Technology Events

Par 4 Technology Group invites you to join us for an Emerging Technologies Workshop! This event will feature hands-on demos and presentation from the Top 10 Virtualization Vendors to Watch in 2010. Network with peers and industry professionals to learn about the latest technologies and trends designed to solve today's toughest IT challenges.

Highlights:

• Cloud Computing and the role it's expected to play in 2010
• Next Generation Tools for Optimizing the Virtual DataCenter
• Ways to Increase Efficiency in Virtual Environments
• Virtualization for Enhanced Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity
• System Mangement Solutions
• Thin Computing Architecture
• Storage Virtualization
• Hosted Solutions for Utility and Cloud Computing Foundations
• Green Datacenter Strategies
• VMware View -  Experience our hands-on lab where you can try it for yourself!

The Agenda:

• 10:00 a.m.- 10:30 a.m. Registration and Solutions Showcase
• 10:30 a.m.- 10:45 a.m. Opening Remarks
• 10:45 a.m.- 12:15 p.m. Solution Tracks & Technical Tracks, VMware VIEW Demo
• 12:15 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Networking Lunch and Solutions Showcase
• 1:30 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. Solution Tracks & Technical Tracks, UniDesk Demo
• 3:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. Solutions Showcase and Prizes
• 4:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. Networking Reception/ Event Wrap Up

Register online today for this complimentary event - register early as seating is limited.

For complete details, call Dennis at (207) 749-5920

Location Change: The location for tonight’s meeting will be in Unum Home Office 1 (first building on your left as you enter the Unum campus) instead of the normal location which is Unum Home Office 3 (2nd building on right)

SharePoint is one of Microsoft's fastest growing businesses and makes significant leaps in the capabilities it provides from the 2007 release. SharePoint 2010 has many new developer oriented features. Developers can build collaboration applications on the platform features of SharePoint 2010, the new tools for SharePoint 2010 make developers more productive and new hosting options for SharePoint solutions provide more flexibility in deployment. This talk is a lap around SharePoint 2010 for developers providing a brief look and code based demos of the major new features in building user interfaces, building on the data platform and in general programmability using Visual Studio 2010.

Speaker:
Paul Stubbs is a Microsoft Technical Evangelist for SharePoint and Office, where he focuses on information worker development community around SharePoint and Office, Silverlight, and Web 2.0 social networking. He has authored three books on solution development using Microsoft Office, SharePoint and Silverlight, several articles for MSDN Magazine, and has also spoken at Microsoft Tech-Ed, PDC, SharePoint Conference, DevConnections and Tech-Ready conferences. Paul has also worked as a Senior Program Manager with the Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO) team in Redmond, Washington. Paul is a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) and has received Microsoft Certified Applications Developer (MCAD) and Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) certifications. Paul also frequently participates in the developer community on the Microsoft forums. Visit Paul's blog at blogs.msdn.com/pstubbs for lots of deep SharePoint developer information.  

Agenda:

• 6:00 - 6:15 Food!
• 6:20 - 8:00 Presentation
• Q & A and door prizes

 Register to attend on the MaineBytes site.

The mission of this group is to provide in-depth technical coverage for developers focusing on Microsoft technologies, specifically .NET technologies. MaineBytes (MB) focuses on providing architects and developers with solutions-oriented presentations on using the .NET Platform to develop the next generation of Internet and Enterprise applications.

Location:
Meetings will be held each month at Unum's Home Office 3 building at 2211 Congress Street.

(If it's a success, we'll do it again next year...)

We're going to try something different this month. We will have several PC stations set up in the conference room for informal "hands on" reviews of a couple of websites designed by group members. The goals will be:

1. Provide constructive feedback on several specific aspects of the designs.

2. Get a sense of what other web designers look for / look at, when considering the effectiveness of a web design.

3. Have some fun discussing web design in a more informal setting.

The plan is to review two sites (we'll have handouts with instructions and the information needed). Time allowing, we'll open the floor for impromptu reviews of other sites, so bring your site url if you're interested in having your site reviewed.

 About WDUG: The TechMaine Web Designers User Group meets monthly, on the third Monday of the month Meetings are held at the TechMaine Technology Center, and start at 6:00 p.m. No charge; open to the public. Free parking in the parking lot behind the building, or on-street parking. (See driving directions.)

Door Prize: Each month registered attendees are entered in a door prize drawing, usually a new book on a current information security topic. Please Visit the WDUG page for details on this month's door prize.

FMI: Please Visit the WDUG page or contact us.

Please register to attend so that we can notify you if there is a change in schedule.

The Web Designers User Group is sponsored by:

Marketing's 10 Deadly Sins

The Maine Marketing Association is pleased to announce that author James H. Drummond, who is currently working on the second edition of the popular marketing book - Marketing's 10 Deadly Sins (and how to avoid them) - will be sharing his insights at the upcoming Lunch & Learn. The 80 minute presentation will begin promptly at 11:40 AM, with registration and networking beginning at 11:00. Lunch is included in the program fee.

About the seminar
Even those of us who consider ourselves marketing experts need the occasional reminder of what to do - and what to avoid - as we go about our daily jobs. In fact, often we get so lost in the process of doing our jobs and playing politics, that we lose sight of the basics.
 
Jim will address what marketers do over and over, often without realizing it, that they sabotage their own efforts. He will demonstrate how much of the money spent on "marketing activity" is wasted and fails to attract customers. He will also present a look at marketing as a holistic activity that encompasses the entire business enterprise, with real-world examples that supports this approach. Jim's insights, gained from an extensive professional career in marketing, will be presented in an amusing, informal and yet highly informative format. The presentation will address the following five key topics:
 
1.     Failure to understand the marketing process
2.     Failure to clearly identify the product or service
3.     Failure to incorporate current demographics in marketing strategy
4.     Inconsistency of message
5.     Emphasizing creativity over effectiveness
 
So whether you are an old marketing pro - or you are new to the industry and suspect there is more to marketing than the four P's (product, price, placement and promotion) you learned about in college, you will leave with a better understanding that everything matters - demographics, strategy, fulfillment, capture, branding, attraction and retention. You'll learn from the mistakes of others - and see how you can develop a simple, yet effective avoidance strategy that provides guidelines for corrective action you can execute at any level in your organization.

To register
Networking and registration for the seminar, which is open to both Maine Marketing Association (MMA) members and non-members, begins at 11:00 AM. The presentation starts promptly at 11:40 and ends at 1:00. The cost for lunch is included in the fee: $15 members, $35 non-members, $10 students. TechMaine members may also attend at the MMA member rate (please contact us to use this option). For more information or to register for the Lunch & Learn, please click here. If you are already an MMA member, please make sure to login to our website before registering in order to receive the members discount.

About James H. Drummond

Jim has created marketing programs and training materials for clients as diverse as Starbucks, The Edison Electric Institute, US Department of Commerce, Sears, Worldspace Corporation and Scottish Hydro-Electric.
 
A former broadcast journalist, Jim is an award winning author and pubic speaker. He attended the University of Florida on a journalism scholarship and holds an MBA from Britain's highly regarded University of Edinburgh. His master's dissertation on relationship marketing received honors designation and became the basis for his bestselling book.
 
Jims' work has been called highly original, thought provoking and challenging to conventional wisdom.

Tony Payne, Executive Director of the Alliance for Maine's Future, will begin his talk with a  presentation of "The Stubborn Facts of the Maine Economy".  Be warned, that the stubborn facts of the Maine economy are disturbing. The mission of the Alliance for Maine's Future is to help improve the economic opportunities for all Maine people by electing and supporting a bi-partisan majority of state legislators who support a strong private sector and an efficient and affordable public sector.

2010 is an important election year.  Tony Payne will provide you with all of the necessary information and material to educate your employees about voting and the issues. It is very  important to communicate effectively and appropriately to your associates and employees. Tony will review the "Dos and Don'ts" and clarify how to  approach these discussions.  Attendees will be introduced to tools to help facilitate communication between employers and employees about a vitally important subject: the policies and political leaders that impact their economic environment.

Providing voter information to your employees is effective, it's rewarding and it's necessary. Research shows that employees consider their employers one of the most credible sources for political information. We need employers in Maine to educate their employees about the need for them to vote in every election, issues that affect their jobs, and the legislative candidates who decide the outcome of those issues.

Meeting Agenda:

• 7:30 AM - Networking and Refreshments
• 8:00 AM - Presentation
• 9:00 AM - Q&A  and Networking 

Our March meeting speaker:

Tony Payne is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Maine's Future, a statewide non-partisan organization that advocates for a strong Maine economy. Prior to joining the Alliance, he served as New England Regional Vice President of Communications for OneBeacon Insurance and as Vice President of Underwriting & Marketing for Maine Employers' Mutual Insurance Company (MEMIC). In addition, Tony owned Maine Media, Inc., an advertising, marketing and public relations firm.

He currently serves on the University of Southern Maine's Board of Visitors and is a member of the Maine Business Association Roundtable.

He is Vice-Chair of the Falmouth Town Council. His prior civic involvement includes service as Chair of the Board of the Institute for Civic Leadership, Chair of the Board of The Portland Club, Chair of the Legislative Task Force to Study State Employee Workers' Compensation System and a member of the board of directors for Atlantic Bank, Maine Chamber of Commerce, Cheverus High School, North Yarmouth Academy, York Cumberland Housing Corp. and the Maine Council on Economic Education.

He is a graduate of Cheverus High School and Hobart College where he earned his B.A. in political science. A native of Portland, he and his family have resided in Falmouth since 1990.

Sponsored by:

Members can register a non-member, as a guest(s), at the member price.

Details soon -- but you can register to attend now.

About MaineJUG: The TechMaine Java User Group meets monthly, on the last Wednesday of the month, at 6:00 p.m.. Meetings are held at the TechMaine Technology Center, 506 Main Street, Westbrook, Maine. No charge; open to the public.

Door Prize: Each month registered attendees are entered in a door prize drawing, usually a new book on a current Java topic. Please Visit the MaineJUG page for details on this month's door prize.

FMI: Please Visit the MainJUG page, or contact us.

There is no charge for this event. Please register so that we can notify you if there is a change in schedule.

MaineJUG, The TechMaine Java User Group,is sponsored by:

Maine Investment Exchange

Upcoming Forum:
 

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Business Plan Due Date:  Friday, February 19th

More information to follow. Contact Maine & Company for applications to present.
 

The Maine Investment Exchange (MIX) provides regularly scheduled forums to bring together providers of risk capital with qualified entrepreneurs seeking capital. Presenting companies are pre-selected through an application process and are provided with an opportunity to make a brief formal presentation to an audience of investors and an opportunity for networking. MIX is an enterprise created by Maine & Company and supported by private businesses throughout the state.

A good UI guides us almost effortlessly to accomplish our tasks, reach our destination with clarity and ease. But some UIs just seem to confuse, confound, and work against us at every step. Arthur Fink will look at a number of these, suggesting what went wrong, and how a more effective design might be achieved.

About the Speaker: Arthur Fink has been designing and building database applications, and consulting on system design, for thirty-three years. Most recently he’s been focusing on user interface design, usability consulting, and overall review of IT systems, as well as coaching and consulting on business management issues and on managing creativity. In another life, he’s a photographer, particularly well known for his images of dancers. The combination of his systems background, business history, and visual work make him uniquely qualified to talk about design and business. Arthur has spoken many times at techMaine annual conferences, and has organized two special sessions on UI issues.

About UUUG: The TechMaine Usability / User Experience User Group meets monthly, on the last Tuesday of the month. Meetings are held at the TechMaine Technology Center, and start at 6:00 p.m. No charge; open to the public. Free parking in the parking lot behind the building, or on-street parking. (See driving directions.)

Door Prize: Each month registered attendees are entered in a door prize drawing, usually a new book on a current information security topic. Please Visit the UUUG page for details on this month's door prize.

FMI: Please Visit the UUUG page or contact us.

Please register to attend so that we can notify you if there is a change in schedule.

USM is developing a "career exploration fair" called Experience Matters. It's a one-day event to be held on March 31st at USM on the Gorham campus. Employers related to the academic majors that are offered at USM are all invited to exhibit at this event. The goal is to give the mostly undergraduate students an opportunity to meet people from industry and learn more about different career options that are available to them upon graduation. We hope that this event will help to focus students on making both good career choices as well as get them thinking about the courses they take and how they may apply to their future efforts. It's primarily a tabling event, so you should be prepared with materials, a banner advertising your company, and a willingness to talk to students. Please contact Greg Cavanaugh 207-780-5508 at USM if you would like to receive a marketing and registration package with more details.

Don't miss TechMaine’s upcoming monthly networking event. Join TechMaine on Thursday, April 1st, 2010 for a party at Abilis New England in Portland from 5:00 - 7:00 pm.

We will close out the workday in style with NETpm. Meet your friends and network in a relaxed, unstructured atmosphere. Admission is free. Join us for hors d'oeuvres and an open bar of soft drinks, beer, and wine. Please register online for this event.

Abilis New England is our benevolent host for NETpm this month. Don’t miss a chance to come and network with TechMaine, the Abilis team and your peers.

Abilis New England is a division of Abilis Solutions, a company specializing in system and technology integration, as well as the design and realization of web-centric applications.  Abilis New England (formerly xwave) was acquired by Abilis Solutions in June of 2009.  We have a long history of providing solutions throughout the region to both public and private sector clients.  We have a team of more than 150 project managers, architects, consultants, analysts and developers dedicated to helping clients maximize the value of their IT investments.

While our client list includes firms in the US, Canada and Europe, some regional clients that have recently chosen Abilis include:  Bangor Savings Bank, Elder Service Plan of the North Shore, Diversified Communications, Jackson Labs, and the State of Maine (DOC, OIT & DHHS).

The Abilis New England Portland office is located at 245 Commercial Street, Suite 303.  Directions

More information can be learned at the Abilis Website.

TechMaine members can view the Registered Event Participants

The group managers will lead an informal Q&A session.  Bring your Drupal questions, problems, issues, etc. Or just come to hear what other people are asking about. All Drupal-related questions are welcome, so don't worry about it if you think your questions are too basic or too advanced. We will have a PC hooked up to the projector, in case you want to show us the feature/issue you're working on.

About DrupalUG: The TechMaine Drupal User Group meets monthly, on the first Tuesday of the month. Meetings are held at the TechMaine Technology Center, and start at 6:00 p.m. No charge; open to the public. Free parking in the parking lot behind the building, or on-street parking. (See driving directions.)

Door Prize: Each month registered attendees are entered in a door prize drawing, usually a new book on a current information security topic. Please Visit the DrupalUG page for details on this month's door prize.

FMI: Please Visit the DrupalUG page or contact us.

Please register to attend so that we can notify you if there is a change in schedule.

• The Knowledge Infrastructure Program will invest $1.9 billion in matching funds for critical infrastructure and technology upgrades at post-secondary institutions
• $775 million in investment in university and foundation research institutions
• 64% of the Canadian IT market is in services and software solutions
• Software is an $8.0 billion market in Canada

• Christine Carr, Business Development Officer, Consulate General of Canada in Boston
• Chelsea Fournier, Attorney, Preti Flaherty
• Patrick Scanlon, Partner, Preti Flaherty
• Josh Broder, President, Tilson Technology Management.

For more information or to register contact Doug Sanborn at sanborn@mitc.com, 207-541-7455

Join us at the April PHP User Group. Details soon (but you can register to attend now).

5:45 p.m.: Pizza (courtesy of our meeting sponsor, Rainstorm Consulting) and conversation.

6:oo p.m.: Presentation starts

About PHPug:

The TechMaine PHPUser Group meets monthly, on the second Tuesday of the month, at 6:00 p.m.. Meetings are held at the TechMaine Technology Center, 506 Main Street, Westbrook, Maine. No charge; open to the public.

FMI, please visit the PHP User Group page or contact us.

Please register to attend so that we can notify you if there is a change in schedule. Registered attendees are entered in the door prize drawing.

April Meeting Sponsor:

PHPug Sponsor - Friend of PHPug:

Integra Strategic Technologies Solutions

EXPORT CONTROLS SEMINAR
BIS Two-Day "Complying with U.S Export Controls" Overview 
 
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Two-Day Program
April 20-21, 2010 - 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) One-Day Program
April 22, 2010 - 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

The New Hampshire International Trade Resource Center (NHITRC) is excited to host this in-depth seminar featuring speakers from the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and the U.S. Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC).   Export controls affect every U.S company; don?t miss this opportunity to learn about how these regulations apply to you!

Focus:
The BIS program will provide an in-depth examination of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and how it impacts exporters. It will also cover information exporters need to know to comply with U.S. export control requirements on commercial goods including applying for a license, ECCN determination, encryption controls and use of exemptions.

The DDTC one-day seminar will help clarify what the DDTC governs, what the U.S. Munitions List is, what it means for you if your product is ITAR classified, who needs to be registered with DDTC, how to complete a Commodity Jurisdiction request and how to apply for an export license when needed.

Participants are invited to attend the two-day BIS seminar, the one-day DDTC seminar, or the full three-day event.  For more information, contact the International Trade Resource Center in NH at 603-271-8444 or at http://www.exportnh.org/

The annual symposium of Maine faculty and students conducting research in biological and biomedical science

Date:    April 23-24, 2010
   begins Friday at noon; ends Saturday, midafternoon

Location:     Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory

Overview
The 37th Maine Biological and Biomedical Sciences Symposium will be held April 23-24, 2010 in the Maren/Dahlgren Conference Center at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Salisbury Cove, Maine. The Maine Biological and Medical Sciences Symposium (MBMSS) is a state-wide gathering of scientists and students—an opportunity to share research results, exchange ideas, promote collaboration, and network with Maine scientists in a variety of disciplines. Invited and selected speakers will present short research reports, followed by question/answer and open discussion. A poster session will also be held.

All Maine researchers, science faculty, graduate, undergraduate and high school students are invited to attend.

FMI - Visit the Conference Website

Save The Date!

Innovation Summit and Gubernatorial Debate

Details soon - Please Note: May 4th reflects an updated date.