Tribridge News

Opening Dialogue: How to Understand Your Customers' Needs

Carolyn LaWell — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:38:17 GMT

Meeting with customers is frankly a higher priority than anything waiting for Tony DiBenedetto at the office.

“If I can focus on the customer,” DiBenedetto says, “not only have I done a good job listening and bringing that information back to our team and setting the strategy, but I also set an example for everybody else that we should be focused on the customer.”

Understanding customers’ needs is the priority that has helped Tribridge grow, reaching $65 million in revenue in 2009.

Really, the key comes down to thinking like your customer, says DiBenedetto, chairman and CEO of the IT services firm. But it’s not as simple as asking questions once.

To stay engaged with customers Tribridge uses multiple techniques, including training employees to ask effective questions and using a customer council to get a cross section of clients talking about their needs. DiBenedetto spends months on the road meeting clients. And the company uses surveys, which indicate Tribridge has a 98 percent client-retention rate.

Smart Business spoke with DiBenedetto about how to understand your customers.

Try on your customers’ shoes. The key, frankly, is to put yourself in your customers’ shoes. When I think about what a customer is going through, I think about what I would be going through in their shoes.

In other words, I run a company, and we have IT needs, and we have business process needs, and we have strategy needs, so anytime I’m talking to a customer, I put myself in their shoes like I run their business.

When I do that, it makes me just listen differently, ask questions differently. It becomes a ‘we’ thing versus a ‘them’ thing. I really try to put myself in their shoes and ask the questions like, ‘Hey, how are we going to fix that issue?’ or, ‘How are we going to fix that problem?’

When you start getting customers to talk, then you’re really learning because they ultimately have been spending all of their time trying to figure out solutions to problems and your job is to help them solve that problem.

So, if you can listen really well and kind of separate the noise of the problem from the real root cause, and then really figure out what the business benefits would be to solving those problems, then you’re in the head of the customer.

The cornerstone is the listening and the attitude that you’re in their shoes, whether you’re an owner or an executive in their company.

Ask questions that engage customers. When we’re in the beginning of an engagement with a customer or a client, we’re making sure that we have a full understanding of the business strategy, the business model, what the problem is.

The most effective questions are open-ended, as you might expect, and they’re questions that allow a customer to talk about their business.

We have structured questions [that] we have for our discovery, so it’s by industry. We make sure we’re asking questions that are relevant to a particular industry. Then, we ask those questions in a way that allows the executive to open up a dialogue with us that is less structured and closed off.

Open structure is key. Pointed to the fact that they’re related to the industry that they’re in is a second key. Third, being able to ask the question in different ways — multiple ways gives you that ability to get different dimensions to the answer. Sometimes the answer to the question is answered, but you don’t really get the full 3-D view of it, so we tend to ask questions with multiple view points.

Then, we also ask multiple levels within a company. We wind up talking to different levels within a company to get different perspectives.

At a high, very high, level we’re asking questions like, ‘Tell us a little bit about your business strategy.’ Then, ‘Give me the plan for the next three years.’ Then, we might drill down and say, ‘What are some of the obstacles in the way of you achieving those objectives for that strategy?’ It’s that obstacles question that tends to illuminate the problems that they’re having.

‘Tell me the top five things that are keeping you stressed at night or are getting in the way of you being able to accomplish the vision that you’ve laid out.’ Questions like that tend to get people talking.

To the extent that they share those with you, you might go into a whole line of questioning around, ‘Tell me some of the things you’ve tried before to fix that problem.’ That may sound like an odd question. But, inevitably, they’ll tell you. They’ll start talking about it, and they’ll realize the problem was bigger than they said, or there’s another dimension to it because they tell you about solving a problem that is somewhat related but not exactly.

Get out and meet your customers. Without question, one of the keys of growing a business is to focus on the customer. My job in the company is to truly understand the needs of the marketplace. The marketplace is defined by the customers.

I go on the road every year for a couple of months and have very direct one-on-one conversations with customers and ask them very direct questions about our business, about competitors’ businesses. You just learn a tremendous amount about what resonates trust with a customer.

My advice to any CEO, I don’t care what the business is, is to become intimate with the customers. Don’t fool yourself or filter yourself based on surveys or anything else, it has to be direct contact. I don’t know how else you could make solid decisions or be right about anything.

I fancy myself as a good listener and being able to provide a good business that provides products and services, I don’t profess to tell a customer what their needs are. A CEO that’s not spending time with a customer, in essence, is telling a customer that he knows better what their needs are.

The only way you’ll know better is if you are actually talking to the customer themselves.

Phishers use Facebook, Your Friends to Perpetrate Scam

Jeff Butera — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:19:00 GMT

SPRING HILL, FL -- Susan Dixon, who runs an Avon store in Spring Hill, has never been to London.

But one day in February, all of her friends on Facebook received messages from Dixon's account, saying she had traveled to London and has lost her credit card. In the message, Dixon asked her friends to wire her money so she could get back home again.

Dixon never wrote that message. Someone had hacked their way into Dixon's account and were sending it out in her name. The hackers were hoping someone would try to wire Dixon money, which the scammers would pocket instead.

"I'm not sure how they got in," Dixon said, "(but) they were sending out this email."

Carole Sanek, one of Dixon's friends, received the message and knew right away it wasn't true.

"I said immediately that Sue was part of a scam," Sanek remembers. "I knew she wasn't in London, England."

She knew that because she had seen her the day before. So she didn't send any money. Most of Dixon's other friends didn't fall for it either. But one did.

"One very sweet, very Christian woman in the Spring Hill-Brooksville area had gone to the Western Union to transfer the money," Sanek said. "But the Sheriff's Office was able to stop the transfer before it happened."

Dixon had become one of the latest victims in a growing phishing scheme on Facebook called the "London Scam."

"These are social engineering attacks," Greg Pierce, IT security expert at Tribridge in Tampa, said. "If you ask enough people, if you try enough times, you'll find some people who will bite on the information."

Dixon's friends did not lose any money from the scam. But she lost a great deal from her business. She had to close her Facebook account and her Yahoo email account (it was hacked as well). That caused her to lose the rolodex she had built up on both accounts.

"I feel like they have violated me as well as the people I have contact with," Dixon said.

"She's lost - no doubt - money. She lost business contacts. And she may have lost some friends along the way," Sanek said. "People get scared."

According to Pierce, the best way to protect yourself from what happened to Dixon is having a strong password. Hackers are quite adept at guessing passwords, so he suggests using a password with capital and lowercase letters, as well as punctuation and numbers.

ABC Action News asked Facebook what they were doing about the scam. Here is their full response:

"This is a very low-volume attack, affecting only a small number of people. However, we’re concerned about any potential security threat, and we’re taking this issue very seriously. Our team has analyzed the trends of these attacks and is using this information to surface compromised accounts as quickly as possible, hopefully before the scammers get very far. When we find these accounts, we disable them and attempt to get them back to their rightful owner. In many cases, the scammer has changed the password or added a new contact email to attempt to maintain control of the account. To combat this, we notify people when their account is modified and empower them to reverse the changes or disable the account entirely.

We're reminding people to be very suspicious of anyone, even friends, who ask for money over the Internet. Please verify their circumstances through some other means than the web (e.g. call them or mutual friends). If you see something that looks amiss with your account or a friend’s, please report it to us through the form in our Help Center. These and other security tips can be found on our Facebook Security Page We’ve also published a blog post about the scam here.

Specific things users can do to protect themselves:

Be suspicious of anyone – even friends – who ask for money over the Internet. Verify their circumstances independently (e.g. call them or mutual friends).

Choose a strong password and use unique credentials for each of your web accounts (we believe users are being phished on one site, and the bad guys are then trying those credentials on another).

Use an up-to-date browser that features an anti-phishing blacklist.

Use and run anti-virus on your machine.

Reset your Facebook password if you suspect your account has been compromised.

Specific actions Facebook has taken:

Adjusted and updated our sophisticated security systems to also detect and defeat these smaller-scale attacks

Improved our prioritization systems so we can help impacted users more quickly

Instituted changes to notify users when their account is modified and empower them to reverse the changes or disable the account

Worked with law enforcement to investigate cases and with Western Union (a wire transfer company commonly used by the scammers) to improve education. With our help, Western Union has posted a warning about this scam to its own website here: http://www.westernunion.com/WUCOMWEB/staticMid.do?method=load&pagename=fraudEmergencyScam. Western Union has also alerted its branches in London, where the scammers are picking up the money.

SpectraWatt Selects Tribridge and Microsoft Dynamics AX to Support Growing Photovoltaic Solar Cell Production in North America

Amber Brinkley — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:58:48 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 26, 2010) – Tribridge (www.tribridge.com), a leading U.S-based IT services and business consulting firm, has entered into a contract with SpectraWatt, a manufacturer and distributor of photovoltaic solar cells, to provide software and services to deploy an ERP system for the start-up company’s new production facility and administrative offices in Fishkill, N.Y.

To support the rapid growth the firm is expecting over the next several years, SpectraWatt selected a robust but user-friendly ERP solution to replace its current solution. In the latter part of 2009, SpectraWatt prepared a set of evaluation criteria and conducted a thorough search and evaluation process, which distilled down to a choice between several well known ERP vendors.

In January 2010, Tribridge was chosen to implement a Microsoft Dynamics AX solution with capabilities in Financials, Order Management, Supply Chain Planning, Procurement, Production, Inventory Management, Warehousing Management and Human Resources Management. Tribridge will deploy the implementation in two phases over the next six months.

“SpectraWatt’s focus is to implement efficient, cost-effective systems that advance our business capabilities quickly and seamlessly, and we are confident Tribridge’s ERP systems will help us maintain those standards,” said Eric Johnson , SpectraWatt’s VP of Finance. “We feel comfortable knowing that accountability for our success on this project reaches the senior executive level at Tribridge which demonstrates a strong commitment to our business.”

SpectraWatt was founded as a spin out from Intel Corporation and is a U.S.-based manufacturer of crystalline silicon solar cells focused on delivering innovative products to the solar market.

“It’s inherent to our guiding principles to partner with entrepreneurial businesses. They make up the backbone of American innovation,” says Tribridge Chairman and CEO Tony DiBenedetto. “We hope to play a small role in developing and supporting SpectraWatt’s processes so they can focus on their pioneering work in photovoltaic production.”

About Tribridge

Founded in 1998, Tribridge is a national IT services and business consultancy dedicated to helping organizations become more productive, profitable, competitive and secure. Headquartered in Tampa, Tribridge has 13 offices throughout the U.S. and in Europe and serves 2,000 loyal customers. Commitment, character and community are at the center of our business and drive us to deliver an exceptional customer experience, promote rapid return on investments and build lasting partnerships. Our 300+ consulting and technology professionals average 20 years of experience and are committed to delivering high-performance business technology solutions to customers across a number of diverse industries and markets.

About SpectraWatt

SpectraWatt is a manufacturer and supplier of photovoltaic cells for the solar industry. In addition to focusing on advanced solar cell technologies, SpectraWatt concentrates on improvements in current manufacturing processes and capabilities to reduce the cost of photovoltaic energy generation. Its mission is to deliver solar energy at grid parity through product and manufacturing technology innovation. Investors include Intel Capital, Cogentrix Energy, PCG Clean Energy and Technology Fund and Solon SE.

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Tribridge Named #1 Scribe Software Reseller for 2nd Year in a Row

Amber Brinkley — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:29:39 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 1, 2010) – Last week Tribridge (www.tribridge.com), a leading U.S.-based IT services and business consulting firm, was named Scribe Software’s 2009 Top Partner Organization for the Americas territory.

Scribe commented on the company’s official blog that, “This past year was an economic challenge for many companies, but by working together, Scribe and our strong partner community still continued to grow and add hundreds of new customers.”

As is Scribe’s custom, the company will present the Top Reseller Awards at the upcoming Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Washington, D.C.

This honor recognizes Tribridge’s achievement as Scribe Software’s top revenue producing reseller in the Americas region for the calendar year 2009. Scribe Software provides configurable data migration and integration software solutions for CRM implementations in order to help employees within an organization share customer data for more effective critical business processes and decisions.

“Scribe’s configuration tools play an integral role in the innovative Microsoft Dynamics CRM solutions we design and implement for our customers, and we are proud to be recognized once again as the top partner in the Americas,” said Shannon DiBenedetto, Director of Tribridge’s CRM Practice.

About Scribe

Scribe Software Corporation provides cost-effective, no-coding solutions that can be used as the only tool businesses need to integrate virtually any application, data source or Software as a Service (SaaS) platform. Scribe solutions are simple to configure and provide ease of modification as business processes change. For more information about Scribe, please visit www.scribesoft.com

About Tribridge

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Trendsetters in Information Technology

Mike Vogel — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 08:05:00 GMT

So this is how companies are named. Tony DiBenedetto and his co-founders got a case of beer in 1998, watched Fletch and went boating on Tampa Bay. They came up with about 100 bad names for their new IT company before Tribridge emerged as a play on the bay bridges, the three of them, a bridge for clients and so on. Tribridge they thought was laughable but, on reflection the next day, it resonated.

From that provenance, Tribridge grew, reaching $65 million in revenue in 2009. The 300-employee company provides 1,800 customers nationally with IT services and business consulting. A hot area: Managed services, in which customers pay a fixed fee for Tribridge to take care of desktop, server and IT support.

DiBenedetto was raised by his grandparents in Fort Lauderdale. After his grandmother died when he was in middle school, he lived in 13 different houses, on a friend’s couch and the like, while attending Fort Lauderdale High. “I’ve seen some pretty crappy things, I guess. I always viewed it as a learning experience,” he says.

At Florida State University, a friend, a confident entrepreneur type, convinced DiBenedetto to join him in starting a Brazilian art import business. They didn’t do well, but DiBenedetto caught the entrepreneur bug. And he couldn’t shake it during the 11 years he spent at Arthur Andersen after graduating from FSU with a degree in business management information systems. He started a truck leasing business on the side and a restaurant and bagel shop before launching Tribridge. His idea of leadership is drawn from James C. Hunter, author of “The Servant” — that the CEO is at the bottom of an inverted pyramid with the role of removing obstacles in the way of employees helping clients.

“To me, you have to create the attitude of winning,” says DiBenedetto, 44.

Forefront Offers One-Stop Security Shopping for the Enterprise

Lynn Haber — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 08:43:00 GMT

Despite challenging economic times, IT security gets top priority at enterprises worldwide. The reason is clear. Expansive business processes, Web-based applications, and the demand for global collaboration with business partners and customers are shaping up to be game changers for enterprise security. It's understandable, then, why more organizations are turning to Microsoft's Forefront Security Suite.

Forefront delivers end-to-end security and access to information through an integrated line of protection, access, and identity management products. The robust enterprise security solution tackles today's evolving security and risk challenges as well as cost of ownership by reducing the cost of acquiring, deploying, and managing an array of fragmented security products.

"A year ago we were evangelizing about Forefront. Today, customers are not only asking for it, they're demanding it," says Greg Pierce, director of network infrastructure at Tribridge, a Microsoft Gold Certified IT services and business consultancy with headquarters in Tampa, Fla. "Forefront is compelling because it provides end-to-end security coverage and most of the pieces that companies look for."

The components of Microsoft's enterprise security offering include:

Forefront Management: Forefront Identity Manager; Forefront Protection Manager; Forefront Server Security Management Console.
Protection and Access: Forefront Client Security; Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server; Forefront Online Protection for Exchange; Forefront Security for SharePoint; Forefront Security for Office Communication Server; Forefront Threat Management Gateway.
Identity-Based Access: Intelligent Application Gateway
Platform Technologies: Active Directory Technologies; Windows Identity Framework; Windows CardSpace

The vendor's roadmap for Forefront is based on three fundamental tenets: integrate and extend across the enterprise; help protect everywhere, access anywhere; and simplify the experience and manage compliance.

Plano, Texas-based Atlantic Aviation, a national company that offers a wide range of aviation services as well a large and premier network of fixed-based operations (FBOs), is heavily invested in Microsoft products. When the company experienced rapid expansion from 11 locations to 72 locations and 550 desktops between 2005 and 2007, Atlantic was compelled to rapidly expand its IT infrastructure.

Working with Microsoft channel partner Tribridge, Atlantic, a former Microsoft Core Client Access License (Core CAL) Suite customer, looked into the newer Microsoft Enterprise Client Access License (Enterprise CAL) 2008.

The bottom line for Atlantic: "We were able to effectively make a one-year return on investment including software and implementation," says Rob Davis, director of IT at Atlantic. In essence, the organization made a budget-neutral move.

The Enterprise CAL suite includes: Windows Server 2008 CAL; Exchange Server 2007 CAL and Exchange Server 2007 Enterprise CAL; Office SharePoint Server 2007 Standard CAL and Office SharePoint Server 2007 Enterprise CAL; Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Standard CAL and Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Enterprise CAL; Systems Center Configuration Manager 2007 Configuration Management License; Windows Rights Management Services; and Forefront Security Suite.

By the end of the first quarter of 2009, Atlantic had implemented Forefront Client Security, Forefront for Exchange and SharePoint, as well as the Forefront Server Security Management Console. The company opted not to renew licenses with vendors of other security products that addressed the antivirus protection at the desktop, off-site backup, and a license for GoToMeeting for collaboration.

"Enterprise CAL gave us Exchange filtering for e-mail, desktop security, expanded functionality in SharePoint and Office Live Meeting," says Davis. "The investment in Enterprise CAL, which includes Forefront, was an incremental cost that pays for itself when you look at the products it displaces. The decision was simple."

More recently, Atlantic implemented Office Communications Server (OCS) as well as Forefront Security for OCS.

James Kaddis, senior network engineer at Microsoft Gold Certified Partner LAN WAN Enterprise Inc., located in Fountain Valley, Calif., reports that Microsoft has opened a lot of doors with Forefront and customers are responding.

"Making the case for Forefront is particularly easy when it's time for customers to renew other vendors' products," he says.

For example, Kaddis points out that Forefront Client Security, which hides well and doesn't consume system resources, is attractive to customers at $45 to $50 per machine, including labor. That's compared to other vendors' client security software that can run as much as $400 to $500 per machine when taking into account the need purchase, install, and configure additional RAM.

Kaddis is also excited about Forefront integration with Microsoft's Active Directory, which provides the means to manage the identities and relationships in an organization's network.

"The unification and integration aspect of the two products keeps the infrastructure clean, which makes it more appealing to users. It also boosts performance because it's not using up system resources, which also translates into a cost savings," he explains.

John Oltsik, principal analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG), says that business enablement depends on tight integration between identity and security.

"Microsoft offers tight integration between identity, security, and the Windows infrastructure, and its roadmap promises to extend that integration even further with the platform and its System Center offering," he says, noting that Active Directory acts as the central identity repository and is evidence of Microsoft's identity and security integration strategy.

Atlantic Aviation's Davis is not only sold on Forefront, but also on where Microsoft is headed.

"As Microsoft expands on the stack, we get to leverage the integration and increased functionality and grow based on the vendors R&D road map. And, we like where Microsoft is headed as well as the fact that for the next three years, I know what my software cost are," he says.

With an ambitious security strategy that is second to none, industry watchers and channel partners see Forefront shaping up to provide organizations across the board with all-in-one shopping for enterprise security.

With business-ready security for secure messaging, secure collaboration, secure endpoint clients and servers, information protection, and identity access and management, Microsoft is well positioned to be the security vendor of choice for companies of all sizes.

"Smart CIOs should place Microsoft on their short list of potential vendor partners for identity, security, and overall business enablement," says ESG's Oltsik.

Tribridge’s Public Sector Work Falls In Line with Obama’s Open Government Plan

Amber Brinkley — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:15:53 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (Dec. 21, 2009) – Tribridge, (www.tribridge.com) a leading Public Sector IT Services firm, offers municipalities and organizations the necessary solutions to quickly adopt the transparency requirements as directed by the new Open Government Directive announced by the Obama Administration on Dec. 8, 2009.

According to www.whitehouse.gov, the directive was sent to the head of every federal department and agency, instructing the agencies to take specific actions to open operations to the public. As stated on the website: “The three principles of transparency, participation, and collaboration are at the heart of this directive.”

Tribridge is able to help organizations comply with the new transparency requirements with real-time access to information that can be deployed both internally and to the public, such as key information on how grants are being spent, agency spending vs. budget, number of employees, and number and type of infrastructure issue calls.

“Our public sector practice will help leverage current technology to not only comply with these new requirements, but lead the way,” said Josh Jaquish, Tribridge Public Sector Practice Leader.

Tribridge has completed projects with entities such as North Carolina Department of Crime Control & Public Safety, City of Plantation (Fla.), City of Rochester (N.Y.) and Des Moines Area Regional Transit (Iowa). Most recently, Tribridge was awarded a State of Florida IT Services Contract and is now a qualified vendor in the State of Florida.

About Tribridge

community in which organizations derive long-term business value from practical solutions that guarantee customer success and maximum return on investment. Headquartered in Tampa, Tribridge has customers, offices and team members across the U.S. and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2008 Microsoft Dynamics Worldwide Partner of the Year.

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Local Businesses Team with Success 4 Kids & Families to Provide Holiday Gifts and Meals for Needy Families

Clara Reynolds — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 08:44:00 GMT

TAMPA BAY, Fla., Dec. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- While many Tampa Bay area families are struggling this Christmas to put food on the table and give their children a decent gift, three local businesses have joined together to ensure the holidays for families in need will be bright.

Success 4 Kids and Families and Healthy Start are teaming up with several outstanding Bay Area companies to give 150 families a Christmas dinner and a substantial gift for the kids.

"Even though the average gift amount is enough to get the kids a cool toy or electronics, most of the kids have asked for something really practical this year, like 'a pair of shoes without holes in em,' which is very touching," said Clara Reynolds, Executive Director of S4KF.

ConnectWise, Sage, and Tribridge provided donations through their employees and corporate funding. The companies will donate a substantial gift to 150 needy kids in Hillsborough County. Families will also receive a full Christmas dinner to prepare in their homes.

S4KF is a non-profit organization providing free in-home educational and social services for families within Hillsborough County. The Healthy Start program supports expectant moms and newborns at risk in the Bay Area.

About Success 4 Kids & Families

Success 4 Kids & Families (S4KF) provides comprehensive educational, mental health and support services to children and their families under a system of core values and principles. This value system means that a strength-based, culturally competent, consumer and family driven approach is used when working with children and their families. S4KF provides to the entire family, regardless of age, because it believes that children live with families and families live with children.

Tribridge’s DiBenedetto Wins 2009 CEO of the Year Award

Amber Brinkley — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:32:58 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (Dec. 10, 2009) – Tony DiBenedetto, Founder and CEO of Tribridge (www.tribridge.com), a leading U.S.-based IT services and business consulting firm, was named CEO of the Year (Large Company category) by Tampa Bay CEO Magazine during an awards program held last night in Tampa.

Nominees for the CEO of the Year award were judged by an independent panel of peer CEOs. Criteria included corporate vision, growth, business ethics, leadership and community initiatives. Forty nominees were recognized and winners announced across four categories. The award comes on the heels of DiBenedetto’s Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year recognition earlier this year.

“I’m proud to accept this award on behalf of Tribridge,” said DiBenedetto. “It’s really a reflection of our company culture and the entrepreneurial spirit of our team members. Especially in these difficult times, it’s important to celebrate innovation and a passion for service, qualities that all of the nominees and their companies possess.”

About Tribridge

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Tribridge Manager Honored With National Award

Amber Brinkley — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:11:03 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 29, 2009) – Lu Ann George, a Customer Account Manager at Tribridge (www.tribridge.com), a leading U.S-based IT services and business consulting firm, was recently awarded the national Microsoft Professional Community’s Customer Sales Manager (CSM) of the Year award for fiscal year 2009. Ms. George is a Microsoft back-to-back award recipient, having also been awarded the prestigious honor in 2008.

Ms. George was responsible for driving over $1.5 million in Microsoft License revenue for Tribridge in FY 2009. “Lu Ann’s hard work and dedication, along with her team’s support, are testament to Tribridge’s superior customer service and ability to deliver positive results,” says Thor Bendickson, Tribridge Chief Customer Officer.

In addition to receiving CSM of the Year recognition, Ms. George is the recipient of several other Microsoft awards, including membership into the 100% Club for 2007, 2008 and 2009; the Excellence in Quality Award for 2007 and 2008; the Customer Service Excellence Award in 2006; and the Customer Value Excellence Award in 2006.

“Lu Ann’s personalized, customer-first approach personifies Tribridge’s number one focus, which is to help each one of our clients achieve a maximum return on their business and IT investments,” says Tony DiBenedetto, Tribridge Chairman and CEO.

About Tribridge

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Tribridge Executive to Compete in The Mayor’s Cup Kayak Championships

Amber Brinkley — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:21:47 GMT

NEW YORK, N.Y. (October 15, 2009) – Gary Williams, a Senior Manager at Tribridge (www.tribridge.com), a leading U.S based IT services and business consulting firm, is competing on October 18th in the marquee event of the sea kayak racing season – The Mayor’s Cup. This is a twenty-eight mile circumnavigation of Manhattan Island starting on the Hudson River. The race is New York City’s largest water event, consisting of both US and international competitors.

This year, Gary is racing for the USA team with a partner in the Challenged Athlete’s division, and will be paddling a tandem kayak against a team from Holland in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Hudson River. This division is organized by the Achilles International Group, who supports disabled athletes by providing them with able-bodied partners for events. To contribute to this program, Gary is raising money to purchase a new composite tandem kayak for Achilles. This boat will be used in The Mayor's Cup and then made available to Achilles athletes and their athlete partners for training and future competitive events.

Achilles International www.achillestrackclub.org is a global not-for-profit founded in 1983 by Dick Traum, who was the first amputee to run a marathon. Achilles has expanded to over three thousand members in the New York metropolitan area, and has a presence in forty-six U.S. cities and over sixty foreign countries. Dick Traum is a keen kayaker himself and will be competing with his team in the race this year, along with athletes of various disabilities, including military vets with injuries, amputees, and also two members of the team, including Gary’s partner, who are blind. Attempting this race, with or without physical disability, is quite a feat, and completing it is a real achievement.

The race begins at North Cove marina in downtown Manhattan with the Challenger Division starting @ 8:15am. Details of the race can be found here: http://www.nymayorscup.com.

About Tribridge

Tribridge is an IT services firm that delivers and supports technology, business management and core infrastructure solutions for organizations spanning diverse industries. Tribridge helps customers strategically leverage IT investments to become more productive, profitable, competitive and secure through proven methodologies, process optimization and industry best practices. We are dedicated to building a community in which organizations derive long-term business value from practical solutions that guarantee customer success and maximum return on investment. Headquartered in Tampa, Tribridge has customers, offices and team members across the U.S. and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2008 Microsoft Dynamics Worldwide Partner of the Year.

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Medical Connections Finalizes Integration, Implementation of Microsoft Software Platform

Anthony Nicolosi — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:52:00 GMT

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Medical Connections Holdings, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: MCTH - News), one of the nation’s fastest growing healthcare staffing companies specializing in allied health, nurse and physician staffing and recruiting services, said that it has finalized all of the systems implementation and integration with its recently acquired ERP software. The company had engaged Tribridge as its consultant to provide the necessary expertise for the project.

“The Microsoft Dynamics solution carries with it a uniquely designed data management system that is robust enough to support Medical Connections’ anticipated expansion over the next decade,” explained Brian R. Neill, Chief Financial Officer and the software project sponsor. “Now that the system is finalized, we will see an increase in productivity and a streamlining of our day-to-day processes.”

As a result of its fast rate of growth, the Company engaged the services of Tribridge in early 2009 to help develop an ERP software system to meet its current and future business growth objectives and to provide the means to integrate future acquisitions.

“We are pleased that we have finalized and implemented all systems, and trained our staff,” said Joseph Azzata, CEO of Medical Connections. “This system will integrate our sales floor with our financial department, and it also has the capability to be integrated with other systems so that when we acquire other staffing companies, we can simply ‘plug’ their operating and back office systems right into ours -- with no down time and little learning curve. We continue to expect a very significant return on our investment in the new ERP system,” he added.

About Medical Connections, Inc.

Founded in 2002, Medical Connections, Inc. is a pioneering medical recruitment and staffing company dedicated to satisfying the increasing demands for qualified personnel in the healthcare industry. The company identifies and places medical professionals - from nurses and physicians to pharmacists and medical scientists – in facilities throughout the U.S. Medical Connections applies both established and innovative methods to meet the needs of its clientele, capitalizing on the more than 40 years’ industry experience of its key personnel.

In the relatively short period of time since its inception, Medical Connections has secured a roster of prestigious clients, both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, and recruited the most desirous candidates from across the country. With headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida, Medical Connections is ideally positioned to increase its presence in the U.S. healthcare market. Medical Connections Holdings, Inc. is a fully reporting company trading on the OTC B/B under the ticker: MCTH.

About Tribridge

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include (a) failure to successfully acquire existing staffing companies to grow its staffing business; (b) whether the company will have adequate financing to expand its business; (c) whether the company will effectively manage its expanding operations which will place significant demands on its managerial, financial and informational systems; (d) competition among medical staffing companies for clients and qualified nurses and other healthcare professionals and personnel; (e) the companies ability to locate and fill staffing orders; (f) whether general economic conditions and the regulatory environment will be favorable to the growth of the company’s business; (g) the company’s ability to grow organically. The company’s past performance is not necessarily indicative of its future performance. The company does not undertake, and the company specifically disclaims any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, events or circumstances after the date of such statement

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Medical Connections Holdings, Inc. business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the most recently ended fiscal year at www.sec.gov.

Tribridge Public Sector CRM Deployment Increases Productivity by 80 Percent for North Carolina State Department

Amber Brinkley — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:42:00 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (Sept. 17, 2009) – Tribridge (www.tribridge.com), a leading U.S.-based IT services and business consulting firm, recently deployed a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) project with the Department of North Carolina Crime Control & Public Safety (North Carolina CCPS), demonstrating how public sector entities can utilize CRM tools traditionally used by commercial interests.

North Carolina CCPS is comprised of 10 divisions including the Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE). ALE has nearly 120 agents who enforce underage drinking and other laws associated with the sale, purchase and possession of alcoholic beverages. The division is also responsible for enforcing the tobacco controlled substance and gambling laws and housing the Center of Missing Persons.

With no central database or offline facility to share and track data, inefficiencies and bottle necks were becoming unavoidable. Tribridge’s CRM project goals were to digitize, streamline and link all Department databases that used manual forms to track incidents, witness information, licensing applications, cases and investigation documents.

As a result of the new software implementation, completed using Microsoft Dynamics CRM, ALE agents can now remotely manage cases, process permits, undergo inspections, and lead investigations. The software provides easy access to case photos, audio files and document and automation of incident reports and investigation forms. Most significantly, the program allows for the integration with a central database. So far in 2009, ALE has resolved 10,000 CRM cases for the 208,000 alcohol permit records and 90,000 subjects contained in their CRM solution. Most importantly, since the CRM deployment, ALE agents are now closing cases in a single day versus a week, saving time, resources and money for the Department, increasing productivity by 80% as noted in a Microsoft case study.

“Our experience with North Carolina CCPS has shown that CRM solutions can provide tremendous value for any organization – public or private,” says Tony DiBenedetto, Tribridge Chairman and CEO. “This successful model opens up many more opportunities for us to help other public sector agencies better serve their citizens.”

Greg Jones, Chief Technology Officer of North Carolina CCPS said the results of the CRM deployment have been so successful that the department is now pursuing a CRM project for Grants Management. Additionally, ALE is looking to tie-in Mixed Martial Arts and Boxing Regulations into its existing CRM program.

Tribridge and North Carolina CCPS were recently recognized with a 2009 Microsoft Dynamics Customer Excellence Award for excellence in Public Sector Industry Leadership for the successful CRM deployment.

About Tribridge

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ABC Action News Interview: Facebook Safety Advice

Kerry Kavanaugh — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:51:01 GMT

TAMPA, FL -- "I never thought of that happening with social networking. I hadn't even heard of it happening," says local radio host for WFLA, Jack Harris.

But, Jack Harris found out the hard way there are many faces to social networking sites and not all of them are friendly. Harris says he uses Facebook to keep in touch with more than two thousand friends and strangers, but had no idea he was sending them all a video embedded with a virus.

"And I thought what? What are you talking about? And I clicked on it and got the virus I guess and sure enough it was," he says.

"There can be vulnerabilities in any of the social networking sites," says Greg Pierce, a security specialist with Tampa's Tribridge information technologies. He says internet security isn't just for online banking or credit card transactions. Hackers are breaking into your social cyberspace.

For example, the virus jack unknowingly sent, called the Koobface virus, asked his Facebook friends to download a "cooool video."

"In that case it looks like it's asking you download Adobe Flash Player in reality it downloads a malicious piece of code," Pierce says.

He says to play it safe, never click on a link in email, on Facebook, or any site that you weren't expecting, no matter who sent it. Instead, Pierce suggests manually entering it in the site.

"If you type the link in manually then you know you're going to that site. If you click on it within your email even though it looks or may say it's going to that site it may link you somewhere else," he says.

The longer you're on logged in to sites like Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter, the more vulnerable you are to a hacker. Frequently log off. That includes logging off from your mobile devices too.

How often do you change your password? Pierce says ideally you should update it every 30 days once a week is even better. And make it a strong password.

"Ideally you'd want it to be 14 characters and you'd want it to include words or letters and characters."

And when you enter it, don't prompt the site to remember it for you. Store it only in your head.

As always make sure you have to most up to date antivirus software. You can also click here for steps on preventing the Koobface worm.

Tribridge Garners Numerous Awards at Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference

Amber Brinkley — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:35:14 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (Aug. 1, 2009) – Tribridge (www.tribridge.com), a leading U.S.-based IT services and business consulting firm, returned from the 2009 Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) in New Orleans with several accolades and awards from the technology giant.

Microsoft Dynamics U.S. Partner of the Year Finalist – On the heels of winning back-to-back Microsoft Dynamics U.S. and Worldwide Partner of the Year awards in 2007 and 2008, Tribridge was one of only three partners in the U.S. nominated for Microsoft’s top award this year. As a finalist for Partner of the Year, Tribridge met several key criteria, including outstanding sales performance, deep technological expertise on Microsoft Dynamics products and services, and positive feedback from Microsoft team members.
Greater Southeast Regional Partner of the Year – Tribridge was honored with the 2009 Regional Partner of the Year award for its strong business performance and dedication to delivering solutions that meet diverse customer needs. The award encompasses proven success in both Microsoft platform technologies and the Microsoft Dynamics suite of products.
Microsoft Dynamics President’s Club – For the seventh consecutive year, Tribridge was named to the exclusive President’s Club, which represents an elite group of Microsoft Business Solutions partners worldwide that have achieved a high level of sales and business performance while maintaining a constant dedication to customer satisfaction and innovation. Tribridge is among only six firms that made the President’s Club list in both 2008 and 2009.
Microsoft Dynamics Inner Circle – Tribridge was also named to the Inner Circle for a seventh consecutive year. This elite group represents the most outstanding partners whose sales achievement ranks them at the top echelon of the Microsoft Dynamics global network of partners. In addition, these top partners have demonstrated exceptional overall company performance by delivering valuable solutions that help Microsoft Dynamics customers drive their business forward.
Eastern Region Community Service Award – Tribridge was recognized by Microsoft for its active involvement in and support of the Tampa Bay Technology Forum (TBTF) Foundation. The non-profit organization was co-founded by Tribridge Chairman and CEO Tony DiBenedetto and provides educational programming and scholarships to disadvantaged area youth in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math.
Scribe Software #1 Reseller of the Year – This honor recognizes Tribridge’s achievement as Scribe Software’s top revenue producing reseller in the Americas region for the calendar year 2008.

“Tribridge has demonstrated strong leadership among the talented and diverse Microsoft Dynamics partner ecosystem, which each year continues to deliver rich business solutions and innovative excellence to customers,” said Doug Kennedy, vice president, Microsoft Dynamics partners. “We look forward to seeing Tribridge continue to raise the bar in the design and deployment of customer solutions built on Microsoft Dynamics technologies. We congratulate the company as being named as one of our top Microsoft Dynamics go-to partners of the year.”

“It’s an honor to be recognized for another consecutive year as a top Microsoft partner for company growth and, most importantly, for our steadfast focus on the customer experience,” said DiBenedetto. “These awards underscore our strong commitment to providing the business and IT services our customers need to meet their unique objectives, stay competitive and thrive in the industries they serve.”

Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference provides Microsoft’s partner community with access to key marketing and business strategies, leadership, and information regarding specific customer solutions designed to help partners succeed in the marketplace. Along with informative learning opportunities covering sales, marketing, services and technology, the Worldwide Partner Conference is an ideal setting for partners to garner valuable knowledge from their peers and from Microsoft.

About Tribridge

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