Westmoreland to Host Small Business Workshop August 8, 2011

Columbus Public Library 10:00am – 12:30pm

Congressman Lynn Westmoreland will be hosting a small business workshop entitled “Back to Business.” This will be an opportunity for business owners in Georgia’s Third Congressional District to get information on programs that various federal agencies offer. The “Back to Business” workshop will be held at the Columbus Public Library, located at 3000 Macon Road in Columbus. The event will be held on Monday, August 8, 2011 and will run from 10:00am until 12:30pm.

“Small businesses are the bread and butter of our economy and make up 70% of all jobs in this country,” stated Westmoreland. “While unemployment continues to hover at almost 10 percent in Georgia, we need to focus on helping small businesses expand and create more jobs. I am dedicated to pulling our economy out of this slump and getting Georgians back to work. I would like to invite anyone who owns a business or who is considering starting a business to join me at my Back to Business workshop.”

Representatives from the Small Business Administration, The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture Loan and Grant Programs, the Georgia Tech Procurement Technical Assistance Center, the Service Core of Retired Executives, and the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute will all be in attendance at the workshop. Following opening remarks, there will be a question and answer session with them and with other business leaders, including representatives from local banks, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Department of Community Affairs, River Valley Regional Commission, and Columbus Technical College’s Economic Development Division, plus more. For questions about the event, please contact Robb Nichols in the Newnan office at (770)-683-2033.

Windstream Expands Business Service Into Columbus, Ga.

Full Suite of Advanced Voice and Data Communication Solutions Now Available

(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Windstream Corp.(Nasdaq:WIN) announces the expansion of its next-generation voice and data services into Columbus, Ga., giving local businesses a new choice for advanced communication services.

Columbus business customers may now benefit from a robust portfolio of voice and data solutions, including dedicated high-speed Ethernet Internet, VoIP converged communications systems, MPLS networking, managed services, and data centers, all designed to help businesses increase productivity and run more efficiently.

Windstream's cost-effective solutions also include business bundles that can help improve a customer's bottom line, saving business customers on Internet and phone service.

"Windstream understands the growing demand for our voice and data solutions and has expanded our product availability into Columbus," said Don Perkins, vice president of business marketing. "Our customized solutions can help businesses improve productivity and connect with their customers."

Windstream already serves business customers in markets across Georgia including Atlanta, Buena Vista, Manchester, Perry, Milledgeville, Dawson, Moultrie and Thomasville.

Windstream is the exclusive sponsor of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce Eye Opener Breakfast on Thursday, July 28 at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center. Businesses who attend the event will receive giveaways and can register to win an iPad, courtesy of Windstream.

For more information about Windstream's converged communication solutions, or any of Windstream's next-generation data services, visit www.windstreambusiness.com.

For the latest news, events and information on advanced communication services, follow @WindstreamBiz on Twitter or Windstream Business on Facebook and WindstreamBiz on YouTube. Visit the Windstream Business Blog for telecom industry trends and tips on improving your business communications.

Facebook and LinkedIn Expert and Author Helps Businesses Leverage Web 2.0 in New Webinar Q&A Series

PRNewswire/ -- Social Media Marketing University (SMMU) invites business owners and business professionals to participate in a free webinar with Facebook and LinkedIn expert Jason Alba. Taking place on July 21 at 11 a.m. E.D.T., the webinar will give attendees a platform to learn insider secrets to success and ask questions on how to use Facebook and LinkedIn to achieve their marketing goals. To register, visit http://www.smmu.com/series.

Jason Alba is the author of "I'm on LinkedIn - Now What???" and "I'm on Facebook - Now What???" As the CEO of JibberJabber.com, a sought-after speaker, and a Social Media Marketing University instructor, he helps business owners and business professionals leverage Web 2.0 to enhance their personal brands, launch and re-launch careers and increase their online visibility and overall marketing reach.

During the webinar on July 21, Jason Alba will provide leading-edge advice on how to get the most out of LinkedIn and Facebook profiles. He will also share insights on how to fix broken brands, how to create high-profile online visibility campaigns and the components of a compelling online presence.

"Jason Alba is one of the country's foremost experts on LinkedIn and Facebook," said John Souza, chief strategist and founder of Social Media Marketing University (http://www.smmu.com). "This is a must-attend session for businesses who are new to social media, and for those who have LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, but need guidance and expertise to help them take their social media presence to the next level."

Social Media Marketing University is the training arm of Social Media Magic, recognized as one of the top five social media services for businesses by the Mashable Awards. The Q&A webinar with Jason Alba is the fourth session in the training firm's newly launched "No Holds Barred: Ask the Expert" series.

The series was launched in conjunction with the unveiling of the firm's newly expanded curriculum, which now includes 11 courses on social media and online marketing. Course topics include blogging (http://socialmediamarketinguniversity.com/blogging/), Facebook marketing (http://socialmediamarketinguniversity.com/facebook/), mobile marketing (http://socialmediamarketinguniversity.com/mobile-marketing/) and video marketing with YouTube (http://socialmediamarketinguniversity.com/video-marketing/).

In addition to offering social media courses, free weekly webinars and opportunities for certification, Social Media Magic also provides "done for you" services for companies and organizations of all sizes, including small businesses, colleges and universities and global enterprises.

To sign up for the webinar Q&A with Facebook and LinkedIn expert Jason Alba on July 21 at 11 a.m. E.D.T., visit http://www.smmu.com/series. Registration for the webinar is free. Space is limited.

Lancope and Cisco to Host Webinar on Leveraging NetFlow to Combat Advanced Persistent Threats

Flow-based behavioral analysis significantly improves network visibility, security and resiliency for government agencies and enterprises

PRNewswire/ -- Lancope, Inc., a leader in flow-based security, network and application performance monitoring, will host a complimentary webinar with Cisco Systems on Tuesday, July 26 at 2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT. Also hosted by the Digital Government Institute, the webinar will discuss how government agencies and enterprises can leverage NetFlow to gain increased network visibility for combating advanced persistent threats (APT).

By collecting and analyzing flow data from existing network devices, organizations can cost-effectively obtain the end-to-end insight needed to vastly improve network security, resiliency and compliance efforts. To register for the free webinar, please go to: http://www.lancope.com/news-events/webinars/combat-cyber-threats/.

"Today's threat environment is constantly evolving and maturing in levels of sophistication and capabilities," said Adam Powers, CTO at Lancope. "Perimeter security is no longer enough to protect prominent government and corporate entities from damaging cyber attacks. Instead, organizations must begin to leverage the flow data inherent in their network infrastructure to create an always-on sensor grid for proactively detecting and thwarting attacks that bypass external defenses."

Lancope's StealthWatch®System collects and analyzes flow data to provide the in-depth, actionable intelligence required to troubleshoot a wide range of network and security issues across both physical and virtual networks. The system fills in the gaps left by other network and security solutions to dramatically reduce the time from problem onset to resolution.

Not relying on signature updates, StealthWatch detects both zero-day attacks that bypass perimeter defenses, as well as insider threats including device misconfigurations, network misuse, unauthorized access and data leakage. Through new security functionality, StealthWatch will now also combine internal network insight with intelligence from the perimeter for even greater contextual awareness.

"Due to the extremely sensitive information they harbor, government networks are highly prone to cyber security attacks," said Chris Coleman, technical leader of Cyber Security Solutions for Cisco Systems. "The recent rash of high-profile attacks on government entities and corporations makes it clear that organizations require new levels of protection to survive in today's threat landscape. Together, Cisco and Lancope provide the in-depth situational awareness needed to significantly bolster the network defenses of frequently targeted environments."

Join Lancope, Cisco and the Digital Government Institute for this free webinar and learn how to increase your network resiliency using flow data from existing infrastructure:

WHO:
Adam Powers, CTO, Lancope
Chris Coleman, Technical Leader, Cyber Security Solutions, Cisco Systems

WHAT:
"Stealth Tactics for Continuous Visibility: Establishing Trust, Visibility and Resilience to Combat Cyber Threats"

WHEN:
Tuesday, July 26– 2:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. PT

REGISTER:
http://www.lancope.com/news-events/webinars/combat-cyber-threats/

Attendees will learn how to:
Create a distributed sensor grid for continuous network visibility
Unify visibility inside and across the distributed network
Use flow-based network behavioral analysis to detect Advanced Persistent Threats (APT)
Demonstrate compliance (NIST 800, CNCI, TIC)