Tapping Tech 2

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if you had to describe vermonters in a word, what would it be?

independent.

strong.

Hardworking.

What about innovative?

the green mountain state has a proud tradition of inventing things. For hundreds of years, Vermonters have been fi nding ways to do things better — from thaddeus fairbanks, whose platform

scale revolutionized weights and measures, to mark Bonfi gli, who helped change the way cars are bought and sold when he and four friends founded Burlington-based Dealer.com, a company that provides marketing and web solutions to auto dealers.

In the past decade, Dealer.com has become the North American leader in its industry. Th e company hired 250 people in 2011, and expects to continue growing in 2012. Last year, Dealer completed an extensive renovation of its headquarters, a former manufacturing facility in Burlington’s South End.

But car dealers aren’t the only ones benefi ting from vermont innovations; behind that story of phenomenal growth are numerous other examples of the ways in which vermont-made and vermont-supported technology is improving vermonters’ lives.

In this edition of “Tapping Tech,” we’ll introduce you to some of the people who are using technological tools developed and maintained right here in Vermont. We’ll show you how these innovations are driving job growth, economic prosperity and improvements to our quality of life.

We’ll also explain how you can help these innovators survive and thrive in our beautiful state. read on...

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04 a newport Pediatrician goes Paperless

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08 mobile makes sense for a manchester mom-and-Pop

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12 a Westford farmer finds an ag app

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16 rural residents socialize on the Web

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20 vermont teens trade Writing tips online

24 investing in vermont’s future

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26 supporting and Promoting vermont innovation

30 meet vtta members and friends

t a p p i n g t e c h : t r a n s f o r m i n g v e r m o n t ’ s e c o n o m y 3

“tapping tech 2.0” is brought to you by the vermont technology alliance and the vermont technology council. the vtta is a trade group, formerly known as the vermont software Developers’ alliance. it was founded in 2004 — by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs — to support and promote vermont’s thriving software and technical community. its members share ideas, expertise and strategies for success. the technology council was founded in 1994 to support technology-enabled economic development, and it serves as the statewide board for the national science foundation-sponsored vt ePscor program. the vtc also creates the state science and technology plan, and has helped found organizations such as the vermont center for emerging technologies, vermont academy of science and engineering and vermont manufacturing extension center. vtc and vtta created this publication to tell the story of the state’s growing tech sector, which is one of vermont’s best-kept secrets.

tapping tech 2.0 was published in march 2012.

read, download and share this document at

www.tappingtech.org

What about innovative?

Kind.

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4 t a p p i n g t e c h : t r a n s f o r m i n g v e r m o n t ’ s e c o n o m y

For 30 years, Dr. Th omas Moseley III has been treating Northeast Kingdom kids at his pri-vate practice, Newport Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. During that time, he’s accumulated an

impressive collection of fi le folders, all of them packed with medical records chronicling the lives of his young patients.

Th e folders contain patient charts, and now Moseley and his staff no longer have to pull them from the stacks to access patient information. Last year, the practice switched to an electronic health record (EHR) system, a rapidly evolving form of health information technology aimed at replacing paper record keeping.

EHR systems enable doctors and other health profes-sionals to record and access patients’ data electronically. Records can now be electronically referred to a special-ist, accessed remotely by a doctor who is on vacation or fl agged with an alarm that will alert another clinician to any medication-related allergies.

EHRs are designed to make health care more effi cient. Take the case of a 4-month-old Newport Pediatrics patient who was born prematurely. Th e infant has already required more medical care in her short life than

many healthy people will ever need. She was diagnosed with diabetes insipidous and complicated metabolic problems that have necessitated multiple consultations with specialists, a host of medications, specialized insur-ance coverage and numerous hospital visits, both in and out of state.

Recently, Medicaid evaluated whether to grant disability benefi ts to the girl’s family. As part of the investigation, Medicaid asked the practice to send a detailed snapshot of the infant’s clinical history. In the past, it would have taken a nurse several hours por-ing over dozens of medical documents to compile and photocopy the relevant information. Th anks to the new EHR, the staff was able to comply within minutes, trans-mitting the latest and most salient information with the press of a button.

“All that information — the enormous charts fi lled with active problems, complications, medications — is now made readily available to us and gives us a much better overall picture of what’s going on with the patient,” Dr. Moseley says. “Th is is what primary care is supposed to do.”

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Upgrading to EHR technology can be pricey. Fortunately, Newport Pediatrics was able to take ad-vantage of a federal incentive included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Th e federal program, which is available until 2016, gives qualifying practic-es that make the switch up to $44,000 per physician in additional Medicare payments, or up to $63,750 per physician in Medicaid payments. Th at helps off set EHR implementation costs.

But Moseley will see the biggest return on his investment through an incentive program off ered by the nonprofi t National Committee for Quality Assurance. It encourages practices to embrace EHR technology

by upping insurance reimbursement rates by $2 per patient, per month, for qualifying practices. Next year, Newport Pediatrics, which treats some 2500 patients, should see a revenue increase of about $44,000 annually. Dr. Moseley says he’ll use the money he’s saving to hire another nurse.

But better and more effi cient care isn’t the only positive outcome of Dr. Moseley’s decision to invest in EHR technology. Newport Pediatrics is using an EHR system developed by Winooski-based Physician’s Computer Company, a locally owned soft ware fi rm that employs 53 Vermonters at its headquarters in a former textile mill. PCC, founded in 1983 by a team of young

Vermont soft ware engineers, is a national leader in pedi-atric practice-management soft ware. Its pediatric-specif-ic EHR off ering is relative-ly new, but, not surprisingly, demand for it is growing.

“We have clients all over the U.S.,” says PCC co-founder and company presi-dent John Canning. “But it’s gratifying to be able to have a direct impact on patients right here in Vermont.”

“all that information — the enormous charts fi lled with active problems, complications, medications — is now made readily available to us.” Dr. tHomas moseLey

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DiD yoU KnoW?in vermont, 66.8% of physicians use some form of eHrs.in 2010, 38.8% indicated they planned to apply for federal incentives to upgrade.

source: national ambulatory medical care survey, centers for Disease control and Prevention/national center for Health care statistics

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$65,000 average wage at a software company in vermontvtta survey

$51,841 median household income in vermont, 2010UniteD states censUs BUreaU

WHat aRe tecH JoBs WoRtH?

vtTA member companies pay their employees well.

for every 1 software developer hired, tech companies add an additional 6 nontechnical supporting positions in fi elds such as sales, marketing, support, administration and accounting.

vtta survey


Heinel’s Clothiers on Main Street in Manchester is a classic Vermont family-owned retailer. Locals and tourists alike shop here for socks, boots and casual wear including items

from the Johnson Woolen Mills. Owner Harlan “Hal” Levey claims that Heinel’s is the mill’s oldest customer.

Founded in 1879, Heinel’s has changed hands a few times — most recently in 1989, when Levey and his wife Carol bought the store. A former elementary school mu-sic teacher who moved to Vermont from Manhattan in the 1970s, Levey is not a high-tech guy. “We’re just not into it,” he says of technology. “We still operate without cellphones and without whatever.” Until recent-ly, he still rang up purchases on the store’s original brass cash register.

But although Levey doesn’t use a smartphone, he understands that an increasing number of his customers do — especially those from his old hometown. Th at’s why he’s among a growing number of merchants who are embracing Experience Manchester, a new mobile application aimed at travelers searching for stuff to see and do.

When tourists arrive in Manchester and check their phones, they can now connect to the town’s free Wi-Fi network. And when they do, they’ll land on the web-

app Experience Manchester, a di-rectory of local shopping, dining, lodging and entertainment options that launched in January. Experience Manchester is also available as a downloadable iPhone app from Apple’s App Store.

Experience Manchester’s listings are optimized using photos, descrip-tions, one-touch dialing, mapping, a website link, menus and current discounts and deals. Users can also build an itinerary and share it via Facebook and Twitter. Not sur-prisingly, the app’s “anchor tenant” is Manchester Designer Outlets, which attracts thousands of visitors with disposable income from the so-called “Golden Triangle” — New York City, Albany and Connecticut.

Levey, who doesn’t advertise in the local newspaper, plans to buy an ad in this online directory in June, in time to take advantage of increased tour-

ist traffi c. “People who use this technology, unlike those who browse through a daily newspaper, are more direct-ly focused on shopping and dining and what businesses

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like ours have to off er,” says Levey, “so yes, we’re very interested in being a part of it.”

Th e free Wi-Fi network is a service provided by Williston-based Summit Technologies. Summit has been powering Wi-Fi hotspots at Vermont’s welcome centers and the Burlington International Airport for six years. Route 802, a mobile marketing start-up that’s an off shoot of Summit, launched the Experience Manchester app as a travel and tourism tool.

Th e app is the fi rst in what will be a statewide network of local mobile directories that will help subsidize some of those Wi-Fi hotspots. Route 802 is creating apps for other tourist destinations, including Stowe, Burlington, Middlebury, Mt. Snow and the Northeast Kingdom. Rather than compete with local newspapers, the compa-ny is partnering with them to populate and market the apps. Its media partners include the Stowe Reporter, the Addison Independent and Seven Days.

Th e app network is the brainchild of Summit Technologies President Al Levy. He sees Route 802 as a vital marketing tool for the Vermont tourism indus-try, targeting the smartphone-savvy users who drive it. “Mobile web development is growing eight times faster than traditional web development, so the press to mo-bile is now,” Levy says. “People are recognizing how valu-able and important mobile is, and what we’re providing can be extremely cost eff ective.”

“People who use this technology are more directly focused on shopping and dining and what businesses like ours have to offer.” HarLan Levey, oWner of HeineL’s cLotHiers

DiD yoU KnoW?smartphone ownership has more than doubled in two years. in 2009, only 18 percent of mobile subscribers had smartphones.

WHo oWneD smart-PHones at tHe enD of 2011:• 44% of all americans • 53% of 18-24 year-olds• 64% of 25-34 year-olds

• 49% of mobile consumers say they frequently use their smartphones while shopping

source: mobile media report, nielsen, December 2011

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VeRmont is cReating tecH JoBs

Vermont tech companies are creating new opportunities for small Vermont businesses all

across the state. � ey’re adding jobs, too.

in the 4th quarter of 2011

new jobs created by vtta member myWebgrocer:

since January 1, 2012(as of march 2012)

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total employees as of march 2012160


total employees as of march 2012

the vermont tech Jam, an annual job fair and tech expo created in 2008, gets bigger every year.

2100 job seekers, students and tech enthusiasts came to the 2011 tech Jam in Burlington. 82 organizations exhibited. most of them were there to recruit interns and employees.

250 JoBs added by vtta member Dealer.com in 2011.

200 PeoPLe placed in jobs in 2011 by vtta member technical connection, inc., a high-tech recruitment fi rm based in Burlington.


a WestFoRd FaRmeR Finds an ag app

one week each year, usual-ly in early February, Tony Pouliot sits down at a desk and types into his comput-

er a hand-written record of every-thing that happened during the last 12 months on his fa-ther’s 1000-acre dairy farm in Westford.

Every harvest of corn and grass and every load of fer-tilizer spread on each of the farm’s 80 fi elds has been documented in a stack of weather-beaten notebooks Pouliot and his brother carry with them all year long as they bump along in the tractor or walk the rows. Pouliot spends hours feeding those hundreds of pages of notes into an antiquated Excel program.

He has to do it — Vermont environmental law re-quires farmers to write nutrient management plans that must be updated and submitted to the state each year for review. But it’s a part of his job that he dreads. “I’m a farmer for one reason,” says Pouliot. “I can’t stand being inside, which is why it’s so hard for me to do all these re-cords. It’s time consuming and one of the least desirable jobs I have to do at the end of the year.”

Th at’s why the 32-year-old heir to the family farm looks forward to letting his smartphone do most of the work. Th e University of Vermont Extension is currently piloting new iPhone and web applicationsthat will allow Vermont farmers to scrap their note-books – not to mention the scribbled-on napkins, food wrappers and disposable coff ee cups – for real-time, virtual record keeping.

Th e new technology, set to debut this spring, will al-low Pouliot to use a web-based soft ware application to create a plan for his farm based on his estimates of the coming year’s crop yield, manure and chemical fer-tilizer usage, and other factors. So when Pouliot is out spreading manure, he can simply enter the amount on his iPhone. Th e data will be collected in real time and synched back to the web application.

For Pouliot, who also oversees the farm’s herd of 460 dairy cows, “It should cut down on a lot of work that

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comes into the plan,” he says. “And if the plan can be updated automatically, at the same time I’m entering new data, our records for the farm are going to be more accurate and we’ll have a better overall picture of the ef-fi ciency of the farm.”

Heather Darby, the University of Vermont Extension agronomist who came up with the idea for the new ap-plications, says farmers can also use them on an iPad, which can easily be mount-ed in the cab of a tractor or chopper. “Farmers will no longer have to come to us with scraps of paper and breeding tags scribbled with how many loads of manure they put on,” says Darby. “Th is technology should make it easier for them to focus on farming and less on the numbers.”

UVM hired Burlington-based Empower Mobility, LLC, to develop the web and mobile applications; Empower, in turn, con-tracted some of the work on the web application to Colchester-based RedLeaf Soft ware. Empower found-er Tom Jaros, a 1994 gradu-ate of UVM, says the scope

of the project provided the platform for a small business loan, which helped him recruit two more employees and lease offi ce space in the city’s South End.

“Th is put Empower on the map, but it wasn’t about a fi nancial award as much as being about the things I’ve wanted to see Vermont companies do, such as collaborate with Vermont-funded institutions like UVM,” says Jaros.

Th e new web and mobile applications will be avail-able later this year. Farmers who use them will like-ly pay a nominal fi xed rate each year to renew their subscriptions.

Darby says regular use of the new technology by Pouliot and his fellow farm-ers should also lead to a cleaner, more viable agricul-tural industry and taxpayer savings in environmental-ly-related cleanup eff orts. “Farmers that are this into keeping track of nutrients and crop records, in gener-al, are going to have a posi-tive impact on the environ-ment,” says Darby.

DiD yoU KnoW?at the beginning of 2012, 19% of all adult americans owned tablet devices such as the iPad.tablet ownership in the U.s. nearly doubled during the 2011 holiday buying season.

source: Pew internet and american Life Project

“our records for the farm are going to be more accurate and we’ll have a better overall picture of the effi ciency of the farm.” tony PoULiot, farmer

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� e majority of the high-tech companies in Vermont earn 90% or more of their revenue from out-of-state

customers. Here are a few � rms creating products and services locally, and exporting them elsewhere.

global-Z international, Benningtonglobal-Z international helps companies all over the world clean up and maintain international databases. their proprietary software, equipped with the most up-to-date international address data, helps customers assure mail and parcels reach valid addresses worldwide.

iBm, essex Junctionall of the microchips manufactured by iBm in vermont are sent out of state, and disseminated throughout the U.s., asia and europe. some come back inside mobile devices and consumer electronics products. in fact, iBm estimates that approximately half of the world’s mobile traffi c passes through its chip technology.

Biotek instruments, inc., Winooskithis family-owned company develops and manufactures all of its microplate-based laboratory technology right here in vermont. it maintains sales and service offi ces in singapore, china, south Korea, germany, switzerland, france, india and the United Kingdom.

eXpoRting tecH, impoRting $$$

� e majority of the high-tech companies in Vermont earn 90% or more of their revenue from out-of-state

customers. Here are a few � rms creating products and services locally, and exporting them elsewhere.

global-Z international, Benningtonglobal-Z international helps companies all over the world clean up and maintain international databases. their proprietary software, equipped with the most up-to-date international address data, helps customers assure mail and parcels reach valid addresses

germany, switzerland, france, india and the United Kingdom.

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manufacturing information systems, (aka misys) Woodstockmisys manufacturing software is an add-on to the most widely used accounting systems, and helps manufacturers plan production, manage inventory, purchase materials and track costs. the 25-year-old fi rm has sold its software to 7000 companies in 56 countries. its clients make everything from energy effi cient lighting to sleep masks to truck roll-top covers.

Par springer-miller systems, stoweHotel, resort and spa visitors around the world can thank vermont’s Par springer-miller systems for their trouble-free stay. the company provides guest-centric software and services to the hospitality industry, and has installed systems in more than 1000 locations globally. Headquartered in stowe, Psms maintains offi ces in Las vegas, toronto, London and Kuala Lumpur.

myWebgrocer, WinooskimyWebgrocer manages digital solutions for more than 114 grocery retailers nationally, representing more than 10,000 stores, and 90+ major consumer packaged goods brands. mWg is also now serving stores in new Zealand.

microstrain, Willistonthis mid-size engineering fi rm develops and manufactures advanced sensing systems that control and monitor unmanned vehicles, aircraft, heavy equipment and industrial robots; nasa used a microstrain sensor network to monitor acoustic shock during space shuttle launches. Designed, built and tested in vermont, microstrain’s products are sold across more than 60 countries to many of the world’s leading companies.

manufacturing information systems, (aka misys)

misys manufacturing software

myWebgrocer manages digital solutions for more than 114 grocery retailers nationally, representing more than 10,000 stores, and 90+ major consumer packaged goods brands. mWg is also now serving stores in new Zealand.

this mid-size engineering fi rm develops and manufactures advanced sensing systems that control and monitor unmanned vehicles, aircraft, heavy equipment and industrial robots; nasa used

companies in 56 countries. its clients make everything


R u Ra l R e s i d e n ts s o c i a li Z e o n t H e W e B

getting to know your neighbors in Middlesex, Vermont, can be challenging. Th e 2000 resi-dents of this Washington County communi-ty are scattered along winding rural roads. And

there’s no village center, no post offi ce and no grocery store, where chance meetings among neighbors can turn into half-hour chats. Until recently, residents turned to town hall or the local elementary school for community interaction.

But these days, an increasing number of Middlesex neighbors are connecting through the free, web-based communication tool Front Porch Forum. Burlington-based FPF has been available in Middlesex for nearly two years, and more than 80 percent of the households subscribe. Middlesex town moderator Susan Clark, an

active forum participant, raves about the service. “Front Porch Forum has changed our ability to communicate about everything,” she says.

To use FPF, residents simply enter their name, email and address at frontporchforum.com. Th e FPF system assigns them a forum based on their address, and in-vites them to submit messages to an e-newsletter that’s distributed periodically to their neighborhood. Th eir name, road name and email address appear automatical-ly with each of their submissions.

Postings cover everything from lost dogs to auto mechanic recommendations, from sharing munici-pal budget information to mobilizing help for victimsof Tropical Storm Irene. FPF collects those posts and sends them as an e-newsletter to everyone on the forum. In Middlesex, all FPF subscribers are part of the same forum.

In a place where neighbors might only see each other once a year at Town Meeting Day, the subjects of FPF postings may seem mundane, but they help facilitate communication about bigger issues. “It makes a huge diff erence to know that you’ve got a way to have a con-versation about simple, everyday things like selling your canoe or needing a plumber,” Clark says. “If you have those simple conversations, then when it comes time to have the hard conversations you’ve already woven a fab-ric of understanding.”

Clark says FPF’s presence in Middlesex has led to a more informed community. “Th e PTO and the plan-ning commission are all active on the forum and the school board recently used it to gather feedback on the budget proposal, giving people a much richer voice.”

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DiD yoU KnoW?vermonters are using the internet to connect in innovative ways. in the hours after tropical storm irene hit, a group of twentysome-thing volunteers from Burlington set up a website #vtresponse that immediately matched vermonters in need with people and organizations willing to help them.

Th ough the service is free, FPF is a for-profi t compa-ny, cofounded by CEO Michael Wood-Lewis and his wife Valerie. Th e two created the community-building tool aft er moving to Burlington’s South End in the late 1990s. Th ey launched FPF in the Queen City in 2006. Its 40,000 residents now communicate with each other in 37 diff erent neighborhood forums — more than 50

percent of Burlington’s households subscribe. Over the years, FPF has expanded to 70 Vermont towns, and now covers roughly a third of the state.

Among FPF’s eight full- and part-time employees are online community managers who moderate each forum, a tech team and sales staff who generate most of the company’s revenue through ad sales to Vermont busi-nesses. Last year, Front Porch Forum used a $220,000 loan from the Knight Foundation to rebuild its soft ware using Ruby on Rails.

Wood-Lewis says the positive response from Middlesex underscores the need for the service in Vermont’s remotest areas as well as its most densely pop-ulated. “We know how valuable it is to Vermonters,” he says, “and we want to make it available to everyone in the state.”

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“front Porch forum has changed our ability to communicate about everything.” sUsan cLarK, miDDLeseX toWn moDerator

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HoW do tecH JoBs BeneFit VeRmont?

� e high-tech worker will pay an additional $4,000 to $7,000 a year in property taxes,

depending on where they live.

$150,000amount the average employee at a vtta member company contributes.

$73,333 amount the average vermonter contributes to the gross state Product.

vtta survey


estimated revenue brought into the stateof vermont by vtta members:

$280m in 2011

$150m in 2009

employees received approximately 65% of that

revenue as wages. vtta survey vtta survey


Rick Schluntz used to have old-school opinions about the use of new technology in his classroom. In 2009, the Hartford Memorial Middle School science teacher was still mourning the loss of his

blackboard and chalk. He was reluctant to embrace his new interactive whiteboard gizmo.

And then Geoff Gevalt, director of Vermont’s Young Writers Project, asked if Schluntz and his students would test-drive a new digital classroom. Schluntz agreed to try it. Two years later, he’s a convert.

YWP’s password-protected system allows students to interact with teachers, and with each other. They can post homework assignments and their own writing, and offer feedback and critiques online. Schluntz says the online classroom environment has transformed his approach to teaching, and allowed students to take more pride and ownership in their work. “Because we’re

publishing our classwork online, kids who don’t normal-ly share in class are much more willing to put themselves out there and offer very honest and creative thoughts about writing and science,” he says.

Schluntz says his digital classroom is an interactive repository for homework assignments, an open source study guide and a forum for the civil exchange of ideas. Use of the technology among digital classroom partici-pants, he adds, has had a positive impact on test scores; 93 percent of students scored above average on their New England Common Assessment Program reading and writing tests.

He notes that his students have posted 3000 submis-sions since the pilot program began. Many of the posts are unsolicited entries from kids who chose to write on their own time. “That’s the gravy that makes this such an impressive classroom tool,” he says. “Kids who wouldn’t

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have any relationship inside the school are writing and commenting on each other’s work, creating a community where it doesn’t otherwise exist.” Schluntz also says that he learns more about each student — what they’re thinking, what they know and what confuses them. “This helps me be a better teacher.”

More than 8000 students and 400 teachers from across Vermont and part of New Hampshire participate in the YWP’s digital classrooms, which are part of the YWP Schools Project. The classrooms use open source software that has been modified by YWP and volun-teer developers around the world. YWP builds private websites for each school that are adapted to the needs and curricula of the teachers who moderate them. YWP trains teachers to use the software, provides them with mentoring and curriculum ideas and offers full technical and content support throughout the year.

Schools pay for these services, but for cash-strapped school districts struggling to keep up with the pace of technological change, it’s a good deal.

The digital classrooms initiative is just one of the ways that the nonprofit YWP fulfills its mission of “build-ing a generation of better writers.” Gevalt founded the YWP in 2003, while he was managing ed-itor of the Burlington Free Press. Initially, the project simply worked with schools to collect writing submissions from Vermont students that were then published in the Free Press and other newspapers. But in 2006, the Vermont Business Roundtable offered Gevalt a two-year, $250,000 grant to leave journalism, form a nonprofit and widen the scope of the grassroots project.

Since then, the YWP has continued to publish work in newspapers, and in a yearly anthology, while simultaneously ex-panding its digital efforts — first through the development of youngwritersproject.org, a student-led online blogging community

that records between 850 and 1000 visits a day, and now with the digitally-centered YWP Schools Project. “We want to connect kids,” says Gevalt, “and in Vermont, which is rural, poor and very spread out geographically, technology makes it possible.”

The YWP’s one full-time and seven part-time employees work from a basement office next to a large, coffeehouse-like space reserved for YWP’s Friday night poetry slams. Both are tucked into the northwest corner of a former textile mill in Winooski.

In 2011, the nonprofit had a modest operating budget of $300,000. Grants from the Bay and Paul Foundations, A.D. Henderson Foundation, Vermont Community Foundation, Windham Foundation, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, FairPoint Communications, Physician’s Computer Company, the Vermont Business Roundtable, Vermont Country Store and a number of other foundations have helped YWP grow. “We’re in our sixth year,” he says, “and there is more demand for what we’re doing.”

“Kids who don’t normally share in class are much more willing to put themselves out there.” ricK scHLUntZ, HartforD miDDLe scHooL teacHer

DiD yoU KnoW?a study of 120 Us ceos by the national commission on Writing found that writing was a highly valued skill, and estimated that employers spend billions annually correcting writing deficiencies.

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WHat does it taKe to get a HigH-paYing

tecH JoB in VeRmont?Many tech jobs require a speci� c skill set, but these are some general characteristics that vtTA member

companies prize in employees. It’s never too early, or too late, to cultivate these qualities.


yoU can PrePare for a HigH-tecH career By:

going to college. more than two-thirds of the employees at vtta member companies have attended college. the ones who didn’t go to college have a natural aptitude for computer programming or some other high-tech skill. member companies employ graduates from every college in vermont and work with placement offi ces to fi nd new employees with specifi c skills.

finding and exploring your passions. many of the high-tech companies in vermont grew out of their founders’ passions.

asking “why?” get in the habit of noticing the way things work, and why. curiosity and inquisitiveness are valued in vtta member companies.

attending the vermont tech Jam. Hundreds of middle and high school students come to the tech Jam to meet employers and educators interested in helping them plan for a career in the tech sector.

interning with a tech company. the vermont technology council internship program, created in 2010, has helped place more than 60 college students with vermont tech companies. internships make students aware of the great employment opportunities in vermont, and provide employers the chance to recruit their future workforce. for more information on vtc’s program, visit www.vttechcouncil.org.

vtta memBers are LooKing for emPLoyees WHo can: • solve problems • communicate

effectively • listen • play well with

others


if Vermont students are to succeed in the 21st century economy, they need access to state-of-the-art educational tools. That’s why the vtTA created the Bentley Awards. The prizes are named after 12-year-

old Bentley Davis Seifer, son of Bruce Seifer and Julie Davis, who died in 2011 while swimming at the Bolton Potholes.

Bruce helped start the vtTA back in 2004, and he and Julie encouraged Bentley to pursue his interests in math and science. These awards celebrate Bentley’s life, and aim to inspire schools, teachers and other young people to explore technology as he did.

Initially, the vtTA planned to offer a prize of $3000, three Apple iPads and tech-nical support to a Vermont K-12 school that demon-strated a strong need for support for a program focused on science, technology, engineer-ing, arts and mathematics (STEAM).

But vtTA members were so excit-ed about the 21 proposals they received for the inaugural Bentley Awards that they expanded the scope of the awards. They launched a

fundraising drive to fund all of the projects, and raised more than $20,000. As a result, the organization is giving the full prize to three schools, and splitting the remaining funds among the other applicants. The vtTA will also distribute $100 iTunes gift cards to iPad recipients, courtesy of Apple employees, who were also moved to contribute.

inVesting in VeRmont’s FutuRe

t H e B e n t l e Y a W a R d s

these awards celebrate Bentley’s life, and aim to inspire schools, teachers and other young people to explore technology as he did.

e d u c a t i o n 2 5

inVesting in VeRmont’s FutuRe

the vtta will fund the Bentley awards annually. find out how to apply at www.vtta.org.

the top three schools, and their winning proposals:

Mount Abraham Union High School, BristolProposal: Integrate physics, industrial technology and CAD

“Produce tangible student projects using computer modeling, graphic design and computer-controlled fabrication. Projects include a low-cost pellet stove for heating, wooden-truss structures fabricated with a computer-controlled router, and sports equipment.”

Grafton Elementary SchoolProposal: Geocaching

“Geocaching is an adventure game for GPS users where students will set up caches all over their community and then share these locations on the internet. They will learn to use GPS technology and will further document their travels using iPads and digital cameras.”

Hinesburg Community SchoolProposal: iPads to teach astronomy

“My sixth-grade science classes focus on the solar system. The iPads provided by the Bentley Award would augment our current curriculum, thanks to the many wonderful applications that help students understand the solar system and the night sky.”

noW it’s time to...

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Vermont’s tech companies are diverse in their aims, and in the services they provide, but they share some common needs.

Several themes recur when talking with vtTA members:

t a p p i n g t e c h : t r a n s f o r m i n g v e r m o n t ’ s e c o n o m y 2 7

vermont needs to continue its investment in broadband and connectivity, and infrastructure in general.Being able to get cell service and a broadband internet connection anywhere in the state is crucial to Vermont’s future prosperity. Vermont needs to continue to improve in this area. Th e state must also invest in maintaining its traditional infrastructure — roads, bridges, airports and schools.

tech companies in vermont have a hard time fi nding business fi nancing. Many tech companies deal with intellectual, rather than physical, property, which can make it diffi cult to secure collateral for a large loan. Th e vtTA would like to see the state do more to help local fi nancial institutions recognize the benefi ts of investing in Vermont’s knowledge-based businesses.

tech companies need educated employees.Th e vtTA and the VTC would like to see increased communication between Vermont’s tech companies and its high schools and colleges. Th e state’s new science, technology, engineering and math initiative, which off ers a fi nancial incentive for recent graduates who accept STEM-related jobs at Vermont companies, is a step in the right direction. Th e VTC and vtTA members want to see an increased focus, not just on science and math, but on graduating students who can write and reason, and work collaboratively to solve problems. Th e Vermont workforce is incredibly loyal and hardworking. We also need them to be curious and communicative problem solvers.


HoW You can HelpTh ere are lots of ways to get involved with the Vermont Technology Alliance and help Vermont advance its technology community and infrastructure.

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PHotos from tHe 2011 vermont tecH Jam

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Join the vtta Th ere’s energy in the air around our organization. Come check out one of our monthly meetings and learn what everyone is talking about.• Stay in touch with industry colleagues• Learn about what’s happening around Vermont• Network and share with other business leaders• Work in partnership with legislators to aff ect needed changeJoin now at www.vtTA.org

follow the vtta Stay up to date with the Vermont Technology Alliance’s latest news, event information and community-sourcing endeavors:• facebook.com/VermontTechAlliance• twitter.com/VermontTechAlliance• linkedin/VermontTechAlliance

attend Lunch & Learns Our Lunch & Learn events are a great way to network while listening to local and regionalprofessionals provide their insights into Vermont’s tech future.Sign up now at www.vtTA.org

support tech-friendly Legislation We need help making Vermont an even better place for tech businesses. Support us as wework with businesses, community institutions and the legislature to:• Promote tech-friendly infrastructure, especially broadband implementation• Expand access to fi nancing and investment opportunities for area employers• Encourage investment in educational opportunities for a more tech-skilled workforceFind out more at www.vtTA.org

come to the vermont tech JamTh e vtTA helps organize this annual October job fair and tech expo where you can:• Find a job or qualifi ed employees• Network with local tech professionals• Learn how to train for a tech career at a local collegeGet the latest updates at www.techjamvt.com

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vermont has grown more tech friendly in recent years, but members of the vtta believe the state needs to go much further to truly tap the tech sector and maximize its potential.

By working together, and investing in vermont’s future, we can keep these high-paying, low-impact jobs in the state, and attract even more in the years to come.

V e R m o n t c o m p a n i e s t H a t a R e “ t a p p i n g t e c H ”

7th Pixel montpelier

89 north inc. Burlington

aaDco medical randolph

accelerated outsourcing Bristol

accolade group Waterville

acute technology morrisville

adaptive engineering, LLc richmond

advanced illumination rochester

albany college of Pharmacy colchester and Health sciences

allearth renewables Williston

allscripts south Burlington

american Health care south Burlington software

anc Bio newport

apollo Bioscience Burlington

appleseed solutions essex Jct

april cornell Burlington

ascendo, inc. Burlington

ascension technology corp. Burlington

astute computing Waterbury center

avatar energy south Burlington

Bear code LLc montpelier

Berkshire cow Power richford

BiaDiagnostics inc. Burlington

Biomosaics inc. Burlington

Biotek instruments, inc. Winooski

Bk’s computing Barre

Blackbullet Burlington

Blue runner Design Bennington

Bluehouse group richmond

Brandthropology Burlington

Breen systems vergennes

Brown computer solution Brattleboro

Burlington college Burlington

Burlington free Press Burlington

Burlington telecom Burlington

Burton snowboards Burlington

Button systems castleton

c2 - competitive computing colchester

cadenza systems middlebury

catamount research and st. albans Development, inc.

ceDo Burlington

champlain college Burlington

christina Wahlig, esquire Williston

christopher seiler, Burlington consultant

chroma technology corp. Bellows falls

clearBearing Burlington


cloud garden Brattleboro

coaching center of vermont Winooski

coldwell Banker-Hickok Burlington & Boardman realty

commerce generation Burlington

community college of vermont Waterbury

comport consulting south Burlington

conix systems manchester center

control technologies Williston

corey machanic Bulrington

costa enterprises Waterville

creative microsystems Waitsfi eld

csL software solutions Burlington

custom support Bradford

Data innovations north south Burlingtonamerica

Data systems, inc. Burlington

Dealer.com Burlington

Digital Bridges 2.0 middlebury

Dinse, Knapp, mcandrew Burlington

Draker Laboratories Burlington

DymPoL, inc. Waitsfi eld

Dynamic Business south Burlington solutions, inc.

eagle networking solutions Burlington

earthlogic colchester

edoorz, inc Waitsfi eld

egan media Productions, inc. colchester

empower mobility, LLc Burlington

enhanced Designs Jericho

eQ2, inc. Burlington

eWa government montpelier systems, inc.

exetechs cornwall

fairpoint communications south Burlington

flint information technology Barre

found Line, inc. Burlington

freshtracks capital shelburne

front Porch forum Burlington

futureclaw Burlington

galaxyPlace fairlee

gallagher, flynn & Burlington company, LLP

gBic Burlington

global classroom Burlington

global-Z international Bennington

goehlert & associates south Burlington

gordon e.r. troy, Pc charlotte

green mountain antibodies Burlington

green mountain coffee Waterbury

green mountain software Burlington corporation

greenriver.org Brattleboro

greensea systems, inc. richmond

gvH studio Bennington

gW Plastics, inc. royalton

Haematologic essex Jct. technologies, inc.

Harmony information essex Junction systems

Headwaters strategy, LLc Underhill

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vermont technology alliance vermont technology council vermont Biosciences alliance


Hen House media, LLc south Burlington

Hendrickson & West glover associates, LLc.

High meadow Business manchester solutions center

HPc consulting Proctor

iBm essex Junction

iLucid Burlington

image softworks fairlee

inside edge software Huntington

interlock software Burlington

isystems, LLc colchester

itech Us south Burlington

iveK north springfield

Jazz software colchester

Joanne ferris-forkey chittenden county

John garison, technical Writer chester

John valance, consultant south Burlington

Justin Kunz, consultant milford, nH

Kelliher samets volk Burlington

LabPas Business Unit, Phase montpelier forward inc.

Lake champlain regional Burlington chamber of commerce

Lee river software LLc Jericho

Localvore today Burlington

Logic supply south Burlington

manufacturing Woodstock information systems

martell enterprises newport

maven Peal instruments strafford

mBf Bioscience Williston

mealtrain.com Burlington

mergus analytics, LLc Burlington

merritt & merritt & moulton Burlington

metaink technical montpelier communications, LLc

microcheck northfield

microData st. Johnsbury

microdesign consulting, inc. colchester

microstrain Williston

middlebury college middlebury

mincar consulting richmond

myWebgrocer Winooski

n Hawley Business solutions milton

neHP, inc. Williston

nemrc georgia

net-spin moretown

network Performance, inc. south Burlington

new Breed marketing Winooski

north country newport communications

northeast computer systems Lyndonville

northfield savings Bank northfield

norwich University northfield

nrg systems Hinesburg

object computers, LtD charlotte

off the Page creations essex Junction

omega optical, inc. Brattleboro

original gravity media Burlington

ormsby’s computer store Barre

outer Heaven computer Brattleboro solutions

P&c software services, inc. Jericho

V e R m o n t c o m p a n i e s t H a t a R e “ t a p p i n g t e c H ” continued

t a p p i n g t e c h : t r a n s f o r m i n g v e r m o n t ’ s e c o n o m y 3 3

Panther internet, inc. Burlington

Par springer-miller stowe

Paradigm consulting company Bethel

Pc resources Jericho

Peter Wolf Photo-graphics Jericho

Physician’s computer Winooskicompany

Piematrix Burlington

Precision Bioassy Burlington

Precision contract springfi eldmanufacturing

Problem-Knowledge coupler Burlingtoncorporation

Propeller media Works Burlington

Publishers’ assistant Jericho

Pursuevt Burlington

Qvault, inc. essex Junction

rachel morton associates Burlington

radius network, LLc monkton

rainWorx software south Burlington

raise your voice Burlington

rb technologies, LLc east montpelier

reading Plus/taylor Winooskiassociates

reality venture capital Burlington

redLeaf software, LLc colchester

rehabtech consulting Barre

renaissance information Jericho systems

rent a geek Burlington

research Proteins, inc. essex Junction

retn south Burlington

ringmaster software Burlingtoncorporation

roger tubby stowe

ross Boisvert, consultant Barre

route 802 Williston

saureus Lebanon

securshred south Burlington

seven Days Burlington

small Dog electronics Waitsfi eld

smallrock software, inc. colchester

softstart middlebury

soro systems, inc. south royalton

sound toys Burlington

soundmind solutions moretown

southern vermont manchester centercomputer systems

st. michael’s college colchester

standards technology group Williston

stanley technical services Hinesburg

sterling valley systems, inc. stowe

stone environmental, inc. montpelier

stromatec, inc. Burlington

subatomic Digital Williston

summit technologies Williston

surplus traders alburgh

systems and software Williston

systems ideas, inc. montgomery ctr.

tag new media Burlington

tech vault, inc. south Burlington


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technical connection, inc. Burlington

technology consultants, inc. south Burlington

teljet Longhaul, LLc Williston

tertl studos, LLc montpelier

the Data farm Huntington

the silverbeard corp. east fairfi eld

the tech group, inc. south Burlington

the top floor middlebury

thinky about that south Burlington

tiger style Huntington

timberline interactive middlebury

triangulus Burlington

triggerfi sh interactive, LLc Westford

Union street media Burlington

University of vermont Burlington

Upper access Hinesburg

Upper valley Writing chester services

Uvm innovations Burlington

UX Designedge st. albans Bay

vcam Burlington

vector new england colchester

vermont academy of science Burlington & engineering

vermont Business graphics Burlington

vermont center for Burlingtonemerging technologies

vermont circuits Brattleboro

vermont Design Works Winooski

vermont economic montpelierDevelopment authority

vermont environmental northfi eldconsortium

vermont ePscor Burlington

vermont Hitec Williston

vermont information montpelierconsortium, LLc

vermont information colchesterProcessing

vermont information Burlingtontechnology center

vermont Law school south royalton

vermont manufacturing randolph centerextension center

vermont Photonics Brattleboro

vermont sBir White river Junction

vermont state colleges castleton, Burlington,

Johnson, Lyndon, randolph

vermont systems, inc. essex Junction

vermont technical college randolph

vermont technology Partners Brattleboro

vichi scientifi c Waitsfi eld

vtc summer internship Burlington Program

Wattmetrics, LLc Bethel

WH group richmond

Wolpin and associates Bristol

Woodward Design guilford

yachtWhere Burlington

yizri, LLc Burlington

young Writers Project, inc. Winooski

V e R m o n t c o m p a n i e s t H a t a R e “ t a p p i n g t e c H ” continued




connect at www.vttechcouncil.org

the vermont technology council internship Program is straightforward:

• Businesses provide paid summer internship opportunities for college students. as with any job, students are expected to give real value to the business.

• Businesses describe the position in a simple submission form on the technology council website.

• each opening is widely marketed to prospective applicants — students attending colleges both within and outside of vermont.

• students apply for positions by submitting their application materials directly to the host business.

• the business is under no obligation to hire; if a good candidate does not emerge or if circumstances change, the business doesn’t have to extend an offer.

QuaLitieS oF a good inteRnShip

the posted openings attract the right talent for the job.

the business has thought through student supervision and mentoring.

the students give real value to the employer.

the students gain important work experience and return to school sharing valuable information with their peers and professors.

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looKing FoR an

inteRn oR inteRnsHip?the vermont technology council helps connect in-state businesses with motivated, capable students. Businesses provide the opportunities, students provide the talent — the technology council brings the two together.

tech companiesjob seekers

studentsteachers colleges

career changersstart-ups

entrepreneurs

Where can you fi nd vermont all under one roof?

Dealer.com and myWebgrocer present the 2012 vermont tech Jam

october 26 & 27, 2012at the champlain mill in Winooski

this annual job fair and tech expo, organized by seven Days and the vermont technology alliance, showcases the state’s growing tech sector. meet qualifi ed employees. Learn about exciting careers available right here in vermont. network with tech professionals and community leaders. Have a rockin’ time.

“each year at the tech Jam, we meet great potential employees and interns.” — exhibitor

“i already have students asking me when they can sign up for next year.” — high school teacher

“i drove four hours to get there, and i’ll do it again.” — attendee

past exhibitors include: iBm, Dealer.com, ge Healthcare, myWebgrocer, Logic supply, Biotek, microstrain, chroma technology corp., empower mobility, LLc, symQuest, allscripts, champlain college, Draker Laboratories, green mountain coffee roasters, Pwnie express, fletcher allen Health care, vermont technical college, Physician’s computer company, University of vermont alternative energy racing organization, seventh generation, everBank, Dynapower, Union street media, c2, greensea systems, middlebury college solar Decathlon team, green mountain Digital, Burlington college and many more.

friDay & satUrDay

oct. 26 & 27 2012

find the latest info — and sign up for updates — at techjamvt.com.

twitter: @techjamvt facebook: /techjamvt

Tapping Tech 2

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