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August News & Tips: iPhone Apps Snatching Data,Win8, Yahoo Hack & More

2 August 2012
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Categories: Development Solutions, Hosting Solutions, Information, News, Technology

[image source_type=”attachment_id” source_value=”4221″ align=”left” size=”Small 150 width” quality=”85″] Is Your iPhone Snatching Your Data?

According to WebPro news, about 20% of your iPhone apps are accessing your personal data without ever asking, and of 65,000 apps 41% can track your location data without your consent. According to Apple, nothing will change until iOS 6 is released. WebProNews

 

Windows 8 – IT Professionals Not Feeling the Love?

According to a Gartner analyst, Windows 8 isn’t even on the IT radar. The more likely upgrade path? Enterprise will probably go straight from Windows 7 to Windows 9. Among the reasons: lackluster desktop handling, and fear of being burned by technical and performance problems. TechRepublic

Has Your Yahoo Password Been Hacked?

About 450,000 passwords have been hacked and now posted online. Is yours among them? Tech Republic says you can check at Sucuri Malware Labs. Just type in your email address and search. And, because there may be other unannounced hacks, it’s definitely time to change your passwords for, say, Gmail or other important sites you use. SiteVision earlier published, “Was Your Password Hacked Today?” (Go here) It’s definitely worth a second look. After all, is it really worth compromising your Identity, your bank account, or other financial information? Also See TechRepublic

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CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association
Name: Virginia Hospital and Health Care Association Hospital Alerting and Status System (VHASS)

Type: Hosting & Development

About: The Virginia Hospital and Health Care Association’s (VHHA) Emergency Operation Center (EOC) is a pivotal tool of its Virginia-wide Hospital Alerting and Status System (VHASS). VHASS was created to enhance the distribution of critical emergency management information needed by Virginia hospitals and healthcare providers. Likewise, the system is designed to provide Virginia residents with superior interoperability of communication and response efforts during a time of crisis.

SiteVision has closely assisted in the development of the web browser based system, and has created a hosting solution that duplicates the entire application and data infrastructure at a geographically separate data center. The sites and databases are continuously synchronized and replicated to be up and running in a matter of minutes were there to be a critical outage. The VHASS browser based application allows all Virginia members to maintain and update emergency status information in real time and as required.

The system is a statewide cooperative effort that includes Virginia hospital members, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. It is a members only website.
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August Maintenance

Maintenance for August will be:
Tuesday August 21st
@ 5:00pm.
If you experience any problems, please don’t hesitate to
contact us.

 

 

SiteVision to Develop Phase II of the Georgia Hospital Association Emergency Preparedness Program – GHA911

25 June 2012
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Categories: Development Solutions, Emergency Preparedness, Hosting Solutions, Information, News, Technology

[image source_type=”attachment_id” source_value=”4146″ align=”left” size=”Small 150 width”] Roanoke, VA June 25, 2012: The Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) has chosen SiteVision to continue its development of the Association’s Emergency Preparedness Program – GHA911. The online website portal is a web browser-based application created to enhance the distribution of critical emergency management information needed by Georgia hospital and healthcare providers, as well as other local and state agencies.

GHA911 is among the ways GHA is helping Georgia Hospitals plan for traditional disasters, as well as the potential for terrorist attacks that would include the use of chemical, biological or nuclear warfare. The website includes disaster readiness information to healthcare members, and provides tools and resources to assist in disaster preparedness and mutual aid planning.

Phase I of the project, which was designed and implemented by SiteVision, was patterned after a highly successful Virginia state-wide program also developed by SiteVision for the Virginia Healthcare and Hospital Association (VHHA). The Georgia portal (members only) for participating hospital and healthcare participants provides a comprehensive overview of each hospital’s capabilities such as its general profile, type of facility, emergency contacts, regular bed counts, ICU bed counts and more.

The Crisis Care Module is designed to capture each hospital’s readiness and capability in a crisis environment. Members can access bed availability, diversion status, important medical supplies, staffing, etc. in an emergency. In addition to cataloging critical physical and administrative capabilities, each facility can identify the tactics (such as prepare, substitute, adapt, conserve and reallocate) that they would be using during a disaster. Data may also be shared with Federal and State agencies. Phase II of the program builds on Phase 1 to provide other user enhancements such as additional calendar functions, status board and transaction report updates, map views, as well as numerous other reports and capabilities.

SiteVision, Inc. (www.sitevision.com) is an Internet application development, consulting, design and hosting firm providing solutions for a broad spectrum of markets and industries, as well as for state, federal and international entities. Expertise includes custom, back-end dynamic applications, consulting to achieve unique goals, geographic information systems (GIS), content management systems, hosting services including, map and GIS application hosting, as well as custom and dedicated hosting solutions. SiteVision, Inc. participates or is available through the following state and federal contracting vehicles:

• Virginia VITA CAI eGov IT Contingent Labor Contract (VA-051123-CAI)

• Virginia VITA Supplier, eGov Hosting Services Contract

• Virginia eVa Procurement

• As a sub-contractor to various state and federal private contractor entities

• State and Federal Sole-source Contracting

The firm has its home office in Roanoke, VA, with sales offices in Charlottesville, VA and Miami, FL.

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SiteVision Chosen for Hurricane Mapping Project

26 April 2012
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Categories: Development Solutions, Geographic Information Systems, News, Technology

[image source_type=”attachment_id” source_value=”4048″ align=”left” size=”Small 150 width”] Roanoke, VA April 26, 2012: Sea Island Software, developers of the Hurricane Evacuation Program (HURREVAC) utilized by government emergency managers around the world, has chosen SiteVision, Inc., to enhance and streamline its website user registration and access features. SiteVision developed the original web portal system for the software company, and has partnered in upgrades as emerging technologies have evolved.

Sea Island Software’s HURREVAC program (www.hurricanemapping.com) is a highly-regarded storm tracking and decision assistance software program. The mapping site offers real-time tracking of storms worldwide using official forecast data. From its origins in 1988, HURREVAC has grown into a feature-rich program currently used by more than 6,000 government emergency managers worldwide. The website is a comprehensive storm tracking service for Google Earth and ESRI’s ArcGIS. HurricaneMapping.com’s datafeeds are designed to be both an extended service to our existing customers in the public sectors as well as a stand-alone service to new private-sector customers. The data feeds are a subscription-based service that delivers live hurricane, tropical storm, and typhoon tracking data quickly and efficiently to the desktop. The firm also offers various training, exercise services, risk profiles and custom programming related to hurricane management information. SiteVision was originally responsible for developing all of the backend capabilities, as well as a full fail-over redundant capability for 24-7 emergency access.

In the new project, SiteVision will provide alternative user processes for streamlining the way HRVC registers HURREVAC users and grants access to the program. New registration features and security measures, as well as a comprehensive administration section will be designed to enhance and automate the expedient flow of information to and from the users.

A seasoned veteran in the geospatial sector, SiteVision has been planning, developing and hosting GIS Internet applications since the mid 1990’s. The firm’s experience ranges from evaluating, recommending, and designing local, regional, and state GIS applications and related infrastructures, to developing national systems designed to store and access multiple petabytes of geospatial Information.

SiteVision, (www.sitevision.com) also offers Internet application development, consulting, design and hosting. The firm provides solutions for a broad spectrum of markets and industries, as well as for state, federal and international entities. Expertise includes custom, back-end dynamic applications, consulting to achieve unique goals, geographic information systems (GIS), Content Management Systems (CMS), hosting services including map and GIS application hosting, as well as custom and dedicated hosting solutions.

SiteVision, Inc. participates or is available through the following state and federal contracting vehicles:

.Virginia VITA CAI eGov IT Contingency Labor Contract (VA-051123-CAI)
.Virginia VITA Supplier,  eGov Hosting Services Contract
.Virginia eVa Procurement
.As a sub-contractor to various state and federal private contractor entities
.State and Federal Sole-source Contracting

The firm has its home office in Roanoke, VA, with sales offices in Charlottesville, VA and Miami, FL.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SiteVision Chosen to Enhance Roanoke City Mapping and Real Estate Data

26 April 2012
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Categories: Development Solutions, Geographic Information Systems, Hosting Solutions, Information, News, Technology, Uncategorized

[image source_type=”attachment_id” source_value=”4032″ align=”left” size=”Small 150 width”] Roanoke, VA April 25, 2012: The City of Roanoke, VA, has chosen SiteVision, Inc. to upgrade, redesign and to migrate its Internet Citywide Mapping and Real Estate Data applications.  The new Geographic Information System (GIS) will be designed to enhance an already robust application environment while providing important, new state-of-the-art mapping detail, reporting and printing functions.

As a seasoned veteran in the geospatial sector, SiteVision has been planning, developing and hosting GIS Internet applications since the mid 1990’s. The firm’s experience ranges from evaluating, recommending, and designing local, regional, and state GIS applications and related infrastructures, to developing national systems designed to store and access multiple petabytes of geospatial Information.

SiteVision and city officials will collaborate closely to integrate the existing system to the enhanced version. Among improvements, existing web application servers will migrate to more feature-rich ESRI ArcGIS server, Adobe Flex and Cold Fusion MX environments.  New features will include floating, pull-down menus to permit rapid switching between various base maps. The redesigned site will also include Google Map and Google Street views. SiteVision will train city development staff and end users, as well as provide the city with extended telephone and online help desk support.

Community and Incentive website portals, a useful feature previously developed in cooperation with SiteVision, will be incorporated into the enriched site.  Community information provides users with a summary of specific neighborhood information including school zones, voter precincts, trash collection, and youth athletic regions. The incentive portal provides a summary of City, State and Federal incentive programs available to a specific parcel.

As an experienced Internet application development, consulting, design and hosting firm SiteVision, Inc. (www.sitevision.com) provides solutions for a broad spectrum of markets and industries, as well as for state, federal and international entities. Expertise includes custom, back-end dynamic applications, consulting to achieve unique goals, geographic information systems (GIS), content management systems, hosting services including, map and GIS application hosting, as well as custom and dedicated hosting solutions. SiteVision, Inc. participates or is available through the following state and federal contracting vehicles:

  • Virginia VITA CAI Supplier, Managed Staff Augmentation Services Contract (VA-051123-CAI)
  • Virginia VITA Supplier, Hosting Services Contract
  • Virginia eVa Procurement as a sub-contractor to various state and federal private contractor entities
  • State and Federal Sole-source Contracting

The firm has its home office in Roanoke, VA, with sales offices in Charlottesville, VA and Miami, FL.

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Cloud Computing & SaaS – Hotter Than Ever

27 March 2012
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Categories: Development Solutions, Hosting Solutions, News, Technology

[image source_type=”attachment_id” source_value=”3956″ align=”left” size=”medium” autoHeight=”true” quality=”100″] If a clear definition of Saas and Cloud Computing is a little confusing, we liked this definition for its simplicity: “Software as a service (SaaS) is the application and the cloud is the place where you store the data from that app (and in most cases the application itself).” 1 There are more complex breakdowns, (Hybrid, Private, etc.) but not for today.

What’s The Point?

As our traditional computing methods fast-forward from hard-wired PC’s to digital, fully mobile devices, traditional unit-priced software and dedicated hardware becomes increasingly troublesome.  We need immediate and shared access to critical information, and collaborative communication on the fly. In other words, we need dynamic, rather than static information distribution.  Enter Cloud computing and Software as a Service:  each is available anywhere at any time and can be rapidly updated digitally. When properly conceived and implemented, hardware and software cost reductions can be impressive.  There are caveats, of course, but such is the case with technology in general.
 

Industry Trends

For instance, According to Forrester research data, the SaaS segment will far exceed the revenue of the other areas. The analyst firm predicts SaaS total revenues to reach $21.2 billion in 2011 and more than quadruple to $92.8 billion by 2016. This is 26% of the entire packaged software market. However, Forrester predicts SaaS will reach a saturation point in five years, and growth will slow between 2016 and 2020.2

Further, Gartner Research feels PC’s out; cloud in by 2014.3  To clarify, not out, as in permanently out, but as business and consumer users aggregate digital devices, cloud based computing will increase dramatically.  We believe these technologies will eventually mitigate some of the problems posed by incompatible operating systems.  PC’s will continue to be a part of the picture, but as only one of many options. 

Universal Examples

There are lots of handy, if not impressive, boutique cloud offerings, serving niche needs for a variety of businesses,  but we’ll just touch on a just a few of the major general offerings:

In All, Does Your Business Need The “Cloud”? 

There is no doubt, the cloud computing is going to be a part of your future, but one way to approach this technology is to leverage your existing legacy system without ditching your entire investment.  It’s probably time to explore the shift from static, difficult to manage data processes, to dynamic, virtualized resources that are available on the fly.  

If you feel, it’s time to take a look, or to better understand this technology; SiteVision offers VPS/Cloud Hosting, as well as integrating or developing SaaS solutions.  You can call us anytime for additional information.

1 http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/12/small-business-software-trends-2012.html
2 http://www.cmswire.com/cms/information-management/forrester-predicts-saas-will-own-all-other-cloud-segments-011005.php
3  http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1944914

Ta-Da! A New Look. A New Site. Explore!

28 February 2012
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Categories: Development Solutions, Hosting Solutions, Information, News, Technology

[image source_type=”attachment_id” source_value=”3637″ align=”left” size=”Small 150 width” quality=”90″] After months in the works, we’ve launched our new SiteVision website!  Featuring a WordPress Content Management System, you’ll find a new visual appeal, updated Twitter and Facebook feeds, re-organized content and more. Sign up for our monthly newsletter (at the bottom of each page),  and we’ll keep you updated on industry trends, useful technology tips, do and don’ts, maintenance schedules, as well as what our hosting and development crew is up to.

 

Solutions

Browse our Solution area for ideas, and to see custom application solutions and Content Management Systems (CMS) created for a wide variety of industries and requirements. You’ll also find  innovative applications and sites for city, state and federal entities, real estate, healthcare, education, enterprise, nonprofit and so much more. In short, if you need a special solution, we’re the go-to guys (and gals)!  We also specialize in GIS mapping applications and offer ARC-Gis Servers to support those requirements.

Hosting

Click over to our Hosting area and find updated hosting options, as well as numerous helpful extras such as on-line conferencing, cloud-delivered services, remote desktop support and more!  In fact almost any option your business structure requires is right here — from shared and dedicated, to co-located and VPS solutions, as well as custom configurations to meet your specific needs.

Customer Support

Our Customer Support area features a nifty online Help Desk with registration, interactive support tickets, knowledge base articles, most popular requests,  Q&A, FAQ’s, and more.  Each support request is tracked from opening through solution with an intuitive and interactive dialogue.  You have your own portal and can log in to check request status and responses at any time.

News & Technology Tips

And don’t forget to check our News section.  We include news you can use with helpful tips, internet trends, interesting applications, what’s up in mobile technology and more. We also include these features in our monthly newsleter – News & Tips From Sitevision – plus all articles are archived here.

Though, we’re still working on the final touches, we’d really like to hear how you feel about the new site launch.  You can leave your comments here!

Does Your Website Measure Up?

1 December 2011
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Categories: Development Solutions, Information, News, Technology

[image source_type=”attachment_id” source_value=”3881″ align=”left” size=”small 150 width” autoHeight=”true” quality=”90″] Our first piece of advice is simple:  Unless it’s a hobby site, get your website professionally designed and coded.  We won’t dwell on hobby sites, because there are many simple and attractive templates and Wysiwyg programs to help create this kind of site.

Business sites, however, carry the full force of your reputation and image, and should never be delegated to less than professional care and feeding – even small sites.

Content Management Systems

If it’s a small site, likely your design and development team may suggest an equally simple template design with core pages and navigation.  A more complex site might be well served with a customised Content Management System.  These CMS systems deliver a positive visual continuity within the site, while allowing personnel to contribute to site content at varying permission levels.  We emphasize visual continuity, because older sites, over time, often become a jumble of disparate type, images and navigation that deliver a disorganized and inept message.  Almost any option can include a secure back-end area for internal and customer communications as well as other legacy matters that need be incorporated into the update site.

The Must Do Basics!

In a nutshell, though, follow these basic rules, and you’ll be well on your way to an attractive, professional web presence. 


As we mention prominently on the site, you can contact us anytime for a free consult to discuss your requirements and special needs.  It’s a great starting point!

SiteVision Creates New Website for Harrison Firm, PC

30 September 2011
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Categories: Development Solutions, Information, News

[image source_type=”attachment_id” source_value=”3541″ align=”left” size=”Small 150 width”] The Harrison Firm, PC, a legal firm located in Roanoke, Virginia needed a better solution for their existing website.  SiteVision developed an easy-to-use Content Management System (CMS) to meet their goals. The new site, not only tells visitors about the firm, it keeps clients and visitors up to date on the very latest legal news and more.

The new website http://www.harrison-firm.com/ enables the firm to aggregate and share important legal news, discuss and present issues on Facebook, share information on Twitter and subscribe to relevant news feeds. Visitors to the site may also read news items, featured newsletter content and sign up to receive updated or relevant legal information as the firm publishes new material.

 An easy-to-use authoring tool works very much like word processing, enabling users to update content without knowing anything about HTML.  Another helpful feature automatically updates the firm’s Facebook and Twitter feeds – a task that was once manual.  By establishing the initial structure and design of the site, the firm’s users are left free to create content while the CMS handles the more esoteric routines in the background. SiteVision provided training for the new site.

Dan Shaffer Joins SiteVision As Director Of GESD

13 September 2011
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Categories: Development Solutions, Information, News, Technology

[image source_type=”attachment_id” source_value=”3545″ title=”Dan Shaffer” align=”left” size=”Small 150 width” autoHeight=”true”] Dan Shaffer, a 22-year veteran in the design, development, and administration of geographic information systems and facility management data, becomes director of Geospatial Information Systems and Enterprise Development (GESD) for SiteVision, Inc., a Virginia Application Development and Hosting firm. As Director of GESD, Shaffer will report directly to the president and will be responsible for managing all aspects of the Division.

Shaffer brings with him expert knowledge in spatial and relational database development and geographic information systems.  He was formerly a faculty member and Acting Coordinator of Applied Geographic Information Systems, James Madison University, College of Integrated Science and Technology.  He was also Vice-Chairman of the Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN) Advisory Board as appointed by Virginia Governors Allen, Gilmore, and Warner.  Shaffer received his BS in Geography and his MS in Integrated Science and Technology from James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia.  He was also CEO of Terralogic, Inc., a Land and Geographic Information Systems Development and Hosting Company that merged with SiteVision when Shaffer decided to pursue additional academic credentials.

“We are extremely gratified to have Dan join our team at SiteVision.  His extensive experience in GIS and systems project management, his ability to provide positive team leadership and mentoring, and his excellent knowledge of all major operating systems including GIS remote sensing, CADD and database systems, will be an extremely positive enhancement for our GESD Division,” said Patrick Maddox, President. “Dan’s presence in the industry is well established, as is his dedication to advancing this increasingly important technology,” added Maddox.

As team leader for the GESD Division, Shaffer will be directly responsible for managing GESD personnel and providing on-the-job training as needed, and will assign and oversee work of GESD personnel. He will also be responsible for developing new GESD services and markets, and for managing GESD client contacts, requests, submissions and contracts.

Why SiteVision?

We’re your advocate. SiteVision has been providing web development and hosting services to government agencies and non-profit organizations for over 20 years. We understand how overwhelming it can be to seek out a reliable solution for you website, custom application, and hosting needs.

At SiteVision we are passionate about creating solutions for customers that make their life better. We excel at understanding your business process and developing an application that is easy to learn and operate. We will always be fair, knowledgeable, honest, and professional.

Work With Us