As news happens, this page gets updated with the latest every day! Check it often to see what's happening at Fandotech.

Recent Articles

• Fandotech Gets Manchester High School Students Involved
• Fandotech Joins West of the River Chamber of Commerce
• Town of Greenwich Implements New Technology to Manage Mooring Fields
• Nine Lives Media Inc. Names Fandotech to the Third-Annual MSPmentor 100
• Fandotech Designated Fastest Growing IT Services Firm by Connecticut Technology Council
• Fandotech Achieves Gold Partner Status with SonicWALL
• Fandotech Nominated to the CT Tech Top 40
• Michael Conigliaro Become Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)
• Fandotech Awarded Spot #1383 in Inc. Magazine
• MX Logic Service Enhancements
• CT Area Codes to Impact Technology
• Fandotech Announces New Ways to Make Money with Microsoft
• Conficker Computer Virus Concerns
• Fandotech Introduces Online Mooring
• Fandotech Completes SAS 70 Type II Audit
• Gesino and Kaupp Attain PMP Certification
• Fandotech Chosen by CTC as an Award Winner in the UHY LLP Tech Top 40
• Fandotech Visited by Chinese Delegation
• Fandotech Earns Cisco Select Partner Designation
• New Level 4 Data Center Opens in Manchester
• Fuss & O'Neill Technologies Acquires Uplinc, Inc.
• Brian Doyle Named one of the Top 250 Top Managed Services Executives, Entrepreneurs and Experts

April 23, 2010—Daniel Minakhom, a junior at Manchester High School, has enlisted as an honorary member of the Fandotech team through the end of the school year. Daniel will spend 7 weeks shadowing different departments within the company and learning how to navigate specialized software used to organize, track and publish projects.

At the age of 16 he’s not sure what career path he’d like to pursue, “But having the skills I have obtained during my internship in computer web design is something I really want to have a future part in,” Daniel commented. In learning to create and manage his own website, Daniel has drawn on his passion for MHS Football with the hopes of promoting team pride and community unity. (Check out his site at http://dm.cms.fandotech.com.)

Fandotech’s web developer, Craig Samson, has been mentoring Daniel since he began the 7-week program. “I see this as an opportunity to provide Daniel with real-world practical skills that he can later apply in any job. Understanding the concept of a billable hour and learning how to interact with clients are skills he can use in any market,” said Samson. Commenting on the mutual benefits, Samson added, “We stand to learn a thing or two from him as well regarding the new generation and emerging demographic of IT solution consumers. It’s a pleasure having him as part of the team!”

Fandotech has supported MHS students for over eight years, through internship opportunities, coaching, and job shadowing, as well as classroom exercises in real-world problem solving. When asked about Fandotech’s involvement with the high school, John Boyd responded, “The management team is committed to this outreach because our future workforce is shaped by influencing intelligent young people to aim at the right targets.” Again, underscoring a mutual exchange of benefits, the Fandotech President echoed, “Fandotech also gains insight into the value young people place on technology. Daniel taught us that a website he is developing is not just about having a place to capture and display statistics for his high school football team to college scouts…to him it is about building community and pride. That kind of thinking elevates us all! With this experience I hope that Daniel will continue to see that technology is a great tool for leadership in whatever career he decides to pursue.”

When asked what he hoped to gain from the program, the thoughtful junior responded, “I’d like to understand how to run a well organized business and to take away some knowledge from every department.”

Having already built a content managed website and working alongside our technicians manning phones in the Technical Assistance Center (TAC), it would appear he’s well on his way!

April 10, 2010—On April 7, 2010 Fandotech was formally introduced as the newest member of the West of the River Chamber of Commerce. Steve Holt, Business Development Manager of West Springfield, MA and Gillian Kenny, Marketing Program Administrator, represented the company when announced at the 7th Annual Communications and Leadership Conference Chamber Breakfast held at Western New England College.

Steve Holt was impressed with the turnout and eager to get reacquainted with members. “After a nearly ten year absence since my previous chamber engagement, I’m excited to again be a part of such an active and successful chamber,” Steve commented. “The community and connections fostered by this Chamber alliance are invaluable. I’m sure that Fandotech will have much to offer in the relationships forged during upcoming events,” Holt added.

About the West of the River Chamber of Commerce
The West of the River Chamber represents businesses of all sizes, industry and profession in Agawam and West Springfield and provides programs designed to meet the needs of WRC members.

The WRC and its membership are fully represented as an affiliate of the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, Inc. Representation of its membership is included on the ACCGS Board of Directors, the ACCGS Legislative Steering Committee and the ACCGS Membership Committee. As well, to enhance the membership on a local level and ensure that local needs are met, the WRC has formed the following committees specific to Agawam and West Springfield business issues.

March 10, 2010—The First Selectman’s Coastal Resources Advisory Committee has announced the implementation of a new leading edge on line mooring management system.

With over twenty seven miles of coastline, seven harbors, three Federal Navigation channels, four Town leased boating clubs, four private yacht clubs, and more than 700 moorings, Greenwich represents one of the largest, most diverse and beautiful yet challenging coastal resources in the State.

This new software system, developed by Fuss & O’Neill Technologies, is in use today in Shelter Island, NY, Waterford, CT, Falmouth ME, and Portsmouth. It is designed to meet the challenges of mooring management. The system includes permits, renewals, wait lists, online payments, mooring coordinates, vessel information, and emergency warning capabilities. It has been modified by the vendor with no additional cost to include a number of suggestions received from the committee, Jonathan Asch, the Harbormaster, and the boating public.

The new system was demonstrated to the boating public at the Coastal Resources meeting held Monday, March 8, 2010, at the Greenwich Boat and Yacht Club. The many safety features of the system include the ability of the Marine Police and the Harbormaster to quickly identify the owner or an emergency contact designee provided by the boater, in critical situations. A paper work option and help desk will also be available.

The system is linked to Google Earth and that will aid the Harbormaster in optimizing critical mooring field assignment locations. The Town’s mooring wait list will be accessible to the boating public for entry of new requests and viewing of existing wait list status. The system includes significant security, access, and backup features. It also facilitates and tracks two-way communication via email and regular mail.

The nominal cost for the system has been built in to new mooring fees that were recommended by the Committee and unanimously approved by the three Selectmen at a public meeting in March 2009. The cost for all other taxpayers is $0.00.

The Coastal Resources Advisory Committee is composed of 15 members representing a very diverse set of credentials and a strong commitment to volunteer their time and talents to enhance our waterways. The Committee has spent countless hours and invested hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of volunteer experience on behalf of all town residents to improve our coastal resources.

For additional information, please contact John Craine at jcraine@optonline.net or 203-698-0118.

Global Research Report Identifies The World’s Most Progressive Managed Service Providers

February 11, 2010—Fandotech has landed on Nine Lives Media Inc.’s third-annual MSPmentor 100, a distinguished research report identifying the world’s most progressive managed service providers.

"Being named to the MSPmentor 100 list is an honor and a significant milestone for Fandotech," said John W. Boyd Jr., President. "We attribute our growth to our innovative team of certified professionals and our ‘big picture’ approach to IT solutions."

The free MSPmentor 100 report, available at www.MSPmentor.net, is based on data from MSPmentor’s global online survey, conducted October through December 2009. The MSPmentor 100 report recognizes managed service providers based on a range of revenue and management metrics.

“Despite the challenging economy, MSPmentor 100 companies generated more than $700 million in combined recurring revenue and managed services revenue, up 31 percent from the companies’ combined results in 2008,” said Joe Panettieri, editorial director of MSPmentor. “Our report also reveals how MSPs are already profiting from SaaS and cloud services.

MSPmentor, produced by Nine Lives Media Inc., is the ultimate guide to managed services. MSPmentor features the industry’s top-ranked blog, research, Webcasts, and FastChat videos. It is the number one online media destination for managed service providers in the world.

About Fandotech
Fandotech provides business solutions from the desktop to the data center. Our data center facilities are supported 24/7/365 by our certified team, delivering cloud technology solutions to companies of every size. Along with application development and on-site managed services, our three data centers provide hosting, colocation and managed network services. Currently monitoring and operating client assets from Boston to the Hudson Valley, Fandotech is well positioned to support our clients’ business goals.

About Nine Lives Media Inc.
Nine Lives Media Inc. (www.NineLivesMediaInc.com) embraces the changing IT media landscape. In fact, we help to shape it. We focus on highly targeted IT audiences and specialized content. We disrupt established media markets and we shape new ones. Our first five destinations (MSPmentor.net, MSPtweet.com, TheVARguy.com, VARtweet.com and WorksWithU.com) are the top-ranked blogs and destinations in their specific markets.

Contact:
Fandotech
Brian Doyle, VP of Business Development
860-533-5120 or bdoyle@fandotech.com

Nine Lives Media Inc.
Joe Panettieri, Editorial Director
631-423-3536 or joe@ninelivesmediainc.com

October 23, 2009—Fandotech's increase in revenues of 243 percent from 2005 to 2008 resulted in their inclusion and ultimate first place designation in the IT Services category of this year’s Tech Top 40.

In late September Fandotech was named to the Connecticut Technology Council’s 2009 UHY LLP Tech Top 40 program, a celebration of the 40 fastest growing Software, IT, New Media, Advanced Manufacturing, Energy/Telecom/Green Tech and Life Sciences companies in Connecticut. Selection was based on the percentage revenue growth over four years from 2005-2008.

At the Council’s award ceremony held Thursday, October 22, 2009 Fandotech was awarded the designation of being the fastest growing IT Services company in Connecticut.

Fandotech's President, John W. Boyd, Jr., accepted the award on behalf of his team. Acknowledging that it's been a challenging year for businesses in CT he attributed growth in IT services to the strong, competitive environment in the state. John credits the evolution of managed cloud based services with the company's 243 percent revenue growth from 2005-2008. Boyd said, “Fandotech will continue to grow their team's capabilities and their revenue with capital, competition and collaborative efforts."

After the award presentation, Fandotech's VP of Business Development, Brian Doyle, praised his team. “This is an exciting award for our team. It is a testament to the hard work and commitment that each of our team members make in delivering best of breed solutions to our clients. It is a great honor for us to receive this award from the Connecticut Technology Council and we thank them for their efforts in recognizing the great wealth of industry talent that Connecticut has to offer.”

To qualify for the UHY LLP Tech Top 40, companies must have had operating revenues of at least $50,000 in 2004 and $3,000,000 in 2008, be headquartered in Connecticut, and be own proprietary technology or proprietary intellectual property that contributes to a significant portion of the company's operating revenues; or devotes a significant proportion of revenues to the research and development of technology.

For more information on the UHY LLP Tech Top 40 and/or the CTC please visit the CT Technology Coucil’s website at www.ct.org.

About Fandotech
Fandotech provides business solutions from the desktop to the data center. Our data center facilities are supported 24/7/365 by our certified team, delivering cloud technology solutions to companies of every size. Along with application development and on-site managed services, our three data centers provide hosting, colocation and managed network services. Currently monitoring and operating client assets from Boston to the Hudson Valley, Fandotech is well positioned to support our clients’ business goals.

About UHY LLP
UHY LLP is a licensed independent CPA firm that performs attest services for UHY Advisors, Inc. UHY Advisors, Inc. provides tax and business consulting services through wholly owned subsidiary entities that operate under the name “UHY Advisors.” UHY Advisors, Inc. and its subsidiary entities have more than 1300 professionals providing services from 23 offices across the United States. UHY Advisors, Inc and its subsidiaries are not licensed CPA firms. UHY LLP and UHY Advisors, Inc. are independent members of UHY International. www.uhyllp-us.com

About The Connecticut Technology Council, Inc.
The Connecticut Technology Council is the state’s industry association for the technology sector. CTC’s mission is to “connect people, ideas and opportunities to the global technology and innovation community.” CTC provides members with business assistance and specialized programs, in addition to promoting and supporting public policies that position Connecticut to have a globally recognized “culture of innovation” that helps attract great ideas and entrepreneurs to in turn develop new jobs and wealth for the state. www.ct.org

SonicWALL has elevated Fandotech to gold status in their Medallion Partner Program. SonicWALL is a leading security vendor providing products to secure client environments, identify external threats, and filter unwanted traffic. Fandotech achieved this status by consistently achieving revenue goals set forth by SonicWALL. SonicWALL defines a gold partner as a solutions based service organization. Developing solution using their own brand, gold partners employ multiple vendor products to be delivered over a broad solution area or vertical market. In addition to delivering vendor supported solutions, gold partners deliver consultation services, often acting as a trusted advisor to their clients.

“Fandotech is excited to achieve gold status with SonicWALL. The SonicWALL partner program and their supporting team have been the key to our success as a reseller within the SMB marketplace,” stated Brian Doyle, VP of Business Development. Doyle continued saying, “Without the support of our Channel Management team and the strength of the SonicWALL technologies our security practice would not have expanded as quickly as it has to date.”

SonicWALL is the manufacturer of a number of security focused products including Unified Threat Management, Email Defense, Content Security, and Backup and Recovery.

Fandotech has Been Chosen by the Connecticut Technology Council in the IT Services Category as an
Award Winner in the 2009 UHY LLP Tech Top 40

Manchester, CT September 23, 2009 — Fandotech has been named to the Connecticut Technology Council’s 2009 UHY LLP Tech Top 40 program, a celebration of the 40 fastest growing Software, IT, New Media, Advanced Manufacturing, Energy/Telecom/Green Tech and Life Sciences companies in Connecticut. Selection was based on the percentage revenue growth over four years from 2005–2008.

Fandotech's increase in revenues of 243 percent from 2005 to 2008 resulted in their inclusion in the IT Services category of this year’s Tech Top 40.

To qualify for the UHY LLP Tech Top 40, companies must have had operating revenues of at least $50,000 in 2004 and $3,000,000 in 2008, be headquartered in Connecticut, and be own proprietary technology or proprietary intellectual property that contributes to a significant portion of the company's operating revenues; or devotes a significant proportion of revenues to the research and development of technology.

For more information on the UHY LLP Tech Top 40 and/or the CTC please visit the CT Technology Coucil’s website at www.ct.org.

About Fandotech
Fandotech provides business solutions from the desktop to the data center. Our data center facilities are supported 24/7/365 by our certified team, delivering cloud technology solutions to companies of every size. Along with application development and on-site managed services, our three data centers provide hosting, colocation and managed network services. Currently monitoring and operating client assets from Boston to the Hudson Valley, Fandotech is well positioned to support our clients’ business goals.

About UHY LLP
UHY LLP is a licensed independent CPA firm that performs attest services for UHY Advisors, Inc. UHY Advisors, Inc. provides tax and business consulting services through wholly owned subsidiary entities that operate under the name “UHY Advisors.” UHY Advisors, Inc. and its subsidiary entities have more than 1300 professionals providing services from 23 offices across the United States. UHY Advisors, Inc and its subsidiaries are not licensed CPA firms. UHY LLP and UHY Advisors, Inc. are independent members of UHY International. www.uhyllp-us.com.

About The Connecticut Technology Council, Inc.
The Connecticut Technology Council is the state’s industry association for the technology sector. CTC’s mission is to “connect people, ideas and opportunities to the global technology and innovation community.” CTC provides members with business assistance and specialized programs, in addition to promoting and supporting public policies that position Connecticut to have a globally recognized “culture of innovation” that helps attract great ideas and entrepreneurs to in turn develop new jobs and wealth for the state. www.ct.org

Achieves perfect score while attaining the RHCE designation

September 17, 2009—Fandotech is pleased to announce that Michael Conigliaro has attained his Red Hat Certified Engineer Certification (RHCE). Not only did Michael achieve this designation, but he earned the honor with a perfect score on the 3.5 hour, hands-on examination.

The RHCE is a performance-based test that is geared to measuring an engineer’s actual competency on a live system. The exam proves an engineer’s ability to configure security and networking services on servers that run Red Hat Linux.

Michael, a Senior Network Engineer, has been tasked as the project leader for Fandotech’s cloud computing services strategies. Michael has been instrumental in delivering a number of new services delivered from Fandotech’s Manchester data centers and is currently working to develop a number of new initiatives.

“Our clients’ biggest concern is the availability of their applications hosted in our data centers.” stated Brian Doyle, VP of Business Development. “In attaining this certification Michael has helped reinforce to our clients that we have skilled and knowledgeable team to care for their mission critical systems while insuring maximum uptime.”

August 17, 2009 - Inc. magazine began recognizing the fastest-growing private U.S. companies beginning in 1991. Its top 100 ranked list grew to 500 the following year and the year 2007 saw the unveiling of the Inc. 5000. “The list[s have] served as evidence of the significant accomplishments of entrepreneurial companies. As an Inc. 5000 honoree, Fandotech shares a prestigious pedigree with some of the most successful businesses in America,” explains Editor Jane Berentson.

Upon receiving the news of Fandotech’s standing at #1383, Brian Doyle, VP of Business Development for the technology firm, said of the honor, “This is a tribute to our team whose diligence, persistence and quality delivery of our services have helped us successfully achieve our revenue goals. It is our determination to use this momentum as we continue developing and implementing business solutions for our clients,” he added, “Of course, we hope to be on the list for years to come!”

You may download a PDF version of this Press Release here.

On Monday, July 20, 2009 MX Logic implemented the following:

MX Control Console
Designed to improve the overall user experience and ease in account management, the following enhancements will be implemented:

• Updated masthead - The Control Console masthead will be redesigned to ensure consistency throughout the administrative portal. The placement of navigational elements will change, but there will be no change in functionality
• New location and content for What’s New - The What’s New information pane will be removed from the Email Defense Service Overview page. Going forward, users will be able to get information about the latest changes to the Control Console by accessing a What’s New link at the top right of every page. Customers that have been configured to view the News pane on the EDS Overview page will continue to see that pane, which will be extended to fill the space left by the deleted What’s New pane. No content will appear for Customers that are not configured to view the News pane.
• Graphic elements to be standardized - All icons are being standardized across all Control Console pages to provide more consistency for the user experience.
• Greater page utilization– All pages on the Control Console will be adjusted to utilize the full width of the page.
• Pre-authentication pages redesigned - All pre-authentication pages, including Sign-in, Change Password and Security Question, will be redesigned for consistency.
• Localization of Control Console pages - Users will be able to view Control Console content in their preferred language. Available languages include English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese and Korean. The localized language will be applied to UI elements, Online Help, Inline Help, warning messages and error messages. Pages within the Message Archiving section will not be localized at this time.
• Search to be relocated - Search is being moved to the upper right of all pages except those within the Message Archiving section.

MX Logic Service Enhancements
The following service enhancements to the Email Defense Service, Web Defense Service and Message Archiving Service will also be introduced on July 20.

MX Logic® Email Defense Service

• Backscatter Abatement – MX Logic is providing a mechanism for customers to reduce the effect of backscatter, or bounce messages, on their systems, A check box is being added to (EDS) Inbound Policies/Anti-Spam/Classification (More Options) that will enable a customer to block the receipt of inbound bounce messages. When checked, an alert will appear that alerts the user that “Selecting this option will result in the denial of all bounce messages.” For customers that subscribe to Outbound Message Filtering, a secure tag will be added to the header of each outbound message. Should an outgoing message fail to reach its intended recipient, the MX Logic system will identify the resulting bounce message as legitimate, based on the header tag, and will allow the bounce message to pass on to the customer.
• Spam Quarantine Address Views - Reseller, Customer and Domain Administrators will be able to disable the view of user addresses/aliases in the HTML versions of Spam Quarantine Reports so that users do not have to scroll through multiple addresses before viewing the quarantine items.
• Spam Quarantine Reports HTML or Text Options - MX Logic is adding the capability for users to view either HTML or text versions of their SQRs. Administrators will be able to select from the following Report Type options at Email Defense/Policies/Anti-spam/Reports. In addition, users will be able to change their view by navigating to their User Preferences via the link at the bottom of their SQRs. From the Report Type drop-down menu, Administrators can select the SQR format and the content they want included in user SQRs, with options that include:
  • HTML – All Quarantine Messages - this generates an HTML message containing an HTML table of all spam messages in the user’s quarantine.
  • HTML – New Items Since Last Report - this generates an HTML message containing an HTML table of any new quarantined spam messages since the user’s last report.
  • Text – Summary – this generates a text-formatted message noting the number of new messages in the user’s quarantine, a total count of all messages in the user’s quarantine (if it is different from the new count), and a link to the user’s quarantine. (No message details are contained in this message.
  • Text – New Items Since Last Report - this generates a text-formatted message noting the number of new messages in the user’s quarantine, as well as a Text Summary grid containing messages details for all new spam messages in the user’s quarantine.

The HTML format options allow you to select what type of content you want included in your SQRs.

• HTML – with Actions - this HTML report allows the user to perform actions directly from the SQR without accessing the Quarantine via the Control Console. Each message will have links to “Release”, “Always Deny”, and (if allowed) “Always Deny.” There will also be a “Delete All” option on the message, which when clicked deletes all messages in the user’s quarantine.
• HTML – without Actions - this report does not contain any of the “action” links. Users will still be able to access their quarantines via the Control Console.

MX Logic® Web Defense Service

• WDS Connector Updates - Several updates will be made to the WDS Connector to improve its performance.
• The ability of the MX Logic Threat Center to respond to zero-hour web threats will be enhanced with several system improvements.

MX Logic® Message Archiving Service

• Outlook 2007 Integration - The Message Archiving Service will be integrated with Microsoft Outlook 2007, enabling authorized end users to search for archived messages directly through an Outlook folder, without having to log into the MX Control Console.

• Communication Feed Being Removed – The Communications Feed pane on the Message Archiving Overview page will be removed to provide more room on the page for critical service information.
• Search Criteria Masked During Searches – All search criteria fields will be grayed-out and inaccessible during searches so that a search cannot be modified or re-run until it completes.

   

In an effort to ensure a continuing supply of telephone numbers in the state of Connecticut, the Department of Public Utility Control has ordered two area code overlays in Connecticut. Area codes 203 and 860 will be overlaid with codes 475 and 959 respectively.

What is an area code overlay?
An overlay is the addition of another area code (475) to the same geographic region as an existing area code (203). An overlay does not require customers to change their existing area code or phone number.

Who will be affected?
All Connecticut customers with a 203 or 860 number will have to change the way they dial local calls. The new 475 area code will serve customers in the same geographic region as the current 203 area code and the new 959 area code, when implemented, will serve customers in the same geographic region as the current 860 area code.

What will be the new dialing procedure?
To complete local calls, the new dialing procedure requires callers to dial area code + telephone number. This means that all calls in Connecticut that are currently dialed with seven digits will need to be dialed using area code + telephone number.

When will the change begin?
May 16, 2009 marked the start of the new dialing procedure for local calls placed in Connecticut. Currently, if you forget and use the old dialing procedure of dialing just seven digits, your call will still be completed.

Beginning November 14, 2009, you must use the new dialing procedure for all local calls in Connecticut. If you do not use the new dialing procedure, your call will not be completed, and a recording will instruct you to hang up and dial again.

Beginning December 12, 2009, new telephone lines or services may be assigned numbers with the 475 area code.

The new 959 area code telephone numbers will be assigned at a future date. No dates have been announced at this time.

What will you need to do?

1. Train your staff to dial differently.
2. Update colocation servers that auto-dial.
3. Update your PBX to recognize and accept the new area codes.
4. Update all emergency numbers to include area code.
5. Update your Security devices to dial with area code.
6. Update any auto-dialed alert systems.
7. Modem and fax dialing must use all 10 digits.
8. Other considerations are life safety systems, Internet dial-up numbers, gates, speed dialers, mobile phone contact lists, call forwarding settings, voicemail services, etc.

Be sure to check your business stationery, advertising materials, personal checks, and your personal or pet ID tags to ensure the area code is included.

What will remain the same?

1. Your telephone number, including current area code, will not change.
2. The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change due to the overlay.
3. You can still dial just three digits to reach 911 as well as 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711 and 811.

If you have any questions about how this may impact your technology solution set, contact your Account Manager today.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009—Microsoft has traditionally been a necessary evil of most companies’ IT Infrastructure and the cost has not been inexpensive. But Microsoft is reflecting the changing economic climate by offering new rebates and promotions. Many of the technologies Fandotech has recently been highlighting are now eligible for big discounts. Microsoft's core promotion is called The Big Easy.

The Big Easy 3.0
The Big Easy is a promotion where, for qualified purchases, the client receives a partner subsidy check to be used against the cost of the software or Fandotech implementation services. The promotion includes the products that most of our clients use daily, including Office, Windows Server, Exchange, and SQL Server. Fandotech makes it easy by calculating your rebate subsidy prior to the sale so our clients know exactly what discount to expect.

A benefit to The Big Easy is that it can be combined with other offers, providing deeper savings on most purchases. Highlighted below are two offers common needed by many organizations and are promotions we have successfully utilized for our clients already:

The Exchange Server 2007 Standard Edition Promotion (through June 30, 2009)
This discount is to assist clients in migrating to Exchange 2007 from Exchange 2003. This program provides rebates for as few as 1 server and 10 client access licenses (CALs).

Microsoft Core CAL Suite for Windows Servers (through June 30, 2009)
Many clients have expressed concern regarding license compliance. With the normal ebb and flow of business, employee counts can be quite fluid. As a result, it is not uncommon for CAL count and employee count not to align completely. This can be especially challenging for organizations that have substantial growth; these numbers can vary by over 20%.

Another challenge arises for clients desiring to make a system upgrade from Windows 2003 to 2008. The 2003 CALs cannot be reused and are not upgradable. This promotion assists companies who wish to migrate or become compliant. Discounts on CALs average between 20-35% from standard pricing and the discount is at the time of sale. This discount can easily translate to thousands of dollars for many companies.

So, here is an example of the potential savings for a client that has 50 employees and wants to purchase Exchange Server 2007:

	Standard Pricing	Promotional Pricing	Savings
1 Exchange 2007 Standard License	$750.00	$625.00	$125.00
50 Exchange	($69/ea.) $3450.00	($56/ea.) $2800.00	$650.00
Less Big Easy Promotion	n/a	- $60.00	$60.00
Total	$4200.00	$3365.00	$835.00

This provides a total savings of $835 on this configuration. Discounts become deeper with multiple products (i.e. Windows Server 2008, Microsoft Office, etc).

Please let us know if you have any questions or you want to learn more about available promotions that can assist you in meeting your IT needs. Your Account Manager, or a member of our Sales Team, can arrange a call with our Microsoft contacts to find the perfect promotion for your needs, getting you on the way to making money with Microsoft.

Possible April 1 Attack; Fandotech Taking Steps

March 31, 2009—Conficker virus concerns are mounting in response to CBS’s 60 Minutes report on the subject this past weekend. Fandotech is aware that many of our clients are among those who share such concerns.

For those unaware of the virus, there have been rumors circulating throughout the IT community stating that the virus “Conficker” has been embedding itself on computer systems. There is speculation of an attack to be launched on April 1st. This virus has been determined to be very aggressive and spreads quickly. To date the majority of the reported Conficker incidents have been outside the US on systems that have not been brought up to date with Microsoft patches.

According to Symantec, about 29% of infections are in China, followed by Argentina, Brazil, Russia, and India. Many of these countries are among those with the highest rate of software piracy, which is probably not a coincidence. Numerous security researchers report that less than 1% of infections appear to be in the US.

This virus was discovered late last summer and Microsoft issued a patch update in October. Also, most anti-virus software will stop it; such as Symantec, AVG, Trend-Micro and McAfee.

Microsoft released this latest statement regarding the Conficker Virus:

"Based on the relatively small number of Conficker.D infected machines, we believe it’s doubtful that we might experience anything out of the ordinary on April 1. We will however, just as we normally do, take action on anything unusual that might arise from this. To remain protected, please ensure that your systems are patched with MS08-067, keep your security software signatures updated, and clean any systems you identify that are infected with any variant of Conficker."

Source - http://blogs.technet.com/mmpc/archive/2009/03/27/information-about-worm-win32-conficker-d.aspx

Fandotech clients please note: The MS08-067 patch has been applied to all PC's and servers under a subscription service, managed servers and PCs. Potential exceptions to the last statement would include laptops in the field. We recommend those laptops be brought up to date as patch cycles could be missed when those units are out of network. For clients that manage patch updates with their own IT staff, we suggest that you bring all servers and desktops up to date by including all critical Microsoft patches.

As with any virus, it is possible that the virus may circumvent any anti-virus software or Microsoft patch in the market today. If so Fandotech will follow the lead of the major software vendors and react accordingly.

Should you have questions or require assistance please call our technical assistance center at 800-523-7161.

MARCH 23, 2009—Fandotech introduces Online Mooring, the clickest way to moor! Already being implemented by the Town of Shelter Island, NY this online tool takes the hassle out of mooring management. From permits, waiting lists and online payments to mooring coordinates, vessel info and emergency warning capabilities, Online Mooring does it all. March 5, 2009 marked the first of many free webinar demonstration of this product. At no cost to the permitting agency this web-based application will revolutionize the way coastal town across the globe track their moorings.

Harbormasters are already raving about the tracking capabilities and comprehensive vessel info that’s available at their fingertips. All necessary staff can access mooring permit information from agency facilities or even out on the water! This provides Harbormasters with up-to-date information to verify which boat should be moored at any given location. Online Mooring tracks the location of moorings, the name, size, owner of the vessel assigned to that mooring along with the ability to track fuel and other potentially hazardous materials stored on each vessel. By providing the distance and bearing that each mooring needs to be moved to reach its permitted location, Online Mooring improves mooring dispute resolution. Emergency communication capabilities are an asset with this state-of-the-art software contacts can be notified en mass with a click of a button.

Permitting agencies can reduce the effort required to generate renewal notices and the data entry cycle is shortened by sharing owner data, mooring data, and boat data among permits. Improved data quality through the use of drop-down lists, data validation and visualization of mooring locations on a map, assist in clear and concise record keeping. As wait lists are managed, agencies have the ability to verify which boat should be moored at a given location based on its name, registration number, or Hull ID. The hosted solution minimizes the impact on your agency’s limited IT resources, requiring no software installation or updates. Mooring wait lists can now be transparent to the public.

Visit onlinemooring.com to register for an upcoming webinar or request a private demo at a time that’s convenient for you!

Manchester, CT January 14, 2009—Fuss & O’Neill Technologies (Fandotech), a leading Hartford data center and managed IT service provider, announced today that it has successfully completed the SAS 70 Type II audit. An internationally recognized auditing standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), a SAS 70 examination signifies that a service organization has had its control objectives and control activities examined by an independent accounting and auditing firm.

This report is an in-depth audit of the business processes of Fandotech related to the company’s ability to deliver reliable and secure data center and managed IT services to our clients. A SAS 70 Type II audit is frequently required by public companies for compliance purposes.

“Fandotech has a continuing commitment to excellence that our clients have come to depend on! Standing behind our team and our processes, Fandotech has submitted to, and completed, a SAS/70 Type II audit. This SAS/70 Type II certification for our data centers reflects several years of process building and execution. These processes have been reviewed by a team of IT professionals, who have reviewed some of the largest carriers and IT companies in the United States. Their findings have been audited and certified by Hallisey & D’Agostino, LLP. We are proud of our result and we are proud of our professional staff. We look forward to continuing our relationship with our clients at the continued level of performance that the SAS/70 validates.” said John Boyd, President, Fandotech.

The SAS 70 Type II report verifies that Fandotech’s processes and procedures, pertaining to relevant controls over information technology related to its Manchester data center and hosting operations, is fairly presented and that such controls have been adequately designed to achieve their specified control objectives.

Fandotech’s dedicated hosting solutions and managed IT services are immediately available. For more information, please contact Fandotech at www.fandotech.com or call 1-866-514-4415 and a customer service representative will be happy to assist you.

About Fuss & O’Neill Technologies, LLC
Fuss & O’Neill Technologies, LLC (Fandotech) is an IT solutions provider based in Manchester, CT. Fandotech provides data center facilities, managed network services, and applications solutions to meet the demand of the small to mid-sized business marketplace.

With nearly 15 years servicing IT for our customers, Fandotech is keenly focused on the fact that today’s IT environment has never been more important to the daily productivity and profitability of the companies we serve. Our professional team carries industry recognized certifications and designations that afford our clients the confidence to know that we can meet their specific IT needs.

Fandotech is pleased to announce that Frank Gesino and Dan Kaupp have recently completed all requirements to become certified Project Management Professionals (PMP®). The PMP designation recognizes individuals that have demonstrated proficient skills and knowledge in leading and directing project teams to successful project completion. These individuals have a proven track record of meeting the challenges of time constraints, budget objectives, and resource scheduling.

PMP candidates go thorough a rigorous certification process that includes a combination of formal project management training, longevity in performing the roles and duties of a project manager (3-5 years experience), and a final written exam.

“Frank and Dan’s effort reinforce our commitment to continuing to grow the skills of our Professional Services team.” Stated Brian Doyle, VP of Business Development “These certifications are globally recognized, and will help us provide the best project experience possible for our clients.”

The Project Management Institute (pmi.org) is the sanctioning body for the PMP certification. With more than 265,000 members in over 170 countries, PMI is the leading membership association for the project management profession.

Frank Gesino is the VP of Professional Services for Fandotech.

Dan Kaupp is a Senior Analyst for Fandotech.

Fuss & O’Neill Technologies, LLC has been named to the Connecticut Technology Council’s inaugural UHY LLP Tech Top 40 program, a celebration of the 40 fastest growing Software, IT, New Media, Advanced Manufacturing, Energy/Telecom/Green Tech and Life Sciences companies in Connecticut. Selection was based on the percentage revenue growth over four years; 2004 to 2007.

Fuss & O’Neill Technologies, LLC’s President, John Boyd, credits our team’s vast industry experience and commitment to sales and service as a key component to our company’s 525 percent revenue growth from 2004 to 2007. Boyd said, “Our experience and commitment to our clients has resulted in long term relationships. Our current client base is increasing their services with us and referring us to their business associates. As the technology industry shifts more services into the “cloud” we have set ourselves apart with our state-of-the-art Data Center Facilities. Our client relationships, and the partnership we forge with those clients, have been a chief factor in our success.”

Fuss & O’Neill Technologies, LLC’s increase in revenues of 525% percent from 2004 to 2007 resulted in their inclusion in the IT Services category of this year’s Tech Top 40.

To qualify for the UHY LLP Tech Top 40, companies must have had operating revenues of at least $50,000 in 2004 and $3,000,000 in 2007, be headquartered in Connecticut, and be own proprietary technology or proprietary intellectual property that contributes to a significant portion of the company's operating revenues; or devotes a significant proportion of revenues to the research and development of technology.

For more information on the UHY LLP Tech Top 40 and/or the CTC please visit the CT Technology Council’s website at www.ct.org. 

About Fuss & O’Neill Technologies, LLC
Fuss & O’Neill Technologies, LLC (fandotech) is an IT solutions provider based in Manchester, CT. Fandotech provides Datacenter, Managed Network Services, and Applications Solutions to meet the demand of the Small to Mid-sized Business marketplace.

Fandotech has an experienced management team servicing IT for our customers. With this history we are keenly focused on the fact that today’s IT environment has never been more important to the daily productivity and profitability of companies we serve. Our staff of professionals carry industry recognized certifications and designations that allow our clients to feel confident that we can meet their specific IT needs.

About UHY LLP
UHY LLP is a licensed independent CPA firm that performs attest services for UHY Advisors, Inc. UHY Advisors, Inc. provides tax and business consulting services through wholly owned subsidiary entities that operate under the name “UHY Advisors.” UHY Advisors, Inc. and its subsidiary entities have more than 1300 professionals providing services from 23 offices across the United States. UHY Advisors, Inc and its subsidiaries are not licensed CPA firms. UHY LLP and UHY Advisors, Inc. are independent members of UHY International. www.uhyllp-us.com.

About The Connecticut Technology Council, Inc.
The Connecticut Technology Council is the state’s industry association for the technology sector. CTC’s mission is to “connect people, ideas and opportunities to the global technology and innovation community.” CTC provides members with business assistance and specialized programs, in addition to promoting and supporting public policies that position Connecticut to have a globally recognized “culture of innovation” that helps attract great ideas and entrepreneurs to in turn develop new jobs and wealth for the state. www.ct.org.

Manchester, CT; June 10, 2008 – Fuss & O’Neill Technologies, LLC announced today it has achieved Select Certification from Cisco®. The Select Certification recognizes Cisco resale channel partners whose primary focus is on the small and medium-sized business (SMB) market with fewer than 250 employees.

“Our clients demand products that will allow them the ability to scale as they grow, while providing maximum uptime and security for their networks,” states Brian Doyle, VP of Business Development for Fuss & O’Neill Technologies. “Cisco’s product line geared for small to medium-sized businesses allows us to tailor a solution to meet customer needs and fits nicely into our Managed Network Services portfolio.”

“The Cisco Select Certification was created in response to customer demand for channel partners to be capable of designing and implementing SMB-specific Cisco solutions," said Surinder Brar, senior director of worldwide channels at Cisco. “With the Select Certification, Fuss & O’Neill Technologies, LLC has made an investment in obtaining the training, skills and knowledge necessary to play a pivotal role in meeting this increasing demand.”

To earn Select Certification, Fuss & O’Neill Technologies, LLC fulfilled the training and exam requirements for the SMB Specialization. Fuss & O’Neill Technologies, LLC also met the personnel, training, and post-sales support requirements set forth by Cisco.

The Cisco Resale Channel Program provides partners with the training required to build sales, technical and Cisco Lifecycle Services skills. Cisco resale partner certifications—Select, Premier, Silver and Gold—represent an increasing breadth of skills across key technologies and a partner’s ability to deliver integrated networking solutions. Cisco resale partner specializations—Entry, Express, Advanced and Master—reflect an increasing depth of sales, technical and service expertise in particular technologies.

About Fuss & O’Neill Technologies, LLC
Fuss & O’Neill Technologies, LLC (fandotech) is an IT solutions provider based in Manchester, CT. Fandotech provides Datacenter, Managed Network Services, and Applications Solutions to meet the demand of the Small to Mid-sized Business marketplace.

Fandotech has nearly 15 years in servicing IT for our customers. With this history we are keenly focused on the fact that today’s IT environment has never been more important to the daily productivity and profitability of companies we serve. Our staff of professionals carry industry recognized certifications and designations that allow our clients to feel confident that we can meet their specific IT needs.

Cisco, Cisco Systems and the Cisco logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems Inc.
in the United States and certain other countries.

Fandotech has opened its second data center, a new state-of-the-art facility, located on Utopia Road in Manchester, Connecticut. Our Utopia Road facility offers the latest in physical security and system redundancy. This data center now accompanies our first facility on Main Street in Manchester.

Stay tuned, could a third data center be on its way?

On August 1, 2008 Fuss & O'Neill Technologies acquired Uplinc, Inc., a Massachusetts-based remote network monitoring and in-the-field IT service company that just celebrated its 20th year in business! This exciting merger will bring new services to Fuss & O'Neill Technologies clients, as well as offer Uplinc clients an exciting array of Data Center services. We look forward to serving our newest clients!

Fuss & O’Neill is a multidiscipline engineering firm with an office at 78 Interstate Drive in West Springfield. With the UPLINC addition, Fuss & O’Neill now has over 34 professionals in Western Massachusetts.

“Consolidation of the technology service industry allows us to provide our clients a wider range of IT solutions”, stated John Boyd, President of fandotech. Mr. Boyd continued,” UPLINC brought a strong customer base to fandotech and provides an infusion of highly trained professional staff embedded in the Pioneer Valley.” The acquisition makes fandotech one of the largest technology firms in the region.
 
“I am pleased to have a leading regional player like fandotech continue the stewardship of UPLINC’s customers and employees,” remarked Ron Marino, CEO of UPLINC. “It was important that this transition continue the tradition of local investment, commitment and support”.
 
“It’s great to add the UPLINC staff to our family” added Tim St. Germain, Manager of Fuss & O'Neill’s West Springfield office. “This also gives UPLINC’s customers access to the full range of expertise available from all of our 330 employees.”
 
Fandotech is a regional IT company that provides the fullest range of managed IT services from multiple Data Centers to supporting each client’s desk top. Products include: OFFSITE data centers, Managed IT, 360 IT, 180 IT, GIS, Community Explorer Online (CEO), Mooring tracker, Applications Solutions Development, Business Continuity, Boomerang data backup and restoration. Fandotech a leading provider of IT services to Medical, Industrial, Education and Municipal clients in New England.

Brian has been named to the Top 250 list as reported annually by MSPmentor (www.mspmentor.net).  This annual report recognizes the top managed service provider executives, entrepreneurs and experts across a number of disciplines including technology, business, marketing, PR, sales, and others.

Brian Doyle is our Vice President of Business Development.

About The MSPmentor 250
The MSPmentor 250 is an annual executive listing and report produced by MSPmentor and its owner, Nine Lives Media Inc. The report features CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, entrepreneurs, marketing experts, PR pros, association leaders and other top minds who are shaping the managed services ecosystem.