Washington State Investing $300M – Data Center

Information Technology investments that can deliver real return on investment with measurable results are often hard to find.  Seems everyone knows of this project or that with the latest ERP, ECM, gaggle, whatchamacallit that didn’t deliver anything but red ink and irritated users.

The State of Washington has been a leader in innovative uses of technology.  When you see a $300M pricetag it raises eyebrows and it should.  You often hear about the projects that don’t deliver what they promised.   The main difference between the ones you hear about and the ones you don’t hear about is simple.  Well implemented technology systems just work, no one notices how nicely the faucet is working today.  A successful technology solution should blend in with the daily routines we expect.  When technology initiatives fail everyone notices.  When they are well planned, realistically funded, professionally managed and the Executive sponsorship provides for the appropriate change management great savings and efficiencies can be gained.

The Debate is raging over whether the new Data Center project will be a boondoggle or a boon in terms of cost savings and efficiencies.  One could argue that by consolidating IT infrastructure and using a shared services model for a general use technology like email you can accomplish two important goals, cost savings and compliance.  Another argument would be that large agencies know how to manage budgets and IT systems better than DIS.  The State of Washington has some very smart and talented IT professionals, if they do this right it could be one of the projects that you just don’t hear that much about.

One things for certain there can be significant efficiencies and cost savings through the use of shared services and cloud computing.  The amount and diversity of data being produced, distributed and archived is expanding at an enormous rate.

Austin Jenkins published two articles on the subject:
Last Minute Lobbying led to $300M dollar Mega-Project  http://tinyurl.com/yabbklo
http://news.opb.org

The Data Center Debate: Washington State  http://tinyurl.com/ybw5rvn
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net

Congratulations to the City of Richland!

You may have seen Case Study Panelist Jon Amundson, City of Richland, at Nexus 09 this year. ImageSource would like to congratulate Jon and the City for winning both the ImageSource Customer Partner Award for the Biggest Return on Investment, as well as an InfoWorld 100 Award!

The InfoWorld 100 Awards recognize 100 IT organizations that have innovatively utilized different technologies through implementations and integrations to meet business goals. The City of Richland was recognized for its use of different technologies together, such as Oracle, ABBYY, Cardiff and ILINX. To read more about the InfoWorld 100 Awards, visit www.infoworld.com.

Nexus 10 is less than a year away! Registration is open and seating is limited! To reserve your spot at a discounted price of $195, visit www.NexusECM.com to register for Nexus 10. Use discount code NEXUS10SPL. After November 30th, the price goes up to $295!

To follow the latest information on Nexus, check us out on Twitter: @nexusecm

Kristina Parma
Corporate Communications Manager
ImageSource, Inc.

  

Register for Nexus 2010 for $195!

Nexus 09 was a hit, simple as that!

If you missed out this year, make sure to register for Nexus 2010 and lock in the reduced rate of $195! Use code NEXUS10SPL.

A big thank you to our sponsors: Bowe Bell & Howell, Kofax, ProStor, OPEX, Autonomy/Cardiff, AIIM Northwest, Fujitsu, Oracle

To read a recap of Nexus 09, check out the Trends blog.

Kristina Parma
Corporate Communications Manager
ImageSource, Inc.

  

Important Information for Nexus 09 Attendees

Nexus 09 is less than one week away! Below are some helpful hints for a successful conference experience.

DIRECTIONS TO THE MEYDENBAUER

Meydenbauer Center is conveniently located adjacent to Interstate 405 at N.E. 6th Street and 112th Avenue N.E. in downtown Bellevue-just nine miles east of downtown Seattle. The most convenient off-ramp from I-405 is at NE 4th Street (Exit 13A).

Meydenbauer Center
11100 NE 6th Street
Bellevue, WA 98004
425-637-1020

For detailed directions please go to:
 http://www.meydenbauer.com/maps-pkg-directions.html .

DIRECTIONS TO THE BELLEVUE HYATT

Hyatt Regency Hotel – Official Conference Hotel
900 Bellevue Way NE,
Bellevue, Washington, USA 98004-4272
Tel: +1 425 462 1234    Fax: +1 425 646 7567
Maps & Directions

TO BOOK A ROOM:

http://bellevue.hyatt.com/groupbooking/belleimag2009

PARKING AT THE MEYDENBAUER & HOTEL SHUTTLE

All parking at the Meydenbauer will be validated. Please pick up your validation ticket at the Nexus registration desk.

For your convenience, we have arranged for a shuttle to provide transportation to and from the Meydenbauer/Hyatt. The shuttle schedule is as follows:

Monday Morning:          Shuttle from Hyatt to Meydenbauer        7:45 AM – 8:45 AM

Monday Evening:          Shuttle from Meydenbauer to Hyatt        4:45 PM – 5:45 PM

Tuesday Morning:          Shuttle from Hyatt to Meydenbauer        7:45 AM – 8:45 AM

Tuesday Afternoon:       Shuttle from Meydenbauer to Hyatt        4:15 PM – 5:15 PM

JOIN US FOR BREAKFAST IN THE NEXUS TECHNOLOGY CENTER:

Registration begins at 8:00 AM on Monday & Tuesday morning, November, 2-3. Our Nexus sponsors provide you  
with a full breakfast along with an espresso stand to kick off Nexus in style. Be sure to arrive in time to join us for breakfast.

Meals also included in your conference registration:

Welcome Reception: Twisted Cork: Sunday Evening 7 – 9 PM

Lunch Monday and Tuesday: 12:25 PM – 1:35 PM

Dinner Monday Evening at the Lucky Strike event: 5:30 pm – 10:30 PM

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VIEW THE AGENDA AHEAD OF TIME GO TO:

http://www.nexusecm.com/Agenda/index.htm

WELCOME RECEPTION SUNDAY- NOVEMBER 1
Please join us for the Nexus welcome reception on Sunday evening. The reception will take place at the Twisted Cork
located off the lobby of the Bellevue Hyatt from 7-9pm.  We’ll offer light appetizers and cocktails.

LUCKY STRIKE MONDAY – NOVEMBER 2
Monday night is our awards ceremony and off-site event at the Lucky Strike Bowling lanes. All Nexus attendees are invited to attend.  This is a one-of-a-kind event you don’t want to miss. Come for part or all of the evening. The event runs from 5:30pm to 10:30pm.

TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING FOR THE LUCKY STRIKE

Lucky Strike is located just over the sky bridge, accessed through the Hyatt lobby. If you are staying at the Hyatt, shuttle service is provided to return you to the hotel. If you are driving, after the last breakout session, please relocate your car to the Hyatt parking lot, where parking will be validated by the Hyatt front desk for up to three hours (5-8 PM). After 8:00 PM there is no charge for parking, so stay as late as you like.

POST CONFERENCE TRAINING – AIIM ECMp POST CONFERENCE TRAINING –SEATS STILL AVAILABLE:

Be sure to add this valuable training opportunity to your Nexus experience and walk away with an ECMp certification!
All Nexus attendees are able to register, AIIM membership is not required.

The new and improved ECM Certificate Program is designed from global best practices among AIIM’s 65,000 associate and professional members

AIIM introduced in early 2009 a new and improved ECM Certificate Program that incorporates new and emerging
best practices and technologies for managing information assets. More than 50% of the content has been changed
or improved, and we strongly recommend previous attendees sign up for the updated version to enhance their skills
and strengthen their learning from the previous course.

This course is being offered at $595 with conference registration. Regular Price is $1050.00

You can register by modifying your current registration or contact Debbie Horton at 360-943-9273

Debbie Horton
ImageSource
Corporate Communications Director

  

Only 10 Days Until Nexus – Register Now!

There are only 10 more days until Nexus 09!

This year’s conference is offering more than 30 breakout sessions and keynote presentations, featuring Atle Skjekkeland, Vice President of AIIM. Nexus 09 is located at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Wash. and is November 2-3, 2009, with post-conference training on November 4. The post-conference training class is the AIIM ECMp Certification Course. The cost of the course is $599 with registration.

If you have already registered for Nexus and need to book a hotel room, ImageSource has blocked off a number of hotel rooms at the Hyatt in Bellevue that are being offered to attendees at a discounted rate of $175 through today, Thursday, October 22nd. After that, attendees will have to pay full price.

If you would like to check out the agenda, register for Nexus 09, or get more information, please visit www.NexusECM.com or call (360) 943-9273.

We hope to see you there!

Kristina Parma
Corporate Communications Manager
ImageSource, Inc.

  

Only Two More Weeks!

If you haven’t already registered for Nexus, now is the time to do so. Nexus is ImageSource’s annual ECM Solutions Conference held in Bellevue, Wash. at the Meydenbauer Center November 2-3, 2009. This year, there are more than 30 breakout sessions and keynote presentations.

If you are going to register and need a hotel, ImageSource has a block of hotel rooms reserved at the Hyatt in Bellevue. Attendees can reserve a room for $175 a night, but hurry because this offer ends Friday, October 16th!

This year’s evening event is going to be held at Lucky Strike and the Sunday evening reception will be at the Twisted Cork. You don’t want to miss either of these events.

Post-conference training will be held on November 4th and the class being held is the AIIM ECM Practitioner Certification taught by Pamela Doyle. The class runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and costs $599 with your Nexus registration. This includes all necessary materials.

To check out the agenda, get more information or register for Nexus, visit www.NexusECM.com.

We hope to see you there!

Kristina Parma
Corporate Communications Manager
ImageSource, Inc.

  

Atle Skjekkeland, VP of AIIM to Speak at Nexus

Nexus will be featuring both a keynote and breakout session by Atle Skjekkeland, Vice President of AIIM. A global organization, AIIM provides education, research, and best practices to help organizations find, control, and optimize information.
In his keynote address, Monday, November 2 at 9 a.m., Mr. Skjekkeland will speak about the future for information workers, including how dynamics like Web 2.0 and distributed capture are changing how employees share information. He will address new worker models and frameworks around how we find, control and optimize information assets.
Later that afternoon, he will present a breakout session drilling further into Enterprise 2.0, specifically about how social software can improve collaboration.
Mr. Skjekkeland offers a unique research organization perspective, including the technology, business drivers, market dynamics, and the necessary link between ECM and Enterprise 2.0.
Nexus 09 will provides generous breaks between session, exhibition times, meals and the Monday evening social event so that presenters, including Mr. Skjekkeland, will be accessible to attendees.

Carol Jellison
Creative Director
ImageSource, Inc.

  

ECM Best Practices: Green Solutions

For companies looking at Green Solutions, Nexus is the perfect opportunity to learn what the options are.

It seems that more and more every day people are becoming more environmentally conscious. It’s no longer only about making money, it’s also about what’s good for the planet. Offices are looking for ways to reduce paper, make processes more efficient and utilize fewer resources to perform the same amount of work.

Nexus offers attendees valuable information that allows them to see a variety of solutions and products that can be packaged together to fit whatever business needs they are trying to fulfill. Because ECM technology is Green technology, attendees can be sure that ideas presented at Nexus will yield a significant ROI, as well as reduce paper and paper processes.

The breakout sessions are focused around being good for the environment and good for your business.

Some of the breakout sessions include:

• Economical and Environmental Benefits of eForms
• The PR Value of Your Green ECM Initiative
• Various sessions on SharePoint
• Enterprise 2.0 and Project Management
• The Enterprise Value of Distributed Capture
• And Many More!

For more information about Nexus or to register for the event, visit www.NexusECM.com.

Kristina Parma
Corporate Communications Manager
ImageSource, Inc.

   

ECM Best Practices: Training

We are going to start a series of blogs called the “ECM Best Practices” series. This series will cover a range of topics for the next six weeks, including ECM Training, Hot Trends in ECM, Document Scanning, Document Capture, Green Solutions and Integration with ERP.

This week we are going to focus on ECM training.

ECM training is necessary for a variety of reasons. As experts in the ECM industry, it is expected that we have the most up-to-date information and are knowledgable on certain subjects. You wouldn’t go to a doctor who hadn’t taken certain classes or exams to become certified. In the same way, customers seek help, advice and services from people who are knowledgable and who have received the right training.

Training also benefits users. Users who receive training will have an easier transition into the new ECM system, and will be able to know how to utilize it in the most efficient way possible.

There are two excellent ECM training opportunitiescoming up that can help you further your knowledge and better yourself as an ECM professional. They are both offered November 4th, 2009, at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Wash., following ImageSource’s two-day ECM Solutions Conference, Nexus. To register for Nexus or the training courses offered below, please visit www.NexusECM.com.

AIIM ECM Practitioner Certification
The new and improved ECM Practitioner program covers strategies, methods and tools for managing content. The course covers ECM technologies and their business benefits, but also how to plan ECM with an information architecture, metadata and taxonomies. The new course also includes changes in the vendor landscape; increased focus on imaging and recognition; process improvement and automation; impact of Web 2.0; and new best practices and standards.

Attendees will Learn:

• Business benefits of ECM
• ECM technologies, such as document management, imaging, records management, workflow, web content management and collaboration
• Preferred approaches, platforms vs. solutions, enterprise vs. departmental
• Information architecture, interoperability and integration
• Sources of information and appropriate capture and migration mechanisms
• Metadata and indexing
• Types of taxonomies and their value
• Ontologies and folksonomies
• Different levels of access control and security
• Process improvements and automation
• Search and retrieval technologies
• Different ways of delivering information and content to employees, partners and customers
• Existing and emerging trends, such as Web 2.0, SaaS and OpenSource

Instructor: Pam Doyle, ECMm
Fee: $599 with Nexus registration
$1,100 if not attending Nexus
All books, documentation and other course materials are provided.

Using SharePoint 2007
Planning and Designing Document Management/Imaging Solutions
Learn how you can leverage this pervasive technology, and what it takes to successfully implement, administer and maintain a document imaging solution, using Microsoft SharePoint 2007.

Concentrating on features and functionality, the course will focus on:

Module 1: Imaging Solutions for Microsoft SharePoint
Module 2: Indexing, OCR and Image Processing SaaS, and Open Source
Module 3: Advanced Searching and Viewing
Module 4: Information Workers using SharePoint
Module 5: Engage Workflow and RM from Scanning
Module 6:Leveraging Data Compression in SQL Server 2008 for SharePoint

Instructor: John Moffitt
Fee: $395 with Nexus registration

Kristina Parma
Corporate Communications Manager
ImageSource, Inc.

  

Autonomy/Cardiff added Sponsor of Nexus 09

Autonomy/Cardiff will be a Silver sponsor at Nexus this year. We are so excited to have them on board! They deliver market-proven software and services that enhance business productivity and agility by automating business processes driven by forms and documents. At the event, representatives will be on hand to demonstrate Cardiff Liquid Office, eforms and Teleforms solutions and will also be part of our educational breakout sessions. See a full list of breakout sessions and sponsors on our Nexus website http://www.nexusecm.com and while you are checking things out, you can also register for the event! We can’t wait to see you in November at the Meydenbauer Center, in Bellevue, WA.

Kim Torres
Marketing Coordinator
ImageSource, Inc.