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CompTIA enlists in National Campaign to Employ U.S. Veterans

Leo Mennitt — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:07:50 GMT

Troops to Tech Careers offers IT training, certification and job placement services
The Troops to Tech Careers program offered by CompTIA, a non-profit
trade association for the information technology (IT) industry, is easing the
transition of veterans from military to civilian life by providing a pathway to
successful careers in IT through education, credentialing and employment.
CompTIA is recognized as an authority on IT education, certification and
advocacy on behalf of the IT industry and its workforce. Its vision of the IT
landscape is informed by more than 30 years of global perspective and more
than 2,200 members and 1,000 business partners that span the entire IT
industry.

Troops to Tech Careers works through the public workforce system to
ensure that returning veterans with the aptitude and interest in a technical IT
career will receive the education, credentialing and job placement assistance
needed to join the nation’s IT workforce.

How it Works
After an initial assessment, veterans are directed to training options
appropriate for their interests and skill sets. The education component of the
program focuses on community colleges with long-standing relationships
with local One Stop Career Centers as well as private training providers.
Additionally, CompTIA is reaching out to four-year colleges and universities,
both public and private, which offer IT degree programs.

The amount of preparation an individual needs before sitting for a
certification exam varies depending on their level of technology knowledge
and skill. Individuals who have been working in an IT position in the military
may be ready for the exam with a few weeks of self-study or online training.
Others may require a more intensive and lengthier boot camp style class or
college course.

Since its launch in the late summer of 2011, more than 6,405 veterans have
gone through the Troops to Tech Program and have earned 8,133 CompTIA
certifications.

Why Is This Significant?
It’s a known fact that employers depend on IT certifications to make hiring
decisions. According to a 2011 CompTIA research report, 64 percent of IT
hiring managers rated certifications as having extremely high or high value in
validating the skills and expertise of job candidates. In addition, eight in ten
HR professionals surveyed believed IT certifications will grow in usefulness
and importance over the next two years.

Employers rely on certifications when hiring because certified IT workers
have a greater ability to understand new and complex technologies; are more
productive and bring more insightful problem solving to the workplace.
In addition to acceptance in the private sector, the U.S. Department of
Defense recognizes CompTIA certifications in its technical and management
tracks for information assurance technicians and managers under DoD
Directive 8570.1M. CompTIA certifications are also part of the State
Department Skills Incentive Program.

The final step of the Troops to Tech program is assistance in securing
employment, The Troops to Tech Careers corporate registry lists the companies
and organizations that support the program and are willing to prioritize the
hiring of IT certified veterans. The online registry allows veterans to search
for available IT job openings with specific companies simply by clicking on a
company logo.
For more information, visit CompTIA Troops to Tech Careers, www.troopstotechcareers.org

Five Reasons Why Counteroffers Are a Bad Idea

Leo Mennitt — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:05:31 GMT

Thinking of giving that exiting employee a raise to stay? Think again.
By John Reed

One of your most tenured developers has just given notice that she’s leaving
for another job. You’re in shock and feel overwhelmed at the prospect of losing this
valued employee, especially with so many projects in the pipeline. Your first reaction is to immediately make a counteroffer to convince her to stayREAD MORE.

Senator’s Cybersecurity Letter Gets Attention from Fortune 500

Leo Mennitt — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:03:16 GMT

By Barbara Murphy Melby and Timothy P. Lynch
On September 19, Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, sent a letter to the CEOs
of the top 500 U.S. businesses expressing disappointment over the U.S. Senate’s recent rejection of the proposed Cybersecurity Act. The act aimed to enhance the security and resiliency of the cyber and communications infrastructure of the United States.READ MORE

Next Step in T12 Lighting Phase Out to Begin

TechWire — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:33:29 GMT

By Michael D. Smith
Starting this month T12 lamps will no longer be produced as part of a longer-term mandate that was issued by the Department of Energy a couple of years ago. This means that businesses and organizations with T12 lighting will no longer be able to purchase replacement bulbs or lamps.

The mandate has been in the works for quite some time. It began in July 2010 with the end of production of the magnetic ballasts most commonly used in T12 lamps. The latest phase out may seem like it would create challenges for many businesses and organizations with T12s, but actually it creates more opportunities when looking at the big picture.

Lighting may not seem like an obvious investment in your business, but it’s one that’s highly effective. Businesses and organizations have chosen Efficiency Made Easy (EME) as one way to finance lighting upgrades within a large facility or across multiple facilities. EME allows businesses to bundle their electricity procurement and their energy efficient lighting upgrades by including the cost of the lighting projects–and other efficiency projects if needed–into their power contract. The lighting projects are then funded through on-bill financing without impacting the balance sheet as the costs of high-impact efficiency lighting measures are factored into the price per kilowatt-hour of electricity used. It typically takes a large energy consumer anywhere from one to two years to pay for the project, however, with lighting upgrades customers realize immediate cost savings as a result of reduced electricity use.

There are also federal incentives and programs available to help building owners or tenants replace the old lighting with new energy efficient systems.

Determining the most ideal or practical approach to replacing old lighting and other equipment is where the real challenge exists as it takes time and resources to sift through and analyze the high volume of information regarding the T12 phase out.

Michael D. Smith is an associate at Constellation. info.constellation.com/lightsout

Growing Demand for Outsourcing Drives Opportunity

TechWire — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:26:29 GMT

Companies who need to focus on core business can consider outsourcing functions like corporate governance, risk management and compliance services.

By Eric Jones

Times of uncertainty bring tremendous opportunity.

In the wake of the recent financial crisis, numerous regulations have been proposed with the potential to change the landscape of the financial services industry for years to come, if not permanently. The implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act in the United States, including the Volcker Rule and the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as well as Basel III globally, will have dramatic but as yet unclear ramifications on every sector within financial services. Further exacerbating the situation is ongoing uncertainty throughout the market driven by the European crisis, continued concerns over unemployment rates, slow housing recovery and periodic “shocks” that undermine confidence in the market, such as issues surrounding Facebook’s IPO and J.P. Morgan’s hedging failure.

During times like this, it is essential that companies maintain focus on their clients and core competencies. In turn, this perpetuates the growing trend of outsourcing to third parties that have the time and expertise to cost-effectively manage a variety of non-core functions. One logical area where growing companies should consider outsourcing is corporate governance, risk management and compliance (“GRC”). The need for regulatory guidance and clarity has always been critical but never more so than in today’s environment.

According to Forrester[1], the market for GRC technology platforms alone is projected to double between 2010 and 2015 to $1.4 billion. This is on top of the tens of billions of dollars already spent annually by enterprises on outsourced GRC and security consulting services. In addition, the GRC outsourcing market is well-established and served by a large number of providers that focus exclusively on providing GRC services to customers, often at a higher quality and lower cost than companies can reasonably expect to achieve on their own.

From the private equity perspective, increased scrutiny and extended review and approval processes related to investments in regulated entities, such as providers of financial services, support an investment thesis centered on outsourced technology and services for such end markets. This thesis is particularly attractive when the trends driving opportunities in the underlying sector (i.e., financial services) are complemented by the momentum of the vendors themselves, as described above for providers of GRC technology and services.

For example, there are compelling demographic and industry-specific trends that make the independent broker-dealer dealer (IBD) and registered investment advisor (RIA) space attractive for investment, including an aging population that will increasingly need financial advice and growing distrust of the traditional “wirehouse” brokerage firms coming out of the financial crisis. According to Cerulli Associates[2], there are nearly 133,000 IBD and RIA financial advisors in the United States managing approximately $3.5 trillion of client assets.

At the same time, the current regulatory environment calls for companies in the space to improve the way they administer their internal governance, risk management and compliance processes, which requires significant focus and investment. One obvious solution companies are increasingly turning to is outsourced relationships with providers of GRC services and technology that can help them more efficiently and cost-effectively react and evolve to new regulations and compliance standards.

This illustrative example is applicable to any number of sectors within financial services, including asset management, banking, insurance, payments and specialty finance. It creates significant opportunities for both the companies who need to keep up with the ever-changing standards as well as the service providers who support them.

At a recent industry conference on how companies can navigate uncertainty in the financial markets, a common theme centered on the fact that one thing we know for sure about the financial markets is that they are constantly evolving in ways difficult to predict. It is in this context that providers of technology, expert advice and outsourced services in the GRC space should thrive, not only by addressing the regulatory craze of the moment, but by providing an ongoing solution to a constantly evolving and increasingly complex problem.

Eric Jones is a Senior Associate at LLR Partners, a private equity firm that takes a partnership approach to investing in middle market growth companies in the services sector. www.LLRPartners.com.

[1] Forrester Research, “Market Overview: GRC Platforms,” November 9, 2010.

[2] Cerulli Associates Intermediary Matrix, 2010.

Network Redundancy Goes Wireless in New Jersey

TechWire — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:43:52 GMT

By Vincenzo Clemente

New Jersey continues to attract emerging technology companies, financial service providers, health care related businesses and more. The capability of the State’s infrastructure to support major communication facilities makes New Jersey an ideal choice for businesses. From the availability of warehouse buildings to access to diverse and cost efficient power grids, it’s no wonder that New Jersey is home to more than 36 colocation data centers–and more are in development. Colocation and data centers host communications hardware, software and serve as the home to cloud applications, data recovery, storage, market data information, registries and more. Connections to other facilities and industry related hubs such as financial exchanges, healthcare exchanges, municipalities and diversified routes that bypass city centers such as Manhattan, are important considerations for mission critical network planning. In addition, last mile connectivity to any business is an extremely important consideration. With out a high-bandwidth capable last mile connection even the best-routed network will fail.

The Last Mile
As more companies leverage the solid infrastructure supported throughout the New Jersey, compliance issues are a growing concern. HIPAA, SOX, PCI and HITECH Act rules for healthcare companies require IT compliance to ensure the security of data. The financial industry has its own unique set of issues. Technology specialists in the financial services industry must deal with security, protection from data breaches, accessibility, latency (speed to access and process information), fraud and more. The risk of losing even a second of connectivity can cost financial companies millions.

The last mile is the vital link that connects a company and its information to the rest of the world. With such high stakes in managing corporate data communications, it’s not surprising that major enterprises are building their own private networks. By constructing and building a dedicated network, companies have the ultimate in privacy and security while achieving the greatest level of control over connectivity and processing capabilities. Lighting dark fiber unleashes the power of connectivity that transports data at the speed of light.

Dark fiber ensures companies the most control over their network. Unfortunately, not all networks take the same route, and at the speed of light, even the smallest curve can upset the ability to transact or access information. Ensuring networks take the most direct path can be very challenging. There are no network topologies (at least publicly available) indicating the underlying infrastructure. It’s a matter of trust and industry knowledge to ensure your connection is indeed the best one. However, when a new network is built, companies gain the ultimate control and visibility.

RF Communications
With diversity a huge requirement to ensure compliancy, companies are seeking not just one last mile connection but multiple. However, diverse fiber feeds into any given location still does not guarantee that a network outage would not affect both Points of Entry (PoE). This is where the interest in RF Wireless communications technology is poignant.

RF communications transmit signals over short distances since it can go direct and not over and around mountains and buildings. Data is transmitted at the speed of light, but it’s also the most direct path. This type of communication solution is assuredly diverse from the fiber in the ground; however, it’s neither as reliable nor end-to-end. What goes up must come down and in the world of communications all wireless technology must hit a physical wire path at some point. An absolute physical interconnection is required to process data packets.

Fiber is the physical path that all communications must traverse. It is proven as being the most reliable and robust connectivity solution for enterprise end users because of their dependency on networks for their most critical applications. As enterprise businesses rely on fiber, so do the RF providers.

RF communication solutions can get very close to a data center, colocation or enterprise facility. However, in order to enter the facility a direct physical fiber optic line is required to ensure data packets are delivered end-to-end. For most companies, this ‘itty bitty’ last mile happens to be the most important network connection. As a complimentary solution, and a much-needed last mile connection, Fiber provides the most reliable and absolute necessary physical path to assist RF providers in terminating data with the highest throughput capability.

Radio Frequency (RF) wireless communication technologies being deployed, if equipped with dark fiber, can support ultra-low latency connectivity into colocation and data center facilities. These solutions best suit RF wireless providers, enterprise financial users, and high frequency trading firms, which require the shortest, most direct physical connection into key financial data centers in New Jersey.

And with more and more companies moving their most critical applications to the Garden State, the best and most direct alternative network solutions will continue to be the ultimate requirement.

Vincenzo ‘Enzo’ Clemente, President and CEO of Cross River Fiber, an NJ-based boutique dark fiber optic and telecommunications solutions provider that supports dark fiber solutions for RF wireless communication technologies. www.crossriverfiber.com

A New Method for Dealing with Rogue Data Transfers

TechWire — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 14:28:53 GMT

By Pete Cafarchio

Most companies have been grappling with the trend of consumerization in their corporate IT environment. For many, this means that there is a growing tendency for new technology to first emerge in the consumer market and then spread into business and government organizations. With growing pressure to achieve results, coupled with tightened IT budgets, employees are looking to efficiently get their jobs done by using freely available tools. However, when these tools are introduced into the workplace, it creates an inherent lack of centralized IT control, which not only leads to potential data leakage, but also can create security risks. This tension becomes painfully apparent when employees need to exchange large, confidential files.

Unsuspecting Employees

Let’s consider the following scenario: Brandon works in a marketing department. As an important initiative for the year, he needs to send a copy of his company’s prospect database to their outsourced marketing firm to initiate lead generation campaigns. However, Brandon’s firm needs the file within a short timeframe or a key deadline will be missed that will most likely result in lower revenue this quarter. As Brandon tries to send the file, his e-mail server notifies him that his message is too large and that he should contact the IT department. This forces a domino effect. Brandon considers turning to his overtaxed IT department to send it via FTP. However, in the past this process involved an extraordinary amount of resources, and took days to send something that needed to be there in a matter of hours.

As a result, individuals like Brandon turn to rogue applications that are free and cloud-based, but lack necessary security controls. With a simple Google search, people can access multiple utilities such as Dropbox, YouSendIt, Google Sites and iCloud to send large files in a matter of minutes. This is what Brandon did to send his file, so the lead generation campaign is on schedule and Brandon could move on to other projects. Unfortunately, he just created a potential nightmare for the company and the IT department.

Brandon transmitted a highly sensitive file containing contact information for all of his company’s customers and prospects. Ultimately, his IT department cannot control, track, or even see what happens with these files. The problem is that he just used a free utility that could very well have weak or non-existent security controls.

All too often, employees face this situation and unknowingly open their infrastructure in a way that holds seriously detrimental implications. In fact, because of these major security concerns, companies such as IBM recently banned the use of Dropbox and iCloud in their corporate environment. What can people do in order to successfully send large and sensitive files yet still complete their tasks?

Apps For EveryoneundefinedIT Departments and Employees

When companies ban rogue applications they need to offer viable, easy-to-use alternatives for exchanging data or employees will simply find another way. Fortunately, some vendors are filling this need with tools that offer the best of both worlds, enabling workers to effectively get their jobs done while also giving IT staff the visibility, security and control over files as they are transferred. This is especially important for healthcare and financial institutions, who need to comply with extensive industry regulations.

For organizations evaluating vendor offerings, ask the following questions to help find the right solution:

• Does it have tight security? Is the data encrypted while it’s in transit and at every “hop” where it is stored? Dust off your security policy to ensure compliance with your standards.

• Is it intuitive to users? If the tool is not easy to use for both senders and recipients, extra training will be required and the IT support burden will increase. Check obvious things like password resets and easy account provisioning.

• Is the solution cloud-based or on-premise? Does the vendor has a certified data center and can they demonstrate your data is not co-mingled with others? Cloud-based solutions can offer significant cost savings in hardware, OS licenses, staffing and disaster recovery costs. The solution will be up-and-running much faster and you can also switch solutions more easily if needed.

• Does it give IT centralized control? A solid solution should allow IT to easily provision/de-provision users, track and monitor all data transfers including file names, sender and recipient IDs, timestamps, completion status of the transfer and other important metadata.

• Does it integrate with mobile devices? Is the web interface optimized for mobile browsers? Can it be used natively (without launching an application)?

• Is this a dedicated standalone utility or is it a multi-function service that easily ties in with your other corporate production applications?

As organizations face an ever-increasing need to comply with regulations, sending sensitive information quickly becomes the norm. This forces companies to re-evaluate their methods of data delivery. Gone are the times of simple FTP and email, which have proved to be too risky. Companies need to find new approaches that meet customer demands, deadlines and industry regulations. But as they do so, they must consider IT management implications. This means seeking out updated file transfer solutions which have evolved into “secure data delivery services.” These will allow their employees to handle encrypted email messages, inbound customer portal feeds, and electronic forms data safely and securely.

Pete Cafarchio is vice president of DataMotion. DataMotion provides cloud-based data delivery services. www.datamotion.com pcafarchio@datamotion.com

Going Mobile? The key to any successful project is asking tough questions before you write code.

TechWire — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 14:24:43 GMT

By Don Coleman

About half of U.S. businesses will be in the mobile market by the end of 2012, according to a recent survey by Robert Half Technology (“Mad for Mobile,” New Jersey TechNews, April 2012). Nearly a quarter of the CIOs surveyed said they planned to develop a mobile application for the first time this year. The mobile boom is in full swing. Developing mobile apps can be scary and exciting, especially for managers who must make difficult business decisions in a rapidly changing technology landscape. Asking tough questions before you begin mobile development can save a lot of headaches down the road. Here are the six you should ask before starting:

Are you focused?

It’s a good strategy to kick off a project with some blue-sky brainstorming. Sometimes ignoring reality is the best way to get all the ideas on the table. But the hard part is taking your big ideas and breaking them down into much smaller ideas that you can actually execute.

Do you have a clear idea of what you’re going to build? There is a wide spectrum of possibilities. You could be building a mobile version of your website. You could be building a task-specific app for clients or customers. Perhaps you are building a set of tools to help your employees work smarter and more efficiently.

Make sure you are not trying to do too much. Often it’s a good idea to start with the minimum number of features you need to satisfy your users. You can always add features later.

Probably the biggest thing to keep in mind is this: it’s not an effective use of resources to go mobile just for the sake of it. The rush to mobile now feels a bit like the dot com boom in the late 90sundefinedbuilding websites just to build websites. Be thoughtful. Focus.

Have you considered your audience?

This might seem like an obvious one, but managers and developers often make assumptions without really understanding their users.

If you are building something for your customers, do you know what they want or need? What is you target market? Do you have any studies to back this up? What devices do your users have? Android and iPhone are the most popular, but you might also have to consider other devices, such as the Blackberry or Windows Phone.

It’s also important to be realistic about how much time your customers will spend using your app. You might imagine that your app will hold a user’s attention for an hour and a half, but really it’s more like five minutes.

If you are building tools for your employees, do you understand their workflow? Do you know what kind of hardware they are using? Does the tool need to work offline and online? You want to build something that your employees will easily (and willingly) adopt. It’s important to understand how these mobile tools will be integrated with other software and hardware systems in your company.

Also, don’t forget about the bigger picture for your users. How are you making their lives better or easier? In addition to solving problems and meeting needs, you might consider ways to bring a little fun into their mobile experience. Create something that delights them.

Is your team ready?

This is a tough question, in part because it may force you to consider longer-term business strategies. Is your mobile project a one-time endeavor or do you intend to make mobile development part of your company’s skillset? Is it better to hire someone to build the app for you? Or are you willing to spend time and money training your existing team?

If you have good software developers they can become mobile developers. A consultant can help you plan the project and get your team up to speed. This could be a good strategy if you have developers willing and excited to learn. If your developers aren’t willing and excited to learn new technologies, you have much bigger problems.

Which technologies will you use?

In some ways, choosing technologies is the easy partundefinedeasier, at least, than understanding your users and getting developers up to speed. It’s also easy to get into the trap of using shiny, new, cool tools without putting people first.

The first decision you’ll have to make is whether to develop a native app or a web app. With a native appundefinedfor instance, one developed specifically for the iPhone or Android platformsundefinedyou can easily access device features, like the camera, microphone, and address book.

If you are going to build native applications for multiple platforms, start with one platform first, instead of trying to develop on multiple platforms in parallel. Your applications won’t launch at the same time, but you can take what you learned on the first platform and apply it to the others.

The mobile web allows you to build applications that are not platform specific and can run in the browser on any phone. But browser capabilities vary across devices. For example, camera support exists in newer Android and Blackberry but is unavailable on the iPhone. The browsers will eventually get better and support more device features, but for now this is a moving target.

Another solution is to use a framework like PhoneGap that allows you to build cross-platform native apps using HTML5. PhoneGap works like a shim, providing access to the phone’s features from JavaScript. PhoneGap applications are packaged as native apps and delivered to users through the app stores.

The good news is that the line between web apps and native apps is blurring, and a year from now this distinction might not be a sticking point.

How much are you willing to invest in the project?

Obviously, developer and designer time will be the most expensive resource. All of the plumbing around the projectundefinedplanning, marketing, and managingundefinedcan also add up. Building custom software is expensive, and your first mobile project could be more expensive than you think, especially if you have to train your team. The scope of the project and your vision for your business will likely determine the cost of going mobile.

A consultant could set you on a good path, but only if you do your legwork first. Although there’s no silver bullet here, asking tough questions before you dive in could lead to a more successful mobile app, one that makes your users happy and won’t break the bank.

Don Coleman, director of consulting at Chariot Solutions, helps businesses put together clear roadmaps for mobile development. Don can be reached at dcoleman@chariotsolutions.com or 215-358-1780 ext.462.

Corner Office – Christopher J. Schaber, PhD – President & CEO of Soligenix

TechWire — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 18:16:35 GMT

Christopher J. Schaber, PhD has over 23 years experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. Dr. Schaber has been Soligenix's President and Chief Executive Officer and a director since August 2006.

1 .How did you become CEO?

My story is probably like many you’ve heard. Out of college I worked my way up through the ranks. I started in chemistry and manufacturing, then moved into regulatory affairs and quality, before graduating to all facets of operations. These diverse experiences culminated in me serving as COO for over six years in a start-up biotech company I helped co-found, before moving to Soligenix as CEO in 2006.

2. What qualities do you feel are important for a leader to have in the life science field?

Perseverance, integrity and understanding. The Life sciences industry is extremely rewarding. To me, there is nothing more fulfilling than being able to positively impact so many by bringing life-saving therapies to market. However, this industry is not without its challenges; drug development is a risky business, raising money to develop these drugs in today’s economic climate is probably the most difficult it has ever been. You need to be able to persevere through these difficult times, while always maintaining the utmost professional composure and integrity. Also, in my opinion, in these times of downsizing and doing more with less, it is critical that a leader of small biotech have a complete and in depth understanding of his/her field - to be able to support and challenge assumptions that will potentially have a significant impact on time, finances, and success of the programs, and ultimately the company. It also allows you to work closely with every team throughout your organization when making key decisions.

3. What would you like people to really think about your company?

We have a highly specialized and experienced team at Soligenix that is committed to developing products to treat life-threatening side effects of cancer treatments and serious gastrointestional diseases, and vaccines for certain bioterrorism agents. Soligenix has two areas of focus: 1) a therapeutics segment dedicated to the development of products for orphan diseases and areas of unmet medical need such as pediatric Crohn’s disease, acute radiation enteritis, and Graft-versus-Host disease (GVHD), and 2) a vaccine/biodefense segment to develop vaccines and therapeutics for military and civilian applications.

4. What is your passion besides work?

The two Fs … family and fitness. There is nothing more important to me than my family. With four children, there is always something important going on that requires my wife and I’s undivided attention. It is one of our greatest joys seeing our children grow and develop into caring and productive people. Also, fitness plays an important role in my life. You know the old saying, which is absolutely true … of sound mind and body. In a stressful industry like ours, it is important to stay healthy.

5. What makes your company stand apart from others?

I think it is our focus, commitment and sense of urgency. I have an experienced team that never loses focus on the bigger picture … the patient. This is what fuels us to keep sight of what is ultimately important and to continue to move forward with a high level of energy and enthusiasm.

6. How do Biodefense and Biotherapeutics fit into the NJ life science landscape?

Given the devastation that occurred on 9/11, and the expertise we had within the company, we thought it important to be an active participant in protecting our nation and others; therefore, we added another segment to our business that focused on vaccines/biodefense. We have experienced some nice successes with the government awarding us over $15M in funding thus. We are currently developing a ricin toxin vaccine and an anthrax vaccine, as well as a proprietary vaccine thermostability technology that has the potential to take vaccine, which typically require refrigeration, and store them at much higher temperatures exceeding 40 degrees C. We are currently operating under a $9.4M NIH grant that is fueling development in our biodefense segment.

7. What makes NJ a good place for life science companies?

I am sure you have heard this from a number of the companies, but it is the tremendous talent pool we have to draw from. There is so much pharma/biotech expertise in NJ it greatly facilitates the development and growth of the life sciences. We also have strong NJ life sciences associations that support the many companies that reside here. In addition, Governor Chris Christy has provided strong support to the life sciences and small business in the state.

8. Through out your career, you have been responsible for many different areas of business from overall pipeline development to preclinical and clinical research, what has been the most challenging and why?

At any one time, each of these areas has had its own significant challenges. The life science industry is very demanding and highly regulated by health authorities like the FDA. It is a business that is definitely not for the faint of heart. I think you must always make sure your programs are scientifically sound and you are working closely with the health authorities. By doing this, you will, more often than not, position yourself in the best way possible to meet any challenges you may face … and there will always be challenges …

9. How important do you feel networking is in this industry? And, how do you network successfully?

Professional networking is a very important part of our industry. And given the ups and downs (unfortunately more downs) of our economy has faced over the last few years, I think there has been no other time when networking has been more critical. Having been in this industry for over 23 years, I typically do this through my personal relationships with colleagues, attendance at key conferences, active participation with national and state associations, and through different forms of social media such as, LinkedIn. To be able to interact with and support your fellow colleagues in any way possible is what will continue to allow individuals, companies and the life science industry as a whole to prosper.

10. Think ahead. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

I see myself doing the same thing I am doing today. I love drug development and building and growing life science companies. I take great pride in the drug successes I have been fortunate enough to assist with over the years and the positive impact they have had on so many lives. Although you may hear a lot of negatives out there about the pharma industry, to me, it remains one of the noblest professions and there is nothing else I can imagine doing for the rest of my professional career.

Proton Therapy: Transforming Cancer Treatment Options

TechWire — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 18:07:21 GMT

By James Jarrett
Spring 2012 signaled not only the growth of new buds on our trees, but also new hope for cancer patients in New Jersey. On March 20, the first proton therapy center in New Jersey and the New York metro region opened in Somerset – the third such center in the U.S. operated by ProCure Treatment Centers, Inc., a privately held health care company.

What is Proton Therapy?

When people think of cancer treatments, many immediately jump to traditional radiation therapy; however, another treatment option is becoming more broadly available in the U.S.: proton therapy. The concept of protons as a form of cancer treatment has been around for more than 50 years, but the technology only recently became readily available to patients in clinical settings.

Proton therapy utilizes protons, large, positively charged particles that penetrate matter to a specific, pre-determined depth. In contrast, traditional radiation uses photons or X-rays, electromagnetic waves that have no mass or charge and shoot completely through tissue like a bullet. While both offer effective tumor control, the difference between proton therapy and standard X-ray radiation is that protons can be controlled with a high degree of accuracy and will deposit much of their radiation directly in the tumor. This minimizes the damage to the surrounding, healthy tissue, and allows patients to receive higher, more effective doses while reducing damage to healthy tissues that surround the tumor. Simply put, tissue that is not irradiated will not have radiation induced side effects.

In traditional radiation, X-rays release radiation as they travel through the body – damaging both the tumor and healthy tissue.

Proton therapy’s benefits make it an effective treatment for cancers that are in delicate locations, such as near the brain or vital organs, as well as with tumors that are situated deep within the body, which could lead to an increase in collateral damage from the excess radiation delivered by traditional X-ray radiation. Proton therapy is most commonly used for tumors of the prostate, brain, head and neck, central nervous system, lung and gastrointestinal system, as well as many pediatric cancers. Ongoing studies are exploring how proton therapy can most effectively treat other cancers as well.

Proton Therapy Centers
ProCure leverages technology and clinical experience to meet patient need. Proton therapy centers require complex, cutting-edge equipment, so constructing new centers is both expensive and time-consuming. ProCure uses its clinical, financial and technological expertise in proton therapy to efficiently construct proton therapy centers across the United States in collaboration with leading radiation oncologists and hospitals.

Currently, there are only 10 proton therapy centers nationwide, which can only accommodate a fraction of the patients who could benefit from the treatment. ProCure’s mission is to improve the lives of patients with cancer by increasing access to proton therapy.

This goal is gradually being achieved. The Somerset, N.J., site, the third ProCure center in the U.S., features the most advanced proton therapy technology currently available, and opened in record time – just 23 months after groundbreaking. Other ProCure centers are already in development in other parts of the country.

Most importantly, ProCure centers do more than treat the tumor; they also treat the patient. Each center is designed to provide patients and their families with a comfortable, personable environment that is conducive to healing. Since patients often travel from around the country for treatment and are in therapy for several weeks, ProCure offers them personalized, concierge-style service to help them take advantage of the local area and holds regular events where patients can get to know others undergoing treatment.

ProCure and New Jersey
When ProCure was seeking a location for its third center, the New York metro area came to the fore. With more than 35,000 patients in the area who could benefit from the treatment each year, the need for a proton center was evident.
As the company took a closer look at the region, New Jersey stood out as the place to build.
The state has a supportive economic environment for breakthrough biotechnology research and development, which has led to a statewide climate of innovation in health care. As a privately funded company that does not rely on state or federal funding or grants, ProCure found New Jersey’s economic landscape to be welcoming, and funding was readily secured.
In addition to economic environment, ProCure found an inviting medical community. While the majority of physicians have not had the opportunity to work with the technology or witness patient outcomes, many have been eager to work with ProCure and spread information to other doctors. Two health care organizations, Princeton Radiation Oncology and CentraState Healthcare System joined with ProCure in formal collaboration to develop the NJ facility.

The relatively sparse number of proton therapy centers nationwide often requires patients and their families to travel to facilities away from home to receive treatment. The opening of a proton therapy center in NJ will therefore provide both a welcome resource to local patients and an economic boost to the region.

What’s Next for Proton Therapy?
The physicians, hospitals and companies invested in the advancement of proton therapy are constantly working to improve current treatments and expand their scope.
Because a limited number of proton therapy procedures are performed each year, proton therapy centers across the country are working together to maximize patient data and broaden the spectrum of studies being performed. ProCure New Jersey is involved in this research, with plans for all patients to be enrolled in various data collection and clinical trials. In addition, by finding efficiencies with each proton therapy center it develops, ProCure continues to decrease the cost of bringing a center to market. We believe the future is bright for proton therapy and that ProCure and the state of New Jersey are positioned to continue to spur innovation and growth.

SIDEBAR
Stats at a Glance
• Cancer is the second leading cause of death in New Jersey.
• ProCure’s New Jersey center is the first proton therapy center in the NY/NJ area and the 10th such center in the United States.
• Proton therapy is, essentially, the same as X-ray radiation but with far fewer side effects and much less damage to healthy tissue.
• Approximately 60 percent of cancer patients in the United States currently receive traditional X-ray radiation.
• Proton therapy is used to treat brain, head and neck, base-of-skull, prostate and pediatric tumors, as well as tumors near the spine, melanoma of the eye and lung cancer.
• In the case of prostate cancer, treatment with proton therapy can help avoid common side effects, such as bowel and bladder problems and sexual symptoms, as well as recurring or secondary tumors.
• Unlike X-ray radiation, proton therapy can be used at the same time as chemotherapy because it does not affect bone marrow.
• Approximately 30,000 patients per year could benefit from treatment in New Jersey and the New York metro area.
• The ProCure Proton Therapy Center has the capacity to treat approximately 1,500 patients a year.

James Jarrett, is President of the ProCure Proton Therapy Center in Somerset, New Jersey.

Improve Your Bottom Line by Improving Your Employees’ Health Employer Strategies to Reduce Healthcare Spending

TechWire — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:56:43 GMT

By Clark Lagemann | Vice President

While many politicians and media outlets debate over what should and shouldn’t be done healthcare costs continue to skyrocket. Unfortunately business from Main Street to Wall Street are feeling the effects of increased healthcare costs and are making difficult decisions about cutting benefits or increasing premiums. Traditionally healthcare has always been reactive, and slow to adopt new technology. Finally though, we’re seeing a growing number of organizations be proactive and deploy strategies to keeping costs manageable.

Since 1999 there’s been a cumulative growth in health insurance premiums by 138 percent while wage growth over the same period is only at 42 percent . These figures are cited to demonstrate the growing problem of health insurance costs on employers and their employees. It also illustrates overall trends in health benefit costs, but they do not actually show how this burden is affecting each group.

Rapidly rising healthcare costs have major consequences to employers resulting in budget cuts, hiring freezes, and limiting business growth. Plus, surveys reveal that 42% of employers and small business have not yet planned for future healthcare increases. An aging and unhealthy workforce contributes to lost workplace productivity and when workers go on sick leave many small businesses cannot afford to replace them. Even if employers provide less health coverage, the costs remain high in absenteeism due to health issues, rehiring, re-training, and the administrative burden placed on the entire organization. Employers paying less attention to employee health cause them to lose their influence on the actual costs of poor health. These are significant threats and impact the overall competitiveness of American businesses within the global marketplace.

Research shows that spending more money to treat existing chronic illnesses isn’t the long-term solution. Creating a strategic plan and investing in proactive healthcare and disease prevention can be a major starting point to affecting change. The key is to keep healthy people healthy and move sick people towards being healthy. While this may sound like an overly simplistic solution to a massive problem, it can be done.

The problem most employers’ face is not devoting enough time to strategically planning a direction for the organization and their healthcare spending. Usually the focus is making health plan design changes to fit the current budget. Motivated companies create motivated employees so employers should create health plans with specifics to implement such programs. The savings resulting from low-risk maintenance strategies in healthcare cost reductions will result in productivity gains. Many employers do not measure the costs of poor health among their employees. For example, studies show that co-pays and deductibles on essential medications can actually reduce adherences to therapy which ultimately lead to expensive hospitalizations, complications, and much more. The best way to improve the bottom line is to implement practices that increase value and increase the quality of outcomes.

Investing in preventive health practices such as screenings, immunizations, health risk assessments and education have the greatest benefits. Since prevention is better than a cure, the strategy is to focus employee health efforts on primary prevention and risk avoidance. The plan should encourage healthy habits and include health promotion to prevent productivity loss due to poor health status and/or lifestyle-related risk factors that are modifiable. Investments into Wellness Programs provide both immediate and long- term benefits.

A health management strategy should include:

General communications on medical decision making
Disease management programs for chronic health conditions
Lifestyle management/changes
Communications and resources for appropriate adherence to treatment guidelines
High quality provider networks including all the specialties covering the medical conditions of a population
Portals and reporting allowing a patient to monitor their progress, see results, and further engage in their health
Personalized messaging alerting patients when its time for examinations, etc
Incentives for successful adher¬ence to treatment guidelines
Measure patient outcomes for each medical condition to continually evaluate the success of the strategy
Awareness of community resources that are disease specific (e.g., American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, American Lung Association)

When using any new approach, the dilemma facing employers is low participation rates and motivating employees to make changes. Wellness programs and disease management initiatives have proven to significantly reduce costs while improving an employee’s physical, emotional, and mental health. Most successful programs include nutrition benefits on healthy eating, weight and cholesterol control, encouragement for regular exercise to reduce stress and improve cardiovascular health, and educational information of damaging habits.

Healthcare costs are increasing due to several factors, some of which are manageable while others are not. Despite these reasons, there are still many great steps employers can take to lessen the health risk and cost of your employees. Our top 10 list includes:
• Goals and objectives that are transparent to the entire organization (e.g., annual health report card)
• A safe and clean workplace
• Incentives to keep healthy employees healthy and support risk reduction and disease management practices
• Environmental supports to encourage physical activity, such as walking trails, showers, stairwell programs, onsite fitness centers, bike racks/barns for cyclists, and free pedometers
• Tobacco-free workplace
• Depending on the demographics and needs of specific populations: lactation rooms, quiet rooms, and onsite medical clinics
• Healthy, affordable food elections in cafeterias, vending machines, conference rooms, and offsite events
• Sponsorship and active participation in community health events
• Removal or lowering of cost and access barriers to company sponsored programs and evidence-based interventions
• Recognition and promotion of “wellness champions” who have succeeded in their own health pursuits or have motivated others

Clark Lagemann is Vice President of Health Options Worldwide which has developed the HOW Diagnostic Suite which help companies reduce overall healthcare costs, decrease absenteeism, and increase productivity. He can be reached at Clark.Lagemann@healthoptionsworldwide.com.

References:
http://www.thehastingscenter.org/Publications/BriefingBook/Detail.aspx?id=2178

http://healthreform.gov/reports/smallbusiness2/index.html

http://www.kff.org/insurance/snapshot/Employer-Health-Insurance-Costs-and-Worker-Compensation.cfm

http://www.benefitspro.com/2011/06/02/employers-look-to-employees-to-lower-health-care-c

http://www.kff.org/insurance/index.cfm

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5979.html