IN THIS ISSUE:

eLearning Patent Awarded to Blackboard Inc. Draws Ire of Competitors, Schools

Grant Alerts from Eschoolnews.com

MiCTA Members Site Updated with New Technical and Informational Resources

Temporary Staffing and Telecom Cost Management Analysis’ from The Aberdeen Group

IP Telephony: the VNO Perspective

Mark Your Calendar for an Upcoming Webinar from Desire2Learn

VoIP Agreements Reached with All Four MiCTA Telecom Vendors

Is Your Institution an "Interconnected VoIP Service Provider"?

Welcome New Members

EMI Telecom Newest MiCTA Vendor Alliance

TCI Offering Free Utility Consultation to MiCTA Members.

Introducing Comet Tracker, a Unique GPS Solution, from Sprint Nextel

Make Sure to Check out This Month’s Vendor Corner

Just for fun

eLearning Patent Awarded to Blackboard Inc. Draws Ire of Competitors, Schools

From eSchool News staff and wire service reports

Learning management systems (LMS) provider Blackboard Inc. has sued a smaller business rival over a patent it was issued in January covering its LMS technology. The patent, and subsequent lawsuit, have significant implications for the future of eLearning at colleges and universities nationwide. Critics say Blackboard's patent is overly broad and could stifle innovation in the eLearning industry.

August 29, 2006—A full-fledged flap has developed in the eLearning community over a U.S. patent awarded last January--but announced only last month--to Blackboard Inc., the market leader in learning management system (LMS) applications.

Blackboard's patent reportedly covers certain systems and methods involved in offering online education, including course management and enterprise eLearning systems. Corresponding patents, Blackboard says, have been issued in New Zealand, Singapore, and Australia. The company also reports that similar patents are pending in Canada, the European Union, China, Japan, Israel, Brazil, India, Mexico, South Korea, and Hong Kong. To continue reading this article, please click this link to the eSchoolNews.com homepage.

Grant Alerts from Eschoolnews.com

$6,500 for arts teachers
Grant Title : Surdna Foundation Arts Teachers Fellowship Program
Organization: Surdna Foundation
Eligibility: Full- and part-time high school arts teachers
Value: $6,500; number of awards varies
Deadline: November 17, 2006

The Surdna Foundation announces the seventh year of a national initiative to support the artistic revitalization of outstanding arts teachers in specialized, public arts high schools. Surdna recognizes that arts teachers often lack the time and resources to reconnect with other arts professionals and with the artistic processes they teach. Through the program, fellows will design individualized courses of study that will provide both immersion in their own creative work and the opportunity to interact with other professional artists in their fields. Surdna believes that this approach to professional development will enhance the effectiveness of arts teachers and will directly benefit the young people they teach. All fellowsaccompanied by school leaderswill convene in fall 2007 to share experiences and discuss relevant issues and concerns. (Convocation expenses will be paid by Surdna.) Fellows will also be expected to work with colleagues and school administrators to carry out post-fellowship plans, and submit a report on the impact of the fellowship.

Contact:  http://www.surdna.org/programs/programs_show.htm?doc_id=3

$2,000 to help empower at-risk youth
Grant Title : Youth Rising Grant Program
Organization: Youth Service America and the U.S. Department of Justice
Eligibility: Community-based groups, schools, local governments
Value: $2,000 per award
Deadline: October 12, 2006

Youth development models enhance positive outcomes for all youth. Youth Service America and the U.S. Department of Justice are offering grants for organizations to engage high-risk and/or gang-involved youth in service. The goal of this initiative is to design and implement appropriate and creative service projects that engage such youth in service and develop their capacity for leadership and civic engagement. A significant component of the service should occur on National Youth Service Day, April 20-22, 2007.

Contact:  http://www.ysa.org/Awards/doc/final.youthrisingapplaandgu

$800,000 to help support school field trips
Grant Title : Target Field Trip Grants Program
Organization: Target
Eligibility: K-12 educators and school officials
Value: 800 awards of $1,000 each
Deadline: November 1, 2006

Applications will be available online beginning in September. In the face of budget shortages, field trips are often one of the first elements eliminated from the curriculum. Target hopes that teachers can use this grant to continue using the valuable experiential learning gained from field trips to enhance students' classroom studies. As a cornerstone of the giving program, Target educational programs focus on teachers and classrooms, and early childhood reading. Target also supports schools and educational organizations through local grant donations.

Contact:  http://www.target.com/teachers

At least $80,000 for schools to protect the environment
Grant Title : SeaWorld/Busch Gardens/Fujifilm Environmental Excellence Awards
Organization: SeaWorld/Busch Gardens/Fujifilm
Eligibility: Schools and community groups
Value: Eight awards of at least $10,000 each
Deadline: November 30, 2006

Since 1993, the 2007 SeaWorld/Busch Gardens/Fujifilm Environmental Excellence Awards have recognized the outstanding efforts of students and teachers across the country who are working at the grassroots level to protect and preserve the environment. In the past decade, $1.4 million has been awarded to more than 125 schools in 40 U.S. states/territories. In 2004, the awards program was expanded to include community groups who are protecting planet Earth.

Contact:  http://www.swbg-animals.org/conservation-matters/eea/inde

MiCTA Members Site Updated with New Technical and Informational Resources

The members site is a directory for information on RFP initiatives, new programs and services, industry news, vendor information and many more important resources. Feel free to check out the MiCTA members page by clicking this link, http://www.micta.org/members/default.asp, and while you’re there be sure to visit the site that is particular to your organization. There are specific areas for governmental, education, healthcare, libraries, public sector and religious and charitable members-these pages are packed with great industry related information, regulatory news and member materials. If you have any questions about MiCTA Members page or have any relevant information please call 1-888-870-8677 or send an email to Jerry Hartman at ghartman@mictaservice.com.

Temporary Staffing and Telecom Cost Management Analysis’ from The Aberdeen Group

Temporary Staffing/Contingent Labor/Contract Labor 

According to a new study by Aberdeen Group, The Contract Labor Cost Management Benchmark Report, over 50% of the benchmark survey indicated they plan to increase their temporary staffing budget and 12% plan greater than 10% growth. This continues a trend, over the past few years, of strong global demand for temporary workers particularly in the IT department, which ranks as the top temporary staffing job category. It also reflects the tight labor market for full-time employees in the U.S., where Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows IT staffing is now above the 2001 peak. The international temporary staffing market is also very strong with the largest staffing companies deriving most of their revenues outside of North America. A few years ago countries like Italy prohibited temporary staffing arrangements and other countries had ambiguous laws that made it risky for enterprises to pursue temporary staffing. While some countries continue to have laws that require six weeks of unemployment pay after a temporary staffing assignment has been completed, most countries realize they need contingent labor in an international market to compete in a global labor market. They also are seeking to attract international companies to locate operations in their country by ensuring exports are competitive.

Aberdeen Group found that 59% of the temporary positions fill highly-skilled technical positions and 31% work in lower-skilled positions.

Organizations cited the following top benefits for their contract labor programs:

• Flexibility to add and reduce workforce
• Ability to hire specialized skills
• Capability to perform project oriented functions
• Capacity to meet varying workload and seasonal demand
• Lower risk through “trial before hiring.”

It should be noted that 83% of the benchmark report that they hire a number of these temporary staffers as full-time employees.

Organizations are starting to think about permanent staffing, temporary staffing and outsourcing with a view to strategically deciding how to manage projects. Learn more by clicking on this link or pasting it into your web browser to view the report: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=3376

Market Landscape Total Telecom Cost Management

The next phase in the evolution of TTCM is being led by vendors that provide robust asset tracking, financial management, and business analytics. Aberdeen Group has published a market landscape that helps customers to understand the TTCM market landscape and suppliers. This research brief provides a listing of the leaders in licensed software, outsourcing, and hosted solutions for TTCM. It also highlights the integrators and carriers that offer TTCM services, specialists for mid-size companies, vendors that focus on wireless services, and telecom contract negotiation sourcing.

Learn more by clicking on this link or pasting it into your web browser to view the report: http://www.aberdeen.com/summary/report/research_briefs/RB_SolSelPv_JB_3384.asp

IP Telephony: the VNO Perspective

As a Virtual Network Operator, Vanco does not own infrastructure, but procures it from the most appropriate providers to deliver fully-managed solutions customized for each of its clients. Unlike companies that have chosen to invest in IPT technologies, (or not, as the case may be) Vanco offers a product-independent view of this perennial hot topic.

When IP Telephony first hit the enterprise radar at the turn of the century, the talk was all about cost savings. Innovators had got over the introspective technology talk and carriers started to come to terms with this threat to their traditional wire line cash cows, and together they went to market selling savings. Not a bad decision, you might think, especially when ICM/Vanco research indicates cost reduction has been the number one priority for CIOs since our formal market analysis began (and probably for every year prior to this). However, while they were selling what enterprises wanted, they were not selling what IPT offered at the time. This article is compliments of TCMnet.com and Ted Raffetto, the remainder of this article of available by clicking this link to the TCMnet.com website.

Mark Your Calendar for an Upcoming Webinar From Desire2Learn

Desire2Learn’s New Teaching and Learning Tools

Desire2Learn is proud to present the release of Learning Environment 8.1 & Learning Repository 3.5. Kenneth Chapman, Product Manager at Desire2Learn, will host this exclusive webinar and highlight innovative new offerings, including:

• Competencies and Learning Objectives
• Reporting
• Rubrics
• Blogging
• Federated Searching

Please visit http://www.desire2learn.com/Webinars/ to register for this event. Webinar events are currently scheduled for September 27 th, 2006 at 2:00 pm Eastern Time. Please keep checking the website for additional dates in October.

VoIP Agreements Reached with All Four MiCTA Telecom Vendors

MiCTA and the ATAlliance are pleased to announce that members are now eligible to take advantage of great cost-savings opportunities with VoIP Telephone Solutions and any of our four telecom vendors. McLeodUSA, Qwest, Sprint and Verizon Business all met the criteria set forth by the evaluation committee and have all received approved awards for their VoIP services. VoIP service has been widely regarded as the way of the future because it eliminates charges for local and long distance calls and utilizes the internet signal that you’re already paying for. Feel free to call any of our four MiCTA VoIP reps, their contact information is available by clicking this link, or call Jay VanDuzen with any comments or concerns.

Jay VanDuzen
Director of Member Services
MiCTA Service Corporation
1-586-360-8421
jvanduzen@mictaservice.com

Is Your Institution an "Interconnected VoIP Service Provider"?

As the upcoming fall semester approaches, many colleges and universities are moving forward with the planning, development, and deployment of VoIP solutions on campus. This Alert provides a regulatory backdrop to assist in your planning and decision-making process by providing greater detail on the potential regulatory issues associated with the deployment of VoIP products.

Given the differences amongst institutions - as well as the significant legal ambiguity - no hard and fast pronouncements can be made. Nevertheless, this Alert endeavors to provide greater clarity as to the scope of current federal requirements. Accordingly, an independent assessment of whether the requirements described herein apply should be made for each institution. In this regard, we recommend contacting legal counsel prior to the wide deployment of VoIP services on campus, particularly for any services provided to entities beyond the campus community or for a fee.

To date, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued three decisions with respect to a specific subset of VoIP services -interconnected VoIP service providers.

- E911. In June 2005, the Commission required interconnected VoIP providers to transmit 911 calls, as well as a call back number and the caller's registered location for each call, to the public safety answering point (PSAP) or other designated answering point. More detail can be found at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-05-116A1.pdf- CALEA. In September 2005, the Commission required interconnected VoIP providers and facilities-based providers of broadband Internet access to comply with the law enforcement access provisions of CALEA. As you may recall, the recent judicial case focused on the facilities-based broadband provider requirements (e.g., whether private university networks had to comply). Interconnected VoIP providers must also comply. More detail can be found at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-05-153A1.pdf- Universal Service. In June 2006, the Commission required interconnected VoIP providers to contribute to the universal service fund for the first time. More detail can be found at http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-94A1.pdf What is an Interconnected VoIP Service?

Interconnected VoIP services are generally defined as those services that meet the following four criteria:

(1) Enable "real-time, two-way voice communications";

(2) Require "a broadband connection from the user's location";

(3) Require "IP-compatible CPE"; and

(4) Permit "users generally to receive calls that originate on the PSTN [public switched telephone network] and to terminate calls to the PSTN." With respect to this last requirement, the Commission has explained that only the capability for users to receive/terminate calls to the PSTN is necessary to meet the definition. Thus, a service may be classified as an interconnected VoIP service even if no PSTN-based communications actually occurs.

Republished with permission from ACUTA. For more information about ACUTA, visit the website at www.acuta.org.

Welcome New Members

Chested Volunteers of Williamsburg Inc.

Colon Township Library

Douglas County Wisconsin

Guffey Community Charter School

Harford County Government

Notre Dame Preparatory/ Marist Academy

Park County Government

Pittsford Public Library

US Learning Online

EMI Telecom Newest MiCTA Vendor Alliance

MiCTA is pleased to announce a vendor alliance with EMI Telecom. Eddie Isaac is president of EMI and will work with MICTA on telecom consulting, WAN/LAN management and other telecom cost savings programs. MiCTA feels there is need to help our members within these areas and EMI will be bringing us the experience we need. EMI has been working with K-12 and the public entities for years, and continues to be a great resource for cost savings for the non-profit community. EMI can offer alternatives to your services and help you better understand the technology that is currently available today. MiCTA will support EMI through our cost savings programs and give our members the best possible alternatives. EMI can be reached at (810) 691-5745.

TCI Offering Free Utility Consultation to MiCTA Members

Are your ever increasing utility bills shocking you?  If so, contact the experts at TCI - Utility Consultants for a free utility audit.

TCI’s Helping Hand

Have you or your staff identified new ways to manage your utility costs? No matter how you answer this question, TCI can be of assistance.

There are numerous possibilities for you to realize savings on utility bills-- but just not enough manpower or hours in your day to thoroughly identify and implement the opportunities. Allowing TCI to act as the watchdog of your utility cost recovery opportunities continues to fill this void. TCI is a leader in utility data management and cost recovery services, providing a wide variety of high-volume end users of electric, gas, water utilities, steam, oil, and telecommunications services with contingency fee-based expert utility bill audits. Please click this link for more information on TCI and how they can help you eliminate your unnecessary spending with their cost-savings alternatives.

Introducing Comet Tracker, a Unique GPS Solution, From Sprint Nextel

MiCTA, in collaboration with Sprint Nextel, is pleased to announce great pricing opportunities with Comet Tracker. This service is available through the Sprint/MiCTA contract and is available to all MiCTA members. Comet Tracker is a unique solution that incorporates the GPS technology from Sprint PCS, Nextel, Blackberry and other cellular phones. This technology is a great fit for all types of asset tracking including school busses, company vehicles, employees who carry Sprint PCS and Nextel phones, and other unfixed assets. For more information on Comet Tracker and the MiCTA/Sprint agreement please call either Jeff Muglia or Jay Van Duzen.

Jeff Muglia
Sprint-Public Sector Account Manager
248-204-0930
jeffery.t.muglia@sprint.com

Jay Van Duzen
Director of Member Services
MiCTA Service Corporation
586-360-8421
jvanduzen@mictaservice.com

Make Sure to Check Out This Month’s Vendor Corner

CD and DVD Cases – 20% Off!

Display and Safeguard Your Disc Media Collection!

Store and display your CDs and DVDs in quality made disc cases from Brodart. We have single, double and multi-disc cases. Brodart offers ultra-thin storage cases as well as storage and shipping albums. And Brodart’s line of security cases allows you to safely display and circulate your collection.

Choose from the best names in disc storage like Checkpoint, SecureCase™, THINpak™, Proline, Allsop® and more! We even offer a line of patented disc cases manufactured exclusively for Brodart by Scanavo.

See the complete selection of media cases on pages 289 to 297 in our 2006 catalog, or go online at www.shopbrodart.com.

For more information on products and services for MiCTA members from Brodart:

Call: 1-800-233-8467 ext. 4338
Click: www.shopbrodart.com/pricing/micta/
Fax: 1-800-578-1064
E-Mail: supplies.quotes@brodart.com

Desire2Learn Announces the Partner Network, and Continues to Expand its Base of Active Partnerships

SYNOPSIS: Desire2Learn launches the Partner Network with a who’s who of eLearning companies.

Kitchener-Waterloo , ON , September 5, 2006 – Desire2Learn Inc., a world-leading provider of mission-critical enterprise learning systems has revealed the creation of their new technology partner program, the Partner Network.  The new program was created to support the growing collaboration requirements of Desire2Learn’s clients, and represents a new phase in the growth and development of the company. 

Enrolment in the Desire2Learn Partner Network provides partners with the opportunity to leverage the Desire2Learn brand and platform, and help them gain an advantage in the eLearning marketplace.  Partner organizations are enabled to extend their solutions to clients by integrating, marketing and selling with the Desire2Learn eLearning suite.  Partners are supported with streamlined integration and compatibility programs that enable them to provide their clients with complete eLearning solutions that are guaranteed to work together. 

The Partner Network segments partners to reflect how eLearning clients categorize different IT vendors, including Content Providers, Independent Software Vendors, Campus Systems, Infrastructure Providers, eLearning Consultants, Industry Associations, Research and Development Organizations, and Standards Bodies.  Desire2Learn will partner with organizations in these horizontal segments to support content compatibility, extend the functionality of the Desire2Learn eLearning environment, and align with industry best practices.

“ Establishing relationships with organizations to support the needs of clients is nothing new to Desire2Learn,” states John Baker, Desire2Learn President & CEO.  “In fact, it is this commitment to our clients that has given rise to the Partner Network.  As we have grown, we have come to recognize a need to better communicate and collaborate with solution providers focused on eLearning, and we are pleased to offer the Partner Network to support our growing network of industry alliances. ”

Indeed Desire2Learn is no stranger to working with other eLearning focused companies to support their clients’ needs.  The company has generated an impressive list of key eLearning partnerships, including Microsoft, Sungard Higher Education, Elluminate, Sun Microsystems, IBM, EDUCAUSE, iParadigms Turnitin, IMS, Design Science, Wolters Kluwer Health-Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, LORNET, 123ID, MERLOT, Webtrain, and eLearn Campus.

The Partner Network is an exclusive program developed to support the needs of our eLearning clients, and is available to organizations that provide value to the Desire2Learn Learning Environment, Learning Repository, and LiveRoom.

For information about the Partner Network, please contact Partners@Desire2Learn.com or visit www.Desire2Learn.com/Partners.

About Desire2Learn Inc.

Desire2Learn, Inc. is a world-leading provider of mission-critical enterprise learning solutions that empower academic organizations to build teaching and learning environments to reflect their vision and goals. Desire2Learn clients include colleges, universities, schools, as well as associations and other leading organizations. There are more than 4 million users of the Desire2Learn enterprise eLearning technology worldwide. Founded in 1999, Desire2Learn is headquartered in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. For more information, please visit: http://www.Desire2Learn.com.

Drew Maddison
Partner Account Manager
1-519-772-0325 x467
Drew.Maddison@Desire2Learn.com

Simone Moreau
Public Relations
1-519-772-0325 x382
PR@Desire2Learn.com

Gateway E-100 Notebook

Powerful options in a compact notebook: the ideal combination for staying productive in and out of the office. The only thing small about the Gateway E-100M is its size. While it weighs 3.15 pounds and is less than one inch thin, this UltraPortable Notebook is packed with features and configurable options that give you seamless productivity moving from your office, to the road or anywhere you need to work. The 12.1-inch WXGA widescreen color display gives you 25% more viewing area than standard 12-inch XGA displays. This highly-scaleable notebook gives you memory, display and hard drive options to meet your professional demands. Durable, high-impact magnesium casing. Click here for more information on the exciting E-100 notebook from Gateway.

Just For Fun

Which great river was discovered by Francisco de Orellana and later explored by Pedro Teixeira, Charles Marie de la Condamine, Alexander von Humboldt and Aime Bonpland ?

1. Orinoco
2. Mississippi
3. Amazonas
4. Colorado (Grand Canyon)

Who was the first European to lead an expedition that arrived at India via the rounding of the Cabo de Boa Esperanca ( Cape of Good Hope)in 1497 ?

1. Diogo de Sevilha
2. Bartolomeu Dias
3. Vasco da Gama
4. Vasco Nunez de Balboa

A circular iron for pressing linens is called a what?

1. Mungle
2. Mengle
3. Mingle
4. Mangle

What did a redsmith do for a living?

1. Was the person who dyed British infantry uniforms
2. Made blood pudding
3. Worked with gold
4. Was a barber/surgeon

For answers to "Just for Fun", please visit the Members' homepage.

PREVIOUS MICTA ALERTS

• August 2006

• July 2006

• June 2006

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