GPA ROLLS OUT NEW MY ENERGY STATEMENT

This past week, the Guam Power Authority (GPA) rolled out its new My Energy Statement as an effort to improve the sharing of vital energy information with its customers.  For our small business, this new product is not just another social media campaign we helped roll out with GPA on Monday via the agency's Facebook page. As a home based business, the new GPA statement has features that really jump out at us. It is a product that all 50,000 GPA customers should take notice of. 

At first glance of the GPA My Energy Statement, the Read Date shown on the statement is key to knowing when GPA was in your neighborhood and monitored your meter for proper billing.  I think this issue puts to bed many concerns that questioned whether GPA actually did their job at our respective homes and home-based businesses each and every month.  Also, the outlining of the monthly customer charge is prominently displayed-even if you opted out of this by turning away the use of the Smart Meter. Effectively highlighted are the assortment of Energy Charges-well it better be prominent as Guam Public Law 21-142 mandates the GPA complete this important task for all  its rate-payers.  Not too far below this particular nugget of information is the infamous Fuel Recovery Charge. The Charge reference is the most well publicized of costs on this Statement and is followed closely by many on fixed incomes from Yigo to Merizo. While this blogger is not so crazy about the Emergency Water-Well and Wastewater Charge being shown on this product-the GWA Bill would be a better place for this-I am happy about the Average Daily Amount of Power Used Section. This bit of data is helpful for decision making for our homes and home-offices. This is the type of information that can drive the local sales of energy efficiency products like smart controls, Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lighting, solar thermal and even solar photovoltaic systems.

The GPA My Energy Statement is a great tool for all GPA customers. If you have yet to see it, we encourage you (yes-as a social media advisor to GPA) to visit myenergyguam.com to take that first step towards managing your household power use.

For more information on how GET, LLC can assist you with your social media and energy efficient product needs, please call us at 671-483-0789 or check out our website at www.get-guam.com. 

The Internet of Things-Keeping Your Data Safe

Recently our friends at American Family Life Insurance Company of Columbus (AFLAC) rolled out a new service to support the fraud and identity protection needs of its voluntary insurance customers. 

Over the last year, AFLAC had been working with its customers with a cost-effective service to help protect business owners and their respective employees personal and financial information complete with internet monitoring and identity restoration services to keep at bay a growing threat in the US consumer marketplace.  

In 2014, Americans lost $16 billion due to fraud and identity theft victims spent hours trying to recover from this emerging white collar crime. 

This is an important issue to this Blogger and it should be front and center to your current business processes if it isn't already.  

As the Internet of Things or IoT continues to evolve, the focus of much of this emerging technological crime, we thought we could share some advice to protect you and your devices from compromise.  Keep in mind, this has been a growing issue since 1985 and many would have never thought that such crime would be proliferated while the technologies or "smart devices" have brought the world closer to our fingertips.  

First, consider setting up a separate network for your IoT devices in your home or office. By keeping IoT devices and other information separate, those unscrupulous hackers will have a harder time gaining access to your personal information.  Second, never connect your IoT devices to unsecured networks. Sure it is convenient when you are on the road or when you need to quickly respond for fear of losing that business lead. Be sure to create strong passwords for your Wi-Fi networks-the easiest way for hackers to gain entry into your home or business device that will further compromise your respective Wi-Fi network.  Finally, look into any available security measures offered for your smart devices. It helps that once you get it, to constantly update your IoT software since these devices are especially susceptible to cyber attacks. 

Do not be discouraged by such news or the threats of the hacks of IoT devices worldwide.  

Just take the necessary precautions to avoid having your information compromised and keep yourself aware of other threats to your identity. 

Our hats off to AFLAC and Independent Insurance Agents like ours, Jenny D. Sarmiento, for their advocacy on this important issue.  For more information on the AFLAC suite of fraud protection services via EZ Shield, please contact Jenny at 671-488-3669 or jenny_duenas@us.aflac.com.  For all of your network security needs in the Western Pacific, please contact GET, LLC for information on our solutions that can be of assistance to you and your respective businesses including access to the Panduit and Cisco line of network security products-of which we are proud Business Partners of both.  Give us a call at 671-483-0789 or find out more at our website at www.get-guam.com.

  

CMD and iSqFt Merge

What happens when you combine the resources of the largest provider of construction information in North America with the leading software-as-a-service company? You get a marriage that will make its corporate leadership in Cincinnati,Ohio very happy in the coming years as construction activity takes an upswing-even here in Guam.  

iSqFt and Construction Market Data Group (CMD) announced earlier this month that the companies have merged. The combination brings together businesses with complementary strengths in different segments of the construction sector, creating an organization with an enhanced product offering for customers and a strong technology platform focused on innovation. After the merger is completed, the combined organization will provide comprehensive construction data and software solutions for customers across North America and the Pacific Rim.

“CMD has established an excellent track record providing high-quality data, information and insights to the construction industry across North America,” said iSqFt CEO Dave Conway.  “With our shared commitment to customer service and product delivery, this merger fits into our long-term strategy to leverage the best of our combined companies to provide improvements on our already great data and deliver innovative solutions.”

CMD, formerly Reed Construction Data and Construction Market Data, is owned by Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm focused on growth investing, and Reed Business Information. Warburg Pincus will continue to be a shareholder in the combined company.

“We are excited about the combination of iSqFT and CMD and look forward to partnering with the management teams to support the company’s growth initiatives,” said Warburg Pincus Managing Director Alex Berzofsky.

The local construction firms which use iSqFt will gain highly complementary capabilities that will build on these respective  firms’ reputations for outstanding customer service and will create exciting opportunities for its employees and users.  This blogger is looking forward to the upgrades to the interfaces to include video, opportunity status and bidder audit reports.  

To find out more about how GET, LLC, through our construction technology and materials partners can help your next project, give us a call at 671-483-0789 or check out our website at www.get-guam.com for more information. 

Server Revenues Hit $12 Billion

Leading industry analysts are reporting that server sales for the first quarter of 2015 hit the $12 Billion mark.   Stamford, Connecticut-based Gartner Inc has reported that server revenue grew by 17.9 percent to $13.4 billion from the same period last year. In terms of server shipments, Gartner reported server shipments of 2.7 million units for a growth rate of 13 percent.

"The first quarter of 2015 was a particularly strong start to the year, with the strongest shipment growth since the third quarter of 2010, when the market was recovering from the downturn. It was also the second largest-volume quarter ever," said Gartner Research Director Adrian O'Connell.

According to the world's leading information technology research and advisory company. x86 server shipments increased 13.2 percent and revenue increased 14.5 percent, while RISC/Itanium Unix server shipments declined 2.9 percent and revenue decreased by 3.1 percent.

HP maintained its No. 1 ranking in the worldwide server market based on revenue with 23.8 percent market share in the first quarter of 2015. Lenovo experienced the largest increase in the first quarter of 2015 with 658.2 percent growth. All of the top five global vendors had revenue increases for the first quarter of 2015-including Cisco which saw a bump in market share by 1.2 percent to 6.6 percent of the 2015 Quarter One Market Share.

"The market was driven by particularly strong demand from the hyperscale area, which benefited North America," said O'Connell.  "In particular. This comes at a time when other regions are struggling, due to price pressure driven by the appreciation of the U.S. dollar. The strength in North America was strong enough to offset declines in Latin America and Japan."

From our friends at Cisco, this is a chance for us to let you know that Cisco Unified Computing System™ (Cisco UCS®) rack and blade servers answer today’s IT challenges with an innovative and simplified fabric-centric architecture. Cisco UCS serves as a common, centrally managed platform that brings simplicity, agility, and flexibility of management by opening and abstracting all server hardware aspects for truly dynamic and stateless server resource pooling and on-demand provisioning.  In addition, UCS delivers fabric-centric unified connectivity for rack and blade servers with LAN, SAN, and management network access by connecting physical and virtual servers alike. UCS is designed to reduce capital expenditures and operating expenses, and it simplifies infrastructure management, enhances application performance and scalability, and speeds IT delivery to the business.

Good news plus more good news equals good things for your organization and a growing market.

GET, LLC is a proud Cisco Registered Partner providing the latest Cisco products and services direct to businesses and organisations. For more about our role as a Cisco Registered Partner and the benefits it brings to you and your business contact us at 671-483-0789 or at www.get-guam.com.

Public Sector-"Just Switch It!"

At GET,LLC, we can say we have just a bit of public sector experience in Micronesia. Having served at both the local and federal government levels in different capacities over the past decade, GET,LLC is a credible source to assist our government friends in bringing the latest technologies to the various work forces-particularly in Information Technology (IT).   

Through our partnership with Cisco, we believe we can answer a couple of important questions relative to access across the government network.    

A Cisco Unified Access solution helps state and local governments (SLG) provide a higher level of service to its citizens.  Unified Access capabilities weave together services, people, agencies, and information into a single, pervasive solution using the network as the platform. Cisco is making it possible for state and local government, government agencies, and citizens to connect in ways never before imagined. With Cisco’s Unified Access solution, public sector organizations and agencies can do more with less while providing a higher level of service and offering constituents new tools and resources to enhance quality of life.  It addresses and simplifies critical SLG challenges like BYOD, Software Defined Networking (SDN) Investment Protection, Video Deployments and Security.

Cisco’s Unified Access solution provides critical benefits to state and local government:

Simplifies SLG BYOD deployments by providing converged access-The backbone of the network is critical in supporting BYOD and mobility. SLG’s  need to resolve inconsistencies between wired and wireless infrastructure in order to deliver operational simplicity, organizational agility, and better user experience. This is accomplished by the Unified Access integration of wired and wireless operational tools

Manages Mobile Device Surge: Manage Three Times More Devices on the Network-An average constituent now carries three times more devices. Internet of Things devices such as sensors, closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs), and building automation are being connected to the network. State and local governments can accommodate this surge with a highly secure, reliable wireless network consisting of Aironet 3700, 2600, and 1600 access points.

Provides SDN Investment Protection-Every government IT department is being asked to do more with less. At the same time, complexity is multiplying with more devices, more applications, and more traffic on the network. As a result, IT departments are looking at network automation and SDNs to facilitate simplicity, agility, and lower TCO.  Cisco’s Catalyst 6800 and 6500-E switches support the Cisco onePK SDN toolkit. You can easily build applications to automate operations and create services across the campus for increased simplicity. 

Optimizes Security-Security is a high priority for state and local governments due to BYOD, regulatory compliance, and increased network attacks. IT directors for SLG organizations often have dedicated budgets to address security and compliance challenges. Cisco’s Unified Access solutions can help if you currently have separate, inconsistent security policies for wired, wireless, and remote access with the Cisco Identity Services Engine. 

Simplifies Energy Management Across the Network to Cut IT Costs-The Cisco EnergyWise suite of software and services will significantly reduce energy costs throughout the campus or distributed office environment-some of the highest in the United States.

If you are ready to refresh your respective government agency's infrastructure to meet the current needs of BYOD, Mobility, Advanced Security, & IT simplification, give GET,LLC and let's talk about making this happen over the course of the new fiscal year.

GET, LLC is a proud Cisco Registered Partner providing the latest Cisco products and services direct to businesses and government organizations. For more about our role as a Cisco Registered Partner and the benefits it brings to you and your particular government business contact us at 671-483-0789 or check out our website at www.get-guam.com.

2013 A Good Year for Bedding Industry

The Greensboro, North Carolina-based Furniture Today is reporting that 2013 was a good year for the bedding industry.  Quoting an International Sleep Products Association report, units increased 1.5 percent and 2.1% in U.S. Dollars. In this Blogger's opinion, this is significant news related to this important industry.

Why does GET, LLC value the work of the IPSA?  Next year they celebrate 100 years of encouraging uniformity in industry standards and government regulations and are always fighting the good fight for the common interests of the 700 bedding manufacturers and related industry members world wide. Their analysis hits at every level of the bedding industry is very informative-they truly understand the bedding industry and those involved are best served by tapping the IPSA's expertise.

The IPSA figures showed the innerspring segment outperformed the specialty sleep segment helped last year by a strong sales year of hybrid sleep sets-the combination of innersprings and specialty foams.

Furniture Today reports that preliminary figures for last year show innerspring mattress units up 2.7% for the year, compared with a 7.3% decline for specialty mattress units. And the dollar value of innerspring mattress shipments was up a healthy 8.1%, compared with a 4.3% decline for specialty mattress dollars-the worst performance of the specialty sleep segment since 2009.

The average unit price for innerspring mattresses was up 5.3% for 2013, to $266.02, while it increased 3.2% for specialty mattresses, to $767.90. But the average unit price for foundations plunged 7.5%, to $80.83. Overall, the industry saw the average unit price rise just 0.5% last year, to $217.11, according to the preliminary figures.

Final figures for 2013 won't be available until ISPA completes a more detailed look at the year and issues its annual report in a few months.

ISPA also issued a fourth-quarter breakdown that showed innerspring mattress units up 4.1%, compared with a steep 11.7% decline for specialty mattress units. Innerspring mattress dollars were up 9.1% in the fourth quarter, while dollars were down 4.8% for specialty mattresses that quarter.

There is a caveat to all this information as the ISPA cautions that the reports may not necessarily reflect the performance of the full industry, due to market share or distribution changes. Good to know.  We will continue to follow this story and keep you posted.

For more on how GET,LLC through our friends at Savoy Contract Furniture and teaming partner American Hotel Register can assist you with your specific bedding needs-please check out our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-483-0789 to discuss the best solution for your facility.  All the solutions are Made in America!

A Year Concludes and A New Year Holds Promise-Reflection by GET, LLC

As we close the book on 2013, we would be remiss if we did not take a moment to reflect on the past year.  GET, LLC was so very privileged to be able to share with you more about our business and insight into the happenings here in the Western Pacific.  We hope you gained further understanding more about the casegood furniture business, structured cabling and energy efficiency lighting industry and aerial lifts.  Additionally, you read a different perspective into Paradise Guam-our home. We wrote about the important issues of the day-a direct reflection of the discussions of our friends and neighbors.  These blog posts were what people were talking about around water coolers, dinner tables and back kitchens all across Micronesia. All the writing in this blog reminded me of some important things-all of us should not take things for granted and knowledge is surely power.  GET, LLC is excited for what 2014 will bring.  We will continue sharing more information and exciting insight into the world around us.  Thanks for reading and may you and yours have a prosperous new year.