Computers & Technology

NEWS - Computers & Technology

By Lou Phelps, SBJ Staff

Jan 16, 2012 – Perhaps it’s a little ‘out of sight, out of mind’… a bit hidden away up on Chatham County’s far Northwest corner…and an exit or two up Interstate 95. 

But don’t let the location stop you from accessing the enormous resource Savannah has at the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, part of Georgia Tech’s Regional Engineering Program located on the Jimmy Deloach Parkway.   In ten locations in Georgia, including in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia Tech offers an Advanced Technology Development Center, known as ‘ATDC’ that offers low cost start-up acceleration services to technology companies.

The ATDC initiative in Savannah was launched during the Spring of 2002, now approaching its 10-year anniversary here, assisting both new ventures arising from Savannah’s diverse technology community that includes the Savannah College of Art and Design, a growing community of technology startup companies and existing companies retooling their technology strategies.

In Savannah, Orjan Isacson, is the ‘Startup Catalyst’ and manager of the Savannah program. He was previously Managing Director of CONNECT Sweden, assisting entrepreneurs to start and develop technology companies. Under Orjan’s leadership, CONNECT grew to eight networks with 20 offices closely linked to the major universities in Sweden. His educational background includes a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology.

Thanks to his wife’s position with Delta Airlines, he found himself moving to Georgia and helping to build ATDC programs across the state.

Savannah is one of 10 ATDC regional hubs that are part of Georgia Tech’s Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership.  That partnership program is led by Karen Fite, Manager, State Regional Network.   Isacson explains that he spend 50% of his time assisting the region’s 400 plus manufacturing companies, and 50% of time on ATDC entrepreneurs.

In 2012, a few minor changes have been announced in the ATDC strategy, including that there is now a $50 per quarter charge to be a member.  But that membership brings with it enormous support for entrepreneurs on building a business plan, and preparing to seek funding.  And, there is the possibility this year that the core ATDC programs offered up in Atlanta will be available in Savannah through video conferencing or Skype events.

ATDC offers its popular ‘StartupLounge Savannah’ here, which is an informal meeting between selected startups and investors in order for them to get to know each other, in partnership with the Creative Coast.

ATDC also offers mentorship, a Venture Atlanta Early Stage Showcase, Cap Venture – a training program designed to educate and equip early stage executives for capitalization of their businesses; SBIR grant assistance and other startup resources.

They also rent office space at the Savannah campus at low rates that includes use of their conference room and kitchen facilities.

As of this month, the Savannah ATDC members include Attrasoft, Code Grail, Tourbuddy, Evoca, Kin Valley, Maddog Environmental, LLC. Pixelphish Interactive, RappidApp, Storm Shelter Electronics, Twitch Technologies and Urban Planet Mobile.

“If you’ve got a technology idea, the ATDC program stands ready to help entrepreneurs and existing companies in the Coastal Georgia region,” according to Isacson.   

ATDC Savannah, and Orjan Isacson, can be reached at 912-963-2519, and by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

NEWS - Computers & Technology

By Lou Phelps

Nov. 28, 2011 – The Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police have announced a new computer-based program that allows the public to submit tips on suspicious activity.  Called iWatch Savannah, the project is now available as a website to anyone “who may have seen suspicious activity but isn’t sure if it is bears reporting,” according to the department.

Tips can only be submitted on the Internet at iwatchsavannah.com. The website allows users to submit the report, explain why they feel the information or activity is important, and even download photos and/or videos from their computer if they are available.

The programming was done by QiSoft, of Savannah. The company has developed proprietary software packages for manufacturing quality applications and police intelligence uses.   Founder and CEO Kevin Luxton, originally from Britain, relocated the 27-year old company to Savannah about 10 years ago, with offices at 2 E. Bryan St.   David Johns is the company’s sales manager.

Additional improvements to iWatch are ahead. A component to allow downloads from cell phones is being developed, SCMPD states.

Visitors to the site are asked for contact information so police can request more information, if necessary. Information is not shared outside the department.

All submissions will be reviewed by the crime prevention officers in each of the five SCMPD precincts as well as by analysts in SARIC – the Savannah Area Regional Intelligence Center - the department’s intelligence division. SARIC will then assign the tips to appropriate officers.

iWatch allows the public to quickly and easily communicate concerns and suspicions for officers to check on a non-emergency basis.

The program was adapted from one initiated by the Los Angeles Police Department soliciting tips on homeland security issues; police there noticed that many tips referred to local issues. Local police hope it will enhance the general community policing efforts of SCMPD.

The Los Angeles program was noticed by Islands Precinct Crime Prevention Officer Robert Martier and his captain, Charles Hall who encouraged the department to adopt the program. Chief Willie Lovett agreed.

“We are responding to the ever-changing climate in security and policing with the iWatch Program,” Hall said. “This innovation enhances policing concepts like Neighborhood Watch and Crimestoppers. Once established, this will be a useful crime-fighting tool for police and the community.

“Some crimes have been solved or even prevented by tips from citizens who reported suspicious activity and allowed us to respond quickly. But some are hesitant to call, not sure if they saw criminal activity or not. This allows them to contact us without pressure.”

Police are quick to differentiate between iWatch and Crimestoppers. Crimestoppers is the well-established program that collects information on specific crimes anonymously and can pay as much as $2,500 for a tip that leads to an arrest. iWatch does not pay for information and is not anonymous. It is designed to report situations that seem out of place.

SARIC analysts adapted the program to fit Savannah’s needs. City Manager Rochelle Small-Toney authorized Chief Lovett to utilize seized funds to pay for program development.

NEWS - Computers & Technology

Nov 7 – Bounce TV Starts Up in Savannah Market January 2012, on WTOC SubStation

By Lou Phelps

Nov 7, 2011 - The new multicast channel targeted to African Americans – BounceTV – will begin to broadcast in Savannah in January 2011.  The network got its first big carriage deal last May when RayComm, which owns WTOC-TV in Savannah, agreed to carry the new channel in 26 markets, including Savannah.   

Bounce TV’s founders include Martin Luther King III, Ambassador Andrew Young, Andrew “Bo” Young III, and Rob Hardy and Will Packer, co-founders of Rainforest Films, one of the top African American production companies in the world.

The network went live in September, and will begin to broadcast in the Savannah area in January 2012. Raycom will carry it in 26 markets covering 10% of U.S. TV homes and nearly 19% of African-American TV homes.

Bounce TV is the first African American broadcast network, and features a programming mix of motion pictures, sporting events, documentaries, specials, inspirational faith-based programs, off-network series and original programming.

Its schedule includes movies with “proven playability among black audiences,” such as A Raisin in the Sun, Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, Shackles, Glory, and a week of Richard Pryor comedies, according to the company. The rest of its on-air lineup features acquired TV shows such as Soul Train, a mix of original programming: sports (primarily, black college football games), documentaries and faith-based programs.

Bounce TV isn't the first or only network targeting African Americans. Bob Johnson sold BET to Viacom in 2000 for $3 billion, and it's still going strong, according to BounceTV, while TV One launched in 2004 with backing by Radio One and Comcast. Other entrants in the space have struggled, however, including Black Family Channel, which closed in 2007.

According to co-founder Martin Luther King III, "My father envisioned the day that African Americans would play major roles in entertainment within ownership, not just serve as entertainers on the stage or in front of the cameras,” in an interview with The Wrap.

Bounce president Ryan Glover sees plenty of room for the network as black viewers are "desperately underserved." He's targeting an older demo than BET, whose audience skews younger and favors hip-hop videos, he states.

NEWS - Computers & Technology

By Lou Phelps, SBJ Staff

Oct 17, 2011 - A new generation of criminals is attacking our money through gaining access to our computers - both at work and at home - hacking into our personal information to gain our user names and passwords for access to our banking accounts.

The crisis in banking computer security is now so severe, and escalating, that the Federal government is requiring all U.S. banks to start educating its customers as of January 2012 on how to protect themselves.  It is estimated that criminals already have access to 90% of all our information – they just haven’t figured out a method of automating the use of the information.  It’s still a very one-criminal-to-one-computer crime, a labor intensive exercise to monitor our personal and business computers to gain access to our bank accounts when we log into bank accounts to review our balances or pay bills online.

The problem is not the security walls of the nation’s banks, all reputable banks are operating with secure servers to protect their online banking systems,  it is the lack of secured servers that we are using with our individual computers in our homes and offices that are severely under-protected – and our responsibility.

To provide the needed security, products are emerging. ‘IronKey,’ has been developed by Iron Key Inc., and is considered to be the global leader in providing secure managed portable storage, authentication, and trusted virtual computing - a ‘best-of-breed’ product that meets the highest security, performance, and privacy standards of the most demanding Fortune 500, enterprise, government, military and individual customers, according to Adam Montgomery of The Coastal Bank in Savannah.

The Coastal Bank has secured the exclusive right to sell the product in the Savannah area, not only to its own customers, but to any customer of any bank in the Savannah area.  It’s also a new approach by a local bank to generate new revenues, selling a product to a wider audience than just the customers of its bank.  

As of January, all banks must start to explain and educate their customers about computer security problem to its customers, as part of new Federal regulations that were crafted over the past two years in the overhaul of the U.S. banking system. The FBI and other Federal organizations can not fight the problem in a vacuum – consumers have got to be engaged in protecting themselves. But there is a significant lack of understanding by customers, The Coastal Bank found after conducting a series of customer focus groups this year, according to Montgomery.   

Online financial fraud is a severe threat to all banks and financial institutions. Citibank had the financial information of 200,000 customers hacked recently, that brought heightened attention to the problem.  But the most vulnerable spot is the customer’s individual computer – in their office and at home - something our banks cannot protect us against. Criminals gain access to our usernames and passwords, and begin to spend or pull money from our banking accounts in a way that appears to our banks to be an authorized transaction by the owner of the bank account.

 The banking customer has to take responsibility for protecting themselves, explains Montgomery, who is overseeing the sales, training and introduction of the Iron Key product in the Savannah area.

“The Coastal Bank has worked on this program for over a year, and we’re very enthusiastic about bringing this solution to our customers, and to all commercial and individual customers of all Savannah banks.

The service is being sold in three different monthly plans, available to both commercial and private customers.

Iron Key security can be downloaded into your computer, but Montgomery believes that the more popular alternative will be the use of the Iron Key mobile device that customers can move between their home and office computers whenever they are going into their bank accounts online, or using their credit cards to make an online purchase.  

IronKey solutions range from IronKey Basic, the world's most secure USB flash drive, to IronKey Enterprise Virtual Desktop, a complete solution for carrying a secure computer operating system in your pocket. Powered by IronKey Enterprise Management software, IronKey network-aware devices can also be managed remotely by an organization's IT staff.

The Coastal Bank is offering the ‘basic’ plan for $ 8.95/month.  Information on Iron Key and rate plans is available on the homepage of the bank at www.thecoastalbank.com or at any The Coastal Bank branch. 

Through its innovative, extensible ‘Trusted Virtual Computing’ platform, enterprises and government agencies can now realize the cost-effective benefits of virtualization—without compromising security, according to Montgomery.

IronKey devices are designed and assembled in the United States according to rigorous security and quality standards. All IronKey products are FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validated and meet the stringent security requirements of the U.S. Federal Government Cryptographic Module Validation Program.

IronKey is a privately-held company headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

NEWS - Computers & Technology

SBJ Staff Report

Oct 10, 2011 - The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), the state's leading association dedicated to the promotion and economic advancement of Georgia's technology industry, in collaboration with its Business and Technology Alliance society (B&TA), announced the finalists for the 2011 TAG Excalibur Awards last week.

The winning companies will be recognized in one of five categories: small companies, mid-sized companies, large companies, educational and creative. The Savannah Bee Company, headquartered in Savannah has been named a finalist in the small company category, and DIRTT Environmental Solutions, with offices in Savannah have both been named finalists. DIRTT was named for its use of ICE® 3D design and specification software.

TAG's Excalibur Awards recognize companies in Georgia for their high-tech innovations, based on the complexity of the problem that was solved technologically, the creativity of the solution and the return on investment (ROI). Winners will be recognized at the Excalibar Awards on October 21 at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel in Atlanta.

"Every year our decision process to pick the companies and organizations demonstrating the best use of technology gets harder as the number and caliber of entries increases," said Tino Mantella, president & CEO of TAG. "We are pleased to announce the finalists for this year's Excalibur Awards and look forward to honoring the winners at our ceremony on October 21."

The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 14,000 members and hosting over 170 events each year. TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 30 industry societies, each of which provides rich content for TAG constituents. TAG's mission is to educate, promote, and unite Georgia's technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy.

The Business and Technology Alliance of TAG is focused on addressing the challenges of today's fast paced marketplace by bringing together business leaders and technology innovators to address key business issues.

The 2011 finalists include:

Small
Atlanta Music Project
PSP & Digital
The Savannah Bee Company

Mid-Sized
DIRTT Environmental Solutions
NASCO
Recall

Large
The Coca-Cola Company
InterContinental Hotels Group
Manheim

Educational
Georgia Gwinnett College
Georgia State University
Moultrie Technical College

Creative

The Coca-Cola Company
NCR
The Weather Channel

NEWS - Computers & Technology

SBJ Staff Report

Oct 3, 2011 - The City of Savannah has moved to a new electronic procurement system that will streamline and expedite the bidding process. The change will require all vendors wishing to do business with the City to re-register online. 

Online registration to the new system, called SavePro, is simple, according to Bret Bell, City public relations officer.  Vendors need to go to www.savannahga.gov, and click on the “Purchasing, Bids & Contracts” link on the Home Page.

Registration into SavePro is required, even if your company was registered in the former procurement application previously used, called Webbids. 

The City of Savannah Purchasing Department will hold two Open Houses where vendors can meet with buyers and learn more about the SavePro system. The drop-in sessions will be this         Friday, Oct. 7, from 2-5 p.m. and Thursday, Oct. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon. Both sessions will be in the Purchasing Department, on the Third Floor of City Hall, 2 E. Bay St. Vendors are asked to bring a government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license, for security purposes. 

SavePro automates the exchange of information among the City, its suppliers and end users. The new system provides enhanced service by: automating and expediting the procurement process; allowing suppliers to register electronically; supporting multiple commodity codes per supplier and contact information; and providing web access to review, read and respond to opportunities; offers an online question-and-answer service; supports sealed bids with lock box and bid encryption; and supports electronic attachments.

NEWS - Computers & Technology

Oct 3, 2011 – Savannah-based Music Intelligence Solutions is working to change the way people listen to and discover new music, and has launched SonicSeeds, a new online streaming service that will provide music lovers with relevant recommendations for their individual music taste.

The company, with offices at 208 East Broughton Street, launched the new service last week to aid customers in choosing their music preferences and expose listeners to new artists.

The company begun an extensive online and social media marketing strategy to build its new brand.

SonicSeeds provides 8.5 million available songs – more than any other streaming service – which therefore requires a new way to help customers discover new music due to the size of the extensive library.

Users can customize their stations, inputting multiple songs and artists, browse history and purchase songs on the spot.  And best of all, the service is free, according to Andrea Dennis of Vantage Communications, overseeing the public relations for the product.

While other Internet radio services recommend songs based on what other people like, purchase history, or how other musicians classify them, SonicSeeds’ goal is to do it differently.  Its automated technology makes recommendations based on the sound similarities of music. “The result?  A more relevant and customized listening experience,” explains Dennis.

The company has received national attention for its cutting-edge technology in the music industry. “Our Hit Song Science® technology provides artists with an immediate analysis for their music and has been called ‘a step forward that’s bringing a new level of sophistication and insight to branding and sound’ by Reuters.com. Atlantic Magazine lists us as one of the top five most important trends for the future of the music industry, and The New York Times Magazine previously included us in their ‘Year in Ideas: Bright Notions, Bold Inventions’ issue,” according to the company.

David Meredith of Savannah is President and CEO of Music Intelligence Solutions, Inc.

NEWS - Computers & Technology

Sept 19 - Social Media Strategy Webinar September 22 at Savannah Chamber Offices

SBJ Staff Report

Sept 19, 2011 – The Georgia Chamber of Commerce is offering a low-priced webinar on the importance of, and avenues of social media strategy and execution.

The Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce is offering a working lunch event on Thurs. Sept. 22 to view the webinar together with fellow Chamber members.

From FourSquare to Vimeo, attendees will discuss the platforms, how they are used and how to create a social media inventory.

Lunch will be provided The session runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.in the Savannah Chamber Large Conference Room. The cost is $10 for Members. R.S.V.P. is required by Noon on the Thursday prior to the event, but call Cally D’Angelo at 912.644.6459 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to see if space is still available.