CIO Retreat Pushes Creativity in IT

By John Monahan

As I see it, the best part of my job is helping clients solve tough questions.

If we are truly going to achieve our vision of being a trusted partner with our customers, we can’t simply be focused on selling products. We need to ensure that we are offering the right resources to help those businesses take care of what they need today and are positioned to grow smartly with the strategic use of their IT resources.

Being a trusted partner is about more than just supporting infrastructure, it’s about ensuring that our clients understand the current industry environment and have a vision of what’s coming next. That’s a big reason we host a handful of CIOs from around the region at our ongoing retreat series, held at The Greenbrier in West Virginia. For two days, we step away from the daily business operations and take a deeper dive into the future state of IT.

The centerpiece of the weekend is an exclusive three-hour session with HP’s Chief Creatologist, Joe Batista. Yes, we know that’s not a common title, but the greatest value that Joe delivers is that he isn’t a conventional IT executive. His role is about helping HP clients discover, unlock and unleash the power of innovation, a common theme in the many years that he has joined in our CTG retreats. Joe talks about how to think differently about your business, your technology and your assets in ways that drive new growth and real results. It’s how to use IT, if you will, to change the game.

Why is this so important?

1.     The world is getting more complex, and we need creative approaches to find the best answers. To gain the competitive advantages required, businesses need to look for more than off-the-shelf solutions. They need to know how to leverage both their legacy and emerging technologies – along with their human resources - to work in innovative ways.

2.     We learn from others. Just like the best technologies can’t exist in a silo, we can’t try to sit apart to plan out the next technology steps. With this opportunity to talk with other technology executives, participants can look at the bigger picture and learn about best practices that they can apply to their current challenges and opportunities.

3.     Technology fuels innovation. You can have the best or most unique business idea, but getting it to market today requires the smartest IT backbone. If it’s simple and straightforward, someone has probably already done it. To distinguish yourself and your product, you need to come at your business in ways that you probably have yet to consider – and you need to develop the strategic mindset and identify the tools to help you make those dreams into realities with bottom-line gains.

We’re looking forward to hearing the latest visions and insights from Joe, whom we have access to as part of our Platinum Partnership with HP. We’ll be sharing more in the days ahead, so be sure to keep following CTG on our social channels.

John Monahan is co-founder of Convergent Technologies Group.

Giving Ourselves a Shout Out: CTG earns HP Platinum designation

By John Monahan and Jeff Garell

We have some big news to share: After years of investing a lot of time in training and building our hands-on expertise, CTG has been named a Hewlett Packard Platinum partner.

We’re even more proud to be among an elite group in the country to earn this designation, which reflects our expertise both in sales and service. In other words, we have a rare mastery of HP’s infrastructure products and how to put them to work for you. We’re also the only Virginia-based, exclusive HP provider to reach this top level.

We earned our Platinum Partner status as a converged infrastructure specialist, which covers the core areas of storage, networking, servers and infrastructure servicing – all products of what will become Hewlett Packard Enterprise this fall.

While this is certainly exciting news for CTG, this is great news for our customers. But what exactly does this mean for clients who choose to work with us as a Platinum partner?  Here are some key perks for you:

1.        Specialized skills: Our people have invested years in training programs, where we received hands-on education with every HP Enterprise product – from basic features to performance standards. As HP enhances existing offerings and launches new products, that training is continuing, ensuring that CTG’s team can share the latest technology and information with clients. Basically, we know every product inside and out – like no one else.

2.     Innovative solutions: Because we have the deepest knowledge of HP products, we can easily develop and implement strategic solutions that meet your IT needs today and for the future. There’s nothing across the HP Enterprise portfolio that we can’t deliver at the highest-quality standards. Our clients trust us to recommend what’s right.

3.     Personalized support: We know you – and we know the solutions we provide. Because of that, we can provide the tailored IT support you need for your business.

Of course, our customers have received many great benefits from our previous Gold Partner affiliation with HP. We’ll be able to build on those offerings, such as continuing to host clients at the HP Customer Experience Center in New York, holding private sessions at HP Discover with HP product specialists and much, much more. We also will continue to bring you cutting-edge HP products, solutions and services at the most-competitive rates.

Yes, we are pretty excited to share this news with you, largely because this news is about you. We didn’t strive for this certification just for CTG. Rather, we made this investment because we realized that achieving this elite skills-and-services designation would be the best way to demonstrate our commitment to delivering the highest-quality engagements with our customers.

John Monahan and Jeff Garell are co-founders 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.

The HP Pro Slate 12 – The Perfect Tool for the Modern Law Office

By: Daniel Bendele

Before transitioning to the technology field, I spent time in a traditional general practice law firm,and in a non-traditional lobbying setting. Looking back on my time in both settings, I wish I would have had access to a tool like the Pro Slate 12.

Taking and transcribing notes for clients and potential clients is one of the most time consuming tasks for any attorney, paralegal, or legal assistant. In a business where time is often the determining factor in how much money the firm is bringing in, any tool that can help increase the amount of clients you are able to work with and decrease the time needed for each client is beyond essential. The Pro Slate 12 and its accompanying HP Duet Pen is an absolute game changer.

The Pro Slate 12 is an Android based tablet that allows you to take handwritten notes on the tablet or on a separate sheet of paper and have those notes transfer as text instantaneously to the tablet. Once the notes are on the tablet, they can be stored securely in the Google cloud and then transferred to whatever medium you'd like (Microsoft word, PDF, it even integrates with Tabs3 and Practice Master).

Not only does the tablet change the way attorneys and their staff can take and store client information, but it is also possible to access important research tools like Westlaw and Lexis via their Android apps. This is another game changer for the mobile attorney as it allows you to research relevant case law on the go. Along with making your research capabilities mobile, the Westlaw and Lexis apps on the Pro Slate 12 could save your firm thousands of dollars on printing costs, by allowing attorneys and their staff to easily identify relevant case law without printing unnecessary cases.

My previous legal experience allows me to see just how great of a tool this tablet could be for lawyers and their staff, but I’m certain the Pro Slate 12 could save time and money for business people in a myriad of industries. Whether you are an accountant interviewing clients, or a doctor/nurse speaking with patients, the ability to easily and securely take paperless notes is a major technological evolution. 

Here at Convergent Technologies Group we work tirelessly to not just find you the best hardware, but to find you solutions that put your business ahead of the curve. If you would like to see the Pro Slate 12 in action, contact our office and we will be happy to come and show you how this fantastic tool can help keep your company at the front of the pack.

Daniel Bendele is a SMB Account Manager for 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.

Are You Thinking about Your 2020 IT Budget Yet?

By John Monahan

It’s summertime, and your mind is on that upcoming week at the beach for vacation. Without question, you need that time away to decompress and refuel.

But don’t forget to spend time right now on planning your IT funding requests for the coming year. Actually, you should be pulling together your budget outline for the next five years.

Let’s consider some elements of your IT budget planning:

1.       Never spend just once on technology.
A lot of businesses invest significantly in technology refreshes, then they turn around and walk away. They fall short by failing to develop a strategic five-year plan, which includes both mapping out IT needs and how they’re going to pay for that.

It’s easy for a business leader to think that if I just spent X dollars on technology, I’m good for a few years. The truth is that after only a year, a business is falling behind again. Technology changes so fast that by Year Four, a business will have to spend double when it spent when they conducted that full refresh a few years earlier.

2.      Plan to invest more than you might think every year.
Look at that five-year plan and get an annual commitment to invest about 20 percent of what you spent on your technology refresh. Doing small and affordable upgrades and enhancements to your infrastructure will allow you to get the full five years out of your technology.

3.       Put your money to good use each year.
Basically, I’m reiterating the point above, because I can’t stress it enough. We hear constantly from new and potential clients that they can’t believe they need to invest the same amount all over again because they haven’t touched their infrastructure after refreshing it. But the simple fact is that you can’t implement a new infrastructure and leave it alone. Innovations come along that can push your business forward, but your technology needs to be healthy and in position for you or your IT partner to integrate those new features.

4.      Know when it’s time to start anew.
Technology moves fast. And each generation of products is more efficient, more effective and simply more savvy. Eventually, you’ll need to make that significant investment to refresh your infrastructure. Start mapping out what you’ll need now – before it’s mission critical – and develop the business case to get the significant level of funding that the right refresh requires. I often compare investing in technology to buying a car. The 2015 models are much better than we saw in the 2014 versions, but think about what’s coming next with the 2016 models.

5.      Don’t be married to the best-developed plans.
That’s all those are: plans or blueprints or roadmaps. You need some general direction of where you are headed with your technology, but be willing to get off the highways and explore some back roads. Keep your eye on the destination, but some of the more interesting things can happen when you’re flexible in the journey. You know I like analogies, so another way to think about it is considering how you play on the basketball court. If you stand flatfooted, your opponent will run right past you.

6.      Let technology drive your business.
You need to understand that technology is an inhibitor rather than an expense. In fact, making the right decisions about technology can help your business grow with less. However, you need to rethink how you invest your dollars so that you are agile and can jump at new business opportunities. The right technology allows you to be nimble.

7.       Security is not a “nice-to-have.”
Every day, we seem to read about yet another security breach – and we’re talking massive attacks, not just a trickle here or there. Whether you’re part of a Fortune 500 company or a three-person law firm, you have the same data characteristics that hackers find valuable. You need to budget and then spend those allotted dollars on ongoing penetration testing. And don’t forget to dedicate some financial resources toward protecting your mobility products and networks, so you are controlling who has access to any level of your data.

Running a business requires continual investments, starting with technology. Make sure you have an active line item for technology spending, because your competitors certainly are making investments in their quest to get ahead. Don’t be intimidated by the cost of technology, but take charge by developing a long-term plan where you are positioned to spend strategically.

The bottom line is that you get out of your technology what you put into it.

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