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Greetings!
Advocate Networks is pleased to announce that we were named to the Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Companies in 2011. Coming in at #3,061, this marks our 5th consecutive year and a jump of 600 places from last year's rankings. The continued expansion of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets plus the increased requirements for new applications continues to drive bandwidth requirements and cost optimization projects that has lead to our continued growth. This prestigious award is a reflection of the hard work put in by our dedicated and talented team not only for the last 12 months, but also over our 10 years in business.
Tim Wise, Co-Founder and President
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The PGA Championship and Network Capacity
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Technology and communications delivered unparalleled access and information for the 93rd PGA Golf Championship held in Johns Creek, GA this month. We were extremely pleased to have hosted many of our clients and partners at this world-class event. For only the second time, the PGA allowed mobile phones on the course during the event which delivered, among other things, incredible access to an interactive iPhone application that offered a real time leader scoreboard, a player by player locator on the course, and numerous press articles and videos. The rules however stated that all phones had to be on vibrate and that calls could only be conducted at specially marked mobile phone zones. Pretty innovative, but a little annoying if you heard someone on the phone calling his or her friend saying "where are you, what hole are you on?". Now what was more impressive was the real time (well almost) mobile electronic scoreboard and locator that gave fans the information to allow one to find your favorite player. A job well done by the PGA and I look forward to seeing these types of applications at other events. One minor complaint was that, on Sunday during the playoff holes, the network was so busy that many texts were not getting through and the applications on the iPhone were very slow. I guess with 40,000 people in one square mile all tweeting and texting at the same time the network planners at AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile just didn't quite get their network demand planning model quite right. Nevertheless, they did provide an overall great experience.
Paul Shiman, Chief Marketing Officer
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Industry News
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Well, if you thought the summer was going to be quiet for businesses we were all wrong. What with an economic roller coaster every week, an east coast earthquake, and a hurricane of massive proportions you may have missed the following industry news.
From Google's acquisition of Motorola to Windstream's purchase of Paetec, large companies are looking to protect their software, acquire patents, and gain market share through a series of mergers and acquisitions. So, here are the headlines:
Google to Buy Motorola Mobility
Time Warner Cable to Buy Insight for $3 Billion
Windstream to Buy Paetec for $891 Million
The communications market continues to change with new services, new mobile devices and ever-changing packages and pricing. When we started this company, we did not envision Apple nor Google making such an incredible impact on mobile communications. After establishing Apple as one of the key industry innovators, the departure of Steve Jobs is a huge loss. We hope that a recovery for Steve is possible and he can continue to make a contribution. Google's development of Android and its activation rate has surpassed even the iPhone. We are now working with clients on next-generation mobile policy and management systems. Many of our clients recognize the power of extending the network for their employees to the mobile device, but also have to deal with the challenges related to the management and security risks. We are continuing to invest heavily in knowledge and expertise in this area.
Scott Fogle, President and Co-Founder
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Community Service
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This summer, a group of our team members spent the day volunteering at Sheltering Arms' new facility in Buford, GA. After a great morning reading to the children in their classrooms, the afternoon was spent building two storage sheds to keep toys, bicycles, and maintenance equipment. Sheltering Arms is an organization that we have been privileged to serve several times in the past and hope to continue in the future as it is Metro Atlanta's oldest nonprofit child care provider. It is also one of the state's most respected early childhood education programs, serving more than 3,600 children and their families in 17 child care centers across 7 counties.
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Below the Radar - Conferencing
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When was the last time your organization reviewed your conferencing services, costs, and needs? In a time when everyone is feeling the pressure to reduce costs and improve efficiency, here's a simple and effective way to add value to your organization while improving the bottom line in more than one way. Whether it is reducing travel expenses, providing a more engaging customer meeting or keeping your staff and clients up to speed on trainings and certifications, the latest conferencing solutions are really becoming the coloration tools they've claimed to be for years.To read more, click here.
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Final Note
With Labor Day just around the corner, many organizations are starting to evaluate progress on their communications and IT projects for 2011. The big discussion in the last two weeks has been "Do we have a disaster recovery plan in place and when was the last time we evaluated those plans?" After the east coast earthquake, hurricane, and flooding, your Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity plans need to be reviewed and re-evaluated. No one can control Mother Nature but you need a plan B in place to ensure your business can continue. From fires, floods, to lack of power there will be many challenges that you will face. As the Boy Scout's motto says "Be prepared".
Sincerely,
Paul Shiman
Chief Marketing Officer
Advocate Networks
Phone: 678-987-5953
E-mail: paul.shiman@advocatenetworks.com
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