teq magazine

P I T T SBURGH

A Publication of the

F A L L 2 0 1 0

2010 DATA AWARD WINNER, JESSE BEST, LIVES UP TO HIS NAMEREAD THE STORY ON PAGE 12.

NATURAL GAS DRILLING

EXPERTS, KW INTERNATIONAL,

OPEN PITTSBURGH OFFICE P. 16

FOSSIL FREE FUEL AND

OPTIMUS TECHNOLOGIES ARE GROWING

THEIR OPERATIONS IN BRADDOCK P. 6

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FROM THE PRESIDENTLet’s change ourentrepreneurialculture!

teQP I T T SBURGH

A Publication of the

TECHNOLOGY . ENTREPRENEURSHIP . QUAL ITY .

VOLUME SIXTEEN, ISSUE SEVEN, FALL 2010WEB: news.pghtech.org BLOG: techburgher.pghtech.org

TWITTER: pghtech RADIO: TechVibe Radio 1410 AM KQV

8ON THE COVER [12]

MUST READ[5] TECHKNOW Tech companies can build better communities.[16] TECHBURGHER Technology news from techburgher.com.[19] BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE Use business intelligence to create value. [25] WHY IT WORKS Brand basics from Rick Cancelliere.

FEATURE [6]ASA WATTEN AND COLIN HUWYLERARE GROWING FOSSIL FREE FUELAND OPTIMUS TECHNOLOGIESIN BRADDOCK.

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JESSE BEST, THE 2010 DATA AWARD WINNER, LIVES UP TO HIS NAME.

PITTSBURGH TEQ is published seven times a year by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, 2000 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-3110;

© Pittsburgh Technology Council, 2010. All rights reserved. PITTSBURGH TEQ can be found on the World Wide Web atwww.pghtech.org. Address all editorial mail and letters to Jonathan Kersting, Editor, PITTSBURGH TEQ. Address all changes of ad-dress and undeliverable copies to Circulation Department, PITTSBURGH TEQ. Adjustment to request should be accompanied by amailing label.

RATES: $29.95 per year. Out-of-town and foreign subscriptions are available at regular rates, plus required postage.

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CONTENTS

Jesse Best: People just need to buy more artand less flat screens. Applied correctly, this

formula should work in any city.

e t e q . p g h t e c h . o r g 3

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4 P I T T S B U R G H T E C H N O L O G Y C O U N C I L

MAIN NUMBER: 412 687 2700FAX NUMBER: 412 687 5232TOLL-FREE NUMBER: 800 388 8820e-mail: [email protected] SITE: www.pghtech.org

Dial 412 .918.4280 and the three-digit extension below to reach one of our staff members:

MEMBER SERVICES Brian Kennedy, x297SPONSORSHIP Brian Lang, x249ADVERTISING/SALES Emily Goss, x235EDITORIAL Jonathan Kersting, x295

The Pittsburgh Technology Council is a regional association of technology companies, professional service firms, andacademic and civic organizations workingto foster the development and growth ofthe technology industry in western Pennsylvania.

This newsmagazine serves the business-to-business information needs of area technology companies. Information is obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot be guar-anteed. No information or opinion ex-pressed herein constitutes a solicitationfor the purchase or sale of any securities.Opinions expressed are those of the iden-tified spokespersons and do not necessar-ily reflect the views of this newsmagazineor the Pittsburgh Technology Council. The acceptance of advertising does notimply an endorsement by the publisher.

PRESIDENT AND CEOAudrey Russo

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER AND EDITORJonathan Kersting

CREATIVE DIRECTORKim Chestney Harvey

PRODUCTION MANAGER/STAFF WRITERMatt Pross

ADVERTISING SALESEmily Goss

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSRick CancelliereTim HayesMike MatesicRon MorrisDave NelsenMichael RighiGreg Steffine

PHOTOGRAPHYJonathan Kersting

PROOFREADER/COPY EDITORChris McClure

PRINTING Fry Communications

COUNCIL

CONNECTIONS

14 FLASH FORWARD Chorus Call launches newsocial networking platform -Concert-oh.

15 BUY THIS Go anywhere with high-speed CLEAR 4G.

16 FIRST LOOKS Houston-based KW International hopes to grow operations in SWPA.

17 PULSELocal tech entrepreneur, RaziImam, is “Driven” to succeed.

FEATURES

[14]

[17][16

[15]

[18] [21][20] [22] [23]

ON THE MIND[24] COMMUNITY CAUSE The Refresh Kittanning Project is leading economic development efforts in this quaint town.

[28] PUBLIC POLICY Can governor-elect Corbett transform state government?

[30] STEM TALENT The best tech talent is at your fingertips!

[ 3 1 ] COUNCIL BIZ-DEV Explore the Floor is the perfect environment for manufacturers to build business.

18 BUSINESS ADVISOR Venture capital investment in the cleantech sector continues to grow.

20 OFF THE SHELF Why HTML5 will save the world.

21 START ME UP To ensure a successful product launch, master the art of publicity.

22 E-CORNER True entrepreneurs always “find a way” in the face of adversity.

23 INTERACTIVE Increase sales by establishing rapport through social media.

KNOW HOW!

KW INTERNATIONAL ESTABLISHES PITTSBURGH PRESENCE TO SERVICE MARCELLUS SHALE DRILLERS

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By Jonathan Kersting, Associate [email protected]

I’M ALWAYS GOING ON RECORD PRO-CLAIMING MY LOVE AND PASSION FORPITTSBURGH AND ITS SURROUNDINGREGION. I LIKE THE GOOD, THE BAD ANDTHE UGLY, THE NITTY AND THE GRITTYIF YA KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

There are so many things going for our region, from a diverse business climate,

thriving tech community, killer cost of living and access to the great outdoors. The list goes on and we all know it.

However, like any region, some of our communities are reallytaking off while others are struggling. Just look at Lawrenceville, the

South Side and East End. As Pittsburgh reinvented itself after the collapse of the steel industry, these parts of town are bouncing back witha unique mix of the arts, small business (including tech startups), retailand residential development.

Brownfields in Hazlewood have been converted to technologyparks. The Pittsburgh Technology Council sits on the Pittsburgh Tech-nology Center, one of the first reclaimed brownfields. Homestead’s Wa-terfront and the South Side Works have begun integrating retail,residential and office space into former industrial sites, drawing crowdsof people to live, work, play and, yes, shop.

On the inverse, there are still plenty of communities that are having a hell of a time trying to find their way. Communities up anddown the Monongahela Valley like Clairton and McKeesport are holding on tight trying to attract new industries and maintain their with-ering population bases.

In particular, Braddock, just a few miles up the “Mighty Mon” fromPittsburgh, has been severely hit. Just this past year, things deterioratedfurther as the community lost its namesake hospital.

But, there is hope. A renaissance could be taking shape in Braddock in a slightly less traditional way as two green technology com-panies have leveraged inexpensive rent, a centralized industrial settingand access to a skilled workforce. Optimus Technologies and Fossil FreeFuel are true technology pioneers setting up shop along the main dragin Braddock to take a chance on building an alternative fuels hub.

Fossil Free Fuel is in the business of producing fuel from waste oils.They collect discarded grease from restaurants and turn it into fuel thata converted diesel engine can chug all day long.

Optimus creates conversions kits for diesel engines to burn bio-diesel and other fuels without fossil origins. We’re talking enginesfor industrial equipment, heavy machinery, delivery trucks and even anold Mercedes Benz 300D. The market is massive!

The companies have ambitious plans to turn Braddock into a greenenergy center, hopefully helping to also play a role in revitalizing thislong-ailing town, without a TGI Fridays or Target. Learn more aboutthese companies on page 6. While you’re at it, see how Kittanning is try-ing to attract more businesses on page 24.

With the introduction of tech companies and brash entrepreneurs,troubled communities, like Braddock, can afford our region a canvas tocreate something great and truly transformative. Our blighted commu-nities can become our biggest assets and zones for true opportunity.�

TECH COMPANIES CAN BUILD BETTER COMMUNITIES

TECH KNOW


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FUTURETwo small, Braddock-based

startups are betting big on biofuel. If successful, they

will develop an industry niche that could create

energy independence and rebuild a struggling community...

With the UPMC Braddock hospital closing down ear-lier this year, the pain and suffering of one of AlleghenyCounty’s most economically depressed communitiesdoesn’t seem to have an end. But, if you look closely,there is hope. Against all odds, a group of pioneers aretrying to bring back the struggling community by start-ing and developing new businesses on Braddock’s his-toric main street. Fossil Free Fuel and OptimusTechnologies are two green technology startups thatare committed to growing their operations in Brad-dock and redeveloping the community in the process.

THE TECHNOLOGYFounded in Medina, NY in 2005 as Fossil Free Fuel, the companyrelocated to Pittsburgh in 2007 and launched the first genera-tion of its diesel-to-biofuel conversion technology. Since then,the company has converted more than 200 individually-ownedvehicles with its technology, which is a bolt-on fuel conversiontechnology that allows diesel vehicles to utilize various types ofbiodiesel, year-round in any climate.

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By Matt Pross, Staff Writer > Photography by Jonathan Kersting > Design by Kim Chestney Harvey

FUTURE

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“When we first started the company, we were converting vehicles on a one-off basis,” Colin Huwyler, Co-founder of Fossil FreeFuel and CEO of Optimus Technologies, explained. “While this provided a good starting point for Fossil Free, it wasn’t a scalablebusiness model.

“Since then, we have developed a second-generation technology called the Vector System, which is modular and has appli-cations in agricultural, commercial and industrial markets,” he continued. “The commercial application of the Vector System costsbetween $8-10K per vehicle and we are currently working with several clients across different markets in pilot tests of the system.”

In addition to its vehicle applications, Optimus now offers on-site, closed-loop power generation systems for restaurants and food service facilities that produce waste vegetable oil; and a waste oil burner and heating system for forced air and boiler applications.

Huwyler co-founded Fossil Free Fuel with David Rosenstraus, who is now COO of Optimus Technologies. In addition to beingresponsible for the day-to-day operations of the company, Rosenstraus is focused on manufacturing, servicing and installing theVector technology.

THE FUELAlong with the company’s shift away from one-off conversions to a more scalable, modular business model, Fossil Free split intotwo separate companies (Fossil Free Fuel and Optimus Technologies) in July 2010. Before this strategic reorganization, the com-bined company was not only focused on creating, manufacturing and installing the technology, but it was also heavily involved inthe collection and processing of waste oil. Now Optimus is solely focused on further product development of its Vector technol-ogy, commercialization and further market expansion. Fossil Free Fuel is now totally focused on the collection of waste oils fromregional outlets and the subsequent processing and distribution.

E FUELS


TEQ: Quickly tell us about Optimus and its products.COLIN HUWYLER: Optimus is a Pittsburgh-based company with our oper-ations located in Braddock, Pa. The primary product that we manufactureis the Vector system; this system enables diesel engines to operate on a variety of renewable fuels. The system is a retrofit that can be utilized inany application with a diesel engine; our focus is on commercial and in-dustrial users.

The great thing about this technology is it has such diverse applica-tions; diesel engines power our economy. From agricultural tractors toover-the-road trucks and everything in between, there is almost nothingthat exists that doesn’t rely on a diesel engine at some point in its produc-tion. The down side is that we are heavily dependent on imported oil, whichraises huge national security and environmental issues. For businesses, thevolatility in the petroleum market can have a huge impact on their bottomline; the Vector product allows our clients to save money and stabilize theircosts by utilizing next-generation renewable fuels.

We also manufacture two additional product lines, the Apex and theExotherm. The Apex is a self-contained combined heat and power unit de-signed for food service facilities. The Apex plumbs into a facility’s fryer bankand processes used vegetable oil into electricity. The system provides theadditional benefit of offsetting hot water usage for the kitchen or restrooms.

The Exotherm is a commercial heating system that can operate onwaste petroleum oils such as hydraulic fluid, transmission oil or motor oilsin addition to any of the biofuels compatible with the Vector system.

TEQ: So the Vector, Apex and Exotherm are all designed andbuilt in the region? Tell us more about that.CH: We currently design and manufacture these products at our Braddock facility. We’ve been at our current location since 2007 but we’ve run out ofspace. At the moment, we’re in the planning phases of expansion; we’relooking t0 redevelop a site that’s just a few blocks away from our current

UP CLOSE&PERSONAL WITHColin Huwyler

“For a number of years, our fuel operations have been in bootstrappingmode,” Asa Watten, CEO of Fossil Free Fuel, explained. “Now, we are completelyfocused on scaling the company to a size where fuel collection and productioncan entirely support the company. Pittsburgh will serve as our test market andthen we hope to expand into other markets as well.”

Currently, Fossil Free has agreements with 40 restaurants and grocerystores in the area to collect the waste oil - or pure plant oil as Watten refers to it- created from their deep-fat fryers. Additionally, the company also has collec-tion agreements with several Giant Eagle locations and also offers a drop pointfor residential waste oil.

Once the pure plant oil is collected, it is processed at Fossil Free’s fuel processing site in Braddock, where it is turned into a vehicle-grade fuel. WhileFossil Free is currently seeking investment to scale to a 2 million-gallon test facility, this past summer the company expanded its current capacity from 800to 2,500 gallons a month and is on trajectory to continue doubling its collectionsseveral times a year.

“Pure Plant Oil has serious environmental benefits over other biofuels likecorn ethanol and biodiesel because it takes minimal energy and cost to produce,” Watten explained. “When compared with petro-diesel, it is far superior from a cost standpoint and an environmental perspective as it offerssignificant decreases in the emission of poisonous unburned hydrocarbons,carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, particulates and sulfur oxides.”

Optimus’ Vector technology is capable of but not limited to operating onpure plant oil, algae oil, animal fats, bio-crude, pyrolysis oil and all blends ofbiodiesel.

THE COMMUNITYAlthough Optimus and Fossil Free Fuel officially split their operations earlierthis year to maximize growth opportunities, the two companies are still work-ing hand-in-hand. Both startups are portfolio companies of seed-stage investor,Idea Foundry. In collaboration with the non-profit organization, Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities (PRCC), Optimus and Fossil Free are pursuing the devel-opment of the Braddock Biofuels Block, which is a project designed to redevelopthe vacant gateway block of Braddock and establish a regional biofuels innovation hub through the development of: an advanced fuel system manufacturing, installation and technology development facility, an alternativefuel station, public resource center and headquarters for PRCC, and a zero-waste biofuel pilot facility and biomass liquid fuel research laboratory.

While the $2 million needed to fund the project has yet to be approved,Huwyler and Watten said that if the Braddock Biofuels Block does indeed become reality it would create approximately 100 jobs, produce 2.5 million gallons of biofuel annually and redevelop two brown fields in Braddock.

“It will be terrific if we pull this project off because it will be the first thingyou see as you enter Braddock,” Watten said. “The only thing slowing us downis the necessary capital to move forward with development.” �

[ABOVE] IF STATE FUNDING IS APPROVED FOR THE BRADDOCK BIOFUELS BLOCK, THE PROJECT WOULD REDEVELOP THIS VACANTLOT INTO A REGIONAL BIOFUELS INNOVATION HUB.

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[BELOW] OPTIMUS COO, DAVE ROSENSTRAUS, WELDING A COMPONENT OF THE COMPANY’S VECTOR TECHNOLOGY FUEL SYSTEM.ROSENSTRAUS CO-FOUNDED FOSSIL FREE WITH HUWYLER IN 2005.

facility. That would give us space toscale our production and build amuch larger, much needed, research lab.

Although our sales are primarily regional, we have a deployment strategy to distributeour products nationally; however,we are committed to the region andintend to keep all of our productionright here is southwestern Pa.

TEQ: You’re a pioneer in thisindustry and leading thecharge to rejuvenate Brad-dock. Tell us what’s happen-ing in Braddock and howOptimus and Fossil Free areplaying a role.CH: When we moved to the area,we had a new company and twoemployees; we’ve now expandedinto two companies, more thandoubled our staff and Optimusalone is targeted to be at 12 em-ployees by the end of next year.Braddock is a place with a rich his-tory and a promising future andthere are a lot of great things goingon here that we’re excited to take

part in. Our primary focus is ongrowing our business and ulti-mately that’s a driver for so manyother things, but we’re active in thecommunity as well.

As we scale, we’ll be looking toemploy people from the region andwe’ll have a variety of positions all requiring different skill sets. This region has a legacy of industrialknowledge that has been lost inmost other parts of the country butwe also have an expansive andever-emerging tech industry. It’sreally the best of both worlds; forour scale-up we will be hiring ma-chinists, welders and engineers,but we’ll also need a sales force andmanagement team that under-stands emerging industry and newtechnologies. I think that businessdevelopment and job creation is thekey to revitalizing economically depressed areas.

TEQ: What’s been the coolestthing about building Optimus?CH: That’s tough. Building a com-pany is such a challenging process,but seeing your ideas transform

into a commercialized product is really awesome. We have a partnership with GiantEagle that we’re expanding upon right now. They’ve been piloting an early versionof the Vector system for about two years now and with the next phase of the part-nership we’re going to be retrofitting 10 of their distribution trucks. I’d say mostpeople don’t put too much thought into how groceries actually get onto the shelvesat Giant Eagle. It’s been amazing working with them and seeing the logistics and operational infrastructures that go into actually getting a loaf of bread onto theshelves. It’s really cool to shop there knowing that we had something to do withthat process.

We get to work with people from all different backgrounds and who have had avariety of different experiences. I’d have to say that the relationships we’ve built havebeen the most rewarding aspect of building the company. As a young entrepreneur, thething I appreciate the most is the willingness of people to help. It’s incredible to haveso many people that are willing to lend a hand or give a perspective on something thatmay be similar to a situation that they’ve experienced in the past.

TEQ: Where do you see the company in five years?CH: Growing. We’re taking things a step at a time but our goal is to see the Vector system integrated at an OEM level. Ideally, Giant Eagle will be able to go to Volvoand place an order for their new trucks and our technology would be integrated asa standard feature. There are a significant number of improvements we can bringinto the picture if we’re integrated at a factory level rather than as a retrofit. Mostof the major manufacturers are struggling with biofuel integration strategies andthe Vector technology has a number of proprietary solutions that would simplifytheir lives.

The technology is designed in such a way that it is fuel neutral. There are a variety of fuels that can be utilized and our system optimizes the combustion re-gardless of the base fuel. The primary fuels utilized today are pure plant oil and

biodiesel. The feedstock of these is typically waste vegetable oil fromthe food service industry, but we anticipate a commercial scale algaeoil solution to emerge in the next few years. The main constraint onalgae oil production currently is the cost; most manufacturers are try-ing to combine the oil growth, extraction and biodiesel processing inone operation. The Vector system would enable the algae oil to be usedwithout post-processing it into biodiesel, which brings the cost downsignificantly. Algae oil is the most promising next-generation fuel andwe’re here to help ensure that you’ll be able to utilize it within the nextfive years! �

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As a young entrepreneur,the thing I appreciate the most isthe willingness of people to help.It ’s incredible to have so many peo-ple that are willing to lend a hand orgive a perspective on something thatmay be similar to a situation thatthey’ve experienced in the past.


SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA’S ENERGYTECHNOLOGY CLUSTER IS GROWING QUICKLYAND GAINING MOMENTUM AS A REGIONAL EM-PLOYMENT ENGINE THANKS TO INNOVATIVECOMPANIES LIKE FOSSIL FREE FUEL AND OPTIMUS TECHNOLOGIES. HERE IS A BRIEFLOOK AT SOME KEY INDUSTRY DATA BETWEENTHE YEARS 2005-2009 FROM THE PITTSBURGHTECHNOLOGY COUNCIL’S STATE OF THE INDUSTRY REPORT:

[TOP] COLIN HUWYLER (LEFT) AND ASA WATTEN STANDING NEXT TO FOSSIL FREE’S

450-GALLON FUEL COLLECTION VEHICLE, BIG RED. [BOTTOM] AS PART OF THE

BRADDOCK BIOFUELS BLOCK REDEVELOPMENT, THIS VACANT GAS STATION WOULD BE

TRANSFORMED INTO AN ALTERNATIVE FUELS FILLING STATION.

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THE TOTAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGYCLUSTER GREW FROM 832 COMPANIES IN 2005 TO 902 COMPANIES IN 2009.

EMPLOYMENT IN THE INDUSTRYROSE MARKEDLY AS WELL, GROW-ING 12.9 PERCENT FROM 26,744JOBS IN 2005 TO 29,940 JOBS IN2009.

IN TERMS OF TOTAL ANNUAL PAY-ROLL, THE REGION’S ENERGYTECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY GREWNEARLY 20 PERCENT BETWEEN 2005-2009.

THE AVERAGE WAGE OF A JOB INTHE INDUSTRY IS IMPRESSIVE ASWELL, COMING IN AT $71,645 IN2009, A 7.1 PERCENT INCREASEFROM 2005.

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Industry Stats

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF

COLIN AND ASA DETAIL THEIR COMPANIES.


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arallel universes, Pittsburgh, deep space, and bluecollar alcoholism are just a small sample of mixedmedia artist Jesse Best’s subject matter.

Sick of the hyper-intellectual art world that alienatesviewers, Jesse tries to make his work accessible and

grounded with his self-professed style of industrial expressionism. Hisno-nonsense approach of incorporating haunting imagery with woodand ankle-deep resin made him the logical pick for this year’s 15 Minutes Award at the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s Design, Art &Technology (DATA) Awards and Regional Art Exhibition.

Part of the Council’s Art and Tech Initiative, the awards recognizeexcellence in several categories from video to music to innovation, withthe 15 Minutes Award honoring the highest excellence in 2-D visualarts.

This year, Jesse’s “Thin Villains” really caught our attention andgets the nod. He’s truly living up to his name ;-)

“Thin Villains” is representative of Jesse’s industrial expressionism style. His work incorporates tight graphic imagery tiedwith loose organic brush strokes. Jesse’s wooden textures create a nearthree-dimensional quality with the addition of a few deep layers of hissignature high-gloss resin.

We asked Jesse a few questions about his art and inspira-tion. Here’s what he had to say:

TEQ: Tell our readers a little about your background andyour art.JESSE BEST: Initially I wanted to be a director, but after working ona few films I quickly realized what a daunting task that actually is andhow difficult it can be to have your creative vision carried out by a teamof strangers. Painting allowed me to create whatever I imagined and

2010 DATA 15 MINUTES AWARD WINNER LIVES UP TO HIS NAME

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“TECHNOLOGY DEFINITELY INFLUENCES MY WORK. WHETHER IT’S THE MATERIALS I USE, SUCH AS THE EPOXY RESIN OR THE SCIENCE SPECIAL I

WATCH ON DEEP SPACE, TECHNOLOGY IS AFFECTING WHAT I CREATE ANDHOW I CREATE IT. AT THIS POINT IN HISTORY, I THINK IT’S UNAVOIDABLE.”

BEST inShow

DON’T MISS JESSE’SUPCOMING SHOW AT

THE GALLERY 4 IN SHADYSIDESPRING 2011

By Jonathan Kersting, Associate Publisher [[email protected]]


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wasn’t limited by budget or politics. I’m addicted to the freedom and control I have as afine artist.

TEQ: What inspires you to do what youdo?JB: As for the work, I am a mixed media painterworking with wood, stains, acrylic, spray-paint,and resin. My subject matter swings from blue-collar alcoholism to parallel universes andwhatever else falls in between. I’m attracted tonot only the conceptual message of the work,but also the physical presence of each painting.A photograph can only tell you so much, it’s important to experience the work in person.

TEQ: Does technology ever inspire or impact your art?JB: Technology definitely influences my work.Whether it’s the materials I use, such as theepoxy resin or the science special I watch ondeep space, technology is affecting what I create and how I create it. At this point in history, I think it’s unavoidable. It still trips meout that my daughter was playing her NintendoDS at the age of 2. She went from saying her firstcouple words to playing video games? It seemsto be inherently woven into our DNA.

TEQ: What have been some of yourbiggest influences?JB: Pretty standard: TV, movies, Internet, family, friends, good art, beer and whiskey.

TEQ: How can Pittsburgh grow a tighterart scene and support up-and-comingartists?JB: People just need to buy more art and lessflat screens. Applied correctly, this formulashould work in any city.

TEQ: Duchamp or Warhol?JB: Warhol without question, although I prettymuch have to say that since my fiancé is fromthe Warhola family. But in all fairness, Duchampwas no slouch. �

CHECK OUT HIS WORK ATWWW.JESSEBEST.COM.

[BOTTOM RIGHT]

JESSE HARD AT WORK

AT HIS HOUSE IN SOUTH

OAKLAND, WHICH CO-

INCIDENTALLY IS THE

VERY SAME HOUSE THE

WORLD-FAMOUS PITTS-

BURGH ARTIST, ANDY

WARHOL, GREW UP IN.

[TOP RIGHT]“TOOTS”

[BELOW] EXCERPT

FROM “KARL”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JONATHAN KERSTING

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

A VIDEO OF JESSE BEST.


ouldn’t it be great to take the “work” out of social network-ing? To type less and talk more, in other words? The innova-tors at longtime Monroeville-based tech pioneer Chorus Callthought so, and have introduced a new application that takessocial networking to the next level.

Dubbed “Concert-oh,” its aim is nothing less than to revolutionize thesocial networking world through multi-user, live, interactive audio and video.It’s like Skype on steroids, and it’s absolutely free. The product will be sup-ported by advertising once user rates have reached a critical mass.

“We’re using the world-class teleconferencing and videoconferencingcapabilities of Chorus Call to elevate social networking,” explained BenSchmitt, Marketing Specialist for Concert-oh. “This product allows you tosign up, make friends, and set up live video chats with up to 10 friends at atime, using your webcams. Concert-oh audio conferencing can include anunlimited number of participants.”

Add in document sharing functions, the choice to make chats public orprivate, use of simultaneous PowerPoint presentations, and other features,and you can tell Go to Meeting to go someplace else.

And, in what may be the most inspired or diabolical application of all, de-pending on your point of view about such things – Concert-oh is also beingmarketed to politicians as the perfect way to conduct Town Hall meetingswith large groups of voters and constituents, as Schmitt explained.

“Concert-oh is Web-based and simple to use, it’s available free of charge,and it has superb video and audio quality,” he said. “During the campaignseason and afterward, elected officials can use Concert-oh to communicate

directly with groups of people they represent, and then can use a specialQ&A feature. This permits the host to speak directly to individuals one at atime while the rest of the participants can hear without distractions or back-ground noise. It’s a way to interact directly while keeping the event organizedand respectful.”

Introduced in early September, the company has incorporated im-provements suggested by early users to make Concert-oh’s registration andnavigation easier, and those efforts will continue, he said.

Schmitt acknowledged that the idea behind Concert-oh, as manifestedin the clear technological advancement beyond the familiar and comfortableworld of social networking today, may hold some potential users back. Buthe offered these thoughts on that subject.

“Once you get over the intimidation factor of using this new offering,people have found that it’s really easy and they stick with it.”

“Our goal is to make Concert-oh as user-friendly and welcoming as pos-sible,” he added. “The opportunities for users in accessing this product areendless. Catching up with old friends, conducting business meetings, hold-ing fantasy football drafts, coordinating study groups, hosting virtual uni-versity lectures, or just getting together to hold discussions on any topic youand your friends like – it’s the new way to meet and socialize with less typ-ing and more talking.”�

NEW CHORUS CALL TECHNOLOGY HAS POTENTIAL TO REVOLUTIONIZESOCIAL NETWORKING…MORE TALKING, LESS TYPING

WCONCERT-OHBy Tim Hayes, Contributing Writer

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Dubbed “Concert-oh,” its aim is nothing less than to revolutionize the social networking world

CHORUS CALL’S AIMEE MILLER, JOE HEULER AND BEN SCHMITT AREREADY FOR CONCERT-OH TO TAKE SOCIAL MEDIA TO A NEW LEVEL.


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CLEARWIRE CORPORATION, ONE OF THE TOPPROVIDERS OF WIRELESS BROADBAND SERV-ICES AND OPERATOR OF THE LARGEST 4GNETWORK IN THE COUNTRY, LAUNCHED ITSCLEAR® 4G, A TAKE-IT-WITH-YOU INTERNETSERVICE FOR BUSINESSES AND CONSUMERSIN PITTSBURGH EARLIER THIS FALL. WithCLEAR, anyone can now use the Internet atspeeds four times faster than 3G – whether athome, in the office, or on-the-go within CLEARcoverage.

In Pittsburgh, CLEAR covers more than820,000 people. Regionally, service extends fromNorth Hills to South Park and from Monroeville toCarnegie. A detailed coverage map of CLEAR 4Gservice is available at www.clear.com/coverage.

“With CLEAR, residents now have a fast, mobileInternet connection that goes with them over therivers and throughout the Pittsburgh area,” saidJeannie Weaver, Regional General Manager forCLEAR. “We’re offering game-changing access to theInternet. For the first time, consumers are able towirelessly access the Internet at super-fast speeds,at affordable prices, and without limits on how muchdata they use.”

The CLEAR experience is similar to wi-fi butwithout the short-range limitations. CLEAR useswireless 4G technology that differs from wi-fi because it provides service areas measured in miles,not feet. CLEAR also offers average mobile downloadspeeds of 3 to 6 mbps with bursts over 10 mbps. Outside the CLEAR 4G service area, dual-mode4G/3G modems keep users continually connected byleveraging Sprint’s 3G data network.

With CLEAR, people can stay better con-nected and more productive. For example:• A travelling business executive no longer needsto seek out wi-fi hotspots or be constrained by the

speeds and limitations of 3G modem cards; • A college student can now have affordable Internet service whether at home, on campus or on-the-go; • A commuter can now work on large files orstream their favorite shows while riding the bus ortrain;• A busy parent can now keep kids occupiedstudying or playing games in the back of the familyminivan.

Clearwire offers several ways to connect toCLEAR 4G service – via a modem, mobile device, ora 4G-embedded laptop or netbook.

I tested out the CLEAR 4G+ Mobile USB on myMacBook Pro. I simply plugged-in the compact Clear4G+ Mobile USB into my laptop to get online. Thisdual-mode 4G/3G modem gives users access to the4G network in the CLEAR coverage area and to 3Gcoverage nationwide.

The device worked seamlessly after a quick soft-ware download. I never tapped into the 4G networkand all of its goodness. The 3G was working just fine.This is a pretty simple solution to ensure Internet access.For more information, hit www.clear.com. �

PLUG ‘N PLAYBy Jonathan Kersting, Associate Publisher [[email protected]]

CLEAR 4G SERVICE MAKESINTERNET ACCESS EASY


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PA NANO CENTER ANNOUNCES $980,000IN AVAILABLE RESEARCH GRANTS

The Pennsylvania NanoMaterials CommercializationCenter (the Center) is issuing its largest request forproposals to accelerate the commercialization ofnano-materials research.

On November 1, 2010 the Center made available $980,000 in grant funds to Pennsylvania-based university researchers and small and largecompanies to support the development of innovativeproduct ideas using advanced materials and nanotechnology.

There are two categories of funding: $30,000grants for fast-track pre-commercialization projectsand $200,000 for full commercialization projects.

The Center is a not-for-profit organization thathas proven results in accelerating and supportingnanotechnology commercialization for new and enhanced products/processes critical to the U.S.economy and manufacturing base. To date, the Center has awarded more than $4 million to supportthe development of nanotechnology.

The Center has developed a unique partnershipmodel which encourages the proposing teams consisting of a combination of universities, smalland/or large companies. This collaborative approach produces an innovative technology supported by abusiness development team with experience in themarket, customer base and manufacturing; components necessary for commercial success.

The Center will be hosting informational Webinars for the RFP. Visit the Web site,www.pananocenter.org, for more details. Submissions are due no later than January 28, 2011.

CHEMIMAGE LAUNCHES GATEWAY ANALYTICAL

Gateway Analytical, a new quality-focused analytical testing and consulting services company, opened its doors for business recently.Despite a weak economy, testing companies likeGateway Analytical are thriving, with an expectedannual growth rate of 5.7 percent in the next fiveyears according to a March 2010 IBISWorld reporton U.S. laboratory testing services. ChemImagelaunched the company as a subsidiary.

“Gateway Analytical fills a necessary nicheout there—providing regulatory expertise in theface of increased government regulations on consumer, pharmaceutical and food products,”said David Exline, Senior Vice President of Gateway Analytical.

BREAKING NEWS FROM PGet your tech news fresh off the grill

Decades of Texas-based natural gas drillingexpertise is being brought to Pennsylvaniaand the subterranean bonanza of the Marcellus Shale natural gas deposit. LoneStar to lodestar, one might say.

At the forefront of this Texas tidal wave standsKW International, headquartered in Houston. KenWind, Founder and namesake of this 50-year-oldfamily run firm brings third-generation expertise tohis company. Son Kurt Wind, President and CEO,said the Marcellus Shale offers enormous potentialfor economic development and greater energy independence, and that's why their company has established a post here.

"You're sitting on top of one of the hottest en-ergy plays in the country in Pennsylvania," Wind said."Support services have been weak to this point, wesaw an opportunity there, and there is a vast talentpool available in the region to draw from.”

KW International sells, services, and manufac-tures surface-level production/processing equipmentfor the part of the industry that operates above thesurface once oil and gas have been extracted throughthe well head. Examples of their products and serv-ices include: "sand traps" that filter out frac and for-mation sand extracted from natural gas; "slugcatchers" that process liquid collecting in the pipeline;"separators and scrubbers” for entrained liquid sep-aration; “glycol dehydrators” to remove moisture inthe gas stream; and a patented process to reduce oreliminate BTEX emissions to name a few.

"Our goal is to bring the same high-caliber serv-ice to the Marcellus region as we have done in Texasfor many years," Wind said. "We opened an office in

West Mifflin last February, in the middle of that incredible snowstorm. We chose that particular location because it is geographically in the center ofthe Marcellus Shale territory, giving us the most efficient client accessibility."

The most striking value proposition representedby KW International to its Marcellus-based clients isthe ability of its onsite staff to help their clients sortthrough equipment rental and purchase options, thencustomize the equipment to the client's specific needsand budget. This is supported from the bidding stagethrough startup by a seasoned team of engineers,sales, service and project managers.

"Our company is known for its field-friendly designed equipment that is easy to operate and maintain," he noted. "One example that we will be introducing in the fourth quarter of 2010 is a modified version of the sand trap that's betterequipped to filter out sand from the fracing process.It will be a lower profile, higher capacity, and moreeconomic option to the current equipment offered tothe industry."

Wind said his team in West Mifflin is eager toplay a larger role in development of the Marcellus region – for economic reasons, naturally, but for alarger purpose at the same time.

"There's enough natural gas in the region to provide energy for the country for more than 100years. If we could get everyone on board and behindnatural gas, it's real impact for the U.S. could be meaningful employment for thousands of the currently under- and unemployed – not just in the industry itself, but for the effect it would have on allfacets of the economy." �

KW INTERNATIONAL ESTABLISHES PITTSBURGH PRESENCE TO SERVICE MARCELLUS SHALE DRILLERS

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By Tim Hayes, Contributing Writer


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GET IN THE ZONE. HIT THE WALL. FINDYOUR FLOW. ALL ADMIRABLE AND PERSONALLY REWARDING STATES OFMIND. BUT EACH PALES WHEN COMPAREDWITH JUNOON.

“Junoon,” a Persian word with no Englishequivalent, describes a hypnotic zeal that drives ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things. It’sa state of healthy obsession toward achieving a high-impact goal that changes not only the life of theperson at its center, but the lives of many others –and all for the better.

Razi Imam, a highly successful entrepreneur,has devoted 12 years of research into the concept ofJunoon and has published a new book titled “Driven” (Amazon) to explain it and offer ideas onhow anyone can achieve this ideal state of thought,focus, purpose, achievement and impact.

“I have been intrigued and puzzled as to whysome people become so successful and others struggle so hard,” said Imam. “Education is a bigpiece of it, but it’s not all. What gives people this ability to achieve as they experience Junoon? Theyenter a state of pure inspiration where one can lookat all aspects of a goal and see the plan that must befollowed to reach it.

“There is nothing unhealthy about this obses-sive focus,” he continued. “You are able to attract opportunities that move you closer to your extra-ordinary goal. You reach a metaphysical phase thatprotects you from fatigue and illness, and that keepsyour mental energy high.

“Finally, Junoon brings you to a level of moralenergy, where you have the ability to do the rightthing in every instance, regardless of criticism or obstacles,” Imam said. “You stick to your moral principles and your commitment to achieve thisgoal. It is an extraordinary process, and one that Ihave experienced several times in my life.”

Imam points to global icons such as Gandhi,

Nelson Mandela, and Madam Curie as examples ofthose who have experienced Junoon, but stressesthat anyone can tap into this font of intellectual,emotional and moral clarity with the proper direc-tion and encouragement. For that reason, he offers aworkshop to help people get into a state of Junoon.

His latest practical demonstration of Junoon inaction comes through his firm 113 Industries, whosepurpose is to build and sustain an “advanced materials cluster” for Pittsburgh, centered at the for-mer Seagate facility in the Strip District.

“We have a building right here, ready for im-mediate use, that is the best advanced materials re-search facility in North America – and it’s standingthere empty,” he said. “At 113 Industries, we areworking to attract advanced materials companiesand support funding here to transform the regioninto a center of research and innovation. As this hap-pens, the economic benefits can be very powerful assupport and service providers come in, high-leveltalent locates here because they know there are mul-tiple employers, and Pittsburgh can become a brandlocation for advanced materials.” �

DRIVEN TO SUCCEEDBNY MELLON RECEIVES

EPA GREEN POWER LEADERSHIP AWARDBNY Mellon recently announced that it has receiveda 2010 Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The annualawards recognize the country’s leading green powerpurchasers for their commitment and contributionto helping advance the development of the nation’svoluntary green power market.

BNY Mellon was one of only 10 organizationsnationwide to receive a Leadership Award in theGreen Power Purchase category. The award recognizes EPA Green Power Partners who distinguish themselves through purchases of greenpower from a utility green-pricing program, a competitive green marketer or a renewable energy certificate (REC) supplier.

BNY Mellon purchases nearly 230 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, whichis enough green power to meet more than 75 percentof the organization’s purchased electricity use in theUnited States. BNY Mellon is buying a utility greenpower product and RECs from NextEra Energy Resources and Pepco Energy Services for renewableenergy projects in the United States that use windand solar power to generate electricity without producing carbon dioxide or other harmful pollutants. Through the NextEra partnership, whichrepresents a majority of BNY Mellon’s green investment to date, 100 percent of the revenue is directed to The EarthEra Renewable Energy Trust tobuild new facilities, accelerating the construction ofrenewable energy projects.

BNY Mellon currently ranks #17 on EPA’s National Top 50 list. EPA updates its Top PartnerLists quarterly at www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists.

NEWTON CONSULTING NAMED TO PRESTIGIOUS INC. 5000 LIST

Newton Consulting, LLC, an information technologyand human resource management consulting services outfit, has been named to the prestigiousInc. 5000 list, a compendium of the most entrepre-neurial and fastest growing companies in America.

“We are thrilled to have been named by Inc.magazine as one of the nation’s top entrepreneurialcompanies,” said Rick Newton, the company’s President and Founder. “Our company differentiatesitself in the marketplace by our customer-focused,values-driven services and our unique shared ownership operating model that attracts and retainsthe top talent in the consulting industry,” he said.

burgerITTSBURGH’S TECH SCENE every day at www.techburgher.com.

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LOCAL TECH ENTREPRENEUR RAZI IMAM’S NEW BOOK DETAILS THE CONCEPT OF “JUNOON”

WHAT GIVES PEOPLE THISABILITY TO ACHIEVE AS THEY EXPERIENCEJUNOON? THEY ENTER ASTATE OF PURE INSPIRA-TION WHERE ONE CANLOOK AT ALL ASPECTS OFA GOAL AND SEE THEPLAN THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED TO REACH IT.

By Tim Hayes, Contributing Writer

IN ADVANCE OF THIS YEAR’S ALWAYSON GOING GREENSILICON VALLEY CONFERENCE, KPMG AND ALWAYSONSURVEYED LEADERS IN THE VENTURE CAPITAL COM-MUNITY ON SOME OF THE CRITICAL ISSUES FACINGTHE CLEANTECH SECTOR. BETWEEN THE ECONOMY,THE RECOVERY IN THE IPO MARKET, AND LOOMINGTAX AND REGULATORY CHANGES, 2010 IS TURNING OUTTO BE AN INTERESTING YEAR FOR THE VENTURE CAPITAL COMMUNITY.

Cleantech continues to be a key investment sector for venture capital, and ourrespondents see that trend continuing in the coming year. Similar to last year, 75percent see a continued increase in cleantech investment next year compared tothis year. When asked where that investment will focus, energy storage and effi-ciency led the list, just as in 2009. In terms of which U.S. geographies are going tosee more investment, the West leads by a healthy margin with 64 percent followedby the Southwest (15 percent), the Northeast (12 percent) and the Midwest (9 per-cent). Outside of the U.S., Asia leads the pack with 57 percent of respondents list-ing it as the non-U.S. geography that will see more investment, followed by Europeat 24 percent.

Transaction activity is starting to rebound, and VCs are bullish on prospectsfor that trend to continue. Sixty-eight percent expect an increase in M&A activitycompared to more than 70 percent last year. Seventy-one percent of respondentspredict an increase in IPOs in the next year; down a bit from last year’s 75 percent.When asked if this is going to be another investment bubble, 75 percent opti-mistically say no. In terms of the IPO market, 52 percent expect valuations to beabout the same compared to the last two years and 29 percent expect higher val-uations.

Government and public sector involvement last year was a key driver of clean-tech activity. Respondents are unsure how that will continue. Fifty-one percentexpect further increases in cleantech funding from the federal government, re-gardless of the economy, and an additional 25 percent foresee an increase only ifthe economy improves. Public-private partnerships fill part of the gap in govern-ment backing, and our leaders see that growing. Eighty-eight percent of those sur-veyed envision a continued increase in public-private partnerships compared to 83percent in 2009.

In terms of other industry trends, 64 percent do not believe that cellulosic ex-traction for ethanol will be a success. Conversely, 59 percent expect algae-basedfuels to be a commercial success. A majority of respondents (57 percent) believethat regulating C02 emissions will effectively mitigate global warming and 47 per-cent expect increased carbon-trading activity. Looking into their crystal ball re-garding oil prices, 67 percent of venture-capital leaders surveyed expect crude oilprices to close this year between $75 and $99 per barrel and 53 percent expect oilprices to peak after 2012.

KPMG and AlwaysOn are excited about our involvement with the GoingGreenSilicon Valley conference. If you would like a full copy of the survey, please shootme an email and I’ll get it out to you. I’d be happy to meet with you and discuss theresults of this survey. �


B Y T O M M O O N E Y , K P M G T M O O N E Y @ K P M G . C O M

VC INVESTMENT IN CLEANTECH WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE

CLEANTECH CONTINUESTO BE A KEY INVESTMENTSECTOR FOR VENTURECAPITAL, AND OUR RESPONDENTS SEE THATTREND CONTINUING INTHE COMING YEAR. SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR,75 PERCENT SEE A CONTINUED INCREASE INCLEANTECH INVESTMENTNEXT YEAR COMPARED TO THIS YEAR. WHENASKED WHERE THAT IN-VESTMENT WILL FOCUS,ENERGY STORAGE AND EF-FICIENCY LED THE LIST,JUST AS IN 2009.

BUSINESS Advisor............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................


........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... BUSINESS Intel l igence

CREATING VALUE STARTS WITHSTRATEGIC THINKING B Y G R E G S T E F F I N E

S D L C P A R T N E R S

This is the fiftharticle in a continuingseries on business intelligence and valuecreation.

Thane Yost once wrote, "The will to win is use-less if you don’t have the will to prepare.” Strat-egy is all about preparation. It’s the cornerstoneof an effective and sustainable business intelli-gence (BI) competency and a mission-criticalpiece of your requirements-gathering effort.That’s why it’s the foundation of the Right Think-ing™ Model. Strategy’s function is to guide anddirect all BI-related activity so that short-termdecisions are always in alignment with long-termobjectives. Strategy focuses needed attention onthe “big picture.”

Alvin Toffler, the American writer and futuristrecognized by Accenture as one of the world's topbusiness thought leaders, writes about the conceptof “big picture” thinking. "You've got to think aboutbig things while you are doing small things,” saysToffler, “so that all of the small things go in the rightdirection." That's particularly true in the world ofbusiness intelligence where organizations often deploy tactical, uncoordinated solutions in order toeliminate pressing business pain. Not a preferred approach, but one that certainly reflects the kind of demanding, fast-paced business climate that pres-sures decision-makers to create and maximize valueas quickly as possible. Thing is, these tactical solu-tions often grow to mission-critical applications. It’sonly through an appropriate strategy that organiza-tions can effectively integrate these information silosinto a unified and sustainable business intelligencecapability. Those that fail to adequately plan ulti-mately pay the price. Gartner analyst Betsy Burtonpredicts that companies without a cohesive BI strat-egy spend upwards of 70 percent of their total BIbudget resolving issues around people, process andtechnology resulting from poor planning.

The primary reason you prepare before you de-liver is to help future-proof your work effort. PeterDrucker puts it best when he says, "Strategic think-ing does not deal with future decisions. It deals withthe futurity of present decisions [emphasis mine]."In other words, do the up-front work necessary toensure today's decisions have future life. Thinkingstrategically helps you to "do it once, do it right, andmake it last.”

Aspirational Modeling (figure 1) is the tech-nique I use to flesh-out strategic requirementsaround BI. It’s a “big picture” look at where you aretoday (point A), where you want to be tomorrow(point B), and how you intend to move your busi-ness in order to create value for your constituentgroups.

As you can see from the diagram, a lot of atten-tion is given to understanding your organization’scurrent operating model. That’s because there’s nosuch thing as a “one size fits all” BI strategy, andnothing beats real-world insight into how decision-makers in your particular company currently use (orcan’t use) business intelligence to create value. As-pirational Modeling is used in conjunction with TheRight Thinking Model to focus attention on BI com-petencies and related capabilities most important tolong-term BI success (figure 2).Here’s an overview of the components:

BI Competency: PeoplePeople represent an organization's greatest sourceof competitive advantage. This competency focuseson improving the performance of human capital inorder to maximize BI-driven value creation.

People Capability: Organizational PlanningBI-savvy organizations establish a company-widerespect for fact-based decision-making and theybuild a leadership structure to encourage and support it. Organizational planning guides strategicthinking around culture, leadership, and your people roadmap for BI.

People Capability: Performance ManagementSmart organizations evolve. They leveragestrengths, strengthen weaknesses, and build value-impacting intellectual capital by hiring, training, andretaining the right people. Performance manage-ment guides strategic thinking around skill assess-ment, recruiting and retaining, and training anddevelopment.

BI Competency: ProcessFor BI to work, data must be relevant, informationmust be meaningful, and insight must be actionable.This competency focuses on the practices that makedata an invaluable enterprise asset.

Process Capability: Information PlanningSmart organizations effectively use right informa-tion to create value. Information planning guidesstrategic thinking around the organization’s busi-ness plan for BI, its strategy map, and performancemeasures.

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[continued on pg. 34]

(figure 1)

(figure 2)


..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................OFF THE Shelf

that a nuclear bomb has been placed somewhere in Pittsburgh.You have 24 hours to locate it, and the terrorist's only clue is“YouTube Double Rainbow Video.” You're happy to have a clue,but what does it mean? WHAT DOES IT MEAN!?!?

Until recently you weren't able to watch YouTube videosat work because the Adobe Flash plugin is banned at the FBI.However, YouTube recently started encoding its videos in anopen format that can be played in browsers that supportHTML5. Without Flash, you're now able to watch the video, findthe bomb, and save the city. Pittsburgh is released from the gripof terror, and more importantly the Web is freed from the bur-den of having to install Adobe Flash. (This is just one of manyreasons why HTML5 will kill Flash. Huzzah!)

Offline Web ApplicationsImagine you're a cancer researcher. Now imagine you're on atrain. Now imagine you're on a laptop pouring over the resultsof an experiment and you stumble across a cure for all cancers.This is a big deal. You fire up a Web-based email app to sharethe exciting news with colleagues, typing with excitement foran hour. Just before you click “send” the train enters a 30-miletunnel, dropping your Internet connection. Did I mention yourlaptop only has two minutes of battery left? Did I mention yousuffer from a rare condition known as Tunnel-Induced Mem-ory Loss? That's right, you're about to forget the cure to cancerbecause of the same condition that causes Pittsburghers to for-

get how to drive when they enter a tunnel.Fortunately, your Web-based email takes advantage of

HTML5's offline Web capabilities. HTML5 allows Web pages tobehave like desktop software, only occasionally needing to dialinto a server. It works like this: When you lost your Internet con-nection inside the tunnel, the Web page saved your email to alocal database within your Web browser. Even though a deadbattery is about to shut off the computer, the next time you ac-cess your webmail it will scan your browser's database for un-sent messages. The email will be delivered and cancer will becured. Huzzah!

MicrodataIn an act of planetary revenge, an asteroid has knocked Plutoout of orbit and onto a deadly path towards Earth. Our onlyhope of survival lies in the hands of Bruce Willis who in 1998proved that Earth could be saved from such disasters with nu-clear bombs, Hollywood magic, and the sacrifice of Bruce Willis.Conveniently, Jack Bauer has a spare bomb he just found inPittsburgh, so now we just need to give Mr. Willis a call. Just oneproblem: nobody has Bruce's number.

Finding somebody on the Web used to be difficult. If youwere looking for a Susan Smith living in Seattle, searching for“Susan Smith Seattle” would return pages for people named

HTML5 is soon to be thenew standard for buildingWeb pages. Although thespecification isn't finalizedyet, many Web browsers al-ready support parts of thisnext generation of HTML.To demonstrate its power,here are some hypotheticalexamples of how HTML5could save the world.

Video (Without Flash)Imagine your name is JackBauer and you've just learned

HTML5 SAVES THE WORLD - HUZZAH!BY MICHAEL RIGHI, FIELD EXPERT, INC. [email protected]

continued on pg. 34


KEEPING PUBLICITY REVVED FOR PRODUCT LAUNCH

F YOU WANT TO LEARN HOW TO GENER-ATE PUBLICITY FOR YOUR STARTUP,THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF EXPERTSPROFFERING ADVICE ON THE INTER-NET. GOOGLE THE WORDS “PUBLICITY”

AND “STARTUP,” AND UP POP THOU-SANDS OF LINKS THAT PROMISE TOMAKE YOU A MEDIA STAR IN A FEWEASY STEPS.

Assuming the advice is sound andyour execution is flawless, you’ll quickly beflush with customer, media and investor inquiries. Success. You’re set to sell.

But what happens when the mediablitz rolls out before your product or serviceis ready to follow suit? What happens ifMurphy’s Law proves true and the launch that was sup-posed to happen yesterday gets delayed a week, a month…orlonger? Or what do you do on those rare, seemingly heaven-sent occasions when the media machine appears withoutever even being summoned? What can seem like a windfallof acclaim and attention can turn into a nightmarish missedopportunity if the public is ready for your product, but yourproduct’s not ready for the public.

As it is, these “what ifs” happen fairly often. Most pub-

licity occurs in short spikes, with a news event or a hot re-view of your product setting off a loud bang before dissi-pating into media silence.

Part of the solution to this problem is averaging outthe sharp drop between publicity highs and lows by creating

a media buzz that you manage. A judi-cious flow of substantive press releases,blog posts and tweets can generate asteady hum about your business. Whenunexpected media attention hits, youcan funnel the news through the com-munications channels you’ve already es-tablished, creating a ripple effect that youcan capitalize on over time rather than adisruptive splash that comes and goeswith no gain.

Rebecca Gaynier is Founder and CEO of iTwixie, a B2Bcompany that helps ’tween-girl-focused organizations andcompanies to develop better products and messaging fortheir target consumer. Her background as a Madison Avenue advertising executive taught her the importance ofboth generating publicity and maximizing its usefulness byincreasing its longevity.

“Publicity not only creates an awareness of your com-pany, but just as importantly, establishes your credibility

and validates the integrity of your product. It’s an objective,third party endorsement you can leverage to generate leads,attract business partners and incite interest from investors,”says Gaynier.

Recently, Gaynier’s iTwixie Web site, which is tagged“the ultimate hangout for ‘tween girls,” was named one ofDisney’s FamilyFun Magazine's top 10 Web sites for kids.When she received the news she did two very savvy things.

First she delayed dropping the press release for threeweeks after Disney published the news. She did this tospawn a second, more targeted PR campaign to connect di-rectly with the kid-oriented media outlets that reach her es-tablished and potential customers, partners and advocates.

Second, she followed up with a steady stream of tweetsand Facebook posts, creating a viral effect that cascadedthrough her network of contacts and took on a life of its own.

Gaynier believes that harnessing that initial mediaspark is an opportunity to “warm up the world to who youare as a company and what you have to offer. It allows youto fine-tune your message and engage inquiring minds inways that pull them in and keep them coming back.”

While you might not be able to control when publicitystrikes, with some planning, prep work and patience, youcan buy time and determine yourself when to step up to thepodium with product in hand. �

IBY MIKE MATESIC, CEO, IDEA FOUNDRY

...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... START Me Up


ECorner..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

HOW DOES THISSOUND TO YOU ...?

• He was fired fromthe Kansas City Starnewspaper becausehis work “lacked creativity.”

• He lost his first business and all of his employees becausehe neglected to read the fine print in his contract.

• Only two of his employees stayed with him through thetough times -- two employees and his brother, that is -- therest were hired away by a competitor because he failed tolegally arrest their movement.

• After enjoying some small degree of success, he rewardedhis parents with a new home. Unfortunately, the home hepurchased had a defective heating and ventilation system,causing him to lose his dear mother to carbon monoxidepoisoning. He went to his own grave feeling personally responsible for this tragedy.

GO LEFT, YOUNG MAN BY RON MORRIS, CONTRIBUTING WRITER For those of you (like me) who study the greatentrepreneurs, you may have already figuredout that the individual I’m describing here isWalter Elias Disney, quite possibly the greatestnon-scientist entrepreneur in the history of thisgreat country.

Why Disney? Simple. Because I’m writingthis column while with my family at DisneyWorld; his “touch” is everywhere. You canhardly not think of him.

Moreover, Walt would have been proud ofthe fact that my family is with me while I’mworking on this article because it was his beliefthat “family is everything.” In his own words,“The most important thing is the family. Afterall, family is the backbone of our whole busi-ness.”

I knew very little about W.E. Disney whenmy family and I recently traveled from Pittsburgh for a four-day mini-vacation to theMagic Kingdom. Oh, I knew that he was thedriving force behind the magnificent Walt Disney Corporation (magnificent then, not necessarily now, unfortunately), but I never

really studied the man himself. And, neither didI study the events in his life that propelled himto the great successes he achieved.

Entrepreneurs are a tough-minded bunch.And here, I’m talking about the real ones –notthe, “Look at me, I’m an entrepreneur, too” – asthey accept and then burn millions of dollars instart-up capital – kind.

My definition of an entrepreneur is some-one who lights out armed with nothing morethan his or her wits and courage. I’m talkingabout the individuals who, and when they meetadversity, instead “find a way” to succeed. Loseall your employees? This too shall pass. Getcheated out of your trademarked character? Re-invent another, better one.

All these things and more happened toWalt Disney. �

Finish reading and comment on this articleat Ron Morris’ Web site: TAEradio.com/TEQ.© Copyright, Ron Morris 2010, All Rights Re-served


obody wants to be sold to. Instead,they want to buy from us if wesolve their problems. In order totruly understand a prospective

customer's problems, we’vegot to talk to them. Well, nottalk “to” them, but talk“with” them...openly.

Side note: One of my fa-vorite sales rules: “Remember,you have two ears and onemouth; spend twice as muchtime listening as talking.”(Frankly, 10-to-1 would beeven better, but how much of this behavior canyou really expect from extroverts?)

The goal of the conversation is to discoveryour prospect's “pain.” Before they will share that,you will have to establish rapport. With rapport,you have the opportunity to build trust. Withtrust, you have the opportunity to make a sale.

Social media helps you establish rapport inso many ways; just pick your favorite.

Rapport building idea #1: Before meeting

with any new prospect, review their LinkedInprofile to identify potential connection points.Look for a shared college, hobby, sport, past em-ployer, industry association, professional ac-

quaintance, or almost anythingelse (avoiding, say, shared for-mer spouses and the like).

I was speaking to a CEOgroup in Baltimore this sum-mer when one CEO asked toshare his story. His companyhad been trying to crack a keyaccount, making no headwayover many years. Finally, the

CEO reviewed the decision maker's LinkedInprofile and discovered that he’d played lacrossein college. Using email, he asked his sales staff ifany of them had played college lacrosse. Ka-Ching!

It took a few weeks for that salesperson toconnect live with the prospect. Yet, in a “surpris-ing” twist, the topic of college lacrosse surfacedless than 30 seconds into the call; imagine that. Itbroke the ice, established rapport, and after lots

more hard work led to the ultimate sale.Rapport building idea #2: When communicating

more broadly, a cultural touchstone can provide an equallyeffective connection point. In his “Randy’s Journal” blog,Boeing (specifically Randy) cleverly riffed on the 20th an-niversary of the movie “Back to the Future” to explore thepast and future of the airline industry. Like Michael J. Fox(a.k.a. Marty McFly), Randy traveled back in time by track-ing down Boeing’s 20-year forecast for passenger air milesfrom 1952. Then he went back to the future, showing Boe-ing's latest 20-year forecast.

I call this framing. If airline industry insiders start tosee that same future, it’s a safe bet that they’re more likelyto favor Boeing planes over Airbus.

Rapport building idea #3: Current events, especiallyanything that’s caught your target audience’s imagination,can provide another powerful connection point.

In January of this year, a hiker on Yosemite BearMountain happened upon a "full on double rainbow all theway across the sky." We could hear but not see this guyas he trained his camera on the rainbow and moved to avista to better capture the entire view. To say that he wasincredibly enthusiastic or unbelievably stoned...or both...isan understatement.

......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... INTERActive

NINCREASE REVENUES BY ESTABLISHING RAPPORT – SOCIAL MEDIA CAN HELP

[continued on pg. 34]

BY DAVE NELSEN, CONTRIBUTING WRITER


.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................COMMUNITY Cause

The mission of the Refresh Kittan-ning Project is to ignite and advo-cate economic growth amongstbusinesses in Kittanning, Pa. Thegroup created a Web site, www.re-freshkittanning.com, in which peo-ple can share ideas on how to makethe community better. Each monththere will be a new featured topicthat focuses on economic develop-ment. The group hopes to use thecollective power and talents of thecommunity to improve upon andpromote the advantages of theircommunity to the world.

The initial topic asks what type ofbusinesses community memberswould like to see in town. The groupexpects to see a wide array of ideas,ranging from massive undertakings tosimple suggestions. They can thentake that feedback and ask local busi-nesses about expanding into that area.They also hope entrepreneurs whovisit the site will see a need and be in-

spired to invest in the community.While they assume the majority ofpeople would like to see a large inno-vative company such as Apple orGoogle open up a local office, thegroup has no problem starting small—as one job created is better than none.

The concept ispretty simple and ishoped to work as follows. They expectthe site to receive a lotof ideas on each topic,but hope to find reoccurring trends orneeds within the responses. For exam-ple, if many people inthe community wouldlike to see a coffee shopopen, the group willtake that feedback to current localbusinesses and see if they would be in-terested opening one. They could alsouse the data to target a national chain

or ask a similar existing shop in the region to consider opening anotherbranch. Another option that grouphopes for is that someone reading thesite with entrepreneurial ambitionsmay see a clear need and consider investing in the community.

The Web site has a few other features for businesses, which includea free directory listing and a commer-cial property listing. Local businesses

can also submit news or announce-ments to the site. This site is not onlyabout attracting new businesses, it’salso about helping current businessessucceed.

Kittanning is a very scenic townlocated on the banks of the AlleghenyRiver. Residents are able to enjoy thebest of both worlds. The town is sur-rounded by many outdoor activities,but is only a short commute from thecenter of Pittsburgh. In addition, thereare many universities and technicalschools of all distinctions within anhour’s drive from town. Being a countyseat also helps create traffic in town.The low cost of living and low cost ofdoing business is very advantageousfor businesses.

You don’t have to be a resident toshare your ideas—all ideas are welcomed. Anyone with entrepreneuraspirations is strongly encouraged toregularly check the site as they mightfind a great opportunity. �

REFRESH KITTANNING AIMS TO INSPIRE GROWTH

AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN SWPA TOWN TAKE ACTION!

This quaint town is looking for ideas: www.refreshkittanning.com!


Your logo is notyour brand.Neither is yourslogan, product

name(s) or company name. However,these elements are a part of your brandand branding itself (the term) hascaused quite a bit of confusion in manybusiness circles. Keep this article handyif you ever need clarification.

Clearing up the confusion: Branding 101After working with technology companiesfor over 15 years, we see “branding” is all toooften confused with a number of businesselements that are a part of the brand but not“the brand.”

What is not a brand?To understand what a brand is, let us firstestablish what it is not. Your logo, trade-mark, company name, product name, serv-ice name, mark, sound, etc. are all elementsof the brand – not the brand itself. Let’s set

these aside and consider them “brand ele-ments.”

What is a brand?Branding incorporates the brand elementsthat work together to form a brand concept.Brands are managed as a part of a brandstrategy and their value depicted by thephrase “brand equity.” Next, brand posi-tioning and leveraging are branding man-agement approaches. Finally, the identity,image, personality, essence or soul, charac-ter and culture are the brand components.

All of the brand elements we typicallyfind people confused by normally fit intoone of these components. Essentially,branding is the result of the combination ofall elements that create the brand, brandperception, and brand awareness.

In plain English, please?Try to see branding as a “prejudice” for oragainst something.

Wikipedia says:“A brand is the personality that identifies aproduct, service or company (name, term,sign, symbol, or design, or combination ofthem) and how it relates to key constituen-cies: Customers, Staff, Partners, Investors,etc.”

When asked to define Apple’s brand,Steve Jobs said their brand answers thisquestion: “Who is Apple and what we standfor in the world?” and that their brandneeds to help them stand out in a very noisyworld. He went on to define their brand astheir “core value” which all of their brandcomponents support: “Apple at the core, itscore value, is that we believe that peoplewith passion can change the world for thebetter.” Everything they create supportsthat idea.

When asked to define Nike’s brand itstill shocks me how many people say “It’sthe Swoosh!” or “Just Do It!” In reality,Nike’s brand is much simpler. It is “athlet-ics.” When you think Nike, they want you to

think “athletics.” When you put thoseshoes on or those basketball shorts on –you go from John Doe (or Jane) to John (orJane) Athlete. It is an instant metamor-phosis that occurs simply by veiling your-self in the company’s brand. The brandaspiration is so strong that they expect youto play harder, run faster and throw furthersimply because of what you feel when youwear this name.

Building your brandAgain, branding begins with a strategy. Formore information on a brand strategy, staytuned to future Why It Works articles. �

Rick Cancelliere ([email protected]) isPresident of Nerve Marketing, Pittsburgh’smarketing specialist for the medical andtechnology sectors. Nerve develops andimplements marketing strategies, campaigns, Web sites and hosted applications for medical and other technology companies.

BRANDING 101By Rick Cancelliere, President, Nerve Marketing

........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ WHY IT Works

Translation by Echo International [www.echointernational.com]26 P I T T S B U R G H T E C H N O L O G Y C O U N C I L

s a region, as a city, we continue tohear from the tech community, par-ticularly startups, that we are not anentrepreneurial place to create orgrow a tech business. We hear that it

is difficult to attract investors of varying levelsof need. We also hear that there is a need fortalent in areas of technical expertise, as well asseasoned leadership, which are required torapidly position and grow amazing ideas andsolutions into vital (and viable) companies.Now I could tell you, in detail, all the companieswho are thriving (you recall, we did have Tech50 in October, which demonstrated all the com-panies who ARE growing and have received in-vestment). Instead, I propose that what weneed as a region is to embrace the practice oftolerance and inclusion.

Giving birth to a business is not a one-personjob. As one colleague reminds me, “It takes a vil-lage to start a company.” It does. It takes a ton oftime to ensure community engagement on the partof the new CEO and their team. It requires the abil-ity of a new CEO to push against the odds of deliv-ering or designing their product or service whileworking to understand the inner workings of op-erations while simultaneously selling. Selling tocustomers, pitching to investors, selecting em-ployees, figuring out leases, realizing the need forinsurance, making payroll, working with an ac-countant, finding legal support, protecting I.P., dis-covering partnerships, reviewing contracts,solving people issues, and keeping abreast with thecompetitive market are just some of the variablesof launching a business. This work is NOT for thefaint-hearted! This work is grueling as well as ex-

hilarating. This work consumes one’s life. Thiswork is not to be taken lightly. There is no suchthing as work-life balance for a very long time.

Today, 85 percent of all jobs in the U.S. are insmall businesses. This is our future. We actuallyhave no choice but to embrace small businesses!So what can we do to help these companies, in par-ticular, tech companies, to thrive? 1. If you know someone who is taking an ideaand bringing it to fruition, ask how you can help.Perhaps you can collaborate on an idea or with acustomer.2. Our region’s multinational corporations withheadquarters here in SWPA – open your procure-ment to these newly launched businesses. Letthem beta test in areas that would provide valueand limit business risk. Be an ambassador for theirbusiness.

REBRANDING PITTSBURGH [PART 7]

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BY AUDREY RUSSO, PRESIDENT AND CEO, PITTSBURGH TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL


CHANGING OUR ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE3. When you discover a business has not taken hold andthe CEO has dissolved the business only to start anotherone – celebrate their resiliency and realize they are drivenand will learn from their previous business. (In other re-gions of the country, entrepreneurs are revered for takingthese risks and venture capitalists often look at thisprocess as talent development.)4. Pittsburgh has finally been able to hold a positive netmigration, with some data pointing to our increase ofyoung (25-34) people who are highly educated (college degree). Remembering that small businesses provide 85percent of all jobs nationally, Pittsburgh HAS to ensure thecreation of small businesses to ensure our talent remainshere, the retention will attract others of like minds and interests.5. We have the best and brightest people studying at ouruniversities. Students in science and technology are morelikely to leave the region after graduation than any otherdiscipline. People who obtain secondary degrees are evenmore likely to leave the region. Our universities attract diverse populations, which does not mirror SWPA’s popu-lation. If we can keep the educated population, our edu-

cated workforce will also reflect more diversity. (CORO 2001)

6. Encouraging attraction of diverse populations meanswe have to be inclusive, and tolerant of differences. Peoplewho start new businesses, particularly tech companies,seek access to the best and brightest talent. This is a cir-cuitous process that only accelerates when there is growth.7. Angels, I know you are out there. In order to have athriving entrepreneurial culture, we need to have healthy,robust angel networks. We need more of you to understandwhat these companies are working on, in addition to yourwisdom and investment.

So Pittsburgh, what do you say? At the Council, we workhard for our members to make sure they are connectedwith business opportunities across the regional, nationaland international ecosystem. We know that the next ren-aissance has begun, as tech companies forge the path. Wealso know that this will not happen without the region look-ing ahead not behind. We are not a gray, dirty region any-more. That’s a memory. We are NOW paving the road,where few, if any, U.S. cities, have traveled. Keep Pittsburghentrepreneurial. �

TODAY, 85 PERCENTOF ALL JOBS IN THEU.S. ARE IN SMALLBUSINESSES. THISIS OUR FUTURE. WE ACTUALLY HAVE NOCHOICE BUT TO EMBRACE SMALLBUSINESSES! SOWHAT CAN WE DOTO HELP THESECOMPANIES, IN PAR-TICULAR, TECHCOMPANIES, TOTHRIVE?

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CAN GOVERNOR-ELECT CORBETT TRANSFORM STATE GOVERNMENT?B Y B R I A N K E N N E D Y , V P O F G O V E R N M E N T A F F A I R S , P I T T S B U R G H T E C H N O L O G Y C O U N C I L

SHORTLY AFTER PRESIDENT BARACKOBAMA’S ELECTION TO THE PRESI-DENCY, HIS NEWLY APPOINTED CHIEFOF STAFF, RAHM EMANUEL WASQUOTED AS SAYING “RULE NUMBERONE: NEVER ALLOW A CRISIS TO GO TOWASTE...THEY ARE OPPORTUNITIES TODO BIG THINGS.”

In Pennsylvania, where our budget deficiteasily may exceed $5 billion in the comingmonths, and with Governor-Elect Tom Corbettwho has made an iron clad promise to avert anyform of a tax increase, Pennsylvania will be hardpressed to go on doing business as usual. In-deed, now is the time for us to require “bigthings” from our policymakers. The opportunity,both from a political and circumstantial perspec-tive, has never been greater.

To be sure, in the next couple of months,leaders from the General Assembly will try tomaneuver according to their historical roles. Alarge group of legislators will call for higher busi-ness taxes in order to avert what they will declare“draconian” reductions in key services. Other leg-islators - emboldened by public outrage overgovernment spending - will enthusiastically sup-port reductions in government services as ameans of avoiding higher taxes and futuredeficits.

But eventually, even the most emboldenedof fiscal hawks will find them self lamenting theloss of a particular government investment.After all, governments do exist to perform cer-tain key functions. With a budget deficit that isapproaching 20 percent of the state’s overallbudget, even the most core government serviceswill be imperiled.

Writing about this topic, David Brooks re-cently published an insightful op-ed in The NewYork Times (Paralysis of the State) that lamentedthe inability of governments to meet their obli-gations and to do what he labeled as “big things.”He placed the blame for this squarely at the feetof public sector unions and their patron law-makers who have purposefully blunted the abil-ity of governments to be innovative and nimble.

In a state like Pennsylvania that has done

absolutely nothing transformative during thepast 20 years, the need for innovation and gov-ernment reinvention calls out like an Americanauto company for a government bailout.

In Pennsylvania, some legislators know thatthey support government spending for key serv-ices, but I suspect that some have forgotten why:for their constituents who use the services, or forthe benefit of the public sector unions that deliver the services?

For legislators that fancy themselves aschampions for particular government services,this is a key question that must be answered dur-ing the coming debates. If we are innovative, andif there are no sacred cows, service reductionsare not inevitable.

What is needed in Pennsylvania is a com-plete reinvention of government, where leadersof both parties reach consensus on what servicesare “core” and then set-out to identify the mosteffective means of delivering those services.

Obviously, this sounds like a simple concept.But in Pennsylvania, we often prioritize the de-livery mechanism of government services overthe actual delivery of the service.

The good news for Corbett is that there aremillions of Pennsylvanians that will support hisefforts to reinvent state government from theground up. In the technology industry, this is ex-actly the type of challenge that excites entrepre-neurs and innovators.

In addition to the obvious technological innovations that members of the PittsburghTechnology Council can offer, they also live inour communities and have a vested interest inthe success of the state.

Hopefully, and with the assistance of thePittsburgh Technology Council, these entrepre-neurs will look at the current crisis as an oppor-tunity to reinvest in Pennsylvania’s future. Ourorganization looks forward to working with Cor-bett’s transition team and towards connectinghis organization with our region’s best andbrightest.

We all look forward to having a more nim-ble and effective government. �

THE GOOD NEWS FOR CORBETT

IS THAT THERE ARE MILLIONS

OF PENNSYLVANIANS THAT

WILL SUPPORT HIS EFFORTS

TO REINVENT STATE GOVERN-

MENT FROM THE GROUND UP.

IN THE TECHNOLOGY INDUS-

TRY, THIS IS EXACTLY THE

TYPE OF CHALLENGE THAT

EXCITES ENTREPRENEURS

AND INNOVATORS.

IN ADDITION TO THE

OBVIOUS TECHNOLOGICAL

INNOVATIONS THAT MEMBERS

OF THE PITTSBURGH TECH-

NOLOGY COUNCIL CAN OFFER,

THEY ALSO LIVE IN OUR

COMMUNITIES AND HAVE A

VESTED INTEREST IN THE

SUCCESS OF THE STATE.


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By Justin Driscoll, Director, STEM Talent Acquisition [[email protected]]

THE PITTSBURGH TECHNOLOGY COUN-CIL IS WORKING HARD ON BEHALF OFOUR MEMBER COMPANIES TO FIND TOPTECHNOLOGY TALENT FROM ACROSSTHE NATION TO WORK IN LOCAL TECH-NOLOGY COMPANIES. Over the past severalweeks, I have spent a lot of time traveling the coun-try visiting job fairs at leading computer scienceand engineering universities looking for great tal-ent to relocate to Pittsburgh. During the month ofSeptember, I was on 12 different flights visiting 10different colleges and universities. At these eventswe came across some great talent from universitieslike Georgia Tech, Duke, MIT, Penn State, and manymore who are looking for internships or full-timejobs. Many of these students were not aware of thetechnology opportunities that are available in thePittsburgh region. I spent the most of my time ed-ucating these students about how Pittsburgh haschanged and pontificating the virtues of the greatcompanies that exist in our region and finally whythey need to come here to work, play and live!

I was encouraging candidates to visit theCouncil’s Career Connector Web site (www.pgh-

careerconnector.com) since it averages well over1,000 open opportunities. About 500 of our mem-ber companies use the site on a yearly basis. Overthe last 12 months, the site has been visited about500,000 times. It is a great resource for any com-pany looking to find top technology talent to relo-cate here to Pittsburgh

If your company is in the process of recruitingtalent, we have about 500 resumes from across thecountry and across the Pittsburgh region that youmight be interested in perusing. If you would likeaccess to them, send me an email with “Out-of-town resumes” in the subject line,[email protected]. I will be happy to provide.

As 2010 winds down and 2011 cranks up, theCouncil will continue to ensure that our membercompanies have access to the best computer sci-ence and engineering talent by visiting pockets ofthe country where these pools of candidates cur-rently exist. We will also continue to form partner-ships with other economic developmentorganizations that are interested in bringing thebest talent the nation has to offer to our threerivers. �

CONNECT WITH THE BEST TECH TALENT THROUGH THE PITTSBURGH TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL

DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, I WAS ON 12 DIFFERENT FLIGHTS VISITING 10 DIFFERENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. AT THESE EVENTSWE CAME ACROSS SOME GREATTALENT FROM UNIVERSITIES LIKEGEORGIA TECH, DUKE, MIT, PENNSTATE, AND MANY MORE WHOARE LOOKING FOR INTERNSHIPSOR FULL TIME JOBS. MANY OFTHESE STUDENTS WERE NOTAWARE OF THE TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAIL-ABLE IN THE PITTSBURGH REGION.


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One of the most difficult tasks I am chargedwith as a member of the member servicesteam here at the Council is finding creativenew ways to encourage business-to-businessinteraction with a hopeful result of businessgrowth. For manufacturers, this task is espe-cially daunting, mainly because these individ-uals are often highly sought-after atnetworking events. This is perhaps the mostdifficult hurdle to overcome when planning anetworking opportunity - convincing a manu-facturer who doesn’t want to be “sold to” tocome out and network.

In an attempt to create something that man-ufacturers would not only find valuable, but alsowould be able to use to make those coveted “busi-ness -to-business” connections, AMN created theExplore the Floor series, a tour of a manufacturingcompany - with teeth. How does it differ fromevery other site tour? Prior to the excursion, thehost company provides attendees with anoverview of a particular aspect of their business,

their process and/or their company philosophyand here’s the kicker: it’s only open to manufac-turing firms. By limiting attendance to manufac-turers only, the threat of being targeted as thesought-after “red meat” is eliminated. It allows at-tendees to let their hair down, network with theirpeers and, most importantly, get inside the doorsof another plant to potentially learn somethingnew.

What’s the best thing that has come out ofthe series? The companies in attendance oftenconnect with other companies and create busi-ness relationships with one another that often re-sult in utilizing each other’s networks down theroad to connect with a highly sought-after client.

“I try to attend every Explore the Floor thatmy schedule permits,” says Dave Spehar, Direc-tor of Operations for the California-based Penna-tronics. “Manufacturing products alwayspresents challenges, and some of those challengesare universal regardless of industry. Seeing howother manufacturers handle those challenges, in-

novate solutions, and create value for their cus-tomers is very helpful to me and our organization.Also, I’ve connected with other companies whohave helped open doors for us with potential newcustomers.”

The AMN has sold out nearly all of the re-gionally held Explore the Floors, most recently onNovember 16 at United States Steel Corporation.The next Explore the Floor is planned for MineSafety Appliances in March.

Over the lifespan of the series, the AMN hastaken the show on the road, transporting a groupof 30 manufacturers on a charter plane to Cater-pillar in Peoria, Illinois, in April as well as LincolnElectric in Cleveland, Ohio in [September]. An-other out-of-state Explore the Floor is planned forthe spring of 2011, and it’s one you won’t want tomiss. (Hint: this one also includes a charteredplane ride!)

For more information regarding the Explore the Floor series, contact Jennifer Youngat [email protected]. �

EXPLORE THE FLOOR: B2B Business Development for Manufacturers Only

By Jennifer Young, Managing Director, Advanced Manufacturing Network & Green Technology Network [[email protected]]


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LIST INCLUDES NEW ANDRENEWED MEMBERSTHROUGH 10/31/10. COMPANIES THAT JOINEDOR RENEWED AFTER THISDATE WILL BE INCLUDEDIN THE NEXT ISSUE.

3 Rivers IT Solutions, LLC3 Park StCharleroi, PA 15022www.3riversitsolutions.com412-217-7330

Adecco2 Gateway Center, Ste APittsburgh, PA 15222www.adeccousa.com412-261-0304

Allegheny Investment Strategies LLC5539 Raleigh StPittsburgh, PA 15217412-422-7435

Allsteel, Inc.346 Tampa AvePittsburgh, PA 15228www.allsteeloffice.com412-715-5108

Applied Sciences Group4455 Genesee StBuffalo, NY 14225www.appliedsciencesgroup.com716-626-5100

Bike Pittsburgh, Inc.3410 Penn AvePittsburgh, PA 15201www.bike-pgh.org412-726-5872

Bravo Group, Inc.8162 Brittany PlPittsburgh, PA 15237www.thegravogroup.com412-288-5142

Compass Business Solutions Inc.8963 Seneca AvePittsburgh, PA 15237www.compass-resources.com412-366-7881

Concept Development Group2305 Smallman StPittsburgh, PA 15222www.conceptdevgroup.com425-890-9183

Consolidated Power Supply, Engineered Products Divison241 Center StMcKeesport, PA 15132www.consolidatedpower.com412-678-1010

Cook MyoSite, Inc.105 Delta DrPittsburgh, PA 15238www.cookmyosite.com412-963-7380

Data Networks400 Lytham CtMoon Township, PA 15108www.datanetworks.com412-491-3953

Doug Owen Consulting101 Washington St, Ste 1Pittsburgh, PA 15218412-580-3351

Dynamic Manufacturing, Inc.156 Armstrong DrFreeport, PA 16229www.dynamic-manufacturing.com724-295-4200

ePlus Technology, Inc.323 North Shore Dr Ste 350Pittsburgh, PA 15212www.eplus.com412-258-1694

Ethical Intruder, LP dbaEthical Intruder1213 Galveston AvePittsburgh, PA 15233www.ethicalintruder.com412-720-8542

Fifth Third Private Bank707 Grant StGulf Tower, Ste 2000Pittsburgh, PA 15219www.53.com412-291-5555

Flying Cork Media, LLC.320 Fort Duquesne Blvd Ste 200Pittsburgh, PA 15222www.flyingcorkmedia.com412-897-6623

Frances Harpst49 Wilson DrPittsburgh, PA 15202412-983-8192

Group 16PO Box 782Monroeville, PA 15146www.group-16.com412-980-1955

Growth Consulting & Interim Executive Management219 5th AveCarnegie, PA 15106412-418-5399

Intuo Tech300 Hidden Ridge Ct Ste 102South Park, PA 15129www.intuotech.com508-308-1220

Louis Plung & Co.Four Gateway Center, Ninth FlPittsburgh, PA 15222www.louisplung.com412-281-8771

Megha Technologies1061 Parkview BlvdPittsburgh, PA 15217www.meghatechnologies.com412-203-3117

MGM Automation1665 Washington RdPittsburgh, PA 15228www.mgmautomation.com412-833-0101

MYRIAD CommunicationsPO Box 578Ligonier, PA 15658www.myriadcommunications.com800-698-1038

PGH MarketingPO Box 125Oakmont, PA 15139www.pghmarketing.com412-225-7478

Plum Borough School District900 Elicker RdPlum, PA 15239www.pbsd.k12.pa.us412-795-0100

Ripple Rock, LLC1621 Blackburn Heights DrSewickley, PA 15143www.ripple-rock.com412-719-9204

Sandler Training2593 Wexford Bayne Rd Ste 104Sewickley, PA 15143www.dan.sandler.com724-940-2388

Seegrid Corporation216 Parkwest DrPittsburgh, PA 15275www.seegrid.com412-621-4305

The Search Monitor117 Nottingham DrPittsburgh, PA 15205www.thesearchmonitor.com321-206-9705

Valdez International Corp.795 Pine Valley Dr Ste 22Pittsburgh, PA 15239www.valdezicorp.com412-205-5776

Xerox Corporation8 Penn Center WestPittsburgh, PA 15276www.xerox.com412-506-4858

NEW MEMBERS


COUNCIL BOARD OF DIRECTORSOFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

James E. Cashman IIIANSYS, Inc.Chairman

David P. KlasnickPNC Financial Services GroupTreasurer

Peter M. DeComoALung Technologies, Inc.

Lynette A. HorrellErnst & Young LLP

James W. LikenJ.W. Liken Holdings

Marlee S. Myers, Esq.Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

Audrey RussoPittsburgh Technology Council

DIRECTORS

Anthony R. BridgeUnited States Steel Corporation

W.S. (Rick) Brown IVLucas Systems, Inc./Lightfoot Inc.

Thomas G. BuchananBuchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, PC

Eric G. CloseRedZone Robotics, Inc.

Giorgio Coraluppi, Ph.D.Compunetix, Inc.

Patrick DalyCohera Medical, Inc.

Ilana DiamondSima Products Corp.

Sanford Ferguson, Esq.K&L Gates

Theodore G. Glyptis, CPAPricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Michelle HeyingDynaVox Technologies

John HoustonBayer MaterialScience, LLC

Jay Katarincic, Jr.Draper Triangle Ventures

Pradeep Khosla, Ph.D.Carnegie Mellon UniversityCIT Dean’s Office

Eric KogerModCloth

Mark Jay KurtzrockMetis Secure Systems

Frank E. LivorioCitizens Bank of Pennsylvania

Richard R. LunakInnovation Works

Marc Malandro, Ph.D.University of Pittsburgh

John W. ManzettiPittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse

Sean C. McDonaldPrecision Therapeutics, Inc.

Robert M. MooreheadFirst Niagara Bank

Keith SchaeferBPL Global, LTD.

Chris SimchickSDLC Partners

Jim SpencerEverPower Wind Holdings, Inc.

Raul Valdes-PerezVivisimo, Inc.

Robert E. WohlfordEricsson Data Networks

EMERITUS BOARD MEMBERS

Jay D. Aldridge JDA Associates

Glen F. Chatfield OPTIMUM Power Technology

James Colker CEO Venture Fund

Mark S. EvansConfluenceChairman Emeritus

John P. FrielMedrad, Inc.

Donald H. Jones Draper Triangle Ventures

Angel G. Jordan, Ph.D. Carnegie Mellon University

William R. Newlin, Esq.Newlin Investment Company

Frank Brooks Robinson, Sr. Regional Industrial Development Corporation of Southwestern Pennsylvania (RIDC)

Jack Roseman Roseman Institute

John R. Thorne*Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship

James Williams, Jr.Seagate Technologies

*Deceased


All Water Systems Inc.Allegheny Conference on Community Development and Affiliates

Allegheny County Parks FoundationBelcan TechServices CorporationBossa Nova RoboticsBradley Brown Design GroupBridge Semiconductor CorporationBxVideo Solutions, LLCCarnegie Speech CompanyCIBER, Inc.Citrin ConsultingClark Testing GroupCommunifxCommunity College of Allegheny CountyCompu-Fix, Inc.Computational Diagnostics, Inc.Concurrent Technologies CorporationConsulting Professional Resources, Inc.Cowden Associates, Inc.Crossroads Development Group, LTDDaedalus Inc.Datavibes, Inc.Deborah ShapiroDiane C. Wuycheck Public Relations/Marketing/Communications Consultant

Ernst & Young LLPExecutives Associates of PittsburghFinneran & Associates, LLCFoerster Instruments Inc.Frank E. Sparr & Co.Gateway Financial Group, Inc.Generation Technologies, L.P.GigaHertz, LLCHamiltonian Systems Inc.Health Monitoring SystemsIcebreaker Resources LLCICON ConsultantsIdea FoundryIQity Solutions, LLCKurt J. Lesker Co.Lang Patent Law LLCLife'sWork of Western PAManpower ProfessionalMARC USAMastech Inc.Michael Baker CorporationMizrahi Inc.

Morgan Stanley Smith BarneyMt. Lebanon Office Equipment Co., Inc.NanoLambda, Inc.Nerve MarketingNokomis Inc.Oakland Real EstateOmnyxOpen Minds LLCPanasas Inc.PEAL CenterPESTCO, Inc./AIR-SCENT InternationalPipitone GroupPittsburgh PenguinsPittsburgh Transportation GroupPreservation Technologies, L.P.Presidio Networked SolutionsQuest AnalyticsRaeder Landree, Inc.Regency GroupRhiza LabsRight ManagementScalable Solutions, Inc.Schneider Downs & Company, Inc.SDLC Partners L.P.Semantic Compaction SystemsSherrard German & Kelly, P.C.SomnoTech, L.L.C.South Hills MoversSprint NextelStaffing Direct Business Solutions, LPStrategic DevelopmentSucevic, Piccolomini & Kuchar Engineering, Inc.Synergy Staffing Inc.Systems Imaging, Inc.TCG Solutions, Inc.Technology Blue, Inc.The DBA Zone, Inc.TriMech SolutionsTrinity Energy CorporationUniversity of Pittsburgh, Office of Human ResourcesUniversity of Pittsburgh, Office of Technology ManagementVerizon Pennsylvania, Inc.Warner TelecommWestinghouse Electric CompanyWombat Security TechnologiesYoungstown State UniversityYouthPlaces, A Tides Center Project

RENEWED MEMBERS

The Pittsburgh Technology Council programs and products are made possible through the generous financial support of our partners and

members like you. For more information about how you can become a partner with the Council, please contact brian lang at (412) 918-4249.

ME

MB

ER

S

C O U N C I L P A R T N E R S � � � �

DON’T MISS THE DECEMBER BREAKFAST BRIEF-

ING ENTITLED “THE BUSINESS OF HEALTH” WITH

CHRISTOPHER T. OLIVIA, M.D., PRESIDENT AND

CEO, WEST PENN ALLEGHENY HEALTH SYSTEM

When: December 2, 2010, 7:00 AM - 9:15 AM

Where: Rivers Club, 301 Grant St #411, 15219

With more than 13,000 employees, 700 physicians and500 residents, West Penn Allegheny Health System isthe second-largest private employer in western Pennsylvania. West Penn Allegheny is a five hospital,academic health system with two major teaching facilities and $1.7 billion in revenue.

Olivia has been leading the System since 2008. To

date, he has: reorganized the System’s leadership

structure and devised operational performance

improvement assessment and implementation plans;

negotiated an improved cotract with the region’s

dominant payor; secured gains in public funding;

established the mission and long term vision for the

business; put forth a major hospital consolidation

plan; and improved operations by more than $140

million. And Olivia has just begun! Come see how

Olivia is addressing the current challenges and

opportunities facing West Penn Allegheny and how he

plans to lead the System to success.

Register for this event and other Council

events at: www.pghtech.org/events

CLICK HERE TO SEE

HOW TECH COMPANIES FINDVALUE WITH THE PTC.

Process Capability: Information ManagementManaging and controlling the quality, access, and use of infor-mation assets is an essential part of supporting effective deci-sion-making. Information management guides strategic thinkingaround governance and compliance, data quality, and presenta-tion and analytics.

BI Competency: TechnologyTechnology plays an important role in supporting the BI ValueChain. This competency focuses on the systems infrastructureside of BI.

Technology Capability: Systems PlanningBI requires the right technology infrastructure to support the or-ganization’s vision for BI adoption and use. Systems planningguides strategic thinking around software, network servers andstorage, and security.

Technology Capability: Data ManagementSmart organizations implement best practices to control, pro-tect, enhance and deliver timely, accurate and relevant informa-tion. Data management guides strategic thinking arounddatabase management, integration and transformation, and mas-ter data management.

In the next issue of TEQ, I’ll discuss BI competencies and theirrelated capabilities through the lens of Delivery.�

Greg Steffine has been helping organizations use informationto sell more, spend less, and work smarter for more than twodecades now. His client experience represents a broad cross-section of industry and company size, from mid-market growthorganizations to the Fortune 500. Greg has held managementpositions in sales, marketing, product development, and infor-mation technology and has been involved in nearly every aspectof systems development. As a business intelligence and in-formation management strategist, he helps clients effectively in-tegrate people, process, and technology in order to supportvalue creation. Mr. Steffine currently serves as the BI PracticeDirector for SDLC Partners, L.P. You can learn more about Gregthrough his online profiles at www.linkedin.com/in/steffine andwww.visualcv.com/steffine. You can also reach him throughemail at [email protected].

[continued from pg. 19]



Susan Seattle living in Fort Smith, or a Chicago barista atSeattle's Best Coffee named Susan Smith. The traditionalWeb just wasn't very good at providing context.

Microdata adds context to HTML, allowing comput-ers to understand Web pages as easily as people can. BruceWillis could make it easy for search engines to find him byadding this HTML5 syntax to his MySpace page:

<span class="given-name">Bruce</span><span class="family-name">Willis</span><div class="tel">310-555-1234</div>

Microdata formats exist for geographic coordinates, re-sumes, calendars, and even recipes. Search engines thatsupport Microdata (such as Google) can provide more ac-curate search results thanks to the added context. Webbrowsers can use Microdata to extract meaning frompages, which opens the doors to many cool features. Forexample, imagine if Firefox automatically added an event toyour calendar when you accept an Evite invitation.

Thanks to HTML5, cancer will be cured, Pittsburghand Earth will remain out of harm's way, and we'll neverhave to watch another Bruce Willis film again. Huzzah! �

Almost 15 million views later, Microsoft realized thatthis scenario (the double rainbow part) would beautifullyillustrate the need for one of their products.

In early September, Microsoft did a humoroussendup of the original, showing us the Crazy Double Rain-bow Guy (brilliant move #1 – and he looks pretty much likehe sounds) to promote its Windows Live Photo Galleryproduct. They had their buttoned-down corporatevoiceover guy exactly parrot the language of the original(brilliant move #2 – very funny and surprisingly endear-ing).

Payoff: Imagine one million people voluntarily view-ing your commercial and then recommending it to theirfriends. Brilliant!!! (…to quote another commercial – Guin-ness).

So next time you venture into social marketing (saythis afternoon), try using this technique to start the con-versation. �

.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................CONTINUED...


CREATING VALUE STARTS WITHSTRATEGIC THINKING

HTML5 SAVES THE WORLD - HUZZAH!

INCREASE REVENUES BY ESTABLISHING RAPPORT

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