Sprout with SSD

We’re #1…..65!

2012-02-20T09:11:00.000-05:00

That’s right – SSD Technology Partners is proud to be named #165
in North America’s Top 200 Managed Service Providers by MSPmentor.

The MSPmentor annual report identifies the world’s top managed services
providers (MSPs) based on such metrics as annual recurring revenues,
devices managed, business growth rates and more.

What does this say to us? We’re helping more companies achieve their goals
by managing their business technology so they can focus on, well, their business!

If you’re interested in making your technology work harder for you,
get in touch with us today. We’d love to discuss the possibilities with you!

2012 State of the Company Address

2012-02-01T14:03:00.000-05:00

As Chief Operating Officer of SSD Technology Partners, I have the great fortune to be surrounded by many talented and wonderful people that enhance my life daily. My co-workers are the best of breed; by combining technical, personal, and organizational skills, they are the backbone of our company.

We are employed by the best Clients around and fortunate to have the opportunity to work with so many top notch organizations. We appreciate your trust and confidence and continue to strive to deserve this opportunity daily. We have also aligned ourselves with great vendors; organizations that help us perform at our very best.

State of the Industry:

While the debate continues over the economy, the recession and a solution to the unemployment problem one thing is clear, those businesses that made it through the toughest days of the recession are finding themselves very busy today. Many companies and organizations downsized and many positions were left vacant and surviving businesses found they had to do more with less. This situation created a busy workload and a need to improve efficiencies using business technology resources.

At the end of 2011 businesses that had put off non-essential IT spending for the past 2-3 years began upgrading their systems. This trend has continued in early 2012 and we believe will continue to do so throughout this year. Besides upgrading old systems; businesses are implementing automation software tools and relying more on mobile devices to perform overall business processes. From sales to service teams as well as at the executive level the demand for mobile applications and capabilities has increased.

While the most used software tools in business offered by Microsoft (Office, Exchange, SQL) are considered mid-life and should remain stable over the next 2 years; however we expect to see new versions offered in 2014. Virtualization and Cloud technologies continue to improve and allow businesses the ability to do more with less. The Cloud means many things to many people but in its simplest form means rather than design, build and maintain IT infrastructure, rent it. Cloud technologies allow businesses to direct their capital resources to the business and not infrastructure, instead you pay only for what you use, it is always the right size and always up to date and its resources exceed what any one organization can justify. For some businesses the Cloud makes perfect sense, however, the decision to move applications to this still developing technology must first be well thought out and planned.

Another fast paced trend in the industry is being labeled consumerization of IT; this means that the technology being used is usually owned by the user but connected to the business network. Apple’s IPhone and IPad have revolutionized how we desire to perform business activities. While Apple may still hold the corner on mobile devices, many competitors are bringing to market their versions of notebooks and smartphones creating a high demand for mobile applications that work across many platforms.

The trend is not specific to any one industry but across the board including healthcare, law practices, professional services and construction. The ability to access business intelligence information from anywhere using personal devices has increased and has created new challenges for the industry. In the past IT departments and support vendors have taken measures to create predictable IT, including a stable and reliable environment with predictable costs and performance. This consumerization of IT has created a more complex integration and a number of challenges; security, support responsibility, productivity and management to name a few.

Finally, it seems the fearful prediction made in the 70’s that computers and technology would replace the human employee are becoming our reality as proven by todays’ job market. Automation and organization systems (ERP, CRM, PSA, EMR, EHR, and CMS) have made businesses more productive and efficient. The market for these systems continues to grow and every industry has its own unique vertical market of vendors. These vendors specialize in a very narrow market and have developed systems and best practices that allow companies to easily implement and utilize these technologies, forever changing today’s business world. As the market has grown and become more competitive these systems are now within reach of most businesses. There are great rewards to be had by automating; but again there are risks as well and organizations still need to be thoughtful in their decisions and committed to make them work.

2011 was a progressive year for SSD Technology Partners:

In June of 2010 I was named Chief Operating Officer of SSD; at that time it was clearly evident that the founders of SSD Technology Partners had successfully developed a strong team of experts with a focus on client satisfaction and unparalleled support to its customers. However, it was also apparent that we had focused on our clients’ needs so well that we had put off improving some of our internal systems and processes in the meantime. In 2011 we set out to accomplish several key goals that we were confident would help us communicate more efficiently with our clients and also help to develop new business.

First we had fallen behind in the electronic age; while we were helping businesses utilize technologies to go paperless we had not moved in this direction. It was time for a full electronic payment and invoicing process. Secondly we needed to update our website. Finally a Client Portal was to be developed in order to provide another form of communication with our customers.

I am happy to report that in May of 2011 we not only sent out our first batch of electronic invoices, but we also implemented a new auto pay system for interested clients. The new Website went live at the end of Q2 including the Sprout blog where we will continually offer news and information regarding business technology for growing your business. A new client portal is also in beta testing right now with several of our clients. It won’t be long before all of our clients will have access to their specific information and the ability to track the progress of service request tickets online. The portal offers several other features I am confident you will find useful in managing our partnership.

During the economic struggles of 2011 we were fortunate to be among the businesses that added several new members to our team. The engineering team welcomed Carlos Marroquin. Carols formerly was the IT Director at the American Red Cross Delmarva Peninsula for over 13 years. Additionally our Programming Team welcomed three new members; Walter Stabosz, Pramodh Palluri, and Tom Halladay. We are grateful to be among the companies in Delaware contributing to our economic recovery by adding new positions. Besides these new employees Francis Turner and Paul Glazewski were both promoted; Francis to Engineering Specialist and Paul to Manager of the Technical Assistance Center.

Our mission in providing services is to always do what is right for our clients, recommending and providing services that best meet their needs and accomplishes their goals and objectives. We believe this mission is the central reason for our growth, although like most businesses we want to grow our client base, it is not what drives us. However, we are confident that our growth in 2011 is a direct result of striving to exceed our client’s expectations. When you do what is right and your clients trust and rely on you, growth just naturally happens.

2011 Banner Year for Axiom Software

In 1995 SSD Technology Partners developed Axiom, proprietary software that is used specifically by the Higher Education Sector that utilizes SunGard’s Banner Digital Campus. Although Axiom has been available for over 15 years we saw our highest growth year for this product in 2011. Axiom was adopted by a record number of colleges and universities throughout the United Stated in 2011; including Harvard University, and Delaware State University. In total we added 18 new Axiom clients to our lineup in 2011 and are poised for an even greater year in 2012. SunGard Higher Education has also upgraded SSD's partner status to Strategic Partner. We are and will continue to provide the only partner solution which streamlines data entry into SunGard’s Banner Digital Campus.

Service to our Community remains a priority

Throughout our company history runs a common thread of ensuring we give back to the community in which we live, play and work and in 2011 our employees continued this tradition. Besides the numerous annual fundraisers for the Boys & Girls Clubs, Easter Seals, and Ronald McDonald House, six of our team members participated in the 2011 Mud Run for Leukemia. Together our employees also collected over 5000 freeze pops for Urban Promise Summer Camp -- enough to provide freeze pops for every camper throughout the entire summer camp season!

In 2011 SSD Technology Partners also began an effort to eliminate electronic waste from Delaware’s landfill. After reviewing the numerous articles about the harmful effects of electronics waste that have either been sent overseas to third world countries or improperly deconstructed by poorly managed state prisons throughout the United States, we began an endeavor to find partners in the state that would help us divert more end of life electronics from Delaware’s landfill. Working with Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County, who reuse or resell unwanted electronics and who partners with a reputable organization that are certified electronic recyclers, we hosted two free collection events in 2011. The first was in April in honor of Earth Day and second in November on National Recycles Day. In total we collected over 10k pounds of electronics eliminating these from any landfill or harmful effects of improper deconstruction. We are determined to continue our efforts and educate ourselves and our clients about responsible recycling.

What’s ahead for 2012?

Through this economic recovery we will continue to improve internal efficiencies. In 2012 we will evaluate and improve our purchasing and billing processes. Our long term goal is to provide any information that a client needs to manage their account on the customer portal. Step one is continuing our efforts on internal efficiencies which will be translated into improved access for our clients. A win win for both of us.

Although we currently provide valuable technology consulting services to our clients; in 2012 we plan to expand in this area. Improving our internal efficiencies will also provide our Senior Level Engineers with additional time and flexibility to better hone in on our client’s needs. Looking at the overall business with Senior Level Executives to determine which new technologies can offer them improved efficiencies and better return on investment. Understanding the key role technology plays in business success, we plan to bring a higher level of consulting services to our clients in 2012. SSD offers both highly experienced program developers and knowledgeable engineers that together will bring invaluable consulting services for our client’s success.

Custom application development is desired by many of our clients; but with the recent economic uncertainties finding the confidence and cash flow to move forward has been a barrier for them in acquiring the tools needed for business growth. SSD Technology Partners will be working hard to discover how we might assist in breaking down these barriers; we want to see the local economy recover at a more rapid pace than current statistics show. Where there is a will, there is a way.

In conclusion; we will continue to progress in becoming a more environmentally conscious business. PC World (1) reported in an article published in October of 2011 that there are over 326.9 million wireless devices active in the United States an increase from 300.9 million in 2010. While consumers are driven to purchase the latest and greatest devices the unused devices become obsolete. What consumers do with these electronics is not mandated by legislature to date. We believe it is important to protect our environment and therefore we will continue to host the electronics recycling events in April and November free of charge to businesses in the community. SSD will strive to find additional safe ways to reuse and recycle as well as reduce our carbon footprint.

Best regards,

Lisa Detwiler, Chief Operating Officer, SSD

Missing Gmail?

2011-11-14T09:25:00.000-05:00

If you are finding that your Gmail Inbox isn’t quit as full today or if you were expecting an email that hasn’t arrived yet you might want to pay close attention to this information. Another indicating behaviors of this issue is an email where the subject line is visible but when opened the body is blank.

This past weekend Gmail switched over to their new layout and some of ad-block’s filters were mistakenly classifying emails as ads/spam and thus blocking them. If you use the Adblock plugin you can easily resolve this by forcing the subscription definitions to update.

Go into addons > adblock > options/preferences > right click on the subscription > update.

The change is immediate and you will not need to restart the browser.

Eliminate E-Waste from Landfills through Reuse & Recyle Programs

2011-11-10T09:59:00.000-05:00

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Margaret Mead

According to the Environmental Protection Agency:

E-waste shows a higher growth rate than any other category of waste stream in the US.*

Compared to disposal, computer reuse creates 296 more jobs for every 10,000 tons of material disposed. *

68% of consumers stockpile used or unwanted computer equipment. *

Over 3 million tons of e-waste was disposed of in 2008 in the USA, of this amount only 430,000 tons or 13.6% was recycled.*

*Statistics taken from http://www.electronicstakeback.com/ October 2010.

SSD Technology Partners and The Goodwill Industries of Delaware are teaming up once again to provide businesses an environmentally safe option to getting rid of unwanted electronics.

Join us on November 15 between 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM at the Shipyard Shops (Justison Street, Wilmington, DE) for this third Electronic Donations event where we will be joining forces with Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County to take a stand and eliminate e-waste in landfills in Delaware.

For more information visit: Get more info

All unwanted electronic equipment will be accepted for donation. No donated equipment will be disposed of in any landfill, it will be either put back into use or properly and safely recycled. In addition data wiping services will be performed by request. Unwanted cell phones will be donated to the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

In addition Office Movers will be collecting unwanted office furniture and offering document shredding services.

SSD Technology Partners are committed to this issue and will continue to put programs in place to conserve energy, recycle responsibly and continue to learn and educate.

10 strategic technologies you need to keep your eye on | memeburn

2011-10-28T13:14:00.000-04:00

10 strategic technologies you need to keep your eye on memeburn

This is a interesting article, I especially am glad to see Cloud Computing and Low Energy Servers on this list. Both are excellent strategies to employ when appropriate; reducing the amount of energy consumed for server room operations.

Governor Jack Markell announces Rapid Response Team for DE Small Businesses

2011-08-31T13:46:00.001-04:00

Small Businesses in Delaware, recognized for their contribution in providing jobs for Delawareans, will be able to locate state agency's to provide recovery help post hurricane Irene. In an article published in the Cecil Whig today Governor Markell announed he has appointed a team of agency representatives to work together in order to ensure that business owners can find the services they need quickly and ensure they understand how to access them.

"We have many services already in place to help small businesses, but when you've been hit by a hurricane, it's tough to navigate all of the details. It's tough to find the answers you need, and - since most people have never experienced a hurricane - it may be tough to know what questions to ask," added Markell.

Patty Cannon of the Delaware Economic Development Ofifce will lead the team representing 5 state agencies including: Delaware Department of Agriculture, Department of Emergency Management (DEMA), Department of Labor, DelDot and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

Read the full article here: http://www.cecilwhig.com/business/article_e4b4439c-d344-11e0-9f04-001cc4c002e0.html#.Tl40Rrqw5Gc.twitter

Hurricane Preparedness For SSD Clients

2011-08-26T14:01:00.002-04:00

In light of the impending Hurricane SSD would like to remind all of our customers of a few simple steps that can be taken to help ensure you are prepared

1. Make sure your last good backup is taken offsite tonight. If possible take several nights worth

2. Shut off all of the normal PC’s on your network at the end of the day today

3. Consider getting computers on the ground level up off the floor

4. If possible shut down any non-critical servers/systems

5. If you are in an area that is highly prone to electrical problems, flooding, or feel that your main computer room may be in danger, please contact our Helpdesk for specific advice

With any major weather event Telephone and Data lines are one of the things most prone to outages. Rest assured that SSD will be working with you and your provider to restore service as fast as possible.

Protect Your Apple Devices with Find My iPhone App

2011-08-25T09:36:00.001-04:00

MobileMe might not be taking any new subcribers however Apple is still helping customers avoid the permanent loss of their mobile devices be it the beloved iPhone, iPod or iPad. Find My iPhone App is free and does not require download however it does require an IOS 3.1.3 or later. Features include:

  • Locate your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch on a map
 • Send a message and optionally play a sound for two minutes at full volume (even if your device is set to silent)
 • Remotely set a passcode lock on your device, or lock it using your existing passcode
 • Remotely wipe your device to permanently erase all of your personal data.

To read more visit:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/find-my-iphone/id376101648?mt=8

Although the application has mixed reviews, it is free and offers protection where there othewise might have been none.

LinkedIn Social Ads Raise Privacy Concerns, How To Opt-out

2011-08-24T09:34:00.000-04:00

LinkedIn Social Ads Raise Privacy Concerns, How To Opt-out

This is somewhat old news but still worth sharing.

http://www.scribbal.com/2011/08/linkedin-social-ads-raise-privacy-concerns-how-to-opt-out/

Linked-In recently opted you in to a program where they can use your photo etc. in their own in-site advertising. For those using LinkedIn you might consider opting out fo the program.

The link has more information along with instructions on how to opt out.

Apparently there has been quite a bit of backlash around this and it's rumored that LinkedIn may be removing the setting, there are several articles on the internet that suggest that this has already been done but the as of today the option still exists.

Welcome to Sprout!

2011-07-25T14:28:00.000-04:00

Sprout - (verb) to begin to grow; shoot forth, as a plant from a seed

As I read that definition, I am acutely aware that technology and innovation Sprout from two things: curiosity and need.

That’s why SSD created Sprout – to be an idea exchange forum with others who use technology in moving their business forward. I hope it will sprout even more growth, curiosity and innovation, especially in the area of ‘Green’ technology.

As champions of the green technology movement, SSD is constantly looking for ways to eliminate waste. Through listening to our business partners we’ve learned that waste is the root of most counter productivity in business. And waste comes in several forms – wasting time, wasting resources, wasting opportunity. Through Sprout, we will reach out to all stakeholders in an effort to recognize, quantify and combat waste.

Sprout, like any new, green shoot in spring, is just the beginning. In my garden I’m always excited to see what full grown plantings will emerge from the dirt as a tiny green bud. It’s the same in business. I get excited when a client has a new need or brings us a question about how to make something better. It makes me curious and drives our company to innovate further. Welcome to Sprout. I hope you’ll return again and again to grow with us.

- Lisa Detwiler, COO

SSD Technology Partners

Partnership Between Goodwill of Delaware and SSD Technology Partners Yields Six Tons of Recyclable Electronics

2010-11-14T10:47:00.000-05:00

Wilmington, DE, November 16, 2010—To commemorate America Recycles Day (ARD) held on November 15th, Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County partnered with SSD Technology Partners to collect 12,300 pounds of used electronics, including computers, monitors, servers, keyboards, copiers and printers. Those donated items in good working order will be sold in Goodwill’s stores and the funds generated will be used to support Goodwill’s mission to the community. Those items deemed unusable will be properly and safely recycled.

America Recycles Day is a national campaign to raise awareness about the benefits of recycling and buying products made with recycled materials. Shown with some of the donated items are, from left to right, Jim Whalen, Bobbie Brooks, Brian Bingnear and Lisa Detwiler of SSD Technology Partners.

The Wilmington, Delaware-based full service business technology support firm founded in 1983 provides customer support in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. For 89 years, Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County’s mission has been to improve the quality of life for individuals with barriers to self sufficiency through the “Power of Work.” In 2009, Goodwill of Delaware and Delaware County provided nearly 15,000 services to individuals throughout the region.

SSD Named to the Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America

2010-09-08T10:55:00.000-04:00

Wilmington, September 8, 2010: After twenty seven years in business this woman owned IT firm located in Wilmington, Delaware continues to beat the odds by making the 2010 Inc 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America. While the economy proved to be a detriment to many small and large businesses, this Business Technology Solutions firm experienced 3% growth, enough to be named on this years Inc 5000 list and ranked 599 in the country for the IT industry.

“In the last 3 years our focus has been on growth” remarked Lisa Detwiler, recently named Chief Operations Officer. “Real progress has been made by continuously improving our sales and marketing processes. Even though small to mid-sized businesses were pulling back on their IT spending we were still able to maintain growth through the recession. This tells us our efforts are paying off.”

The 26 member team is comprised of 8 certified application developers and 12 system engineers that work collaboratively to create innovative solutions to technology challenges faced by businesses. Throughout their 27 years in business the companies President, Barbara Hines and Vice President Nancy Froome, have had to remain nimble in order to keep up with the fast paced changes in both the technology and business landscapes. Their success is proven by their 98% client retention rate and longevity of their client relationships, some as long as they have been in business.

SSD Technology Partners specializes in helping businesses succeed by building the infrastructure and developing software applications to properly support their goals. Technology is an important investment for businesses and often the differentiator between a successful business and floundering one; when incorporated correctly technology is certain to provide a return through improved productivity and efficiency.

May 2010 Lisa Detwiler named SSD’s new COO

2010-07-01T10:58:00.000-04:00

July 1, 2010 – SSD Technology Partners announced today that Lisa Detwiler has been named Chief Operating Officer for the Business Technology Solutions firm. This is a new position adopted by SSD, cofounder Barbara Hines remains involved in the business as CEO, however, Detwiler will be directly responsible for the daily operations and future growth.

Detwiler has been with SSD Technology Partners since 2006 as Chief Marketing Officer where her responsibilities included directing the marketing and sales efforts to develop new business. In February 2010 SSD relocated to the Wilmington Riverfront expanding their office space from 5300 square feet to 8300 square feet to accommodate additional staffing needed to support their continued growth.

Detwiler earned her MBA from Carnegie Mellon in 2004 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Polymer Science from Penn State University in 1986. Formally employed by the world leader in glass and coatings, PPG as Director of Business Development, Detwiler left their headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she had been employed for over 18 years to take the Chief Marketing Officer position with SSD Technology Partners.

Over the next 12 months Detwiler plans to focus on growing SSD Technology Partners client portfolio from small business centric to encompass a larger market share of the medium and large sized businesses in the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore metro areas. “I am confident the services and support we offer coupled with the plethora of business technology knowledge this market will reap the benefits in outsourcing with us by greatly reducing their IT spend and improving their business technology processes.”

Barbara Hines, President of SSD Technology Partners is excited about Detwiler’s plans for SSD Technology Partners to become the premier IT firm for medium and large sized businesses. “In the 4 years Lisa has been with our company, she has provided the direction and vision that my partners and I knew we wanted but seemed to struggle achieving. She has been a great asset to us and has driven us forward while getting us to think outside the box more than we were accustomed to. We know business technology, she knows business administration and our success during the recent economic crisis has proven to me that she knows how to drive business growth and understands how important it is to my partners and I that we always do what is right for our customers first and foremost.”

SSD Technology Partners provides businesses with the technology, service and support that has proven to enhance processes and improve revenue. For more information about SSD please visit www.ssdel.com or contact them at 302-652-3370 or at sales@ssdel.com.

SSD Technology Partners Relocates to Wilmington's Waterfront

2009-02-10T12:01:00.000-05:00

SSD, Inc., Technology Partners a leading provider of software, services and strategies for the Tri-State area’s SMB market, announced today a relocation of its New Castle, Delaware headquarters to accommodate continued growth over upcoming years. After outgrowing the space it has occupied since 1990, SSD will move to a new facility that can hold a 25 percent larger workforce.
Currently at 91 Lukens Drive, New Castle, Delaware, SSD will move to the Shipyard Shops at 1024 Justison Street, Wilmington, DE. Relocating will allow SSD Technology Partners to increase its staff as needed while remaining close to the main highways and byways of Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
“Looking ahead into 2010, it is essential that we plan for future growth and kick off the next decade in a new corporate headquarters that is fully equipped to better meet the needs of our clients and our organization,” said Barbara Hines, President of SSD Technology Partners. “The new office location will provide us with the additional space needed to expand our team, and the space is designed to encourage even stronger collaboration among departments. We are excited and eager to move to the new location and believe it will serve the needs of our clients and employees while accommodating our future growth very well.”
The move is underway and will be completed by February 14, 2010. The new address will be 1024 Justison Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. All other contact information will remain the same.