Posted by Kevin Smith - ksmith@alexandertg.com
Alexander Technology Group is currently seeking an Adobe Flex expert in MA. Applicants can direct questions or resumes to Kevin Smith - ksmith@alexandertg.com.
Thank you.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Looks like Google Voice made it to the iPhone...
Posted by Jason Alexander
Admittadly I've become a bit of an over-the-top iPhone nut since September. Since then, I've been following iPhone app and iPhone app trends very closely. It's been interesting to see the rif go on between Apple and Google over getting Google Voice into the AppStore.
Long story short, it is available now and you can read more in the following CNET article. Enjoy!
http://ping.fm/NOJec
JA
Admittadly I've become a bit of an over-the-top iPhone nut since September. Since then, I've been following iPhone app and iPhone app trends very closely. It's been interesting to see the rif go on between Apple and Google over getting Google Voice into the AppStore.
Long story short, it is available now and you can read more in the following CNET article. Enjoy!
http://ping.fm/NOJec
JA
Monday, January 18, 2010
Graduate Certificate in Software System Engineering available at UNH
Posted by Jason Alexander
For NH/MA area employers and students (including life-long learners) I thought the following might be interesting. UNH has recently launched a Graduate Certificate program in Software Systems Engineering. By most grad certificate program standards, this program appears to be competitively priced and covers a great deal of competencies that we often recruit for. At the same time, the program is brand new so I'll leave it up to you to decide. Interested students and employers can find out more at the following link:
http://cs.unh.edu/certificate.htm
I hope this is helpful information.
JA
For NH/MA area employers and students (including life-long learners) I thought the following might be interesting. UNH has recently launched a Graduate Certificate program in Software Systems Engineering. By most grad certificate program standards, this program appears to be competitively priced and covers a great deal of competencies that we often recruit for. At the same time, the program is brand new so I'll leave it up to you to decide. Interested students and employers can find out more at the following link:
http://cs.unh.edu/certificate.htm
I hope this is helpful information.
JA
UNH Manchester's Masters in IT Program - we need your input
Posted by Jason Alexander
Here at Alexander Technology Group we stay very active with local educational institutions such as UNH Manchester. As such, we are doing all we can to help gain student and employer feedback about a proposed Masters Degree in IT which could be offered at the Manchester campus. A few minutes of your participation could be very helpful in getting this program launched and tailored appropriately.
For potential students, please take the following brief survey - http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/msit08.htm
For interested employers, please take the following brief survey - http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/msite08.htm
Thank you a great deal for your support and interest!
JA
Here at Alexander Technology Group we stay very active with local educational institutions such as UNH Manchester. As such, we are doing all we can to help gain student and employer feedback about a proposed Masters Degree in IT which could be offered at the Manchester campus. A few minutes of your participation could be very helpful in getting this program launched and tailored appropriately.
For potential students, please take the following brief survey - http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/msit08.htm
For interested employers, please take the following brief survey - http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/msite08.htm
Thank you a great deal for your support and interest!
JA
Great NH-based Networking and Education Event on Jan 19th...
Posted by: Jason Alexander
As we are a proud sponsor of the Software Association of NH, we are working hard to help promote a great educational event on Social Media/Networking tomorrow night in Bedford, NH. Below is a bit about the speakers as well as a link to register:
Fee: $10 for members, $25 for non-members
Location: Commerce Dr., Bedford, NH at SERESC
Registration: HTTP://GUEST.CVENT.COM/I.ASPX?4W%2CM3%2C9971E387-D12E-4E8F-9E3D-994604093136
Speakers:
Mark Roberge is VP Sales at HubSpot, an Internet marketing software company based in Cambridge, MA.
Mark oversees HubSpot’s entire sales function, having grown the department to 40+ sales reps and approximately 2,000 customers in just over two years. Prior to HubSpot, Mark founded and held executive positions in startups in the social media and mobile sectors. Mark started his career as a technology consultant with Accenture.
Mark holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management where he was a semi-finalist in the 2005 MIT $50K Business Plan competition and was awarded the Patrick McGovern award for his contributions to entrepreneurship at MIT. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University. Mark has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, and other major publications for his entrepreneurial ventures.
Mark is a regular speaker at MIT and various industry conferences on the topics of inbound marketing and sales 2.0.
Ric Pratte is co-founder, President & CEO of JitterGram™, Inc. from Bedford, New Hampshire.
JitterJam is a multi-channel marketing platform for consumer-facing businesses that integrates social media, e-mail and mobile engagement with an intelligent contact database and the tools needed to turn social interaction into new opportunities for revenue growth.
Previously Ric co-founded and was CEO for Campagne Associates that developed a line of fundraising CRM software solutions implemented to over 3,200 nonprofit organizations. The company built a reputation for innovative solutions in software and services delivery as well as maintaining superb client relationships ensuring their success. Ric lead a culture of high team engagement that brought the company recognition as one of the best places to work and innovation awards. Blackbaud Inc. of Charleston, SC acquired Campagne in 2006.
Ric is a business-building entrepreneur. Key tenets he uses to drive success are: building and articulating clear customer value propositions; keeping focus on the vision and aligning all resources with that vision; cultivation on an internally defined, results driven corporate culture.
Ric holds leadership and board positions in numerous corporate and non-profit organizations.
As we are a proud sponsor of the Software Association of NH, we are working hard to help promote a great educational event on Social Media/Networking tomorrow night in Bedford, NH. Below is a bit about the speakers as well as a link to register:
Fee: $10 for members, $25 for non-members
Location: Commerce Dr., Bedford, NH at SERESC
Registration: HTTP://GUEST.CVENT.COM/I.ASPX?4W%2CM3%2C9971E387-D12E-4E8F-9E3D-994604093136
Speakers:
Mark Roberge is VP Sales at HubSpot, an Internet marketing software company based in Cambridge, MA.
Mark oversees HubSpot’s entire sales function, having grown the department to 40+ sales reps and approximately 2,000 customers in just over two years. Prior to HubSpot, Mark founded and held executive positions in startups in the social media and mobile sectors. Mark started his career as a technology consultant with Accenture.
Mark holds an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management where he was a semi-finalist in the 2005 MIT $50K Business Plan competition and was awarded the Patrick McGovern award for his contributions to entrepreneurship at MIT. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University. Mark has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, and other major publications for his entrepreneurial ventures.
Mark is a regular speaker at MIT and various industry conferences on the topics of inbound marketing and sales 2.0.
Ric Pratte is co-founder, President & CEO of JitterGram™, Inc. from Bedford, New Hampshire.
JitterJam is a multi-channel marketing platform for consumer-facing businesses that integrates social media, e-mail and mobile engagement with an intelligent contact database and the tools needed to turn social interaction into new opportunities for revenue growth.
Previously Ric co-founded and was CEO for Campagne Associates that developed a line of fundraising CRM software solutions implemented to over 3,200 nonprofit organizations. The company built a reputation for innovative solutions in software and services delivery as well as maintaining superb client relationships ensuring their success. Ric lead a culture of high team engagement that brought the company recognition as one of the best places to work and innovation awards. Blackbaud Inc. of Charleston, SC acquired Campagne in 2006.
Ric is a business-building entrepreneur. Key tenets he uses to drive success are: building and articulating clear customer value propositions; keeping focus on the vision and aligning all resources with that vision; cultivation on an internally defined, results driven corporate culture.
Ric holds leadership and board positions in numerous corporate and non-profit organizations.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Welcoming John Whelan to the team...
Posted by Jason Alexander
What better content to blog about than to announce the addition of key team members here at Alexander Technology Group. First, it's worth reporting that we had a fantastic 2009 and, due to that fact, found ourselves in need of some restructuring to cater to the current and projected growth. For all of our loyal partners, we say now, and will continue to say thank you.
Getting back to the news, we recently welcomed aboard John Whelan. John is the new Director of Recruiting for our NH Office and brings a very successful track record in the technology staffing industry (more details on our Management Page).
As we continue to grow throughout 2010, I look forward to more posts of new team additions.
"Coffee is for Closers"
JA
Saturday, January 2, 2010
2010 Starts with Employee Retention...
Posted by Jason Alexander
As we enter into Q1 of 2010 emotions are mixed in the NH and MA business communities. While most will agree that we have a way to go before times are universally prosperous the job market is beginning to shift for the better. Although we find ourselves in the wake of economic disaster and most businesses continue to be instinctively locked into tactical survival mode, smart companies are strategically planning for the long term. It may appear that labor is cheap and potential employees are available in large quantity however the war for talent is already under way. The quality of employee retention can be the difference between capitalizing on prosperous times and back peddling to combat attrition. Your window of opportunity narrows every day.
When the dot com boom became the dot bomb bust, times became challenging for a multitude of industries. While faced with the challenges of staying afloat, making payroll, and satisfying customers with limited resources, many businesses lost sight of employee satisfaction and valuation (This has been an equally, if not more intensely, common thread throughout the last twelve to eighteen months). In 2004 and 2005, as the market began to rebound, employees began leaving their employers in droves. Why? Other companies started to pay. New companies were emerging. New and exciting challenges were becoming available. Most importantly, the opportunity to be valued had again become available. These challenges are avoidable but it takes time, thought, and commitment.
Value Employees Proactively
Many instinctively feel that valuing an employee starts and ends with $$MONEY$$. While it is difficult to hide from the necessity of the all mighty dollar and the comfort it can provide, placing value on employees involves a great deal more. Positive reinforcement, increased exposure and responsibility, recognition, and non-monetary benefits are all great ways to show an employee is appreciated and highly valued. The only problem, and often magnified in challenging times, is that these gestures are typically delivered at the request (or repeated demand) of the employee. Developing a frequent and structured practice of illustrating employee appreciation and valuation can be a major factor in an integral resource staying put or moving to where the grass is greener.
Follow Through on Promises
Tough times require any business to do what it takes to survive. Often this means paying an employee less, requiring more hours, or demanding one performs the tasks of two in exchange for stability and the promise of future benefits. This is a perfectly acceptable practice “IF” promises are documented and followed through with in a timely and proactive fashion. Running your business with integrity can easily equate to a comfortable employee base. As cliché as it may sound, trust must precede passion and productivity.
Listen to Your People
Difficult economic times can, all too easily, cripple our listening skills. “Employees are lucky to have jobs and we need it NOW. Let’s just get through this month and we can talk later. We just lost our largest client; I don’t have time for this.” Stop me if any of this sounds familiar. While the intent of such rants isn’t malicious and the motive is instinctively survivalist, the message is less than comforting and often not forgotten. In any address delivered by a motivational business leader, we are typically, in some way shape or form, instructed to step outside our comfort zone. In a disastrous economy, making the time to sit down and listen to our employees can be dramatically outside of our comfort zones. Make the time and make it often. Listen and react to how your employees enjoy their roles, their compensation, their place in life, their career progression and anything they want to talk about (within reason).
In Conclusion
Businesses have an amazing opportunity to retain a strong foundational employee base if they make employee retention an urgent priority today. In the not-so-distant future we will find ourselves in far more prosperous and rewarding times. Take a moment to forecast your optimal scenario. When economic growth is uncurbed and dollars are free-flowing do you want to find your company building products and delivering services or struggling to rebuild your critical staff. Currently the outcome remains controllable. The question is for how long.
As we enter into Q1 of 2010 emotions are mixed in the NH and MA business communities. While most will agree that we have a way to go before times are universally prosperous the job market is beginning to shift for the better. Although we find ourselves in the wake of economic disaster and most businesses continue to be instinctively locked into tactical survival mode, smart companies are strategically planning for the long term. It may appear that labor is cheap and potential employees are available in large quantity however the war for talent is already under way. The quality of employee retention can be the difference between capitalizing on prosperous times and back peddling to combat attrition. Your window of opportunity narrows every day.
When the dot com boom became the dot bomb bust, times became challenging for a multitude of industries. While faced with the challenges of staying afloat, making payroll, and satisfying customers with limited resources, many businesses lost sight of employee satisfaction and valuation (This has been an equally, if not more intensely, common thread throughout the last twelve to eighteen months). In 2004 and 2005, as the market began to rebound, employees began leaving their employers in droves. Why? Other companies started to pay. New companies were emerging. New and exciting challenges were becoming available. Most importantly, the opportunity to be valued had again become available. These challenges are avoidable but it takes time, thought, and commitment.
Value Employees Proactively
Many instinctively feel that valuing an employee starts and ends with $$MONEY$$. While it is difficult to hide from the necessity of the all mighty dollar and the comfort it can provide, placing value on employees involves a great deal more. Positive reinforcement, increased exposure and responsibility, recognition, and non-monetary benefits are all great ways to show an employee is appreciated and highly valued. The only problem, and often magnified in challenging times, is that these gestures are typically delivered at the request (or repeated demand) of the employee. Developing a frequent and structured practice of illustrating employee appreciation and valuation can be a major factor in an integral resource staying put or moving to where the grass is greener.
Follow Through on Promises
Tough times require any business to do what it takes to survive. Often this means paying an employee less, requiring more hours, or demanding one performs the tasks of two in exchange for stability and the promise of future benefits. This is a perfectly acceptable practice “IF” promises are documented and followed through with in a timely and proactive fashion. Running your business with integrity can easily equate to a comfortable employee base. As cliché as it may sound, trust must precede passion and productivity.
Listen to Your People
Difficult economic times can, all too easily, cripple our listening skills. “Employees are lucky to have jobs and we need it NOW. Let’s just get through this month and we can talk later. We just lost our largest client; I don’t have time for this.” Stop me if any of this sounds familiar. While the intent of such rants isn’t malicious and the motive is instinctively survivalist, the message is less than comforting and often not forgotten. In any address delivered by a motivational business leader, we are typically, in some way shape or form, instructed to step outside our comfort zone. In a disastrous economy, making the time to sit down and listen to our employees can be dramatically outside of our comfort zones. Make the time and make it often. Listen and react to how your employees enjoy their roles, their compensation, their place in life, their career progression and anything they want to talk about (within reason).
In Conclusion
Businesses have an amazing opportunity to retain a strong foundational employee base if they make employee retention an urgent priority today. In the not-so-distant future we will find ourselves in far more prosperous and rewarding times. Take a moment to forecast your optimal scenario. When economic growth is uncurbed and dollars are free-flowing do you want to find your company building products and delivering services or struggling to rebuild your critical staff. Currently the outcome remains controllable. The question is for how long.
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