The deadline for submitting 2010 North Dakota IT Awards is Friday, March 19. This is an excellent opportunity to recognize individuals and entities playing a vital role in North Dakota information technology development. The nomination form is available on the ITCND website. 

 Nominations are sought in the following categories:

• Premier IT Business Award recognizing a business that has achieved outstanding success by developing and/or providing IT business solutions. Businesses deriving the majority of revenue from the sale of information technology products or services are eligible for this award.
• Technology Innovator Award recognizing an entity that has been a leader in the use of innovative technology to serve its primary customer. Businesses from any industry, government agencies and educational institutions are eligible for this award.
• North Dakota IT Champion recognizing an individual who has championed the development of a North Dakota IT company, the promotion and/or use of technology in the academic realm or the delivery of technology to North Dakota citizens. Entrepreneurs, educators, legislators and government officials are eligible for this award.

The winners will be recognized at the IT Awards Program on May 12 during the noon luncheon at the ND IT Symposium at the Hilton Garden Inn, Fargo.

For more information, contact Alexis Brinkman, IT Awards coordinator, at 701-355-4458 or office@itcnd.org.

The March "Grab a Byte" luncheons have proven to be a valuable networking event for the more than 40 IT professionals who attended in Fargo and Bismarck. The final luncheon this month will be held March 24 in Dickinson. Visit the ITCND website for additional information and to register.

If you are interested in facilitating a luncheon discussion or have a topic of interest for future luncheons, contact Julie at 701-355-4458 or office@itcnd.org.

Valley City State University and the Sheyenne Valley Area Career and Technology Center are looking for youth sponsors for the first-ever Business and Information Technology (BAIT) summer camp to be held June 15-18, 2010, in Valley City. 

The camp will give high school students the opportunity to experience multiple 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 will be assisted in developing personal career plans. 

Student sponsorships are available at $200 each. Sponsorships will be recognized through:

• inclusion on all promotional materials and announcements,
• signage recognizing your contribution at the various events, and
• recognition at the award ceremony.

For more information on sponsorships and the camp, visit here or contact Kerry Gregoryk at 701-845-7519.

The North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS) is working on a STEM grant proposal and is looking for information on current and future demand for ND programmers to augment state and national data. They have requested input from ND IT companies on the number of entry level programmers that will be hired in the next 3-6 months. Please contact Jeff Watne, NDSCS CIS department chair, at 701-671-2311 with your input.

ND IT Symposium co-hosts, ITCND and the Fargo CIO Exchange, encourage IT executives and their management teams to attend the 2nd Annual ND IT Symposium to be held May 12 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Fargo.

As the premier event in the state for IT leaders, the 2009 ND IT Symposium attracted over 100 executives from more than 60 of the region's top IT organizations. The 2010 event has an anticipated attendance of over 150 IT practitioners statewide and will feature two keynotes, a moderated CIO panel and 16 individual breakout sessions.

Breakout sessions will feature best practices on topics such as: Implementing Innovation in Your Organization, Storage/Virtualization Strategies, CRM Best Practices, BC/DR Initiatives, Doing More With Less, Telephony & Unified Communications, Moderated CIO Panel, Saving Dollars Implementing VOIP...and many more.

Registration (required)

To register and to find additional Symposium details, visit here. Registration will not be accepted from non-sponsoring IT vendors, but companies are welcome to contact Dennis Robinson regarding future event sponsorships.

ITCND Discount

ITCND members receive a $50 discount by entering Promo Code: ITCND when registering online. Membership will be verified upon registration. If you are not a member and are interested in joining, visit our website or contact Deana Wiese, executive director, at 701-355-4458.

Confirmed Speakers
Gary Inman, Senior Vice President of IT - State Bank & Trust
Patrick Spilman, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer - Basin Electric Power Cooperative
Peggy Monson, Director, Enterprise Technology Services - MDU Resources Group, Inc.
Lisa Feldner, CIO - State of North Dakota
Jason Neuharth, Project Manager - State Bank & Trust
Joe Tykwinski, CIO - Valley City State University
Tim Heilman, Chief Information Officer - Choice Financial Group
Jason Yoder, IT Manager - Baker Boy Bake Shop, Inc.
Michael Toy, Senior Vice President of IT and Corporate Operations - First International Bank & Trust

EduTech - Fargo, ND

EduTech provides information technology services and education technology professional development to K-12 educators in North Dakota. Our services are designed to give educators access, training and support to use technologies in their classrooms to improve teaching and learning. EduTech uses a regional model to provide support services to schools by housing staff in school/campus locations across ND. Staff members are located in Bismarck, Devils Lake, Killdeer, Elgin, Valley City, Grand Forks and Fargo.

Future opportunities for EduTech and the IT industry in the state:  Additional services to assist schools in their use of data to make instructional and organizational decisions.

Current challenges facing EduTech and the IT industry in the state:  School personnel have so many responsibilities, and IT is one of many demanding their attention and time.

Learn more about EduTech here or by contacting Jody French at 701-231-7208.  

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