2011 NYSTA Annual Conference
June 6-8, 2011
Agenda
June 6th
8:30-11:30 am - NYSTA Board of Directors Meeting
12:00-5:00 pm - Golf at The Leatherstocking Golf Course (Lunch Included) - Fishing Outing (Lunch Included - at Golf course)
6:00 - 7:00 pm - Welcome Reception
7:00 - 9:00 pm - Awards Banquet
9:00 pm - ITPA Auction, With Bob Wrighter, Sr. as Auctioneer
June 7th
7:30 AM - Breakfast
8:30 AM - General Business Session
NYSTA Chairman’s Report, Brian Ketchum, Empire Telephone Corp.
NYSTA President’s Report, Robert Puckett, NYSTA
NYSTA Treasurer’s Report, Jim Becker, Middleburgh Telephone Co.
Inspectors of Election Report
ITPA Scholarship Awards, Leslie Irwin, Newport Telephone
9:30 am- Senator James L. Seward
10:00 am - Break
10:15 am - The View From Washington - Jill Canfield, Senior Regulatory Counsel, NTCA
11:15 am - Hall of Fame Panel -What Can Our History Tell Us About The Future? Join Rob Wrighter, Jr. and a panel of Industry Veterans including Peter Van Kampen and Robert Zinnecker - Both past presidents of NYSTA, Robert Griswold, Former President of the Ontario and Trumansburg Telephone Companies, Gerry Forcier, Former President of the Chazy & Westport Telephone Company to discuss their experiences & view of the future.
12:15 – 1:30 - Luncheon
Workshops
1:30-2:15 Session 1
Data Center Virtualization - Cost & Technology Benefits
The challenge with the enterprise data center network of today is to maintain high availability of applications and services, deliver those services to a variety of end systems and keep costs under control. Data Center Virtualization technologies allow organizations to delivery the feature rich applications required while making more efficient use of data center resources. Better resource utilization can help reduce the data center footprint and therefore reduce the cost associted with maintaining that space. Virtualization can also reduce the complexity of the network while increasing the efficiencies of management. I will talk to the technologies of data center infrastructure, server and desktop virtualization. Talking thorough these points will show the potential for some significant cost savings and an increase in the survivability of critical applications.
Social Media - How to Use it to your Advantage - Albert Bodamer, Bodamer Consulting and Maria Del'Amo, Cathedral Corporation
Increasingly, telcos are looking to exploit social media as a vehicle to promote products and services and stay relevant to customers. This presentation explores options and considerations and case studies from rural telcos that have successfully deployed social media to promote their businesses. We will specifically discuss: facebook pages, twitter accounts, linking back facebook "Likes" to your telcom web site and blogging.
Using Size, Culture & Technology to Beat the Big Guys - Tom Nation, MapCom Systems
Engage with executives from small ILECs who have beaten tier 1 companies. Learn how to leverage your size and unique capabilities to create a responsive culture that utilizes technology to deliver superior service that drops the competition like a rock. Take home a pocketful of stones from this discussion that will take down the giants in your backyard.
Call Termination and the Rural ILEC - Jill Canfield, NTCA
Join Jill Canfield for a discussion on Call termination issues throughout the US. Come find out what the experts have discovered over the past few months and what you can do about this increasingly disturbing trend.
2:30-3:15 Session 2
Disaster Recovery Planning: Be Prepared when Disaster Strikes - Ross Petrick, Vantage Point Solutions
Is your company prepared for floods, tornadoes, blizzards, or even worse, acts of terrorism? Telephone, Internet, and Cable TV providers have a unique responsibility to their customers during disasters and unusual events. The accessibility of communication services during a disaster is key to quick recovery, not only for your own company, but also for your customers and community. This presentation will include guidance on how to develop and implement a Disaster Recovery Plan.
Retirement Plans for Closely Held Businesses - Chet Rubackin, Wells Fargo Advisors
Helping to discern areas to seek advice of tax and legal advisors, with a knowledge base *Discussing of factors from Social Security, inflation, tax consideration to income investment *Discussion of Different accounts and meaning thereof from types of IRAs e.g. Simple IRA, SEP IRA, Roth Ira, 401K, Defined Benefit plan *Discussion of plan specifics including - Administration Considerations - Limitations - Comparison of plans from Company Contributions to which plan should be considered for companies with different demographics
Using Data For Business Intelligence - Kathy Sweatman, Quintrex Data Systems Corp.
Each and every business decision made in a highly competitive environment directly impacts the success of your company. The key is to take advantage of all the resources available to you when analyzing company information and making decisions. The good news is that much of what you need is already collected in your Billing/OSS system. From pricing decisions and regulatory reporting to strategic marketing planning, your Billing/OSS system holds a wide variety of information to ease the stress of decision-making and managerial reporting. Join us as we discuss the data available within your Billing/OSS system, different ways to use this information and look at how real companies like yours are doing this successfully.
Smart Grid Business Opportunities for Telecom Providers - Dennis Renowski, NRTC
Using information that he has obtained through NTCA Seminars and what he has learned from Verizon's joint initiative with electric sensor vendor CURRENT to offer utilities an IP-based smart grid service and Cisco's smart grid solutions -AT&T's wireless smart grid technology, Dennis will inform and educate attendees on what the smart grid is and ways that each of us can create a Smart Grid Action Plan to work with our local electric utilities.
3:15 - Open Industry Meeting
6:00-7:00 pm - Annual Banquet Reception
7:00-9:15 pm NYSTA Annual Banquet
June 8th - Wednesday
7:30 AM Breakfast
8:30 – 10:00AM - The Annual Regulatory Roundtable, A Panel of Regulatory Experts, including
Dave McClure- President & CEO , USIIA
Tom Murray-Manager of State Affiars, TDS
Chris Lehner, Director - Communications and Education - John Staurluakis, Inc.
Tom Moorman, Partner - Woods & Aitken
Moderated by Bob Puckett
10:00-10:15 Break
10:15-11:45 - Business Roundtable, Join Brian Ketchum of the Empire Telephone Corporation for a look at where the Telephone Industry is going.
11:45 Adjournment
