CTG Expands into North Carolina

By Caylor Feeley

Convergent Technologies Group is proud of our growth over the last decade and our customer-focused culture. And now, we’re moving ahead in a new direction, with our recent expansion into North Carolina. 

Expanding beyond our Central Virginia headquarters will allow us to strengthen our already existing relationships, and will also enhance our ability to effectively serve a new set of clients. Convergent Technologies Group has a tradition of growing businesses in Virginia, Washington D.C. and Maryland with our IT solutions that fit our customer’s precise needs. Our expansion into North Carolina will not only grow our clientele and market reach but will provide full-service technology solutions to our customers in the region. North Carolina's economy grew from tobacco farming and textiles into a leader in modern industries, such as aerospace, biotechnology, banking and energy. The fast-growing economy and the state's thriving technology-based industries create a strong fit for CTG's presence.

Convergent Technologies Group is dedicated to cultivating positive business relationships in North Carolina and providing organizations with targeted information technology solutions, particularly in the ever-changing digital economy. Technology allows us to connect with clients wherever they are. As we have developed new relationships, we want to ensure that our clients have a local account manager who can better understand their business and market they operate in. With solutions including cloud, collaboration, data center, disaster recovery, managed services and more, we analyze our clients’ specific wants and needs to create a tailored approach that will deliver against company objectives. 

Representing us in the North Carolina region is Bailey Mountcastle, who has joined CTG as a territory account manager. A Virginia Tech business management graduate, Bailey is highly motivated and dedicated, and looks to provide every business with the most effective keys to transform its IT department into a revenue-building department. Whether you need products, services or a mix of both Bailey can recommend and deliver solutions that will benefit both your current and future technology needs. Reach out to Bailey here. 

Caylor Feeley is a junior marketing specialist at CTG.

Networking and Your IT Infrastructure

By Carley Wessler

Sometimes, the best place to learn about something new for your business is anywhere but your office. We all get distracted by phone calls, emails and other team members.

Still, it is important to keep aware of what’s happening in the technology industry, so you are putting the best resources to work for your business. Having a powerful, reliable infrastructure is critical to your ability to compete effectively – not to mention profitability – in today’s idea economy. Your competitive edge becomes your ability to maximize how you use more and more data.

That is why our CTG team is inviting you to come join us for an evening with Hewlett Packard Enterprise. We’ll host the event from 6-9 p.m. April 27 at Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro, located in the Virginia Beach Town Center.

In other words, we are offering some time for you to come network – and explore new IT solutions in a casual environment. Whether you are actively considering new investments or are interested in longer-term implementations, we are going to focus on HPE’s Hyperconverged Datacenter Infrastructure for the 3rd Platform – a simple, all-in-one virtualization solution that allows you to launch new capabilities quickly, simplify your IT operations, and reduce costs.

What we plan to cover:

• Platform scalability – for both hardware and software, so you can gain storage and computing stacks.
• Data management – boost your data performance, efficiency and availability.
• Storage efficiency – as you grow your business and your data, make it easier on yourself.
• Data resiliency – apply new capabilities soundly at targeted levels.
• Workload adjacency and quality of service – get the best for both computing and storage.

We know you probably have questions about how this infrastructure could benefit your organization, and our team of CTG experts and HPE leaders can deliver the answers you need to make informed decisions. We encourage you to check out this market spotlight on this innovative HPE infrastructure – and we look forward to seeing you on April 27.

Carley Wessler is an account executive with CTG.

Solutions Lab Lets You See IT in Action

By Jeff Garell

Nearly every new technology acquisition is surrounded by unanswered questions, hopeful expectations and more than a little nervous concern before the purchase order is signed. Will this perform the way my sales guy says it will? Is this a gamble? How much will this change our operational processes? Should I update my resume just in case?

Yeah, I've been on both sides of that thought process in the past 33 years, first as the purchaser and now as the provider and consultant. There is a lot of gut-check that happens on that road depending on the scope of the change, the criticality or newness of the service needed, or sometimes just the dollars involved. We all have customers and don't want to let them down.

For these reasons and many more, CTG has been building up an infrastructure that will hopefully ease some of these concerns about potential RGEs (Resume-Generating Events).

Currently in our Solutions Lab, we have a variety of gear that lets us either demonstrate the potential and advantages of various tech or configure and use to mirror your planned infrastructure. The Solutions Lab currently houses the following “toys:”

• C7000 Bladesystem with 10 Blades and VirtualConnect 20/40 Modules 
• HP StoreServ 7200 with both 10GB iSCSI and FiberChannel connects (currently FlatSAN connected to the C7000). The StoreServ has 2 tiers of storage, FastClass (10k SAS) and NearLine (7.2k SAS).
• HP 5900 Core Switch with 48 10GB ports and 2x40GB ports that each connect to the StoreServ and to the BladeSystem for some pretty blazing throughput.
• Proliant DL360p with 3TB of internal disk and 196GB RAM. We often use this for onsite Proof of Concept (PoC) when you want to keep your information at your own site. These PoC are generally function-based more than performance-based. 
• OneView/IMC gives us the management and monitoring we need to keep things humming along smoothly.

This setup has allowed us to not only quickly reconfigure for a variety of customer challenges but also keeps us proficient on the platforms we stand behind. This has served us well for several years, but the times they are a-changing.

The current trends regarding the expansion of cloud adoption includes the growing understanding that often the cloud is really just another resource and may not be the full solution for everyone. The things we all like about cloud-based infrastructure is that we can shortcut the acquisition process by simply logging in to a portal and clicking a few buttons. A few minutes later we have a server spun up. I'll save the economics and potential lock-in conversation for another post, but I will stipulate that the speed and efficiency in firing up infrastructure is incredibly enticing. Thus the hybrid cloud is born.

With that in mind, we have begun the process of retooling our Solutions Lab. (You were wondering when I was gonna get back to this topic, weren't you?) We're adding several components listed below, but we will be augmenting the infrastructure with HP's Helion products that will include an OpenStack based set of services, Cloud Service Automation/Operations Orchestration (for that nice clickety-click spin up a server feel), as well as Eucalyptus that will allow us to seamlessly move workloads back and forth from our infrastructure to Amazon Web Services and back. The "and back" is what makes Eucalyptus full of awesome. Of course, we'll have accounts setup at both Amazon and Microsoft's Azure in order to demonstrate the hybrid-cloudiness.

In addition to being able to demonstrate hybrid-cloud and automation capabilities, the new setup will let us prepare for your demo workloads even faster. To facilitate this, we will be augmenting our lab with:

• HP StoreServ 8000 series - All Flash Array
• HP CS-250 Converged System
• Dual HP 16GB Fiber Channel Switches
• A pile of HP Helion Software
• HP Aruba Wireless

We'll also have the ability to demonstrate HP Catalyst, StoreOnce (Virtual Appliance), Veeam, and a variety of Fortinet products both physical and virtual.

So to sum up, we're working hard to reduce the stress, uncertainty and general guesswork that comes with any of these strategic technology changes we all get to shepherd. I'll continue to provide updates as we get the gear and integrate it into our Solutions Lab. If you see anything I've missed or that you would be interested in seeing, just drop me a line at jgarell@ctgva.com.

Jeff Garell is a co-founder of Convergent Technologies Group.

Major Deals, Splits Will Transform IT Industry

By Brandon Samuel

Anyone who has been reading our blog posts or following CTG on social media channels knows by now that Nov. 1 will mark the end of one era and the beginning of a new one for HP. While the news will usher in a new era in technology, it has not been the most impactful news of this month – at least not in the eyes of the end user.

Last week, Dell announced its purchase of EMC, after reaching a $67 billion agreement. In this most expensive technology purchase in history, two giants in the IT world are coming together at a time when our industry as a whole is in the midst of a major shift. As with any big news in my industry, I spent much time after hearing the news going over the pros and cons of the deal, with hopes of better understanding how it would affect my goals of making Convergent Technologies Group and HP the platinum standard in manufacturer/reseller relationships.

When I meet with clients who use Dell products within their infrastructure, I always ask two questions: What do you like about buying Dell? And what do you dislike about it? The answers – although often varying in length – are almost always the same. Clients like the fact that Dell has a direct purchasing model because they believe that they are getting better discounts because of that agreement. Their dislikes always center on support, whether it be for warranty issues or implementation of new solutions.

Along with the Dell-EMC announcement came another announcement that I believe is equally important. Dell and CDW announced a partnership that will allow CDW to begin selling Dell products, virtually eliminating the direct model that so many customers are so fond of. Dell is not well-known to have a strong reseller focus, and this shift will have major impacts on clients who aren’t fond of change. Perhaps the reason behind the deal is that HP’s numbers with CDW were down 6 percent over the past year, a result, in my opinion, of HP’s increased focus on bringing deals to partners such as CTG that bring value throughout the entire sales process.

You might be asking yourself, “How does the merger affect either of these things? Shouldn’t two goliaths in the IT world coming together be a good thing for EMC and Dell clients alike?” Not from our market analysis.

The deal between Dell and EMC is one that has major financial ramifications. At $67 billion, the deal could prove very costly in the short term. Dell will be responsible for paying upward of $2.5 billion dollars annually in interest alone, which will cause a major disruption when it comes to support and R&D, both areas in which Dell has struggled as of late. You must also take into account that these are two very large companies coming together, with very different sales models. The integration of products and sales/service teams will be time consuming and cause major interruptions for the combining businesses for some time. In short, I believe that it will take these companies quite a bit of time to get it right, leaving the door open for companies such as HP to show the value that their products and partnerships can bring to the table, particularly for clients that have flown the Dell flag for quite some time.

Dell has always been a strong company with a loyal following. The move to purchase EMC has allowed them to expand its Enterprise storage portfolio with an EMC product that has been one of the top three Tier 1 solutions for many years. However, the EMC solution has become stagnant of late, as can be noticed by HP’s 3Par offering earning top ratings for the past two years. This deal will likely to cause loyal EMC customers to take a look at their architecture, which could likely lead to an increase in conversations around 3Par. I look forward to the challenges that this merger will create in the long term and am excited for HP Enterprise to take the lead across all major Data Center infrastructure portfolios.


Brandon Samuel is assistant manager of Convergent Technologies Group.

The World Rides with Richmond

By John Monahan

Starting late next week, Richmond’s roadways will be filled with bicycles, as our region hosts the UCI Road World Championships. We’re expecting to see 1,000 cyclists from some 70 countries.

And Convergent Technologies Group is part of the action.

We’ve signed on as a sponsor through the Société 2015, a coalition of businesses that are supporting this great event because we love our city and recognize the grand opportunity that lies in the days ahead. Created in partnership with the Greater Richmond Chamber and the Retail Merchants Association, the Société explains: “We are businesses, organizations, entrepreneurs, cyclists, bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists alike.”

We are connected together to build on the energy of this race – a grand international experience brought to life right on the local streets we travel every day – to continue Richmond’s recent economic growth.

This is an unparalleled opportunity both to support our community and bring the great business and IT resources here to the forefront. More than 450,000 spectators will be watching in person over nine days of racing from Sept. 19-27, and millions more will be watching on global telecasts.

Richmond has a lot of offer for companies willing to make an investment. With all that attention on the race and the great state of Virginia, why not show the world what Richmond businesses have to offer? Who knows – maybe one global business may decide to explore our region deeper and one day bring hundreds (or thousands, even) of new jobs to Virginia. We have a strong IT industry, growing financial services, an outstanding creative workforce – not to mention great residential areas and restaurants that are attracting national accolades.

Being part of the community means getting out into the community. This fall, CTG celebrates our 10^th anniversary. No way could we have reached this milestone without the support of those around us, starting with our employees and partner vendors. But the success of our business relies on the extensive relationships we have built with our clients, many of whom have relied on our IT expertise from the first day we opened our door. Although we have grown our operation along the East Coast, we still call Richmond home and want to give back to the community that has given so much to us.

Cycling is a healthy lifestyle that is blossoming across the region, with new bike paths and lanes. Personally, I was a smoker for close to 30 years. Now that I’ve stopped and joined a gym, one of my favorite activities is spin class, a.k.a., intensive indoor biking. When you ride hard for an hour, it gives you a great respect for those who have chosen to do this for a profession. The endurance, strength and stamina it takes to be a biker is amazing.

Interested in learning more about the race? Check out this great video from the team at Richmond 2015, which is organizing the event:

And as the Société suggests, let’s welcome these cyclists and spectators – and their bikes – with open arms.

John Monahan is a co-founder of Convergent Technologies Group.

Mobility Delivers Flexibility, Durability to Field

By Doug Carter

Business and services don’t happen within the confines of a traditional 9-to-5 home office anymore, so why should your technology?

Some mobility applications are easy to recognize, such as police departments and other emergency responders looking to access safety information and relay time-sensitive event information. Those mobile connections directly support smart decisions that save lives.

All mobility applications might not have that element of human drama, but those are increasingly becoming lifelines for growing businesses and organizations in the modern economy. Across virtually every customer segment today, we’re fielding requests to deploy mobile solutions, such as utility and telecommunications field crews having constant access while on the road. Retailers want tablets that allow them to meet customers out on the sales floor, not just at the stationary cash register. Physicians want portable tools that allow them to bring real-time access to medical data into patient exam rooms, while still meeting increasingly more stringent privacy requirements.

To make all that happen, CTG first works to understand precisely what our clients want to accomplish beyond conventional office walls. With that information, we can develop a comprehensive approach that delivers what our clients need – and sets a foundation that allows them to continue to seize the opportunities of mobile as it evolves virtually daily.

Personally, I came to CTG to support this segment with more than 20 years of law enforcement and investigative experience in strategy planning and execution within the public sector and enterprise markets. Does anyone remember doing things the first ways that we went mobile, which required lugging cumbersome laptops, looking for telephone landlines to connect by modem and crossing your fingers that it would work? We’ve come a long way with powerful (and streamlined) new options – but we still advise our clients to think critically on the best ways to implement mobile solutions, starting first and foremost with protocols that safeguard their information.

At the same time, remember that devices are not mobile, people are. With the extreme work challenges and environmental conditions that our customers face, they want to know their products are going to work every time. Not most or part of the time, but every time. Simplicity to the end user and quality assurance that data collection and communication is going to be there when it counts. In the field, time is everything and communication is key to making critical decisions that could save someone's life. That is why we have secured great partner relationships that we and our customers know can be trusted.   

Over the coming months, we’ll talk more about our different partners and how we deploy their products and services in the field for our customers. For now, let’s talk about the initial questions we ask of clients pursuing mobile solutions, including the initial investment in rugged vs. non-rugged (commercial grade) technology.

• Rugged products are designed to take a lot of abuse. These devices are resistant to heat, cold, vibration, water (spills/rain), fog/salt, dust and accidental drops. Trust me, all of that can happen on the road – sometimes at the very same time. Initial products were developed on the roughest military front lines, so you know they were built to be dependable.
• The more you handle mobile devices, the more rugged they should be. Think about the end game. Will your employees be constantly moving devices in and out of commercial trucks? Then I would certainly recommend rugged computers, as commercial or consumer grades will not hold up. Our rugged partners back up their belief in their products’ durability over time with competitive warranties.
• Think about if you really need a keyboard. A rugged device could be a tablet or a computer. Before you make the investment, consider what you expect your crews to do from the field – now and a couple of years down the road. If you decide a keyboard is important for occasional reporting, you could augment a tablet with a non-rugged Bluetooth keyboard.
• Windows or Android? Again, consider how your mobile technology will interact with what you are using back at headquarters.
• Assess how mobile devices will connect outside of WiFi. Understand who your carriers are in your service area, so you invest in the right internal air cards.
• Make it easy for your people to do their work. The mobile products we recommend feature Quadra Clear Screens, which means your people are able to view information even in direct sunlight. These feature amazing clarity.
• Determine whether your field crews need a camera. Tablets today come with great cameras, providing for an all-in-one solution that eliminates stand-alone cameras, photo cards and cumbersome cords.

Investing in rugged technology is, rightly so, a significant investment. But these products and solutions are designed specifically for operations on the go, offering the right approaches to make mobility a competitive advantage – whether in streamlining information access for emergency responders to save lives 0r helping you find better ways to meet your customers where they are.

Based in our North Carolina office, Doug Carter is the mobility account manager at Convergent Technologies Group.

Looking for Nerds with Aspirations

By Jeff Garell

Convergent Technologies Group is looking for the right people to join our technical team. We need some utility players: people who are comfortable and confident working with both the network and servers/OS sides of the house. 

Do you look like that person?

You are probably working at a small- to mid-sized company with a relatively small IT staff comprised of talented jack-of-all-trades. You have an almost insatiable curiosity about technology and have a deep desire to get your hands on emerging tech that really wouldn't fit in your current environment. You occasionally reflect on the fact that most of your working hours are spent in maintenance mode and wish you could provide more direct impact on the business. You're as comfortable configuring a firewall, switch or router as you are working with Windows servers and Active Directory.  

We're not looking for rock stars; we're looking for future rock stars.

We offer the opportunity to not just work on a network, but to work on a hundred or more networks of varying size and complexity. There are no same-old, same-old kind of days. You will be exposed to the latest and greatest technologies, have opportunities for advanced training, and a skills and career path that can lead to senior-level consulting and architecture. Our customers range from very small to international Fortune 100 organizations whose names you know.

Convergent Technologies Group offers excellent compensation and benefits. An earlier blogpost shared more about our culture at CTG, as well as the great perks of working here.

If you're interested and up for the challenge, send your resume to resumes@ctgva.com and answer the question: Why you?

Jeff Garell is co-founder of Convergent Technologies Group.