CenterBeam
City of San José Commendation
WHEREAS: CenterBeam has revolutionized how information technology services are delivered and managed through consistent implementation of total quality management, innovative technologies and the relentless drive to build the best possible system; and
WHEREAS: CenterBeam is built on a foundation of values that guide every aspect of their interaction in the world of business and community where they reside -- these values being customer first, integrity, passion, ownership, speed, teamwork and fun – values shared by the city of San José; and
WHEREAS: CenterBeam’s entire “Beam Team” consistently exhibit business as well as community leadership and have consistently contributed their skills, insights and energies to community causes throughout Silicon Valley thereby setting a fine example for others;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ron Gonzales, Mayor of the City of San José, along with my colleagues on the City Council, on this 19th day of June, 2003, do hereby welcome
CenterBeam
To the city of San José, the world’s center of innovation and we thank you for operating here and for the jobs and revenues you generate in our San José community.
St. John Telegraph Journal, 6/20/03: Silicon Valley IT firm bound for Saint John
KHALID MALIK
Telegraph-Journal
SAINT JOHN - A California information technology services company is moving its North American "solutions centre" from San Jose to Saint John and is immediately looking for 30 computer support technicians.
Anthony Hardt, a Saint John native who will head CenterBeam, said the company picked the port city because of the availability of a skilled labour force and its excellent IT infrastructure.
The location will give the company "an opportunity to grow its business,' he said in an interview Thursday.
"Saint John is an ideal location for CenterBeam's new center because it is a major telecommunications hub and it has the infrastructure CenterBeam requires," Mr. Hardt said. "And because the area has a well-educated, experienced workforce, Saint John will provide the high-quality staff CenterBeam demands."
A formal announcement about the company will be made Tuesday.
Mr. Hardt, a former senior executive of MITI Information Technology and J.D. Irving, Limited, said the company is still negotiating with the government to receive financial assistance, but that wouldn't change the company's plan to come to Saint John.
"The company is committed to growing in Saint John," he said.
He said CenterBeam is still in the process of selecting an office location. It is looking at a couple of prime locations. It could both buy or lease a building, he added.
"We will select a site that will give us resources to grow," said Brian Johnson, a public relations spokesman for the company in San Jose. The company is going to start with 30 employees "but only the sky is the limit." He wouldn't speculate on the number of employees the company could have in the future.
Mr. Hardt said the company could start in late September or early October, but intends to hire prior to that because several weeks of training is involved.
"The hiring will be staggered over a number of weeks," he added. "I am very excited by this opportunity. I see tremendous opportunity for a number of individuals to participate in it."
CenterBeam president and CEO Kevin Francis, said "opening the North American Solution Center across the continent from our headquarters means we will deliver a level of business continuity services typically found only in the world's largest corporations.
"Many of our new customers are on the East Coast, so creating an Express Access customer care team in Saint John puts CenterBeam closer to our customers. It also makes it easier to support their satellite offices in Europe," he said.
Mr. Francis, a native of Sydney, N.S., was formerly CEO of Xerox Canada and CEO of Accelio, another high-tech Canadian company. He became CEO and president of CenterBeam about a year ago.
Since becoming CEO he has refocused the company toward the large and growing North American mid-enterprise market, doubled the number of seats under management, expanded sales capacity and reduced the company' s cost base by 50 per cent, a company statement said.
Mr. Hardt said he joined CenterBeam "due to Kevin's experience in Canada. This prompted me to join the team. He has an excellent record."
The company said it offers a unique IT management service for mid-sized businesses. Its customers benefit from IT infrastructure that is more sophisticated, secure and robust than they could build and manage themselves. CenterBeam customers are more productive because the CenterBeam service is much more reliable than the industry average, it said.
Outsourcing
Gartner, 6/19/03: Use Benchmarks to Get Value From Desktop Outsourcing
Companies should evaluate deals with external service providers throughout their contracts by measuring cost and performance against market averages. But do not forget to allow for the complexity and scope of the contract.
[more]
Security
Computerworld, 6/19/03: Friend or foe: Which are your employees?
By Mary P. Kirwan
Security practitioners and management alike are increasingly inundated with surveys and claims that insiders are the greatest threat to security in the enterprise.
There is no doubt that many widely reported incidents have been perpetrated by corrupt or disgruntled employees, ex-employees or contractors who have both motive and opportunity to do harm.
[more]
Mobile
The Wall Street Journal, 6/20/03: Going Mobile Creates New Security Concerns
By JOSEF FEDERMAN
As workers hit the road, employers are grappling with new security concerns.
While Web-enabled cellphones, wireless e-mail, instant messaging and other mobile connections have enabled workers to access the office from virtually anywhere, they have made corporate systems increasingly vulnerable to outside attack. The vast array of devices used by workers has only added to the challenges that security experts face.
Despite these potential pitfalls, mixing mobility and Internet access in the workplace is only going to grow, says Dan MacDonald, vice president of product management and marketing of Nokia Internet Communications in Mountain View, Calif.
[more]
Infoworld, 6/20/03: T-Mobile launches BlackBerry 6210
RIM handheld is sleeker, lighter than previous models
By Scarlet Pruitt
T-Mobile USA launched the new BlackBerry 6210 handheld from Research in Motion (RIM) this week, touting it as sleeker and lighter than previous models while offering full mobile e-mail, phone, Web, and organizer functions.
The handheld is available nationwide across T-Mobile's GSM/GPRS (Global System for Mobile Communications/General Packet Radio Service) voice and data network and is priced at $299.99.
The 6210 offers wireless e-mail, with the ability to access up to 10 e-mail accounts, dual-band phone functionality, SMS (short messaging service) capabilities, and organizer features such as a calendar, address book, and memo pad.
[more]
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