Archives for Uncategorized category
4
May
Posted in Uncategorized by Jonathan |
Hello Everyone,
In light of the passing storms and massive unprecedented flooding, I wanted to send an email out to let everyone know about our datacenter in Downtown Nashville. Windstream has allocated rack space and bandwidth along with placing extra Cisco certified technicians in our datacenter to help with relocation efforts.
I’ve spoken to several business owners today and they are doing their best to deal with the disaster. If you know of anyone who needs to relocate telephone or data equipment please let me know. So far today, I’ve spoken to twelve businesses who were trying get their communications relocated. If I can be of any assistance to you, your friends or colleagues please let me know. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected. We’re here to help with the recovery effort. Thanks for your time.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Kirby
Account Executive
(615)620-5223 (w)
(615)995-2105 (C)
(615)327-8598(F)
29
Apr
Posted in Uncategorized by Jonathan |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Apr 28, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) — Windstream /quotes/comstock/15*!win/quotes/nls/win (WIN 11.11, +0.10, +0.91%) , a recognized leader in providing customized communications solutions for advanced telehealth and telemedicine, is encouraging its rural health care provider customers to apply for reduced rates on communication and Internet services through the Rural Health Care (RHC) Program of the Universal Service Fund.
The RHC Program, administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), offers discounts on services such as high-speed Internet access and other advanced telecom services to eligible rural health care providers. The program was created to ensure that these providers pay no more than their urban counterparts for telecommunications solutions used to provision health care services. These discounts enable rural health care providers to save on current products, upgrade to more advanced solutions, or even install new and improved technology.
Today’s health care industry faces a wide range of transformational challenges — such as medical error reduction, efficient practice management, asset and resource tracking, patient privacy requirements, patient data storage, government regulation compliance, limited financial resources and professional development requirements — all while maintaining and improving the quality of patient care.
“As an approved service provider for USAC programs with solid experience in delivering state-of-the-art communication services to the medical industry, Windstream can help rural health care providers navigate the challenges they face in today’s changing medical world while continuing their quest for quality patient care,” said Don Perkins, Windstream vice president of business marketing. “The possibilities and benefits are virtually endless.”
With Windstream’s customized solutions, hospitals, clinics and physicians in our rural areas are able to quickly collaborate and consult with resources in urban areas for more rapid patient diagnosis. Using Windstream’s network products, they can access continuing education programs remotely, saving both time and money. By reducing expenses and travel time for patients and practitioners, decreasing medical errors and quickly sharing critical patient information, health care providers are able to focus on their ultimate goal of providing patient-centric, affordable care.
Windstream’s variety of communications options for the healthcare industry includes options such as MPLS and Virtual Private Networking (VPN), which provide secure connections when transmitting confidential patient data, allow for real-time communication and collaboration, or even facilitate multimedia access for specialist consultations. Ethernet Internet allows physicians to download and upload large data files, up to 100 Mbps, with dedicated Internet access, and Windstream’s Managed Security solution delivers comprehensive privacy protection against network-level and content-level threats, ensuring patient records are kept confidential.
Customers who are interested in the Rural Health Care program should go to www.windstream.com/business/enterprise/healthcare-industry.html for more information.
9
Mar
Posted in Uncategorized by Jonathan |
Representative Rowland Encourages Young Women to Enter $3,000 Scholarship Essay Contest
The National Foundation for Women Legislators and the National Rifle Association are co-sponsoring their thirteenth annual bill of Rights Essay Contest for college-bound female high school juniors and seniors, which this year will be entitled “Freedom and Civic Virtues.” The contest’s seven winners will each receive a $3,000 college scholarship and an all-expenses-paid trip to NFWL’s Annual conference November 18-22, 2010 where they will network with, be mentored by and speak to hundreds of women lawmakers from across the United States.
“This is an excellent opportunity for local members of the Class of 2010 and 2011,” said NFWL State Chairman Representative Rowland. “This contest will help seven young women enhance their understanding of the role of women in politics through a hands-on learning experience. It provides an excellent opportunity to develop leadership skills while assisting with college tuition expenses.”
“The Millennial Generation is the future of American politics,” said Representative Rowland. “By understanding and explaining the importance of American virtues and rights, young women can make a lasting impact on the future of American policies. This essay contest is an opportunity for young women to win a college scholarship while making their voices heard on the true intentions of the Bill of Rights.”
Entries must be received or postmarked no later than July 30, 2010, after which an NFWL selection committee will judge each essay and determine the seven winners. The judges will primarily weight the factors of storytelling, understanding of the Bill of Rights and original insight.
The National Foundation for Women Legislators (NFWL) enables women lawmakers to be more effective leaders. NFWL provides women Members of Congress, state legislators, county commissioners and city council members with strategic resources, including debates and briefings on the issues, leadership skill development and opportunities for networking.
Questions by potential applicants may be directed to Representative Rowland at (615) 741-2804 or to the NFWL office (202) 293-3040 ext.1005.
Email: scholarships@womenlegislators.org
Website: www.womenlegislators.org
27
Jan
Posted in Uncategorized by Jonathan |
Well, here it is, the newest tablet computer from Apple. Check out the pictures at http://live.gizmodo.com/
26
Jan
Posted in Uncategorized by Jonathan |
Windstream Corp. of Little Rock said Monday that it plans to invest about $20 million this year to upgrade its fiber network.
The publicly traded wireline company (Nasdaq: WIN) said customers across its 16-state territory will benefit from the improved network, which it said will deliver more bandwidth to wireless carriers along with Ethernet and next-generation technologies to business customers.
“Wireless carrier needs for more bandwidth are growing dramatically due to the explosion of data and multi-media devices,” James Taylor, Windstream’s director of wholesale business solutions, said in a news release. “Our fiber-to-the-cell site program will allow for faster data speeds and enhance overall reliability.”
The company said the fiber will allow for 3G and 4G technology and “will meet an ever-increasing demand for bandwidth that is difficult to achieve when using traditional copper-based lines.”
21
Dec
Posted in Uncategorized by Jonathan |
The Nashville team purchased gift items for 3 families in need through Preston Taylor Ministries, a charity founded in 1998 with a mission to improve lives. This is the third year the Nashville team has sponsored families connected to PTM. The Direct, Indirect, and AM channels, along with the help of Sales Engineers and Sales support, contributed $300 to provide to help spread holiday cheer.
16
Dec
Posted in Uncategorized by Jonathan |
Windstream Corp. (WIN) planned a private offering of another $600 million in eight-year notes, after issuing $400 million of them in September, to help pay for its takeover of privately held NuVox Inc.
The deal was one of several recently announced acquisitions by the regional telecommunications-services provider, which has been on a shopping spree to increase its size and reach in rural America. The note offering will help pay for the cash portion of the NuVox purchase, valued at $643 million including the assumption of $180 million in debt.
Telecommunications firms, which have lost customers as people switch to cable phone lines or opt to only use cellphones, have been quick to strike mergers, seeking to pass capital expenditures and operating expenses across a wider base.
Last month, Windstream said its third-quarter profit fell more than expected on lower revenue and margins, but the company pointed to solid broadband customer growth.
Shares weren’t active premarket after closing at $10.91 on Monday.
11
Dec
Posted in Uncategorized by Jonathan |
The current system of curbside recycling hasn’t kept pace with today’s stream of high-tech garbage, which increasingly includes hardware that could be salvaged (like cellphone parts) and products that contain toxic materials that could be more safely disposed of (like some fluorescent light bulbs).
VALERIE THOMAS
ILLUSTRATION BY CATH RILEYBut now, a prototype technology called Smart Trash aims to better manage all forms of waste that carry product ID tags. “The whole information system falls off when things are disposed,” says Valerie Thomas, a professor of industrial engineering and public policy at Georgia Tech. She is developing the Smart Trash system to fix that.
It begins with a garbage can outfitted with a scanner. When an unwanted item is dropped in, its UPC barcode or radio-frequency identification tag is read — as in the checkout line on the day it was purchased. The scanner tracks important information like the make, model and component parts and, when Smart Trash is fully operational, will send that data to a waste company’s Web site or a site like eBay to determine how much the item is worth to recyclers or in the secondhand market. That data can in turn be downloaded by the garbage collector at pickup, or relayed via a WiFi connection to the waste company, which will distribute the items accordingly — to e-waste handlers, recyclers and secondhand dealers. The user would get money for his trash in the form of rebates or sales proceeds.
If implemented, Smart Trash’s combination of a waste-tracking infrastructure and cash-for-trash incentives could help us rethink the garbage dump as a sorting facility like the post office — rather than a final resting place. DANIEL MCGLYNN
11
Dec
Posted in Uncategorized by Jonathan |
Wars are increasingly being fought by machines. Since 2004, the number of unmanned systems deployed in Iraq, for example, has gone from less than 200 to more than 18,000. Considering how difficult it is for human soldiers to reliably make rational, ethical and legal decisions in the heat of combat, the rise of battlefield robots may seem a cause for concern.
But imagine robots that obey injunctions like Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative — acting rationally and with a sense of moral duty. This July, the roboticist Ronald Arkin of Georgia Tech finished a three-year project with the U.S. Army designing prototype software for autonomous ethical robots. He maintains that in limited situations, like countersniper operations or storming buildings, the software will actually allow robots to outperform humans from an ethical perspective.
“I believe these systems will have more information available to them than any human soldier could possibly process and manage at a given point in time and thus be able to make better informed decisions,” he says.
The software consists of what Arkin calls “ethical architecture,” which is based on international laws of war and rules of engagement. The robots’ behavior is literally governed by these laws. For example, in one hypothetical situation, a robot aims at enemy soldiers, but then doesn’t fire — because the soldiers are attending a funeral in a cemetery and fighting would violate international law.
But being an ethical robot involves more than just following rules. These machines will also have
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY REINHARD HUNGER
SET DESIGN BY SARAH ILLENBERGER Enlargesomething akin to emotions — in particular, guilt. After considering several moral emotions like remorse, compassion and shame, Arkin decided to focus on modeling guilt because it can be used to condemn specific behavior and generate constructive change. While fighting, his robots assess battlefield damage and then use algorithms to calculate the appropriate level of guilt. If the damage includes noncombatant casualties or harm to civilian property, for instance, their guilt level increases. As the level grows, the robots may choose weapons with less risk of collateral damage or may refuse to fight altogether.
