Thanks to Christopher Mitchell, Director of the Telecommunications as Commons Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance for his contributions to this article. You can follow his reporting on public networks at www.muninetworks.org.

Conservatives would have us believe the public sector can’t compete with the private sector. The private sector itself knows better. Nowhere is this more evident than in the telecommunications sector.

People hate their telecommunications companies. The poster child for poor customer service in the public sector may be the Department of Motor Vehicle Bureau, but its unresponsiveness and arrogance pales into insignificance to those of Time Warner Cable, Comcast, and AT&T. In 2010 Comcast, the largest cable company in America bested 31 other companies from all sectors to win Consumerist.com’s Worst Company in America award.
As if to prove it was worthy of the award, Comcast recently pulled $18,000 in funding for a girl’s summer camp because one of the organizers had disapprovingly tweeted about Commissioner Meredith Baker’s jump from the FCC to Comcast just four months after approving Comcast’s $13.75 billion union with NBC. In an e-mail to the group, Steve Kipp, a vice president of communications for Comcast explained, “Given the fact that Comcast has been a major supporter of Reel Grrls for several years now, I am frankly shocked that your organization is slamming us on Twitter. I cannot in good conscience continue to provide you with funding — especially when there are so many other deserving nonprofits in town.” (The resulting uproar from the mainstream media’s reporting led Comcast to rescind the cutoff.)

The increased importance of high speed broadband in everything from business to education to entertainment coupled with soaring prices, slow speeds and bad service from private providers finally led cities to take matters into their own hands and build their own broadband networks.

Today, over 54 cities own citywide fiber networks. Another 79 own citywide cable networks. Over 3 million people have access to these networks. Hundreds more own and/or operate network connecting only schools and municipal buildings. An interactive map showing these networks can be found at Community Broadband Networks, a project of the Institute for Local Self-Realiance.

Cities now view high speed broadband networks as essential infrastructure like water, sewer, and roads. Says Doug Paris, assistant to the city manager in Salisbury, which launched its Fibrant network in 2010, “It’s really not a luxury anymore. It’s a necessity.”

For Harold DePriest, head of Chattanooga’s state of the art broadband network and its municipally owned electricity company an even more fundamental issue is involved. Who will write the rules for our information future? “(D)oes our community control our own fate, or does someone else control it?,” he asks.

Soaring telecommunication rates are straining already stressed public budgets, leading many cities to build networks for their own use. Montgomery County, Maryland’s network allowed it to stop leasing lines to schools and public buildings, resulting in remarkable savings.

Read More:HUFFPOST MEDIA

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Collaboration with professor to help increase stormwater control area success.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation and N.C. State are combining forces to improve stormwater control in an area affecting N.C. State, Meredith College and the N.C. Museum of Art.

“By combining our resources with the renowned research capabilities of N.C. State University, we are developing innovative solutions for improving water quality – and in turn, helping to protect one of our state’s most valuable resources,” said Matt Lauffer, program manager for NCDOT’s Highway Stormwater Program, in a press release.

The project aims to benefit the House Creek watershed, an area that collects pollutants from cars and other ground sources when it rains. House Creek is one of several stormwater control projects NCDOT monitors annually. The construction is taking place near the intersection of Wade Ave. and Interstate 440.

Dr. Bill Hunt, assistant professor and extension specialist with the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, will be working with NCDOT to develop methods to reduce the amount of pollutants.

Dr. Hunt has assisted since 2000 with the design, installation, and monitoring of over 90 stormwater best management practices (BMPs), including bioretention, stormwater wetlands, innovative wet ponds, green roofs and permeable pavement.

Julia Merchant, NCDOT communications officer, said this is not the first time NCDOT has partnered with N.C. State. Past collaborations involved, among others, breakthroughs with biodiesel research conducted by the University.

According to NCDOT, for the $300,000 House Creek project, funded through the Highway Stormwater Program, engineers will use stormwater filtration methods such as a bioretention basin, which will use sand to filter out pollutants in the water.

After installation of the stormwater control measures is completed, which will take approximately three weeks according to NCDOT, N.C. State researchers will continuously monitor the system’s effectiveness at improving the House Creek water quality.

SOURCE:Technicianonline.com

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Charities tapping into social networks for support


(ARA) – The way we talk with our friends, the way we date, eat, watch TV, even the way we vote has been transformed by the sudden and overwhelming popularity of social media technology. Our activities in the actual world are becoming ever more deeply intertwined with our activities in the virtual world.

In their ongoing efforts to find new supporters and strengthen bonds with the ones they already have, charities, too, are flocking to social media. Unlike letters in your mailbox or TV commercials, digital platforms like Facebook and Twitter give charities a chance to engage supporters in emotionally powerful ways – ways that not only encourage monetary giving, but turn supporters into full-blown advocates.  

Take the example of the humanitarian organization CARE. In 1946, CARE began sending boxes of food and essential supplies to a Europe reeling from Second World War. The program resonated with so many senders and receivers that the phrase “care package” became a common synonym for any gift parcels sent to far-away friends and relatives. Today the organization is trying to tap into fond memories of this legacy through social media. At www.CAREpackage.org, CARE invites donors to fill a digital CARE Package with money supporting CARE’s long-term poverty fighting programs focusing on girls’ education, maternal health, and economic empowerment for women through microfinance and small business training. Where it differs most from traditional online giving is through functions allowing social network friends to build packages together – all connected through Facebook, Twitter and e-mail. CARE Package “senders” are also invited to educate themselves and their friends on key issues, and as well offer tools to reach out to elected representatives.

CARE is not alone in using social networking to generate support. Applications like TwitChange generate interest and big money for charitable causes by auctioning the opportunity to be followed, mentioned or retweeted by their favorite celebrities on Twitter.

Even large corporate givers with a big presence in traditional marketing venues are moving into the social media space. General Mills and Merck have teamed up for an online charitable giving project called Join My Village. Simply by clicking on hyperlinks to videos, visitors to www.JoinMyVillage.com can steer donations from the two corporations to a microsavings program helping rural girls and women in Malawi. Because the site interfaces with Facebook and Twitter, it’s easy for users to invite their social networks to participate, increasing total donations, but also awareness of poverty issues around the globe.

How charitable giving through social networking will evolve during the next years, or even the next 10 months, is anyone’s guess. A decade ago, few people (if anyone) predicted the social network-based advocacy and giving that’s exploding in popularity today. What is certain is that changes in technology inevitably create new ways for charities and supporters to connect.

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(NAPSI)—With more than 500 million active users spending over 700 billion minutes a month on its site, Facebook has become a premier platform for socializing, sharing, searching and, now, shopping online. The emerging trend of selling and buying merchandise through Facebook and other social media platforms is here and it’s exploding. Booz & Company estimates that the dollar volume of goods sold through social media overall could increase sixfold, from $5 billion in 2010 to $30 billion in 2015. Businesses and consumers alike refer to this paradigm as “Social Commerce,” a fusion of social media and e-commerce that enables consumers to shop directly through their social networks.

Many stores are leveraging social networks to allow consumers to execute transactions in the comfort of their own Facebook pages, where attention is high and the user’s likes and dislikes are clear. The Social Commerce premise is that the focus is on people instead of products. There is a treasure trove of data based on users’ interests on their Facebook pages, and businesses can finally tailor the presentation of merchandise to offer a truly customized shopping experience. Businesses can now sell consumers exactly what they want, and consumers are reaping the benefits.

Social Commerce helps businesses offer consumers exclusive deals and special promotions while enabling them to connect with, listen to, understand and engage with their customers to improve the overall shopping experience. Furthermore, the information and content on Facebook is “shared,” meaning that friends can update each other on their recent online shopping sprees.

But in addition to benefits and opportunities, emerging communications channels always come with some new potential risks, and Social Commerce is no exception. The main concerns for consumers are security and privacy. Especially when phishing scams, identity theft and hackers are constantly in the headlines, consumers are more aware than ever of the need for online security and identity protection. With Social Commerce, cybercriminals are more likely to exploit the inherent trust that social networking sites enjoy. So how can consumers gain confidence in Social Commerce?

To know if a website, link and transaction are safe, the first thing to look for is an SSL Certificate, a technology that enables encryption when users connect to a website. When the lock icon appears in an Internet browser, this means SSL is in place, encrypting the site visitor’s information.

Symantec, the provider of VeriSign® SSL, has been working with a number of social commerce platform providers to offer enhanced security to organizations with a fan store on Facebook. When fans visit a fan store protected by VeriSign SSL, they will see the familiar “VeriSign Trusted” seal that more than 100,000 online businesses choose to show that their transactions are secure.

When consumers buy directly on their Facebook pages and see SSL, they know they can trust the businesses they “like” and that their transactions are protected with the most advanced and proven security technology.

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(NAPSI)—Although you have a few extra days to file this year’s tax return, experts encourage you to file sooner rather than later. Whether you’re getting a refund or owe taxes, there’s incentive for everyone to file now.

“Taxes are an important part of your personal finances and rushing could cost you a lot of money this year and in the long run,” says Jessi Dolmage, spokesperson for TaxACT. “Luckily, you don’t have to go it alone and doing your taxes doesn’t have to be painful. Today’s solutions make tax preparation and filing easy for everyone.”

Dolmage shared her top tax tips:

1. Get organized. Put all your W-2s, 1099s and other tax documents in one place. Have last year’s return handy as well for comparison and your AGI that can be used for e-filing.

2. Double-check your data. The IRS rejects millions of returns each year because of very minor errors involving transposed characters and incorrect math or filing status. Verify names, addresses and birth dates. Be sure you’re using Social Security numbers as they appear on the cards. Using import features offered by software or an online solution can help decrease these errors.

3. Choose smart. Not all tax preparation solutions are created equal, especially free ones. Many free solutions exclude forms for complex returns with itemized deductions, investment income, and capital gains and losses. Others provide minimal help and tools. TaxACT Free Federal Edition includes all the forms you need to e-file, unlimited e-mail help, maximum refund and accuracy guarantees and the ability to import last year’s tax data from PDFs prepared by 11 solutions- all free.

4. E-file. Nearly 70 percent of taxpayers e-filed their federal returns last year. Unlike paper filers, you’ll know when the IRS accepted or rejected your return within 48 hours. Combined with direct deposit, you can have your refund in as few as eight days. If you owe, e-file now and pay later via credit or debit card or a scheduled automatic withdrawal any- time before or on April 18.

5. Save time on your state return. The solution you use for your federal return likely offers a state solution, so let the software transfer your information to state forms to save time and reduce possible data entry errors. Most state returns are due April 18 but a few states did not change their deadlines. Even if your state changed the filing date, it may not have changed estimated tax payment dates.

6. An extension to file does not mean more time to pay. Get an automatic six-month filing extension by filing Form 4868, free, with TaxACT Free Federal Edition and pay as much as possible by April 18 to minimize interest and penalties. When you’re ready to file, log back into TaxACT to prepare, print and e-file your federal return free before October 17, 2011.

7. Plan ahead. Adjust your withholding via Form W-4 if needed, and take advantage of the tips and tools your tax preparation solution offers for minimizing next year’s taxes. Finally, save a printed copy of your return with all of this year’s tax documents.

For more tax tips and information, visit www.IRS.gov and www.taxact.com. TaxACT Free Federal Edition allows everyone to prepare, print and e-file a federal return free.

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(NAPSI)-Across the United States, small-business owners are finding new ways to reduce costs to maximize the bottom line. One place to cut costs and increase efficiencies can be the traditional office printer. A few simple steps can greatly reduce printing costs while helping the environment, a win-win scenario.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Establish a Printing Policy—Direct employees to print in color only when preparing clientfacing documents and presentations. Expand page margins when printing to get more on each page.

• Consider an MFP—A multifunction printer, such as those from Canon’s imageRUNNER, imageRUNNER ADVANCE and imageCLASS product lines, combine a printer, scanner, copier and fax machine. Not only will this save office space, it can save the cost of buying and maintaining multiple devices and reduce the amount of energy consumed.

• Duplex Printing—MFPs come with duplex printing capabilities, meaning they can print on both sides of the page. Making the most of each piece of paper by choosing duplex printing as the default setting significantly reduces printing costs while saving resources used to make paper.

• Conserve Energy Where You Can—Look for MFPs that are ENERGY STAR qualified. Energy-saving modes will help reduce carbon emissions and provide significant cost savings while benefiting the environment.

• Software Can Make a Difference—By pairing an MFP with the appropriate software, such as Canon’s imageRUNNER ADVANCE Tracker, small-business owners can better manage documents and thereby cut costs. For example, employees can scan and e-mail documents instead of printing and faxing them.

• Learn More—More tips and tricks for saving time, money and space can be found online at www.usa.canon.com.

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(NewsUSA) – Looking to save money? There are ways to leverage great technology without burning a hole in your wallet.

Here are some safe, secure options — all of them free — that can help make your computer more productive, useful and fun:

* Firefox Browser:

(www.GetFireFox.com) — Get onto the Internet with this alternative to Windows Internet Explorer that is compatible with both Macs and PCs. It is fast and secure and allows you to download lots of free plug-ins that provide information, social media integration and multimedia capabilities.

* TweetDeck:

(www.TweetDeck.com) — This free program enables you to easily manage, monitor and post to all of your social media networks, including Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, from one place.

* Trillian:

(www.Trillian.im) — Not everyone uses the same instant message service. You might use AOL while your friend uses Yahoo. Trillian lets you combine all of your instant message accounts — AOL, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ and IRC — into one program. Recently updated, it can integrate your Facebook and Twitter accounts, too.

* LogMeIn:

(www.LogMeIn.com) — The free version of LogMeIn lets you securely access your computer from anywhere in the world. Want to check your home computer while you’re on the road? Go to a web browser from any Internet-enabled computer or mobile device, and log in to your account to instantly connect and access any programs, files, photos or music on your desktop.

* Windows Live Desktop:

(www.WindowsLive.com/desktop) — Windows 7, which will be loaded on many new computers and mobile devices this year, does not include its own email program. Instead, Microsoft offers a mail program as a free download from this site, along with other programs, including a photo organizer and an application for creating videos.

* Picnik:

(www.Picnik.com) — Picnik is a free alternative to Photoshop and offers photo-editing capabilities such as cropping, resizing, sharpening and red-eye reduction. You can add special effects, fonts, or various shapes to turn your precious memory into a work of art. Google’s Picasa is another good option for free photo-editing software.

Any or all of these programs will immediately add value to your Mac, PC or laptop — at absolutely no cost.

Do your homework first and check out product reviews from reputable technology sites such as CNET’s Download.com to find out more about free and safe software options before you install them on your computer.
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Degrees that will make you indispensable in the workplace

(ARA) – From digitizing and analyzing America’s health records to developing the next big video game or hardware program, careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields continue to gain prominence in the work force. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor predicts a growing demand for technological advances will result in a job growth of 22 percent for STEM occupations between 2004 and 2014.

As employment opportunities within these new and emerging industries continue to expand, educational institutions are taking a look at refining curriculums to provide career-focused higher education, and better prepare students for careers in specific fields.

To do this, universities are working directly with high-caliber employers to ensure their future employee needs will be met. DeVry University, for example, works directly with companies including IBM and Cisco to create these student programs. DeVry University graduates from the last five years have worked at 96 of the Fortune 100 companies.

“Students are looking to obtain the education and knowledge needed to succeed in the high-growth industries that continue to thrive,” says Donna Loraine, vice president, academic affairs for DeVry Inc., and dean, DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management. “Our academic structure is one that allows for swift implementation of new programs and curriculum once we notice a specific need, allowing us to better prepare students for these in-demand 21st century careers.”

According to the Center for Education Policy Analysis, technology is pervasive in almost every aspect of daily life, and as the workplace changes, STEM knowledge, skills and the ways in which problems are approached and solved in these subjects are important for a variety of workers.

DeVry worked closely with Cisco using the Cisco Networking Academy program to deliver curriculums that teach students how to design, build, troubleshoot and secure computer networks.

“Working with DeVry University to equip students with technical knowledge and hands-on experiences will help meet growing demand for skilled workers in a variety of industries ranging from broadband and wireless to healthcare and green technologies,” says Amy Christen, vice president of corporate affairs at Cisco and general manager of the Cisco Networking Academy. “Individuals that are trained in the latest technology careers today will be well-prepared for a variety of exciting career opportunities tomorrow.”

In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is anticipating an approximate 45 percent growth in the computer software engineer and application occupations. Anticipating this demand, these student/employer partnerships aim to prepare soon-to-be graduates for these technology careers, while helping to fill a growing need for professionals in the emerging industries around the world.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

CARY, N.C. — Regional financial services institutions like Bremer Financial Corporation must find ways to keep operations agile and efficient. When Bremer wanted to find a better financial management system, they selected SAS, the leader in business analytics, to more effectively create and analyze financial reports and budgets.

“With six separate databases required to accommodate the changing needs of our organization, we knew our processes needed an upgrade,” said Bob Buck, Chief Financial Officer at Bremer. “SAS® Financial Management provided a single solution for financial management reporting, budgeting, forecasting and consolidation. We found the solution offered the greatest flexibility for a single database of all financial management information.”

Bremer was frustrated by the need to use multiple modules for the budgeting, forecasting and reporting of financial and non-financial data. The processes in place were slow and inefficient. With SAS, Bremer will have a more streamlined and integrated planning and forecasting process, freeing up more time to analyze and improve financial plans across the organization. The added flexibility from SAS Financial Management will help the finance department manage the growing demands of business line profitability reporting and analysis.

“We anticipate increased productivity of our finance professionals with SAS in place. They will be able to focus their attention on higher-level analysis with less time devoted to managing cumbersome mechanics,” explained Ron Hansen, project manager at Bremer. “In addition to better analysis, the new solution will improve morale and retention of our experienced finance professionals, resulting in a more efficient cost structure for our finance division.”

SAS Financial Management improves the accuracy, relevance and timeliness of financial plans, budgets and reports while promoting the alignment and execution of strategy. SAS Financial Management is one component of SAS financial intelligence, a vision for financial performance management that includes solutions for financial management, activity-based management, dashboards and scorecarding, risk management, and advanced analytics such as optimization and forecasting. By combining the hindsight, insight and foresight provided through these powerful solutions, corporate finance departments can build credibility and confidence within other areas of the company.

Bremer Financial Corporation
Bremer Financial Corporation is a privately held, $7.6 billion regional financial services company jointly owned by its employees and the Otto Bremer Foundation. This unique ownership structure is the only one of its kind in the nation. Founded in 1943 by Otto Bremer, the company is headquartered in St. Paul, MN, and provides a comprehensive range of banking, investment, trust and insurance services to more than 100 locations in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. A significant portion of company profits are distributed in the form of charitable grants by the Otto Bremer Foundation to communities served by Bremer. In 2007, more than $30 million in charitable donations were given across the Bremer footprint and employees donated more than 92,900 volunteer hours to their communities. For more information, please visit www.bremer.com.

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CARY, N.C. — Dex has been honored with a 2008 Yellow Pages Publisher Recognition Award by the Association of Directory Marketing (ADM). ADM recently selected Dex for its “Communication Award,” which “recognizes efforts to improve communications between publishers and CMRs (Certified Marketing Representatives).” The award was announced at ADM’s Annual Conference in San Antonio, Tex.

Dex was selected based upon several criteria, including commitment to excellence in facilitating communications between the company and CMRs, who help develop, implement, manage and maintain Yellow Pages programs for national advertisers. Dex was also noted for its provision of high-quality, effective sales materials and marketing collateral and the continuous enabling of easy access to these materials. As a result, ADM recognized Dex’s ability to help CMRs improve efficiencies, solve challenges and implement successful advertising programs.

“Our goal is to provide CMRs with simple, focused communications that make it easier for them to access information and do business with Dex. This award is a reflection of that,” said Stephen Gibbons, vice president of national sales, Dex. “We’re happy to accept this award from ADM, and will continue to provide CMRs with exceptional communications tools that help them implement and manage their advertising programs.”

Dex is the market brand of R.H. Donnelley (NYSE: RHD), a leading print and online local search company. R.H. Donnelley’s products and services include the Dex(R) Yellow Pages; DexKnows.com(TM), a leading online local search site; 1-800-Call-Dex(TM), a free, voice-enabled local search solution; and Dex Search Marketing, which provides web site optimization and paid search advertising solutions.

Read More:CarolinaNewsWire