ITCND is teaming with other North Dakota information technology industry stakeholders to launch an updated 2011 State of the IT Industry Guide.  We want to give you the opportunity to showcase your organization with an advertisement in this statewide publication.

In 2009, the State of the IT Industry Guide provided a voice for North Dakota's growing information technology industry. The guide was distributed to more than 5,000 people, including legislators, other key policymakers and university officials.  Your partnership is essential for an even more successful 2011 State of the IT Industry Guide.

The full-color publication will provide information about opportunities within the North Dakota information technology industry and demonstrate the industry's impact on the state. State policymakers will use the guide to develop strategies to overcome barriers and capitalize on opportunities surrounding the industry.  This publication, distributed by ITCND, the North Dakota Department of Commerce and local economic developers, will also be used as a tool for information technology business and employee recruitment.  In addition, it is distributed to students, parents and educators through ITCND's IT Career Awareness Program.

View the commitment form and return to office@itcnd.org by July 31 to guarantee your spot in the 2011 State of the IT Industry Guide.  

To help ensure we are using the most current industry-related information available in the 2011 State of the IT Industry Guide, a survey will be distributed to ITCND members in the near future.  Your thoughts are very important to us, and we would greatly appreciate your completion of the survey.

For additional information, visit here or contact Alexis Brinkman at 701-355-4458 or office@itcnd.org.

The ITCND public policy committee met June 9 to shape the 2011 legislative agenda.  The committee reviewed the 2009 outcomes and accomplishments and discussed legislative proposals currently being considered that might impact North Dakota's IT industry.

The committee presented the proposed 2011 legislative agenda to the ITCND board of directors at its June 22 meeting. The board approved the agenda, and it will serve as a guide for the public policy committee as they take up legislative issues on an individual basis leading up to and during the session.  The agenda includes the areas of workforce development, business development, connectivity, internet taxation, and K-12 and higher education.

If you have issues you would like ITCND to be aware of moving into the 2011 session, contact Deana Wiese at 701-355-4458 or one of the public policy committee members listed below:

2010-11 Public Policy Committee
Dale Niezwaag, Chair, Basin Electric Power Cooperative, 701-223-0441

Kent Blickensderfer, Qwest, 701-222-7051

Katie Hasbargen, Microsoft Fargo, 701-281-6877

Gary Inman, State Bank and Trust, 701-371-1563

Jeremy Neuharth, State Bank and Trust, 1-800-450-8949

Doug Remboldt, NISC, 701-667-6700

Tom Seymour, Minot state University, 701-858-3307

Jeff Swank, ITD, 701-328-1994

Valley City State University (VCSU) and Sheyenne Valley Area Career and Technical Center hosted the first-ever Business and Information Technology (BAIT) Career Awareness Camp June 15-18.  More than 30 high school students from across the region gathered to participate in hands-on activities in the areas of business and information technology, such as business enterprise systems, computer networking, robotics, graphics and global positioning systems.  Students also developed personal career plans.

VCSU is a partner in ITCND's IT Career Awareness Program.  ITCND congratulates VCSU and the Sheyenne Valley Area Career and Technical Center on a successful IT career awareness effort.

Mark your calendar for Sen. Dorgan's Red River Valley Research Corridor: Milestones and Horizons II, which is scheduled for Oct. 11 in Fargo.  Watch for additional information here.

DCN to hold groundbreaking
A ceremonial groundbreaking for a Dakota Carrier Network (DCN) Network Operations Center, located at 43rd Ave. N & Coleman Street, Bismarck, will be held at 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, July 20.

The new 42,000-square-foot, highly secure facility is designed to accommodate the company's expanding network and growing customer needs, as well as provide even greater assurance of business survivability.  Details and rendering about the project, which will act as a "Fort Knox" for network support, surveillance and monitoring purposes, will be shared at this event.

Additional information on Dakota Carrier Network is available here or at their website.

PiORION Solutions Inc. announces new identity
The team at PiORION Solutions Inc. is pleased to announce it is celebrating its 14th year in business and three year anniversary in the Mandan office. 

PiORION Solutions has recently emerged with its own identity as a spinoff of Boden Inc. to bring focus on providing IT solutions and services to the public and private sectors.  Though PiORION Solutions is a new company, it brings Boden's 14 years of experience and management team that has over 70 years of combined experience in the IT industry.  PiORION Solutions new identity allows for focused and enhanced personalized support by providing individualized attention to businesses with the capabilities and stability of a large organization. 

More information on PiORION Solutions can be found here or by contacting Joan Patrick at 701-337-6099.

AccuData Services Inc. - Park River

AccuData provides data processing services for the banking industry.  This includes internet banking, telephone banking, remote deposit and bill payment, as well as daily processing.

Future opportunities for AccuData and the IT industry in the state: 
Banking services for customer's needs are always changing, as well as security issues that go along with remote access, mobile banking, virtualization and backup services.  As these tools become more popular among users, it means IT staff has to be on top of the latest and greatest hardware, software, security issues and communications.  Banks continue to grow, so making these services available means staying on top of IT staff training.

Current challenges facing AccuData and the IT industry in the state:
Staffing is an issue in a rural community as many young people in the IT industry want to live in the larger cities.  Another challenge is high speed communications.  Local providers are limited on what they can offer and the costs are very high.

Learn more about AccuData by contacting Connie Linstad at 701-284-7954 for more information.

If you are interested in having your business featured in an upcoming "Member Bits & Bytes," e-mail ITCND. Requests will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis.