Posted by Alan Sears

There has been plenty of buzz about “The Cloud” over the past few years. The hype seems to have peaked recently with companies buying TV ads to highlight the benefits to consumers. For a price you can now access all of your personal content like music, documents and photos remotely. In addition, you can sync up your information between mobile devices and home based-based networks through intermediary technologies known as “The Cloud.”

But what does that mean for your company?

First, it is helpful to understand what The Cloud actually is.

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Richmond, VA, April 27, 2012—The Virginia Chamber announced TBL Networks as one of fifty of the fastest growing Virginia companies at the seventeenth annual Virginia’s Fantastic 50 Awards Banquet on April 26 at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly.  Nearly 400 attendees at the ceremony saluted the winners for their entrepreneurial success and contribution to Virginia’s economy.  The evening’s keynote speaker, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, gave an inspirational address recognizing the pivotal role of small businesses and entrepreneurs in growing Virginia’s economy.

To be eligible, a company must be privately held with headquarters in Virginia, show sales between $200,000 and $100 million, and demonstrate positive revenue growth and positive net income in its most recent fiscal year over the previous year.  Companies are judged on four-year sales revenue history.  The professional service firm Dixon Hughes Goodman verifies all award entries.

“Small businesses are the backbone of the Virginia economy, creating jobs and opportunity across the Commonwealth, said Virginia Chamber president and CEO Barry DuVal. “We are proud to recognize the achievements of our entrepreneurs at the Fantastic 50 banquet.”

TBL Networks is a major source of expertise for the technology sector in Central Virginia.  In 2010, TBL Networks was named Collaboration Partner of the Year for Cisco’s East Area as well as RichTech’s Emerging Company of the Year. Last year, TBL Networks was ranked 406 on the 2011 Inc. 500 list.  Recently, TBL was named to CRN magazine’s Tech Elite 250 list for 2012. TBL Networks is the only technology integrator in Virginia with four Cisco Voice CCIEs, employs the area’s only VMware VCDX, and had two engineers recognized as 2012 VMware vExperts.

“On behalf of TBL Networks, I am honored to accept the award for the Virginia Chamber’s Fantastic 50,” said Dan Griles, Sales Manager of TBL Networks.  “This distinction reflects TBL’s commitment to offer the best information technology solutions to small and medium businesses, while delivering the highest level of customer service.”

About the Award
Virginia’s FANTASTIC 50 award program is a signature event of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.  The FANTASTIC 50 awards recognize leading businesses across the Commonwealth in all types of industries, and are the only statewide awards of this type in Virginia.  Nominations for the 2012 FANTASTIC 50 were sought last fall from local chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, and through the sponsors’ networks; companies may also nominate themselves. 

About TBL Networks, Inc.
TBL Networks is about moving forward with innovative technology.  With over 60 years of combined technical expertise, we empower clients’ collaboration, virtualization and data centers to do more with less. TBL delivers these advanced solutions directly where it counts the most – the desktop.  Building secure and reliable solutions that introduce efficiencies in human interaction is how we see the future.  Let us take you there at http://www.theblinkylight.com.

Posted by Alan Sears

Collaboration is critical to an organization’s success. It helps drive innovation, improve customer service and support a communicative corporate culture. How you embrace technology will help define the impact of collaboration on your employees and your customer base.

To that point our partner Cisco offers an entire suite of collaboration tools that help improve engagement with all of your stakeholders. These include Collaboration Applications, Customer Collaboration, TelePresence and Unified Communications. Their products will help your team make decisions, solve problems, reduce costs and accelerate time to market. In addition, their solutions offer the flexibility to accommodate new developments as your needs evolve and help protect existing IT investments related to their technologies.

Collaboration Applications like WebEx can help add an online component to your capabilities. The application brings voice, video, and web conferencing capabilities individuals spread out at different locations. It can be used for real-time communication for meetings, sales, training, customer support and events. WebEx conferencing solutions will also help optimize the IT resources you already have in place as they are delivered through the SaaS model to support easy implementation and scaleability throughout your organization.

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TBL Networks is very proud to announce that two of our Data Center Solutions Engineers, Sean Crookston and Harley Stagner, have been named as vExperts for the second year in a row by VMware. Sean and Harley received this designation as recognition of their contributions to the VMware, virtualization, and cloud computing communities.

According to VMware, “the vExperts are people who have gone above and beyond their day jobs in their contributions to the virtualization and VMware user community. vExperts are the bloggers, the book authors, the VMUG leaders, the tool builders and town criers, the tinkerers and speakers and thinkers who are moving us all forward as an IT industry.”

TBL Networks Solutions Engineer Sean Crookston also has the title of VMware Certified Advanced Professional in Data Center Administration (VCAP-DCA). Sean is only the 47thperson worldwide to achieve this elite virtualization certification.

TBL Networks Solutions Engineer Harley Stagner is the only VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX) in Central Virginia, and just the 46th person worldwide to hold this title. The VCDX is the highest certification available from VMware.

Congratulations again to Sean Crookston and Harley Stagner – vExperts again in 2012.

Cisco announced today that TBL Networks, Inc. has met the requirements and criteria necessary to earn the Cisco Advanced Data Center Architecture Specialization, the pinnacle data center partner certification available from Cisco.

Achieving the Cisco Data Center Architecture Specialization demonstrates a partner’s expert knowledge in selling, designing, installing, and supporting the Cisco Unified Data Center Architecture, a complete platform for delivering IT as a service within an organization. Cisco’s Unified Data Center includes products and solutions in three critical areas: Unified Management, Unified Fabric, and Unified Computing. Cisco avoids the complexity of a converged infrastructure through an innovative data center architecture designed specifically to support virtualization in the data center. Cisco Unified Data Center provides outstanding performance across physical and virtualized resources, cost efficiency through elimination of silos and simplification of deployment and operating tasks, fast deployment of a highly secure, proven infrastructure to support new business initiatives, and a broad range of storage, virtualization, application, and management alliance partners.

“TBL Networks is extremely proud to be recognized as a Cisco Advanced Data Center Architecture Specialized Partner,” said Alan Sears, President and CEO of TBL Networks, Inc. “This certification not only recognizes our success in delivering unmatched solutions through the most talented expertise in Central Virginia, but also recognizes our commitment to providing our clients with outstanding customer service.”

TBL Networks is home to Central Virginia’s only VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX) and two EMC Technical Architects. In 2011, two TBL data center engineers were recognized as 2011 VMware vExperts.

About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

About TBL Networks, Inc.
TBL Networks is about moving forward with innovative technology. With over 60 years of combined technical expertise, we empower clients’ collaboration, virtualization and data centers to do more with less. TBL delivers these advanced solutions directly where it counts the most – the desktop. Building secure and reliable solutions that introduce efficiencies in human interaction is how we see the future. Let us take you there at www.theblinkylight.com.

Posted by Alan Sears

Corporate use of video has become increasingly popular over the past few years.  Businesses are embracing it to promote their offerings to customers, train their workforce and increase visibility for their organization. If implemented effectively this platform provides an additional channel to connect with your stakeholders. If it isn’t rolled out strategically or by a strong business partner it just becomes an investment in technology that is underutilized.

Cisco has done a good job of addressing the need for enterprise video with their Digital Media Suite. The offering includes a comprehensive suite of webcasting and video sharing applications. Specific resources like Digital Signage, Cast and Show and Share can help transform how organizations learn, communicate, collaborate and grow.

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TBL Networks is proud to present guest blogger Rachel Reynolds, Executive Director at CJSTUF.

Many of you belong to clubs. Some of those clubs were easy to join. You just had to sign up, pay some small annual dues, and enjoy the benefits of membership. Other clubs are more exclusive: the country club, the garden club, fraternal organizations.  All of these clubs carry with them a common cause, a sense of belonging, and a certain set of privileges for membership.

On January 20, 2009, our family joined an exclusive club in which nobody wants membership.  That was the day our daughter Charlotte was diagnosed with cancer. We became one of the many families affected by chronic and life threatening illness. 

Each school day, 47 families nationwide join this club when a child is diagnosed with cancer.  Each day, up to 75 children seek treatment on the 7^th floor of Children’s Hospital of Richmond at MCV. Many of these children are frequent flyers, making multiple visits every year and requiring care for illnesses such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, tumors, leukemia, other types of cancer, and complications due to HIV.

 The dues in this club are steep.  They include draining of emotional energy, sleeplessness, medical bills, financial hardship due to job loss or a leave of absence from work and excessive weight gain (or loss).  Sometimes, you pay the ultimate price: the life of your child.  

At CJ’s Thumbs Up Foundation, our primary goal is to help the families who have joined this club.  In a way, we help pay their dues.  In our first two years, we provided over $30,000 in financial assistance to over 60 families.  This year, we are poised to do the same.  Unfortunately, membership in the club continues to grow. CJSTUF currently has a waiting list of families requesting financial assistance and we do not expect this demand to wane.  

When individuals and businesses like TBL Networks support CJSTUF with their financial contribution, they help families pay their dues to a club they never wanted to join.  With your contribution, you help Roger and I pay forward the kindness that we received during our darkest hours in 2009.  With your contribution, you can help a family in your own community in their time of need. 

 If you would like to know more about our organization, visit our website for information on how to get involved.  You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook or hook into our blog for the latest updates.

Second Annual List recognizes TBL’s deep technical expertise and premier certifications 

TBL Networks announced today it has been named to CRN’s second annual list of the Tech Elite 250. Companies on the 2012 Tech Elite 250 list represent an elite group of IT Solution Providers that have invested in the training and education needed to earn the most technical certifications in the IT Channel.

 In compiling the list, CRN editors worked with the UBM Channel research group and a team of outside experts to define the most customer-beneficial technical certifications in the IT channel.  These technical certifications have enabled solution providers to deliver the most premium products, service and support to their North American customers.

 “TBL Networks is very honored to be named to CRN’s 2012 Tech Elite 250,” said Alan Sears, President and CEO of TBL Networks, Inc.  “This recognition is especially appreciated as it reflects our dedication to providing our clients with impactful technology solutions and unmatched customer service.”

TBL Networks’ dedication to training and certifications were instrumental in their selection.  Founded by three Cisco Voice CCIEs, TBL’s staff also includes the only VMware VCDX in Central Virginia, in addition to two 2011 VMware vExperts. TBL Networks is a Cisco Certified Gold Partner, a VMware Enterprise Solutions Provider, an EMC Premier Velocity Partner, and a VCE Vblock Qualified Partner.

“The 2012 Tech Elite 250 list recognizes an exclusive group of Solution Providers that have shown a dedication to helping customers innovate while reducing costs,” said Kelley Damore, Vice President, Editorial Director at UBM Channel.  “By identifying and adapting to the skills and training needed to best serve today’s customers, members of the Tech Elite 250 have proven their commitment to delivering the products and services that today’s end-users value most.”

A sample of CRN’s 2012 “Tech Elite 250” list is featured in the February issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.crn.com.

About TBL Networks, Inc.
TBL Networks is about moving forward with innovative technology. With over 60 years of combined technical expertise, we empower clients’ collaboration, virtualization and data centers to do more with less. TBL delivers these advanced solutions directly where it counts the most – the desktop. Building secure and reliable solutions that introduce efficiencies in human interaction is how we see the future. Let us take you there at www.theblinkylight.com.

On February 10th, TBL Networks brought the thrills of playing TPC Sawgrass, including the legendary 17th hole , right inside our headquarters here in Richmond, Virginia.  With this help of our friends and the power of Nintendo Wii, TBL Networks hosted our 3rd Annual Virtual Open Golf Tournament.

TBL 3rd Annual Virtual Open Golf Tournament.  Benefiting CJ’s Thumbs Up Foundation