in late 2013 will have an almost immediate impact in healthcare.  Almost in the same way that iPads proliferated healthcare, I predict that transparent wearable glasses will provide surgeons with the latest research, techniques, and imagery in real-time.  The ability to video tape and narrate from the eyes of the doctor and share seamlessly will revolutionize education and training.

4. Motion – With sensors built into clothing, surgical equipment and even the patient, new levels of insight into specific procedures and outcomes can be analyzed.  Best practices may be multidimensional in the future – going far beyond text books and lectures.  This also introduces the possibility of robotics – but that is too far out in time for this article.

5. Voice – A key technology in a hands-free environment is voice.  With improvements in natural speech recognition, as well as expanding languages and accents, the OR will become an environment that can adapt quickly to different scenarios.

6. Gesture – The OR is an environment where gestures play a huge roll.  Much of the communication between the medical team is of a non-verbal nature.  Technology has improved significantly in recent years understanding hand, body and eye movements.  Having sensors that are built into surgical devices and monitoring equipment that better understand verbal and non-verbal communication will improve automation in the OR.

7. Eye movement – It is rumored that eye tracking technology will be introduced in mid-March into the bestselling smartphone in the world.  Augmenting voice and gesture recognition, eye tracking technology can drive new levels of sophistication – even in the most focused, hands-on moments of a surgery.

8. Location tracking – Similar to how GPS technology works outdoors, indoor location tracking can be used in a number of ways in the OR.  Understanding who is in the OR and when will ensure that accurate scheduling is achieved, improving patient safety. 

Integrating these technologies in a safe, secure and frictionless way will provide levels of automation and measurement never before achieved.  Studying OR outcomes, combined with “big data” analytics enabled by these hands-free innovations, will make today’s healthcare professionals better and will revolutionize medical school going forward.

In the end, patient safety and improved outcomes are the primary objective. Several of these technologies are likely to make a remarkable difference in the efficiency and effectiveness of the OR in the next few years.