For a short while, we’ve been featuring guest bloggers on the Tech Blender.  Some local people plugged into technology in one way or another who were willing to share their insights and thoughts with the rest of us.

The response has been great, and we couldn’t be more pleased with contributions from programmers like Tim Kulp, and eBusiness pro’s like Steve Kruskamp and Laleh Malek.

Since the beginning we’ve said that “The G.1440 Tech Blender is your source for sage advice, brilliant insights and delight — delivered by the Baltimore/Washington region’s leading professionals”… and we mean it!  We’re proud to be a source where leaders come to share thoughts and trade comments.

In fact, we’d like to see more of it! So – what do you know?  What insights can you share?  Let us know and maybe you’ll be featured on the Tech Blender next!

Do you Twitter or Tweet? This sounds funny or strange to say, but in fact, it is the latest communications craze. You can keep up with your friends, your favorite actor, your local police and even what is happening in Baltimore with just a few keystrokes.

Twitter is a micro blog….it is a simple way to communicate with as many friends as you want to stay in touch with. Signing up takes about a minute…..all you need is your name, an email address and pick a password and you are off and running…..in the 21^st century. Twitter is free….so why not try it out?

Each message has a limit of 140 characters to keep the messaging short and sweet. In fact, this is one of the reasons that Twitter is so popular….quick messages that keep you in the loop. When posting a Tweet, you are responding to the one question that Twitter asks…..”What are you doing?”

Once you start Tweeting, (I still can’t get used to saying that), then people will start to follow you……and you can sign up to follow them. By following someone, you are saying that you want to receive whatever info they post on Twitter. When someone follows you…they are signing up to receive your posts.

Something I like about Twitter is that no reply is required. You are just staying in touch and don’t need to reply to a posting. Another feature is the ability to schedule Twitter to turn off or on at a certain time.

From basketball teams to movie stars, everyone seems to be getting in groove with Twitter. For example, Demi Moore has over 380,000 people that she tweets with on a daily basis. How crazy is that?

Businesses are jumping on the bandwagon too. G.1440 uses Twitter to keep our followers up to date on technology news that we post. We make several posts per day on average…..after you sign up…check us out to get an idea of what you can do. Another great Twitter posting is the Md Daily Record. Check it out…I think you will be glad you did.

Have a great time with Twitter this week!!!

For those of you that don’t know, Mr. Kassouf (G1440’s Marketing Manager) and I not only share a passion for all things internet related, but we also share the same Alma Mater…Go Tigers! Recently, we bumped into one another at a Towson College of Business and Economics event and started discussing, Twitter. After some back and forth banter and POV’s on Twitter, Tim asked if I would guest blog on the topic. According to him, I’m “twitterific.” I’m not quite sure how to take that…

I could discuss best practices or opportunities that exist for you or your business, but as Tim put it, “there’s about a million of those out there,” and who wants to read another one of those. However, Tim posed another question, “how Twitter fits into the culture here in Baltimore?” Now there is a better question! I love Baltimore, and I love Twitter! From my perspective, Twitter has had an interesting and noticeable impact on the local culture.

First example, “Let’s Have a Tweet-Up!” I can’t tell you how many of those I have been to or invited to lately. Using services like twtvite.com local restaurants/bars, bed and breakfasts, and even firms have been sponsoring these twitter-based meet-ups. The interesting part is that these are open events that anyone can attend. The result is an eclectic mix of Baltimorean’s getting together to build meaningful relationships both personal and professional.

Second example, “I’m Gonna TwitPic That!” This example is more specific to me in anecdote but I know others have shared this experience. Using the service TwitPic.com, people have been posting interesting pictures of locations and events that I didn’t know existed. There are so many amazing places here in Baltimore, with wonderful architecture and history that are unfortunately, not well known. Recently, these locations have seen a revival of visitors because of twitpic’s and tweets.

You’re probably thinking, “those are two good examples but what else is there?” Well, in true social fashion, I am going to use my 2,000^th twitter post to ask the local twitter community to share their stories and perspectives in the comments section of this post.

Next week, we’ll revisit this post and discuss some of the most interesting comments.

Most of us know the pain of job seeking – and for some, it’s been especially hard recently! Over a million fewer jobs were posted online in January than 2 months prior, marking the sharpest decline since 2005.  The job seekers in December outnumbered open positions by 7.3 million. Not only does this paint a scary picture for the job seekers, but with more people applying to a smaller selection of jobs, employers have to sort through a larger amount of applications, taking away vital work hours.

A survey in 2005 reported 90% of companies in Northern America use staffing services to hire temporary and permanent staff. These companies are on the right track!  A staffing firm, like G.1440 (the best for IT Staffing!), can save a company a significant amount of time and money in making sure the right candidate is chosen for the job.  In this economy, no one can afford to sift through the ever growing pool of applicants looking for the diamond in the rough – which is why we’re excited to be a staffing agency that’s always focused on bringing a handful of quality candidates rather than a stack of papers.

And, of course, if you’re looking for a position – don’t be afraid to check out a staffing firm!  Agencies like ours are aware of job openings much faster than Internet job boards because of the relationship with upper management. And, contrary to what you might think – a staffing firm isn’t competing for your salary.  Companies pay the best agencies to find the best talent – often for a commission based on a placemen’t pay. Who woudn’t want an advocate on their side fighting for the most money possible?

It’s scary out there.  Maybe we can help!

Number 5 to be exact, and the only IT Development and Staffing firm mentioned.  Sweet!

Don’t get me wrong – ever since my first interview it was obvious that something was up at G.1440, but it’s nice to be acknowledged!  Now, thanks to Baltimore Magazine, everyone knows what we’ve known all along… G.1440 rocks!

The article highlighted our unique office and relaxing culture, two of the best things about G.1440.  But if you really want to get down to it, it’s the people that make G.1440 special.  It’s a CEO who laughs with you and can’t wait to say, “Great job!”  It’s an HR department that you walk by just to say, “Hi!”  And when it really comes down to it, it’s a team of people completely dedicated to winning.  Man, that fires me up!

Today’s a great example.  Almost every school district in MD is closed for snow/ice today, but a good chunk of G.1440’s team braved the weather to come in, and the rest planned ahead to work remotely and aren’t missing a beat.  And for those of us that did put our lives in the hands of a Toyota and an iron will, there were donuts and hot coffee waiting for us – just because one of our employees decided it would be nice.  How awesome is that?!

That’s what cements the deal for me: G.1440.  Officially one of the best!

BALTIMORE, Nov 05, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — G.1440 has announced the recent client addition of ezStorage, the region’s largest self-storage company with almost 50 state-of-the-art locations in Baltimore, Washington and Northern Virginia. After several rounds of proposals and consultation, ezStorage selected G.1440 to develop and enhance their web presence and customer experience.

As the region’s premier self storage provider, ezStorage has a diverse audience. The ezStorage website experience must be both interactive and intuitive to ensure each website visitor can easily identify a storage location and reserve a space.

Additionally, ezStorage is dedicated to maintaining the informative and functional website that has characterized the company and contributed to the brand’s reputation as being the best self storage experience in the industry.

With over ten years of innovative design and development experience, G.1440 is dedicated to providing clients with user-centric websites that meet the demands of a wide range of Internet users.

G.1440 will focus on implementing innovative navigation technology so ezStorage prospects can easily identify locations and select storage units based on real-time availability and up-to-the-minute competitive pricing.

The website will also feature an overhaul of the customer portal. G.1440’s design will incorporate a secure log-in for accounts allowing tenants to check account status and pay bills in real-time.

“ezStorage wants to design and build a rich customer interface that sets it apart from its competitors,” explains John Hill, Vice President of IT Solutions. “More than simply technical expertise, ezStorage will rely on G.1440’s innovative design skills to create new ways to enhance the self storage experience and serve their customers better than anyone in the industry.”

The new website will include a Customer Management System that will allow ezStorage to continuously add and update the dynamic content on the website with minimal technical aptitude.

Hill adds, “G.1440 wants to make certain maintaining and updating the site is very manageable. It will be as simple as using a word processing application.”

About G.1440

G.1440 provides IT Solutions, including custom web design, application development, and IT Staffing, that Get IT to Work for leading companies nationwide. With the region’s top IT developers and designers, our teams help increase sales, cut costs, improve customer satisfaction, and help clients maintain a competitive advantage in any industry.

For more information call 410.843.3800 or visit www.g1440.com.