CTG's 2017 Spring Executive Retreat and Conference

By Brandon Samuel

Life is all about relationships. From family and friends to work and beyond, those relationships help shape who you are as an individual. Often, those relationships determine your successes and failures and how you react in either case. Getting started on the right foot in any relationship is just as important as making sure that you don’t burn a bridge if it should come to an end. In the professional world, connections are the cornerstone of any business. Clients want to do business with companies that they get along with and trust and businesses want to work with clients that share the goal of a symbiotic and loyal relationship.

Our sales motto at CTG is “Relationships first, sales to follow.” This mantra shines through at our flagship bi-annual IT executive retreat that we host with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) at The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia. This weekend long retreat is aimed at introducing prospective new clients to the CTG management team and laying the foundation for long-lasting relationships. IT Executives and their guests have the opportunity to spend the weekend at one of the finest resorts in the country and to spend their free time taking in all of the amenities that the property offers. There is something at The Greenbrier for everyone, whether you enjoy horseback riding, sporting clays or want to take a tour through the famous Bunker. At The Greenbrier the food is incredible, the property is immaculate and the service cannot be beat.

Perhaps the most important thing about the weekend is that it is not focused on making a sale. In fact, you will not hear a sales pitch all weekend (unless you want one)! The entire event is an opportunity to get to know your CTG team as individuals and to hear a high-level, industry focused discussion about HPE’s role in the IT landscape. Our guest speaker, Joe Batista, does a phenomenal job of creating an interactive panel style discussion about IT vectors and the changing landscape of the industry. The discussion also includes how HPE and its partners are focused on continuous pivoting to make sure that we are staying ahead of the curve. We encourage the attendees to speak about their experiences in an effort to start a multi-industry conversation about the different impacts that IT has on their markets. The conversation is always hands-on and exciting for everyone in the room. While we are meeting, the guests are enjoying the spa at The Greenbrier. It’s a win-win!

Our focus on building relationships with our clients is what sets us apart in an industry filled with resellers hoping to gain their share. CTG is not just a company that will be there when you have a project. We pride ourselves on getting to know your team, your environment and your goals as an organization. We will be there for the smallest issues or the biggest project and we place the same amount of importance on each. I am proud to say that some of our most cherished client partnerships began at The Greenbrier. If you are interested in more information about the event, please contact events@ctgva.com. We would be happy to discuss the details with you. We hope to meet you there!

Brandon Samuel is Convergent Technologies Group’s Sales Manager.

Aruba Atmosphere 2017

By Jeff Joyner

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend my second Aruba Atmosphere Conference from February 26-March 3 this year.  Changing venues from The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas to the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville provided a more relaxed look and feel. Partha Narasimhan, Aruba’s CTO, really acclimated to his surroundings by presenting at the second day’s General Session while wearing a cowboy hat.  There were several great speakers at both General Sessions. The speakers presented new product overviews and customer testimonials.  They even did a demo of Live Upgrade where an automated firmware upgrade was performed on the APs and controllers being used at the conference with no drops in coverage.  That’s putting a lot of trust in your people and technology!

Attending pre-conference ClearPass training was a great way to start the week off.  ClearPass is Aruba’s Network Access Control (NAC) platform which provides wireless and wired guest access management, device onboarding and endpoint posture assessment.  The hands-on training helped to show off the power and scalability of ClearPass.

There were also fantastic individual sessions during the conference announcing new features and products.  Two presenters that stood out were Jussi Kiviniemi from Ekahau and Eric Johnson from Aruba Networks.  Jussi did an entertaining presentation of WiFi network design, comparing wireless design to patrons at a bar.  Funny with a lot of good design nuggets.  Ekahau is a WLAN site survey and planning software and spectrum analysis.  I also had the pleasure of attending two of Eric’s sessions where he breaks down RF technology to its math and science foundation.  It’s hard not to learn something from Eric’s sessions and I am glad I had some caffeine beforehand.  He has an impressive understanding of RF and some of the pitfalls wireless network engineers get into when designing a wireless network.

All in all, it was a great conference.  Ultimately, I’m always looking for new information that I can bring back and use to help our customers work more effectively, be more secure and spend their technology dollars wisely.  For the second year in a row, the Aruba Atmosphere conference did not disappoint.  There’s always more to learn and I am looking forward to next year!

Jeff Joyner is a Senior Network Engineer at Convergent Technologies Group.

Women in Technology

By Caylor Feeley

History exists in the current world around us, not just in textbooks. How we live our everyday lives was crafted by historical figures. If you have flown in an airplane, Orville and Wilbur Wright have influenced your life. If you have a cell phone, Antonio Meucci and Alexander Graham Bell have impacted you. You’ve probably heard of the inventors above, but what about the people who laid the crucial groundwork for computers?

Ada Lovelace pioneered computing through her mathematical expertise. In 1843, Ada created an algorithm that was the first of its kind. It was created to be used on a machine and designed a process called looping. This formula created the foundation for modern-day computers and Ada Lovelace earned the title of “first computer programmer.”

The Common Business-Oriented Language or COBOL, created in 1959, was the first English computer language and is still utilized now. It changed computer programming through decreasing costs and miscommunication with its readability and specificity. The person who lead the team that invented this crucial computer design was Rear Admiral Grace M. Hopper.

Ada Lovelace and Rear Admiral Grace M. Hopper were groundbreaking women who are often lost in history. This Women’s History month, Convergent Technologies Group would like to extend honor and praise to women, past and present, in technology.

From Ada Lovelace to Meg Whitman, women have a rich and hard-earned place in technology. Even with extensive contributions, women are still fighting for recognition and equality in the field. The numbers representing women in tech are discouraging. According to TechCrunch, only 18 percent of undergraduate computer science degree holders are women and make up only 26 percent of technology positions. Even with the adverse statistics there are actions that can be taken to change the landscape of the industry.

With support, the future for women in IT is promising. Convergent Technologies Group’s employees are comprised of half women and our organization encourages the professional development and work/life balance of all employees. Events such as RVATech/Women create a system of support, influence and inspiration that propel women to the next level of fulfillment. With representation and recognition of women in STEM, such as the film Hidden Figures, and the leadership of Meg Whitman and Sheryl Sandberg, success in IT will seem more possible to girls. Women are crucial to the advancement of the industry and with the backing of businesses and organizations, women can have a seat at the technology table.  

Caylor Feeley is a junior marketing specialist at Convergent Technologies Group.